Deep Fried Catfish

(The catfish, hushpuppies, and a potato pancake made with left over baked potatoes that I found in the fridge)

With Lent on it's way, I thought I'd try doing a fish fry. It turned out really well (so I'm told. I don't eat fish. But the family raved about it)

Catfish
1. 1 cup gluten free all purpose baking mix (I used Bob Redmill)
2. 1/2 cup cracker crumbs (I crushed Ener-G gf crackers in a food processor and didn't have enough so I added some gf tortilla crumbs - 3 tbs - to top it off)
3. 1/2 tsp garlic powder
4. 1/4 tsp onion powder
5. 1 tsp salt
6. 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
7. 1.5 cups of buttermilk
8. 4-5 large catfish fillets
9. 2 cups of canola oil (if pan frying)

1. I used a fryer. Make sure to get the oil to the desired temperature, about 350 degrees F (or just move the dial to the "fish" symbol and wait for the green light to come on like I did). If you are using a pan, use enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan and have about 1 inch of oil in the skillet (to float). Heat the oil to 350 degrees F.

2. Combine the 1st six ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together. Once combined put your flour mixture in a large, wide pan or baking dish. You will dredge the fish through the flour so if you are using long pieces of fish, you want to make sure your dish is also long. Put the buttermilk in a large, wide, shallow bowl.

3. Dip each fillet in the buttermilk and then dredge the fish through the flour mixture making sure to get both sides evenly coated. Set the fillet on a large platter or baking sheet. Continue with each fillet. Refrigerate until ready to fry or begin to fry fish.

Frying:

If you have large fillets, it's best to fry one fillet at a time. In a fryer, I immersed mine for 6 minutes. The time will vary depending on the size of your fillet. You'll know when it's done when it is golden brown on the outside and the inside of the fish is flaky white.
If pan frying, it will take 4-5 minutes per side. Remember to add more oil if needed between each frying and wait for the extra oil to heat back up.

Place fried fillet on a paper towel lined baking sheet and place in a warm oven to keep the catfish warm.

If you can't find catfish,, any white fish will work with this recipe, just adjust your frying time for the size of your fillets.

I'm giving away a copy of Allergic Girls new book! Just leave a comment on this post to be entered to win. I will draw the winner Friday February 18.

I hope you enjoy the fish and I hope you win the book!!

Steak and potato kebabs with creamy cilantro dressing

Steak and Potato Kabobs (kind of a meal on a stick)

This recipe is from Eating Well magazine. I modified it a little bit for personal taste, but it got RAVE reviews.

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, minced (I used a 1/4 cup because I'm not a big fan of cilantro)
2. 2 tbs. red-wine vinegar or cider vinegar
3. 2 tbs. reduced fat sour cream
4. 1 small garlic clove, minced
5. 1 tsp. chile powder
6. 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
7. 1/2 tsp. salt, divided
8. new or baby red potatoes
9. 1.25 pounds strip steak, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
10. 2 poblano peppers or 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces (we used sweet green pepper)
11. 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
12. 1 large sweet onion, cut into 1 inch pieces

Directions

1. Combine cilantro, vinegar, sour cream, garlic, chile powder, cumin and 1/4 tsp. salt and set aside.
2. Preheat grill to high.
3. Place potatoes in microwave safe container. Cover and microwave on High until just tender when pierced with a fork, 3-3.5 minutes.
4. Toss the potatoes, steak and pepper pieces with oil and the remaining 1/4 tsp. salt in a large bowl. Thread the potatoes, steak, peppers and onion chunks onto 8 skewers*. Grill, turning once or twice, until the steak reaches the desired doneness, about 6 minutes for medium. Serve the kebabs with the reserved sauce.

* if using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 20 minutes before grilling. This will help keep them from burning. The potatoes are heavy so use metal skewers if you have them.

I made the sauce and it was perfect for the meal. But it did not seem like it would be enough for 4 people so I doubled it. And in doing so it seems VERY vinegar-y (is that a word?). So I just kept adding sour cream and spices until it tasted like I thought it should.
To make it dairy free, sub Tofutti Better than Sour Cream or other preferred safe dairy free sour cream.
Since I'm not a red meat eater, I made a few for myself with chicken. Keep in mind if you do that, the chicken takes longer to cook. Put the chicken kebabs on first or you'll be like me and still standing around the grill while everyone is else is eating steak.

Chili-Lime Drumsticks

Chili-Lime Drumsticks (from All*You magazine)

Ingredients
1. 16 chicken drumsticks
2. Salt and pepper
3. 4 Tbs of butter or dairy free margarine, melted and cooled
4. 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
5. 1 Tbs. chili powder
6. 1 garlic clove, chopped
7. 1 tsp. sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Rinse drumsticks, pat dry and season with salt and pepper. Place in a flat layer in 2 large baking pans.
2. Mix remaining ingredients. pour over drumsticks; turn them to coat. Cover with foil; bake 15 minutes. Remove foil, turn drumsticks; bake until cooked through, 35 minutes, basting often with pan juices. Let rest for 10 minutes, then serve hot; or let cool, cover and refrigerate to serve cold.

Pasta with artichokes and tomatoes

I was STARVING at lunch time today and created this pasta from stuff I had on hand. It turned out really very well.

Ingredients

1. 4 oz of dried gluten free pasta
2. 2 plum tomatoes (chopped)
3. 1 can of artichokes hearts, drained (You'll need about 3 artichoke hearts, quartered. Save the rest for another recipe)
4. 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
5. 1 tsp. dried basil
6. 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
7. 2 oz. Gouda cheese, chopped into bite size pieces

Directions

1. Boil pasta, drain and set aside.
2. In a pan on medium heat, saute tomatoes and garlic for 3 minutes. Then add 3 artichoke hearts that have been quartered. Heat for another 5 minutes until the flavors blend together. Add olive oil and basil and heat for one more minute. Remove from heat and stir in pasta.
3. Put pasta mixture in a large serving bowl and top with Gouda cheese.

Makes 2-2.5 servings

Chicken Dijon

Chicken Dijon - kid friendly

Ingredients

1. 8 chicken Drumsticks
2. 3 Tbs. Dijon mustard
3. 3/4-1 cup Tortilla crumbs
4. 1.5 tsp. oregano (dried)
5. 1 tsp. garlic powder
6. .5 tsp. salt
7. 1/4 tsp. course ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix Tortilla crumbs, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Brush drum sticks with Dijon mustard. Roll drumsticks in the crumb mixture to coat.
3. Place coated drumsticks on the lined baking sheet and bake until browned and cooked through, 40-45 minutes.

Firecracker Turkey Chili (slow cooker)

This was so good! I wish we had left overs, but sadly, they ate it all. The recipe is from Weight Watchers Momentum Cook Book

Firecracker Turkey Chili (slow cooker)

Ingredients
1. 1 Tbs. olive oil
2. 1 pound hot Italian Turkey sausage, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
3. 2 onions, coarsely chopped
4. 2 Tbs. chili powder
5. 1 Tbs. ground coriander
6. 3 cans diced tomatoes with chili's
7. 2 15 1/2 oz. cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained (I used 1 kidney and one black bean)
8. 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 min. Transfer the sausage to a 5- or 6- quart slow cooker.

2. Add the onions to the skillet and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 min. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the chili powder and coriander.

3. Transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker and stir in the tomatoes and beans. Cover and cook 4-6 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.

4. Ladle the chili evenly into 6 bowls and sprinkle with cilantro.

Per serving (2 scant cups): 198 cal; 9 g fat; 2 g sat fat; 844 mg sodium; 17g Carbs; 4g fiber

Points value: 4 per serving.

Mini Turkey Meatloaves

Mini Turkey Meatloaves (adapted from Kraft recipe)

Ingredients

1. 2 pounds ground turkey breast (preferably extra lean and organic)
2. 1.5 tsp. garlic powder
3. 1.5 cup of safe BBQ sauce
4. 1-1.5 cups safe gluten free bread crumbs (we like Corn Tortilla Crumbs)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and spray a muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. In a bowl, with hands mix all the ingredients together until well blended.
3. Spoon in muffin tins and make an indentation in the center of each with a spoon.
4. Bake 30-40 minutes or until meatloaves are cooked through.

Serves 6.

The original non allergy friendly version of the recipe can be found here. Either way the recipe is easy and very good :)

Chicken Stroganoff

Since we are no longer "dairy free" this recipe isn't either. But you could still make it dairy free and I'll try and sub things where I can:

Ingredients:
1. 10 ounce worth of condensed cream of chicken soup (see recipe below)
2. 1/4 sour cream or dairy free sour cream (I used real sour cream, but I'm sure that dairy free would work too)
3. 2 tbs. milk, soy milk, rice milk or milk alternative of your choice (we used soy and it was fine)
4. 1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce (eliminate this if you have a fish allergy. I didn't have any so I skipped this step anyway)
5. 1/4 tsp. salt
6. 1# boneless, skinless free range chicken breast
7. 1 med. onion, chopped
8. 1 8 ounce package of sliced mushrooms
9. 1 12 ounce bag of gluten free pasta

Directions:

1. Beat soup, sour cream/sour cream sub, milk/milk sub, Worcester sauce and salt with a wire whisk until blended; set aside. Start boiling water for pasta.

2. Cut chicken breast into 1 inch pieces. Spray skillet with safe cooking spray and cook chicken over medium heat until cooked through. Remove from skillet.

3. Cook pasta and drain. While pasta is cooking, spray skillet with cooking spray. Cook onions in skillet over medium heat until slightly transparent, add in mushrooms. Cook approximately 5-6 minutes more until mushrooms begin to soften. Reduce heat to low and stir in soup mixture and chicken. Cook 3-4 minutes until mixture is heated through. Do not over cook. Serve over gluten free noodles.

Condensed soup recipe (from www.foodallergyfaq.blogspot.com):
Basic Cream Soup Condensed
Melt 3 Tbsp. safe margarine in sauce pan. Blend in 3 Tbsp. safe flour and 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook and stir until bubbly. Using wire whisk, stir in one cup of safe milk, stock, or combination. Cook just until smooth and thick. Makes slightly over 1 cup and is the same as a 10 oz. can of undiluted condensed soup.
Options:
Cream of chicken: Use chicken broth or safe bouillon as half the liquid. Add 1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning and some diced chicken.
Cream of mushroom: Saute 1/4 cup chopped mushrooms and 1 Tbsp. finely chopped onion in safe margarine before adding the flour.
Cream of celery: See mushroom, but use ½ cup celery instead of mushrooms.
You can vary the flavor by adding curry powder, garlic, onion, celery salt, lemon juice, chili powder, parsley, chopped veggies, chives, etc.

Slow cooker BBQ beef

Directions:

1. 5-6 pound beef brisket - trim off excess fat
2. 2 cups safe BBQ sauce (we use either Cattlemen's or Country Bob's)
3. 2 Tbs. brown sugar
4. 2 tsp. gluten free soy sauce
5. 1 tsp. garlic salt
6. 1/2 tsp. onion powder
7. 1/8 tsp. paprika
8. 1/8 tsp. chili powder
9. 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
10. black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Combine ingredients 2-10 in the slow cooker. Add the brisket and turn to coat with sauce.
2. Cook on low for 9-11 hours until done.

Super easy, super yummy!

Kielbasa-bean slow cooker soup

Kielbasa-bean slow cooker soup - from weightwatchers.com

Ingredients

1. 58 oz. fat-free/low fat low sodium organic chicken broth
2. 16 oz low fat sausage, smoked or reduced-fat kielbasa, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced
3. 15 oz canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
4. 15 oz canned black beans, rinsed and drained
5. 4 medium carrots, chopped
6. 3 medium celery, stalks, chopped
7. 1 large onion, chopped
8. 1 tsp thyme
9. 1/2 tsp. garlic powder (opt.)
10. 14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes, undrained

Direction
1. Mix all ingredients, except tomatoes, in a 5 to 6-quart cooker (crockpot). Cover and cook on low-heat setting at least 6 hours or until vegetables are tender.

2. Stir in tomatoes: cover and cook on high-heat setting until heated through, about 15 minutes more. Yields about 1 heaping cup per serving.

(FYI - each serving is 3 points and there are a total of 8 servings)

Crock pot Italian Swiss Steak

Crock pot Italian Swiss Steak

Ingredients

1. 2 pound top round Black Angus steak (trimmed and cut in half)
2. 1 small onion, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
3. 1 large stalk of celery, chopped
4. 8 baby bella mushrooms, chopped
5. 1 can of tomato sauce
6. 1 can of water (using tomato sauce can)
7. 1 can of no salt added diced tomatoes
8. 1 tsp. course ground garlic sea salt
9. 1.5 tsp. course ground black pepper
10. 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
11. .25 cup brown rice flour
Steamed brown rice

Directions

1. In a large baggie combine the garlic sea salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, brown rice flour and steak. Shake until the steak is well coated.
2. Combine all other ingredients in the crock pot and add the steak. Submerge the steak into the tomato/water mixture as much as possible.
3. Cook on low for 8 hours
4. Serve over steamed brown rice.

Hunters Stew and Creamy Polenta

I made this last night and it was wonderful. The original recipe came from http://www.eatingwell.com/ and I had to tweak it a little to make it allergy friendly. This could easily become our new favorite dish.

(http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/hunters_chicken_stew.html )
Hunter’s Chicken is found across Northern Italy, with many variations. This version uses meaty bone-in chicken things and is full of onions, mushrooms and tomatoes. It’s also delicious served over egg noodles.
Makes 8 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 1 hour

TOTAL TIME: 2 1/2 hours

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 medium onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I used Bob's Redmill All Purpose Gluten Free Baking Mix)
12 bone-in chicken thighs (about 4 pounds), skin removed, trimmed
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
1 cup dry white wine or vermouth (I was out of Vegan wine so I subbed Gluten free/Dairy Free chicken broth here)
1 1/2 pounds button mushrooms, halved or quartered, depending on size
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth (We like Pacific brand but any Gluten Free/Dairy free brand will work
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or 3/4 teaspoon dried
1 1/3 cups cornmeal (make sure it's gluten free)
6 cups cold water
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil

1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until the onions are very soft and translucent, 2 to 4 minutes more. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the onions to a bowl; set aside. Remove the pot from the heat.
2. Place gluten free flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour. Gently shake off any excess.
3. Cook the chicken in 2 batches in the Dutch oven, using 1 tablespoon oil for each batch. Cook over medium-high heat, turning once, until browned on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
4. Pour wine (or vermouth or chicken broth) into the pot and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, for 1 minute. Stir in mushrooms, tomatoes, broth, bay leaves and rosemary. Return the reserved onions to the pan. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices, making sure each piece is partially submerged. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Partially cover the pan and cook, gently stirring once or twice, until the chicken is very tender, about 1 hour.
5. Meanwhile, combine cornmeal, water and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Partially cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and very creamy, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, while you finish the stew.
6. Remove the chicken to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Bring the liquid in the pan to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Skim or blot any visible fat from the surface. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Return the chicken to the pan.
7. Gently stir in basil. Serve the stew over the polenta.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 431 calories; 17 g fat (4 g sat, 8 g mono); 101 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrate; 33 g protein; 3 g fiber; 706 mg sodium; 794 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Potassium (23% daily value), Iron (20% dv), Magnesium & Vitamin C (15% dv).
2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 4 lean meat, 1 fat

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Make polenta (Step 5) about 1 hour before serving. Prepare stew through Step 6. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Reheat stew and stir in basil (Step 7).

Honey-soy grilled pork chops (w/ rice)

This is another recipe from Everyday Food Magazine (Martha Stewart). I didn't need to do a lot of tweaking to make this one friendly. And everyone enjoyed it.

Ingredients

1. Vegetable oil, for grates
2. 1 cup long grain white rice (we eat a lot of rice in our house so I made 4 cups of brown rice)
3. 2 Tbs. rice vinegar
4. 1/4 tsp. red-pepper flakes
5. salt and ground pepper
6. 2 Tbs. honey
7. 1 tsp. wheat free soy sauce (San-J)
8. 1 tsp. finely grated peeled fresh ginger
9. 4 bone-in pork rib chops (8-10 oz each)

Directions

1. Heat grill to high; lightly oil grates. Cook rice according to package instructions. With a fork, stir in vinegar and red-pepper flakes; season with salt. Cover and set aside.

2. Make a glaze: Combine honey, wheat free soy sauce, and ginger in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Grill until opaque throughout. 5-7 minutes per side. Brush pork with glaze, and grill 30 seconds more per side. Transfer pork to a plate.

3. Serve pork chops and rice (add in a fresh summer salad for a more rounded out meal).

serves 4

Pizza pasta

I had ground beef and didn't know what to do with it, so I came up with this:

Pizza pasta

Ingredients

1. 1 1/4 pound of ground beef, chicken, or turkey
2. 1 small onion diced
3. Pizza sauce - approx. 24 oz. (I used 1 15 oz can of Hunts tomato sauce, 1 8oz can of Hunts tomato sauce, and 1 small can of Hunt's tomato paste and mixed in some spices - basil, oregano, garlic powder, etc.)
4. Safe pepperoni - approx. 20 pieces, quatered
5. Gluten free pasta (approx. 12 oz box)
extra spices as needed

Directions
1. Brown the ground meat and onion together. Drain when finished. Meanwhile, boil water and cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Add pizza sauce and pepperoni to meat mixture and cook on low until heated through.
3. When pasta is done, drain, and add to meat mixture.
4. Combine all ingredients and continue to heat on low until mixture is heated through.
Enjoy!

Pizza Crust

Corn Meal Pizza Crust

Ingredients
1. 1 cup brown rice flour (plus a little extra for dusting)
2. 1/2 cup of corn meal
3. 1/2 cup tapioca flour
4. 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
5. 1 tsp. honey
6. 1.5 Tbs. Italian Seasoning
7. 1 Tbs. active dry yeast
8. 1 cup of warm water

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and in a bowl mix together the brown rice flour, corn meal and tapioca flour.
2. Add in vinegar, honey, seasoning and yeast. Pour water into mixture a little at a time and stir together. Only use enough water to combine all the ingredients (usually about 1/2-3/4 cup of the water).
3. Once combined, put dough mixture on a greased pizza sheet. Sprinkle with a little brown rice flour and push dough into the shape of the crust.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes in oven. Remove crust and top with your favorite toppings (we usually use pizza sauce and safe pepperoni).
5. Return to oven and bake for an additional 15-18 minutes or until done.

Sloppy Joes

Ingredients

1. 1 pound of ground beef, turkey, chicken or buffalo
2. 1/3 cup of chopped onion
3. 1/3 cup of chopped green pepper
4. 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
5. 1 tbs. prepared yellow mustard
6. 1-2 tbs. safe BBQ sauce
7. 3/4 cup ketchup
8. 3 tsp. brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. In a skillet over medium heat, brown meat along with green pepper and onion. Drain liquid.
2. Add garlic powder, mustard, BBQ sauce, ketchup, brown sugar and salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes.
3. Serve on Gluten free rolls or over brown rice.

Mediterranean Brisket (slow cooker)

*adapted from All*You magazine

Ingredients
1. 1 can diced no salt added tomatoes
2. 1/2 cup vegan red wine
3. 5 garlic cloves chopped
4. 1/3 cup kalamata olives chopped
5. 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
6. 1 (2.5 lb.) piece flat-cut brisket, fat trimmed off
7. salt and pepper
8. 1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Place tomato, wine, garlic, olives and rosemary in slow cooker and stir to combine.
Sprinkle meat with 1 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper to taste.
2. Place it on top of tomato mixture; spoon half of tomato mixture over meat to cover. Cover and cook on high until fork tender, 5 to 6 hours.
3. Transfer brisket to a cutting board, tent with foil and let stand for 10 minutes. Skim fat from sauce; season with salt and pepper. Slice brisket across grain and transfer to a serving platter. Spoon some sauce over meat and sprinkle with parsley. Serve brisket wit remaining sauce on side.

Per serving: 424 cal.
15g fat
180 mg chol.
1g fiber
60g protein
5 g carb.

Pasta A La Chupieandjsmama

Ingredients:
1. Pasta (we use Tinkyada Gluten Free Penne)
2. Olive Oil
3. Fresh Basil (2 large leaves - chopped)
4. 2 plum tomatoes (diced)
5. 1 package of mushrooms (cleaned and sliced)
6. garlic (2 cloves diced)
5. Salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
1. Put pasta in boiling water.
2. Heat olive oil (about 3 - 4 tbs.) in a pan and add garlic, mushrooms and tomatoes and simmer until mushrooms are tender. Add Basil and simmer a few more minutes.
3. Drain pasta
4. Combine pasta and tomato/mushroom mixture in a bowl and toss.
5. Add salt and pepper.

ENJOY...This is very easy and very good!