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Gluten Free Chicken Fingers

Eric — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:59:26 +0000

Going Gluten Free does not mean you have to sacrifice giving up breaded items all together. It might mean you cannot eat at most restaurants if you are looking for chicken nuggets or breaded fish. These are some items that I really enjoy and like them even better now that I know there are GF alternatives. I got to thinking that instead of going out to a fast food place where I could not eat certain things like chicken nuggets it would be much better to just make my own and make some Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets. I got this recipe from about.com.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Italian chicken nuggets are incredibly crispy thanks to gluten-free panko-style breading. This is a gluten-free kid favorite. Serve with your favorite gluten-free nugget dipping sauce. Homemade Gluten-Free Barbecue Sauce is especially good with these golden, crispy chicken nuggets.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:

* 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
* 1/2 cup gluten-free all purpose flour mix (use your favorite mix)
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
* 1 teaspoon gluten-free Italian herb seasoning blend OR gluten-free garlic powder
* 1 large egg and 1 tablespoon olive oil, whisked together
* 1 cup crushed gluten-free rice chex cereal (see tips)
* 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/4 cup olive oil for pan-frying
* 1/4 cup canola oil for pan-frying

Preparation:

* Place chicken breast between 2 sheets of waxed paper and pound with a smooth meat mallet until about breasts are 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with each breast.
* Use a sharp knife to cut pounded breasts in 2-inch strips. Then cut each strip into 2×2-inch nuggets.
* Have ready 3 8-inch shallow baking dishes. In the first dish, combine gluten-free all purpose flour, salt, pepper and seasonings.
* In second dish, combine egg and olive oil. Whisk to thoroughly combine.
* In third dish, combine crushed gluten-free rice chex cereal and grated Parmesan cheese.
* Coat each chicken strip in flour mixture, then dip in egg olive oil mixture and last, evenly coat with rice chex crumb Parmesan cheese mixture.
* Place the nuggets on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
* Refrigerate for about 30 minutes before frying.
* In a large heavy skillet, heat olive oil and canola oil mixture over medium high heat.
* Add coated chicken nuggets and cook until golden, about 4 minutes, then turn each piece and cook second side.

Yield- 4 to 6 servings

Let me know what you think!

I Made a Mistake, and Paid for it

Eric — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:51:41 +0000

Last Sunday I made a foolish mistake and paid for it big time. It was a few hours after lunch and I was working with my group for a project that was due the next day in my Business capstone course. All of a sudden I had a terrible stomache ache and rushed to the bathroom, I ended up throwing up a few times in the bathroom there and again once I got home. I was very curious why I was throwing up and my initial thought was that I was nervous for our presentation. After thinking about it some more I checked on what I ate for lunch and come to find out that the pasta I had eaten for lunch was orgaic wheat! I ate a whole plate of pasta that was Wheat Somalia. It made much more sense why I was throwing up.

I usually do not make these kinds of mistakes but it is a “gentle” reminder to always double check ingridients lists. While I was shopping recently I was in a hurry and grabbed a bag of pasta that was in the Gluten Free section and looked similar to the bags I have purchased before. I did not think twice about it because I thought it was the right kind. I was wrong.

So just a reminder to check twice with your purchases and make sure you can see “Gluten Free” on the package not just in the area.

Gluten Free Grocery Store: Deby’s Gluten Free

Eric — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:28:56 +0000

I came across this Gluten Free grocery store on the internet. They are located in Denver, CO. I have never been to an entirely Gluten Free grocery store like this one (I plan on visiting one day). All the stores that I have been to have sections for Gluten Free items or have some shelf space for these items. I think it is great that there is an entire grocery store dedicated to the Celiac community. This allows them to specialize in Gluten Free products for those living in the Denver area. Do any of you know anyone living in Denver? I think it would be great to have someone describe what it was like.

This is from their website:

Deby’s is a Completely Gluten Free grocery store and manufacturing facility. We produce over 400 gluten free items, including heat and eat entrees, snacks, bread, take and bake pizza, cake slices, gluten free flour mixes, and more.

All Deby’s products are made on site, in a gluten free, peanut free, and shellfish free environment.

They also have an option for shipping items locally or out of state! Click here to Order from Deby’s

Also, here is the allergen statement from their website:

Allergen Statement

Our entire facility is wheat-free, barley-free, and rye-free. We now carry Gluten Free Oats grown in Wyoming. These oats are specially grown and tested to assure they are gluten free. If you don’t see oats on our sellf, just ask and we will get some from the back. We stock an oatmeal cookie dough in our freezer. Otherwise we don’t cook with or use oats our of respect for our customers who cannot tolerate the protein in oats.

Our facility is used to process all other allergen foods such as peanut, egg, dairy, etc… If you have food intolerances other than gluten just let our staff know and we will prepare your order (if possible) without these ingredients.

IF YOU HAVE LIFE THREATENING ALLERGIES, PLEASE NOTE THAT WE CANNOT GUARANTEE THE ABSENCE OF ANY FOOD OTHER THAN GLUTEN.

This is a very cool website, they have baking tips, they offer cooking classes, provide you with Celiac information and also have recent news about this items being featured on TV or in ballparks.

Here is the link: Deby’s

Product Review: Glutino Gluten Free Pretzel Twists

Eric — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:30:40 +0000

My second product review is Gluten Free Pretzel Twists by Glutino. Again, the bag indicates that this product is indeed gluten free which I really like. These pretzels are amazing! All of my friends that tried them said they are better than pretzels containing wheat. I paid about $8.00 for a good sized bag at the local Whole Foods. These bite-sized pretzels are perfect for a quick snack or packing in a lunch.

Taste: A+ These were delicious and I am a huge fan. They were not too crunchy and had a good taste, they did not taste like cardboard or air like I have heard other pretzels described. Nothing else I have tried even compares. They were tasty!

Repeat Buy: A I will definitely be purchasing these pretzels again.

Purchase them here:
Gluten Free Pretzel Twists by Glutino

Jamba Juice Alert

Eric — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:08:28 +0000

The Jamba Juice chain of smoothie is delicious and seems safe right? Not so fast. After some research on the Jamba Juice Allergen Site you can see that not everything from Jamba Juice is alright and should be avoided. They do a good job at listing their allergens and explaining what products to stay away from. They discuss cross contamination, dairy free, Gluten Free, and Vegan.

Non-Gluten Products
All smoothies are non Gluten except for Pomegranate Heart Happy. All Boosts and Super Boosts are non-gluten (except for Daily Vitamin, Energy and Happy Heart)

This is something I would have never known or even thought of but while enjoying one of their smoothies last week I began to wonder and looked it up. Luckily I picked a boost that was Gluten Free. They offer free boosts so pick wisely or ask. Cross contamination is something to worry about however. If it is busy and the workers do not have much time to clean out the blenders there may be residue left on the blenders from one of the Gluten containing boosts. You can ask them to wash yours extra, they are very concerned about pleasing their customers.

Hope this helps and you are able to avoid those Boosts!

Top 5 Things You Would Have Never Known

Eric — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:40:14 +0000

Its been a while since I did a Top 5 list so I thought I was do one this week.

The Topic: “Things you never knew before you got Celiac Disease but now you know”

Here are my top 5:

1. Xanthan gum is not a weird type of chewing gum
2. Cross Contamination is serious
3. Wheat Free and Gluten Free are not the same thing
4. Eating at a fast food place can be tricky
5. Have to be careful about licorice

I am curious to know more about your experiences. Let me know!

Restaurant Spotlight: P.F. Changs, Eugene, OR

Eric — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:48:00 +0000

My last Restaurant Spotlight was of Romio’s in Seattle, WA.

My next Restaurant Spotlight will be theP.F. Chang’s in Eugene, OR. I recently had the opportunity to eat at one of the finest Chinese restaurants around, P.F. Chang’s. The atmosphere is really relaxed and they have their lights fairly low so its an intimate setting. More importantly, they do a great job with Celiacs and Gluten Free menus. In the past I have always asked for a Gluten Free menu and they bring out a 1 page menu with appetizers, soups, rice, sides,entrees and desserts. When I went more recently the Gluten Free menu was actually on the back of the regular menu. I see this as an upgrade because they must have been getting a lot of requests for a Gluten Free menu so they just decided to include it with every menu. The waiters and waitresses are very smart about the diet and are very helpful when it comes to ordering and getting the food you need.

P’.F. Changs is one of my favorite restaurants because of their options and how great the food is. I ordered an appetizer and an entree. For my appetizer I had the Gluten Free lettuce wraps. These are part of the reason why I like going here so much. The appetizer is about $8.00. The lettuce wraps are healthy and make my mouth water.

For my entree I ordered Chang’s Spicy Chicken and a bowl of white rice. The chiken is “lightly dusted and stir-fried in Sichuan sauce”. Again, one of the reasons why I like to eat here. The chicken was perfect and not too spicy and not to plain. Each order gives you quite a bit of food so I never have to worry about leaving the restaurant hungry. The chicken was about $14.00.

I am very pleased with P.F. Chang’s both for their compliance with the Gluten Free diet but also the quality of the food. I would recommend eating there to anyone who is looking for a great Gluten Free meal!

Click here for the Gluten Free Menu.

Another Great Option for Seattle Residents! Fantazimo Foods!

Eric — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 19:22:46 +0000

I have said before that the city of Seattle is one of the top cities to be living in with Celiac Disease because of the awareness level and the amount of Gluten Free restaurants and options at stores. I found an article from NW source that talks about a new business called Fantazimo Foods that is offering to deliver healthy lunches to kids at area schools. With parents cutting back and busy schedules they got the idae to help eliminate the problem of having to pack a nutritious lunch for their kid. It seems pretty easy. You log-in, and order your lunch before 4pm of the day before you want the lunch and it gets delievered to your school in the morning in a brown lunch bag with your name on it. The site says they are expanding to include more schools in the greater Seattle area.

There are 2 sizes, each offer an entree, a fruit, a vegetable, a protein and a water. The great thing about this is that they can offer Gluten Free lunches. There are other specialty options like vegan and nut free. They can accomodate any dietary restriction which is awesome. I think this is an excellent idea. When I was a kid I struggled through lunch time because there were virtually no options at the school cafeteria and I had to always bring a lunch from home. It would have been really nice to have a lunch delievered to me daily! I wish this would have been around 15 years ago!

Product Review: Glutino Gluten Free Pretzel Twists

Eric — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:34:59 +0000

Repeat Buy: A I will definitely be purchasing these pretzels again.

Purchase them here:
Gluten Free Pretzel Twists by Glutino

Product Review: Bob’s Red Mill Rolled Oats

Eric — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 06:06:20 +0000

Right on the label in large print it reads “Gluten Free” it is also wheat free and dairy free. Bob’s red mill makes this product in a dedicated facility to ensure that no oats get contaminated with gluten. From all my readings I understand that oats themselves do not contain gluten but most oats available in stores are somehow contaminated with gluten so it is great to see a label like that on a product. I paid about $7 for 2 lbs of oats at Bear Market in Chelan, WA while on vacation.
Preparation: Just followed the stovetop package directions but I made half of what the instructions said. I brought 1 cup of water to a boil with a dash of salt. Added .5 cups of rolled oats and reduced the heat, stirring on occasion. Cover and remove from heat for a few minutes and enjoy! I also added a little bit of vanilla soy milk and a couple spoons of brown sugar. Took about 7 minutes total.

Taste: A- Oatmeal does not have that much taste to it anyways but these were not bad, you can definitely make it taste the way you like it by adding brown sugar or applesauce or whatever you like.
Repeat buy: A Oatmeal choices are limited but Bob’s has a great product and I will continue to purchase their rolled oats.
Bob’s Red Mill Rolled Oats, Whole Grain, 32-Ounce (Pack of 4)