Gluten-Free Dinner

It seems many people who are discovering they are gluten-sensitive are finding it hard to locate recipes that make meals that don't taste like cardboard. Or are just plain flavorless. Especially bread! I do have a great bread recipe that I have just about tweaked, so I will post it as soon as I try out these last few adjustments. In the mean time, here is something I whipped up for tonight! I have no measurements, just eyeball and taste as you go (except anything that has been touched by the raw chicken). This is how I do most of my cooking. I get an idea, think through what flavors would be nice and go for it. Gluten-free cooking doesn't have to be any different from regular cooking, you just get to experiment with more exciting ingredients! So here is my loose "recipe" for this delicious dinner!

Almond-Crusted Chicken Fingers

3 or so handfuls of sliced almonds

some freshly grated parmesan cheese

Seasoning of your choice (I used Morton Nature's Seasoning)

EVOO

Chicken tenderloins

Cover a cookie sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top of it. Spray the rack with cooking spray and set aside.

Put the almonds through a food processor until they are a breadcrumb consistency.

In one bowl, pour a little olive oil. In another, mix the processed almonds, parmesan cheese and seasoning (all to taste).

Dip chicken pieces (one at a time) in the olive oil, coating both sides. Then dip in the almond-crumb mixture, coating really well. Set on wire rack. Continue until all pieces are coated and on the rack.

Let chicken sit on rack for about 20 minutes or so just to set.

Heat oven to 450 and bake for 15-20 minutes (until chicken is cooked through). That's it!

Now forgive me that I don't have more pictures. I am not used to taking pictures as I go, and as soon as I pulled the chicken tenders out of the oven, They were being snatched off the rack! My 2 year old devoured them. I think it also helped that the girls helped make them. They helped with preparing the dry ingredients. If you have children, always look for ways they can help out in the kitchen. They LOVE IT! And they are more likely to at least try a food if they have had a hand in making it.

I served it with brown basmati rice, but I wanted to jazz it up a tiny bit since I was out of chicken stock to cook the rice in. So, I added a little bit of the same seasoning from the chicken and tossed in some of the sliced almonds. YUM! Just felt like it might work, so I tried it. not to mention it tied the meal together. Then I make some honey glazed carrots to go along side. OH! And I made a honey mustard dipping sauce, but it wasn't needed. Sure was good though!

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

1/4 - 1/3 cup honey

a couple of spoonfuls of Dijon mustard

Gluten-Free Mayo to taste.

YEP! That's it. You could add a little bit of lemon juice too if you wanted, and a little horseradish if you want a little kick. I wasn't sure if the horseradish here was gluten-free or not and since it didn't need it, I left it out.

So all of this to say that you don't need recipes, just a thought in your mind and to "taste" the flavors you would like to have. Nothing has to be difficult and hard to put together. And you don't have to have a recipe to cook. Experiment. Have fun with your food! There is so much great food out there and so many ways to pair them and create new things! Just make sure to read the labels.