X-tra Crunchy Chicken Strips

serves 5 / gluten free / egg free
The childhood staple of chicken nuggets went quickly by the wayside with my son's allergies. We started to live solely on ground beef for our only source of meat. So I started to dabble in an effort to find something with the crunchy outside that he so craved. Healthy? It could be better, but it certainly satisfies!

1 1/2 lb. Chicken Tenders

1/2 cup gluten free flour mix (see www.glutenfreecookingschool.com all-purpose flour)

1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash onion herb seasoning

2 cups crushed Corn Flakes

5 oz. can Evaporated Milk

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Canola Oil for frying

First set out 3 bowls and 2 plates. In first bowl combine gluten free all purpose flour and Mrs. Dash. In second bowl combine Evaporated Milk and lemon juice. In third bowl place 1/2 of your crushed corn flakes.

The first step is to dredge tenders in flour and place on first plate.
When all tenders are coated with flour, fill your deepest frying pan with 1/8 inch of canola oil. Set burner at med. While oil is heating prepare first 4 tenders by dipping into milk mix, then coating with corn flakes.

Check that oil is hot enough (sizzles when you put a corn flake in, but not so hot that it smokes). To place chicken in pan do not drop!  Using a fork, skewer chicken by one end and lower slowly into hot oil dragging it along bottom of pan until the entire piece in flat, then remove fork. Do not fry more than 3 or 4 pieces at once. Cook on first side for a couple min, or until tenders start to feel firm to the touch and you can see a bit of white to the edges under the crust. Turn and cook until both sides are golden brown.

Repeat with remaining chicken tenders. You may need to reduce heat after the first batch. Add fresh corn flakes to the corn flake bowl as needed. You may need to strain loose corn flakes from the hot oil half way through the batch-a slotted spoon works well for this. Do not reuse remaining coating mixtures-they are pretty nasty by the end.

Grammy's Potato Salad (egg free version!)

serves 12 / egg free / gluten free / dairy free

My Grandmother was a fantastic cook. When I was little she taught my brother and me many of her recipes. Unfortunately, she only used recipes for baking! So this will be the first time measurements have been recorded for this one-here goes!

(adapted from Grandma Bosshart's Potato Salad)

5 lbs. Russet Potatoes

1/2 lb. extra firm Tofu

1 1/2 cups Dill Pickles, chopped

4 tablespoons Dill Pickle Relish

1 bunch Green Onions, sliced

1/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

4 tablespoons Kosher Salt

1/4 cup Yellow Mustard

1 1/3 cup Veganaise

2 tablespoons Agave Nectar

2 tablespoons Dill Pickle juice (from the jar of pickles)

First put the potatoes in a large enough pot to cover them with cold water. Put on high and bring to boil. Once boiling turn burner down to med-high. Boil until potatoes start to fall apart, check around 20-30 min. Do NOT under cook. While potatoes are cooking drain tofu and pat dry. Dice tofu and set aside. Drain cooked potatoes into strainer and give them a couple min. to dry.

Spread dry, but still very hot potatoes, on a rimmed baking sheet. Very carefully begin to remove skins from hot potatoes. If you have heat sensitive hands, try using clean rubber gloves for this step. When skins are removed, coarsely cut potatoes with knife, then sprinkle with diced tofu. Sprinkle potato/tofu mixture with 1/2 of the kosher salt. Next drizzle with 1/2 the vinegar. Let sit about 5 min, then turn potatoes mixture and season with second half of salt and vinegar. Taste potatoes at this point. They should be perfectly seasoned, if not, do a third pass with salt and vinegar.

While potato mixture cools to room temp., chop pickles and green onions. Set aside in bowl with dill relish. In another bowl whisk together the Veganaise, mustard, agave, and pickle juice. When potato mix has come to room temp., fold all 3 components together in large bowl. Chill at least 3 hrs, or over night. If you don't mention it, no one will ever guess that this is egg-free!

Sharing The Journey

by goon girl (just another mom rising to the occasion)
When my youngest was 6 months old, I discovered he was allergic to eggs. The poor child had been riddled with rashes that the doctor had diagnosed as eczema. He would constantly scratch his cheeks that looked just plain painful. Had I known that he was having a reaction to my breast milk, I would have gladly modified my diet! After eliminating eggs from his diet, the rashes were down to a manageable low. Every bath was followed by creams and lotions, but clear skin did not appear to be in the cards.

After two trips to the ER with severe allergic reactions, I finally decided to get him tested to find out what other allergens we were dealing with. His dad is allergic to nuts, and so I have never let my kids have them. Thank God for that! As it turns out, my kiddo is very allergic to egg whites & peanuts, and also allergic to wheat! Armed with that knowledge we have modified his diet. His skin is perfect! We also now carry antihistamine and an Epi-Pen Jr. where ever we go.

Over the years, I have labored to make all the goodies that most kids get (i.e. birthday cake, doughnuts) without the eggs. Discovering the wheat allergy has just made the task more challenging. This is not something I am an expert at. Food allergies can not be cured, but they can be worked around. My goal is to continue the challenge of feeding my kids, and keeping 'em out of the ER in the process! Please chime in; share your tips. I look forward to the journey.

Nach-your Average Nachos!

serves 4 / gluten free / egg free

Nachos have always been a kid friendly finger food. Made to order with their favorite toppings, even the choosiest kid has a chance to embrace their picky side. It is now time to think of nachos as the limitless gluten free, wheat free, awesome dish it is!
(inspired by my dear friend, coastal cousin-thank you!)
To Start:

• set broiler to high
• 8 cups Corn Chips (less if you are using small chips that fill the measuring cup more densely)
• 2 1/2 cups Shredded cheese
• 1 1/3 cups Dip of Choice (1/3 cup per person)

For Chili Cheese Dog Nachos:

• 1/2 pack of Hebrew National hot dogs (sliced small)
• Your favorite Gluten Free Chili for the dip
• Colby-Jack for your Cheese

*(this recipe is great if you use plain Fritos as the Corn Chips)

For Pizza Nachos:

• 1/2-3/4 pack Pepperonis or Canadian Bacon (these are sometimes large and may require chopping)
• Mozzarella for the Cheese
• Prego Veggie Smart for the dip (no food starch added! Plus it is sweetened with sweet potato, how cool is that?)

Spread Chips on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with half of your cheese. Sprinkle with other toppings. Top with other half of cheese. Place under broiler until all cheese is melted. Warm your dip of choice. Divide nachos among plates, and dip among small bowls. Serve and enjoy!
There are endless possibilities here, so go for it! Let me know if you and your kids come up with some more great combos.

(tip for gluten free kids: check labels before using a pre-shredded cheese, some of the anti-caking agents may cause gluten free kiddos stomach problems. I prefer to shred my own, it seems to melt better anyway.)