Gluten Free Cooking School » vegetable

Lazy Man’s Beer Battered Onion Rings

Mary Frances — Wed, 21 May 2008 01:29:36 +0000

Vidalia onions may be the most famous crop of the state of Georgia. Mild and sweet, these onions are one of the treasures of spring. And in our house, the advent of the Vidalias can mean only one thing – gluten free fried onion rings.

I’ve adapted this batter recipe from Joy of Cooking and the name reflects the changes I’ve made. We’ve been making gluten free fried onion rings for over a year, and I didn’t actually read the recipe instructions until last week. Who knew that you’re supposed to let the batter rest for 3 to 12 hours. I’m lucky if it rests 3 to 12 minutes. No worries though, despite my shortcuts (and there are more!) this recipe turns out mouthwatering onion rings. If you’ve been missing Bloomin’ Onions, you’re going to have a mighty fine weekend with these =)

P.S. Be sure to scroll all the way down. I’ve include my recipe for the dipping sauce too~

Lazy Man’s Beer Battered Onion Rings

1 large Vidalia onion
equal parts milk* and water – enough to mostly cover the onions

1 1/2 c. brown rice flour
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper (ground)
1 Tbsp. canola oil
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 c. Redbridge gluten free beer

* I use soy milk, but you can use whatever “milk” works with your diet.

1. Slice the Vidalia onion into rings that are approximately 1/4 inch wide.

2. Soak the onions in a mixture of milk and water for about an hour.

3. Meanwhile, mix all of the batter ingredients together in a large bowl and let the batter rest in the refrigerator until you need it.

4. When then onions are almost done soaking, start heating your oil. (I use my largest cast-iron skillet on medium heat with about an inch of canola oil. If you’re tempted to use less, don’t. The onion rings need to have enough oil that they can swim around in it.) You can test to see if the oil is hot enough by sticking the end of a wooden spoon or skewer into the oil. If the oil starts bubbling around then wood then you’re good to go.

5. Drain the onions and then dip one ring into the batter. Once that’s done, gently lower the onion ring into the hot oil. Repeat that process until your skillet is full.

6.The cooking time for the onion rings will depend on the temperature of the oil, so stand by until you get a feel for it. I generally check the underside after 3 to 4 minutes. If it’s turned a light golden color, then it’s time to flip. If not, let it cook another minute or so. Once you’ve flipped all of the rings, they will need to cook on that side for approximately the same amount of time, maybe a little less. If you’re standing there watching it, I don’t think that you’ll go wrong.

7. Once the rings are done, remove each one from the oil and let as much oil as possible drip back into the skillet. Then place the onion ring on a towel covered plate and sprinkle with a small amount of salt. Repeat from step 5 until all of the onion rings have been cooked.

I do realize that was a really long set of instructions. Can you imagine how long it would take if I hadn’t left out the parts about letting the beer go flat and whipping the egg whites separately to fold in at the end! I’m so glad I didn’t read those instruction last year =)

Creamy Wasabi Dipping Sauce1/4 cup mayonnaise or Vegannaise
1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
2 heaping tsp.ketchup
1 heaping tsp. tomato paste
1 tsp Wasabi paste
salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and dip away.
I know your stuffed now, but here are more recipes for amazingly binge-worth gluten free snacks.

Gluten Free Southern Fried Okra

Mary Frances — Sat, 17 May 2008 06:05:28 +0000

(Update: This is going to be the first in a series on Fried Southern food – all gluten free. I had hoped to start this with my recipe for Fried Onion Rings, but I need to perfect the dipping sauce tonight. After that will be Fried Green Tomatoes, and my Grandmother Somerville’s Fried Chicken Bits.)

In the Deep South, there are two ways to eat okra: fried and in gumbo. Having grown up in Alabama rather than Louisiana I am more familiar with fried okra. In fact, the recipe that follows does not have precise measurements because I learned how to fry okra by watching my mom.

A lot of people dislike okra because it can be very slimy. I am in perfect agreement with this, having never found the courage to try boiled okra. However, when okra is fried it’s just a little bundle of salty, crunchy goodness.

Most recipes call for the okra to be breaded in a mixture of cornmeal and flour. I have found that cornmeal does a great job all by itself and yields a crunchier end product. A word of warning if you’re not accustomed to buying cornmeal – stores usually carry cornmeal and cornmeal mix. The cornmeal mix includes wheat flour, backing powder, and baking soda so that it’s easier to make cornbread. The packaging is very similar so be sure to read the packaging and the labels very carefully.

Gluten Free Southern Fried Okra

1 lb. okra, fresh or frozen
cornmeal
canola oil
salt

1. Pour 3/4″ to 1″ of canola oil into your favorite frying pan. Heat over medium heat until the oil sizzles when you drop a bit of cornmeal in. (Alternatively, you can stick the end of a wooden spoon or skewer into the oil. If small bubbles form around the wood, then the oil is ready.)

2. Trim the ends off of the okra and cut into 1/2″ slices. If you’re using frozen sliced okra, just thaw it in the microwave.

3. By the time you finish cutting the okra it should be getting a bit slimy. This is good! The sliminess is the glue that holds the cornmeal to the okra. If the okra is not getting slimy, add a splash of water and stir. Put the okra into a large plastic Ziplock bag and pour in some cornmeal. Toss the okra and cornmeal so that all of the okra pieces are coated. If you need more cornmeal, pour some more in. You really can’t overdo it, because once all of the pieces are coated the excess cornmeal will remain in the bag. It should look like this when you’re done.

4. Assuming the oil is hot now, use a slotted spoon to remove some of the okra from the bag and place it into the oil. Continue adding okra to the oil until the skillet is 80% full. You need to leave a bit of room for the okra to move around as it cooks. (You may have to cook several batches, depending on how much okra you started with and the size of your skillet.)

5. The okra will need to fry for several minutes (I honestly have no idea how long even though it’s been less than an hour since I cooked it!). You may stir it gently every now and then to encourage even frying on all sides. But be gentle! Remove the okra from the skillet when it has turned a nice golden brown (see picture at the top). Put the hot dried okra on a plate covered with paper towels so that some of the oil can drain away. Season immediately with salt.

Notes:
Okra looses its heat quickly, so be ready to eat as soon as its done. I do realized that I’m making this difficult for you since I can’t tell you how long the okra should cook =)

If you suddenly realize that you cannot fry the just-breaded okra because you do not have any batteries for your camera (possibly only a problem for food bloggers ) do not fear. Leave the okra in the Ziplock bag and throw it in the freezer until you’re ready to fry it. It will thaw out nicely on the counter or in the microwave.

If you should forget to buy batteries when you go to the store, remove the batteries from your child’s toy car, take the pictures, and then replace the batteries =)

Roasted Asparagus

Mary Frances — Sat, 03 May 2008 03:40:16 +0000

Asparagus is my very favorite spring vegetable. I wait impatiently all winter to see those long green stalks standing up in their funny water trays at the front of the produce section. Since asparagus is quite pricey when it is out of season, we celebrate spring by eating asparagus as frequently as possible. One of the easiest ways to prepare it is to simply roast in the oven.

Roasted Asparagus

1 bunch of asparagus
1 Tbsp. olive oil
sea salt

1. First, start by breaking the cut ends off of each stalk of asparagus. When I’m not trying to take a picture of myself doing this, I hold one end in each hand an bend the asparagus until the it breaks in two. However, as you can see in these pictures ,you can accomplish this feat with one hand if necessary.

2. Arrange the freshly snapped asparagus in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Toss the stalk so that each one is coated with oil.

3. Now sprinkle on the salt and any additional herbs or spices that you would like. (I didn’t add any since these are headed for the risotto pot, but you can be creative.). You can also drizzle lemon juice or balsamic vinegar on after they’re done.

4. Pop the baking dish into the oven and turn your broiler on. The asparagus will need to broil for 8 to 10 minutes depending on how thick they are. When they are done, the stalks will be lightly browned and tender when tested with a fork (or teeth!). I know my mother will disagree with this, but the asparagus should never, ever be mushy.

Vegetable Gumbo Recipe

Mary Frances — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 23:00:00 +0000

Updated, but still lacking a photo =)

Here in Alabama it’s sleeting and there is the merest chance of snow. For me it’s the perfect night to enjoy a bowl of my Grandmother Somerville’s Vegetable Gumbo. Her recipe calls for two hours of simmering, but I have a stash in the freezer so that’s what we’ll be having tonight.

Vegetable Gumbo
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. oil
2 32. oz cartons of vegetable broth
1 16 oz. bag of frozen sliced okra
2 16 oz. bags of frozen mixed veggies (whatever works for your allergies)
3 cooked chicken breasts, shredded (optional)
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. sage

In a large stockpot, saute the onion and garlic 2 Tbsp of oil. Once the onion is translucent, add the broth and the frozen okra, and bring the pot to a low simmer for approximately 1 hour. After an hour, use the back of a spoon to smash all of the okra pieces against the side of the pot. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for another hour. Serve with gluten free crackers, and a salad or sandwich.

This recipe makes a lot of soup, so we usually freeze the leftovers for quick weeknight suppers.

Gluten Free Curried Carrot Soup Recipe

Mary Frances — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 02:21:36 +0000

I love soup! So simple, so good, and so perfect for a quick lunch or supper. The daytime temperatures in Alabama are still in the high eighties, but the nights have a chill in the air, so I have declared soup season to be officially open.

John’s parents and sister visited us this weekend and to make things easier on myself, we had sandwiches for lunch each day. Afraid that a mere sandwich would not be satisfying and being in a creative cooking mood, I decided to make a pot of Curried Carrot Soup for those brave enough to try it!

I first created this soup a few weeks ago, and while David and I thought it was great, John declared that it did not have enough flavor. With the help of some more than willing taste-testers (John’s mom and sis) this weekend’s batch met with approval from all corners. Of course, I have no idea how this batch is different from the first, since I never wrote the first one down, but that doesn’t really matter at this point. I think the secret is the applesauce, but John’s mom and sis liked it better before I added it. (I’ve listed it as an optional ingredient in the Cook’s Notes, so feel free to experiment.) And everyone thought the soup tasted better after sitting over low heat for 15-20 minutes, so you might give that a try too.

Whichever way you try it, this soup is a much better way to eat carrots than the boiled carrots that my mom tried to force down me as a kid. No offense mom, but those were horrible! If your kids aren’t fond of carrots, maybe you can pass this off as a special Halloween soup =)

Curried Carrot Soup

(Yield: 4 servings)

2 c. carrots, thinly sliced
2 c. water
1 tsp. Better than Bouillon (veggie), or use 2 c. stock in place of the water
1/2 tsp. Madras curry powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. soy milk (unsweetened)

1. Add sliced carrots and water to a saucepan. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer until carrots are fork tender. The amount of time this take will depend on how thinly you’ve sliced the carrots.

2. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Use an immersion blender to puree the carrots. If you do not possess one of these wonderful creations, feel free to use a blender, food processor, or potato masher.

3. Add the Better Than Bouillon, curry powder, and salt to the pureed carrots. Then slowly add the soy milk while you stir the soup. Return the saucepan to the stove and heat over very low heat until it is warm enough to eat.

Cook’s Notes:
In Step 1, keep your eye on the pot. It’s very easy to boil all the water away if you become distracted, by say, writing a blog entry!

In Step 2, be sure to take the soup off the heat so that it will cool enough to prevent the soy milk from curdling. If the milk does curdle, and you’ll know if it has because it will look like little white specks, you can still eat the soup. It will taste fine; it just won’t be as pretty =)

If you’d like the soup to be a bit sweeter, try adding 1/2 c. of unsweetened applesauce in Step 3. And I think that a dollop of sour cream would be a great addition once you’ve put the soup into the bowls.

Zucchini Corn Sauté

Mary Frances — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 17:14:09 +0000

Corn and zucchini are both great summer vegetables and they come together in this recipe to make a tasty and easy side dish. The veggies take all for two minutes to prepare and the dish can cook away on the stove while you’re working on the entree. If it gets done before the rest of the meal, just pop it into a serving bowl, cover with foil and set it a warm oven. Be careful getting it out; it will be hot. (I know this because I’m always getting burned this way; my mind just doesn’t associate my serving bowls with “hot”!)

Since this recipe has only three ingredients it will be going into the “Easy Gluten Free” category. I redid the category section of the sidebar over the weekend, so take a minute to check it out when you have a chance.

Zucchini & Corn Sauté Recipe

(Yield: 4 side servings)

kernels from two ears of sweet corn (or 1 1/2 c. corn kernels, if using canned or frozen)
2 medium zucchini, cut into half moons
feta cheese

1. First stand the ear of corn upright and hold it with one hand. Then use a sharp serrated knife to cut the kernels from the cob. Start from the top and cut straight down to the bottom. Rotate the ear and repeat. Be careful not to cut so far in that you cut part of the cob off too.

2. Slice the zucchini lengthwise and then slice each section so that you have little half-moons of zucchini. If your zucchini is on the large side, you can cut it into fourths before you slice it.

3. Sauté the zucchini and corn in a skillet over medium-low to medium heat. Add a little water to the skillet if needed. The corn and zucchini will give off their own water so you won’t need much. Season to tasted with salt and pepper. Cook until you can easily stick a fork through the zucchini; 10 – 15 minutes maybe? I forgot to watch the clock =) Top with feta cheese and serve.

Gluten Free Cooking School » vegetable

Lazy Man’s Beer Battered Onion Rings

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Gluten Free Southern Fried Okra

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Roasted Asparagus

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Curried Carrot Soup

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