Fried Chicken!
After years of watching the rest of the family’s vigilant avoidance of anything with even the teeniest possibility of being contaminated by any of our allergens… (Yes, we are those people who, if invited to a lovely meal, bring the food… it’s just easier than explaining the list, the rules of quarantine, etc.) our tweeny has gone Completely GF!
Now, she was sweetly, generously, gluten free at home, ( she is my official taste tester and chocoltier) but would indulge while away, pizza at school, beautiful focaccia at Keene Fresh Salad Co… Gorgeous sandwiches as Fritz The Place To Eat (each of these establishments now offer several GF options, so, if yer in Keene, Check’m out!), but, she was feeling more and more reactive, and although her allergy test results aren’t yet in, she feels so much better sans gluten.
I have to say, she seems brighter at the end of a long day at school. It used to be a droopy puddle of a girl oozing into the backseat, sullenly gazing out the window. She has noticed a ‘more awake feeling’ without the wheat. When she slipped, accepting a cracker from a classmate during lunch, , she felt quite sleepy for the rest of the day, deepening her commitment to this lifestyle.
Thanks to a recent copy of Living Without, I was able to quickly explain ataxia as a reaction to wheat gluten.
It also brought home, anew, the pressure to feel like we are eating the same things as everyone else; like we can still have treats!
Some switch flipped, when she realized how her life was about to change if she wants to keep feeling well. The little bits of crunchy crackers & cookies, the hot lunch options of pizza, grilled cheese, chicken nuggets…well, it all seemed out of reach.
So, like anyone on a new food plan, she began to lament what is not on the list.
She turned down an Oreo after being assured I would make her some fresh ones at home.
She cheerfully passed out our home made tiny little cheese crackers to all her tablemates.
These are middle schoolers, tweens and teens, picky, skeptical, wary. They loved all the ‘experiments’ and you will, too.
I’ll get back to all that later.
This is supposed to be about the chicken nuggets! We are not fryers. We do not buy fried things, do not own a fry thingy, we do not generally cook that way.
It just so happens that this was a month with two frying experiments. Two Fried Successes!
Dana B’s fried chicken is so easy, and it does great in the oven, too. SO, you don’t have to fry it at all!
Here’s all we did:
All I did was dredge pieces of fresh, local chicken in Drew’s Salad Dressing and Marinade. We love Ranch (contains Dairy) and Italian (dairy free). We were using Drew’s even before we were Gluten Free-ers, it is just so lovely. It‘s dressing, but it’s still food, not goop! Tangy, honest flavors to please anyone’s tastes, and the perfect first layer for chicken nuggets!
Then, lift each piece out of the dressing into a pan of Dana B’s Best Flour Blend. Seriously, that’s it.
I like to set out two pie plates, one with dressing, one with flour blend, so we can assembly line the process, ending in the big pan of frying oil, or, as is more often the case, a cookie sheet lined with parchment.
Our gas stove heats the oil nicely set pretty low, on 2-3 and I can keep up with the batches that way, as you don’t want to over crowd them.
For oven ‘frying’ set the oven to 450, and keep an eye out. Ours were done in about 20 minutes. I like to flip them about half way through.
We made a bunch.
You know I love a fully loaded freezer!
This is all stuff anyone can do. I do not spend every day behind an apron from dawn to dusk slaving over stove and cooling racks.
I do not own any cookbook other than that old Fanny Farmer I always mention.
Although, as a treat, last weekend, we borrowed a few disks of The French Chef from the library. Funny, I think it was the first time I’ve ever watched any cooking show, ever.
How can that be?
They are ubiquitous!
Do I live in a cave?
Well, we thoroughly enjoyed each episode and it pushed me into perfecting the bread mix you’ve all been asking for. You will love it! Easy, light, moist, AND, it holds together in the toaster!
Remember to keep sending those Pictures in.
We love to see what you all are doing with
Dana B’s Best Flour Blend!
Our Biggest Order, Yet! 15 LBS!
Someone REALLY loves Being Free!
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