Gluten- Free Potato “Breaded” Chicken
Potato “Breaded” Chicken
I love my Mom’s breaded chicken. It was a staple at summer outings. I still make it. Pretty classic, with a flour dredge, egg dip and bread crumbs.
I needed a different option the other day, when making lunch for a friend who can’t eat gluten. I just “breaded” the chicken with potato flakes.
I sometimes use potato flakes as a gluten free thickener for veggie soups and the like. I have also used them as a coating for chicken and fish before.
Even if you can have bread crumbs, the potato flakes are a fun way to coat chicken, fish or pork. They give you a nice, crispy crust.
The chicken breasts I had were pretty thick, so I cut them into thinner pieces to help them cook faster, and more evenly. You could also cut them into nuggets, if you prefer. I pan fried, but you can also brown them a little, and finish in the oven, if you prefer.
Potato “Breaded” Chicken
½ mayo
1 c. potato flakes
Salt and pepper
4 chicken breasts, boneless or 6 boneless chicken thighs
Oil
Spread chicken pieces with the mayo. Season the potato flakes with a little salt and pepper. Place potato flakes on a plate or in a shallow dish. Coat the chicken pieces with the potato flakes, pressing a little to cover well. Heat oil in skillet until really hot. Cook chicken pieces in skillet, on both sides, until golden brown. Turn heat down to medium and continue cooking until chicken is cooked. Serves 3-4.
Super Crispy Chicken Wings
Crispy Chicken Wings
These wings are super crispy, even though they are baked in the oven, not fried. It may have to do with a rather unusual ingredient.
I got this recipe from a local television show and have made it a couple of times now. Thanks, David Moss, for this one. The wings are coated with a little salt and baking powder.
Yes, baking powder. I am not sure how it works, but the combination leaves you with wings that are super crisp on the outside and juicy inside. The only thing I changed from the original recipe, is that I use a little less salt.
Once the wings are done cooking, you can toss them in whatever sauce you like.
Super Crispy Chicken Wings
3-4 lbs. chicken wings
2 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
Hot sauce and butter- or assorted dipping sauces
Cut wings into three pieces- discard tips, or use to make stock. Pat the wings dry. This step is important. The dry skin helps them to get crisp. Place baking powder and salt in a plastic bag and add the wing pieces, a few at a time, shaking to coat evenly. Continue until all the wings are coated. Place wings on a rack that is placed on a baking sheet. Bake wings in a preheated 250 degree oven for 30 minutes. Turn the heat up to 425 and continue cooking 45 minutes more. Remove wings from oven. You can melt butter, mix with some hot sauce and toss the wings in that mixture, or just serve the wings with your favorite sauce.
Sweet and Sour Chicken Wings
Sweet and Sour Chicken Wings
Rumor has it that chicken wings are one of the most popular appetizers served on Super Bowl Sunday. I don’t think you need to wait for a football game to enjoy these.
If you want something different than Buffalo Style wings, you might want to try this recipe. The wings are baked in a pineapple sweet and sour glaze. They are just the right combination of sweet, sour and a little salty. No matter who you are cheering for- your guests will cheer for these.
They are pretty simple to make and you can even make them the day before, then just reheat before serving.
Sweet and Sour Glazed Chicken Wings
12 chicken wings
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (or jar) of pineapple chunks, drained, reserving liquid- I used a pint jar- if using store bought use the 20 oz. can.
salt and pepper
Sauce:
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. sugar
3 T. ketchup
3 T. sherry
2 T. soy sauce
1 t. minced garlic
1 t. red pepper flakes
reserved pineapple juice
3 T. cornstarch
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place wings in pan and season with salt and pepper. Bake chicken wings in roasting pan for 20 minutes. Add the onions and pineapple chunks to the pan with the chicken wings and return to the oven for 30 minutes longer. While chicken is cooking combine the first seven sauce ingredients in a small pot and bring to a boil. Check baking pan for any juices- Spoon them out and add to the sauce. Combine pineapple juice and cornstarch in small bowl, stirring until smooth and add to the sauce. Return to boil and stir until sauce is thickened and bubbly. Pour hot sauce over chicken and return to the oven to bake 20-30 minutes longer or until wings look nicely glazed and sauce has started to brown. Serves 3-4.
Chicken with Cherry Mustard Sauce
Chicken with Cherry Mustard Sauce
Cherries are one of my favorite fruits to cook with. Don’t get me wrong, I love eating cherries fresh. I bake with them and make sweet treats like jam. But, cherries are so wonderful when combined with different proteins. I love to pair cherries with duck, pork and chicken.
I think cherries add a special touch when added to main dishes. I have used them in any number of sauces, glazes, chutneys and marinades over the years.
This time, I was looking for a way to dress up some chicken. I remembered that I had a pound of cherries in the fridge. I made the cherry mustard sauce while the chicken was baking. Here is what I did.
Chicken with Cherry Mustard Sauce
To prepare the chicken: I had about 3 lbs. of bone-in chicken pieces. I seasoned them with salt and pepper and placed them in a 400-degree oven. I knew the chicken would take about 45-50 minutes to cook. I made the sauce while the chicken was cooking- sauce recipe follows. When the sauce was done, I left it in the skillet while the chicken finished cooking.
When I took the chicken out of the oven, I removed the pieces from the roasting pan and placed them skin side down in the skillet with the cherry sauce. I turned the heat onto medium-high and turned the chicken a few times until both sides were coated from the cherry sauce and the sauce had sort of glazed the chicken.
This would be a nice sauce to finish off grilled or broiled chicken, too.
Cherry Mustard Sauce
3 T. oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. cherries, pitted and halved
½ c. apple cider vinegar
¼ c. brown sugar
3 T. Dijon mustard
1 t. celery seed
1 t. hot sauce, or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
In large skillet, heat oil and cook onions until tender. Add the garlic and cook a few minutes more. Add the cherries and cook over medium- high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and turn heat down to medium. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Adjust seasonings. This sauce can be used to glaze meats, or served on the side. I used it with chicken, but it would be wonderful with duck, turkey or pork, too. Makes about 3 cups of cherry sauce.
Chicken and Herb Dumplings
Chicken with Herb Dumplings
There are foods I will always associate with my childhood. Chicken and dumplings is one of those dishes. I can remember watching my Mom spooning the dumpling batter over the simmering pot of chicken and vegetables. She’d cover the pot and we would wait. When she uncovered it, the dumplings had puffed up, and pretty much covered the whole dish. It was magical to me. The dumplings were so tender and light. I can’t make this dish, all these years later, without thinking of her.
I know there are other ways to make dumplings, and they are good. But for me, I still like the way my Mom made them the best.
I think that is true for a lot of us. There are dishes that are as much about the memory as the flavor.
So here is my Mom’s recipe for Chicken and Dumplings.
Mom’s Chicken and Dumplings
1 T. oil
1 (3 lb.) broiler, cut into pieces
salt and pepper
flour for dredging
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
3-4 potatoes, cut into chunks
2-3 c. chicken stock
1 t. each marjoram and thyme
1 c. buttermilk baking mix* I make my own, recipe follows
1/3 c. milk
2 t. fresh parsley
2 t. snipped chives or green onions
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper and dredge pieces in flour. Heat oil in large skillet and brown chicken pieces on all sides. Remove chicken pieces and sauté onion until tender. Add carrots, potatoes, broth and chicken to skillet and cook, covered, 20 minutes. Sprinkle herbs over the chicken. Combine baking mix with milk, parsley, chives and red pepper flakes and spoon batter in skillet in 8 mounds. Cover and cook over low heat 20 more minutes. Serves 4.
*Here are two versions of the biscuit mix.
Chef Pastry Mix/ Biscuit Mix
8 cups sifted, all-purpose flour
1 c. powdered milk
1 c. powdered buttermilk
¼ c. baking powder
1 T. salt
2 c. shortening, coconut oil or butter- if using butter store in the fridge- coconut oil version should be stored in fridge in warm weather
Sift dry ingredients together 3 times. Cut in fat to resemble cornmeal. Keep in an airtight container. Store in a cool dry place and use within six months.
Whole Wheat Baking Mix
5 c. flour
3 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/3 c. baking powder
1 c. powdered milk, not non-fat
2 t. salt
3 1/2 sticks butter
Mix dry ingredients together well, then cut in butter. Store in fridge for up to 3 months and can be frozen for up to a year. Makes about 12 cups.
Chicken with Herb Dumplings
Chicken and Herb Dumplings
There are foods I will always associate with my childhood. Chicken with dumplings is one of those dishes. I can remember watching my Mother spooning the dumpling batter over the simmering pot of chicken and vegetables. She’d cover the pot and wait. When she uncovered it the dumplings had puffed up and pretty much covered the whole dish. It was magical to me. The dumplings were so tender and light. I can’t make this dish, all these years, later without thinking of her.
Chicken and Herb Dumplings
1 T. oil
1 (3 lb.) broiler, cut into pieces
salt and pepper
flour for dredging
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
3-4 potatoes, cut into chunks
2-3 c. chicken stock
1 t. each marjoram and thyme
1 c. buttermilk baking mix
1/3 c. milk
2 t. fresh parsley
2 t. snipped chives or green onions 1/2 t. red pepper flakes
Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper and dredge pieces in flour. Heat oil in large skillet and brown chicken pieces on all sides. Remove chicken pieces and sauté onion until tender. Add carrots, potatoes, broth and chicken to skillet and cook, covered, 20 minutes. Sprinkle herbs over the chicken. Combine baking mix with milk, parsley, chives and red pepper flakes and spoon batter in skillet in 8 mounds. Cover and cook over low heat 20 more minutes. Serves 4.
Chicken Florentine Soup
Chicken Florentine Soup
This was one of those spur of the moment recipes that really exceeded expectations. I just had a few ingredients to start with- one of those times when you look through the fridge for inspiration and get lucky. I knew I was making soup and that I had chicken and chicken stock. Adding onions and carrots to soup- pretty standard for me. I’ve been on a spinach kick lately so that seemed like a natural addition as well. Found a few mushrooms I’d forgotten about and put them in, too. For some reason it was such a perfect combination. I love when it works that way. I am also happy when I remember to write down what I did so I can make it again someday- and share the recipe with all of you. So here is the recipe.
Chicken Florentine Soup
2 T. oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced thin
6-8 cups chicken stock
1½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken, cubed – I used thighs
1-2 c. sliced mushrooms – I used the baby Bellas
8 oz. fresh spinach, washed well
¼ c. chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of hot sauce
Heat oil in soup pot and cook onion until tender. Add carrot and cook a few minutes more. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook 10 minutes. Add chicken and mushrooms and cook 10 minutes longer. Add spinach and cook 5 minutes more. Adjust seasonings and serve. Makes 6 servings
Plum Glazed Wings
Plum Glazed Wings
I love when local fruit is in season. I found myself with lovely red plums and I decided to use some of them to make a sauce for chicken wings. I started by peeling the plums. You could leave the skins on, if you like, but I prefer them off. I put the plums in boiling water for a minute and then in cold water. The skins came right off. I removed the pits and pureed the plums- I ended up with a cup of fresh plum puree. From there it was a matter of creating the sauce. I minced an onion and cooked it in a little bacon fat- you could use butter or oil. I added a couple of cloves of minced garlic once the onions were tender. After that I added the plum puree, 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar, a couple of tablespoons of honey, a tablespoon of hot sauce and salt. I let it cook for about 10 minutes to thicken and gave it a taste. It was pretty good, but needed something more. I added some fresh grated ginger and let it cook a few more minutes. It was wonderful. I decided to smooth the sauce out in the blender but it would be fine to leave it be.
To cook the wings I just pan fried them. I cooked them in a skillet, covered for about 20 minutes, turning a couple of times. I poured the sauce over them and turned the heat down to medium. I let them cook, covered, another 10 or 15 minutes. Once I was sure the wings were cooked through I uncovered them and let the sauce cook down and thicken a little. It created a nice glaze on the wings. Easy and very tasty. I ended up pureeing more plums and tossed them in the freezer so I can make this sauce again when the weather is chilly and no fresh plums are around.
Pineapple Glazed Chicken
Grilled Pineapple Chicken
I found myself with an open can of crushed pineapple and I didn’t want to waste it. I have a number of baked dishes where I could have used it but I decided to go with a savory dish instead. I was getting together with friends to grill some chicken and ribs so I ended up making a glaze for the chicken with the pineapple. We marinaded the chicken in about half of the sauce and brushed the rest on while it was cooking. It added just the right amount of sweetness without overpowering the meat. Here is the recipe.
Pineapple Glaze
2 T. oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 can ( 20 oz.) crushed pineapple, undrained
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. sugar
1 T. hot sauce
2 t. minced garlic
1 t. ginger
1 t. sesame oil
1 t. salt, or to taste
1/2 t. white pepper
In skillet saute onion in oil until golden brown. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Adjust seasonings. Use as a sauce or glaze for meats.
Peach Glazed Chicken
Peach Gglazed Chicken
I was looking for something fun to put on chicken we were grilling this weekend. I looked at what I already had and discovered some very ripe peaches. I used them for my inspiration for this sauce/glaze. I started with caramelizing some onions and then adding the peaches, peeled and cut up. Kept adding ingredients until I got the flavor I wanted. We added some of the sauce to the chicken ahead of time so it would absorb into the meat. While grilling extra sauce was brushed on. There was an extra container of the sauce so we served that on the side.
Peach Sauce/ Glaze
2 T. oil
1 onion, minced
salt to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
6-7 ripe peaches, peeled and diced
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. maple syrup
2 t. hot sauce
2 t. cinnamon
Saute onions in oil until tender. Sprinkle generously with salt and add the garlic and cook a couple of minutes longer. Add remaining ingredients and cook until peaches are tender and sauce has thickened. Adjust seasonings and add a little sugar, if you like. Makes 4 cups. Use as a marinade, barbecue sauce or as a side sauce with chicken, pork or other meats. Any marinade must be discarded after use as it will have raw meat juices in it.
