From Gluten Free Gigi's dairy free, soy free, nut free recipe box:
A naturally gluten free meal!
Sunday evening, my car needed gas.
Two islands over, guess who I saw? Dale!
I gave him a wave and a shout, “Hello!”
At first, he pretended not to hear. He casually glanced my way. Then he must have recognized me. "Oh, hey, Gigi! I'm almost done. I'll come over and say 'hello'."
You’ll never believe this… Dale's a neighbor! I found out he moved into a house around the corner from mine in March. New (and newbie!) foodie friends - gluten free, dairy free, nut free, soy free or otherwise - are always welcome in my neighborhood!
Dale was headed home from the little weekend farmers' market. He told me he was trying one of my gluten free recipes!
I wondered which one. He asked me to hold on a second and went back to his truck.
He returned with a big brown bag. "You see, I was looking around the site and had never considered making chips out of leaves before. Looked like a cool and easy deal so I'm making kale chips!"
With a gigantic grin on his face he reached in the bag and pulled out a bushel of... COLLARD GREENS!
I wondered which one. He asked me to hold on a second and went back to his truck.
He returned with a big brown bag. "You see, I was looking around the site and had never considered making chips out of leaves before. Looked like a cool and easy deal so I'm making kale chips!"
With a gigantic grin on his face he reached in the bag and pulled out a bushel of... COLLARD GREENS!
My laughter wouldn't stop... I couldn't help it!
Poor guy looked so deflated. Then I explained what had obviously happened - how collards do look like big versions of certain kale. I had an idea...
I thought about what would happen if we made Collard Chips. I told Dale my plan. He said he'd trade me some of his enormous bag of collard greens (guys always buy too much) for some coaching on how to do it... as well as anything else.
It was a deal! (The "anything else" would have to wait. Rest assured it would be gluten free, soy free, nut free and dairy free... and might even use raw foods or even be, yes, vegan!)
How’d the chips turn out?
This is the text I sent Dale: I'll never make kale chips again!
Yes, they are that good... Good enough that I wanted to share the new recipe with you as soon as possible! (In case you're wondering, Dale loved these light, crisp "leaves", too!)
In our meal, think of them as a fresh, new take take on old-fashioned Southern greens!
Before we get to our collard chips, though, let's make our customary cocktail for this week's meal. We'll chill out with a new creation courtesy of Red Hot Momma!
We’re pairing organic tequila (we'll use USDA certified organic "Tequila Tierras Blanco") with tangerine Italian soda and grenadine.
It's the Gluten Free Gigi cool spin on the Tequila Sunrise... With RHM's help we're making a Frosty Sunrise!
Yes, they are that good... Good enough that I wanted to share the new recipe with you as soon as possible! (In case you're wondering, Dale loved these light, crisp "leaves", too!)
In our meal, think of them as a fresh, new take take on old-fashioned Southern greens!
Before we get to our collard chips, though, let's make our customary cocktail for this week's meal. We'll chill out with a new creation courtesy of Red Hot Momma!
We’re pairing organic tequila (we'll use USDA certified organic "Tequila Tierras Blanco") with tangerine Italian soda and grenadine.
It's the Gluten Free Gigi cool spin on the Tequila Sunrise... With RHM's help we're making a Frosty Sunrise!
Try this Frosty Sunrise to cool you down when temps go up!
Cocktail Tip: For the kiddos (or anyone who doesn't drink alcohol), omit the tequila and blend as directed for a gorgeous non-alcoholic treat!
For each Frosty Sunrise cocktail we need:
1 shot of tequila
6 ounces tangerine Italian soda
1 Tablespoon grenadine
1 cup ice cubes
We'll toss everything in the blender (with a Blendtec blender we'll simply press the “Ice Crush” button and get our glasses ready ~ we're e just 30 seconds from that cocktail!).
We pour this into our favorite cocktail glass, add a straw, and sip away!
Now it’s time to get cookin’!
This terrific gluten free meal is so easy to put together, we'll have these Southern flavors on your table in no time:
- Zesty Potato Salad with Arugula
- Grilled Barbeque Chicken with Sweet & Smokey Sauce
- Collard Chips with Sea Salt & Red Pepper Flakes
- Zesty Potato Salad with Arugula
- Grilled Barbeque Chicken with Sweet & Smokey Sauce
- Collard Chips with Sea Salt & Red Pepper Flakes
We’ll start with the Zesty Potato Salad since the potatoes need the most time to cook.
This isn’t really a recipe, but instead a good guideline for making a naturally gluten free, healthy side dish. Have fun with it... Change the add-ins to create your own signature salad!
This inspiration comes from my friend, Heather. A photo of her potato salad grabbed my attention.
I sent her an email asking for her recipe. She sent a note back that read like a list of some of my favorite foods and flavors! I’ve never put chopped olives in my potato salad… Until now!
I did change-up Heather’s recipe a little. I substituted a light vinaigrette for mayo to make this flavorful dish soy free and vegan.
To make this for four, we'll use four medium-sized Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes.
Then we'll place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water.
We'll bring this to a boil over medium-high heat, cooking the potatoes until fork tender (about 15 minutes, depending on the size of the cubes).
While the potatoes cook, we'll have time to take care of two simple tasks:
(1) prepping the add-ins
(2) making the sauce for the chicken
Let's start with the potato salad add-ins...
You can switch up the add-ins to make your own signature dish!
Here's what we'll use this time:
1/2 cup EACH Vidalia onion & olives, chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced
8 cloves roasted garlic, minced
1/2 cup EACH Vidalia onion & olives, chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced
8 cloves roasted garlic, minced
To finish, we'll chop some baby arugula to add at the end for a nice peppery touch.
With the add-ins prepped, we'll place them to the side.
Let's move on to our Sweet & Smokey BBQ Sauce... This is the easiest, most flavorful sauce you've ever made!
Sweet & Smokey BBQ Sauce
1 1/2 cups organic diced tomatoes (canned)
2 Tablespoons agave nectar
1 Tablespoon raw coconut aminos
1 chipotle pepper, minced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
We'll put all of the ingredients in a saucepan, stirring to combine, and cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a full boil. Then we'll turn off the heat, cover and allow to sit on stove until ready to use.
A Gluten Free Gigi Tip: Once the sauce is cooked, I reserve 1/2 cup for brushing over the chicken while grilling. I use 1 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, and there's plenty of sauce for grilling AND to pass around the table when you serve! (Remember to keep your basting sauce and your table sauce separate to help avoid cross-contamination from the raw chicken.)
Now, let's whisk together our vinaigrette!
We'll use about 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar, a scant 1/4 cup olive oil, about 1/2 Tablespoon agave nectar, and a dash of sea salt.
(For some extra kick, I sometimes add white pepper or other dried herbs or spices at this point.)
After whisking, we'll set it aside.
We'll use about 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar, a scant 1/4 cup olive oil, about 1/2 Tablespoon agave nectar, and a dash of sea salt.
(For some extra kick, I sometimes add white pepper or other dried herbs or spices at this point.)
After whisking, we'll set it aside.
Tossing potatoes in the vinaigrette while they're still warm makes them more flavorful!
Once the potatoes have been boiling for about 15 minutes, we'll test them with a fork. We're looking for fork tender, but not mushy. The fork just needs to push through the potato without much effort. Once we have that, we'll pour them into a colander to drain.
We'll toss the potatoes in the vinaigrette while they're still hot... gently stirring to make sure all the potato cubes are coated with the dressing.
Stir lightly to insure potato cubes remain intact.
Look at all that gluten-free FLAVOR!
It's time to fold in our add-ins and give another gentle toss!
The wonderful thing about this dish is that it is best served at room temperature. We can make it, cover it, and let it just hang-out off to the side while we get busy with the rest of our meal!
Using a light vinaigrette instead of mayo keeps my Zesty Potato Salad soy-free!
First... After that little bit of cooking effort, don't you think it's time for another Frosty Sunrise?! (Thank goodness RHM can have one ready in less than a minute!)
Wrap washed collards in clean kitchen towel to dry.
It's also a good time to get that grill fired up!
We can get to work on prepping our collard chips while it gets hot.
First, we'll wash & dry the collards.
We can use 1 huge leaf per guest. (They're so good, you may want to make more next time!)
We can get to work on prepping our collard chips while it gets hot.
First, we'll wash & dry the collards.
We can use 1 huge leaf per guest. (They're so good, you may want to make more next time!)
It's not just the taste of these yummy chips that won me over, but also the nutritional benefits!
When I researched their nutritional profile, what I found was amazing... This cruciferous powerhouse, like many of the other big green leafy vegetables, is believed to help lower blood cholesterol, perhaps even better than kale!
Is that still the case after collards are cooked? Get this... Cooked collards may be better for lowering cholesterol than raw collards!
Some even claim collards have an anti-inflammatory effect and may help prevent some diseases! Whatever the case, I’d say we’ve got ourselves a perfect new gluten free snack! Thanks for not knowing your collards from your kale, Dale!
Discard the tough center rib.
To make the chips, we'll fold the leaves in half, cut away the center rib, and discard it.
Adjust the size to your liking.
Next we'll cut the leaves into pieces that are approximately 3" x 2".
You can use your favorite dried herb instead of pepper!
At this point we'll preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Then we'll drizzle 1/2 Tablespoon of olive oil onto our foil-lined pan and spread the greens around in it to coat.
Finally, we'll sprinkle them with a little sea salt & red pepper flakes.
Then we'll drizzle 1/2 Tablespoon of olive oil onto our foil-lined pan and spread the greens around in it to coat.
Finally, we'll sprinkle them with a little sea salt & red pepper flakes.
At this point, we'll put our chips to the side and grill the chicken.
Grilled Barbeque Chicken with Sweet, Smokey, & Simple BBQ Sauce
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 Tablespoon olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 cup Sweet & Smokey BBQ Sauce
We'll coat the chicken in olive oil (to prevent sticking to the grill), salt, and pepper. We'll put them on the grill for 5-6 minutes per side (depending on thickness of the meat), or until cooked through.
As we grill we'll baste the chicken with our sauce, remembering to discard the unused basting sauce.
When the chicken is done, we'll transfer it to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm while we cook the collard chips. (The oven will be 400 degrees and ready!)
Doesn't that look yummy??
Pop your prepped greens into the oven, and 4-5 minutes later...Voila! A bowl of nutritious gluten-free goodness!
Leftover chips are excellent crushed onto a salad for the next day's lunch!
How about, after all the spicy flavors going on in this meal, finishing it with a cool dessert like Red Wine Sorbet?!
I know my sweet friend, Shirley, author of Gluten Free Easily is going to wonder where the So Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer in this recipe is.
The truth is the sale price at my local Whole Foods was so amazing, there wasn't any left!
This week, no coconut milk creamer for the dessert...
We're still keeping it "so delicious" for this cool treat that's all grown up, though! (If you have coconut milk creamer in your fridge, you could make this fruity vegan delight!)
Our Red Wine Sorbet is naturally dairy-free and so simple that you're going to wonder why you haven't discovered this little trick before now!
(Remember, this one's not for the kiddos! What I do when we're having "grown-up dessert" is make a frozen treat like my Vegan Ice Cream (in vanilla or chocolate!) just for the kids!)
For Red Wine Sorbet, we'll only need three ingredients:
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup red wine (make it one you like!)
I know my sweet friend, Shirley, author of Gluten Free Easily is going to wonder where the So Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer in this recipe is.
The truth is the sale price at my local Whole Foods was so amazing, there wasn't any left!
This week, no coconut milk creamer for the dessert...
We're still keeping it "so delicious" for this cool treat that's all grown up, though! (If you have coconut milk creamer in your fridge, you could make this fruity vegan delight!)
Our Red Wine Sorbet is naturally dairy-free and so simple that you're going to wonder why you haven't discovered this little trick before now!
(Remember, this one's not for the kiddos! What I do when we're having "grown-up dessert" is make a frozen treat like my Vegan Ice Cream (in vanilla or chocolate!) just for the kids!)
For Red Wine Sorbet, we'll only need three ingredients:
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup red wine (make it one you like!)
Dissolving the sugar takes about 5-6 minutes.
First we'll combine the water and sugar in a saucepan. Then we'll cook and stir over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. After that we'll remove it from the heat.
Next we'll add the wine and stir. Before actually freezing the mixture in the ice cream freezer, we want to chill it...
One method for a "quick chill", is to pour the sorbet mixture into a carafe, place it in a bowl, and surround the carafe with ice.
A quick chill takes about 30 minutes.
Then it's time to pour the mixture into our ice cream freezer. (I use a Krups 358 countertop model, which gets me to a freezer-ready state in about 45 minutes.)
After that, we'll have a red wine slushy... Not necessarily a bad thing!
Your red wine slushy needs about 2 hours in the freezer.
To create the sorbet, we'll pour our mixture into a freezer-safe container with a secure lid and freeze it for a couple of hours...
Then we're ready to scoop it into a chilled wine glass and enjoy!
This little number is hard to resist!
Sip or spoon... Either way, you're gonna' love this naturally dairy-free "dessert"!
A fabulous way to end a meal, wouldn't you say? I'm so glad you stopped by to make and enjoy it with me!
~g~
Don't forget... I need your help to decide which tea to taste for our weekly tea tasting. Come on over and vote on what you want me to try for this week's Sipping Sunday!
Until next time, rest assured I'll have more gluten free, dairy free, nut free, soy free and sometimes vegan (and even raw foods!) foodie fun for you!
xo,
Gigi
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