Family Gluten Free

I love crab cakes any time of year, but especially summer. They are an easy treat to whip up and a crowd pleaser. Unfortunately, when we went gluten-free, I had a really hard time adapting my go-to crab cake recipes using gluten-free breadcrumbs. Though the crab cakes were tasty, they wouldn’t stay together in nice little patties. They would usually fall apart in the frying pan. Ugh.

Fueled by my frustration and loathing of gluten-free breadcrumbs (don’t get me started), I looked into grain-free versions of crab cakes online from my favorite Paleo cookbook authors. The Paleo approach to eating is naturally gluten-free, as there are no grains used at all. Although I don’t live an entirely Paleo lifestyle, I do like the philosophy – whole food eating focused on fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, meat/seafood, and limited to no dairy. Checking out some Paleo cookbooks is a great way to learn new techniques to cooking gluten-free foods in a healthy way.

One of my favorite cookbook authors, Paleo, gluten-free, and otherwise, is Michelle Tam of Nom Nom Paleo. Her blog and cookbook are awesome. Her crab cake recipe uses traditional crab cake ingredients (lump crab meat, egg, mayo, mustard, onions, spices) and coconut flour. Coconut flour takes some getting used to, especially in baking, but it is an excellent tool in gluten-free cooking. Coconut flour is like a sponge. It absorbs liquids easily and a little goes a long way. This is perfect for a fall-apart crab cake. The real trick is adding a little coconut flour to the outside of the crab cake to pull it together and aid in browning during frying.

Coconut Flour

Old Bay Seasoning

My grain-free crab cake recipe is adapted from Michelle Tam’s “Paleo Krabby Patties”. I adjusted some of the ingredients to get a consistency and flavor I prefer. My family used to vacation on the Maryland shore, so any crab dish is not complete without Old Bay Seasoning. It is not easy to find here in New England, but it is available on Amazon. Just be careful adding salt because the Old Bay is already pretty salty. I also utilized one of my own tricks, found in my meatball recipe. I sauté onion and bell pepper until just softened, then add to the crab cake mixture. This creates a great flavor and consistency in the crab cake.

Crab Cake Mixture

Crab Cakes Ready for Coconut Flour Dredging

Crab Cakes Ready for Frying

Feel free to add your own spices or veggies to create your own unique spin on these crab cakes. I hope you enjoy it!

Grain-free Crab Cakes

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Paleo, Dairy-Free, Makes 8 Crab Cakes

Author: FamilyGlutenFree.com

Recipe type: Main Dish

Ingredients

• 1 lb lump crabmeat
• 2 Tbsp shallot, minced
• ½ cup bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp coconut flour
• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• 1 large egg, beaten
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
• ½ cup additional coconut flour for dusting
• ½ cup coconut oil

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil over med-low heat in a frying pan and lightly cook shallot and bell pepper until just softened.
2. Remove from heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes
3. In a large bowl add lump crabmeat, 2 Tbsp coconut flour, parsley, egg, mayonnaise, mustard, Old Bay seasoning, and cooked shallot and bell pepper.
4. Gently mix the ingredients being careful not to break up the crabmeat too much.
5. Using your hands, form the mixture into 8 patties, approximately 3-4” wide and ½” thick.
6. Place ½ cup of additional coconut flour in a shallow bowl.
7. Lightly dredge each crab cake. Shake off or lightly wipe off any excess coconut flour so it is only a fine coating.
8. Heat coconut oil over medium heat in a shallow pan or cast iron skillet.
9. Fry crab cakes for a few minutes on each side or until browned.
10. Place cooked crab cakes on a paper towel lined plate to cool.
11. Serve immediately.

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When you have a busy family, you need some go-to weeknight meals that are easy crowd pleasers.  My Kielbasa with Peppers and Coco-Buttery Basmati Rice is kid-friendly and a great family meal to have on hand when you can’t think of what to make for dinner.  I always try to have a kielbasa sausage in the freezer so I can whip up this easy meal anytime.  This recipe utilizes the combination of four great flavors, nutty basmati rice, sweet bell peppers, salty kielbasa, and a warm butter/coconut oil mix.

Brown basmati rice can be found at any grocery store.  Basmati rice is typically used in Indian cooking and has a very delicious unique nutty flavor.  It is a great alternative to your everyday brown rice.  The brown variety takes a little longer to cook, but much more nutritious versus it’s white counterpart.

Shallot and Peppers

We are always well stocked with bell peppers in our fridge.  Peppers are one of the few vegetables my 4-year old eats on a regular basis.  You can use any color bell pepper you have on hand, but I think having a variety of colors makes this dish even more appealing.  If possible, try to find organic bell peppers, as they are one of the “dirty dozen”.  It wasn’t long ago that I could only find organic bell peppers at the farmers market or at Whole Foods.  However, I am finding them more consistently at major supermarkets.

Any Polish kielbasa will do fine in this recipe, but it’s always better if you can find a hormone-free, antibiotic-free, nitrate-free version.  These kielbasas tend to have less undesirable ingredients and taste better.  Trader Joes and Whole Foods both have great choices, but I usually have no luck at my local supermarket.

I ended up with a butter/coconut oil combo for the rice by accident.  I use butter (organic, grass-fed is best) for the kid-factor, but I think a light coconut taste brings this meal together.  Using coconut oil to cook the veggies and brown the kielbasa is a great choice, as it holds up well under high heat.  Feel free to use Earth Balance’s soy-free butter spread if you want this recipe to be dairy-free.  It is a great product and I use it regularly in place of butter.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and it brings something different to your weeknights.

Kielbasa with Peppers and Coco-Buttery Basmati Rice

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

Can be made dairy-free

Author: FamilyGlutenFree.com

Recipe type: Main Dish

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked brown basmati rice
• 1 Polish kielbasa sausage (approx. 12 oz)
• 2 tsp + 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp butter (organic, grass-fed is best) or Earth Balance soy-free butter spread for dairy-free
• ½ tsp sea salt or Himalayan pink salt
• 1 shallot cut lengthwise into thin strips
• 1-½ bell peppers cut into 1-2 inch thin strips

Instructions

1. Cook basmati rice per package directions or until water is absorbed and rice is tender.
2. After rice is done cooking, add butter, 2 tsps coconut oil, and ½ tsp of salt. Mix thoroughly.
3. Heat kielbasa on the stovetop per package directions using coconut oil to brown on both sides.
4. Cut kielbasa into ½ inch slices.
5. Heat 1 Tbsp coconut oil in a frying pan.
6. Sauté shallot and peppers until just tender.
7. Add sliced kielbasa to frying pan with shallot and peppers and continue to cook for 2 minutes.
8. Serve kielbasa and shallot/pepper mixture over rice and enjoy.

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Baked Meatballs was one of the first recipes I learned to make gluten-free out of necessity.  Spaghetti and meatballs is a staple in my home, much like any other American family.  However, my motivation to create a gluten-free meatball recipe was driven from two places.

First, having to remove meatballs from my family’s dinner plate because of my son’s diagnosis seemed like I was letting wheat win.   For years, my son suffered at the hands of wheat and for years, I unknowingly served it thinking I was providing my family with balanced meals.  I felt deceived and angry, but I also felt determined to not allow this lifestyle change to eliminate the comfort foods we all love and grew up with.

Second, I make a pretty mean meatball.  I know that many people can say their family’s meatball recipe is the best and it’s true.  That is part of the fun of meatballs.  Meatballs embody family, comfort, and getting together at the dinner table.  I know my husband is psyched when he comes home from work and we have spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.  Plus, I know he thinks mine are the best and that shouldn’t change just because we are gluten-free.

To be honest, perfecting this recipe was not a creative endeavor.  My task was to play around with the timing and ratios of ingredients until I felt like I had a gluten-free meatball recipe that nobody could tell was gluten-free.  I used tricks I had used prior to going gluten-free and I used my new tool belt of gluten-free tricks I have collected so far.  Also, I know the “real” way to make meatballs is in the frying pan, but I always thought that was a hassle.  Baking them is much easier and I don’t think I compromised the taste.  Here is my run-down of perfecting a gluten-free meatball.

Raw Baked Meatballs

1. Use good meat.  As you may have read in my review of US Wellness Meats, I am a big fan of grass-fed/finished beef.  I think it tastes better and I feel comfort knowing the animals were treated well using sustainable farming practices.  Also, no lean meat here.  I typically use 85% or 15% fat beef, no leaner.
2. Instead of wheat breadcrumbs, I use a 50/50 gluten-free Italian breadcrumbs and almond meal mix.  I utilized this strategy in my Fried Turkey Cutlets recipe.  I usually premix the breadcrumbs and almond meal and keep them in fridge so they are ready to go.  I like 2 brands of gluten-free breadcrumbs: Aleia’s (contains dairy) and Ian’s (dairy-free).
3. Add moisture and flavor.  I get a moisture and a flavor boost by adding sautéed shallots and garlic, and fresh parsley.

Before I get started with the recipe, I would like to clarify my choice of photo.  Any meatball recipe you come across might have some hefty meatballs on top of a bed of spaghetti, but I thought I would include a picture of my family’s new leftover meatball lunch favorite.  We use Udi’s hotdog rolls (they are a little bigger compared to the usual hotdog roll).  Yum!  I recently had a gluten-free guest at our home that hasn’t had a meatball, let along a meatball sandwich, in a long time.  I know this was a treat.  Enjoy!

Baked Meatballs

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Makes 15-18 Meatballs

Author: FamilyGlutenFree.com

Recipe type: Main Dish

Ingredients

• Cooking spray (I like coconut oil spray)
• 2 Tbsp avocado oil (for high heat) or olive oil
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 lb ground beef, 85% lean (grass-fed/finished if possible)
• ¾ cup 50/50 combination of gluten-free breadcrumbs and almond meal
• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste (approximately 1 tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with tin foil and spray foil with a cooking spray (I usually spray the pan and then wipe it with a paper towel. You only need enough to prevent light sticking).
3. Heat oil in a frying pan and sauté shallot and garlic on low until tender. I usually add a dash of salt. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
4. In a large bowl add the egg, beef, breadcrumbs/almond meal, parsley, salt, pepper, and cooked shallot and garlic.
5. Mix all the ingredients together with you hands until you have a uniform mixture.
6. Roll the meatball mix into approximately 1.5-inch balls and place them on the baking sheet spread apart so they aren’t touching.
7. Bake for 15 minutes or until they are just slightly pink on the inside.

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One dish my family and I always enjoyed before going gluten-free is fried turkey cutlets.  I usually fry them up on Sundays, when we enjoy them “as is”, then re-heat them later in the week in sandwiches or on top of salads.  When we went gluten-free, it was difficult to recreate the breading.  It would either be too fragile and fall off the turkey or it was too crumbly.  I finally came up with a recipe that comes really close to the original.

In terms of nutrition, this recipe is not perfect.  I tried my best to make this fried dish as wholesome as possible.  This is a nice weekend treat to have once in a while, especially when your outdoor grill is covered with snow.

Let’s face it, gluten-free breadcrumbs are nothing like the store-bought breadcrumbs made with wheat flour.  I have tried to make my own breadcrumbs, but I am never able to get it right.  Please comment if you have any tricks.  In addition, gluten-free breadcrumbs can be full of starches, preservatives, and other undesirable ingredients.  My way of enhancing the store-bought gluten-free breadcrumbs is to cut them 50/50 with almond meal.  The almond meal softens the breading and makes it adhere better to the turkey.

Two more ways I tried to make this recipe more wholesome is by using brown rice flour instead of an all-purpose gluten-free flour and by using palm oil instead of canola oil.  Pre-made gluten-free flours come with built-in starches, such as potato, tapioca, or corn starch.  These starches help mimic the properties of wheat flour that make it so versatile in baked goods.  However, they don’t offer much nutrition.  Also, the question of what is the best oil is always hotly debated.  Everyday, I see conflicting information about what oil is healthiest.  Without having reliable research, I use oil that is naturally occurring and is appropriate for the level of heat I am cooking.  In this case, I’ll choose palm oil over canola.  However, in the recipe, I have provided options so you can feel comfortable using what’s on hand.

Flour-Egg-Breadcrumbs/Almond Meal

This recipe uses the standard flour-egg-breadcrumb strategy for making perfect cutlets.  The cutlets may be a little darker than you’re used to because of the almond meal.  I hope your family enjoys them.

Fried Turkey Cutlets

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Author: FamilyGlutenFree.com

Recipe type: Main Dish

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1-1½ lb thin sliced boneless, skinless turkey breast cutlets
• ¾ cup brown rice flour or all purpose gluten-free flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup gluten-free Italian style breadcrumbs (I use Aleia’s brand)
• 1 cup almond meal
• 2 cups canola or palm oil (approx., to ½ inch)

Instructions

1. Prepare three bowls in a row with a clean plate at the end.
2. In the first bowl add the flour and salt. In the second bowl, add the eggs and beat them lightly. In the third bowl add the breadcrumbs and almond meal.
3. Mix the breadcrumbs and almond meal with your hands, being sure to break up any clumps of almond meal.
4. Coat a turkey cutlet with the flour mixture, then dip into egg, and finally coat with the breadcrumb/almond meal mixture and place onto plate. When coating with the breadcrumb/almond meal mixture, press down slightly.
5. Repeat for each cutlet.
6. In a shallow pan add oil until its about ½ inch deep.
7. Heat the oil on high until hot enough for frying.
8. Fry the cutlets in batches, do not overcrowd.
9. The cutlets should be fried for a few minutes per side or until they are a light brown.
10. When done, place the cutlets on a paper towel.
11. Enjoy immediately or store in a sealed container lined with papertowels in the fridge. Reheat in the oven or toaster oven.

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Mexican inspired food is an easy “go-to” for gluten-free families.  It is quick, easy, and most dishes are already gluten-free.  This recipe can be used in tacos, on top of salads, in quesadillas, enchiladas; the list goes on and on.  I usually make a batch of this chicken, then freeze half for another time.  This recipe is fantastic, but I am almost embarrassed to post it on my blog because it is so ridiculously easy.  However, my family and friends ask about it all the time.

My family does taco night often.  Usually, I will make a batch of this chicken, then line up a variety of toppings for everyone to create their own personal taco.  I usually put out shredded romaine lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, avocado slices, sliced olives, and black beans.  You can make it into a meal by adding a Spanish rice or, even better, a Spanish quinoa.

For those of you who haven’t thought of this already, here is my 2 ingredient Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken.  Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

 

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Cook time

5 hours

Total time

5 hours

 

Author: FamilyGlutenFree.com

Recipe type: Main Dish

Serves: 4, plus leftovers

Ingredients

• 1 -2 lb bloneless chicken breast
• 1 jar of your favorite salsa (16 oz will do)

Instructions

1. Add chicken breast to slow cooker and add the salsa until the chicken is just covered (you may need more or less than 16 oz, depending on the size of your slow cooker and how much chicken you are using).
2. Cook on low for 5 hours.
3. After 4.5 hours, shred the chicken with 2 forks, then cook for the additional ½ hour.
4. Use in your favorite Mexican dish!

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