Clinical Study for Celiac Disease

Have you ever heard something so incredibly stupid that it makes you mad? We have. Here in Tucson, we have more pharmaceutical testing facilities than anywhere we have ever lived. One of them, Geneova Clinical Research, is doing drug research on Celiac Disease. Here are their requirements:

• 18 to 75
• Have biopsy confirmed Celiac Disease
• Have been attempting a gluten-free diet for 12 months or longer
• Still experiencing symptoms when exposed to gluten – bloating, diarrhea

Here’s the problem. Whenever a Celiac is exposed to gluten, they are going to have symptoms, whether they know it or not. It’s part of being a Celiac. Why don’t we all sign up for this “scientific” research? Why is it important to still have symptoms? Simple, the drug being studied is going to allow the researchers to feed their guinea pigs, aka Celiac patients, gluten. That’s right, when you sign up for one of these research studies, you’re volunteering to be poisoned. We have a problem with this. What’s wrong with following a gluten-free diet? Why are we considered abnormal or unhealthy for being gluten-free? Why does everyone have to eat wheat? Is it just that it’s the “popular” food? Why do we have to take medicine when a diet is all the prescription we need? With Celiac Disease, we don’t have to take any medication, we don’t have to worry about side effects, and, when we cook it ourselves, we are eating better than most of America. So, the Masters want medical science to stop trying to make us like everyone else. People are individuals. Not being able to eat fast food is a good thing.

Fearlessly Gluten-Free,

It's Spud-tastic!

We love Mashers! There's nothing better than creamy mashed potatoes. They are the must have side dish with gluten-free Fried Chicken and Gravy. They may be mashed potatoes anywhere else, but, at our house, they are, and always will be, Mashers.

Easy Mashers

Easy Mashers - Gluten-Free

 

4 to 6 medium baking potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 1/2 inch chunks

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 to 3/8 cup half and half cream

 In a large saucepan, boil potatoes over medium heat in salted water until tender, approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Drain water.

Add butter and 1/4 cup half and half cream to drained potatoes.

Mash with an electric mixer first on low speed, and then on medium high until smooth, adding more half and half cream as necessary to achieve desired consistency.

Serve mashers plain or top with butter or gravy.

Cook’s Note: Electric mixer required.

 Fearlessly Gluten-Free,

Chicken Gravy

Fried Chicken Gravy is easy to make. This recipe is part of our series on Fried Chicken. What can we say, we're nothing if not thorough. Fried Chicken isn't Fried Chicken without gravy and mashed potatoes.

Fried Chicken Gravy

Fried Chicken Gravy - Gluten-Free

Fried batter bits from fried chicken

1/3 to 1/2 cup white rice flour

Milk

Carefully pour hot oil into a heat resistant container. Set aside in a safe place and allow to cool. Leave all fried batter bits in the pan. Leave approximately 1 to 2 tablespoons hot oil in pan.

Return fry pan to medium heat. Sprinkle half the white rice flour evenly over bottom of pan. Stir flour into batter bits and oil. Continue adding flour until oil is absorbed into the flour. This results in a paste like consistency.

Slowly add milk, stirring constantly to blend milk and rice paste. As milk is absorbed into rice paste, slowly add more milk. Stir constantly to prevent the formation of lumps. Continue adding milk and stirring constantly until desired quantity of gravy and consistency is achieved. Season to taste and serve immediately over Easy Mashers. If gravy appears too thin, simmer and stir until gravy reaches desired consistency. If gravy is too thick, gradually add small amounts of milk.

Cook’s Note: To make this gravy dairy-free, substitute chicken stock for milk.

Enjoy the recipe and make sure to get cooking that Fried Chicken. Stay tuned for our mashed potato recipe.

Fearlessly Gluten-Free,

Celiac Advice on Wheat Bread

We went to the grocery store today. Aside from the usual grocery store issues, we had a unique experience. Being not quite sure how to answer a question from a fellow shopper is a new experience for us. After all, we are the Masters of Gluten-Free. We're foodies and, if there's a bizarre question, we'll usually know the answer. But, in this instance, we were at a loss for words.

The lone gluten-eater at our house still gets a few items that contain wheat - spaghetti, bread, and beer to name a few. These are some of the few remaining wheat items that he gets to eat. That's what happens when the rest of your family is gluten-free. However, he never turns down our homemade gluten-free bread, rolls, or pizza. And let's not count the number of gluten-free cookies he eats.


On this particular shopping trip, we were buying wheat bread. He should feel privileged that we continue to allow wheat bread in the house. Right? We had previously asked him for his opinion of the different brands available at the grocery store, so we could purchase what he liked. How would we know which wheat-based bread is best?

As one of us approaches the bakery section of the grocery store, we spy a fellow shopper. We begin checking the expiration dates on the loaves of bread. The other shopper turns and asks a simple, yet difficult to answer question, "What's the difference?" Well, instead of launching into an insane tirade about being gluten-free, which no one really wants to hear anyway, a moment of how-do-I-answer-this-question passed and a decent answer was given, or so we hope.

"Well, this one costs $1.89, while that one costs 99 cents. My dad prefers this brand (the more expensive loaf of bread), but that's his opinion." We simply shrugged, took our loaf, and continued shopping. The other shopper decided on the cheaper brand. Why were we going to confuse someone? There was no good reason to explain why we couldn't eat bread. But, we must have looked like a deer in the headlights when she asked her simple, innocent question.

After leaving that section of the store, we found this exchange incredibly hilarious. It was funny to think about a gluten-free person answering a question about wheat bread. Had this been almost anything else in the store, we'd have been able to answer without a moments hesitation. It's one of those events that makes you laugh, especially 99 cents for a loaf of bread..

Share a smile today.

Fearlessly Gluten-Free,

Fried Chicken Recipe

It has been an absolutely crazy couple of weeks around our kitchen. We went to the Friends of the Oro Valley Public Library Spring book sale this past weekend. Well, that means we found new cookbooks, which in turn meant it was time to reorganize and clean the bookshelves. Two days and a mountain of dust later, we finally got the cookbooks on the shelf. We are so excited to start playing with the new cookbooks for bread. There's nothing quite as exciting as manipulating gluten-free bread dough.  But, alas, we are massively off topic.  Without further ado, the fabulous Extra Crispy Fried Chicken recipe. As a note, we are from the United States, so all measurements are in American standard.

Extra Crispy Fried Chicken

Gluten-Free Fried Chicken - Extra Crispy

 

Dry Flour Mix

1 cup white rice flour

1 cup corn starch

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Batter

3/4 cup white rice flour

3/4 cup corn starch

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk

1 (48 ounce) bottle canola oil

6 pounds chicken thighs (approximately 12 large thighs)

To make dry flour mix, combine 1 cup white rice flour, 1 cup corn starch, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Mix well and set aside.

To make batter, combine 3/4 cup white rice flour, 3/4 cup corn starch, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper in a medium bowl. Mix well. Add eggs and milk, mix well. Batter will be the consistency of thin pancake batter. Add additional milk, if necessary.

Heat canola oil to 325 degrees F in a deep cast iron skillet, deep fry pan, or Dutch oven.

Dredge chicken in dry flour mix. Dip and coat in batter. Dredge chicken a second time in dry flour mix.

Fry chicken in hot oil for about 8 minutes. Flip to opposite side and fry an additional 8 minutes. Chicken is cooked when coating is browned and juices run clear when a fork is inserted into chicken thigh near the bone. Place a couple of paper towels on an oven-safe platter. Remove fried chicken. Place chicken on paper towel lined platter and allow to drain. Keep warm in a 170 degree F oven. Repeat for remaining chicken thighs.

Serves 8 to 12

Cook’s Note: Do not substitute other gluten-free flours or starches for those called for in recipe. Rice flour and corn starch result in the extra crispy texture of this fried chicken. To make a dairy-free batter, substitute rice milk for milk.

Gluten-Free Fried Chicken - Extra Crispy

Enjoy the recipe. Tell us how you like it.

Fearlessly Gluten-Free,

Fried Chicken Update

The fried chicken was AMAZING!  We made 6 pounds of chicken thighs.  Our preferred oil for frying chicken is canola oil.  It had the perfect crust - thick and extra crispy.  We didn't use any Xanthan Gum in our batter.  Trust us it made the batter much better than with the added Xanthan Gum.  It was much easier to handle.

Since we made 6 pounds of chicken, we had plenty for leftovers.  Today's lunch was cold fried chicken.  The only thing better than fried chicken is cold fried chicken.  We're already plotting uses for the remaining chicken.

For dinner the other night, we served the fried chicken with mashed potatoes, chicken gravy, and green beans.

Gluten-Free Fried Chicken and Mashed Potatoes with Chicken Gravy

Check back later for the recipe details.  We're in blog-training.

Fearlessly Gluten-Free,

Greetings from the South Y'all

Fried chicken in the South is a way of life.  It's more of a religious experience than church.  Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but you get the idea.  It's one of those things that most people miss when they go gluten-free.  When we pull up in front of our grocery store, we get assaulted by the aroma of Kentucky Fried Chicken.  Well, sometimes a girl just has to give into her cravings. Tonight's adventure in the land of gluten-free, homemade fried chicken.  We'll provide an update tomorrow on how delicious and amazing the chicken tasted.

Fearlessly Gluten-Free,