Gluten Free Chicken Lettuce Wraps by The Gluten Free Notebook

Today's guest post & recipe is shared by celiac sisters Shelley and Suman of the blog, The Gluten Free Notebook. 


Gluten Free Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I made these on a whim one day, wanting something light and fresh on a very hot summer day. They turned out delicious!

Chicken:

• 1-2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized strips or pieces
• salt and pepper to taste

Add a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan and heat on med-high heat and sauté chicken until no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Noodles: 

1 package A Taste of Thai Peanut Noodles or any other flavoured gluten free rice noodles of your preference.

Cook as per directions on the package.

Vegetable mixture:

• 1/2 small onion finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk finely diced
• 2 carrots grated (reserve one grated carrot for topping the lettuce wraps at the end)
• 6-7 button mushrooms diced
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon gluten free soy sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

In a frying pan, heat the olive oil and add all chopped vegetables except mushrooms. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until onion has softened slightly. Add the mushrooms and the soy sauce and continue to cook until the mushrooms reduce. Remove mixture from heat.

Fresh Toppings:

• 1 grated carrot (reserved from above)
• 5 green onions chopped (green and white parts)
• blanched peanuts-coarsely chopped

You will also need:

• 1 head of iceberg lettuce, washed and carefully separated
• sweet chilli sauce
• gluten free plum sauce (optional)

To assemble: Take one piece of lettuce; add a few spoonfuls of the veggie mixture. Add chicken, and then add noodles, fresh grated carrot and sprinkle with some of the chopped green onions. Sprinkle some chopped peanuts over top. Finish with a drizzle of sweet chilli sauce and/or plum sauce. I used both. Just remember that a little of each goes a long way. Wrap and enjoy.  If you are a vegetarian, just leave the chicken out and the recipe tastes just as good.

Serves 3-4

About Shelley & Suman

Shelley and Suman are two celiac sisters discovering the gluten-free way of life in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley! Having been diagnosed since 2004, they are constantly learning about the gluten-free lifestyle and hope to help others through their website (www.glutenfreenotebook.com).

The Gluten Free Notebook is a collaboration of Shelley and Suman’s gluten-free findings in Vancouver, Canada and its surrounding suburb Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley. On their website, one can find a compilation of places to shop for GF items, a list of their favourite GF products, their favourite recipe books and websites. In addition, they include any gluten free restaurants they have discovered in the area.  Shelley and Suman love to find great new recipes, healthy alternatives and are passionate about finding new gluten free products and dining options. All this information is shared on their website as a resource in the hopes of helping others find more GF options.

30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals: Day 19 - Michelle's Fried Rice

Welcome to 30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals!

Today's post is written by Michelle Doyle author of the blog, Domesticity Nouveau.

Day 19 - Michelle's Basic Fried Rice

How many times do you look in the fridge and declare “There is nothing to eat?” all the while knowing full well that there is, it just isn't appetizing. Rather, it just isn't appetizing in its current form. The quick meal that our home always turns to is Fried Rice.

Plain rice is a constant staple to be found in our ice-box. On its own, it will fill the hole and stop the grumbling, but it yearns to be something greater. It dreams of being as tasty as it was the day of its creation when it was smothered in a scrumptious sauce. It longs to become a taste filled expression of culinary art. It pines for adoration from gastronomic brilliance. It covets the cravings we express for pizza. It aches to become….

Okay, okay, I know it is just plain rice, but like us all, it holds so many possibilities to become something magnificent! Although fried rice is commonly thought of as a Chinese dish, it is more a cooking technique that easily lends itself to other cuisines.

The key to good fried rice is day old, very cold rice. I make big batches of brown rice every week, so it is always available and I freeze potions so it is ready anytime we need it. Another key to successful fried rice is an extremely hot pan. For this reason, do not use a non-stick pan, since Teflon will release toxins at high heat.

Here are the basics and three different versions to get you thinking about how to use what is in your pantry:

Fried Rice Basics
for 2 servings :

1 1/2 cup cooked rice, any variety
2-3 Tbsp oil
1 1/2 cup veggies
2 eggs, scrambled
1/2 cup protein, diced
1-2 tbsp aromatics
Salt & pepper to taste
Garnish

Rice – day old, cold rice of any kind
Oil – Vegetable oil, bacon grease, schmaltz, coconut oil, olive oil
Protein – Egg, seafood, poultry, pork, tofu, beans, bacon
Veggies – carrots, celery, green beans, peas, a bag of whatever is frozen in the freezer
Aromatics – soy sauce, roasted Szechwan salt and pepper, herbs, spices, garlic, sesame oil, citrus zest or juice, Caribbean seasoning, Greek seasoning, Bragg’s liquid Aminos
Garnish – green onions, feta cheese, seeds, nuts, fresh herbs, fruit


The basic technique:
Have all ingredients prepped and at the ready.

1. Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat. Add a bit of oil and fry eggs; remove from pan and set to the side.
2. Add a bit more oil and stir-fry vegetables (and protein if uncooked) until crisp tender.
3. If needed, add a bit more oil and bring to high temperature. Add cold rice and stir-fry until hot.
4. Add aromatics, protein (pre-cooked) and eggs, tossing to distribute evenly.
5. Transfer to serving dish, garnish and serve with a smile.


Chinese Fried Rice

1 1/2 cup rice
2-3 tbsp oil
1 1/2 cup carrots and peas
2 eggs
1/2 cup diced pork or chicken or shrimp
1-2 tbsp gluten-free, low sodium soy sauce or Bragg’s to taste
1/4 tsp roasted Szechwan salt and pepper (optional)
Garnish with sliced green onions

Greek Fried Rice

1 1/2 cups rice
3 tbsp olive oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups green beans, diced carrots, sweet peppers & onions
1 large handful of spinach torn into smaller pieces
1/2 cup chicken
Aromatics:
2 tsp Greek seasoning
-or-
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 Tbsp fresh oregano, or 1 tsp dried
1/2 Tbsp fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried
1 tsp fresh dill, or 1/4 tsp dried
Garnish Options:
Kalamata olives
Feta
Fresh ground pepper
Fresh chopped mint

Add spinach and aromatics just prior to adding rice.


Tropical Fried Rice

1 1/2 cups rice
3 tbsp coconut oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup diced sweet pepper
1/2 cup diced ham
Aromatics:
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp orange zest
1-2 Tbsp gluten-free, low sodium soy sauce or Bragg’s to taste
Garnish Options:
1 small can of crushed pineapple, drained or 1/2 cup diced mango
Chopped macadamia nuts or cashews
3 green onions, thinly sliced
Salt to taste

Add ginger just prior to adding rice.

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About Michelle:

Michelle Doyle is the author of Domesticity Nouveau, a blog dedicated to living the frugal, gluten-free life that would make a grandma proud by utilizing the wisdom from generations of women and the blessings of modern appliances. In 2009 her world of food changed, and she is so happy that it did! While most people would consider the diagnosis of Celiac Disease a curse, it has been one of the biggest blessings in her life. Michelle has always been one to declare the importance of eating REAL, unprocessed foods. A determination to eat well following a gluten free diet, along with eating whole foods has given Michelle a determination of spirit she has never known before. Domesticity Nouveau is the result of that passion.

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Stay tuned tomorrow for Day 20 of 30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals! I'll be sharing one of my favorite meals using homemade sauerkraut!

Gluten Free Simple Egg Drop Soup

One of my favorite pre-gluten free (pre-getting healthy) meals was egg drop soup from a Chinese restaurant.

I have no idea what's actually in egg drop soup from Chinese restaurants (other than eggs of course) but from the thick "gel"-like texture my guess is that it's probably not gluten free, and even if it is, it's probably not a substance we should be eating anyway.

My version of this soup is much more healthy with very little added salt, fresh spinach (from the CSA this week), minced garlic, and a lot of love.

Instead of making a pot of rice to go with this soup (as I would normally order at the Chinese restaurant) I just added a handful of naturally gluten free thin vermicelli rice noodles. I love the texture these noodles add to the soup. They are also a fun gluten free substitute for real ramen noodles, which are wheat based.

Simple, easy, one pot meal.


Simple Egg Drop Soup
Created by Carrie Forbes @ www.gingerlemongirl.com
(Free of gluten, soy, dairy, & corn)
Print-friendly recipe.

Ingredients:
4 cups low sodium -or- salt free vegetable or chicken broth (make SURE it's gluten free!)
2-3 eggs
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried onion flakes -or- 1/2 cup fresh chopped sweet onion (optional)
Small handful of rice vermicelli noodles (optional)
2 cups fresh spinach, chiffenaded (your cooking school term for the day! :-)
1 tablespoon adzuki bean miso tamari -or- coconut aminos
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Pinch sea salt

Method:
Bring chicken or vegetable broth to a rolling boil. Whisk eggs gently in a bowl and then pour slowly into rolling broth. Stir broth. Add minced garlic, onion, and rice noodles. Cook for 5-10 minutes on medium-high heat. Take soup off of heat. Add spinach, adzuki bean miso tamari or coconut aminos, and freshly ground pepper. Cover soup and allow it to continue to "cook" off of the heat for another 5 minutes or so until spinach is bright green and slightly wilted. Serve immediately with a pinch of sea salt. Makes 2-3 large servings.

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Another reason I love this type of soup is it reminds me of Japanese ramen soup. Here are a few clips from one of my favorite foodie movies starring the late Brittney Murphy entitled "The Ramen Girl." If you're anything like me, you will HAVE to make a bowl of your own version of a ramen soup after watching this sweet, endearing, heartfelt movie.

Easy Gluten Free Stir-fry Recipe

(The following is guest post #2, that I shared with
Erin @ 5DollarDinners back in June 2009. Enjoy!)

In the quest for easy, naturally gluten free dinners, a simple stir fry was one of the first meals we added to our menu in the Ginger Lemon Girl household! It was easy, quick, incredibly tasty, and quite frugal. Erin has a better handle on $5 dinners than I do, but generally our meals are very frugal. My husband and I both work full time, and are working very hard to pay off our home and other debts. In order to pay things off to meet our financial goals in a timely manner we have to carefully budget for groceries and household items.

When I first went gluten free grocery budgeting was incredibly difficult. I bought many specialized "gluten free" convenience foods because I did not realize there was a much easier and more frugal way!

This meal is one very inexpensive meal if you are able to buy chicken on sale. Frozen packages of stir-fry vegetables are also quite cheap and stretch your meal a long way!

This meal makes 4-6 servings for the two of us. It means we have enough extra food for lunches or leftovers, which is wonderfully convenient.

Photo courtesy of Perdue Chicken.com

Quick, Easy, Naturally Gluten Free Stir-fry
Created by Carrie Forbes @ GingerLemonGirl.com
(Free of gluten, soy, dairy/casein)

1 lb. chicken breasts (2.99 on sale)
1 (28 oz.) package of frozen **stirfry vegetables (1.49 on sale with coupon)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided (.pennies)
1 tablespoon sesame oil (pennies)
Salt & Pepper, to taste (pennies)
1 teaspoon ground ginger (pennies)
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds (pennies)
2 cups cooked brown rice (.50)

Total cost for entire meal = around $5.00

Directions:
Cut chicken into small bite-size pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium high heat in a large non-stick skillet. Saute chicken until golden brown for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside. Heat remaining olive oil and sesame oil in pan. Add frozen vegetables, ginger, and salt & pepper. Cook for 5-10 minutes on medium high heat. Vegetables should be bright and crisp. Add chicken back to skillet and heat through. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on just before serving. Serve immediately over 1/2 cup hot, steamed brown rice. Enjoy!


Carrie's Cooking Notes:

** MAKE SURE to purchase stir fry vegetables that do not have any added sauces or spice mixes, as they may not be gluten free.

** You can also use soy sauce if you would like, I do not use it because many soy sauces contain wheat and I also have an allergy to soy! We have thoroughly enjoyed this stir fry without additional sauces! But if you do use soy sauce or another asian sauce, make SURE that is gluten free!

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken (Gluten Free)

One of Michael's favorite meals is a simple Asian-inspired stir-fry. We usually make this meal fast and frugally using a frozen package of "stir-fry" vegetables, leftover meat from a previous meal, and quick brown rice. We rely on this meal at least twice a month, and for me, it satisfies a craving for foods I used to order at Chinese restaurants in my old gluten filled days.

For a new twist on this old favorite of ours, I decided to make a teriyaki marinade for the chicken, which I would later grill instead of adding to the stir-fried vegetables.

Grilling the chicken, instead of adding it to the stir-fry, really brought out the flavors of the teriyaki marinade. It also gave the dish a delicious new presentation!

I think this marinade would also be excellent on salmon steaks, tofu, or beef!




Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup gluten free, low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground mustard
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon blackstrap molasses
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound chicken tenders (or meat/meat substitute of your choice)

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together oils, lemon juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, molasses, ginger, ground mustard, and minced garlic. Pour marinade into a large zip-lock bag. Add chicken or meat of your choice, close bag tightly and shake to distribute marinade. Marinate 1-2 hours in the refrigerator. Grill or broil chicken as desired until juices run clear. (This took 3-5 minutes on our counter-top grill.) Serve over stir-fried vegetables and brown rice.

For a printer friendly version, click here.


For more yummy gluten-free Asian inspired dishes try:

• Natalie's Thai Chicken Wraps
• Natalie's Kung Pao Chicken
• Kate's Spring Rolls
• Kate's Saki Chicken with Peppers and Chinese Broccoli
• Book of Yum's Savory Tofu Peanut Sauce Stirfry
• Book of Yum's Orange Sauce Tofu with Baby Bok Choy
• Book of Yum's Recipe Index -- with MANY Asian inspired dishes!