Three Tasty Gluten-free Recipes

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Feeding a child who has gluten intolerance or celiac disease can take an extra spark of creativity. Many of the go-to foods, such as pizza and pasta in their conventional wheat-flour forms, are off limits. We spoke with two experts in the Center for Celiac Disease at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) — Karen Hlywiak, BSN, RN, a nurse coordinator, and Kara Feigenbaum, RD, CDE, LDN, a clinical dietitian — for ideas on tasty gluten-free cooking. Here are three recipes they recommend as having high appeal for the whole family.

Cornmeal Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless chicken breasts or chicken tenderloin strips
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil

Directions:

Cut boneless chicken into small pieces — 1 to 1 1/2 inches across. Rinse in water. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then coat with cornmeal. Fry in oil on medium-high heat until brown on each side, about eight (8) minutes, turning once after four (4) minutes. Serves 3 to 4.

Gluten-free Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil or canola oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 1 pound ground beef
• One 28-ounce can chopped or crushed tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• One 15 1/2-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• One 15 1/2-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• Optional: 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, cook diced onions and carrots in oil over medium heat until soft, stirring occasionally.
2. Add ground beef, break up, and cook until no longer pink. Drain excess fat.
3. Add tomatoes and spices and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add beans and cook for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Optional: When serving, top each bowl with layer of shredded cheddar cheese.

Cheesy Cauliflower Flatbread

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower, diced or shredded
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups shredded cheese (mix of mozzarella and parmesan)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoon oregano or Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cut cauliflower into florets, discarding outer leaves. Chop in a food processor until it resembles rice, or grate with a hand grater.
3. Cook the riced or grated cauliflower in a microwave for 10 minutes (or in a 375-degree oven for 25 minutes). Allow to cool, then squeeze out excess moisture by wrapping in a cloth and squeezing hard.
4. Put the cauliflower in a mixing bowl and add the eggs, minced garlic, spices and 1 1/4 cups of the grated cheese (setting aside the remaining ¾ cup of cheese). Stir until ingredients are combined.
5. Spoon the cauliflower mixture onto the parchment-lined baking sheets. Spread and flatten until it is ¼ inch thick and in a rectangular shape.
6. Bake at 425 F for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is a golden brown.
7. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining cheese, then put back in the oven for another five to 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.
8. Cool for about 10 minutes and cut into “breadsticks.”

Enjoy!