Grady’s Fried Onions

I have been waiting to post this for a month and a half! At the beginning of December, my local support group had our annual Christmas party. At one of these parties a few years ago, my friend Grady brought a green bean casserole that he made with onions he had fried himself. I don’t eat green bean casserole - can’t stand the stuff. But these onions were so good I kept picking them off my husband’s plate. So, back to the future, I mean present (or recent past). I show up to the party and Grady hands me this sandwich-sized ziploc container. Truthfully, I was a little puzzled at first (all I could see was paper towel). Boy was I excited to open it up and find it full of the fried onions! He had brought me a whole bunch of them, sans casserole! I sneaked a few and then hid the box in my purse, so as to save them from the other party-goers.

I have finally gotten the recipe from him and his wonderful wife, Kitty. So, without further, ado:

Grady’s Gluten Free Fried Onions

Ingredients

1 big honking onion (color of your choice)
3 Large eggs (well beaten)
2 cups Brown Rice GF Flour Mix (with xanthan, or add 1/2 tsp)

Seasoning:

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cayenne pepper

 

Directions

1. Slice onions into strips (or rings), and place in freezer.

2. In a separate bowl, mix flour and seasoning.

3. Dip a small hand full of onions into the eggs and shake off excess.

4. Place onions in flour/seasoning mix. Coat well. Shake off excess.

5. Place onions back into eggs, and shake off excess.

6. Place onions back into flour/seasoning mix. Coat well. Shake off excess.

7. Deep fry @ 375º for approximately 5 minutes. (until golden brown)

8. Place hot onions on paper towel and salt and pepper to taste.

9. ENJOY

 

As you can probably guess, Carter kept stealing the onions as I was trying to photograph them. I guess a picture really is worth a thousand words (though his word of choice every time he sees that picture is “MMMMM”).

Crescent Rolls! / Cinnamon Rolls!

Recently, a crescent roll recipe was posted on the Delphi Celiac group, coming originally from the Better Batter Flour website. It has been such a hit, that I just knew I must try it. Many people on the forum have been tweaking it, and I’m using their good ideas. So, thanks, guys.

Crescent Rolls

1/2 stick butter (note - that is 1/4 cup), room temperature
3/4 cup small curd cottage cheese

1 cup gf flour mix (I used the rice/potato starch/ tapioca blend)
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 TBS sugar

In the bowl of your mixer, combine the butter and cottage cheese. Add dry ingredients. Mix until a ball of dough forms.

Wrap in plastic wrap and chill 2 hours (I left mine overnight, as I wanted it ready in the morning).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll the dough into a 14 inch circle. Cut into 8 triangles (really easy with a pizza cutter).

Roll each triangle from wide end to tip, turning ends to form a crescent shape. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake 20 to 30 minutes.

Fiber Variation: Use 3/4 cup gf flour mix and 1/4 cup Montina (In this picture of the Montina rolls, I accidentally used a whole stick of butter - oops. They didn’t rise like the others, lol.)
This is a very versatile recipe. I have used it for pigs in a blanket (with little smokies), a snuggly dog (lol, using a hot dog), and cinnamon rolls (I like both the regular version and the Montina as cinnamon rolls.). For cinnamon rolls, roll the dough into a rectangle. Mix 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, and raisins (1/4 to 1/2 cup), and sprinkle onto dough. Roll the dough into a log, cut 2- to 3-inch pieces, and place them in a pan (with parchment on the bottom). Bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Glaze, if desired, with a mixture of 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 TBS milk, and a few drops of vanilla. (These cinnamon rolls are not huge and fluffy, but they are really good, and easy to make.)This recipe is also being used as pot pie crust by some members of the forum.
Find a new way to use it, or just make some great rolls. Enjoy!

Daddy’s Peanut Brittle

It’s just not Christmas without Daddy’s peanut brittle. He makes it every year, so that he can take it to people he visits from church. This is one of the ways that Daddy says he likes you. If you get some, you must be special!

Daddy’s Microwave Peanut Brittle

In a large microwave-safe bowl, add:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup white Karo syrup
1 cup raw peanuts

Microwave on high for 4 minutes.
(If using cooked peanuts, add 1 cup cooked peanuts now.)
Stir.

Microwave on high for 2.5 to 3 minutes.
Add:
1 tsp butter (Daddy uses 1 tbsp!)
1 tsp vanilla

Stir.
Microwave on high for 1 minute.
Add:
1 tsp baking soda

Mix well.
Pour onto cookie sheet sprayed with Pam (or use a silicone mat). Allow to cool, then break into pieces.
Cooking times may need to be adjusted for your microwave. Using different kinds of nuts may require adding the nuts later in the cooking cycle.

I hope you enjoy the peanut brittle. We sure do!

Slow-Cooked Sage Dressing

This recipe came from Theresa, a woman in my local support group. I’ve never liked stuffing before, but I really like this. I’m a little embarrassed to say that my mom polished off the leftovers of this the year before, in record-breaking time.

14 – 15 cups gluten-free bread (Soft White Bread from Celiac.com)

3 cups chopped celery

1 ½ cups chopped onion

1 ½ - 2 teaspoons rubbed sage

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 ¼ cups butter or margarine, melted

1 teaspoon rosemary (optional)

Combine bread, celery, onion, sage, salt and paper (and rosemary); mix well. Add butter and toss. Spoon into a 5-qt slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 – 5 hours, stirring once. Yield: about 12 servings.

Note: if it seems dry after about 3 hours, add a little chicken broth.

Easy Crustless Pecan Pie

This will be one of Mom’s contributions to Turkey Day Dinner. She has been making this pecan pie for years, even years before I went gluten-free. She just doesn’t like crust. I don’t know where it originally came from, but this recipe is so easy, and so good.

Easy Crustless Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
6 eggs
2 Tbs margarine
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups pecans

Mix all ingredients in pie dish. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 45 minutes.