Gluten-free Beer Battered Onion Rings

I recently discovered this recipe. After years of not eating any fried food because of gluten I can't get enough. The first time I tried this recipe I ate way too much and sat on the couch in a nice food coma. But just an hour later was up and feeling good. Fried food had always made me feel so bad because on top of the unhealthy fried part, the gluten part put me in a brain fog. The same goes with beer. I never was a big beer drinker because I would feel bad and even get headaches before the alcohol would kick in. I prefer Bard's, it tastes great. I can't drink or cook with Redbridge because it has corn in it. St. Peter's is good, but costs more. I also tried Green's, it's more like a Guiness. I guess I'm saying everything (but no gluten) in moderation. This recipe calls for 3/4 of a cup of beer, but you can substitute soda water if you can't get gluten-free beer or you are under the age of 21. 1 cup of garbanzo bean flour packs 24 grams of protein. But I suggest splitting this with a friend.

    Gluten-free Beer Battered Onion Rings

1 cup garbanzo flour
3/4 cup gluten-free beer
1 TBS garlic power
1 tsp sea salt
2 sweet fat onions cut in rings
1 bottle safflower oil or oil of choice

  First mix the batter by combining flour, garlic powder, and salt. Then slowly pour beer in and mix well so there are no lumps. Let it sit for 10 minutes. I use a deep pan to fry in so it makes less of a mess. Of course, if you have a dedicated gluten-free frier you are in luck. Pour in enough oil to cover your onions rings so they cook evenly. Heat your oil on medium heat. You can test the oil with a drop of batter to see if it's ready. Dip and coat your onion rings evenly and carefully drop in. Cook until golden brown. About 5 minutes. Warning: these onion rings are very addictive but will not cause erosion to your small intestines.

Banana Peppers

 You can fry anything with this batter. Here are a few things I have been frying....






Mushrooms

Beer!

Kermit Caponata

Hi ho, I just got back from the farmer's market and grabbed these Kermit eggplants. I love eggplant and actually got 6 varieties of them! These little greenies are ripe even though they are green. They cook up very tender. Of course these little beauties are going to be hard to find, so just use a regular eggplant in its place.

                    Kermit Eggplant Caponata

6 Kermit eggplants cut into 6 wedges
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes cut in quarters
2 garlic cloves minced
2 TBS small diced onion
2 TBS olive oil
6 big green olives sliced
1 sprinkle of sea salt

Preheat oven to 450. Put everything in a baking dish and mix well. Cook for a total of 30 minutes. Stir a couple of times so everything cooks evenly. The eggplant should be very tender.

Gluten-free Vegan Italian Nachos

   I want carbs! I still eat healthy, but I am trying out some gluten-free vegan versions of dishes that would have been death by comfort food before now.

                                    Gluten-free Vegan Italian Nachos
1 package rice tortillas (I use Food for Life)
1 package Daiya Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 cup water
1 cup Gluten-free Vegan Italian sausage
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup sliced pepperoncinis
1/4 cup sliced jalapenos
1/2 cup diced tomato
1 TBS garlic powder

Cut rice tortillas into triangles and bake at 400 for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. These will burn fast if you don't keep an eye on them. In a sauce pan boil the water with garlic powder added.
When water is ready add the entire package of cheese and turn down to low and stir often until desired thickness. Spread baked chips on a platter and crumble the gluten-free vegan Italian sausage all around your nacho chips. Pour the cheese sauce all around and finally top nachos with black olives, pepperoncinis, jalapenos and tomatoes.....serves four, or two, or one!

Gluten-free Vegan Italian Sausage

 You may see a trend here. I am using black eyed peas because they cause less gas than most other beans, they don't turn to mush like most beans, and they blend well with the flavors. Garbanzo beans are good on the tummy, but they just didn't have the flavor I wanted for my vegan "sausage". I'm just making the crumbled version because I would be breaking it up anyway.

                Gluten-free Vegan Italian Sausage
1 sweet yellow onion diced
4 garlic cloves diced
1 diced sweet red pepper
4 medium sized portabellas sliced
2 cups cooked black eyed peas
3 TBS olive oil
1 TBS liquid smoke
1 TBS sweet paprika
1 TBS fennel seeds
1 TBS freshly chopped Italian parsley leaves
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp anise seeds

First cook down the mushrooms to get all the liquid out and drain and remove from pan. Then add olive oil, onions, garlic, red peppers, paprika, fennel seeds, chopped parsley, cayenne, salt and anise seeds and cook until onions are translucent. Stir in liquid smoke. Combine mushrooms and black eyed peas to food processor and pulse until chopped, do not puree! Add into pan and combine well and you're done! I use this recipe for Italian nachos or to top pizza.

Tomatillo Salsa

                                                       Tomatillo Salsa

1/2 pound tomatillos, husked
2 green zebra tomatoes

1 onion chopped                                   

4 garlic cloves

1 salsa pepper

1/4 cup cilantro

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt, or to taste

1 cup water

I put everything but cilantro in a glass dish and place in the oven on 400 for 30 minutes. Let it sit for about 15 minutes then add to blender or food processor with fresh cilantro and blend well.  

Gluten-free Vegan Chili Rellenos

 

Gluten-free Vegan Chili Rellenos

8 Poblanos roasted with top cut off and skins peeled off, careful to keep the pepper intact.

1 package of Daiya cheddar cheese, or cheese of choice

1 cup Gluten-free vegan chorizo

1 cup garbanzo bean flour

3/4 cup soda water

1 teaspoon of salt

1 bottle safflower oil

I oven roast my Poblanos on 450 for about 20 minutes. Roasting Poblanos is tricky because they are so thin you can burn them fast. I also wear gloves to peel the skins off so my hands don't burn for the rest of the day. When I take them out of the oven, I put them in a resealable container and wait about 10 minutes and the skins slide right off. Cut the tops off, remove seeds and carefully put a spoonful of Daiya cheese in the bottom and push it down with a spoon. Then add the Chorizo and depending on your pepper, about 1 to 2 spoonfuls, then a spoonful of cheese again. Once you have all your Poblanos ready, it's time to mix the batter. Put the garbanzo bean flour in a mixing bowl with the salt then add the soda water. Mix together until there are no lumps and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Get a big pot and pour the oil in to about an inch and turn the burner on half way. By the time the batter is ready the oil will be hot. I use a tall pot because, well, I've been burned. Plus, less of a mess to clean up, too. Test your oil with a drip of batter to see if it's ready. When it's ready, dip the stuffed pepper in the batter and carefully lay it in the pot,  as many as will fit. I'm stingy with my oil so I have to flip my peppers after about 4 minutes and do the other side, but if you put more oil in you can cover the whole pepper and not have to flip. Fry it until golden brown. Remove with a metal slotted spoon for best results. Top with sauce and eat until you can't eat anymore! It's good!

Chili Rellenos Sauce

 4 cups pureed fresh organic tomatoes

1 onion diced

4 garlic cloves minced

1 tsp cumin

1 TBS chipotles in adobo sauce

2 TBS olive oil

Add onion, garlic, cumin, chipotles in adobo sauce and olive oil to pan or skillet. Cook on medium low. Heat until onions are translucent. Add in tomato puree and simmer about 30 minutes or until desired thickness.