20 min. Yeast-Free, Gluten-Free Italian Bread & Easy Mezzetta Olive Tapenade

My favorite holiday memories are of having lots of family and friends over for big meals. I love doing the cooking, preparing holiday recipes, the noise and laughter in the house, and of course, eating the food. I've happily adapted most of my old recipes to gluten-free but I had one more challenge.

I was missing crusty chewy  Italian bread that I could make into Crostini! I've always loved warm toasted chewy bites of Italian bread at holiday parties. Topped with Tapenade or made into Bruschetta, they are my favorite appetizers, but I hadn't quite found the right gluten-free flour blend to achieve that wonderful chewiness, until now!

I'm so excited to share my NEW 20-minute Gluten-free, Yeast-free, Egg-Free, and Xanthan Gum-Free Italian Bread Rolls with you and did I say, they only take 20 minutes? No yeast, no rising and so easy to make.
This amazing dough is also perfect patted out thin for flatbread or pizza crust. Scroll down to see my new Pizza crust using this awesome recipe.

Plus, I'm sharing some of my holiday tips on how to stay organized and have fun during the holidays. :)

Make this chewy Yeast-Free and Gluten-Free Italian Bread in only 20 minutes. Perfect for sandwiches or Crostini

Gluten Free Scones and why I love Downton Abbey

I love everything that has a history and a tradition. Stories like Downton Abbey and recipes as old as time that have been passed down through the generations fascinate me.
When I watch the show,  I can imagine sitting with the Countess in the library having tea and Mrs. Patmore's beautiful little cakes and scones.
I decided to do some research to find a very old recipe for an English Scone that I could convert to gluten-free. Then I can curl up to watch the show with a scone and a cup of tea! How fun is that? 
I've found that the old recipes are the easiest to convert to gluten-free, but how do we know if we got it right? I asked my dear friend Mauveen from England for tips and this is what she said.....

Gluten-Free Chicken Milanese, a fancy name for awesome chicken cutlets!

This is the easiest, healthiest, and seriously, the best gluten-free fried chicken cutlet that I've ever tasted!
On my last shopping trip for groceries, I was amazed by how much meat has increased in price. It's crazy, isn't it?
I decided if I have to pay high prices, I was going to start buying the cage-free, antibiotic-free chicken and I'm so glad that I finally made the leap. It's not easy to justify organic meat on a budget, but this recipe is actually very economical!
Once you pound out the breasts they increase in size quite a bit. One chicken breast, made into two cutlets, with salad on top, filled up hubby and me perfectly! And you can make them #grainfree!

To make these grain-free, just use arrowroot starch for the dredge and some day-old grain-free bread, for the crumbs.
Do you worry about fried foods? We do too. We hardly ever fry food anymore at our house, but this recipe uses very little oil, and it's a healthy oil, so I don't mind the healthy fats in our diet.
I topped the cutlets with a romaine salad with mushrooms, shallots, hard-boiled egg, and a light yogurt dill dressing. It was so satisfying and all we ate was half a chicken breast!
The next day I warmed the leftovers up and made chicken cutlet sandwiches on the Chia bread...heavenly.. and will definitely be on our monthly menu from now on. 

INGREDIENTS

• In three separate flat dishes:
• 
  
• 2 large cage-free,antibiotic-free, fresh chicken breasts.
• Slice in half horizontally and pounded thin, season both sides with salt and pepper.
• 1-2 cups gluten-free flour of choice, like gluten-free white rice flour or for grain-free use arrowroot flour
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 3 cups gluten-free crumbs, from finely ground day old gluten-free bread, crackers or chips
• Seasonings, like a pinch of garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, cayenne and oregano, or your favorite blend for the crumbs
• In the pan:
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil

PREPARATION

Slice chicken breast in half horizontally as evenly as possible.

Layout a long piece of plastic wrap on your counter, place the 4 pieces of chicken on top of the wrap, leaving plenty of space between each piece.

Lay another piece of plastic wrap on top of the chicken.

Pound the chicken with a mallet or rolling pin until they are very thin. 

Careful not to put holes in them if you can, but you do want the cutlets very thin, so pound away. The cutlets should be much bigger once you are done.
Remove the top sheet of plastic and season the chicken with salt and pepper on each side.
Line up your three flat dishes as directed above in this order. Flour first, beaten eggs second, and seasoned crumbs last. I use FEC to remember the order.
In a large cast-iron fry pan, heat the oil and butter on medium heat.
Dredge chicken in flour on each side.
Dip quickly in the egg on each side. You don't want to wash off the flour.
Lay in the crumbs on each side.
Place in a hot pan and fry for 2-3 minutes, watch to make sure they aren't getting too brown, decrease heat if they are cooking too fast. Turn and cook the other side.
My pan fits two cutlets. Remove from the pan and place in a warm oven while you cook the other two.
Serve with Romaine or Arugula salad and a simple yogurt dill dressing made from a cup of plain yogurt, pinch of fresh dill, a little minced garlic, and a dash of lemon juice.

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Incredible Homemade Teriyaki Sauce, gluten free

 I could eat it out of the jar with a spoon!

Thanks to my favorite Gluten-Free Tamari sauce from +San-J you can make incredible Teriyaki sauce at home for a fraction of the cost of store bought.  I double this recipe and keep it in the fridge for fast dinners. It will thicken even more in the fridge.  It's absolutely scrumptious on stir fry or use as a marinade!

Gluten Free Russian Tea Cakes, sugar free option

These gluten-free Russian Tea Cakes or Wedding Cakes are my all-time favorite Christmas cookies and no one will ever know that they're gluten-free!

 

Gluten-Free Vacation tips and Savoring Saturdays

Hello! Happy Summer!

Are you planning a gluten-free vacation this year? Whether you travel far or just enjoy a staycation like we often do, here are some of my favorite gluten-free recipes and tips for traveling. 

When we are out and about we pack a cooler with homemade goodies like gluten-free granola bars, muffins, string cheese, spicy cold chicken wings, fruit cups, and veggie pasta salad. 

Keep reading for the recipes and more ways to stay healthy on your summer trips!

If you plan to be on the road this year check out these Gluten-Free Travel Tips and recipes:

Gluten Free Low Glycemic Honey & Spice Greek Biscotti

Save money and have fun making your own Gluten Free Biscotti!! I love so many things about biscotti.  It lasts longer than other cookies, it works really well with gluten-free flours, it's crunchy and satisfying and it has almost no fat!  I made up this recipe today because I was in the mood for the flavors of baklava without all the calories and it really hit the spot.  The orange, honey, cinnamon and walnuts flavors are wonderful. Absolutely wonderful dunked in my latte!  I hope you enjoy  xx

Low Carb Chicken & Roasted Veggie Pizza, gluten free, yeast free, xanthan free

Low Carb Pizza Crust with Chicken & Roasted Veggies, gluten free, yeast free, xanthan free

I'm cutting my carbs and that means no pizza, bread or grains until I get a little skinnier! Of course, the minute I cut something out of my diet I start craving it.
That's why I've been working on this Low Carb Gluten Free Pizza Crust and I have to say, it rocks! It's free of grain, yeast, xanthan gum, dairy and super easy to make.
I couldn't believe how well this new gluten-free pizza crust held together when I picked it up! Out of the oven, it's thin and crisp and tastes great. The next day it was just as good reheated. Here's what I did..

Brilliant Gluten Free Coconut Macaroons, GF, Sugarfree option

I love the sweet chewiness of a coconut macaroon but the sugar content in the commercial products was always too much for my tastes.
Until I made these...They are divine and healthy! And guess what? they are super easy to make gluten free!