Thursday, July 31, 2014

Crispy Onion Straws #gluten free



I grew up with green bean casserole served at every holiday meal.  It is a family favorite and the kids don't leave any evidence that green beans ever existed in the dish.  They lick the casserole dish clean.

That's them and this is me:  Give me the crispy onion topping!  I love them.

 When I went gluten free I had to give them up.  It has taken me a while to find the time to make them using a gluten free coating.I have tried several combinations but this is my go to coating when I need to deep fry something. The combination of corn and white rice flour works well together to create a crispy exterior with great flavor.

I used my Spiralizer to cut the onion.  Yep, that is one onion.  It makes a ton but my family could have easily eaten two or three onions.   It took me about 20 seconds to spiral the onion.  I didn't cry once.

I have included a picture of my green bean casserole that will be coming out soon, but I want you to know that these Crispy Onion Straws work well topped over macaroni and cheese, added to your favorite burger or eaten straight out of the bowl.

If you get a chance, share with the rest of us in the comment section, just how you would use them in your families favorite recipe.

ENJOY!



Crispy Onion Straws #gluten free
Makes one onion, about 3 cups of crispy onions

1 onion, sliced thinly or spiralized
100 g (1/2 cup) white rice flour
64 g (1/2 cup) tapioca starch
42 g (1/4 cup) corn meal, fine
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
 pepper, to taste
Oil, to fry

1.  In a medium size pot, heat 2 inches of oil to 350 degrees.   Make sure the pot has enough room for the straws to "fry". It will swell when the onions cook.

2.  Cut onion thinly with a sharp knife or by using the Spiralizer.

3.  Mix dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.  I used a mesh strainer to shake the onions a bit before I added them to the hot oil. (see picture above).  I did not use a milk mixture to coat the onion slices because the onion was already "wet".

4.  Add the coated onions to the hot oil and fry until golden brown.  Remove to a bowl that has been lined with a paper towel.  Sprinkle with salt.

5.  For the best quality product, use them right away.  To store them use an air tight container to retain freshness.  Some of the crispy exterior will be lost after they have sat for a while.


Gluten Free Green Bean Casserole, recipe coming soon!



WRITTEN BY SHERRON WATSON




Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Homemade Lard


Lard.  It is what we use in our home when we need a solid fat.  I also use grass fed butter or coconut oil.  It depends on the recipe and what flavor profile I am trying to achieve.  Lard is pretty flavorless when used in baked goods.  It makes the best buttermilk biscuits.  Really--it does! 

There are two types of pork fat you can use to make the lard: the back fat and the leaf fat.  You will need to talk to your local butcher to see which one he access to.  I have used both.  Leaf fat is sought after because of its prized performance in baked goods and little-to-no flavor.   I buy mine through a local catering business that resources local farm produce, dairy and vegetables.  He offers a CSA and has been able to get pretty much anything I want--including this pork fat.  I am hoping to get some ducks in the Fall to render duck fat.  Oh, the fun I will have with that tasty ingredient.

Rendering your own lard is not hard.  There are several methods that you can use to obtain the lard.  I have read that there is a process of using a crock pot and the other is to slow cook it in your stove.  I like the method of using a pot on the stove top.  I am in the kitchen usually and I do other things while the fat is rendering.  This works for me.


If you enjoy pork rinds then you will LOVE the cracklings that are left over after all of the fat has been rendered.  These little crispy pork tidbits are the perfect snack.  You can add them to salads too or make some cornbread with crackling pieces.   

A few things to be mindful of when making the lard.  It will burn if you set your heat too high.  I like the slow approach of keeping my heat set to about 4 on my stove and watching it slowly turn into lard.  You want the heat high enough to be doing its job but not high enough that you will burn what is in the pot.  The cracklings are basically cooking in their own fat but if it gets brown or starts to burn it will change the color and the flavor of the lard.   

My lard comes in strips.  I separate the lard into the portions that I want to use to make a batch and freeze the rest.  To use, I thaw the lard and follow the directions below.
I used a dish cloth with a rubber band to strain my lard.  This is my go to system for anything I have to strain.  I don't always have cheesecloth around and this works just fine for me.  I will remove the lard several times from the pot.  I don't let it all sit in the pot.  This will allow you to work in small batches and also prevent you from ruining an entire batch if something goes wrong.

The lard will be this beautiful yellow when hot and in liquid form.  It turns snow white when solid. The lard is very durable.  Some say that it does not need to be refrigerated.  I won't be telling you that.  I do refrigerate mine because I live in a very humid area and I don't want to risk anything spoiling my little pot of liquid gold (even though it would be a solid).   It has been recommended to me that in the refrigerator it is good for 3 months and in the freezer for one year.  By all means, when in doubt, do your own research.

Here is my recipe for the best gluten free biscuits (use this lard):  BISCUITS.


Homemade Lard
Makes about 3 cups (give or take)

2.5 pound of pork fat, preferably leaf fat

1.  Cut your pork fat strips into small cubes.  Mine were about 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch.  (see picture above).

2.  In a large stock pot add pork fat cubes.  Turn heat to medium on your stove top.  Mine is electric and I use 4 or 5.  Gas would be set at a low to medium flame.

3.  Stir pork cubes occasionally to prevent them from sticking to bottom of your pot and to rotate the cubes in the pot.  After a few minutes you will start to see a small amount of rendered lard on the bottom.  After 30 minutes you should have a few inches.

4.  While the fat is rendering, prepare a glass jar with a piece of cheesecloth or thin cloth.   See picture above.  You will strain the lard often.  The lard takes anywhere from 1 to 2 hours to render completely.  I find the last little bit of time is the hardest because the cracklings are almost done and the fear of burning everything is high.  This is why you want to strain the lard off of the cracklings often.

5.  Once everything is rendered the lard needs to cool.  As it cools the yellow liquid changes to a solid of pure white.  Store in the refrigerator.

6.  I put my cracklings in paper-towel lined basket and sprinkle them with salt.  We eat them like candy or maybe it's pork fat popcorn.  LOL



 Written by Sherron Watson

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Homemade Pasta #glutenfree


This recipe has been in the making for two years.  I have tried so many different versions of gluten free pasta made from scratch that I was about to get discouraged and quit.  In fact, there were a few months that I shed a tear out of frustration because of the ingredients I wasted.

I can say that this recipe is tested.  I have made it so many times fearing that each time something would go wrong. It hasn't yet.  It comes together in my Kitchenaid just like my pasta doughs made with wheat flour.  It rest for 30 minutes, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, just like my wheat based pasta doughs.  It works in my pasta machine. 

Simply put--it works.

Taste great.

Kids love it.

I won't go on and on about the pasta other than to say it is the closest "gluten free" pasta to the real thing, that I have had and is freshly made. I have my favorite store brands that I will continue to buy. I don't always have the time or energy to make pasta from scratch. That is not the point. The point is now I have one that I trust will work for my family and our taste buds. I can check one more thing off of my list of can't haves.
 
I love to make pasta from scratch and I missed the process.  Really, Really missed the process.  In our family it is a family affair.  The kids are involved in rolling, making and cooking their dishes.  Now I feel I have brought a family tradition back into our home.

Gluten free anything is going to be a bit different from the original.  Please keep this in mind and don't get frustrated if it doesn't turn out the first time.  Mine didn't.   There are variables that play into any recipe: ingredients, humidity, equipment used and our own experience with cooking.  

I will gladly answer any questions that you may have for this recipe.  Leave a comment below.

UPDATE: 7-23-2014 I wanted to let everyone know that last night I wrapped my left over pasta dough and refrigerated it until today.  I took it out an hour before I wanted to use it and brought it to room temperature.  It was perfect!  I actually used my large rolling pin and pizza cutter to create some fun noodles for the Littles--Isabella and Finnley.  


I have tried my best to provide a lot of pictures for you to visually see each step.  This recipe is pretty sturdy compared to some I tested but you still need to treat it gently.  Don't push the pasta too far. What I mean by that is don't over cook it, don't try one more roll through the pasta machine.  I did all of that and absorbed the disappointments so that you won't have to do it. 

Two things to note.  Depending on what you decide to make with the pasta dough, it needs to be fully cooked.  Unlike our wheat pasta cousins that take a dip in boiling water and jump right back out this is not like that.  You will get a bite, but it won't taste good.  The pasta noodles need to boil for 3-4 minutes.  Test, test, test to see where you palate likes the noodle to be.  I liked mine to be fully cooked.

Secondly, you can reuse the pasta dough but it needs to rest for a few minutes.  I am mostly referring to the use of the dough to make stuffed pastas.  Often I will have scraps from my ravioli tray.  In this situation, I ball them up and wrap them in plastic wrap and set them off to the side.  It needs time to rest or the dough will be dry.  Working the dough may help but I found that patients was my friend for the second round of using the leftover dough pieces.  This won't apply if making spaghetti  or any other noodle because you will use all of the dough the first time.



If you don't need a gluten free version, I have two other recipes that my family enjoyed the years before I went gluten free.

Regular recipes are: Spinach Pasta Dough and Pasta Dough

Check back because I will be sharing our gluten free stuffed pasta recipes soon. 




Homemade Pasta #glutenfree


Makes one large ball of pasta--feeds my family of 6 or makes 75 raviolis using a tray

All pictures are following the recipe.  I did this to keep it simple for those that don't need the step by step pictures.  I have used a variety of substitutions with this recipe and THIS is the one that works.  I cannot guarantee it will turn out if you start substituting something else.  You need a scale for this to turn out perfect each time.  I use this Food Scale at home.  The estimated cup measurements are just that, estimated.  


166 g (1 cup) white rice flour, fine
70 g (1/2 cup) millet flour

50 g (1/3 cup) potato starch
50 g (1/3 cup) tapioca starch
3 teaspoons Guar Gum 
pinch of salt
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons water, as needed


1.  In a kitchen stand mixer, add all dry ingredients.  Use the whisk attachment and turn mixer to low. Mix dry ingredients well.

2.  Stop mixer  and change to the bread hook. Add eggs and oil. Continue to mix on low speed.  The dough will be dry.  Add one tablespoon of water at a time until the dough starts to pull together and form a ball.  If dough gets too wet, don't panic, add a sprinkle of rice flour to bring it back to ball form.

3.  Turn mixer to medium high and work dough for 2 minutes.  Remove dough and tightly wrap in plastic wrap. Let set for 30 minutes on the counter.

4.  Start a pot of water with salt on stove top.  Bring to a rapid boil.

5.  After dough has rested.  Open plastic wrap and cut into 4 pieces.  Take one piece and rewrap the remaining three.  Dust your area with potato starch and flatten the piece to about 1/4 inch.

AT THIS POINT YOU NEED A LARGE ROLLING PIN TO ROLL DOUGH OUT OR A Pasta Maker .  I have shared the link to the brand I use.  I also have the spaghetti attachment.

6.  Lightly dust your dough with potato starch. Too much and it will not go through the machine.  Start your machine at 0 and work you way up to 4 or 5.  The thinner you go the better but again, don't push it.  The dough will tell you how much it can take. If it starts to stick or tear--then you have rolled it too thin.

7.  Place long pieces of thin dough to dry on counter for 2 minutes.  Change the handle and roll your dough through the desired pasta attachment: spaghetti, fettucini, etc... 

8.  Gently pick up pasta pieces and add to boiling water. Stir them once.  Cook for 2-4 minutes depending on size of noodle.  Thicker noodles require more time.

9.  Remove with slotted spoon and serve with your favorite sauce.  My personal favorite: brown butter and parmesan cheese.

PICTURES BELOW
















Written by Sherron

NOTE:  There are links to my Amazon store to show you specifically which products I use at home.  There is no obligation to purchase these items through me.  I do make a small percentage off of each sale that helps pay for ingredients used on the blog.   Thank you!

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Sweet and Tangy Blueberry BBQ Chicken Pizza #SundaySupper



We have an abundance of blueberries at our home. I have been buying them left and right trying to stock our freezer for the winter months that are sure to be here before I know it.  The blueberries add great color, sweetness and a touch of flavor to this fun BBQ sauce.

I have always been a fan of BBQ Chicken Pizza.  My family, on the other hand, not so much.  Well, sometimes I decide to make it anyways and they can eat it or leave it.  I guess I was having a mean Mom moment.

I made it and they ate it.  I loved my version of Blueberry BBQ sauce.  It is sweet and tangy, just like I like my BBQ sauce to be.  The blueberry is subtle but it adds great color to the sauce.  To enhance the blueberry flavor, I tossed some fresh blueberries on the pizza.  This made for a gorgeous presentation. I even got an "ooh-ahhh" from the kids.  I like that.

The Blueberry BBQ Sauce recipe will make more than you need but I can tell you that added to some chicken sliders is a great way to use the left over sauce.  

You are in for a real treat with this weeks Sunday Supper recipes because they are all BBQ related.  Scroll to the bottom of this post and you will find links to each one.



I recently shared our gluten free pizza crust that is also featured in the pictures that are posted in this post.   If you need a gluten free pizza recipe I would suggest you give this one a try.  The recipe can be found here with step by step pictures.



Sweet and Tangy Blueberry BBQ Chicken Pizza
Makes one pizza

1 pizza crust (homemade or store bought) (gluten free version here)
1 batch of Blueberry BBQ Sauce (recipe to follow)
2 cups of cooked chicken pieces
2 cups of mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 handful of arugula leaves
1/2 cup fresh blueberries, add more if you want

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1.  Pre-bake pizza crust for 6-8 minutes.

2.  Remove from oven and add BBQ sauce, cheese, chicken pieces, blueberries and arugula.  Return to oven and bake until cheese is melted--about 10 more minutes.

3.  Slice and Serve.  Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Blueberry BBQ Sauce
Makes about 2 cups, you will have leftovers

1 cup fresh blueberries
1 1/4 cups ketchup
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons molasses
1/2 teaspoon jalapeno-garlic oil (optional)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons minced red onion

1.  Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan.  Turn heat to medium and bring to a boil. Using a potato masher or back of a spoon, mash blueberries into sauce.  You should still see pieces of blueberry just not whole berries.

2.  Turn heat down to low and let simmer for 30 minutes to thicken.  Depending on stovetops, it may take more or less time to achieve the desired thickness.  It will also thicken as it sits in the refrigerator if you do not use it right away.

3.  Store leftover sauce in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.


Beverages
Appetizers
Sides and Accompaniments
Main Dishes
Desserts
Sunday Supper Movement
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.Written by Sherron Watson

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Gluten Free Buttermilk Pizza Crust


This is our families favorite pizza crust recipe.  I have been supplementing buttermilk for most of the recipes that call for "milk" and find that it works better in gluten free baking.  I think the extra fat may help with  developing the dough.  Of course, I am going to recommend that you buy the best buttermilk you can find.  I get ours from a local dairy in a small glass bottle.  It is light yellow because the cows are grass fed.   Notice the pizza crust is tinged with a yellow hue--that is in part from the buttermilk and also using millet.  This flour is a light yellow.

Millet is a wonderful grain.  It has the best flavor and performs beyond expectation in my gluten free baked goods.  You will notice I use it all the time.  I find that it adds the right amount of flavor to trick my friends and family into thinking they are eating something "wheat-filled".  Let me know if you have had the same experience.

This pizza crust is not hard to make.  If you have not worked with gluten free bread doughs before then you are in a for a treat.  It is different but I have included some pictures below to help you bake your first pizza crust.  The dough needs to be wet so that it has enough water to work with the flours. It is a bit technical but if the dough is too dry then you get dry products.  We don't want that!


I make this dough on a pizza stone.  I find that the outer crust is crispy and the pizza crust is soft in the middle.  My husband said it reminded him of the boxed pizza crust you get at the store and make at home.  This is not a bad thing.  It is just a good example of what the texture will be like.  

This recipe makes one large pizza (12 inches) or you can make individual pizzas.  Just cut the parchment paper to the size that you need and spread the dough out.  The thicker you have it the thicker the crust will be.  I made sure mine was a little more than 1/4 inch thick and it swelled up to what you see in the picture.  You may need to play around with it to see which thickness you like.

I made this blueberry BBQ sauce and chicken pizza for my family.  The reason I chose to make this pizza with this sauce is because the sauce is wet.  I wanted to see if the crust would hold up.  I am quite pleased to say that it did.  The BBQ sauce recipe will be up soon--look for it!

Final thought:  buy a scale!  I am making more and more of my recipes by volume.  To guarantee that each recipe turns out the same each time I must cook this way.  It is so much easier to bake with a scale than with 5 different measuring cups.  I use one bowl, a scale and bam--it's done.  Really easy!

I will have the estimated cups listed next to the recipe for those that do not have a scale but, again, I am encouraging you to invest in this very useful kitchen tool.

This delicious Blueberry BBQ Chicken Pizza recipe will be out on Sunday--be sure to check back!



Gluten Free Buttermilk Pizza Crust


Makes one crust

160 grams (1 cup) white rice flour
76 grams (1/2 cup) millet flour
56 grams (1/2 cup) tapioca starch
20 grams (1/4 cup) potato starch
1 teaspoon guar gum
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
133 grams (1/2 cup) buttermilk + a 2 teaspoons (if needed)
1 teaspoon vinegar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

1.  Combine the dry ingredients into a medium bowl.  Sift once.  Sifting helps to mix the ingredients and to find any clumps in the flours and starches.

2.  In a small bowl combine the wet ingredients.

3.  I use my KitchenAid stand mixer to mix the dough.  Add the dry and the wet to the stand mixer and attache the paddle tool.  Start on low and mix dough, once it is mixed, increase speed to medium for 5 minutes.  Dough should look stretchy--like a thick cake batter.

4.  This is best made on parchment paper.  If you don't have any, then get the pan that you will bake the crust on and spread with a light sprinkling of corn meal.  See picture below.  Pour dough into the middle of the paper or pan.


5.  Take a plastic spatula and spread dough to desired thickness and size.  You can also make individual sized pizzas.  See picture below.


6.  See picture to know how I spread mine.  This was the final product.


 7.  Bake just the crust for 8 minutes.  See picture at the top.  Add sauce, cheese and ingredients and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes.  Remove from oven.  The pizza should slide off of the parchment paper.  I remove the parchment paper so that the crust can sit directly on my pizza stone and dry up any sauce that may have ran over the sides.

8.  Slice and serve.  Store left overs in the refrigerator.




Written by Sherron Watson

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Tomato Citrus Jam



I have been dying to make some tomato jam.  My family is a huge fan of tomatoes.  I found a recipe and experimented with the flavors a bit and decided that I really liked my version better.  

I added cinnamon, orange zest and orange pulp.  The orange added a unique citrus flavor profile.  I used the tomato jam as a condiment to our grilled cheese sandwiches.  The pictures show our favorite, open faced grilled cheese sandwiches.

I found the longer it sat in the refrigerator the more developed the jam became.  Although, it did not last that long because I could not stop eating it, maybe four or five days.



Tomato Citrus Jam
Makes roughly 1 cup of jam

1 1/2 pounds ripe Roma tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 8)
1/2 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1/2 orange, pulp and juice only
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper (optional)


1.  To remove the skin from the tomatoes, bring a pot of water to a boil.  Cut an X on the top of each tomato and add to boiling water.  After one minute, remove and let cool for a minute or two.   The skin should peel easily in your hands. Cut tomatoes into medium sized pieces.

2.  Add the tomatoes and remaining ingredients to a medium sauce pan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Stirring often to prevent jam from burning.  Once jam has boiled for one minute, reduce heat to a simmer and let jam thicken.  Again, stir it every once in a while. The jam should take about an hour to reduce and thicken up.

3.  Remove from heat, taste and adjust seasonings.  Store in refrigerator.  Good for two weeks.



Written by Sherron Watson



Sunday, July 13, 2014

No Bake Caramel Apple Pie Cheesecake




The hot weather has finally arrived in Maryland and I am trying some new no bake desserts on my family. They love cheesecake and this is a recipe that I shared with Capital Style Magazine in May.  

This is one of those recipes that you can easily replace the apple pie filling for any pie filling or fruit filling your family would like.  The caramel sauce on top can also be left off or switched for something else.

I take these camping with us because I can make them at home and keep them in the cooler. They stack great in the bottom of our cooler.  I can use the jars to store leftovers in from dinner.   Its a fun dessert to surprise the kids with when they are tired and need an energy boost from hiking and playing.  

Using the jelly jars makes them a great individual sized dessert too.  You will find that I love to make dishes that can be individualized for my guest and friends. 



No Bake Caramel Apple Pie Cheesecake


Makes 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes

4-8oz jelly jars with lids

1-8oz package of cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup of sugar
2 cups of whipped cream or dessert topping
1 cup crushed Graham Crackers (or use gluten free ginger snaps too)
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1-21oz can of apple pie topping (use homemade as an option)
1 small jar Caramel Ice Cream topping (make caramel from scratch as an option)

1.  In a medium bowl combine cream cheese, vanilla, lemon juice and sugar.  Combine until sugar is no longer grainy. Add whipped cream to cream cheese mix and fold in gently.  Keep in refrigerator until ready to use.

2.  In a small bowl combine crushed graham crackers and butter.

3.  Divide the graham cracker mixture equally between the 4 jelly jars.  Use something with a flat surface to push down the crumbs to form a crust.

4.  Add a 1/4+ cup of cheesecake mixture to each jar leaving a small amount for a second layer.

5.  Add apple pie topping.  Leave enough room to add second layer of cheesecake filling and caramel sauce.

6.  Add second layer of cheesecake.

7.  Add caramel sauce.

8.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.



Written by Sherron Watson

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Gluten Free Steak Fingers with Gravy


I grew up eating chicken fried steak.  My grandfather was from Texas and this is one of those Texas dishes that we had once a week.  The other dish was SOS (s**t on the shingle).  I am not sure if that is a Texas dish but he thought it was.

I make these steak fingers instead of the whole steak for several reasons.  The primary reason is because I find that the breading stays on the fingers much better than the whole steak.  I don't really like it when the breading falls off.  I feel like I am constantly stabbing my food trying to get a bit of breading with a piece of meat.  I don't have time for such games.

The other reason I like using the fingers: my kids.  They like them and that is a bonus.  They have turned their noses up at the whole steak but the fingers make them happy.  The are kid friendly and kid approved.

The gravy may sound weird because it is made with coconut milk but honestly I love it.  I have several friends that are dairy free and I like to try and find ingredients they can use too.  You can always replace the coconut milk for regular milk in this recipe.

I would recommend frying them in lard or coconut oil.  These are two of my favorite choices when it comes to frying our food at home.

The only note I should make is that when you reheat them the next day they will lose that crispy bite. I have not tried warming them up in the stove.   This may make them crunchy again but I know that my kids are not going to take the time to do that and they are okay warming them up in the microwave.


Gluten Free Steak Fingers with Gravy
Makes 12-15 fingers, depends on how thick you cut them

4 medium size cube steaks, I used my hand as my guide (from my wrist to my middle finger)
Coconut oil for frying

Wet ingredients:

2 eggs
1 cup full fat coconut milk
1/4 cup water

Dry ingredients:

1 cup white rice flour
2 cups fine corn meal
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
(adjust the seasonings to your personal preferences.  Use less or more based on what your family likes)

Gravy
Remaining can of coconut milk


1.  Use a cast iron skillet if you have one.  If you don't then use a heavy duty skillet.  Add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil to the pan and heat oil.  Use the picture below to see how much oil I keep in the pan.  You will have to add more oil periodically to the pan.


2.  While oil is heating.  Cut the steak into strips.  You want to cut across the grain. You know you have done this right if you stretch the steak and it stretches.  I tried to make each steak about an inch thick.  They will get a bit wider when the breading is added.  See picture above.

3.  In two shallow dishes, add dry ingredients to one and the wet ingredients to the other.  Dip each strip into the dry and then the wet and then back into the dry.  I like to double dip mine.  Press the breading into the steak.  This helps to keep the breading attached to the steak finger.

4.  Fry each finger until golden brown and crispy on each side. Preheat your oven to 200 and keep fingers warm until the whole batch is fried up.  Do not over crowd the pan when frying.  Also let the oil get hot again before you add a new batch of fingers.

5.  When all of the fingers are cooked, you will be left with a pan full of flour/corn grains sitting on the bottom of the pan and a little bit of oil.  To make the gravy I added the coconut milk that was left in the can.  Add more if you need more gravy.  If the gravy is not thick enough, sift any left over breading that you have (to remove the chunks) and slowly add a bit at a time.  Bring gravy to the point of right before a boil.  It should be thick.  Taste the gravy and adjust seasoning according to your families taste preferences: more salt, more pepper, etc....




Written by Sherron Watson

Donut Breakfast Casserole

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