Easy Gluten Free Fried Chichen

My kids really love this one.  My son said it's better than a local fast food chicken restaurant!

• Chicken pieces or sliced chicken breast
• Vegetable Oil (enough to fill the pan 1/4 way up)
• 3 Eggs
• 1 cup Gluten Free Flour Blend
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Pour the vegetable oil into a frying pan and put it on medium/high heat.  Don't get it too hot or it will splatter everywhere and scorch. Yuk!  Then in a shallow dish add the eggs and beat until fully combined.  In another shallow dish mix the Gluten Free Flour Blend salt and pepper.  You could also add garlic power and onion powder if desired.  Roll one chicken piece at a time in the eggs, then in the flour mixture.  Add to pan when the oil is hot.  Repeat for the rest of the chicken.  Cook until golden brown on the outside and "white" on the inside.  That's it.  The picture above features the Sauteed Garlic Brussels Sprouts and Stir Fry Summer Veggies.

Sauteed Garlic Brussels Sprouts

This is one of my go-to recipes for both family dinners and when we have friends over.  It is a variation of a recipe I got from friend's of ours.  (Thanks Kelly & Jason!)  It is super simple and tastes delicious! 

1 bag fresh Brussels Sprouts
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1-2 cloves Garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste

Wash, pat dry and trim the Brussels Sprouts, then cut them in half.  If you leave a little extra room when cutting off the stem, they are less likely to fall apart when cooking.  Pour the Olive Oil in a frying pan, then add the minced garlic before turning on the heat.  If you add the garlic to the olive oil before it is hot and let it gradually heat up, it is less likely to scorch so you don't accidentally have to start over!  After the garlic starts to brown, add the Brussels Sprouts then sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Let them brown on one side before turning them over.  The less you flip them, the less likely they are to start coming apart.  Cook until they just start to turn soft.  Serve and enjoy!  The picture below also features the Easy Gluten Free Fried Chicken and Stir Fry Summer Veggies.

My Trick To Freezing Chili & Soup!

I wanted to share my trick to freezing the extra soup from all of the recipes I've been posting lately. This trick will allow you to make large batches of soup or other meals and freeze them in individualized portions to pull out for a quick meal or take to work for lunch.  A bonus for taking the frozen jar in your lunch is you then don't need a freezer pack to keep your lunch cold.  Your frozen jar will keep your food cold way past lunch time!  (I have forgotten I'd brought my lunch to work until I went home and the jar was still frozen.)

FoodSaver makes an attachment to utilize wide mouth Mason jars used for canning with their product to remove the air and seal the Mason jars.  This does not replace canning as you cannot store the food without refrigeration or freezing.  However, this process will allow you to freeze the contents of the Mason jar for much longer periods of time and avoid freezer burn.  I have frozen soup for over a year in my deep freezer and it comes out just as delicious as when I froze it.  After the initial investment of the FoodSaver, this is a very inexpensive way to keep your food fresh.  The FoodSaver is around $100 depending on where you buy it and which one you choose and the attachment is $9.99.  I bought the most basic unit over 5 years ago and it still works great!  The Mason jars are then super cheap (around $9 for a dozen) and the lids too (around $2 for a dozen).  When you first buy the Mason jars, they come with lids and rings.  The jars and rings are reusable but the lids are one time use with the FoodSaver.   Here's what you will need:


16 oz. Wide Mouth Mason Jars, Lids and Rings
Wide Mouth Funnel
FoodSaver with Mason Jar Attachment

Wash all parts before use.  Each Mason jar will hold approximately 2 cups and still allow enough space for the contents to expand when frozen.  Using a ladle (I like to use a 1 cup measuring cup) and funnel, fill each large mouth Mason jar with 2 cups of soup.  Wipe down the sides of mason jars if there were any drips.  Using a permanent marker, label the lids with the date you are freezing and the contents.  Place the Lid on the top of the first mason jar and cover with the FoodSaver mason jar attachment.  Make sure to push the attachment all the way down onto the jar or it won't seal.  Connect the hose from the Foodsaver unit to the Foodsaver mason jar attachment, then press the "container" button on the Foodsaver to seal the mason jar.  Screw the ring on the sealed Mason jar and freeze. Repeat for all the jars you want to freeze.  It's that easy.