Chipotle-Cornmeal Crusted Fish {Gluten Free}

I’ll just go ahead and prepare you know; for several posts in a row, I have more Pink Parsley repeats to show you.  I’m not sorry either.  I love what she posts, and almost everything she makes becomes a bookmark in my browser.  I love the recipes she makes!  So, thank you, Josie, for sharing!
I love this recipe, foremost, because the recipe is gluten free as is; always a plus in my kitchen.  The sous chef was impressed because of the amount of flavor you get in one bite.  The crust of the kitchen paired with the burst of flavor from the homemade salsa is delicious.  This is an easy weeknight meal, for sure.  This household highly suggests!

Ingredients
Fish
4 firm fish fillets (5-6 ounces each)
2 canned chipotles in adobo sauce, minced
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
juice of 1/2 lime
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cornmeal, or cornbread crumbs
Peach Salsa
2 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and chopped
1 ripe tomato, cored, seeded, and chopped
1/2 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced (about 1 Tbsp)
juice of 1/2 lime
pinch salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions
For the salsa, mix together all the ingredients, and set aside for at least 10 minutes. Taste and season accordingly.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a large baking sheet with oil. Pat the fillets dry with a paper towel, and season with salt and pepper.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the chipotles, oil, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, thyme, and salt. Pulse a few times to combine.
Pour the sauce into a shallow bowl or dish, and spread the cornmeal in a separate dish. Dip each fish fillet first into the chipotle sauce, then dredge in the cornmeal. Turn the fish several times to coat, and pat the fillets to adhere the crumbs. Arrange the fish in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with a small amount of oil.
Bake uncovered until the fillets are golden and the fish flakes easily with a fork. It could be as little as 10 minutes, or up to 25 depending on the type and thickness of the fish. For the last 2 minutes, turn on the broiler to achieve a crispy crust.
Serve with peach salsa and lime wedges.

Tortilla and Black Bean Pie {Gluten Free}

Surely you are looking at this picture and thinking, “Oh thank you, Krista!”  No?  Well, what if I told you this recipe has black beans, corn, chipotle, cheese and more layered between tortillas?  It really is delish, as is anything I typically make via Pink Parsley.  This recipe originates on MarthaStewart.com, which bothers me, but I’m glad it made it through the food blogosphere through Savory Spicy Sweet to Annie’s Eats to Pink Parsley. 

The sous chef and I really enjoyed this recipe, and it was an easy recipe to adapt to gluten free.  You’ll see why below.  If you don’t need to make this gluten free, you can easily use flour tortillas for this (10-inch), and clearly you won’t need gluten free beer.  Because we both love Tex-Mex and Southwestern flavored dishes, this was an easy decision to add to the menu.  Hopefully you enjoy as well!  This is super easy to make.

Ingredients
4 corn tortillas
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chile powder
kosher salt and freshly ground peppe
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (10-ounce) bag frozen corn
1 12-ounce gluten free beer, or 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped, plus more for garnish
8 ounces cheese, shredded (Feel free to use a Mexican or Southwestern cheese of your preference; Monterrey Jack is easy and yummy for this recipe)
salsa and sour cream, for serving (insure that these are gluten free; Daisy brand sour cream is GF)


Directions
Preheat the oven to 400.
Using the bottom of the pan as a guide, use a paring knife to trim the edges of the tortillas so that they fit in a 9-inch springform pan.  

Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium heat.  Saute the onion and jalapeno until soft, 5-10 minutes.  Add the garlic, chipotle, cumin, chile powder, salt and pepper, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  

Add the beans and beer to the skillet, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, 8-10 minutes.  Mix in the corn, scallions, and cilantro, and remove from heat.

Lay one of the tortillas across the bottom of the springform pan.  Layer with 1/4 of the beans, and sprinkle with cheese.  Repeat 3 times, finishing with beans and cheese.  Bake until cheese is melted and the mixture is heated through, about 20-25 minutes.

Remove from oven and unmold the pie.  Garnish with remaining scallions and cilantro, and serve with sour cream.

Chewy Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies from Alton Brown

As I move forward to cooking and baking more gluten free foods, I’m trying to learn from all different avenues, just as I was before being diagnosed.  After all, it’s not as though I was a chef before; I have many things to learn regardless of my diet!  Nevertheless, I found this recipe (while no doubt craving chocolate), and I liked that I already had the ingredients on hand :)  It’s true!  When you have a gluten free kitchen, brown rice flour, tapioca flour and many other sorts are commonly on hand.

In fact, the sous chef and I have an entire freezer of flour!  I don’t lie, my friends.  I order our flour in bulk from Amazon in order to save money.  In case it’s a news flash for you, diets, regardless of the type, aren’t cheap.  Thus, I’d like to consider myself somewhat thrifty in finding ways to save.

Ok, I digress.  These cookies are amazing!  People honestly cannot tell that they are gluten free.  If you are not familiar with tapioca flour/starch, it’s a sweet flavor.  Hence it’s utilization here!  Also, brown rice flour is surprisingly sweet as well.  Brown rice flour is used in most baking recipes anyway though.  I’d say it’s a staple in GF baking.  I think this recipe is easily my new go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe.  The sous chef and I would highly encourage you baking these whether you are gluten free or not!

Ingredients
8 ounces unsalted butter
11 ounces brown rice flour, approximately 2 cups
1 1/4 ounces cornstarch, approximately 1/4 cup
1/2-ounce tapioca flour, approximately 2 tablespoons
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/4 cup
10 ounces light brown sugar, approximately 1 1/4 cups
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Once melted, pour into the bowl of a stand mixer.

In a medium bowl, sift together the rice flour, cornstarch, tapioca flour, xantham gum, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

Add both of the sugars to the bowl with the butter and using the paddle attachment, cream together on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the whole egg, egg yolk, milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Chill the dough in the refrigerator until firm, approximately 1 hour. Shape the dough into 2-ounce balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 14 minutes, rotating the pans after 7 minutes for even baking. Remove from the oven and cool the cookies on the pans for 2 minutes. Move the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely. Store cooked cookies in an airtight container.

Note: If you are making this for someone who is gluten intolerant, please use parchment paper on your baking sheet or stone as to prevent cross contamination as best you can.  You should also wash your prep bowls and dishes very well before usage.