Cold Weather Cooking

Homey, Homely Cooking. All good, mostly Low Fodmap/gluten free

When cold, icy weather started to roll in, our thoughts turned to comfort food. Ernie requested a favorite of his (and Owen’s), Curried Oven-Fried Chicken. I used to make this all the time when Owen lived at home but we haven’t had it in awhile. I know I have shared this recipe before but it’s worth doing so again. Sadly, we found that we were out of our beloved Penzey’s Sweet Curry Powder. I LOVE this stuff. I’ve had their Hot Curry Powder but I don’t like it quite as well, so I just add cayenne to the Sweet Curry Powder if need be.

This does not make a heavy crust like you would have with a battered chicken. It’s just a very simple home cooking kind of chicken recipe.

Cynthia’s Gluten-Free Oven Fried Gluten-Free Chicken

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

• 2-3 pounds of chicken parts, or one chicken cut up (do not dry as I would normally tell you to do)

• 1 cup gluten free flour (or a combination of gluten free flour and cornstarch)

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tablespoon curry powder or other spice (we used garam masala and it was great but curry is my favorite)

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayennne

• 6 tablespoons butter

• 4 -6 tablespoons oil (olive or vegetable)

Combine all dry ingredients thoroughly on a plate or flat work surface. There’s a lot of spice but you don’t end up with much on the chicken so don’t worry.

Lightly salt the chicken, then roll each piece in the flour mixture, pressing to adhere as much flour as possible. If you want a little more crust, let the chicken sit for about 10-15 minutes and then repeat.

Put the butter and oil in a roasting pan and place in oven until butter is melted and sizzling but before it starts to brown (well, a little brown is fine).

Take the pan out and place the chicken in it, skin side down. Bake 30 minutes. Turn chicken over and bake another 30 minutes.

As we were in full comfort mode, Ernie made mashed potatoes (russets and left the skin on). We had salad greens with my favorite everyday salad dressing: just a drizzle of olive oil and very light sprinkle of salt. I love a good vinegar and mustard vinaigrette as much as the next vinegar and mustard vinaigrette loving person but this is really, really nice. Try it.

Now, I gotta tell you, this does not get as brown as it would with regular flour. Cornstarch adds a bit more crunch, but also doesn’t brown as much. Just the facts. If you can have gluten, go for the regular flour (actually, a mix of regular flour and cornstarch would be nice). It’s homey and tasty and, well, very comforting. If you try this, do let me know in the comments if you like it.

Low Fodmap Breakfasting

Everybody’s tolerance is different when you’re watching fodmaps. For some people fruit can really be a trigger and so they have to watch amounts. Generally speaking, fruit doesn’t bother me ,and I feel much better if I have a smoothie every morning. I’m not a huge fan of strong tasting vegetables in them. I love kale but not in my smoothie.

Ernie’s Breakfast Smoothie

Per person:

• 1 cup frozen fruit, my favorites are blueberries, a berry mix, or cherries but I tolerate other fruits, even bananas which I generally dislike. I figure it’s good to vary it but the berries are my favorite and are very good for you.

• 1 handful unsweetened coconut. Oh geez, that’s really not a measurement, is it? Hmmm, I guess I’d say 1/3 - 1/2 of a cup. It is to taste though, so I might use more.

• A few handfuls of salad greens, spinach or romaine. Hmmm, a good 1-2 cups.

• Flax seeds, chia seeds, protein powder, etc. As desired. I like adding about 2 tablespoons of flax or chia seeds but we’re out right now. We get enough protein from other sources, but many people like the addition of protein powder.

• Water. Start with one cup, add more until desired texture. It will really vary depending on what greens or fruit you use.

Blend in blender (we are fortunate to have been gifted a Vitamix, but any blender will do the job) until desired texture. I think they make me feel better mentally because I know I’m getting several servings of fruits/vegetables in, and physically my digestive system is most appreciative. I’d gotten out of the habit but feel much better being on the smoothie train again.

Even though the smoothie is filling, I still like to have something solid as I usually, for better or worse, skip lunch. My latest fave is a greens and cheese quesadilla using a corn tortilla and a cast iron pan, no oil needed. Other times it’s leftovers with an egg on top.

I just think red lentils are so dang pretty. We’ve been going back to this lentil and rice dinner I posted a little while ago. Here’s our simplified version.

Baked Rice and Lentils

• 1 cup rice

• 1 cup red lentils (or other lentils, I just haven’t tried adding them back to my own diet yet)

• 1 tablespoon oil

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tablespoon curry powder or garam masala

• 1 sprinkle of red pepper flakes

• 4 cups water or stock or coconut milk or a combination. Just water is good even though we’re conditioned to aways thinking we have to use stock. I prefer water to boxed stock, but not homemade stock or Better Than Bouillon. There are times when even Better Than Bouillon seems like a hassle though so do as you wish.

• 1 sweet potato, skin left on, chopped into 1/2 inch or so pieces

• 1 yellow or red bell pepper, diced

• Yoghurt (preferably Greek, or strained)

Heat olive or vegetable oil in pan, add spices and cook, stirring, until fragrant. Then add water and bring to a boil.

In the meantime, add rice, lentils and salt to a 9 x 13 pan. Add chopped vegetables. Add water when it has come to a simmer. Cover pan with foil.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10-15 minutes uncovered. Serve with a dollop of yoghurt.

Obviously this is one of those recipes that is endlessly flexible. Sometimes we have stirred chopped greens in as soon as it comes out of the oven so they wilt in the heat. Leftovers are tasty, as always, with an egg on top.

The Baked Potato Renaissance

Hell, I don’t know if there is a baked potato renaissance, but we’re definitely having one of our own. We never used to have baked potatoes, I don’t think I’d had one since I was a kid. Lately they have sounded good to me and I read a recipe that said baked potatoes, or jacket potatoes, tend to be MUCH better in the UK. I will have to ask my UK representatives to comment if the cooking method below meets with their approval.

“Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Cut a cross on the potatoes. Put the potatoes at the top of the oven—straight on the rack, not a baking tray. Cook 1-2 hours (usually closer to 2). When they feel crunchy on the outside, pull the rack out, cut the potatoes open again to release the steam, then put them back into the oven. The major important thing is NOT to turn the oven down as they go soggy and lose their crunch. After ten minutes, serve immediately with shedloads of butter, salt and pepper. Perfect.”
CupofJo.com

This is not a beautiful picture because, well, a baked potato is kind of a homey, homely little thing. Our russet potato was so big it wouldn’t fit into the bowl without cutting it in half but needs must (a lovely phrase I just picked up from watching Monarchs of the Glen). We were having a very lazy night, which is perfect for this, so we didn’t even bother with the green salad that was supposed to go with it, and just added butter, a bit of shredded cheddar and some yogurt. A little salt and pepper and it was just heavenly.

Not that you can’t cook all sorts of different cuisines with lots of different spices and seasonings with low fodmap cooking, but cutting out garlic and onion has made me appreciate simple, clear flavors and the way ingredients can shine through without them. They also seem particularly appropriate when the windchill gets down to (checks weather app) 4 degrees.

Onward. Leave me a comment and stay warm, not in that order.

Love,
Cynthia