Chicken Sorrentino- My Gluten Free Version

Casey was watching the Cake Boss cook Chicken Sorrentino on the food network and decided she wanted to make it. She called her friend Maddie who also loves to cook and enlisted the help of Cami to make this recipe.  I bought all the ingredients and they got to work.  Here is the original recipe for  Chicken Sorrentino.

Together they can make anything in the kitchen. 

I decided to come up with a gluten free version of the original Cake Boss recipe and it turned out awesome.  We all helped out.

It was fun!

You start by marinating the chicken. 

We have found the recipe is much better if you pound the chicken to about a quarter of an inch thick before marinating.  It's much easier to serve, it's easier to layer evenly, it's more tender, and it's easier to eat if you pound it first.

It's not pounded in this picture.  This was our first attempt at this recipe. 

 It's so good we've made it three times now.

We are growing eggplant, but ours aren't ready yet so we had to buy one.

You'll need some of this too.

The recipe calls for making your own bread crumbs, but the girls used pre-made ones from the store.

The Changes I Made To This Recipe Are As Follows:

Whether you are making the original version or the gluten free version (GFV) you need to pound the chicken to a quarter inch thickness.  The girls used pre-made bread crumbs.

To Make It Gluten Free.

* I replaced the pasta with fresh spinach.

* I eliminated the flour completely.

* I replaced the bread crumbs with Almond Flour.

Here the girls are battering the eggplant slices in flour, egg, and bread crumbs.  Everyone washed there hands with soap before starting, just in case you were wondering? 

For the gluten free version I dipped the eggplant in egg and battered them in seasoned Almond Flour.
I added the garlic and the seasoning the bread crumbs called for into the Almond Flour.




Here the girls are starting the layering of the Chicken Sorrentino
The recipe calls for a bottom layer of pasta.

Add the sauce and cheese.

I switched out the pasta for spinach to make the GFV.
The second time I made this I tried it with gluten free rice pasta for this layer, but I like the spinach better.



Next the girls layered the chicken, prosciutto, eggplants, sauce, and cheese.

For the GFV I layered the chicken, prosciutto, eggplant, sauce, and cheese.  This picture shows the un pounded chicken.  The next two times I've made this I pounded it.







Don't add too much sauce at this point in the GFV.  The spinach "sweats" and there isn't any pasta to absorb the extra moisture.  I serve it with extra sauce after baking.



GFV



Original Recipe.

mmm good.
Serve with extra sauce on the side.

My husband eats gluten and he likes this GFV better.  Don't think he's just telling me what I want to hear.  He's from New York and he ALWAYS tells me exactly what he thinks.  No sugar coating it in our house.

The girls said the original recipe is delicious too.

Do you cook with your kids?  I would love to hear your stories.  Do you eat gluten free?  I would love to hear about your favorite recipes.

Thanks For Checking It Out.

Veggies Your Kid's Will Eat.

We all want are kids (and husbands) to eat more veggies and less junk?  This is how I make brussels sprouts and cauliflower.  They gobble it up like it was chocolate chip cookies!  OK, I might be exaggerating a tad, but my family loves veggies this way. 

Our meals have evolved into the veggies as a main course and the protein as the side.  This has been a process that my kids probably aren't even aware of?  Sometimes we moms have to be sneaky and stealth like.

Raw or lightly steamed is nutritionally preferable,
but if my kids won't eat them that way what good is it? 

I'm not sure where I got this from?  Sorry I can't credit the source.  I think I saw it on a cooking show, not sure, but we've been cooking veggies this way for years.

I use my pre-cut frozen garlic to speed up the prep. for the veggies on week nights when we have soccer or volleyball practice.

I thinly slice a head of Cauliflower and spread it out on a cookie sheet. 

I toss is with the chopped garlic (the more the better, but we are garlic freaks), and a couple tablespoons of grape seed or olive oil.  We have a family of four.  This always looks like way too much, but the cooking shrinks it.  Sprinkle with some sea salt, fresh ground pepper, and some red pepper flakes if you like it hot.

 

Roast at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Toss after ten minutes to roast evenly.  I have a convection oven, so if you don't you might have to cook these a little longer.

The edges should be lightly crisp and browned.

 The only bad thing about this is I love leftovers and we never have any! 

My family gobbles it up!

This works great for brussels sprouts too.
 I chop them in a food processor, cook them the same way as the cauliflower, and finish them off with some chopped pecans or walnuts.

How do you get your family to eat more veggies?

Thanks for checking it out.

My Favorite Seared Ahi Creation

This has become a family favorite and a hit with dinner guests.
 I have served it as an appetizer or as a light main dinner course. 
Perfect for summer entertaining.
Here it is in my new starfish platter that my friend Kristy gave me. 

I made this recipe up. 

Start with some Sashimi Grade Ahi.

This is from Trader Joe's

2-3 Avocados.

Sesame Seeds

Sesame Oil

 Peel some Edaname. About a cup?

I serve this with two different sauces.   
The first sauce is made with Wasabi Powder or Wasabi Paste (I prefer paste), Colman's Mustard (dried powdered mustard found in the spices section of the grocery store), and Gluten Free Soy Sauce (I don't eat gluten so that's what I use.  Regular soy sauce works just as well for this recipe if it's not an issue for you.)

Make a paste with the wasabi, mustard, and soy.  About a teaspoon of each?  I don't really measure when I cook, these are estimates. 

Once you have mixed the paste, add about 1/3 of cup of soy sauce and mix well. Adjust the heat by adding more wasabi to make it hotter or more soy sauce to cool it down.

Mix well.

The second sauce is a Chipotle Mayonnaise that I also use on my Shrimp Tacos.  In a food processor or blender mix 1 to 2, 3 if you like it HOT (not the whole can, these babies pack some heat!) Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce (freeze the rest for later use), a cup of mayo. and approximately a tablespoon of water. 

If it turns out too hot for you, add more mayo. to cool it down.

Time to sear your Ahi.  Searing just locks in the flavor.  Think sushi, the middle is raw. 
Coat the Ahi with sesame oil and dip into the sesame seeds.

(The extra little piece is for my lunch tomorrow)

In a non-stick skillet heat about a tablespoon of sesame oil on high till it's just about to smoke.

Sear the sesame coated fish in the hot sesame oil.  Sear a minute or two on both sides and all the ends.  The middle should be completely raw and the cooking should only reach the outer 1/8"- 1/4" edge of the fish.

With a sharp knife, slice the fish into 1/4"-1/2" slices.  Peel and slice the avocado and alternate the Ahi and the avocado slices.  Drizzle the Chipolte Mayonaise along the top, down the middle.  Sprinkle with the Edaname and serve with the soy dipping sauce and Chipolte Mayo. on the side. 

Here it is served with brown rice and steamed broccoli for dinner.

Enjoy!

Perfect after a hot day at the beach. 

 What's your favorite summer recipe?

Thanks for checking it out.

What's For Lunch?

Things are a little crazy in my house these days. 

Volleyball Middle School Championships.

We won!  Go Rancho!

Cami's bedroom is scattered all over the house.

(Things HGTV never shows during the makeover)

Roscoe walked through the concrete floor paint.

I see you Roscoe.

A landscape plan for a client near completion.

Chalk festival at Cami's school, soccer starting up again, dentist appointment......

You know, you live it too, 

daily family chaos.

A perfect excuse to do drive through and eat whatever I can cram down my pie hole.   

(With paint brush in hand of course)

But wait, stop!  It only takes about five minutes to whip up a healthy lunch. 

Really, this one is that quick.

Cut some cucumbers and some tomatoes.

 Warm up a corn tortilla or two. 

(I was out of my Trader Joe's Brown Rice Tortillas.)

 Mash some avocado on them.

 Add the cucumbers, tomatoes, salt, pepper and a sprinkle of garlic powder.

 Eat, yum, clean up dog paint prints before they dry.

Five minutes, I swear.

To see some really yummy lunch check out my friend Heather's groumet lunch here.

What did you have for lunch today?

 

Thanks for checking it out.