Brining a Chicken or Poultry

Yesterday Morning Miss J and I got up early and went to Disneyland and had a fabulous Gluten Free Hamburger for lunch at Village House and we even rode 4 rides. One being the new ride, "The Little Mermaid".  by the way we had a fabulous time while our Chicken was being brined. However, I made the cardinal sin. I brined the bird way to long!  I brined for a day when I normally only brine for 4 to 6 hours. I never thought it would totally mess up my meal. So please learn from my mistake.

Then we came home for a nap and then for dinner; we went to out for our 4corners potluck at OneFabulousMom House. As usual, we had a fabulous time at OneFabulousMoms house for a Memorial Day Pot Luck! We brought the Potato Salad which I posted yesterday; as requested ,and we brined a 3 pound chicken for OneFabulousMoms hubby to Barbecue with his famous Bratwurst.  They say when you brine poultry prior to baking or Barbecuing it always helps keep the juices in. In order to properly Brine a bird and get it ready for Barbecue I like to buy a whole Chicken and cut it up myself. This way I get exactly 10 pieces and it’s cut just the way I like it.

Cut in half Horizontally like this.

Next Cut Bottom in same direction

Until you have 2 pieces.

Next Cut Drumstick off

Then Cut wing off

Next Cut Thigh off

Last remove back bone and cut breast in half

Place in Gallon Zip Lock

Repeat for other half of Chicken

Now for the brining you will make 2 batches of this for 1 whole chicken

Brining Ingredients:

1/2  cup salt

1 teaspoon Dried Basil

1 teaspoon Dried Rosemary

1 teaspoon Dried Thyme

1 teaspoon Dried Chopped Onion

1 teaspoon Dried Ground Sage

1 teaspoon Dried Tarragon

2 teaspoon Pepper

4 cups of water

Add all ingredients into measuring cup

Poor on chicken let marinate for 4 to 6 hours maximum, I brined mine overnight which was a big mistake because it was to salty. 

Remove from Brining Solution an hour before barbecuing pat dry and place in Pyrex dish.

Grill until cooked thoroughly.

Bon Appetit and Enjoy

Sheila Fretz

Look who stopped over for dessert; none other than, the one and Oliver Stone (Banana Bread)

A couple of days ago we received a a phone call from our location agent, who represents our home for film and television, regarding an Oliver Stone Movie. I know what your thinking, an agent for your house? Come on this is crazy! The location agent asked if they could send someone out, to come by and check my kitchen out for a Univeral Pictures Film. We said yes because its a nice way to let your house work for you. The location scout from Universal Pictures came out and took lots of pictures of my kitchen and said if the Producer likes the lay out, he will come back in the next week or two.

Well to my surprise, I received a call back from my location agent, the very next day! My location agent asked if Mr. Stone could stop by he was interested to see my kitchen, and if his vision for my kitchen, would work with his film. To be quiet honest I was thinking to myself is my house clean? It is the infamous Mr. Oliver Stone! OMG ! So after my silent freak out.  I went about my day. We already had scheduled to have a  procedure done on Miss J's ear and neck that day. She has a bump behind her ear that is very close to corotid artery that needs to be removed. The procedure goes very well and we come home and put Miss J right to bed. Thank goodness, she falls asleep right away!

Now I think to myself what can I make that will make my house small fabulous and delicious. You know the best way to a mans heart is through his stomach! I have 12 people from the studios coming to look at my kitchen, so what can I make that's moist and delicious? Then I remember I really needed to update my Banana Bread Recipe to only have just Oat Flour and this recipe makes a lot of bread. So that's what I will do!

Mr. Oliver Stone came in took many more pictures of my Kitchen with his staff and yes they loved my Banana Bread and he even took the left overs with him, after I had offered of course. Lets hope the old adage is true, because I know he loved my Banana Bread, lets just hope he like my kitchen too!  He was so sweet and even took this picture with Miss J .

Now on to my Recipe for Banana Bread made with Home Made Oat Flour.

Makes 2 large Loafs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Banana Bread made with Home Made Oat Flour Ingredients

8 Bananas the older the better

3 cups of Granulated Sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons baking soda

3 cups oat flour.

Cooking spray

Equipment

Coffee Grinder

Measuring cups

2 large loaf pans.

Beat bananas and sugar at high speed for 3 minutes until turns into liquid.

Add eggs and vanilla beat again.

Last add Baking Soda, and Oat Flour

Spray cooking pans with cooking spray.

Poor batter in Pan 3/4 full.

Bake in oven at 350 for 1 hour.

Enjoy and Bon Appetite

Sheila Fretz

Ice Cream you Scream we all scream for Ice Cream Sandwiches

What a perfect way to start the summer. As you know Miss J can not have gluten, and her favorite summer dessert was a ice cream sandwich. That was so easy in the past, I would just go to my local supermarket or Drug store and whoever had them on sale. I would purchase them. Well that is now not in my reality  I have to construct or make Ice Cream Sandwiches myself or she just can’t have them. Maybe, you know of a good Gluten Free Ice Cream Sandwich....... Please let me know. So for now I will teach you how I make my Gluten Free Ice Cream Sandwiches.

Ingredients for Gluten Free Ice Cream Sandwiches:

One  batch of cooked double Chocolate Chip Cookies. Recipe hereOne tub of your favorite Ice Cream

Equipment:

One small mellon baller/ Ice Cream Scoop

Plastic Wrap

Take Cookies Match them up to size.

Tip of the day when I bake them I use a cookie scoop so there all the same size. This helps when your matching up.

Next Soften Ice cream in Microwave so easy to scoop about 15 to 20 seconds

Scoop Ice cream on One Side

Then Cover with Matching cookie.

Wrap in Plastic Wrap then freeze for 4 to 6 hours depending on your freezer.

Unwrap and Serve

Enjoy and Bon Appetit

Sheila Fretz

Fish Sticks and French Fries

The other day Miss J asked me if I could make chicken nuggets for her. I had tried to oven bake them in the past but they never really turned out that great. So while making chicken Parmesan I noticed that if I pan fried just to brown the bake the remainder of the time they really turned out great and if I timed it right I could bake the oven fries at the same time.

Fish Sticks Tender Ingredients:

9 pieces of Cod or Halibut

2 Cups gluten free Oat Flour

2 cups Glutino bread crumbs

2 to 3 eggs

3 tablespoon Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Makes 4 Servings

Preheat Convection oven to 400 degrees.

Take eggs in whisk in bowl, dip Chicken in egg first

Mix Oat Flour and Bread crumbs in bowl

next coat in bread crumbs.

Fry in Olive Oil that is warm

Until golden

Next bake in oven for 18 minutes with frozen french fries.

Enjoy and Bon Appetit

Sheila Fretz

First Communion a Mexican Fiesta with Emma Pearl Wine

A lot of you know that Saturday was a very special day in my family. Miss J had her first Holy Communion and after the ceremony at the church; we celebrated this special Day with a Mexican Fiesta. What a fabulous way to celebrate with Family and Friends.

A Mexican Fiesta is the way to go when it comes to cooking for a Large crowd, we had 40 for lunch. We had a taco bar with all of the fixings.

plus we served 7 Layer bean dip.

Margarita's both Grapefruit and Traditional

 and Emma Pearl wine which is a fabulous light and refreshing chardonay wine with a bouquet of poached pears, caramel, butter-cream and brown baking spices this debut vintage of Emma Pearl Chardonnay features the preferred characteristics of its Central Coast origin. It has a delicious flavor with a full creamy body and crisp finish with lingering notes of Meyer lemons, toasted cinnamon and sweet cloves.

TIP of The Day : The easiest way to do a Taco Bar for a large crowd is let your Market do the work for you with a rotisserie Chicken Remove all Skin and bones. Next chop into bite size pieces.

Next Cook ground beef in large pan adding Taco Seasoning when almost completely cooked.

Serve as the base for Tacos

Serve as Tostadas

Salud and Have a glass of Emma Pearl wine with me and OneFabulousMom

and like Emma Pearl on facebook here

Enjoy

Sheila Fretz

Cinco De Mayo Open Faced Fajita Sandwich

After a long weekend of working at my daughters school fair and eating Cotton Candy, Hamburgers, Hot Dogs and lots of popcorn . I knew that it was time to make a real meal again. So I looked in the freezer and saw a Flank steak and I got really excited. With Cinco de Mayo tomorrow I thought a Mexican dish was in order. So I have created a Fajita Open faced sandwich for you and if you like you could serve them with an appetizer of my 7 layer bean dip as an appetizer and More Thyme than Dough’s Slow baked tomatoes.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Open Faced Fajita Sandwich Ingredients:

One 2 pound Flank steak

3 teaspoons Garlic powder

3 teaspoons pepper

3 teaspoons salt.

1 large Onion sliced in ½ " slices

1 cup frozen sliced bell peppers

2 cups steamed corn

3 tablespoons Olive Oil

Sliced Bread I used Gluten free Udi's

½ cup Parmesan cheese

4 tablespoons butter.

Equipment:

Large Frying Pan or Wok

Broiler or Grill

Tongs

Spoon to stir Onions with

Heat up Broiler or Grill

Take Flank steak and wash and pat dry make sure meat is at room temp prior to cooking.

Next season with salt pepper and Garlic powder on both sides.

You can cook this on the grill or you can broil it as I have. I generally do 5 minutes per side with a 2 pound flank steak.

Next while Flank steak is cooking in a large frying pan or wok separate onions then place in pan with olive oil and sliced bell peppers.

Cook until golden

Next Toast bread either in toaster oven or Broiler or on grill then butter and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on place back in broiler, toaster oven or grill.

Serve on toast or on steamed corn. I steamed mine in microwave for 3 minutes. to the side I made it both ways you decide.

Bon Appetit

Sheila Fretz