Hormel Has Complete Line of Gluten Free Products

Good News!!! While not endorsing the Hormel brand, I do think folks need to know companies that have complete lines of products that are gluten free. Hormel is one such company. The product that caught my eye was individually packed pork chops that I found in the frozen section of the meat department. For a complete listing of Hormel products, please visit their website at http://hormel.com/products/GlutenFreeProducts/default.aspx.


Eating Gluten Free

Celebrating 18 Wonderful Years Together



Gold & white were the backdrop for celebrating our 18th anniversary. Instead of going out, we decided to devote the entire day to us. 

A medley of vintage oil lamps assisted by the help of tea lights gave just enough light to look into one another's eyes as we listened to romantic music and enjoyed good conversation and a really nice meal.

We chose to serve our dinner in courses over about a three hour period, giving us ample time to talk with one another while putting the finishing touches on the next coarse. The grand finale was a fab dessert (recipe & picture in recipe section of this blog).

We toasted our special day with Billecart Salmon Brut Rose, one of the best champagnes in the world according to Decanter magazine, as we reminisced about our years together. 

Candlelit anniversary dinner at home. 

Article in Number 2/11 of Gluten Free Living Raises Serious Concerns

Article entitled “7 Reasons Why a Farmer’s Market Is a GF Paradise” is misleading and greatly concerns me. Trusting people new to the gluten free scene or those without my educational background can easily be falsely led into innocently believing that all products sold at farmer’s markets are free of gluten or wheat. Nothing could be farther from the truth, and here is why.

Although farmer’s markets are wonderful sources for fresh fruits and vegetables, cooked or prepared food products sold by individual vendors just may not be such a good idea for those eating gluten free. With no regulations or oversight into how or where goods such as soups, sauces and more are produced and labeling non-existent, unsuspecting consumers looking for something prepared to feed their gluten intolerant family can be easy prey for folks looking to boost their profits by diversifying their offerings to include homemade goods.

Cross contamination during the food preparation process is (or should be) a major concern for the gluten intolerant. Consumers have no way on knowing what precautions are taken to ensure cross contamination did not occur. Even if the person making the dish included no wheat, they most likely do not know of hidden wheat sources, such as soy sauce, cream soups, etc.

When you run across cooked food items at a farmer’s market, here is a list of questions to ask:
1. What are the ingredients?
2. What is the origin of the ingredients?
3. Were the items prepared in a health department approved and inspected facility?

4. Were the items prepared in a kitchen that also prepares products containing wheat, oats, barley or rye?

5. If the products were prepared in a facility that also prepares products containing wheat, oats, barley or rye, ask what precautions are in place to guard against cross contamination?

When protecting the health of loved ones, don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions and read carefully all labels available. Keep in mind that no one will protect your loved ones the way you do. They are depending on you.

Entrees

Turkey with Cornbread and Southern Pecan Stuffing

1 turkey (12- to 14-pound)

1 recipe Cornbread and Southern Pecan Stuffing

½ cup butter, melted

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Allow turkey to thaw in refrigerator completely. May take up to 3 days. Remove giblets and rinse turkey thoroughly inside and out with cold water. Dry.

Lightly pack turkey cavity with Cornbread and Southern Pecan Stuffing. (Place excess stuffing into a 13”x9” baking dish.) Secure legs with flap of skin around tail. Skewers and truss may also be used to close cavity.

Place turkey breast side up in roasting pan. Brush entire turkey with melted butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Insert meat thermometer into meaty part of thigh, taking precaution not to tough the bone.

Bake at 325º for 3 hours, basting every 30 minutes. Loosen truss and remove skewers to allow thighs to cook completely. Bake 1 to 2 hours longer or until meat thermometer reads 180º. When drumsticks are easy to move, turkey is completely cooked.

Yield: 20 to 24 dinner servings

Cornbread and Southern Pecan

6 cup cornbread, crumbled
5 slices E-nerg gluten free bread, crumbled
1 pound ground pork sausage, cooked and drained
1½ cups cooked ham, finely chopped
¾ cup parsley
¾ cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped

1½ teaspoons pepper

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1 teaspoon fresh sage

4 stalks, chopped

2 medium onion, chopped

¼ c butter, melted

2 cups chicken broth

1 large egg, beaten

Toss first 9 ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well.

Sauté celery and onion in butter until tender. Fold in cornbread mixture. Add broth and egg to cornbread mixture; Stir will.

Yield: 13 cups
Author’s Note: Bake extra stuffing at 350º for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until browned.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken (Over Fusilli with Tomatoes and Spinach)

You eat with your eyes way before you ever taste the food. This dish is a perfect example. Just looking at this picture is making my mouth water!

Here is my recipe:

4 5-ounce chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

Pinch Salt to taste

Pinch pepper (optional)

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup gluten free bread crumbs

1 cup gluten free flour blend

2 eggs slightly beaten

1 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
Fusilli with Tomatoes and Spinach (Click for Recipe)


Here is how I did it:

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.

Season boneless, skinless chicken breasts with salt & pepper to taste; set aside. Place butter in small skillet over medium heat. When butter is completely melted, add bread crumbs, stirring until lightly browned, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into shallow dish. Add grated Parmesan cheese and mix.

Place slightly beaten egg in separate shallow dish. Spray non-stick spray on baking dish large enough to hold 4 chicken breasts. Line up the three shallow baking dishes in the following order—flour, eggs and then the bread crumb mixture. Dredge each chicken breast in the flour, then dip in the slightly beaten egg & then roll in the bread crumbs. Place each coated chicken breast in prepared baking dish.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until when cut, juice runs clear. Remove from oven & allow cooked chicken to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Servings: 4

Author: Dr. Jacquelyn P. Horne
Copyright: 2012

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