Quarantine Gluten Free

I started a Facebook page to share my quarantine cooking adventures..hoping my friends would either tell me enough with the posting or get some ideas from what I am making ..I also hope to get some inspiration from their dinners as well.

Well tonight I want to talk about Gluten Free. I started this blog with the grandiose idea that I would share my experiences cooking and adapting Gluten Free recipes so that everyone can see that Gluten Free does not mean flavor free, it does not mean boring and it definitely does not mean overly complicated. I like to tell people who ask me about starting with gluten free diets that if you roasted chicken in the oven with nothing more than salt, pepper, maybe some garlic powder and some oil and served it with some rice or mashed potatoes and some steamed green beans ..you just ate a gluten free meal.

Tonight I made a version of a chicken recipe that I saw on The NY Times cooking page ..it has so many elements that make a delicious chicken Parmesan ..just minus the gluten..The thing about this recipe is it is essentially cooked all in one skillet and the layers of flavor just build on themselves. The original calls for pancetta I am out so thick cut bacon took its place. The recipe also calls for fresh basil..I took a look in the fridge and there was fuzz growing on mine…whoops…but I do have dried .., The recipe also calls for a can of whole plum tomatoes well again I am out but I did have San Marzano a decent substitution if I do say so myself..other changes: I improvised and added a shallot to the sauce and to finish it off you add fresh mozzarella ..I am well stocked there.

Trying a new recipe is always stressful ..trying a new recipe when someone else has shopped for your ingredients just adds to that sense if unease..my shopper in my case is my husband and he did a decent job picking things out from what was available at our local Roche Brothers Supermarket. The amazing thing about this recipe is it is naturally gluten free ..the chicken is browned in the same pan as the pancetta or bacon ..the sauce builds up its flavor from the bacon, the chicken the addition of garlic and chili flakes and I deglazed my pan with a little white wine before adding the tomatoes ..lastly the mozzarella and you garnish it all with the pancetta or bacon and some basil..unless you are me and have to skip this step..a gluten free meal in a skillet filled with flavor