Cravings

As most of you may know by now, I have to eat gluten-free. My body just doesn't like anything with wheat, but my taste buds love anything with wheat! I miss my occasional fried food. They were few and far between before I found out about the intolerance, but when a craving hit, I indulged. Now, uh, not so much, well, actually never do I cave to a craving. Just the the thought of how I feel after I eat it should be a big reason not to even crave it, but I still do.

Enter, King Arthur Gluten-Free Multi-purpose flour! My saving grace!

This stuff is expensive and high in calories so I won't satisfy these cravings very often, but it's good for making a flour coating, gravy, or sauce.  I did make cookies with it and it's not a good replacement for that. BUT, it did what I was looking for. I was able to recreate a dish from Olive Garden that I was craving. Chicken Scampi!

If you've never had Olive Garden's Chicken Scampi, then shame on you. The combination of the chicken, peppers, onions, garlic, and light cream sauce is amazing! Now do you see why I was craving it? Just don't kiss anyone after eating, or even talk within a 1/2 mile radius unless you have an Altoids handy or a toothbrush or mouthwash. The garlic is pretty strong. Actually, that is an understatement! It's fabulously strong!

I found some copy cat recipes, but I just decided to make my own. I left out the pasta. I can't eat regular pasta and I didn't have any gluten-free pasta. It really didn't need it anyway. Below is my recipe. I'm the type of cook that does my measuring by way of sight (yes, a pinch of this, a dash of that) so I'm going by sight on amounts. If you make this, you may have to use more or less or you could try the method I use. Be for warned though, it may make some family members or friends angry when you can't recall the recipe, especially if it was good! I'm so guilty of that! This is my own recipe and I didn't write it down, so I'm going by memory. I do hope it works, but if not, comment or let me know some how and I will redo this.

Rene's Gluten-Free Chicken Scampi (without pasta)
large skillet
small saute skillet
1/2 small red pepper thinly sliced
1/2 small yellow pepper thinly sliced
1 small red or yellow onion thinly sliced
1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced
8-10 chicken tenders
1 1/2 cups of milk-divided
3/4 cup GF flour (or regular all-purpose flour if you don't need GF)
1 tbsp garlic powder (yup, I like it garlicy!)
2 tsp paprika
ground black pepper to taste
salt to taste - I think I used about 2 tsp
1/4 cup olive oil or other vegetable oil (do not use EVOO here, you need to get it hot and EVOO has a low burn point)
Cooking spray or 1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp of butter
Plate lined with paper towel for draining chicken

Directions:
-heat  8 inch or large skillet with cooking spray or 1 tbsp olive oil, saute peppers and onions  and garlic until crisp tender, remove to a bowl. Cover to keep warm.
-Rinse tenders and pat dry.
- place oil in same pan as above. Heat over medium heat
-Combine flour, garlic powder, paprika, pepper, and salt in a pie plate or small baking pan.
-pour 1/2 cup of milk into bowl
- dip tenders into milk then coat with flour mixture and place in hot oil and cook until light brown or about 3 minutes per side (I'm guessing on time, it's hard to remember, sorry!)
-place tenders on paper towel lined plate  or platter
-in separate skillet melt butter over medium heat. Add remaining flour mixture from chicken or 2 tbsp new flour mixture and make a roux. Once combined, slowly add 1 cup of milk to make a gravy/sauce while stirring. You can add more milk if you would like a thinner sauce add milk a little at a time. -Continue to stir over medium low heat until thickened, then remove from heat.
-to serve: place 2-3 pieces of chicken on a plate, cover with pepper mixture, cover that with gravy/sauce and volia! You have what I ate for dinner the other night!

Note A: if you would like it more like Olive Garden's, prepare angel hair pasta before starting, toss with olive oil or butter once cooked and cover. Place remaining ingredients once cooked on top of the pasta as stated above. YUM!

Note B: I use an iron skillet that was my Grandma's. It is very well seasoned and nothing sticks and it gives a really nice brown to things. I highly recommend this or stainless steel cookware. You just don't get a good browning, in my opinion, with non-stick. Again, this is my opinion and I happen to have the iron skillet and the stainless in my kitchen.