Easy Blackened Trout - Naturally Gluten Free

4 Trout fillets

2½ pounds tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 Tablespoon finely chopped lemon peel
¼ cup dried cranberries
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
½ teaspoon cayenne, to taste
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoon butter, divided

 

For Relish

In a small saucepan, mix tomatoes, garlic, lemon peel, cranberries, vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.

After cooking, uncover saucepan and raise heat to medium. Cook for an additional 15 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove pan from heat and set aside.

For Fish

In a small mixing bowl, add paprika, thyme, mustard powder, cayenne, salt and black pepper. Mix well with a fork. 

Transfer spice mixture to a plate. Rinse trout fillets and pat dry with paper towels and set aside.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat. Dredge flesh side of fillets in spice mixture and shake off excess and place fish in a single layer on a clean plate. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in the preheated skillet, swirling to coat the bottom. Immediately place two fillets in skillet, flesh side down, and cook for two minutes. Turn and continue to cook until skin is crispy and trout is firm to the touch (about 5 minutes).

Repeat with remaining butter and trout fillets. Serve with prepared relish

  

Low Country Style Crab Stuffed Shrimp - Gluten Free

A Fourth of July celebration. St. Helena Island, South Carolina, 1939
by: Marion Post Wolcott

The Coastal Plain in South Carolina is commonly referred to by the locals as " The Low Country", and is home to some of the best soul food in the country.   This unique style of cooking that is born of African and Caribbean influences, is known for its heavy use of seafood and rice...main staples of the Gullah (or Geechee) natives of this tidal plane.

Aside from the great taste, another benefit of Low Country cooking, is that it is almost always gluten free because authentic African and Caribbean foods do not call for the European introduced wheat flour.

                                                                    3 shallots, chopped

1/4 cup white Chardonnay

2 lemons, squeezed

1/2 cup cream

1/2 tsp. minced garlic

1/8 tsp. Paprika

1/4 tsp. Old Bay

1/4 tsp Cajun Seasoning

1 teaspoon lemon pepper

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 pound lump crab meat

1 pound large shrimp, cleaned and deveined

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 
Pre-heat oven 400 degrees
 
In a large saucepan, saute shallots in extra olive oil. Add Chardonnay.
 
Cook over low heat for 2 1/2 minutes. Add cream, garlic, paprika, Old Bay, lemon pepper, parsley flakes and cayenne pepper.
 
Cook on low heat for 3 1/2 minutes.
 
Remove from heat then fold in parmesan cheese. Fold in lump crabmeat and place in refrigerator. Allow crabmeat mixture chill for 1 hour.
 
Meanwhile, clean, devein and butterfly the shrimp. Place them on a lined baking sheet.
 
Add about 1 teaspoon of crabmeat mix on each of the shrimp.
 
Bake at 400 degrees oven for 4 minutes.

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Black-Eyed Pea Casserole Gluten Free

Photographer: Unkown

Originally used as food for livestock, black eyed-peas became a staple of the slaves’ diet. Also, during the Civil War, black-eyed peas, or "field peas" as they were called, were ignored by Sherman’s Union troops as they marched through the South gathering food along the way; making them an important food for half-starved Confederate soldiers.
 

1 pound ground beef or turkey

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3 cups cooked black-eyed peas

1 medium jalapeno, diced

10 ounce diced Ro-tel Tomatoes

1 ten-ounce can Progresso Creamy Mushroom Soup

 1 ten-ounce can Pacific Organic Cream of Chicken Soup

1 ten-ounce can Chi-Chis Mild Enchilada Sauce

1 package Tostitos Corn Tortillas

2 cups grated Extra Sharp Cheddar

Chopped Green Onions

A few dashes of Louisiana Hot Sauce

(Or you own personal favorite)

Quick-soak the peas by bringing them and the water to a boil for 2 minutes. 

Afterwards, remove them from the heat, cover the pot and soak the peas for 1 hour. After an hour, drain and rinse the peas. 

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large cast-iron skillet, brown ground beef or ground turkey.  

Drain excess grease then add onions, garlic, and jalapeno. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the onions have softened.  

Add peas, tomatoes, mushroom soup, chicken soup and enchilada sauce, and several dashes of hot sauce. Simmer until warm. 

Carefully tear the tortillas into large pieces. 

Grease the bottom of a large casserole dish with butter then line the bottom with the tortilla pieces.  

Spoon on the ground beef mixture into a thin layer and add a layer of cheese. 

Add on another layer of tortillas and repeat with the beef mixture, finishing with a layer of cheese on top. 

Cover the casserole dish with foil to prevent the cheese from burning and place in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes.  

Remove from the oven, cut slices approximately 2 x 2 inches and serve. Garnish with chopped green onions.

Gluten Free Carolina Style Shrimp n' Cheddar Grits

Oddly enough, being raised on a daily regimen of awe-inspiring Southern cooking, I wasn't a grits lover by any stretch of the imagination (I guess you can't love everything). Grits was at the top of my least favorite foods. I don't know if it was the taste, texture, or a combination of both. Even my mother's homemade butter didn't make a difference.

I do remember, however, the only time I would touch a bowl of grits, was when my parents and I would take the annual pilgrimage to North Carolina for the always anticipated Moore family reunion. This is where my favorite Aunt Irea Moore-Chism would make the best cheddar grits in the land. I used to think that she made that recipe up just for my benefit...no such luck. sigh.

After Aunt Irea passed, her daughter Yvonne "Cousin Bonnie", introduced me to a different version. It was during our final family reunion she had whipped up my favorite cheddar grits with some extra....shrimp and garlic.  Need I say more?

 Enjoy

Yvonne Chism, Scotland Neck, NC

6 cups water

¾ teaspoon sea salt

2 cups yellow grits (read label for)

1¾ teaspoons table salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

½ cup salted butter

10 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (or more to your liking)

3 medium eggs

1 cup whole milk

¼ cup clarified butter

2 Tablespoons minced garlic

1 leek, halved and cut into ¼-inch pieces

8 ounces fresh mushrooms, chopped

2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped

1 Tablespoon McCormick Cajun Seasoning

½ cup brandy

½ cup Swanson's Chicken Stock

⅓ cup Swanson's Beef Stock

2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

3 Tablespoons salted butter

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease a 9x13 baking dish. In a large pot, add water and ¾ teaspoon of sea salt, and bring to a boil. Whisk in grits and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring frequently until the grits are tender and very thick (about 30 minutes).

Remove pot from the heat, and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper, ½ cup salted butter, and shredded cheddar cheese until the cheese has melted completely. Beat eggs in a bowl with milk until smooth then stir into the grits until evenly combined. Pour into the prepared baking dish.

Bake until grits are hot in the center and the top is golden brown (about 1 hour).

While grits are baking, melt the clarified butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons of minced garlic, and cook until golden brown (about 2 minutes).

Add leeks, and cook for an additional minute. Stir in mushrooms, tomatoes, and Creole seasoning. Cook and stir continuously for 4 minutes.

Pour in brandy and simmer 2 minutes before adding the chicken stock and beef stock. Reduce heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.

Stir in shrimp, thyme, and 3 tablespoons of butter. Cook and stir until the shrimp is pink (about 4 minutes).

Season with salt and pepper. Serve the shrimp and mushroom sauce on top of the grits

Cod with Chickpeas: Gluten Free

Cod Fish and African Slaves

 

Annaberg sugar plantation ruins: St John, U.S. Virgin Islands.

 

One theory of how codfish made it's way to the modern African American table can be traced to slavery in the Caribbean.

 

During the 17th and 18th centuries in the New World, especially in Massachusetts and Newfoundland, cod became a major commodity, creating trade networks and cross-cultural exchanges. It eventually made its way to British and French controlled islands in the Caribbean. 

 

In places like French Guyana, each adult slave was given one pound of salted cod fish every Sunday by the plantation owner. . A child slave was given a smaller allocation. 

This simplified seafood version of the famed “Cocido” celebrates Moorish spices and the Spanish fondness for codfish.

1 pound cod, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 red onions, thinly sliced
2 yellow bell peppers, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ cup Chardonnay
¼ teaspoon saffron
1 cup grape tomatoes
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup Swanson Vegetable Broth

 

In an 11-inch heavy-duty saute pan, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and peppers. Saute until onions are clear (5 to 7 minutes). Add paprika and cumin. Continue to saute for about another minute or more.

 

Now, here comes the fun part....open the Chardonnay...take a healthy swig (or two) for yourself....Don't forget to pour some in a measuring cup (about ½ cup). Hopefully, you will still have enough left for yourself.

 

Add the ½ cup of "Chard" and saffron to the pan. Stir well. Include the tomatoes, chickpeas, cod and vegetable broth. Simmer until the fish is entirely cooked through and easily flakes with a fork, (about 9 to 10 minutes). You are good to go!

Great with white fluffy rice!