Kale Fritters with Smoked Paprika Aioli

Not too sure about kale? Never had the stuff? Myself, I am HOOKED.

Last Spring we grew our own kale from April thru June and this year, we chose to join our Community Supported Agriculture program, by participating in our local Whipstone Farms
produce share program from May until October. The local, organic kale that they supply us with (among other produce) has been fresh and wonderful. Working with Whipstone has been a very wise decision,too, when one factors in our rather challenged well.

In this recipe, healthy, gluten free kale fritters with sweet potato and bacon create a tasty breakfast, lunch or dinner offering... or a main dish with a salad for a vegan.

One of the best uses of kale that I have found...

3-4 cups of kale, ribbed and chiffonaded (finely shredded)*

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, baked and mashed

2 eggs, beaten

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

½ cup low fat GF mayonnaise

¼ cup GF flour blend or cornmeal

½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated

6 slices of bacon, fried and coarsely chopped

¼ cup green onions, sliced (green part only)

Cayenne, salt and pepper to taste

 ¼ cup olive oil (or less) for frying

Toss all the ingredients together until well mixed. Spoon large scoops into a saute pan and fry until crisp, but not burned; about 5 minutes per side.

Notes: *You may prefer to saute' the kale for a couple of minutes in some of the bacon grease, before folding into the remaining ingredients. You can purchase the kale in a bag and already shredded.

Smoked Paprika Aioli

Aioli is a fancy word for mayonnaise; in this case seasoned with smoked paprika.

2 large cloves garlic, smashed
½ cup mayonnaise
1-2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 t. smoked paprika
1 t. fresh lemon juice, more to taste
Salt and black pepper

Put the garlic in a small saucepan and sauté with a little olive oil. Allow to cool. Whirl the garlic in a small food processor with the remaining ingredients and serve with the fritters.

For more recipes from my cookbook: "The Farmer's Daughter Cooks Gluten Free", go to:   http://www.celiacdiseaseinfo.org

 

My Best Baked Herb Crumb Chicken

I have to admit that taking a picture of chicken legs was probably one of the most difficult things that I have ever photographed. No way does the picture do these drumsticks justice! 

That said, keep an open mind here. 

Whether it's with summer barbeques and picnics or when a cold winter day dictates having comfort food, this recipe is one of my favorites. Chicken is always the star for me. I am a self-professed "chick-a-holic".

And when I think of baked chicken,  this is my favorite recipe from over the years. Nutty, yummy, low carb baked chicken breading that is crunchy, savory...with an herb-packed punch!

Adapted GF from Nancy W. in Banning, Ca, and her 1980’s recipe. Based on an herb-crusted baked chicken served at Whole Earth Restaurant in Santa Cruz, Ca.

3 pounds of chicken thighs or drumsticks

¾ cup of buttermilk or ½ cup fresh squeezed lemon tossed with ¼ cup olive oil

1 T. salt

1 cup almond meal*

1 cup GF bread crumbs**

½ cup organic corn meal

½ cup Parmesan, grated

1 T. smoked paprika, 1 t. garlic powder, 1 t. onion powder, ½ t. sea salt (optional), 2 t. dried thyme, 2 t. dried rosemary,

Soak chicken pieces in the buttermilk-salt or lemon-olive oil-salt mixture for several hours or over night. Toss the crumb coating ingredients and spices together and refrigerate until ready to prepare chicken.

Preheat oven to 325˚F. When ready to bake, pull the chicken from the liquid marinade, and dip chicken into the crumb mixture and coat well. Bake on an oiled cookie sheet for an hour or until meat near the bone is no longer pink.

Makes: 4-6 servings.

Notes: *Ground almond meal is available and inexpensive at Trader Joe’s markets. **Make your bread baking “rejects” into crumbs and place in the freezer and save for breading for dishes like this.

This recipe is from my cookbook: "The Farmer's Daughter Cooks Gluten Free."

To watch a slide show "tour" of the cookbook, click this link:

Youtube slide show "tour" of book here: