Gluten Free Tartar Sauce Recipe--Great with GF Fish Sticks!

My mother-in-law makes the most incredible tartar sauce. She doesn't exactly use measurements for the spaces--she mostly goes by taste, but I'll try to duplicate the recipe here for you. I use Kraft mayo for my GF recipe, but I'm sure there are plenty of other GF brands. For dill pickles, I use Vlassic, but again, there are lots of GF brands. Just read labels and be aware that pickles use vinegar. If the jar says "vinegar" it's probably distilled vinegar, which some celiacs can tolerate but some can't. The distilling process supposedly lowers the gluten in the vinegar, but it doesn't completely eliminate it. So if you're a very sensitive celiac, I recommend buying pickles at your local health food store--ones that are made with cider vinegar, not distilled. Okay, so here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Kraft GF  Mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely diced dill pickles
1 tbsp. pickle juice (from the jar)
1/4 cup very finely chopped onions
dash of garlic
dash of onion powder
salt and pepper to taste--more salt than pepper
1 tsp. dill
1 tsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:
Mix all ingredients. Sample. If it needs a little more salt, a little more dill, an extra pickle or more onion, add whatever is needed to make it taste just right. (That's how my mother-in-law does it. Sorry I can't be more specific!)

Now, what can you do about the fish sticks? Yes, there are fantastic fish sticks out there, that are gluten-free. My highest recommendation is for Clear Springs gluten-free fish sticks, but they don't seem to have their information available online yet. My husband brought some home though, and they taste FANTASTIC. So if you can get your hands on these, they're better than Ians (which is another company that makes GF fish sticks).

One other possibility is to fry up your own. There's a fabulous GF product out there called "Choice Batter" which claims it's a low oil-absorbing recipe, and I believe them. Whenever my husband goes fishing and comes home with some fresh perch or trout, we use this breading to make home-fried fish, and YUM! It's good stuff! Click the link to see it online.

A Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Version of Ben & Jerry's Chubby Hubby Ice Cream

Since I've become gluten-free and dairy-free, I really got to where I missed my Ben & Jerry's. My favorite Ben & Jerry's ice cream was Chubby Hubby, and I can't find anything to substitute for it.

So I've come up with my own version. Here's what it takes to make it:

INGREDIENTS:
Purely Decadent "So Delicious" Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Non-Dairy Dessert from Turtle Mountain
Glutino Pretzels
Peanut M&Ms

DIRECTIONS:
You've got to let the chocolate peanut butter swirl "ice cream" sit out for a little bit, because it's way too hard to eat otherwise. Then use a fork to spork out bits of non-dairy dessert (i.e. "ice cream") into a small bowl. Crack pretzels in halves or quarters and toss in a few M&M's. Hide in your office/sewing room and devour this little beauty!

Lord, I think I'm going to have to go to the store after this posting, because my mouth is just watering like crazy while I write this...

Please note, though: M&Ms are not truly dairy-free, but they don't usually upset my stomach. If you really can't have any lactose at all, substitute for peanuts. I'm also guessing that Glutino pretzels may contain butter, so substitute for the other brands (I think EnerG might be dairy-free--check first).

Gluten-Free Gorp (Trail Mix) Recipe: a Great After-School Snack!

Sometimes they call it GORP--which is probably an acronym for something, but I don't have the foggiest idea what it stands for. (If you know, please leave a comment to that effect. Thanks!) Anyway, it's a great after-school snack, and it's super easy to make:

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Rice Chex cereal
1 cup Corn Chex cereal
1 cup GF pretzels (Glutino are our favorites)
1/2 cup M&M's
1/2 cup peanuts (without the shell--and as always, check labels)
1/2 cup cashews (same thing)
1/2 cup dates (same)
1/2 cup raisins (same)
1/2 cup banana chips (same)
1 small pkg. Corn Nuts

DIRECTIONS:
Simple... Mix it all up and store it in a monster-sized Tupperware or cookie jar. Kids can scoop a bunch into a bowl after school and snack on healthy goodies. My kids love this kind of stuff as an after school snack. It's also great in school lunches.

One tip though: keep it sealed tight. If your cookie jar's lid doesn't screw on tightly, use a Tupperware or Rubbermaid storage container that seals well. This stuff spoils easily if it's left open to the air.

Gluten-Free Frito Chili Pie: an Easy Casserole Dish for Working Moms

Want something you can whip up in 30 minutes, right after work? Try this easy recipe for Frito Chili Pie. When you buy the canned chili, make sure it says gluten-free right on the label, because Hormel does make some chilis that aren't GF.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cans of Hormel GF Chili with Beans
1 cup of fritos (or two to three handfuls)
1/2 cup grated cheddar or Mex Mix cheese
cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:
Spray the bottom of your 8-in. casserole dish with cooking spray. Open the first can of chili and spread it at the bottom of the casserole dish. Crush the Fritos after measuring them. You want to lightly coat the chili with Fritos, so if you don't have quite enough after one cup, go ahead and grab another handful or so, until you've got a thin layer of Fritos in the middle of the dish.

Sprinkle the cheddar cheese on top of this. Open the second can of chili and spread it over the top.

Heat your oven to 400 degrees F. and cook the casserole uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes. It's done when the chili starts to bubble pretty good around the edges.

Serve it with side dishes of extra Fritos, chopped onions (for those who like them), and a little chopped cilantro. YUM!

How easy is that?