Wednesday, June 22, 2011

xoxo glutie: mexican corn cakes.

oh hello, gluties, how i've missed you! i am still gluten, soy, and dairy free... going on 4 years. wow. i read an article recently from the GFG blog (one of my favorites) about how close we are to a celiac vaccine, and in our lifetime, may be able to eat gluten again. she, me and the article question: if you could eat gluten again, would you? i thought about it. about that awful feeling i get when i accidentally ingest gluten. the sickness. the hives. the vomit (sorry). the three day recovery. i don't want that. if a medicine could keep me from feeling that way... maybe. but again, after 4 years, i doubt i even have a taste for gluten anymore. before i had my celiac biopsy about 2 years ago, the doctor had me eat a lot of gluten and other allergens for 2 weeks before the test so that he could see the effects on my intestines. really. fun. test. ugh, i hated every thing. seriously. no real food tasted good at all. my answer to the constant question, "what food do you miss the most?" remains... nothing, truly. 


nevertheless, one of my favorite food groups, next to gf pasta, remains, mexican. i enjoy making my own mexican food because it never fails that i feel awful after eating at mexican restaurants (gluten? or margaritas??), but i also just like making mexican food. as does my husband enjoys eating it. the other night, i combined a slow-cooker recipe with a mexican "comfort food" recipe, and i present to you... mexican corn cakes! ole!


mexican stew in slow-cooker:


3-4 chicken breasts
1 jar of gf tomatillo green salsa
1 package of frozen peppers and onions (kroger's is awesome-- 3 peppers included)
1 can of corn
1 can of white beans or garbanzo beans (or your preference)
cumin
paprika
salt
pepper
garlic
lime juice
dash of cinnamon
coriander
oregano
thyme


incubate on low for 4-5 hours. stir occasionally, breaking up chicken as it cooks. 


corn cakes (like a pancake but with corn)
adapted from gluten free mommy recipe


2 cups yellow cornmeal, medium grain
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1 tablespoon sugar (more if you prefer sweeter corn cakes)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups lite coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg

heat oven to 200 degrees to keep corn cakes warm. 
in a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, rice flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. in a medium bowl, beat the coconut milk, water, oil and egg with a fork until blended. add to the cornmeal mixture and mix until lumps are gone.
spray griddle with non-stickness, and heat over medium heat. for each corn cake, the recipe recommends pouring about a 1/4 cup of the batter onto the griddle. i made my corn cakes slightly larger. cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until brown. keep corn cakes warm in the oven.
plate 1 to 2 corn cakes with a ladle or so of mexican stew drooling over top. top with gf, soy free, cheese, and gf sour cream, if desired. think about it like a.... mexican biscuits and gravy!