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Beth Hillson

Beth Hillson is the founder of one of the first gluten-free companies, Gluten-Free Pantry, as well as the food editor of Living Without. She lives in Connecticut. GlutenFreeMakeovers.com

Perhaps you’ve been diagnosed with celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, or a wheat allergy. Or maybe you feel bloated when you eat gluten and want to give the gluten-free diet a try. Whatever the reason, THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO LIVING WELL GLUTEN-FREE is the definitive guide to help you navigate your new world. President of the American Celiac Disease Alliance Beth Hillson has been living with celiac for thirty-five years and parents a child with it. For decades, she has answered questions on the g-f life, tackling everything from diagnosis (Which physicians and specialists are the best choices to get an accurate diagnosis?) to cooking (is buckwheat a form of wheat?) to lifestyle (What are the most important questions to ask when dining out?). THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO LIVING WELL GLUTEN-FREE is the everything-you-need-to-know guide to a healthy gluten-free lifestyle.

Chicken Parmesan

Serves 4

This GF Chicken Parmesan is a great do-ahead dish and kid-friendly, too. If you are avoiding dairy, replace the cheese with dairy-free substitutes or omit.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets  (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 (24- to 26-ounce jar) good-quality chunky-style marinara sauce, more for pasta
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
3 large eggs
1/2 cup white rice flour
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups gluten- free bread crumbs 
2 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or more as needed
8 slices provolone cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, or more if desired
1 (12-ounce) package gluten- free spaghetti

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch Pyrex baking dish. Set aside. Start heating a large pot of salted water so it will be boiling when you are ready to make the spaghetti.

Cut the chicken cutlets into serving-size portions. In a medium-size saucepan, heat the marinara sauce with the garlic. When it begins to steam, add the basil and remove from the heat. Set aside.

Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, place the rice flour, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Whisk with a fork to combine. Place the bread crumbs in another bowl.
Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Dip a chicken cutlet in the beaten egg. Then dip it in the flour mixture until evenly coated. Dip the cutlet back in the egg and then into the bread crumbs, pressing the crumbs into both sides. Set on the lined cookie sheet. Repeat with each cutlet.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat until it begins to shimmer. Add two or three cutlets at a time and cook for about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and repeat until all the cutlets are browned. Add more oil as needed.
Pour the warm sauce over the chicken. Top with provolone cheese and sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and the chicken is no longer pink in the center.
While the chicken is baking, cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. Serve with the chicken. Pass additional sauce and cheese, if desired.

This dish (without the spaghetti) can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Reheat covered in a 325°F oven for 15 minutes.

 

Banana Bread

Yields 12 to 14 slices

Everyone needs an easy gluten- free quick bread in his or her repertoire. Delicious and versatile, this will become your go-to quick bread. You can keep it simple or dress this up by adding toasted coarsely chopped pecans, chocolate chips, or coconut. Swap the bananas for the same amount of pumpkin or sweet potato puree for another treat. For the best flavor, use very ripe bananas, the kind you’d be tempted to throw away. If yours are not overly ripe, add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of banana extract to perk up the flavor.

3/4 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup cornstarch or tapioca starch
1/4 cup potato starch (not potato flour)
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/3 cups very ripe mashed bananas (about 3 large bananas)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the rice flour, sorghum flour, cornstarch, potato starch, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the knife blade, place the two sugars and the butter. Pulse until the mixture is crumbly, about 30 seconds. Add the bananas and vanilla, and pulse to combine. Add the eggs. Pulse until smooth.

Add the dry ingredients and pulse for about 30 seconds, or until the mixture is thick and smooth.

Transfer to the prepared loaf pan. Set in the middle of the preheated oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to set in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Wrapped in plastic wrap, this freezes well and will keep for 3 to 6 months.

 

These recipes may be reproduced with the following credit:

Recipes from The Complete Guide to Living Well Gluten-Free: Everything You Need to Know to Go From Surviving to Thriving by Beth Hillson. (DaCapo Lifelong Press; September 2014; $17.99/Trade Paperback; ISBN-13; 978-0738217086). http://www.dacapopress.com/

Contact: Jenna Gilligan
617-252-5202
jenna.gilligan@perseusbooks.com