Gluten-Free French Toast recipe

Eating gluten-free, I often don't think about bread as much as I used to. Breakfast is usually just something simple like cereal or fruit with yogurt. But every once in a while, I get cravings. This morning, I opened the fridge and saw my loaf of Rudi's cinnamon raisin bread. I want French Toast and I want it now!

Some people may think it's hard to make but really, you can whip something like this up in a few minutes. The recipe below is for 4-5 people but I adjusted it and made enough for two. It was as easy as making toast with eggs. But, if you know me, I don't measure everything precisely, which does save time. I can eye ball 1/4 c milk and 1/4 tsp of vanilla. It also means I have a few less dishes to clean up!

You can use almost any gluten-free bread but I especially like the Rudi's for this recipe. It has great flavor and doesn't fall apart. I also like their philosophy: Made with stuff you can pronounce and ingredients you recognize. As a mom, that is important to me.

Make sure to toast the bread first, though; it will help keep it together.

This recipe isn't fancy but it sure is good (and easy!). I hope you'll give it a try.

Gluten-Free French Toast

8-10 pcs Gluten-Free Bread*
3 eggs
2/3 c milk or milk alternative
1/4 tsp each cinnamon and nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
pinch or two of salt

1 Tbl vegetable oil like safflower or sunflower
Note: butter is tasty but burns too quickly in your pan; try this instead

*I used Rudi's Gluten-Free Cinnamon Raisin bread. It was a real winner for this recipe.

1. The bread needs to be dry. You can either toast the slices until just lightly browned or put them on a cookie sheet and place in a low oven (250 degrees) for 5 mins to dry them out. If it's too soft, it will absorb too much batter and be mushy.

2. Mix all other ingredients except oil.

3. Heat pan to medium or grill pan to 400 degrees F.

4. Based on the size of your pan, only batter the slices of bread that will be able to fit; don't let bread sit in egg-milk mix.

5. Place about 1 1/2 tsp of oil on pan and spread. Dip bread into batter. Make sure both sides are well covered. Place in pan. Cook on each side until golden. Repeat with remaining bread. Keep warm in oven until ready to serve, covered with a damp paper or kitchen towel.

Gluten-free chicken saltimbocca recipe

Gluten-free Chicken Saltimbocca over GF pasta and a little "fresh" bruschetta

I recently taught a gluten-free cooking class at Whole Foods in Los Altos, CA. Some times, when I create menus, I assume everything will work out; I've been cooking a long time! This dish was inspired by one I learned from the very lovely and talented Wendy Holloway of Flavor of Italy. I had not made a gluten-free version before but I was confident I could replicate it.

The original recipe called for regular flour (of course it did; Italians do not seem to be plagued with the same level of gluten intolerance we Americans are). The challenge for this dish was to keep the flavor intact but make it gluten-free.

Honestly, the only real tricky part was to come up with a flour blend that would imitate the regular flour. I decided to go with a combo of white rice and potato starch which seems like the perfect balance.

The chicken is served on top of my favorite gluten-free pasta brand, Bionaturae. We all agreed it tasted like regular pasta.

I also created a "new" dish; my version of bruschetta: a fresh homemade gluten-free baguette with a smear of pesto and topped with fresh tomato and thinly sliced zucchini. It was like summer in my mouth; yummy!

As always, I hope I inspire you and that you will try this dish.

Gluten-Free Chicken Saltimbocca

Four 6-8 oz skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, lightly pounded
Salt and ground pepper
8 large sage leaves
4 thin slices prosciutto di Parma
Potato starch and white rice flour, for dusting (about 2 Tbl of each)
1 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbl unsalted butter, divided
1/4 cup dry white wine or sherry
1 cup gluten-free chicken or vegetable broth
2 Tbl cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbl cold water

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Top with a slice of prosciutto. Place 2 sage leaves on each breast. Use a toothpick to hold the prosciutto and sage to the chicken.

2. When you are ready to cook the chicken, dust each breast with a combination of potato starch and white rice flour, shaking off the excess. Don’t do this step ahead.

3. Heat a large skillet. Add half of the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add 2 of the breasts, prosciutto side up, and cook over medium-heat until nearly cooked through, about 3 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook another minute. Chicken should be lightly browned. Transfer the chicken to a plate; repeat with the remaining chicken.

4. Add the wine and deglaze the pan by cooking over medium-high heat until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the butter and the broth and bring to a simmer. Cook until reduced by half, 3 minutes. Add the cornstarch mixture and cook another 2 minutes.

5. Return the chicken to the skillet, prosciutto side up, and simmer over moderate heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes; season with a little more salt. Transfer the chicken to plates, pour the sauce on top and serve.