Chicken Twisters Like KFC

About a year before my allergies were diagnosed, I fell in love with the KFC chicken twister. It's a wrap with crispy chicken tenders, a peppered mayo, tomatoes and lettuce. Soooo good! Mc Donald's makes a similar item but it's advertised as a snack. These have the ingredients of the twister but the size of the Mc Donald's snacker given the size of the tortilla. Regardless, they are a favorite of mine. With Lola's soy allergy, I was worried I would have to give them up. I usually buy Perdue's gluten free chicken breast tenders and thankfully these still work. I must emphasize the tenders part though. I found some chicken nuggets in the Perdue brand that had soy oil. Also Tyson's gluten free chicken strips contain soy. Luckily Perdue's chicken breast tenders can easily be found at Target or Walmart and they frequently have coupons online for you to print. The regular price is pretty similar to wheat chicken tenders but when you can find a coupon on them, they are quite a bit cheaper than some brands. I use corn tortillas in the recipe because they are cheap and easy to find at a regular grocery store. Most people don't like corn tortillas and trust me, I'm not a huge fan either. I don't use them for my tacos because I don't really like them. However, they taste great in this meal!

Chicken Twisters
Yield 4 servings

8 corn tortillas (ensure gluten free)
8 Perdue gluten free chicken breast tenders
2 tomatoes
1 bag of shredded lettuce
Earth Balance Mindful Mayo (vegan)
Pepper

Directions: Cook chicken tenders in the oven per package directions. Get a paper towel wet and wring out. Open up the wet paper towel onto a plate. Place one corn tortilla on the paper towel and fold edges over top of the tortilla. Place in the microwave and cook for 20-25 seconds. Unwrap tortilla. Tortilla should be very soft. If not, heat for another 5-10 seconds. Spread mayo over the tortilla. Crack or shake the desired amount of pepper evenly over the tortilla and mayo. Place one chicken strip in the center of the tortilla. Top with slices of tomato and shredded lettuce. Fold over the tortilla and enjoy. Do this for the remaining tortillas and chicken tenders.

Disclaimer: It is always important to read labels because brands frequently change their ingredients. These ingredients and brands work for my family but some may be processed in the same facility as wheat, soy, dairy and/or eggs and therefore depending on your severity may or may not work for your family.

Outback's Alice Springs Chicken

Yum! I like Outback for a few reasons but one of the top reasons is that they have a gluten free menu. Right now I am not eating out at all because of Lola's sensitivities so its even more important to me to try to figure out my favorite dishes at home. I almost always order this dish from Outback. Last time I was there they told me it was egg free, however, previously I had been told the honey mustard part was not so make sure you ask questions! Our homemade version was served with rice and green beans.

Alice Springs Chicken

Yield 4 servings

1 lb. chicken breasts
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup allergy free Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 package (8 oz) baby Bella mushrooms, washed and sliced
8 strips of gluten and MSG free bacon
1 cup Daiya cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon Soy Free Earth Balance Butter Spread

Directions: The night before serving, mix honey, Dijon mustard and canola oil in a small bowl. Place chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag and pour marinade mixture over. Seal the bag and place on a plate in the fridge overnight. When you are ready to make the chicken, place bacon slices in a skillet over medium heat and cook until fully cooked. Set bacon aside. Place sliced and washed mushrooms and butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook until mushrooms are soft and brown, set aside. Grill chicken breasts until fully cooked and juices run clear. Place each chicken breast on a cookie sheet and top with 1/4 of the mushrooms, 2 slices of bacon, and 1/4 cup of cheese, each. Broil on low until cheese is melted. Serve immediately. If you want some extra sauce for dipping, I recommend you make a second batch of the marinade to place separately in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

Disclaimer: It is always important to read labels because brands frequently change their ingredients. These ingredients and brands work for my family but some may be processed in the same facility as wheat, soy, dairy and/or eggs and therefore depending on your severity may or may not work for your family.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Kiev's

Here is another meal idea for you that is a tasty meal whether you have allergies or not! Growing up we went to my grandma's house every Sunday for a noon meal. She is the best cook I know and we were always stuffed leaving her house. My mom didn't really enjoy cooking, although this seems to have changed since our allergy diagnoses. If we weren't going to grandma's on Sunday for some reason, mom usually made a special meal that we didn't have often. The one I remember most was chicken Kiev's. This meal was a treat at our house. The chicken Kiev's were the ones from the freezer section but I remember them tasting sooo good! With all of my allergies I had to say goodbye to them. To be honest it was probably a blessing in disguise given how overly processed they are. Of course if you know me, I couldn't let this be the end of chicken Kiev's and I got to work on how to create them at home. Last night we had our chicken with sweet black Thai rice. For those of you who don't have allergies you can easily use regular bread crumbs and cows milk cheese with the ingredients listed below. My favorite flavor was the chicken cordon bleu but my mom often bought the butter ones too. What is your favorite flavor or flavor idea?

Chicken Cordon Bleu Kiev's
Makes 4

-4 chicken breasts about 1/2 inch thick
-8 slices of allergy free deli ham (Land O Frost Black Forrest Ham)
-2-4 slices of Daiya Swiss cheese slices (depending on how cheesy you want it)
-1/4 cup canola oil
-1/2 cup Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Seasoned Coating Mix or make your own bread crumbs

-about 20 toothpicks

Directions: Take each chicken breast and pound out very thin with a meat hammer. With the raw chicken breast laid out, place 2 slices of deli ham over chicken breast followed by one half to one whole slice of Daiya Swiss cheese. Remember with the cheese that a little goes a long way. Starting at the shortest end of the chicken breast, roll the chicken until the ham and cheese mixture is completely rolled up and secure with 4-5 toothpicks or as many as needed. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a basting brush, lightly coat each rolled chicken breast with canola oil. The oil is only used to allow the breading to stick so use a very small amount on each chicken roll. Once oiled, roll the chicken in the seasoned coating mix or sprinkle over top until chicken is evenly coated. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and juices run clear.

Disclaimer: It is always important to read labels because brands frequently change their ingredients. These ingredients and brands work for my family but some may be processed in the same facility as wheat, soy, dairy and/or eggs and therefore depending on your severity may or may not work for your family.