Cross contamination is a real thing! I mean, I knew it was a thing, but I hadn’t experienced it yet since my diagnosis. I fell victim to it this week. I had a sashimi platter for lunch at Sake Café, and it came with imitation crab sticks (CONTAINS GLUTEN). I should’ve asked what was on the plate, but you live and you learn. I’m still learning what questions to ask at restaurants. I gave my dad the crabsticks, but the damage was already done. It dared to touch my fish. About an hour later the cramps and headache started. I had to work later that night, so I decided to go home and try to sleep it off. I popped some Tylenol and slept for a good 2 hours. I still woke up exhausted and a little crampy, but the headache was gone. I worked my shift and passed out again as soon as I got home. The side effects really threw me for a loop. The next day, I was right as rain again. I made sure to start my morning with the lemon water to help reset my digestive system.
The salad this week was a pre-made Southwest mix from Trader Joe’s. They were out of romaine hearts when I went grocery shopping. I went after work on a Wednesday, after staying until 6 pm. I knew it was probably gonna be slim pickings to go shopping in the evening, but I needed food. I grabbed a can of no salt added albacore tuna in water, I don’t like the texture of the tuna in oil, and some other groceries for meals this week. I made a quick tuna salad with one egg, kewpie mayo, Dijon mustard, and some spices to put on the salad mix. I also drizzled a bit of French dressing on it to help with the flavor and keep everything together. When it comes to salad mixes, I try to stay away from anything with cilantro in it. I am part of the group that thinks cilantro tastes like soap. I hate it and want to burn all of it. Also, not a fan of the texture. Just like parsley, I don’t think it adds anything but color to a dish. Unfortunately, the Southwest salad mix had cilantro in it. I didn’t notice it until I took a bite and got a mouth full of Dawn dish soap, ew! I had to power through. We don’t waste food in my house. Especially now that I have to be mindful of what I eat. I think I can get at least 3 meals out of the salad, so that’ll hold me until the next grocery run.
The one fast food joint that I have been craving is Cane’s. After some research, I found a few gluten free recipes to try. Being gluten-free doesn’t always mean you have to be healthy. I was a little relieved when I realized that. I could still have some guilty pleasures. I had to wait to make it, though. Trader Joe’s did not have gluten free breadcrumbs, so I ordered some from Amazon. I knew it wasn’t going to be the same as real Cane’s, but I miss the fries, chicken, sauce, and toast! I’m not brave enough to try to make the toast yet, but I could handle everything else. I’ll link the breadcrumbs at the bottom. Now, I’ve never fried chicken before, but why not start now? I set up 2 separate dishes. Seasoned gluten-free AP flour mixed with the breadcrumbs, and buttermilk with the same seasonings you added to the flour. Heat up about 4 cups of a neutral oil to 360 degrees F. Coat the chicken in the flour and breadcrumbs, then dip in the buttermilk, and back in the flour and breadcrumbs. Set them aside to rest for about 10 minutes. Once the oil is ready, place the chicken strips in the oil. I did 2 at a time so I would affect the temp of the oil or overcrowd the pan. I fried the first 2 for 7 minutes. That was a little too long. The color of the chicken was darker than I wanted. So the rest were fired for 5 minutes. They came out beautifully.
I made some oven-baked steak fries to go with the chicken. You quarter some russet potatoes, cover with olive oil, and season to your liking. Pop them in the oven at 425 degrees F for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through. I also mixed up some homemade Cane’s sauce. You can find any number of recipes online. This definitely satisfied my cravings! I’ll be making it again and might try different styles of fries to go with them. This is Celiac in the Crescent City signing off!
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