By Alison Rose Munn
It was a bit of a rough week ending with a torn MCL of the right knee and so a bit of comfort food was in order. One of my favorite appetizers – and one that friends often ask me to make for their gatherings – is bacon wrapped dates. I usually can’t eat these in restaurants as there are often hidden wheat ingredients used in their preparation. Soy sauce is often the culprit – an innocent sounding sauce but the second ingredient is wheat (soy comes after!). Luckily, gluten free soy sauces have been popping up in most grocery stores and very few people can tell the difference!
When I first started making these I made them in the oven (at 375 degrees). But it’s summertime and there is one in the backyard so I thought it would be fun to try to make them on the grill. Now, grilling for the gluten free does take some consideration. There is a high risk of cross contamination – from the grill rack to the grilling tools, to various sauces and spices. But just making a few adjustments and keeping cross contamination in mind can make for a safe, fun, delicious grilling experience for all.
I have been gluten free for many years now and still sometimes forget how easy cross contamination can be… Here’s a few tips for grilling gluten free:
- Designate the top rack as “gluten free only” and make sure it has been thoroughly washed if previously used. If you can, buy a mini travel-sized grill to designate as gluten free.
- Use tinfoil to create a barrier.
- Have designated “gluten free only” utensils – tongs, forks, knives, ushes, etc.
- Keep your hands clean - this is one of the easiest ways to cross contaminate foods and so easy to forget!
- Be careful about spilling/dripping marinades and sauces with gluten.
GOAT CHEESE STUFFED BACON WRAPPED DATES
Ingredients:
- 12 slices bacon
- 24 large Medjool dates
- 3 ounces goat cheese
- 1 tbsp honey
- ¼ pecans, chooped
- 24 wooden toothpicks
- ¼ cup gluten free soy sauce
- ½ cup own sugar
Directions:
- Slice the dates lengthwise along one side. Remove the pits.
- Combine cheese, pecans, and honey in a bowl. Stuff 1 tsp of the filling into the cavity of each date.
- Cut the bacon in half, crosswise. Wrap one slice around each date, secure with a toothpick.
- Combine the GF soy sauce and own sugar in a small bowl.
- Lay a sheet of foil over the grill grates and place the wraps in a single layer. Brush the wraps with the soy sauce and own sugar mixture (make sure you use a ush that has been designated “gluten free”!)
- Grill until the bacon starts to crisp then flip each wrap over using long handed tongs (make sure these have been designated “gluten free” or that they are thoroughly washed!). Brush the soy sauce and own sugar mixture over this side and grill until crispy.
- Enjoy!
