Cheese – Page 16 – The Celiathlete

February 14, 2013

Recipe: Gluten-Free Mac & Cheese Broccoli Bake

My friend Julie Sullivan is a saint. A saint, I tell you.

The other day, she posted this picture of her dinner…this amazing pasta-ish casserole, with the caption “Mac & Cheese Broccoli Bake.” Well, I was intrigued. I was drooling. Why? Because it looked absolutely fantastic, that’s why.

And…I did what any good hungry girl would do. I asked for the recipe.

She was kind enough to pass it on…as I wasn’t the only one begging for it. And she even mentioned how I could make it gluten-free. And, amazingly enough, I had everything I needed in my pantry and fridge. Gotta love that. So…after polishing off my Vegan Gumbo last night, I was set to cook up another fantastic meal to get me and my roommate through another couple of days.

Thanks to Julie…I did just that.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Mac & Cheese Broccoli Bake

Servings: 6
Time: Prep 30 minutes; Bake 20 minutes

Ingredients:

12oz uncooked twisted pasta (I used Bi-Aglut Fusilli)
2 1/2 c. uncooked broccoli
1 tsp salted butter (I used Smart Balance)
1/3 c. fresh bread crumbs (I used Katz Gluten-Free Bread Crumbs…because they ROCK!)
3 Tbsp. plus 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 1/2 c. skim milk (I substituted unsweetened almond milk)
1/3 c. all purpose flour (I used Hodgson Mills Gluten-Free Multi Purpose Flour)
1/2 c. onion, diced
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a shallow 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray (I used butter to grease it).

Cook pasta, adding broccoli to water for the last 3 minutes of cooking time. Drain and return to pot.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, add bread crumbs and cook until light golden brown. Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl, stir in 3 Tbsp of Parmesan cheese and set aside.

In same saucepan (can wipe clean easily) whisk together milk and flour, add onion. Bring to a boil over med-high heat, whisking often. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in cheese, mustard, salt and pepper.

Pour pasta and broccoli into baking dish, cover with cheese mixture, stirring to coat evenly. Top with breadcrumbs.

Bake until edges are bubbly, about 20-25 minutes.

~*~*~

Yes…it really is that easy. And even more…it really is that tasty. I was in love with the flavor and taste of this. Those breadcrumbs add an amazing texture and flavor to the entire dish. And while I didn’t get to use the cheese I had wanted and intended to use on this, the back-up plan worked out better than imagined (I like bold flavors and I had no extra sharp cheese to supplement when I found my original cheese plan had…gone bad). This was easy to throw together and allow to bake. The apartment smelled awesome.

And when my roomie and I sat down to taste…we devoured it. Honestly. It’s a good thing I pre-portion these meals out because I think we could have eaten the entire pan on our own…in one sitting. That is how much we raved about it.

So…again…thank you, Julie!

And now…to the rest of you…I encourage you to get cooking. This one is totally worth it.

February 10, 2013

Ian’s bakes up a crispy piece of Allergen-Friendly Cheesy Vegan French Bread Pizza

Product: Ian’s Gluten-Free/Dairy Free Cheesy Vegan French Bread Pizza – $6.99+

So…it’s National Pizza Pie Day.

Yep. I don’t mess around when it comes to holidays…and after a busy day on the go (with an amazing brunch, coffee, shopping, and a stop off for some crazy-good ice cream)…I came home for a bit to relax. And I knew…that despite the brunch and ice cream treat, my roommate and I were going to need something else for dinner.

And with it being National Pizza Pie Day…I had just the thing in mind.

Please note…I realize this is not actually a pizza “pie” per se…but it is…technically…a form of pizza.

Even better…it’s a form of pizza I can eat.

Now, I’ve done my share of sampling of gluten-free frozen pizzas since going gluten-free. Kind of. Normally, despite craving some gluten-free pizza at times, I don’t like paying an arm and a leg for a frozen gluten-free pizza. I’d rather go spend that money and get one done up right at a restaurant (like Mellow Mushroom or Uncle Madio’s where they take extra precautions with gluten-free pizza preparations). It would end up being about the same amount for the same amount of pizza actually. And if not, the quality is far better.

But, last weekend, my roommate told me she would buy me a gluten-free treat of my choice while we were roaming around Earth Fare, my favorite grocery store…ever. It took me a moment to ponder out what exactly I wanted to get with such a tempting offer. And after struggling with choosing between a sweet treat, gluten-free onion rings, gluten-free vegetable pot stickers…I finally decided to go with Ian’s Allergen-Friendly (no wheat, no gluten, no dairy, no casein, no soy, no eggs, no peanuts, no tree nuts) French Bread Pizza.

This is not a new product. Not at all. In fact, I’ve seen this product in the freezer section of my local grocery store since I had to go gluten-free…and always said I was going to try it. Unfortunately…the price just never was right and I couldn’t justify it in the end with my tight food budget. But…as a treat…it might be worth it. Especially if I needed a quick hit of pizza sometime.

Well, what better day to eat it than National Pizza Pie Day?

The box comes complete with two slices of gluten-free French bread that is topped off with a tomato sauce and Galaxy’s vegan mozzarella rice cheese. I wasn’t sure what to make of the product upon opening it. The frozen bread looked like any normal frozen pizza would have done. I wasn’t sure how well the “cheese” would do in the oven, but I preheated it to the 400°F the box suggested and placed each slice of bread onto a baking sheet. Into the oven it went for 23 minutes…but since my oven is a bit off…I let it go for 25 minutes before removing it.

Much to my surprise, the “cheese” melted beautifully over the slices of French bread. The tomato sauce was bubbly and the cheese was piping hot and gooey. In fact, some of it had even stuck to the pan. So, that was a nice surprise. Vegan cheese never melts this well lately (and trust me…I eat it all the time). The French bread crisped up to a beautiful golden color. That was a nice surprise!

So, I plated each slice, handed my roommate hers and went to retrieve mine. She was already digging in when I returned so I inquired as to what she thought. I mean, after all, she can eat any pizza whenever she wants. It’s me with the dietary restrictions.

“It’s yummy!” she said. So…I went ahead and took my first bite.

Despite the fact that I burned the roof of my mouth on the molten vegan cheese…I had to agree with her. This was a delicious bite of pizza. And so easy. I mean…for something frozen and out of a package…the flavor was amazing. I loved the crispy crunch the crust of the French bread gave each bite. And the the inner parts were soft and chewy, like a good pizza crust would be…without being doughy or overly chewy. The sauce was a non-entity and the “cheese” just gave it that pizza topping that was necessary for it to be a pizza. But…it was good. It was really good.

Each slice of bread contains 250 calories and 10 grams of fat. The sodium content is quite low, at only 220 mg per serving. And each slice offers up no cholesterol, no trans fat, and 3 grams of protein. Nice!

And despite being rather small in size, these slices of French bread pizza are definitely filling. I didn’t even need a salad or anything to eat with it. Perfect as a meal on its own and rather safe for basically any food allergy. It was only recently that Ian’s moved away from soy cheese, which was a fantastic choice in the end, opening this one up for people who have soy allergies. All the products Ian’s puts out contain no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives…ever!

I would definitely buy these again in a heartbeat. The crust was awesome…loving the crispy outside and soft inside. It wasn’t overwhelming with the amount of bread. The sauce and cheese were a great topping. And these were so easy to prepare and so delicious to devour.

Which is exactly what happened…while watching Moonraker on Blu-Ray.

Don’t judge.

There is no better way to spend Naitonal Pizza Pie Day than enjoying a gluten-free and vegan French Bread Pizza…from Ian’s.

Find it in your grocer’s freezer section…and give it a try yourself.

Ian's Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free Cheesy Vegan French Bread Pizza (baked) — Ian’s Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free Cheesy Vegan French Bread Pizza (baked)

February 6, 2013

Recipe: Gluten-Free Hearty Rice and Bean Vegan Nachos

Twas the day of the Super Bowl and I made my roomie one simple promise.

Nachos.

No…really. She had been craving nachos and I decided, despite us not watching the big game (instead we watched cooking shows…for real!), I told her Super Bowl Sunday would be the perfect day to break out some nachos for dinner. Of course, the one catch to me being the chef of the apartment is…I make them my way.

Thankfully…she’s quite okay with that…and words like gluten-free and vegan don’t phase her one bit.

I know…awesome!

So…after a major cleaning spree that day, I started to piece together our not-too-bad for you version of Super Bowl Snack Awesomeness. And we dug in while watching an Emeril Lagasse show on Vegetarian Main Dishes. I can’t make this up, friends!! This is a true story. But the best part of this story is…how awesome and filling these nachos turned out to be!

Recipe: Gluten-Free Hearty Rice and Bean Vegan Nachos

Servings: 2
Time: Prep 60 minutes; Cook 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice (I used Lundberg Family Farms)
5 ounces (about 6 1/2 cups) Tortilla Chips (I used Garden of Eatin’ Blue Corn Chips)
3/4 cup cooked no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained if canned
4 ounces Teese Nacho Vegan Cheese Sauce
1/4 cup milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
1 avocado, sliced
1 fresh Serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped (optional) (I roasted mine with my red pepper)
1 red pepper, roasted and chopped
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1/2 cup prepared salsa
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 lime

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Cook the brown rice according to package directions. While rice cooks, saute the onion in a small skillet and set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, add Teese Nacho Vegan Cheese Sauce and 1/4 cup milk. Stir together until creamy and sauce thickens. Add half of the roasted peppers.

Spread chips in a 9×13-inch baking dish and spoon rice over top. Sprinkle with black beans beans, onions, and the rest of the roasted peppers (red and Serrano). Bake until the nachos are very hot, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and add the avocado slices. Spoon the vegan nacho cheese over the nachos, add salsa, sprinkle with cilantro. Squeeze lime over the top.

Serve.

~*~*~

These were so amazing and delicious. I was so happy with the way this turned out. It was definitely the perfect food for Super Bowl Sunday. Nothing better than some junk food on a big game night, even if you are not watching the game. And as far as recipes go…this isn’t too bad for you. Packed with protein (thanks to the beans…and quinoa could be substituted for the rice), vegetables, and vegan cheese…it was guilt-free snack food for dinner.

And my roommate has already requested I make them again sometime.

I only take that as a good thing.

February 1, 2013

Glutino Cheddar Crackers are putting on the Ritz

Product: Glutino Cheddar Crackers – $5.49+

There was a time, a couple years ago, when I could still eat just about anything I wanted. One of my favorite crackers for years (up until I started cutting out food with High Fructose Corn Syrup in it) was Ritz Crackers. And, yes, my dear snacking friends…Ritz do, in fact, contain HFCS. BOOO!

But, then the whole needing to go gluten-free thing happened and Ritz Crackers became a distant memory anyway. Oh, sure, I missed that buttery, rich flavor of each bite of those soft crackers…but with gluten ingredients and HFCS…that was a recipe for disaster for me. Completely.

And so, my life continued on…without a snack cracker for a long time.

But then, the market on them sort of exploded. From Mary’s Gone Crackers to Crunchmaster to Schär to Blue Diamond…gluten-free snack crackers have made the ultimate comeback…in a variety of flavors, textures, and tastes. I’m rather particular when it comes to taste and, especially, texture. I like to have light crackers…nothing heavy or dense. I want the first bite to have a soft crunch, not something loud. In other words…I was searching for a gluten-free Ritz cracker.

Well…Glutino nailed it.

Honestly, they did. A while back, they released their line of various snack crackers (which they are currently adding to with two new flavors). Originally, these came in Original, Multigrain, Vegetable, and Cheese. When my local grocery store had their mega closeout on their gluten-free selection, I grabbed what they had. A box of Glutino Cheese Crackers and one box of Glutino Multigrain Crackers.

You guessed it…these found their way into the black hole of my pantry…up until I ran out of my current snack and consulted my pantry list to see what was up next. These crackers were. And I was pretty stoked about trying them.

A serving of Glutino Cheddar Crackers is 30 grams (I weigh mine out), or about 8 crackers. Nutritionally speaking, this sets you back 140 calories and 5 grams of fat. Sodium levels are very low, totally 180 mg per serving. And each serving has 2 grams of protein. Not too shabby for a snack cracker. This is comparable to Ritz…but less fat and more protein. Awesome.

But…the big test is on taste. This can make or break a product.

When it comes to Glutino Cheddar Crackers…I don’t so much as get bombarded by cheese flavor. It’s there…but it’s very light, almost like an accent to the cracker itself. These are not salted, which I prefer, so the taste has to stand up for itself. And yeah…these do make the cut. One bite and it was like I was back in my Ritz Cracker face-stuffing days. Honestly. These crackers are very light with a gentle crunch and buttery texture. And the flavor is so reminiscent of Ritz. I love how the cheddar flavor doesn’t overwhelm the cracker itself. But I also think that these are probably better enjoyed topped off with some sort of spread (be it cream cheese, cheese slices, cheese spread, salsa, etc.) They are good. Oh, yes…they are good.

Glutino has definitely been hitting the mark with their products and I only hope that this trend continues. If you happen to be hosting a party and need a gluten-free snack cracker for any hors d’oeuvres, these are a great choice. If you are looking for a healthier snack option than chips…these are a great choice. And if you just miss having those Ritz crackers…these are a great choice.

Well played, Glutino. Well played!

January 30, 2013

Pastariso is making gluten-free mac & cheese easy with instant meals

Pastariso Gluten-Free Instant Brown Rice Mac & Cheese Cup — Pastariso Gluten-Free Instant Brown Rice Mac & Cheese Meal

Product: Pastariso Gluten-Free Instant Brown Rice Mac & Cheese Meal – $2.99+

Before I had to go gluten-free, I admit it…I would indulge in an Easy Mac every now and again. I mean…mac and cheese is awesome, right? And Easy Mac meant that it was ready in seconds…straight from the microwave. Mmmm…just like the boxed stuff with the crazy neon cheese powder that somehow creams up and makes a decent enough mac and cheese.

Oh…there are days I would long for that simplicity, and other days I would mock it.

But then…while at the Gluten-Free Trading Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin…I came across something I hadn’t seen before. Anywhere.

A form of gluten-free Easy Mac. These little microwavable pasta bowls were made with white rice pasta and brown rice pasta. I chose brown rice pasta; my roomie went for the white rice pasta.

Pastariso is making the dine and dash meal easy for the gluten-free community. There are times, like on Mondays when I have to get home from work, eat something, and head out to Louisville for my fun run with my running store group, that I don’t have time to prepare something. Not even a gluten-free grilled cheese sandwich. No problem if you happen to be able to find the Pastariso Mac & Cheese Instant Meal Cups somewhere nearby.

Now, no store in my area carries these, which is one reason why I had to pick them up. And tonight…I sat down to enjoy mine.

Preparation is simple…just like Easy Mac. Pull off the paper lid and fill the cup with water to the line. Stir well. Pop into the microwave for 3 1/2 minutes. Well, most microwaves would have it ready in 3 1/2 minutes. Mine is from the 80s…so it usually takes longer. That was the case here. 6 minutes later and I was ready to sit down with a piping hot bowl of instant mac and cheese.

A little bit about these little treats…

The company that makes the instant mac and cheese meal cups is Maplegrove Gluten-Free Foods. They are a family owned business that specializes in gluten-free products. Even more interesting, Maplegrove is North America’s largest manufacturer of gluten-free pasta products. Their products are manufactured in a completely gluten-free environment and they personally guarantee high quality foods. That’s a lot for a small company. But they understand the importance of keeping gluten-free foods safe and delicious. Many of their employees are gluten-intolerant or have Celiac. This is not just a choice…it’s a mission…it’s dedication.

So…how was it? Once I got it heated enough so that the water absorbed into the noodles and the cheese became thicker and not just cheesy soup water…I settled in to actually try it. Well, needless to say…it was pretty good. It tasted sweet…and not as cheesy as I would have liked. But…it was decent enough for an instant meal. The powdered cheese in the water was really hard to stir, but it incorporated itself as it warmed in the microwave. Overall…I’d rather make mac and cheese from scratch…for for something quick…I’d eat this again.

That is if I could find it somewhere…around here…

The nutrition information isn’t too bad as far as pre-packaged, processed gluten-free pastas go. The entire cup is only 212 calories with 4 grams of fat. The sodium level is a little on the high side at 670 mg. And as for protein, this does deliver 6 grams in the serving. So…all-in-all…it’s not too bad on the nutrition front.

So, it’s nothing fantastic, but it’s a quick bite for those very busy days that all of us tend to have at some point or another. It’s like Easy Mac…you hate yourself for eating it…but sometimes it’s the only option you have.

That’s what Pastariso Instant Brown Rice Gluten-Free Mac & Cheese Cup is…a quick option that delivers on speed, but not so much on flavor. But gluten-free beggars can’t be choosers.

Pastariso Gluten-Free Instant Brown Rice Mac & Cheese Meal (cooked)

January 30, 2013

Annie May’s Sweet Café serves up Saturday breakfast with a gluten-free vegan breakfast sandwich to die for

Restaurant: Annie May’s Sweet Café, Louisville, Kentucky

One bite.

That was all it took to fall in love with Annie May’s Sweet Café.

And that was just based off a birthday cake my roommate got for me back in September. Since then…this little bakery/café has become one of my favorite places to stop in for something to eat. Especially on Saturday’s…because breakfast is being served! And yes…we all know how much of a breakfast fiend I am.

For a few blogs now, I have mentioned my breakfast adventures there. From the gluten-free waffles (now discontinued) to the gluten-free French toast to the delicious gluten-free donuts…cookies…cupcakes…you name it…it’s allergen-free/gluten-free…heaven. Especially for someone like me who developed food allergies as an adult and has to sometimes make do with things that are just not as good as the ‘real’ thing. Add to that the extra challenge of being a vegetarian first…and it makes up a recipe for culinary problems everywhere.

Not at Annie May’s Sweet Café in Louisville, Kentucky.

Very recently, Annie May’s added a new item to their breakfast menu. Breakfast sandwiches. Yep. You read that right. These breakfast sandwiches are composed of your choice of a protein on their own vegan/allergen-free bun and served with that day’s fresh fruit.

When I went in today, after a long 8 mile run, I was hungry. So, along with my usual gluten-free donut ($2.49), I ordered up one of the breakfast sandwiches. My choice: the Allergen-Free/Vegan “Sausage” and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich ($6.99). This sandwich is composed of a vegan sausage patty that is also gluten-free, created by a local gourmet burger truck called Grind. These vegan sausage patties are a housemade blend of spaghetti squash, chickpeas, lentils, onions, sage, and a red pepper spice blend. It’s perfect for these breakfast sandwiches. And they are GOOD!

My roommate decided to give the Bacon, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich ($7.99) a go this morning. So, we placed our orders, settled in at one of the tables and devoured our donuts while we anticipated the breakfast sandwiches.

Let me preface this by saying that this vegetarian hasn’t had a vegan/veggie sausage in a LONG time. Not since having to go gluten-free. Every single one in the freezer section of the grocery store has gluten ingredients in them. So, the fact that I was just about to enjoy my first vegan sausage patty in a long, long time made me stupidly excited. The “cheese” portion of this breakfast sandwich was Daiya Vegan cheese…one of my favorite brands. And the bun…is Annie May’s creation…delicious, golden, and soft on the inside with that crisp golden crust on the outside.

Breakfast heaven.

When this sandwich arrived at the table, I had to restrain myself from diving right in and devouring it. The donut had helped with the hunger…it just looked so amazing. I wanted to try it immediately. But, photos had to be taken first…so I did that as quickly as I could. Then, after eating the grapes that came with the breakfast sandwich, I reached the point of breakfast I had been looking forward to the most…

Allergen-Free/Vegan Breakfast “Sausage” and Cheese Sandwich time.

I lifted the sandwich up to my mouth and took my first bite. The vegan sausage is fantastic. All of those ingredients blend really well and you totally get a sausage-like flavor from it. I loved it. Honestly. The spaghetti squash does sometimes get stringy, but that happens sometimes with real sausage too. It was the perfect blend of vegetables, spices, and proteins. I loved it. The Daiya cheese was melted on top…a simple amount, nothing too overwhelming. It didn’t take away from the vegan sausage at all.

And that vegan/allergen-free bun…was the icing on the cake. Metaphorically speaking, of course. It was a gorgeous golden color, soft on the inside, a little flaky, and crusty on the outside. It was my favorite part of the breakfast sandwich to be honest. And coming from the girl who missed vegan sausage patties so much…that’s saying something. Think of the most perfect biscuit you have ever eaten. THAT…is what THIS tasted like. Kudos to you, Annie May’s Sweet Café, for this delicious bread for your Saturday morning breakfast menu. Let me tell you…I’m totally addicted to those rolls. I’d eat them with a schmear of Earth Balance, all hot and toasted and…mouth-watering good.

I’m so lucky to have Annie May’s Sweet Café in my backyard. Louisville, Kentucky is lucky to have them. As Kentucky’s only allergen-free bakery…they offer a lot of allergen-free/vegan treats for everyone. And you don’t have to be a vegan or gluten-free to enjoy these products. My roommate is neither and she loves coming here for breakfast and the occasional treat as much as I do.

I hope Annie May’s remains in business for a very long time. This place is a real gem and a much needed place for me, the allergic girl, here in Louisville, Kentucky.

Thanks for your delicious Saturday breakfasts, Annie May’s. Maybe one of these days…I’ll skip breakfast and come in for your Saturday pizza. Yeah…that’s next on the list.

Annie May's Sweet Café Allergen-Free/Vegan — Annie May’s Sweet Café Allergen-Free/Vegan “Sausage” and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich

January 30, 2013

Recipe: Gluten-Free BBQ Mushroom Sliders

I don’t know what I did before Pinterest. Honestly.

Last week, I was surfing around on my favorite time-suck and came across a delightful recipe for sliders…but instead of meat, these were portobello mushroom sliders. Oooooh. They looked absolutely fantastic too. Seasoned, covered in melted cheese, caramelized onion, avocado…and dripping with barbeque sauce.

*mouth waters*

So, when the crimini mushrooms I received in my CSA bin turned out to be freakishly large…I thought to myself, “Hey…I bet I can make those sliders out of these.”

The only thing I lacked would be gluten-free slider-sized buns, which I solved by baking up my own from a bread mix I had in my pantry. WINNING!

With that taken care of…I set out to make this recipe up for a light dinner after a very busy day out and about. And the results…were epic. Delicious. And I wish I had made more than just two sliders each for myself and my roommate because these were beyond super yummy. They were mushroom slider epic wonders of culinary proportions.

The original recipe came from the blog How Sweet It Is. I just adapted it to fit my dietary needs and the ingredients I had on hand.

Recipe: Gluten-Free BBQ Mushroom Sliders

Servings: 6
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Cook 20 minutes

Ingredients:

6 baby portobello stuffing mushrooms (I used really large crimini mushrooms)
6 slider buns (I made my own, gluten-free, using Chebe Gluten-Free All Purpose Bread Mix)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, sliced
2-3 ounces Gouda, sliced into squares (I used Veggie Slices Pepper Jack Flavored)
1 avocado, sliced
1/2 cup BBQ sauce, for drizzling and dipping (I used Stubbs Original BBQ Sauce)

Directions:

Heat a skillet on medium-low heat and add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.

Add sliced onions with a pinch of salt and let caramelize, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, then turn off heat and set aside.

While onions are caramelizing, brush mushrooms with remaining olive oil and sprinkle both sides with pepper, paprika, onion and chili powder. Heat a skillet ( or a grill) on medium heat and cook until mushrooms are juicy and tender – about 5 minutes on each side. With 1-2 minutes remaining, add a slice of cheese on top to melt.

Assemble sliders by placing the mushroom on the bun, then top with onions, avocado, and a hefty drizzle of bbq sauce.

~*~*~

Yeah…it doesn’t get much easier than that. And the fact of the matter is…these are super-delicious. Honestly. I was blown away by how amazing these were. They were that perfect level of balance in flavor and the mushroom was definitely the star of the dish. The avocado was a nice addition and when mixed with the caramelized onions, the cheese, and the sauce…it made for one of the best vegetarian sandwiches I have had to date. And…this was definitely my first vegetarian and gluten-free slider dish.

I’d make this again in a heartbeat. No questions asked. Packed with flavor and not heavy like regular sliders can be. That’s the joy of using mushrooms. Delicious, light, and just filling enough.

Dinner perfection.

January 28, 2013

Chebe Gluten-Free All Purpose Bread Mix slides in just short of really good gluten-free bread

Product: Chebe Gluten-Free All Purpose Bread Mix – $3.29+

You know…I raved once, almost two years ago, I believe, about Chebe Cheese Bread Mix. I had made up the little breaded balls of goodness to accompany a pasta dinner I was preparing for a friend who was coming for the weekend. Much to my delight…Greg (the guest), my roommate, and I all loved the taste, texture, and fluffiness these had.

So, Chebe rose to the top of my gluten-free go-to’s. Even though I didn’t really purchase anything further of the brand until my local grocery store put their entire gluten-free section on closeout. Picture me in panic mode as I grabbed a huge shopping cart and began tossing items I had wanted to try, but never got the chance to, into my cart for the reduced price.

One such product was Chebe Gluten-Free All Purpose Bread Mix.

The great thing about Chebe Gluten-Free All Purpose Bread Mix is how allergen friendly it is. Not only is it gluten-free, but it is also soy free, corn free, rice free, potato free, yeast free, peanut free, tree nut free, egg free (unless you use it in the mix instead of egg substitute), lactose/casein free, iodine free, and sugar free. This mix is also non-GMO and certified kosher!

Well, my pantry is quite full of numerous mixes and delicious things to try. So, this just sort of sat. But with the expiration date fast approaching…it was time to give them a shot. And, I was thinking something light and savory for dinner. So, I hit up Pinterest and found a recipe for BBQ Portobello Sliders. Now, I didn’t have portobello mushrooms, but had rather large crimini ones in my fridge from my CSA bin. I had the rest of the ingredients too. What I lacked was the most obvious part of the slider…the slider buns.

Then…it dawned on me that I had this mix in my pantry…and it was getting close to the time it needed to be used up. So, out it came and I got to work on making up my own little gluten-free slider buns.

Slider buns made from Chebe Gluten-Free All Purpose Bread Mix

This was a simple process. Following the instructions on the box, I simply poured the bread mix into a bowl, added two eggs and 2 tablespoons of olive oil…mixed that together…then slowly added exactly 1/4 cup of water. Once that was all incorporated and blended, I kneaded the dough with my hands until it was smooth and all one large lump of bread dough.

And here is where I went off script. The rest of the recipe created 4 sandwich buns…but I wanted slider buns. So I made 10 little rolls out of the lump of bread, flattened them down into little round disks like the recipe said, and brushed each one with olive oil. I then put it in my oven at 375° F for about 25 minutes and allowed them to bake.

When time was up, I removed them from the oven and allowed them to cool on the baking sheet while I prepared the mushrooms, caramelized the onions, and sliced an avocado.

First of all, I was hoping these would crisp into a beautiful golden-brown…but they never quite did. They looked anemically pale. It was a bit off-putting, but…that was the last of my problems. The mix, prior to putting everything together was a very white, very thin powder. That being said, this Chebe mix is made up simply of tapioca powder, modified tapioca starch, cream of tartar, sea salt, and sodium bicarbonate. You can add cheese to the mix, but I didn’t…as the sliders were going to have cheese on them. Still, with the brushing of olive oil…one would think there would still be some golden crust forming.

That was the first disappointment. The second disappointment was that they really didn’t puff up much. The flat little disks of dough rose only slightly in the heat of the oven. So…these made for very flat slider buns.

Finally…the third disappointment was…the taste. Not that these tasted bad…they just weren’t light and soft like the Cheese Bread that I made from Chebe. This dough wasn’t too dense, but it was definitely not soft and squishy like a slider bun should be. It just felt…wrong. The flavor was fine…but it was the texture that was just all wrong for me this time. It just didn’t work.

But…I went ahead and sliced the flat rolls in half (as best I could) and filled them up with my mushroom caps, vegan cheese slices, caramelized onions, avocados and a drizzle of barbeque sauce and used them for the purpose I baked them up for. It wasn’t bad. I just wish they had been softer and a bit fluffier.

That being said, I have six more rolls in my fridge that I’ll use up tomorrow by making breakfast slider sandwiches. I am kind of sad about the way this mix turned out, because I have raved about Chebe in the past and was really hoping for that trend to continue. Sadly…this one failed to win me over.

Maybe, with some convincing, I’ll give another mix a try. But this one…won’t find it’s way into my pantry again any time soon.

BBQ Mushroom Sliders sandwiched between buns made from Chebe Gluten-Free All Purpose Bread Mix

January 24, 2013

Recipe: Crispy Baked Parmesan Green Bean Fries

As a vegetarian, I am always looking for new and different ways to eat vegetables. That’s more than true these days since I began receiving a CSA bin of fresh, organic, local produce from my area. Finding a new way to prepare a favorite vegetable is always fun and I’ve been enjoying playing with new techniques and recipes.

And…thanks to the magic and wonder of Pinterest…I stumbled across this recipe. It was originally posted by Dashing Dish…and it truly caught my eye. Well, I made it tonight and couldn’t have been happier with it. A little crispy, a little savory, a little salty…and lots of yummy.

Recipe: Crispy Baked Parmesan Green Bean Fries

Servings: 4
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Bake 20 minutes

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh whole green beans (or 1 14 ounce bag of frozen whole green beans)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/8 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with foil, and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

If using frozen green beans, pop the bag of green beans in the microwave for 3-4 minutes, or until just de-thawed (or you could leave them out at room temperature for a few hours). If using fresh green beans, wash and snip off the ends.

Place green beans on prepared baking pan, making sure they are evenly spread out, and none are laying on top of each other, (this will ensure even crispiness!) Sprinkle seasonings and Parmesan cheese evenly over green beans.

Place green beans in the pre-heated oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy! (To make them extra crispy, broil them for an extra 1-2 minutes before pulling them out of the oven).

Enjoy immediately with low sugar ketchup or dipping sauce of choice.

~*~*~

Taking that whole enjoy with a dipping sauce of choice, I whipped up a simple vegan Sriracha aoili…and it went with these fries perfectly. Mine didn’t crisp up as much as I hoped, but I was also baking gluten-free/vegan no chicken nuggets in the oven as well, which took some of the heat source away from the green beans. Regardless…these were amazing and fantastic…and I intend to make them again tomorrow with the other half of the green beans from my CSA bin. Yeah…they were that good.

Perfect healthy side dish for any meal, honestly. What better way to serve your veggies?

January 15, 2013

The Really Great Food Company mixes up really great gluten-free Spinach Cheese Biscuits

Product: The Really Great Food Company Gluten-Free Spinach Cheese Biscuit Mix – $6.19+

You know…when a gluten-free company goes all out and calls itself The Really Great Food Company, well, they better be able to back up that claim. That being said, I had never heard of said company prior to a little visit to Milwaukee and a stop inside the Gluten-Free Trading Company. If you are ever in Milwaukee, do stop in. It’s a completely gluten-free grocery store. And it is awesome!!

Anyway, on my second visit there in two days, I was stocking up on more goodies for the gluten-free pantry at home and came across a few mixes that were produced by The Really Great Food Company. Huh. I was actually intrigued because this was something I couldn’t get where I lived.

After toiling over which product to try, my roommate and I finally decided that the Spinach and Cheese Biscuit mix sounded like it could be an epic win (or an epic fail), so we went with that. Purchase made. And a lot of products to go through in my pantry prior to this one meant…it sat…and sat…and sat. Until last night.

You see…our workout schedule runs so that we go to the gym every other day. Well, this week it just happens to be a Monday, Wednesday, Friday sort of week. And after hitting up the gym, we head to our office and I nuke something I brought (homemade or otherwise) for us to feast on because by then we are truly starving. Since this mix was getting close to expiration, this is what I mixed up and baked up for post-workout brekkies this week.

Now, the box itself says that it only makes 9 biscuits. Heh. I managed to get 13 out of it. And as these are not made in traditional biscuit methods (not drop biscuits or cooked up in a pan), but rather made in muffin tins…they seem more like a roll than a biscuit…but this is just me nitpicking every little detail.

The Really Great Food Company Gluten-Free Spinach Cheese Biscuit Mix (mixed and prepped with cheese and spinach)

Making these was super easy. In a bowl, I beat together 2 eggs, some canola oil, and some unsweetened almond milk. From there, I the mix itself and beat that in as well. Then, the spinach, chopped cheddar cheese, and shredded Parmesan cheese all got folded into the mix. The resulting mixture was then placed into muffin tins and baked in a 375°F oven for about 27 minutes.

Now, if possible, I do try to bake an extra item of the new product I am trying out…just in case it isn’t any good. Because, after a hard workout, the last thing you want to find out is that your breakfast is nasty. Not good. That being said, I put it to the test, as always, with my roommate. I gave her the 13th biscuit and eagerly awaited her reaction.

“Pretty good.”

Hmmm…pretty good is not what I strive for when I bake something up. But she wasn’t spitting it out making obscene facial expressions, so…pretty good would have to do. The rest of the biscuits/rolls were put into containers and prepped for our three gym days this week.

After hitting the gym this morning, we arrived very hungry at the office. I set to the task of getting our breakfasts ready. Here was the first snag. Apparently I needed to spray down the muffin papers I baked them in because I found that the wrappers stuck to the product itself. Booo. But, this wouldn’t be the first time I encountered that…so I set to work, carefully peeling and making sure I was getting mostly paper and not mostly biscuit. Once I accomplished that task, it was a simple reheat in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Good to go.

When I asked my roomie her thoughts on the biscuits, she said, “I like the cheese.”

Again…not very helpful or useful for my blog…so…here’s my rundown…

The Really Great Food Company knows how to make biscuits! Honestly. What shocked me most was that, despite being filled with chunks of cheddar cheese and slices of spinach, these biscuits aren’t dense in the slightest. They are light and airy. And the Parmesan cheese that was added to the batter melted down into the biscuits as they baked, giving each bite a cheesy flavor. Get a bite with a chunk of cheddar and it’s like cheese nirvana in your mouth. Light…fluffy…and delicious. I couldn’t stop eating mine. I had two biscuits for breakfast and they were devoured faster than I’ve eaten anything on a gym day. Every bite just tasted amazing. From the spinach to the cheese to the light batter itself, this biscuit was gluten-free perfection.

My only regret now is that I can’t find this brand around here. Thankfully, they do have a Web site and you can order their products online. And, trust me, I think I may do that…see what else they offer and if it lives up to the standard these biscuits have now set.

Gluten-free doesn’t have to mean heavy, dense breads. Nope. The Really Great Food Company proved once and for all that even something as simple as a biscuit/roll can have a light, airy texture and tons of flavor. I’m really, really hooked. The hard part now will be saving them specifically for gym days.

It may sound cheesy (heh heh…see what I did there?) but these biscuits truly are a gluten-free culinary work of art. If you can find the mix…purchase it and bake it. If you can order it online, I encourage you to do so. I was beyond impressed.

I was wowed!

The Really Great Food Company Spinach Cheese Biscuits