Cheese – Page 7 – The Celiathlete

July 28, 2014

Product Review: Russo’s Gluten Free Gourmet Tiramisu

Product Review: Russo’s Gluten Free Gourmet Tiramisu – $5.99+

Oh, great and wonderful and powerful (because you keep drawing me in) Raisin Rack natural food store in Columbus, Ohio. I love you. I love you in so many ways I can’t even begin to count them. And one of the many reasons I love you is that your extensive gluten-free section offers me A LOT of options I can’t get here in Louisville, Kentucky…or anywhere else for that matter. Seriously…there are some items I have never even heard of…and then I head up to Columbus to visit my friend Jenn…and BAM…I am educated on products that are out on the market that I didn’t even know existed.

After making about 10 laps of the gluten-free aisles and filling up my basket (actually, I behaved and didn’t fill it up…no need to Tetris anything this time)…I made one final decision before checking out. And that was for dessert. After all, Cathy, Jenn and I were cooking Italian that night (gluten-free pasta with gluten-free foccacia), so I figured…despite having made a delicious homemade buttermint ice cream…we might as well keep with the Italian theme. So…I went back to the freezer section and pulled the Russo’s Gluten Free Gourmet Tiramisu from the shelf. Into the basket. Up to the register. Into a bag. Back to Jenn’s. I put it in the fridge to let it thaw…and dinner time came and went and I was so ready to dive into dessert. I mean…I don’t get to have tiramisu that often. In fact…I never get to. So this was indeed a nice treat and one I was looking forward to.

I had pulled the box out of the refrigerator to let it thaw the rest of the way while we ate dinner. And when dinner was appropriately devoured…it was time to work on dessert. And I was super excited about the Russo’s Gluten Free Gourmet Tiramisu, which was suddenly on the menu. And I was not alone. Jenn is Italian…and she knows good tiramisu. And I couldn’t wait to get her thoughts on this. Cathy doesn’t do tiramisu too often, so she’s sort of a non-entity in this review…because Jenn is an expert and I’m a fan. So…after clearing the table…I opened up the box, removed the container with the tiramisu…and eagerly and carefully popped the lid.

And…the entire top layer stayed on the lid. Well…crap.

Oh well…I went to Jenn’s silverware drawer and pulled out a knife to see if I could salvage that layer of dusted cocoa. I gave it my best shot, so, the top of the tiramisu isn’t as pretty as it should be…however…as Jenn always says…it still tastes the same. So…I just sort of incorporated the cocoa dusted layer over the fluffy mascarpone cheese layer as best I could…then split the delicate dessert into thirds. This dessert is actually meant for two people, but there were three of us…so we had ice cream with it. HA!

Anyway…the layers were soft and light as my butter knife sliced through it. The dessert itself was easy to lift out of the little plastic container it had been frozen in. A little messy…but workable. Desserts are good to be messy. It’s just means more opportunities to lick the plate clean. We all settled in with our forks and plates with the layered dessert of ladyfingers dipped in coffee, mascarpone cheese and cocoa…and took our first bites.

Cathy, as I said, is excluded from this review of the Russo’s Gluten Free Gourmet Tiramisu as she isn’t a tiramisu person. That being said, she loved the fluffy layer of mascarpone cheese. She said she could take or leave the ladyfingers. EH. Whatever. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Jenn, however, is a tiramisu expert. And both she and I hoovered this slice of gluten-free Italian dessert heaven without so much as a breath, I think. We both agreed that the ladyfingers were moist and soft and good. The mascarpone layer was so light and fluffy, whipped up to perfection. The espresso flavor was sort of lost…we both said that we were sort of looking for that coffee flavor, but overall, Jenn said she never would have guessed it was gluten-free if she hadn’t found it for me in the freezer. HA!

There you go. I’m a huge fan. And now I want to try more and more from Russo’s Gluten-Free Gourmet. And it seems like they have quite a few items I might consider next time I’m at Raisin Rack.

Let’s talk about what goes into Russo’s Gluten Free Gourmet Tiramisu, shall we? The ingredients are gluten-free lady fingers (made from rice flour, corn starch, rice extracts, tapioca dextrin, and xanthan gum) mascarpone cheese, whole eggs, sugar, cocoa powder, espresso, and cognac. Simple ingredients for sure. And I recognize each and every one of them. That’s a plus. Interestingly enough, this is a family owned and operated company that dedicates itself to gluten-free products with exceptional quality. They are certainly doing their job right. This was fantastic.

A serving size of the Russo’s Gluten Free Gourmet Tiramisu is 1/2 of the container (or 4 ounces). A proper serving will provide you with 160 calories and 11 grams of fat. Yeah…it’s worth every gram. You will also be taking in 85 mg cholesterol, 30 mg sodium, and 9 grams of sugar. I’m impressed by the sugar count, as I thought it would be higher for such a decadent dessert. But…it’s actually in a decent range. Finally, you will be consuming 1 gram of fiber and 4 grams of protein.

Honestly, this was one very rich, moist, light, amazing dessert. I am beyond impressed with my introduction into the lineup of products from Russo’s Gluten Free Gourmet. This more than solidifies the fact that I will pick up other items by their company and try them out next time. I’m already thinking dinner will be gluten-free mozzerella sticks. And pizza bites. Yep. Both. Because…why the hell not? Beyond enthusiastic. Beyond surprised. Just…totally blown away by this dessert. Add a bit more of that coffee flavor and it would be absolute tiramisu perfection.

Well done, Russo’s Gluten Free Gourmet. Well done!

July 28, 2014

Product Review: Domata Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix

Gluten Free Foccacia Bread made with Domata Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix

Product: Domata Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix – $7.99+

It’s no secret…I love pizza. Pizza, to me, is the perfect food. Honestly. Some people would probably disagree…but, I ignore them. Because every thing that is right and good in this world…can happen on a pizza. Pizza is a basic staple in my diet, especially the night before a big race. I just have found that if I eat pizza before a half marathon or marathon (or, hell, even the shorter distances), I seem to run better. I don’t know if it’s all just in my head, or if I have found that magic food that offers that perfect balance of protein, carbs, and fats that fuel my body on the long run.

Regardless…I love my pizza. I love to make pizza and order pizza. Around here, there are quite a few places in Louisville, Kentucky that offer gluten-free pizza. And I love them for that. On this side of the river, options are definitely more limited. Therefore, I usually end up making my own (on the best gluten-free pizza crust ever…from Annie May’s Sweet Cafe – here in Louisville, Kentucky) or purchasing a frozen one (usually Udi’s, Ian’s, Glutino, or even Daiya). That’s if I’m not planning on pizza that day. Otherwise, I normally will head to Annie May’s Sweet Café on Friday or Saturday (pizza day’s) or hit up one of the restaurants around the area that offer gluten-free pizza…but I have to feel safe eating there, and that narrows down the possibilities.

That being said, on a recent trip to Columbus, Ohio, I made a stop by the infamous natural food store I have come to love…Raisin Rack. In the aisle with various baking flours, I spotted this red and white box with bold black lettering. It really stuck out and, therefore, it drew my attention. It turned out to be the Pizza Crust Mix from Domata, a company owned by David and Julie Madison, who understand how difficult a gluten-free diet can be, and also believe in the importance of affordable gluten-free foods. They kept this in mind when they created their gluten-free flour mixes: Recipe Ready Flour, Pizza Crust Mix, and their Seasoned Flour. These flours are easy to work with too. The recipe ready is a cup-for-cup exchange on all recipes and the pizza crust mix…well…I’ll get into that. These products are made in a dedicated gluten-free and nut-free manufacturing facility, so there is no worries about cross contamination. And Domata does pride itself on using all natural ingredients with nothing artificial. I appreciate that too.

Ironically, I didn’t use this mix to make pizza crust. Not this time, anyway. This time, I used it to make the recipe for Gluten Free Foccacia Bread that is listed on the box. Because, I was in Columbus, Ohio, visiting my friend Jenn…and we were making pasta for dinner. Foccacia bread is a great side to have with gluten-free pasta…so that evening, after a busy day of shopping around town (and hitting up Raisin Rack for more goodies), she and I got busy in her kitchen, prepping this super-easy recipe for gluten-free foccacia.

The great thing about the Domata Gluten Free Pizza Drust Mix is that all you need to do is add water. It’s that simple. Put it in a mixer and blend the dough. It will be sticky. That’s why you turn it out onto a floured surface. Jenn and I skipped this step because…eh…we didn’t want to mess with it. So, using our oiled fingers, we spread the dough out in the baking pan and gave it a little brush of olive oil and seasoned it with the garlic powder and dried oregano that the recipe on the box suggests. Super simple. Into the oven it went to bake for 20 minutes. We started to prep the water to cook the gluten-free noodles in and got out the marinara sauce for the noodles and, of course, to mop up with the bread. When the noodles were in, the bread came out to get a dusting of Parmesan cheese…then it was back in the oven for another 5 minutes. The noodles finished up. They were drained and properly sauced (the Italian way), and dished up. The bread was set on the table to rip into (instead of slicing it into strips) as we wanted to get as much as we wanted. Dinner was served.

I have to say…I was very impressed with the quality and flavor of the Foccacia bread that we baked with the Domata Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix. It wasn’t too heavy or dense and it browned up beautifully. The herbs that we scattered throughout the dough and on top brought a nice pop of flavor. And the bread itself was airy and light, rather than the kind that feels heavy and sits like a lump in your stomach. The crispy outside gave way to a soft middle, which was bread perfection, if you ask me. I have enough of the mix left to do a pizza crust with and I think I might do that sometime this week or next…just to see how well it works in pizza crust form. But as a flour to make Gluten Free Foccacia bread…Domata totally wins. It was delicious!

When Domata exclaims that “life is hard enough, baking gluten free shouldn’t be”…they hit the nail on the head. This flour requires no time to rise. It’s straight from the mixer to the pan to the oven to the table to the plate to the stomach. It is fantastic and so easy!! We all (me…the Celiac, and my two non-gluten-free compatriots, Cathy (the roomie) and Jenn (the hostess with the mostest!)) agreed that it made a very tasty and highly acceptable loaf of gluten-free foccacia bread. Definitely impressed with the flavor, the lightness, and the texture. I’d purchase this again in a heartbeat. I mean, come on…you just add water!!!! It doesn’t get easier than that!

So, let’s talk ingredients for a moment. The Domata Gluten Free Pizza Dough Mix is a blend of rice flour, corn starch, tapioca dextrim, nonfat dry milk, whole egg, sugar, salt, xanthan gum, baking powder, soybean oil, and rice extract. It is gluten-free, nut-free, and kosher.

Nutritionally speaking, a serving of Domata Gluten Free Pizza Dough Mix is 1/4 cup. In this serving you will be taking in 150 calories and 1.5 grams of fat. This serving will also be giving you 30 mg cholesterol, 460 mg sodium, and 2 grams of sugar. In addition, you will be taking in 1 gram of fiber and 3 grams of protein. Not bad for a pizza crust or pan of foccacia bread, right? Especially when it’s gluten-free. Because so often the calories and fat go way, way, way up in gluten-free items such as this.

Impressive!

I am definitely more than willing to try the other two flours and purchase the Domata Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix again. Honestly. I was impressed with how easy it was to make the bread with and how delicious each bite turned out to be. If this holds true for their Seasoned Flour and their Recipe Ready Flour…you might just have me sold on it for life…simply for simplicity. HA!! But let’s not forget, it also bakes up into something amazing and totally delicious. I want to make more foccacia bread. I want to make pizza crust. I just want to bake it all and see how this flour fares against others I have used…including my current favorite.

Only time will tell…but this was a winning flour mix in my book!

July 21, 2014

Recipe: Roasted Garlic, Cheddar and Chive Biscuits

This spring, my roommate and I decided to take on a new challenge. This challenge was…we were going to see if we could…possibly…grow our own herbs. We actually picked up a little kit from a local store that gave us five different herbs to grow. Sadly, the cilantro and the parsley didn’t quite survive the first wave of heat and humidity, despite our best efforts. This left us with chives, basil and oregano. So far…they’ve been doing well. The break in the hot summer weather has worked in favor for those three herbs, at least.

Well, the chives were getting a bit crazy and I was informed by the roomie that we needed to use them. And I know how she loves biscuits. Does she ever love biscuits…

So I promised her that I would make her some biscuits that included chives in some way, shape or form. I also know that she loves cheese and she loves garlic. I found a base recipe for some flaky biscuits on a blog called Whole and Heavenly Oven…and then made my own adjustments to make it work within my own diet restrictions. I will note that I didn’t roast my own garlic. I had a jar of roasted garlic in my fridge, so I used about 2 tablespoons of the garlic instead of roasting a head of garlic myself. But, roasting garlic is easy and I’ll include those instructions from the original recipe in case you don’t have the jar of roasted minced garlic like I did.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Roasted Garlic, Cheddar and Chive Biscuits

Servings: 20
Time: Prep 50 minutes; Bake 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 small head of garlic, top cut off*
1/2 teaspoon olive oil*
4-1/2 cups flour (I used Better Batter Gluten-Free All Purpose)
4 teaspoons coconut sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
1-1/4 cups cold butter, cubed (Earth Balance is a great non-dairy option)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (Diaya is great for a non-dairy option)
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
2 cups buttermilk (I used unsweetened almond milk)*NOTE: If you are using the jarred minced roasted garlic, you don’t need these ingredients.

Instructions:

If you are roasting your own garlic, preheat the oven to 400°F. Place garlic in a small baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Cover with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until garlic is soft. Cool slightly then finely chop. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Using a pastry cutter, or your fingers, work in cold butter, shredded cheese, chives, and chopped roasted garlic until crumbly.

Pour buttermilk over all and gently stir until a shaggy clump of dough forms.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and gently knead until dough is smooth.

Pat dough into a 3/4 in circle. Using a biscuit cutter, cut out biscuit shapes and place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Keep doing this until all the dough is used up.

Bake biscuits at 400°F for 15-18 minutes, or until lightly golden. Cool on wire cooling racks.

Store biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

~*~*~

Much to my delight (and I admit…surprise), what emerged were these golden, flaky, amazing biscuits. My roommate had one hot from the oven and she raved about the flavors. These will be part of our breakfast lineup this week for certain. I already scrambled up eggs and placed between a sliced biscuit with some greens for breakfast this morning. HUGE win on the breakfast front. I will definitely be making these again!

July 21, 2014

Product Review: Gardein Gluten-Free Garden Veggie Burger

Product: Gardein Gluten-Free Garden Veggie Burger – $5.49+

I remember, back in the days before I was diagnosed as a Celiac, I was simply a vegetarian. And as a vegetarian, I often would pick up different meat alternatives to try out for dinner. One of my favorite brands I would return to was Gardein. Gardein was a company that began with a simple dream – to use the power of vegetables to create healthy fast food. It was something the CEO and the company did very well. In fact, Gardein products are now served in various restaurants, including numerous restaurants at the Wynn in Las Vegas.

I do, however, remember and even recall someone asking…and did so myself…after I had to go gluten-free…for Gardein to consider making gluten-free products. The original response those three years ago was that taking the vital wheat gluten out of the products would jeopardize the integrity of said product. Therefore…no go. In fact, so many of the vegetarian/vegan meat companies took that stance. And for a long while, a vegetarian meat product didn’t cross my lips. Sure, there were a few options I tried and some that I liked. But none were like the ones I used to devour every week.

Until…

Gardein announced that it had some gluten-free products coming out to the market. And lo and behold, my newest local grocery store in the Louisville area happened to have some of these products. I have a CSA bin that gave me TONS of leafy greens this week. So, I figured it would be a good time to perhaps make up some veggie burgers. I was pretty set on one of my standards…Hillary’s Eat Well or Qrunch or something along those lines. But as I was passing by the freezer section in Lucky’s…there they were…a beacon of refrigerator light shining down upon them as if they were a gift from the gluten-free gods themselves.

Gardein’s Gluten-Free Veggie Burgers. In fact, there were a couple of different varieties to choose from: Garden Veggie Burger and a Chipotle Black Bean Burger. My roomie and I actually swear there was a gluten-free beefless burger there as well. Honestly! Not just the Beefless Ground. But I can’t find anything on that on their Web site. But…trust me…we saw it because it was in the running to come home with us.

Gardein Gluten-Free Garden Veggie Burgers (cooking)

Anyway…dinner time tonight meant…veggie burger time. Gluten-free veggie burger time. So, I started up the oven to cook the remaining sweet potato fries to go with the burgers and then pulled out my skillet to get it heated up. The Gardein Garden Veggie Burgers were taken out of the freezer and I carefully (NOT!) pried them apart with a sharp knife so I could have two of the four in the package. Then, I placed a bit of coconut oil in my skillet, let it melt, then put the patties down to cook. The bag said it would take around 4 minutes on each side. This was perfect. I got my gluten-free hamburger buns (Rudi’s Gluten Free Multigrain Hamburger Rolls, in case you were wondering!) out, sliced, and put in the oven to toast. Then, I flipped the veggie burgers over to get the other side cooking as well. As things were finishing up, I sliced a tomato, rinsed some of the lettuce I had in my crisper drawer, and got out some vegan cheese to melt over the top of the patty. As the fries finished up and the buns finished toasting, I placed a cheese slice on each patty, tossed a bit of water into the skillet, and then covered it so that the steam would perfectly melt the cheese.

As that was happening, I placed some condiments on each bun, then got the lettuce placed onto the bun itself. I removed the Gardein Garden Veggie Patties from the skillet and let them sit (per instructions) for one minute. Then I placed them patty over the lettuce, topped it off with the tomato and the top of the bun and VIOLA…dinner was served…with a side of sweet potato fries!

Settling in for dinner, I was really looking forward to trying a new brand of veggie burger. Especially since it was from a brand I used to trust as a vegetarian. They definitely didn’t disappoint. Whatever integrity Gardein thought it would lose by making gluten-free products…didn’t happen. Honestly. The Gardein Garden Veggie Burger was amazing. It was perfectly crusted on the outside, but the inside was soft and bound together with real vegetables, brown rice, and oats. I loved that I could not only take a bite of the burger and have it taste like a real burger…but I also got a bit of a serving of vegetables (corn, peas, peppers). I could see the brown rice cooked throughout and giving the patty some depth of flavor and a bit of volume and density. This burger was a very good size too…no skimping by Gardein. I loved seeing that. And it had a great, almost nutty and fresh taste to it. It was love at first bite with me. And I am happily assigning this the top spot on my gluten-free veggie burger list. Yes…it really is that amazing and that good. And…it will actually fill you up!

Now that I’ve mentioned that…I might as well get down to the ingredients and nutrition, yes? Yes!

Gardein Gluten-Free Garden Veggie Burgers are made from water, cooked brown rice, roasted vegetables (non-GMO corn, red and green bell peppers), carrots, onions, gluten-free rolled oats, peas, non-GMO expeller pressed canola oil, non-GMO soy protein concentrate, modified vegetable gum, dehydrated garlic, organic cane sugar, onion powder, sea salt, spices, yeast extract, natural flavors (contains gluten-free soy sauce), paprika, citric acid. Simple ingredients…but huge flavor. These burger patties are gluten-free, vegan, kosher, and non-GMO.

Nutritionally speaking, I am so in love with these stats, you just can’t imagine. So often, the gluten-free veggie burgers are laden in calories and fat. I guess it’s just how the companies try to make up for it being (GASP!) gluten-free. But Gardein turned out one fantastic product and managed to do it and keep both calories and fat in check. A serving of the Gardein Gluten-Free Garden Veggie Burgers is one burger. This serving will dish up 110 calories and 4 grams of fat. Yep…you read that right! LOVE IT! One burger will also give you 280 mg sodium and 2 grams of sugar. These burgers are cholesterol free. One burger patty will also give you 3 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein.

Did I mention how delicious these are? Delicious and nutritious! Gardein was a little gun-shy to take on gluten-free. It tookk them a couple of years, but after listening to the numerous requests by consumers, they have entered the gluten-free market. And they did so with a bang. If you are looking for an amazing gluten-free veggie burger, run to your store and find the Gardein Gluten-Free Garden Veggie Burger. Trust me…it will be the best you’ve ever had.

Amazing.

Gardein Gluten-Free Garden Veggie Burger (with lettuce, tomato, vegan cheese on a Rudi's Gluten-Free Multigrain Hamburger Roll) — Gardein Gluten-Free Garden Veggie Burger (with lettuce, tomato, vegan cheese on a Rudi’s Gluten-Free Multigrain Hamburger Roll)

July 20, 2014

Product Review: Biaglut Pasta Senza Glutine Bucatini

Product: Biaglut Pasta Senza Glutine Bucatini – $5.50+

That’s a mouthful, isn’t it? Wow. But…it is one that is worth attempting to say (preferably with an Italian accent). Because what we honestly and truly have here is the finest, best, and closest-you’ll-ever-get-to-the-real-thing gluten-free pasta. I raved about Biaglut a long while back…a couple years ago, when I reviewed the Biaglut Maccheroncini (Elbows). I even had another one of their pasta offerings, but didn’t blog on it. I think I was overwhelmed with blogging and thought, “gluten-free pasta is pasta…what more can I say about it?”

I’m actually really sad that my thought process went that way. And here’s why…

Biaglut honestly is the best gluten-free pasta out on the market. It’s not easy to find. But if you do find it…or if you can order it online, I honestly encourage you do to so. It is amazing. It has the texture and taste of “real” pasta. Nobody would even suspect that it was gluten-free. That goes for all three varieties that I have now tried.

This latest round of gluten-free pasta a lá Biaglut was brought to me by the amazing Cuisine Cube. My June box contained this sack of amazing pasta. And since I’ve been out of town, I haven’t gotten to play around with my bin ingredients lately. But that changed. That changed last night when I decided to do up some pasta…but in a different way. I still have a pantry of various pastas to use…but the Biaglut was right there and I really wanted to attempt this one with a “spaghetti” type noodle. And since Cuisine Cube sent me some Bucatini in my box…I was ready to rock and roll!

My recipe involved very little. A Gluten-Free and Vegan Caprese Spaghetti, as it were. So, what I did was slice up two tomatoes and lay them on a baking sheet. I covered each slice with a slice of Teese vegan mozzarella cheese. Then, I put it in the oven for about 20 minutes, allowing the cheese to get melty and good. While that was baking…I got some water into a big pot and set it on the stove to bring to a boil. Once it was there, I put 4 ounces of the Biaglut Pasta Senza Glutine Bucatini into the water (a serving for both my roomie and myself) and let it begin to cook. The bag said it would take around 7-8 minutes to get to that perfect al dente. I gave it a stir every now and again, but just let the boiling water work it’s magic. And, wouldn’t you know it? Seven minutes later…the Bucatini was cooked perfectly. I drained it and began to assemble my pasta…

A serving of Biaglut Pasta Senza Glutine Bucatini (cooked)

Bucatini…a drizzle of olive oil, topped off with the slices of tomato with the melted vegan mozzarella, a sprinkle of fresh basil, and then a drizzle of a red wine reduction. Dinner was served.

So, bucatini gets their name from the Italian word, “buco,” or “hole.” It is similar in shape to spaghetti, but the hole allows water to enter as it boils, speeding up the cooking time and also making it ideal for slurping up your favorite sauce. Naturally, then, I make a pasta dish without a sauce. HA!

Let me tell you though, Biaglut knows what it’s doing. Honestly. This pasta had a great texture and amazing flavor. It worked so well with the slices of tomato, the vegan cheese, the fresh basil, and the red wine reduction. It just…came together in perfect harmony. The pasta was actually ideal, despite there not being a true sauce on this dish. It actually made me realize how much I missed eating spaghetti. Especially one that actually felt like I was eating spaghetti and not bits of spaghetti brown rice noodles that turned to mush despite not being overcooked. It was a very nice change and made for one of my favorite meals. Sometimes getting creative in the kitchen and having it come out perfectly means…having the right base for said dish. Biaglut was just that. And I am, once again, forever going to sing high praises for this product.

Biaglut products are made from the finest gluten-free ingredients with authentic Italian recipes. This company isn’t playing around. The Biaglut team has worked for years to perfect the recipes for their gluten-free products to have them taste like, if not better than, that of the comparable gluten containing products. They believe that gluten-free products shouldn’t mean sacrificing taste and flavor.

So, while on this subject…let’s take a look at what goes into the Giaglut Pasta Senza Glutine Bucatini, shall we? The ingredients include: cornstarch, potato flour, lupin flour, lupin proteins, and mono and diglycerides (emulsifier). Very few ingredients. And all of them, when put together, create the ideal gluten-free pasta. Just take my word on this one.

As for nutrition, a serving of Biaglut Pasta Senza Glutine Bucatini is 2 ounces. This serving provides 190 calories and 1 gram of fat. In addition, this serving gives you 15 mg sodium and less than 1 gram of sugar. This pasta is cholesterol free. You also get 2 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein.

Biaglut, honestly, is top of the line when it comes to gluten-free pastas. If you can find these and/or order this brand, I highly encourage it. You’ll never find this pasta to turn to mush or fall apart. Biaglut’s quality is worth the price it takes to have this pasta in your pantry. You’ll never go back to other brands. I promise you that much.

Gluten-Free Caprese Spaghetti made with Biaglut Pasta Senza Glutine Bucatini

July 17, 2014

Product Review: Mrs. Leeper’s Gluten Free Cheeseburger Mac

Product: Mrs. Leeper’s Gluten Free Cheeseburger Mac – $5.29+

Okay…I know what you are thinking. How can a vegetarian possibly consume a product that is called “Cheeseburger Mac?” Well…there are a couple of different ways to go about it. Gluten-Free Soy Crumbles. Gluten-Free TVP. Or…the way I handled it…adding Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Soy Chorizo.

Because when you have to make a vegetarian version of a Cheeseburger Mac…you might as well do it up with something spicy and different. Right? RIGHT!

So…here’s the story. Recently, a bunch of items went on closeout at a local grocery store. I’d been meaning to try some of the Mrs. Leeper’s products, but just never found a reason to pay for them. While not overly priced as far as gluten-free products go…all need to have some sort of meat added to them. Originally, I imagined I could just cook up some tofu and substitute it for the lean beef in this recipe.

But…being that I’m on a tight and strict food budget these days…I had to go with something in house. Something I already had. And in my refrigerator, calling to me from my shelf…was Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Soy Chorizo (IT’S BACK!). BINGO! Not that I needed to use this product up just yet…but two weeks in a row without my CSA bin has left me sifting and sorting through things in my pantry and freezer. And I figured there was no time like the present to make this one up. Especially since I had a substitute for the meat already in my apartment.

After another long, stressful, and busy day at the office, I was quite happy with coming home to cook this up. Why? Because it literally takes 15 minutes to make. That’s it. Super easy…and not finicky. You don’t need to stand over it the entire time it’s cooking. So, I was able to get a few other things accomplished while it worked away on the stove. Brilliant.

Making Mrs. Leeper’s Gluten Free Cheeseburger (or Soy Chorizo, in my case) Mac is super easy. First…add your protein. Whether it’s a lean meat, tofu, tvp, soy crumbles, or soy chorizo (if you like a little spice!)…get that working in a pan. I got out a skillet and heated up the soy chorizo for a couple of minutes, then poured in 1-1/2 cups of hot water and 1-3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk. The sauce packet was then poured in and all I had to do was stir it all together and let it come back up to a boil. Once that happened, I poured in the pasta and gave it another stir. I reduced the heat, covered it and let it simmer for 13 minutes, stirring occasionally. The pasta actually did tenderize really quickly, so I was actually very impressed. Once the pasta reached that perfect al dente…I removed the skillet from the heat, uncovered it, and let it sit for around 2 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.

Dinner was ready.

I dished this meal up into 4 portions, two for tonight for my roomie and myself and two for tomorrow (hey…dinner’s already prepared…just needs to be reheated!). And we settled in for our meal while watching Chopped. Because…that’s how we roll.

One bite…and I was blown away. What great flavors. It’s like the best, warming, delicious comfort food. The rice pasta cooked up beautifully, not getting mushy and falling apart, but standing up to, not only the chorizo, but also the sauce. I loved the heat that the soy chorizo brought to the dish. The textures were perfect. And the flavors just all worked together. I loved that I was able to lighten it up using unsweetened almond milk. This does have some dairy in it…but I cut it where I could. I found this dish to be a throwback to a German dish a babysitter made for me when I was younger. It was fantastic. And I found myself savoring each forkful. I’m excited I get to eat it again tomorrow.

Let’s talk ingredients, shall we? Mrs. Leeper’s Gluten Free Cheeseburger Mac is made from brown rice pasta. The sauce is made with whey, modified corn starch, tomato powder, nonfat dry milk, onion powder, sugar, salt, rice flour, autolyzed yeast, natural butter flavor, natural flavor, garlic powder, citric acid, extractives of turmeric and annatto, paprika, caramel color, and not more than 2% silicon dioxide added to prevent caking. So…not great…but not bad either.

Let’s talk nutrition. A serving of Mrs. Leeper’s Gluten Free Cheeseburger Mac is 1 cup prepared. As packaged, without adding your protein, and your milk of choice, this serving provides you with 170 calories and 0.5 grams of fat. A serving will also give you 480 mg sodium and 7 grams of sugar. It is cholesterol free. And, in addition, you will be getting 2 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein. It’s filling without being overly filling. And once you add in all your milk and proteins of choice…that all changes.

Oh…I was really surprised and quite impressed with Mrs. Leeper’s Gluten Free Cheeseburger Mac. I modified it as much as I could to fit my diet and really loved how it turned out in the end. Really delicious…a hint of spice…great texture. And a happy belly when all was said and done. Now, I can’t wait to try more of the Mrs. Leeper’s boxed meals for something quick and easy to prepare. And it’s so adaptable. This would be good even without the protein. And I may have to try one of them like that. Or return to this one and see how it compares. As it is…the Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Soy Chorizo was a great fit for the protein. The zesty cheese sauce played beautifully with it. I was so happy with my dinner tonight, which, after my rough day at the office…was just what I needed. Beyond impressed.

July 12, 2014

Restaurant Review: Renee’s Gourmet Pizzeria, Troy, Michigan

Restaurant: Renee’s Gourmet Pizzeria, Troy, Michigan

Welcome to Michigan. My roommate and I ventured up this way this after my long run this morning because Queen (yes…that Queen) is performing in Detroit this evening. And as her birthday present, Cathy had two tickets to the show. So…here we are. Ready to rock and roll.

But not before we got eats.

My friend, Kelsie, is from Detroit and sent me some options for food and places to check out while here in the area. I love her for this and all her help. And, for some reason, even though I had pizza on Thursday night…I felt pizza had to be done again. Why? I don’t know…I love pizza. I really, really do. BUT…neither Cathy nor I had eaten since we left Louisville (thank you Go Picnic), and we were hungry. And my Find Me Gluten Free app directed us to a dedicated pizzeria in Troy, Michigan…which happened to be on our way to Auburn Hills.

Renee’s Gourmet Pizzeria is located in a little strip mall area. They are a dedicated gluten-free and nut-free establishment. Their windows declare a simple sentiment, that is echoed on their menu as well: “I Can’t Believe It’s Gluten Free!”

Cathy and I stepped inside and we were greeted by Alexis, a 20-something waitress with amazing blue and purple hair. I complimented her on her hair…and mentioned how when I dyed my hair purple, it washed out in 2 days. She gave me tips for next time I go for a wild color…so, now I know…and knowing is half the battle. We chatted a bit, about our trip up here…about gluten-free places…about Kentucky…it was fun. She went to get our drink orders (I got an unsweetened iced tea and Cathy went with a Diet Coke…because caffeine is good before a show…especially when you’ve been up before the ass crack of dawn (because…that’s when all runners get up).

She let us browse the menu and when she returned with drinks, Cathy inquired about the size of the calzones. Because…honestly…who does gluten-free calzones? Alexis said the calzones were small, so not big enough to split. So, Cathy and I decided to each get one. And we each built our own. Cathy went with a calzone stuffed with mozzarella cheese, goat cheese, spinach, tomatoes, and portobello mushrooms ($8.99) inside hers.

As for me…my calzone was going to be stuffed with Teese (vegan cheese of AWESOME!), banana peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach ($11.99 [$8.99 + $3.00 for vegan cheese]). I was sort of back and forth on whether to do banana peppers or artichoke hearts…but I never get banana peppers on anything like pizza or something since Cathy is that picky. So…I went with that. She will do artichoke hearts. And that was the deciding factor.

Order in.

We were watching the World Cup pregame on ESPN for the Brazil v. Netherlands match when Alexis returned to the table and said the pizza chef was new and he…kinda made the calzones larger than usual. Like…by a lot. Not the small, individual size she described originally. Well…what do you do?

Well, she wasn’t kidding. Cathy caught sight of them as they were going in to cook and went, “Holy cow!” HAHA!! Well…we figured that we’d eat what we could and take the rest with us to the hotel and place it in the refrigerator. No biggie. We did get to hear the chefs discuss how they were going to tell the vegan calzone from the regular one with cheese, and finally they realized that Cathy’s would have the Parmesan cheese on top of hers. Brilliant.

And soon…the gluten-free calzones were making their way to the table.

Renee's Gourmet Pizzeria's Gluten-Free & Vegan Calzone (made with Teese, portobello mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, and banana peppers) — Renee’s Gourmet Pizzeria’s Gluten-Free & Vegan Calzone (made with Teese, portobello mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, and banana peppers)

Yeah…huge was right. But the crust was not thick. In fact, it was a nice, light, and thin crust. I love that because with calzones it should be all about the fillings, not the crust. I only require a nice, crisp crust. Don’t give me a soggy calzone. They didn’t. This crust was beautifully crisp and golden on the bottom. The top remained crispy and I, being quite hungry, took my pictures for the blog and then dove in.

First of all…I have missed being able to eat calzones. And part of the magic from this was it was my first taste of something that I hadn’t had in more than three years…nor can have…anywhere. That’s why I went calzone instead of pizza. I can get amazing gluten-free pizza in Louisville…and, if I’m lucky, elsewhere as well. This…I’d never seen gluten-free calzones before. And let me tell you…I fell in love with this calzone. As I said, the crust was nice and thin, so it wasn’t heavy or too filling too fast. I love that about gluten-free pizzas as well. And inside, the Teese vegan cheese melted gorgeously and didn’t taste like plastic (as Daiya sometimes can…). The vegetables were so amazing. Seriously amazing. The mushrooms were cooked to perfection, the spinach wilted beautifully, the tomatoes were ripe and sweet, and the banana peppers…adding that little bit of acidity that just punched up the flavor. It came with a bit of marinara for dipping. The marinara…nice touch. Packed with flavor and seasoned to perfection. I was beyond impressed. So impressed that both Cathy and I ended up eating our calzones in their entirety. I have a feeling we won’t need food again until tomorrow morning.

Another reason for that…we got dessert.

Yep. You gotta treat yourself every now and again and since the calzones were actually light…we had the room. And I, being the observant one I am, realized they had a few dessert options…like cookies and a cake roll…and the option we went with…cinnamon sticks.

Gluten. Free. Cinnamon. Sticks.

You know how much I love cinnamon, yes? Of course you do. So, when I saw they had gluten-free cinnamon sticks ($5.99), I knew I needed to consume them. I wanted to consume them. So…order in. And after a short weight while they made them up for us (loving that freshness with each order), they were brought out to the table. And I think I began drooling immediately. They looked fantastic. I picked one up and broke off the end, dipping it into the icing that came with it…and took a bite.

HELLO!! Cathy described it as “really tasty fair food that is actually good!” I describe it as…donuts taken to the nth degree. This was one party in my mouth. The sweet heat from the cinnamon and sugar with the light doughy sticks that were fried to perfection. Honestly. They had that nice crispy outside but were all soft and hot and steamy in the center. The icing was a nice, cooling, sweet addition. It was no joke how fast these disappeared. I fell in love. One bite…lead to me devouring 3 of the 6 sticks in the order.

Happy place! This is a happy place. The service was fantastic. The atmosphere is very much “strip mall establishment” but…when you serve up that kind of food…it doesn’t matter. It shouldn’t matter anyway. The chefs did a fantastic job getting our order done right and to perfection. The food was fantastic. The company of the staff, who were discussing Queen, World Cup, and the food with us…was like being among friends. And we left with happy, very full tummies.

I regret nothing!

If you find yourself driving through Troy, Michigan…make a point to stop in at Renee’s Gourmet Pizzeria. You, honestly, won’t believe that everything there is gluten-free. The food is, honestly, outstanding. I hope this little pizzeria is along for a very long time. Next time, should I ever be this way again…I’ll actually order a pizza. And those cinnamon sticks again!

Renee's Gourmet Pizzeria's Gluten-Free Cinnamon Sticks — Renee’s Gourmet Pizzeria’s Gluten-Free Cinnamon Sticks

July 7, 2014

Product Review: Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Lasagna

Product: Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Lasagna – $3.29

Yep…it’s that time again. Time for another blog about the affordable, and mostly delicious findings from Aldi’s liveGfree gluten-free line. Let me first reemphasize how happy it made me when I was told that for the month of May (also Celiac Awareness Month) Aldi was going to be introducing a test run of their gluten-free products…in a brand known as liveGfree.

I, naturally, hightailed it over to Aldi on Mother’s Day and stocked up on one of everything (save a few items…as they were mixes that I have plenty of already), spending under $30 in the process. For someone who spends over a hundred dollars each week on food for two people…this was a blessing. My only concern was…would it taste good.

And as of right now, only one item (the Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Southwestern Stuffed Sandwich), has not really lived up to my expectations (for processed and frozen food). So, that’s a good thing, yes? I think so.

After being away all weekend, I had to cancel my bin for the 4th of July as well as for the following weekend (I’m heading out to see Queen!)…so this means no fresh fruits and veggies delivered to me, from which I could concoct a myriad of new dishes. Nope. The next two weeks will be spent living out of the freezer and pantry. Which is okay…because my budget is shot. And I have some travel things I need to really get taken care of in the next couple of weeks. Basically…I have no money…so I make due with what I do have.

And what I do have is a bunch of Aldi liveGfree gluten-free items.

And tonight…really not wanting to spend a lot of time in the kitchen…I decided I would cook up the Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Lasagna in the microwave and serve it with the remaining Rudi’s Gluten-Free Rosemary Olive Oil Ciabatta Rolls. That’s what I did. All it required was about 10 minutes in the kitchen. That’s it. And most of that was getting the rolls going in the oven. HA!

Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Lasgana (frozen)

As for the Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Lasagna…preparation was simple. Remove the tray from the box and cut a slit in the top. Stick tray in the microwave for 5 minutes. Cook. Let stand for 1 minute before removing, serving, and eating. Simple! Love simple. So, as the gluten-free ciabatta was baking in the oven, I got to work on the Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Lasagna. Prep was as easy as I stated above and soon the microwave was rocking and rolling, cooking the meal, melting the cheese on top, and just getting it ready for a nosh-fest. The rolls finished up just as the microwave beeped. I let the tray sit for one minute before removing it and carefully peeling away the plastic wrap.

At first glance…not too impressive. Like most frozen meals, the Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Lasagna looked like…lasagna. The problem was, the marinara was more than a little watery. *SIGH!* Aside from that, however, it looked like any other frozen lasagna meal. I carefully sliced the lasagna in half, as my roommate and I were splitting it, and then served it up.

The lasagna itself held together well, I must say, not slopping off or falling apart as I sliced it in half and then used a spatula to transfer the half to a plate. It held together. I was impressed. I poured the marinara that was left in the tray over the two slices and then served it up.

It was…what it was. A frozen lasagna. Nothing too exciting to rave about. The best part was the ricotta/romano cheese filling. Honestly. It had great texture and great flavor. It was seasoned perfectly. If the marinara had been less watery, this might have been the perfect frozen meal. For real. The cheese on top wasn’t much, but as I can’t tolerate a lot of cheese…that was ideal for me. It was easy to slice into with a fork and it held together as I brought each bite up to my mouth. Warmed all the way through and to perfection. The soft cheese with the brown rice noodles and the seasonings all came together for one stand-up frozen meal.

Not as good as the Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli…but good enough.

And fast and easy. Convenient food. I’ll take it.

And, for being a frozen meal, the ingredients that go into Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Lasagna are fantastic. Seriously. The tomato sauce is made from chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic, canola oil, butter, parsley, basil, sugar, and black pepper. The dough from which the noodles are made are made from rice flour, corn starch, tapioca dextrin, water, whole eggs, canola oil, xanthan gum, salt, guar gum, and sodium alginate. The filling is simply whole milk ricotta cheese, romano cheese, eggs, salt, and parsley. And finally, the mozzarella cheese on top is simply made from pasteurized whole milk, cheese culture, salt and enzymes. While not exactly clean eating, I’d be hard-pressed to find another frozen meal with an ingredient list like that. Real, recognizable, and quality. The Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Lasagna is gluten free and wheat free.

As for nutrition…well…for a frozen meal, it’s not bad. My roommate and I split it, but if you were to eat a serving size, it would be the entire slice of lasagna. This serving would provide you with 410 calories and 17 grams of fat. You would be taking in 105 mg cholesterol, 520 mg sodium, and 6 grams of sugar. Finally, you’d be consuming 4 grams of fiber and 17 grams of protein. It is filling. Even half of it is filling…trust me.

With the exception of watery marinara, I absolutely found this to be an enjoyable frozen meal from Aldi. If I were eating it on my own, it wouldn’t have needed the roll to accompany it. Trust me…I’m full on just half of the lasagna. That’s saying something. My hat is off to Aldi and the quality of their liveGfree line. It’s quite evident in each product that I have tried so far how they strove for quality, using real ingredients and just trying to get that flavor right. I’m beyond impressed!

I sincerely hope that they continue to keep the line in the stores…because this is gluten-free food I can totally afford. And enjoy!

Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Lasagna (cooked)

June 28, 2014

Product Review: Beyond Meat Grilled Chicken-Free Strips

Product Review: Beyond Meat Grilled Chicken-Free Strips – $4.99+

As a gluten-free vegetarian…sometimes it is difficult to find those meat replacements that offer a good bit of nutrition as well. Mainly…don’t feed me chemicals…feed me something that is real and made from real things. The problem being, most of the vegan “meats” on the market contain vital wheat gluten…meaning…it’s off limits for this Celiac.

So, when I spotted this product in Whole Foods, I couldn’t wait to give it a try. Seriously. I bought two different kinds, sticking the Grilled in the freezer and the Southwest Style came out and was featured in a vegetarian version of a family favorite…”Mexican ‘Chicken’ Casserole.” The original recipe featured real meat (because…I used to eat meat!). I had to change it up when I became a vegetarian…and then change it up even more when I had to go gluten-free.

Good thing I’m resourceful, yes?

Well…in some weird stroke of roommate brain…both my roomie and I had this mad idea that a BBQ “Chicken” Pizza needed to happen at some point…this weekend. And with the World Cup in full kick (HA!)…I figured it might be a delicious food to enjoy the Columbia v. Uruguay match with. Dinner during matches has been my gluten-free and vegetarian (and sometimes vegan) take on pub grub and bar food. Because…WORLD CUP, BABY! I found it weird that I had been planning this pizza all week (seriously, because I had an Annie May’s Sweet Café Pizza Crust of Allergen-Free Awesomesauce in the freezer) and then she all-out says that we needed to have that kind of pizza while we were out on a stroll on Friday morning. NO JOKE! Brainwaves…woohoo…freaky!

Tonight…it happened. And the “chicken” aspect of this dish was provided by…Beyond Meat Grilled Chicken-Free Strips. I had her pull the package from the freezer to allow it to sit in the fridge while we were out for the first half of the day. Give it a bit of natural thaw time. When I got back from an early morning run and then a couple of errands…and some sifting through piles of…stuff…it was GAME ON for World Cup. We watched the Brazil v. Chile match and watched it go down to penalty kicks in a nail-biting ending that put Brazil as the winner! As the post-game show went on, and the pre-game for the Uruguay match came on…I headed to the kitchen to shred some cheese (my roommate picked up a local one that had some kick to it!), chop some onion, and get the oven preheated to 450°F in order to get the pizza crust to perfection. I got all the items together, pulled the Beyond Meat Grilled Chicken-Free Strips out of the fridge, chopped them into bite-size pieces, and started to lay out the pizza toppings. It started with Stubbs Original BBQ Sauce. Then…the onion. Then the “chicken” strips. The cheese. And then I drizzled some BBQ sauce on top. Into the oven…and I let it go for about 15 minutes…so as not to get the crust too done.

Trust me…as it was baking in the oven…it smelled AMAZING! So when my timer went off and the match was just starting, I scurried to get the pizza out of the oven and slice it up for consumption. My roomie and I were splitting the 9 inch crust. I cut it into six slices and plated everything up. I took hers out to her and she immediately dove in. We hadn’t eaten since breakfast at 9 a.m. So, the 4 p.m. dinner just seemed natural. She took a bite and said, “That is restaurant quality flavor!” Made me feel good. I sliced mine, came out to the couch and settled in for the match.

Oh yes…this was good pizza.

But how did I find the Beyond Meat Grilled Chicken-Free Strips? Well…as someone who hasn’t done the faux meat thing in a long while…it’s not bad. It doesn’t taste anything like chicken. In fact, I’d go as far to say that it has the great texture of the Quorn chicken strips, and the flavor of the Morningstar versions. Both of which are off limits to me now…but both of which I used to consume when I could. You won’t confuse these for the “real” thing, but the texture is perfect. The flavor…is decent. It’s okay. I loved the smokiness from the grill marks on this version. It was the perfect one to have on top of the pizza, for sure. That might be from the fact that these strips are grilled over a mesquite fire with molasses. So, they have that great sweet and smokey flavor that marinated and grilled chicken would have. It was good for what it is.

So…what exactly is Beyond Meat made from? Well, the ingredients for the Beyond Meat Grilled Chicken-Free Strips include: water, non-GMO soy protein isolate, pea protein isolate, amaranth, vegan chicken flavor (maltodextrin, yeast extract, salt, natural flavoring, sunflower oil), non-GMO expeller-pressed canola oil, non-GMO soy fiber, carrot fiber, white vinegar, spices, salt, molasses powder, garlic extract, hickory smoke powder, onion extract, lemon juice concentrate, evaporated cane juice, dipotassium phosphate, titanium dioxide (for color), potassium chloride, paprika extract. It isn’t exactly clean eats…but when you’re a gluten-free vegetarian trying to make a “chicken” dish…you work with what you have, yes? Yes! This product is vegan, gluten-free and cholesterol free.

Nutrition-wise…a serving of this product is 1/4 of the package or about 6 strips. This serving provides 120 calories and 3 grams of fat. This serving will also provide you with 360 mg sodium. However…this product contains no sugar. None. And finally, you will be benefiting from 2 grams of fiber and 20 grams of protein!! That’s fantastic. It has as much protein as regular chicken. Be still my vegetarian heart!

Another solid “chicken” product from Beyond Meat. Honestly…it worked so well on this pizza crust. I almost wish we had money this week to get another crust because I would have reprised the dish tomorrow night too. I enjoyed it that much. Really good. And thanks to Beyond Meat…I was able to have some semblance of a faux-meat pizza again. Is it the best I’ve ever had? No. But it will do. Because, honestly, it’s one of the only options out there. That being said…it is definitely worth purchasing again. So glad I have 4 more in my freezer!

Gluten-Free BBQ “Chicken” Pizza made with Beyond Meat Grilled Chicken-Free Strips

June 27, 2014

Product Review: Trader Joe’s Polenta Provencale with Spianch & Peas in a Spicy Cream Sauce

Product: Trader Joe’s Polenta Provencale with Spinach & Peas in a Spicy Cream Sauce – $3.49+

It’s Friday.

It’s Friday, and despite getting paid today, I have no money. Which totally thwarted my plan to have gluten-free pizza away from home today. Seriously. The last thing I wanted to do after the day I had today was cook. I was having those, “I don’t want to be in that damn tiny kitchen any longer than I have to!” But, that’s not happening today. That’s not happening for a long time at this point.

*SIGH*

But I burden you with things that have nothing to do with this blog or product. Sorry. Just a little anecdote to explain why I ended up with my head and arms in the freezer, trying to find something that was not labor intensive or requiring much else in the means of cooking. I had a few options…though not too many…but decided that since it had been in the freezer the longest, the Polenta Provencale I picked up at Trader Joe’s a long while back was going to have its moment to shine.

This is generally used as a side dish…but it was going to be a meal for my roomie and I. So, I cooked up the entire package instead of just two portions of it. Those would have been really small portions…but for a side, I suppose that’s what you need. HA!

Anyway…I put my pan on the stove and turned on the burner to a medium-high heat, as instructed on the bag of frozen product suggested. I cut open the packaging and peeked inside to see little orange balls of corn goodness with some greens. All clotted together by ice. Beautiful. I sighed…and poured it into the awaiting hot pan.

It took about a minute or so for the ice to melt in order for me to break up the clumps of polenta and vegetables, but once that happened…so did the magic of this dish. I went to get cups down for a drink to have with dinner…and when I came back to stir, while the polenta was still frozen, the spinach and the peas were now turning a gorgeous green and a sauce was beginning to show up in the pan. This gorgeous…orange sauce. It also was starting to smell really, really good. Okay…maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. I left it to cook some more and poured drinks, walking them out to the living room and setting them on the table. I returned and gave the dish another stir. The polenta was starting to soften, meaning it wasn’t all the way frozen now. Thank goodness. I could see tomato now in the sauce. And the sauce was getting thicker. It all finished up just as the roommate emerged from her bathroom from her shower. Perfect timing. I got down two bowls and split the contents of the pan evenly.

I delivered the dishes to the table and settled in to enjoy my little bowl of Trader Joe’s straight-from-the-freezer-to-your-stove meal…and hoped it was good. I had no Plan B today. But…I’d think of something if I had to. I’m good at that in a pinch…especially when I’m hungry and food is involved.

So…it wasn’t the pizza I was craving.

However…it was good. I think it’s a bit misleading to call the sauce “spicy.” Personally, if I wasn’t so comfortable in my seat, I would have added a touch of hot sauce or some red pepper flakes to kick up the heat a little. My roomie, who is a spice wimp…well…she didn’t say one word about any heat or spice…nor did she suck down most of her drink upon the first few bites. This, my dear foodies, means…it’s not spicy. The polenta gets soft, without getting mushy. And the vegetables are the perfect accompaniment to the dish. The spinach absorbs that sauce and the peas add to the texture. But it’s that sauce that ties everything together. That sauce…although not spicy…was fantastic. I devoured this…chewing and swallowing of course…but devoured. I savored it as long as I could, but it was, for a meal from a freezer, really good!

I want to try to make it on my own…like…from fresh ingredients. Not frozen. Hmmm…

Speaking of ingredients…this package of Trader Joe’s Polenta Provencale with Spinach & Peas in a Spicy Cream Sauce contains relatively few ingredients in the grand scheme of things. The ingredients in this dish include polenta (made from water, corn flour, salt, and dried skim milk), crushed peeled tomatoes, creme fraiche, spinach, peas, tomato, cow’s milk cheese, olive oil, salt, garlic, strong chili pepper, basil, modified rice starch, parsley, thyme, and modified corn starch. I, however, am not a fan of the two modified starch ingredients. GAH! That’s a bummer. This product is gluten-free and vegetarian, however.

As for nutrition, however, this isn’t so bad. A serving of the Trader Joe’s P0lenta Provencale with Spinach & Peas in a Spicy Cream Sauce is 1/3 cup, cooked. There are about 4 servings per package. But, since this was dinner, this became 2 servings…so these stats just double. If you eat a regular serving (1/4 of the package), you will be consuming 130 calories and 7 grams of fat. In addition, you will be taking in 20 mg cholesterol, 280 mg sodium, and 2 grams of sugar. In the grand scheme of things, for a frozen, packaged product…that is awesome. You will also be taking in 3 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein. Not lying…this dish is filling!

If you really like things spicy, I recommend adding a bit of kick to the Trader Joe’s Polenta Provencale with Spinach & Peas in a Spicy Cream Sauce. But…it’s not bad the way it is. I loved the rich, creaminess of each bite…from the sauce to the polenta to the vegetables…it was a trio of deliciousness. One that I will definitely consider trying again when I need to have one of those “prepare it quickly” meals.

Nicely done, Trader Joe’s. If anything…try to get those modified starches out of your product. Then…this will get my full approval. Until then, just know that I found this one tasty little meal tonight. And I’m glad I had it in my freezer for the day I was having. The fact that it tasted good as well was the added bonus!

And this is why I love Trader Joe’s.