Cheese – Page 8 – The Celiathlete

June 22, 2014

Product Review: Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli

Aldi's liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli — Aldi’s liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli

Product: Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli – $3.29

I am still praising Aldi for their special gift to those of us who have to follow a gluten-free diet as May (also known as Celiac Awareness Month) kicked off. I had heard from numerous people that Aldi was going to test their gluten-free product line, called liveGfree, in their stores to see how it did. Two coworkers of mine snatched up a few products and told me I had to get over there. And then my mom called and said she had gone to Aldi and stocked up on quite a few things as well and that I really, really needed to check out my Aldi.

So, on that very same day…Mother’s Day…my roomie and I did just that. And we pretty much bought one of everything. We didn’t get the flour and dessert mixes because I am overloaded with those…but one of practically everything else. We even found the frozen items in the freezer near the back. Sometimes walking the aisles does pay off. Hey…we were in no hurry and I hadn’t been to Aldi in at least a year…if not longer. Lucky us…we spotted the frozen meals from the liveGfree line…and picked up the vegetarian ones. One of everything. Including the frozen pancakes. Because…pancakes…HELLO!

Well, World Cup is currently going on…a month later. And with busy days and wanting to catch matches…even on a Sunday like today…we had a full morning and it was leading into an afternoon of World Cup watching and chores around the house. Much of my day was spent in the kitchen, prepping meals for this coming week. Just makes life a lot easier. Trust me.

So, for lunch…Cathy and I decided that we’d keep it light (because with the USA World Cup match against Portugal tonight…we’re doing vegan fish and chips)…and thought we’d each of one of the (previous reviewed) Rudi’s Gluten-Free Rosemary and Olive Oil Ciabatta Rolls and split one of the frozen meals in the freezer. I asked if she was feeling ravioli or lasagna…

Well…as you can tell…she went for the ravioli.

Aldi's liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli (frozen) — Aldi’s liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli (frozen)

Here’s the best thing about these meals…they are so convenient. Sure, frozen food is never as good as fresh, but I don’t have the time nor the skills to make my own gluten-free ravioli. I’d love to…but…seriously…no. Not right now. Life is far too busy. With the rolls toasting in the oven, I plucked the box of Aldi’s liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli from the freezer and opened it up.

Like most microwave meals, this comes in a microwave-safe tray. I could see the large (loved the size) ravioli and the red sauce and big flecks of cheese all over the dish. I cut a slit through the plastic as directed and popped it into the microwave for 5 minutes. Yep…five minutes. Then let it sit for one minute and…just like that…lunch is served! I cut the plastic away and dished up the ravioli between Cathy and I. Again, I was more than impressed with the size of these. They were at least two inches around. I topped our servings off with the extra sauce and cheese that lingered in the tray and popped a roll on each plate. Time to take a bite.

Aldi's liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli (cooked) — Aldi’s liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli (cooked)

First of all, I’ve had quite a few gluten-free ravioli’s since having to go gluten-free. Only one…Conte’s…has truly impressed me. Well, color me impressed. Seriously. While this isn’t as good as the Conte’s brand…it is close. The ravioli actually cooks to a nice al dente texture, so it still has a bit of that bite that pasta should have. And, wow…the filling was so delicious. And these were packed with filling. They didn’t skimp on that at all. And for that, I praise them to the sky. So often the fillings in these microwave meals are non-existent…but these oozed cheese. Yummy. And the sauce had a lot of flavor as well. Fresh tasting, even. Maybe slightly oily, but nothing that couldn’t be skimmed off. You can tell it is made from real ingredients, which is actually quite surprising for a microwave meal…from Aldi of all places. Saucy…cheesy…delish!

I might have hoovered my portion…

So, as I mentioned it above, let’s take a look at the ingredients. Amazingly and surprising (to me)…is the fact that these are real ingredients. I recognize them all. Seriously. The tomato sauce part is made from chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic, canola oil, butter, parsley, basil, sugar, and black pepper. The dough is a blend of rice flour, corn starch, tapioca dextrin, water, whole eggs, canola oil, xanthan gum, salt, guar gum, and sodium alginate. The filling is a combination of whole milk ricotta cheese, romano cheese, eggs, salt, and parsley. And then…it’s all topped off with mozzarella cheese!

Seriously??! Yep. Seriously.

Almost makes me feel less guilty about eating a processed microwaveable meal. HA!

As far as nutrition goes, a serving size is 1 package. The entire thing is all yours to eat and enjoy and savor. This meal will serve you up 360 calories and 15 grams of fat. Yep…it is a lot…but it’s a lot of cheese! You will also be taking in 85 mg sodium, 560 mg sodium, and 7 grams of sugar. The sodium is a little higher than I like, but still under 600 mg…so it’s okay. Also you will be taking in 4 grams of fiber and 15 grams of protein! Yes!! That’s awesome. And it is a rather filling little meal. Seriously. And…yeah…it’s good too!

I would definitely restock this product in my freezer. And as long as Aldi keeps this line in their stores, I will continue to purchase these items. Because when I can walk out of a store spending under $30 for the huge amount of products I purchased…well…it makes my budget a whole lot better. Honestly.

Thank you, Aldi…for making gluten-free convenience food savory and palatable. Being able to eat something tasty from the freezer that also won’t bust the budget is a fine treat indeed.

I love you for it.

Aldi's liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli (cooked and plated) — Aldi’s liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli (cooked and plated)

June 17, 2014

Product Review: Annie May’s Sweet Café Vegan Gluten-Free Pizza Crust

Product: Annie May’s Sweet Café Vegan Gluten-Free Pizza Crust – $7.50

Forget hitting up the grocery stores on Saturday. I think all I need to do now is hit up that new freezer at Annie May’s Sweet Café on Frankfort Avenue in Louisville, Kentucky. Honestly. Because, for me, it’s a one-stop shopping extravaganza of everything I have ever loved to eat at her bakery…or taken home with me.

And that was the entire point of the newest feature in Annie May’s Sweet Café. Simple, safe, gluten-free take-n-bake items that are prepared and frozen…and all you have to do is follow the simple instructions on the label to cook up all the deliciousness in the comfort of your own home. Let me tell you, I was thrilled to hear that this was being added to the bakery…and now that I have bought a few items from the freezer…let me tell you…I hope this catches on and they have to expand. Because…with the garlic bread, the mac and cheese, and the pizza crust…I was set for three meals this week. Simplicity…yet with the high quality and amazing flavor you get in all of Annie May’s products.

Annie May's Sweet Café Vegan Gluten-Free Pizza Crust — Annie May’s Sweet Café Vegan Gluten-Free Pizza Crust

Having already feasted on the Vegan Garlic Bread and the Macaroni and Cheese earlier this week…that left one of the take-n-bake purchases in my freezer. And tonight…it was dinner. I’m talking about the best pizza crust in the world. No exaggeration there either. And not just a gluten-free pizza crust…but THE BEST in the world. Seriously. I’ve eaten a lot of regular…and now a ton of gluten-free crusts and nothing has topped this one. Nothing. Nowhere. No way! I don’t think it will ever happen.

Want to know why? Because…it is not a cracker crust or some thin little sheet of dough that ends up soggy. This is a substantial, it can hold any and all toppings, sort of crust. It is the crust to end all crusts. It is the Godzilla of gluten-free pizza crusts. It is…REALLY amazing. And I don’t know how she does it, but I’m glad she does. Because whenever I eat a pizza at Annie May’s…my day just gets better. My life just gets better. This crust is legendary. Honestly. You’d never even know it was gluten-free. And now…now…I can make it in the comfort of my own home!

And that’s what I did tonight!

Annie May's Sweet Café Vegan Gluten-Free Pizza Crust (frozen) — Annie May’s Sweet Café Vegan Gluten-Free Pizza Crust (frozen)

I had a request from Cathy…for a pizza I haven’t made in forever. She wanted…the Meditenuttian Pizza. I know what you’re thinking…”What the what is a Meditenuttian Pizza?” Well, let me explain. It’s a pizza crust, that is given a brushing of olive oil, then a sprinkling of black pepper, then a drizzle of honey. Then, I top mine with vegan mozzarella shreds, caramelized onions, walnuts, and then…I wilt something green over the top in the last minute or so of cooking. Tonight…it was kale. If you can handle dairy…feta or goat cheese is good crumbled over the top as well.

So…here it is. I preheated the oven to 450°F and prepped the pizza crust per instructions, placing it and the parchment paper that is included on a baking sheet. I topped it off with everything (except the kale) and popped it in the oven for about 15 minutes. I pulled it out to put the kale on top and popped it back in the oven for about another minute. Then…just like that…dinner was served.

My Meditenuttian Pizza baked on Annie May's Sweet Café Vegan Gluten-Free Pizza Crust — My Meditenuttian Pizza baked on Annie May’s Sweet Café Vegan Gluten-Free Pizza Crust

And, let me tell you…the frozen crust you take home to bake is just as delicious as the pizza crust served when I order in the café on either Friday or Saturday. It has this doughy, thick texture to it, much like the “real” crusts everyone else can get in restaurants. I’ve never had gluten-free crust like this. When it is so reminiscent of the pizza I used to be able to eat…that is saying something. No cracker crust. Nothing that crumbles. This is honest-to-goodness damn good pizza crust. Not only can you buy a plain crust, but you can also purchase frozen already done up vegan and gluten-free pizzas that you can pop into your oven. No need to add your own toppings…she has done it for you. I might try that next time. But…for me…it’s all about that crust. That amazing Annie May’s pizza crust.

For the record, Annie May’s pizza crust is completely allergen free. According to the label, it contains millet flour, sorghum flour, tapioca starch, quinoa flour, water, egg replacer, agave nectar, xanthan gum, salt, and cream of tartar.

This is a 9 ounce pizza crust. My roomie and I split the pizza (as we do at the bakery whenever we order a pizza) and it is filling. Filling…but heavenly. A slice of gluten-free pizza heaven. I guarantee you won’t find a better crust out there. And I’m glad I can now take it home with me! And I just might…weekly!

Half of my Meditenuttian Pizza baked on Annie May's Sweet Café Vegan Gluten-Free Pizza Crust — Half of my Meditenuttian Pizza baked on Annie May’s Sweet Café Vegan Gluten-Free Pizza Crust

June 15, 2014

Product Review: Annie May’s Sweet Café Gluten Free Vegan Garlic Bread

Product: Annie May’s Sweet Café Gluten Free Vegan Garlic Bread – $4.25

I love that my local gluten-free bakery is growing. I love that they are getting enough business to even offer more of their business aside from their daily lunch specials and daily specials in the case. This makes me insanely happy.

On Saturday, on the third anniversary of the opening of Annie May’s Sweet Café on Frankfort Avenue in Louisville, Kentucky, I finally got to partake in the newest feature of the bakery…

Take-n-Bake goodies from their freezer. I am talking their (FAMOUS AND DELICIOUS) pizza crusts, garlic bread, vegan garlic bread, cinnamon rolls, and even some of their pastas…(like the best mac & cheese ever). All items are gluten-free and most are allergen-free. They make a point when doing gluten-free to also try to do allergen-free. But some items (like the regular garlic bread and the mac and cheese) contain dairy.

I had stuck my head in the deep freeze earlier in the week when I was in for Soft Pretzel Wednesday (because pretzels on a Wednesday make the best lunch ever!). The key words that made me happy was…Vegan. Garlic. Bread. Short on money in the middle of the week, and knowing I was stopping in for the celebration of three years at that location on Saturday, I vowed to make a purchase then. Little did I know I’d walk out of there with not just the Vegan Garlic Bread, but also the Mac & Cheese, and the Pizza Crust (seriously…best gluten-free pizza crust on this planet…hands down!). I might have also walked out with an Allergen-Free Banana Spice Muffin (of heaven!).

But, I digress with the muffin.

Let me focus on the entire reason I pulled open that freezer in the first place…

Gluten-Free and Vegan Garlic Bread.

Annie May's Sweet Café Vegan Garlic Bread (frozen) — Annie May’s Sweet Café Gluten Free Vegan Garlic Bread (frozen)

What you get is a half of a half loaf of bread that has been slathered down with a vegan butter and garlic topping. Then…wrapped and frozen with baking instructions on the label. Talk about easy. Just preheat the oven and place the garlic bread on a pan and into the oven and allow to cook for allotted time. Once done…enjoy.

That’s what I did tonight (and served it up with the Mac & Cheese which I baked at the same time!)

I cried when I took my first bite. Tears of happiness. Tear of joy. Because I haven’t had garlic bread in a very long time. I tried to order some gluten-free garlic bread from a pizza place in Denver, but they wouldn’t deliver to the hotel (which was only 4 miles away). So…unless I make it out of gluten-free sandwich bread, it hasn’t happened. And trust me…that’s not the same. Annie May’s Vegan Garlic Bread was amazing. Delicious. The crust got all golden and crunchy and the middle…soft…chewy…garlic and vegan buttery goodness. Honestly. Seasoned perfectly. Tears. When a food makes me cry…then it’s damn good. We only ate half the loaf tonight with dinner…I almost cooked up the second half. I think this will become another staple that I always purchase from Annie May’s when she has it in stock…much like her cinnamon rolls and her macaroni and cheese! This…is one of my favorite things I have ever eaten since going gluten-free. Real food. Really good. Make you cry good! Even my roomie was blown away. She had taken a bite before I had and she gave me the saddest eyes. When I took my bite…I understood why. She liked it better than the garlic bread she has been able to eat. I liked it better than any I had prior to having to go gluten-free. Honest…good…food! That’s what Annie May’s bakes up every single time!

Annie May’s Sweet Café has literally changed my life. With all the restaurants in Louisville’s blossoming foodie areas, all I want is Annie May’s! Why? Because not only can I get safe treats and meals there, but now…I can take a whole lot of their good stuff home to bake up myself when it is convenient. I hope that the take-n-bake freezer takes off for them and expands, because I would be totally willing to purchase these convenient meals and items every week…just to make one day of my life (if not more) a lot easier.

Happy Third Birthday, Annie May’s…and here’s to many, many more delicious, allergen-free years!!

Annie May's Sweet Café Gluten Free Vegan Garlic Bread (baked) — Annie May’s Sweet Café Gluten Free Vegan Garlic Bread (baked)

June 15, 2014

Product Review: Hilary’s Eat Well Adzuki Bean Burger

Product: Hilary’s Eat Well Adzuki Bean Burger – $3.99+

It’s World Cup time!! YAY!! I had the honor of attending a World Cup match back in 1994, when the USA was hosting the matches. It was so much fun. And while I’ve never played soccer…I love the sport. I could go to a match and have the best time of my life.

And with the World Cup kicking off a couple of days ago…and with my favorite player (Diego Forlan on the Uruguay National Team) playing a match late this afternoon, I figured we needed some sort of game-day grub for the occasion! Back in 2010, you couldn’t pull Cathy or I away from the matches on television or online. We watched the hell out of them.

Those days are back with a vengeance. And…although Uruguay lost today to Costa Rica (BOOOO!), at least I made a fun “pub grub” like meal. The main focus of said World Cup meal was…veggie burgers. And…more to the point…one of my favorite brands so far…Hilary’s Eat Well. This time, instead of her original veggie burger…I was told to choose one of the options at our new local grocery store (Lucky’s). They had three other ones I had yet to try…and in the end, I went for the Adzuki Bean Burger. Why? The words green chili and cumin caught my attention! And we had purchased an avocado…so that would pair well, I figured. Green chilies and avocado are best mates! I think.

With kickoff happening, I got up to make the veggie burgers and prepare the toppings. I had thawed out some of the Rudi’s Gluten-Free Hamburger Buns that were in my freezer and put them in the oven to toast. I caramelized some onion…sliced tomatoes…tore up some lettuce…and sliced up the avocado. As I finished that up, the Hilary’s Eat Well Adzuki Bean Burgers came out of the freezer and hit my skillet with just a touch of oil.

These don’t take long to cook at all. About three to five minutes on each side. And then, because I melt a slice of vegan cheese on mine, a moment longer with some water thrown in and the lid topping it to allow it to steam and the cheese to melt (as well as vegan cheese can melt). The buns were toasted, so I pulled them from the oven. I topped them off with gourmet ketchup (because every burger needs gourmet ketchup), the lettuce, the patty itself (which was crusted on the outside…and soft on the inside), and capped with the tomato, caramelized onion, and sliced avocado. I served this up with some gluten-free potato chips. Dinner was easy, early, and served with a side of World Cup!!

Hilary's Eat Well Adzuki Bean Burgers (frozen) — Hilary’s Eat Well Adzuki Bean Burgers (frozen)

I went for the burger first, of course. The Hilary’s Eat Well Adzuki Bean Burger is the perfect size for a veggie burger patty. Sometimes they can skimp on size, but not on fat and calories and that’s a problem. But this was a really great sized patty. It was a perfect circle of bean and grain goodness. And yes…you can visibly see the ingredients. Nothing hidden. Love it. One bite…and it was love. Again. I raved about the Hilary’s Eat Well World’s Best Veggie Burger…but this…this one might even top that one. As I mentioned, when I cooked it up in my skillet, it got this perfect crispness to the outside and remained soft (not mushy…just soft) on the inside. A perfect burger bite. It browned up beautifully and maintained amazing flavor throughout. Even better…the taste. Oh…my…god! Seriously…this burger isn’t trying to replicate a beef burger. It’s trying to let the grains and beans be the stars of the patty. And I applaud Hilary’s Eat Well for that. Fantastic flavor. There is a slight hint of spice from the green chilies as well as the chipotle and chili powders, but it doesn’t overpower and it’s not hot. Trust me…my roommate never said a word about the “heat” level or it being “spicy.” You can just taste it. The millet and quinoa add a bit of a nutty flavor to each bite. And the beans…that creates that amazing texture!

So…let’s look at nutrition. And far as ingredients go, this is a fantastically constructed veggie burger. For real. Hilary’s Eat Well prides itself on using real-food ingredients that nourish the body and support a healthy ecosystem. So…the Hilary’s Eat Well Adzuki Bean Burgers are made from a combination of water, millet, adzuki beans, quiona, expeller-pressed coconut oil, sweet potato, onion, mild green chilies, psyllium husk powder, arrowroot, real salt, apple cider vinegar, garlic, cumin, chili and chipotle powder, and lime juice.

I recognize everything listed above. I love it when food is made from real food. These burgers are also non-GMO, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, corn-free, egg-free, yeast-free, and nut free!

As for the nutritional information, a serving size is 1 veggie burger patty. One of the Hilary’s Eat Well Adzuki Bean Burgers will serve you up 190 calories and 7 grams of fat. This burger will also be giving you 290 mg sodium. These burgers are cholesterol and sugar free. LOVE! Finally, you will be taking in 5 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. I consider this to be a very healthy burger with trusted ingredients.

So, even though Uruguay lost to Costa Rica, my taste buds were engaged and happily savoring every bite of the Hilary’s Eat Well Adzuki Bean Burger. Delicious! I can’t wait to try the other burgers that the few stores that carry these have in stock. Super delicious!!

Hilary's Eat Well Adzuki Bean Burger (cooked) — Hilary’s Eat Well Adzuki Bean Burger (cooked)

June 13, 2014

Product Review: Schär Gluten Free Bontà d’Italia Frozen Veggie Pizza

Product: Schär Gluten Free Bontà d’Italia Frozen Veggie Pizza – $8.99+

Way back when my gluten-free journey began, I was trying out a variety of pizza shells. You know…either shelf-stable or frozen gluten-free pizza crusts that I could build my own pizza on and cook up however I wanted. That was all fine and good…as I love building new flavors and making a delicious and actually healthy pizza. But sometimes…you just don’t want to do all that chopping and saucing and cheesing…right?

Hey…we all lead busy lives and cooking takes time.

Well, my entire point to that opening anecdote was that one of my favorite crusts I used was made by Schär. If you’ve delved into the gluten-free world for awhile, you’ve probably become familiar with Schär’s products. You can find many of their shelf-stable and parbaked breads on grocery store shelves. You can also find many of their delectable cookies and crackers as well. The company’s vision statement says that they aim to become the leading specialist for particular dietary and nutritional needs in Europe and North America. Schär specializes in the development and production of foods for people with special dietary needs. They focus on producing delicious products with quality ingredients, wanting to assure that consumers receive balanced nutrition and quality of life through their diet.

And tonight, I was trying one of their new products out in the market. They recently introduced gluten-free bagels and gluten-free pizzas to their line of frozen products. So, while you can get their gluten-free pizza shell (shelf-stable)…you also now have the option of just going to your grocer’s freezer and retrieving a ready-to-bake frozen pizza as well.

YAY!

Schär Gluten Free Bontà d'Italia Frozen Veggie Pizza (frozen) — Schär Gluten Free Bontà d’Italia Frozen Veggie Pizza (frozen)

Schär currently offers two varieties of their gluten-free frozen pizza: Veggie and Cheese.

You know I went for the veggie pizza! HAHA!

There it was, in my freezer now…the Schär Gluten Free Bontà d’Italia Frozen Veggie Pizza. Tonight…it was dinner.

So…after a long day from work, I came home and got the oven preheating at 425°F, getting out my pizza stone to get it warming. The actual pizza itself had to be unwrapped and left to thaw for about 10 minutes, which is about how long it takes for my dinosaur of an oven to reach the correct baking temperature. So, that was perfect. I removed the pizza from the box, then it’s little plastic wrapper, and let it sit on a pizza pan. I already loved the look of it. It had a very thin crust, but it was loaded with amazing and fresh looking vegetables. For real!! I could clearly see a thin layer of red sauce, a light sprinkling of cheese, but the biggest stand-outs were the amazing looking vegetables scattered on top. Red peppers, yellow peppers, mushrooms, onion, and spinach. They looked completely fresh and super bright. I was already impressed. I’d never had a frozen pizza look like that before.

Once the oven was heated, I pulled out the pizza stone and transferred the pizza to it. Back into the oven it went for about 8 minutes, until the cheese was bubbly and the crust got that nice color to it. It really is that simple. Get together dishes and drinks for dinner time and before you know it…it will be time to pull the pizza out of the oven.

Let me tell you…while this is cooking up it smells fantastic! Honestly!! I was in pizza heaven. It actually smelled like a pizzeria in my apartment. That made me so happy. I commented that it smelled so good, but my roommate is fighting off a cold, so she had to just take my word for it. In no time, I was pulling the Schär Gluten Free Bontà d’Italia Frozen Veggie Pizza from the oven and letting it sit for a moment before slicing into it.

The back of the box for the Schär Gluten Free Bontà d’Italia Frozen Veggie Pizza states that “the goodness of Italy is just minutes away from your table” with the creation of Schär’s new line of frozen entrees that are “rich in natural flavors and nutrients.” The thing that I think really sets this pizza apart from all that have come before it is that thin crust is actually brick oven baked. Yes. So, you get this richness to the crust that usually you don’t find in gluten-free crusts. Add to it the blend of sauce, cheese, and toppings and you have one authentic sounding pizza.

So…did it live up to the box hype?

Schär Gluten Free Bontà d'Italia Frozen Veggie Pizza (baked) — Schär Gluten Free Bontà d’Italia Frozen Veggie Pizza (baked)

MORE THAN! Seriously. When I took my first bite, I was so impressed. For a frozen pizza, this was full of flavor. The pizza crust, being stone baked before hand, has this nice charred taste that makes it feel like it came out of one of those pizza ovens. The crust may be thin, but it is sturdy. None of the toppings were too much for this crust. And the crispiness that the edges got was perfection. I felt like I was eating a real pizza at a real pizzeria. That’s not a feeling I get often, especially while dining on my couch in my apartment. In fact…it never happens that way. The cheese wasn’t overwhelming. In fact, the vegetables were the most predominant topping and the stars of this pizza. And when you eat a veggie pizza…that’s how it should be. The peppers, onion, and mushrooms all cooked perfectly and tasted like they were fresh off the farm. Seriously. And the spinach didn’t get mushy. It was the perfect dusting of green over the top. My taste buds were blown away. And while I really had wanted to skip this easy-to-prepare meal and go out somewhere, I’m glad, in the end, my empty wallet won because nothing could have compared to this!

Let’s talk ingredients! Schär is dedicated to using only the highest quality ingredients, and that is beyond evident…even when the pizza was still frozen. The Schär Gluten Free Bontà d’Italia Frozen Veggie Pizza contains: water, vegetable mix (red peppers, yellow peppers, mushrooms, onion, spinach) tomato puree, rice flour, potato starch, mozzarella cheese, potato flakes psyllium seed husks, sunflower oil, sugar, soy protein, modified cellulose, carob-see flour, salt, mono- and diglicerides, oregano, and apple fiber. This product contains no gluten or wheat and is a good source of fiber.

As far as the nutrition information…this isn’t too bad either!

A serving size is 1 slice (my roommate and I had 2), and the entire pizza serves 4. If you follow the serving size recommendation, you will be consuming 170 calories and 6 grams of fat. You will also be taking in 10 mg of cholesterol, 370 mg sodium, and less than 1 gram of sugar. One slice will provide you with 4 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. So, don’t let that thin crust fool you. You will definitely feel full!

More importantly, however, you will feel satisfied…because this pizza is beyond fantastic. It takes gluten-free frozen pizzas and turns it into something that actually tastes like it came from a wood-fired pizza place. It was amazing. And I was one happy girl. Sometimes a frozen product has the potential to surprise you. Well played, Schär! Color me surprised…and full.

Now I need to stock another one in my freezer…

Two slices of Schär Gluten Free Bontà d'Italia Frozen Veggie Pizza — Two slices of Schär Gluten Free Bontà d’Italia Frozen Veggie Pizza

June 11, 2014

Product Review: Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Southwest Veggie Stuffed Sandwiches

Product: Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Southwest Veggie Stuffed Sandwiches – $2.69

For those of you, who, like me, were diagnosed with Celiac later than life…raise your hand if you remember the simplicity, the ease, and the not-really-so-tasty-but-you-thought-it-was days of yore when you could pull something called a Hot Pocket out of the freezer, slide it into a little heat envelope thingy, and nuke the hell out of it…the filling oozing out of the edges and baking to that microwave safe, dish.

Mmmmm…

Yeah…those were the days.

There was, honestly, a time when those were my lunch. Every. Single. Day.

Sometimes dinner.

Those were the days I lived out of my freezer.

Like…I sort of am now because I hit a low point in my life and went on a buying spree of things I didn’t really need…but at the time, apparently had to have…in my freezer…which I had emptied out of processed foods and is now packed full of them once again. This is what happens when a runner sprains her ankle. She falls off that wagon.

That being said…simplicity and ease shouldn’t be eliminated completely. And while I don’t like dining on processed foods, they do play their part.

As I mentioned, Aldi put out a test line of gluten-free products, branded as liveGfree, and spanning everything from cookies to crackers to snack bars to frozen meals to ready-made frozen pancakes (2 flavors even!) to…things like baking mixes. Yes…Aldi has jumped on the bandwagon and has offered those of us who must eat gluten-free a more affordable option than what we get at all the grocery stores and natural food stores where we have to shop.

I won’t lie…I pretty much snagged one of everything when I went into Aldi. Thankfully, I took a stroll around the store and found more items in the freezer section. YAY!! Jackpot. Because in among them were the liveGfree Gluten Free Southwest Veggie Stuffed Sandwiches. Yeah…happiness can be achieved with stuffed sandwiches…because they really don’t exist in the gluten-free world. Well, Glutenfreeda makes a version of them, but none of theirs are also vegetarian. BOOO! So the fact that Aldi’s liveGfree brand has a vegetarian option…hell yeah…that was coming home with me. This was meeting my freezer.

And, as I was going running with my friend Natalie yesterday…I needed a simple dinner to heat up so I could change, slather on some sunscreen, and head through the mess of Louisville traffic to her apartment. We wanted to do something out-of-the-box instead of our normal Monday run. And it meant some ice cream at the end of it (I had Fudgesicle sorbet!). So, I really had nothing already prepared…so I opened up my freezer and spotted the liveGfree Gluten Free Southwest Veggie Stuffed Sandwiches.

Perfect.

I got out some plates, pulled the stuffed sandwiches out of the box, slid them into the sleeve, put them in the microwave for just over 2 minutes…and gave them their quick nuking.

Dinner was served…conveniently speedily.

But was it any good? Well, I served up Cathy first and she was delicately nipping at the sandwich while mine was heating. I asked her how it was. She did the high-pitched, “It’s…okeedokey.” That means…eh….not so good. So, I asked her to elaborate. She found the crust to be dry and the filling to be spicy. She’s a spice wimp. I can’t remember (because it has literally been ages) if Hot Pocket’s crusts were dry to the taste…so I can’t really compare as far as that is concerned. When mine finished up it’s cookery in the microwave, I dumped it onto my plate, cut it in half, took a picture, and then took a bite.

Yes…the crust was definitely dry. In fact…it was distractingly dry. I felt that the stuffing was lacking. I loved the spice and I loved the brown rice and black bean combination, but it was seriously lacking. I felt it wasn’t truly “stuffed,” if you know what I mean. And while rice and beans are great fillers…and filling…these are Soutwest Veggie sandwiches. And I found the veggies to be really lacking on the inside. It was mostly rice and beans. Bummer. Actually, so far…of all the items I’ve tried from the liveGfree brand, this is the one I am least likely to purchase again.

So, let’s talk ingredients. The crust and filling of the liveGfree Gluten Free Southwest Veggie Stuffed Sandwich is made from gluten-free millet flour, water, gluten substitute (rice flour, corn starch, maltodextrin, pea fiber, guar gum), brown rice, salsa (diced tomatoes, tomato puree, salt, diced jalapeno peppers, diced Anaheim peppers, dehydrated onions, spices, dehydrated garlic and citric acid), water, black beans, roasted corn, green chilies, pepper jack cheese with jalapeno peppers, sugar, honey, soybean oil, xanthan gum, dry yeast, deli seasoning, baking powder, baking soda, salt pasteurized dried egg yolks, low moistere part skim mozzarella cheese, southwest style seasonings (spices, red chili pepper, paprika, salt, garlic powder, citric acid, modified food starch (NOOOO!), and cornmeal. As for the topical ingredients, these include BBQ seasoning, fructose, paprika and paprika extract, tomato powder, natural smoke flavor, and spice. These are gluten-free, nut-free, and wheat-free.

Nutritionally speaking, a serving size is one of the two included stuffed sandwiches. This stuffed sandwich will provide you with 270 calories and 6 grams of fat. You will also be taking in 2 grams of saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 440 mg sodium, and 8 grams of sugar. Not impressed. And, you will also be taking in 5 grams of filling fiber and 7 grams of protein. These, surprisingly, were filling…but they just weren’t all that good. LOVED the spice…but it just lacked…flavor.

While I know some of my gluten-free friends have raved about these, I wasn’t as high on them, nor as impressed. I don’t think I’ll spend my money on these again in the near future. I was underwhlemed and a bit disappointed, since these had really gotten me pretty excited when I saw them in the freezer at my local Aldi. A bit of a letdown…but…I am glad I at least tried it.

Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Southwest Veggie Stuffed Sandwich (not so stuffed...as you can see) — Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Southwest Veggie Stuffed Sandwich (not so stuffed…as you can see)

June 6, 2014

Product Review: Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Pizza

Product: Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Pizza – $4.99

The other night, I blogged about the liveGfree gluten-free product line, which was introduced to the market at the beginning of May (also Celiac Awareness Month…so I see what they did there!). They have an entire line of mixes, snacks, pastas, and even some frozen items. I was blown away the day I stopped in at Aldi…and pretty much walked out of there with one of everything (save for the mixes, because I have so many at the moment I need to work through first!).

I walked out of my local Aldi with a lot of food…and all of it rang up under $30.00. This is huge for me because my budget on groceries is ridiculous. Seriously. I am always over budget…but I have to eat and I have to buy specialty foods in order to do so. So, I make cuts other places in order to be able to properly feed myself.

Now, recently, I had been moving away from having a lot of processed foods in my apartment. And that meant I had a rather empty freezer. But that changed. Oh…boy…did that change.

One of the products that I returned home with that afternoon was the liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Pizza.

I am actually very, very picky about my gluten-free pizzas. You might have noticed. HA! And it is very rare that a gluten-free frozen pizza really intrigues me. There are some that do, and, there have been some that have been really good. Heck, some have been better than some gluten-free pizzas I have had at restaurants. I was actually a little reluctant about cooking this up for dinner…because I didn’t want it to suck. This was dinner, after all. That might have been the reason I baked up some kale chips to have with the pizza. Subconsciously, of course.

Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Pizza (frozen)

That being said…I got home from work tonight and pulled out my pizza stone. I arranged the racks in the oven and got my stone in there to warm as the oven preheated. I pulled the box out of the freezer and flipped it open, checking to see how much pizza I would be eating that night. After checking and double checking the serving size (it’s a small-ish box), I realized that my roommate and I were to feast off the pizza over the course of two nights. Two nights! Four servings…two slices each.

I opened up the box and removed the pizza. It was smaller than a standard dinner plate. In fact…it was just small. The pizza itself was on a pale crust. I removed my now warm stone from the oven and took the plastic wrap off the pizza. Barely any crust or sauce was evident under the layer of frozen cheese that was on top. I placed the pizza on the stone and tossed it into the oven to bake. It takes about 10 minutes at 450°F.

Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Pizza (baked)

Ten minutes later, I pulled the pizza out of my oven…and was amazed. The frozen cheese had gotten that nice bit of golden color to it, and it had turned all gooey and rich and melty. The sauce was now visible through the cheese. And the crust…had plumped up. WHAT?! No cracker crust??!! A little bit of joy spread through my heart when I noticed that.

I got out my pizza cutter and sliced the pizza into fourths, then cut those into two slices each. I actually was glad I made the kale chips because these slices of pizza were so small! Little-bitty-baby pizza slices. Ah well. I put them on the plate with a healthy helping of kale chips and dinner was served.

Point of interest. The pizza didn’t suck. In fact, it was decent. Cathy compared it to Totino’s Pizza. You know…those crappy, but you love them, frozen pizzas you used to eat?! I haven’t had one in years…so I don’t even remember what they taste like!! But, that’s what Cathy said it reminder her of eating. And she loved how much cheese was on there. I concur. Usually frozen pizzas skimp of the toppings, but the cheese was the star of this Cheeze Pizza. The crust had a bit of thickness to it, and turned a nice golden color. It was soft, not really crunchy…but still good. I appreciated having an actual crust more than anything. The toppings were basic and simple, but they melted and warmed up beautifully in the oven. When it involves gluten-free pizza…it’s all about that crust. And I think the liveGfree crust on the Gluten-Free Cheese Pizza definitely shines.

Ingredients in the crust of this pizza are basic…rice flour, corn starch, whole eggs, water, canola oil, baking powder, sugar, salt, tapioca dextrin, yeast, guar gum, xanthan gum, and sodium alginate. The toppings on the pizza include tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, romano cheese, roasted garlic, and olive oil. Not the best of ingredients, but not a laundry list and not too horrible in the grand scheme of things. And definitely not bad for budget gluten-free frozen food!

Nutritionally speaking, this cheese pizza serves 4 people (small people with small appetites, I guess), with a serving being 2 slices. This serving will provide you with 170 calories and 7 grams of fat. These two slices of pizza also provide 40 mg of cholesterol, 210 mg sodium, and 2 grams of sugar. This serving will also give you 2 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. Trust me…you will not feel full after eating just 1/4 of this pizza.

But…at least it tastes good.

I know…it’s frozen…it’s processed…but it fits my budget…it’s quick…and it actually surprised me…it tasted good! I really hope Aldi keeps the liveGfree line in their stores. They will definitely see me there more often if they do! I can’t wait to see what the other products I purchased taste like!

Two small slices of the Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Pizza (served with homemade kale chips and a vegan lemon mayonnaise dipping sauce)

May 26, 2014

Restaurant Review: Merge, Buffalo, New York

Restaurant: Merge, Buffalo, New York

It had been a long day. By the time I rolled into Buffalo, I had already gotten up early to do a shakeout run while still in Ohio, stretched, did my ab routine, pack, get the car loaded up, and make the seemingly endless drive from Columbus, Ohio all the way up to Buffalo, New York…with one stop in Erie, Pennsylvania for lunch. Getting into Buffalo, I got checked into my hotel, hit up the race expo (I was there for a race, naturally), went back to my room, did more stretching, did some foam rolling, got things ready ahead of time so the evening wouldn’t be as hectic, and watched Food Network.

Because…that’s what I do.

HA!

But, before I knew it…it was time to head out to dinner. I was meeting up with my good friend, Kat, and her boyfriend, Adam, for dinner that night. It was the night before a race, so we wanted to have plenty of options for everyone. Kat requires brown rice pasta…so we narrowed it down to three places, but in the end…chose a place called…

Merge.

Kat was very high on this place when we were trying to make the decision. She said not only can they do a lot of their foods vegan/vegetarian, but a lot can be done gluten-free as well. AWESOME! Sounded perfect. And…the menu was a little different from anything I have down this way, so that was a bonus too. We were to meet for dinner at 5:00 p.m. So, at around 4:15, we set out to walk from our hotel up to Merge. It didn’t take us as long as we expected…so…we stood outside in the slightly chilly air. Right around 5, Kat and Adam showed up…and we stepped inside.

I already liked the place. Dimly lit…with a stage off to the right as you walk in. We were greeted and Kat gave the reservation. We were shown to our table and seated. As it was pre-race, I stuck with just water to drink. I hadn’t been too good about hydrating that day while on the road, so I wanted to make up for that a bit now. The waiter went to retrieve drinks and we sat and perused the menu.

Now, I had looked at the menu numerous times, trying to figure out what I wanted for dinner. Normally, pre-race means a gluten-free pizza. And that was completely available. HOWEVER…there were so many other delicious sounding items on the menu, that I thought, perhaps, to screw with tradition again…and do something completely different, but enough that would fuel up my muscles and top off those glycogen stores for the next morning. I was flip-flopping. On one hand, the gluten-free and dairy-free pizza was one with Daiya cheese, red onion, asparagus…it sounded awesome. But…again…I can get good gluten-free pizza in Louisville. So, it was down to trying the Gluten-Free and Vegan Mac & Cheese that Kat had told me so much about…or the special of the night…the Gluten-Free Eggplant Caponata…or the Gluten-Free Arugula Pesto Pasta.

So…while I was trying to decide, the rest of the table ordered. Kat went with the an appetizer of the Dairy-Free Stuffed Potato Skins ($10.00) which comes with a fresh corn salad with turkey bacon, Daiya Cheese, and a Chipotle Cream and then for an entree went with the Gluten-Free Eggplant Caponata ($18.00). Adam went with the Daily Pizza ($10.00). Jenn chose the Sweet Basil Gnocchi (which included roasted red peppers, red onion, spinach, roasted garlic and a white wine sauce) for her meal ($15.00). Cathy went with the Coconut Lemongrass Stir-fry ($15.00), which is a mix of organic tofu, snap peas, red onion, carrot, and rice vermicelli, served with toasted cashews, bean sprouts, and fresh lime.

And I was still stumped!

I went over my choices with the waiter to get his opinion and to maybe help me make a decision, because I was seriously waffling. Pizza…or something different…pizza…or something different…tradition…or not….AH! The waiter said he highly recommended the Arugula Pesto Pasta. Kat made sure that the pesto didn’t have Parmesan in it (as someone with a dairy allergy…she knows all about the importance of asking about things like that because so many pesto recipes include Parmesan…and being lactose intolerant…I avoid all things dairy before a race). He said that it was vegan…and so…I went with it. Why not?!

There it was…tradition once again bucked…

I went with the Gluten-Free Arugula Pesto Pasta ($15.00), which was brown rice pasta with local tomato, red onion, spinach, and tossed with toasted walnuts. Oooh…I’d get some nice vitamins from that spinach and some Omega from those walnuts. Nice choice. Glad I had some help in making it!

So, we all sat around and talked about various topics, not just running. In fact, running didn’t really come up all that much that night. We were just having a good time and relaxing. Because that is important before a race. Trust me. The atmosphere of Merge is very conducive to that too. It was really, really nice. The appetizer was brought to the table and Kat let me try one of the potato skins. I didn’t put the corn and bacon topping on it since it was real meat, but the Daiya cheese and the chipotle cream were put on the potato skin…and it was phenomenal. Quite tasty. I want to recreate this at home…and just might this week! It was a great way to start off the dining experience.

But, before long our meals were being served up and we were all happily about to feast on our food of choice.

Merge's Gluten-Free Arugula Pesto Pasta — Merge’s Gluten-Free Arugula Pesto Pasta

I actually was quite happy when I took my first bite of the Arugula Pesto Pasta. It was smooth and delicious. I love pesto as it is…but this was really seasoned well. It paired well with the brown rice pasta. And the fresh vegetables that were sauteed and added to the mix just made for a nice break in the texture and a lot of added flavor as well. LOVE. The toasted walnuts were the perfect way to add a bit of crunch to something that would otherwise be very soft. I told Cathy to give it a try and she loved it as well. It’s not every day I get a plate of green pasta (ah, pesto…you’re so much fun on food!) that had so much going on and so much nutritionally sound ingredients added to it. It was just what I think I needed that evening. You could tell everything was fresh. Because this pasta was perfection. So, I broke tradition again…it was worth it for this meal. Trust me.

Everyone else seemed to like their meals as well. Kat’s only complaint was there was too little pasta (she’s carbing up!) in her dish…and Jenn ate around all the vegetables in hers. The rest of us devoured everything in front of us.

The big question of dessert came up. And…we felt it was necessary. They had so many gluten-free and vegan options on their dessert menu…how could I pass up the opportunity?

In the end, Kat went with the Apple Cranberry Cobbler with Salty Caramel Sauce and Homemade Vanilla Soy Ice Cream ($7.00) for her dessert. Jenn and Adam both got the Vegan Carrot Cake with Walnuts and Cream Cheese Frosting ($6.00). And Cathy and I decided to split the Vegan Chocolate Mousse with Spiced Berry Compote ($6.00). I kind of wanted to split the Vegan and Gluten-Free Brownie Sundae…but Cathy is apparently anti-brownie these days. So…that was a no-go.

With our orders in, we eagerly anticipated our sweet reward and end of the night treat. After a short wait, the desserts were brought to the table. They all looked fantastic. Especially the carrot cake. If only that had been gluten-free. Then again, Cathy is anti-carrot cake as well…so it wouldn’t have done any good. GRRRR! Anyway…it all looked delicious and we spared no time digging in.

The Vegan Chocolate Mousse with the Spiced Berry Compote was…different. This wasn’t your usual mousse. It was probably made with cashew cream…which would be the reason for the grittiness to it. In fact, it also wasn’t very fluffy or light. More like a heavy pudding than a mousse to be sure. That being said…the spiced berry compote was beyond delicious. Ultimately, it was my favorite part of the dessert. Cathy agreed. When I think of mousse, I expect something whipped and airy and light…and this just wasn’t a mousse.

Jenn absolutely loved the carrot cake (damn it for not being gluten-free!). Cat and Adam split each of their desserts and both seemed quite happy with their choices. So, that was good.

We finished up dessert and wound up getting caught up in conversations again. And soon, because they are a hot-spot in town, we were asked to leave so other people could have the table. I needed to get back to the hotel anyway and get ready for sleep to be rested up for the morning ahead of me.

All-in-all…a great restaurant in Buffalo, New York. I would happily eat here again without any qualms. Everything I had was good, and sometimes even great. My pasta was the star, for sure. And even if the dessert didn’t wow me…it was still fantastic. Cathy stole a bite of Jenn’s carrot cake and raved about it. The atmosphere was amazing. The food was delicious. And the staff was quite accommodating. I couldn’t have asked for a better pre-race meal.

Merge, when I come back to Buffalo, New York sometime…I hope to come back.

Merge's Vegan Chocolate Mousse with Spiced Berry Compote — Merge’s Vegan Chocolate Mousse with Spiced Berry Compote

May 22, 2014

Restaurant Review: Sweet ‘N’ Savory Food Truck, Louisville, Kentucky

Restaurant: Sweet ‘N’ Savory Food Truck, Louisville, Kentucky

They are BACK!

YES!! Finally!!

After a long, harsh winter without much action of the food truck scene…especially for me…because of my food allergies and all…I was so happy when Sweet ‘N’ Savory Food Truck returned from their hiatus (the owners spend the winters in New Orleans, Louisiana). Unfortunately, I didn’t get out to them for a few weeks. I was either out of town or the weather was bad.

But that was not the case this past Sunday afternoon. Louisville was having their Buy Local Fair and the food trucks were out and serving. I went to this event last year and walked away with tons of local products from local businesses and farms. So, I was excited that I would be in town for this year’s event as well. It was a near thing though. I was in Indianapolis the day before for a half marathon…so thank goodness this was a Sunday event.

After an easy time getting to the site of the Buy Local Fair and with no problems parking…I was more than primed to find the food trucks and get my crepe on. Because that…my dear readers…is what Sweet ‘N’ Savory is all about. They do amazing gluten-free crepes, gelato, smoothies, coffee, tea…ahhhh…life’s simple but best pleasures, if you ask me. And you’re reading this…so technically…you are.

Sweet ‘N’ Savory was right on the end of the row of food trucks as we turned the corner. I think I bounced up and down when I saw them…already with a line. YAY! I was so ready for this. My crepe craving has been out of control lately. And despite having a gluten-free crepe place in Columbus, Ohio…and now one in Denver, Colorado…nothing…NOTHING compares to those that are served up by my local food truck, owned by Richard and Ashley Giannini. He mans the crepe stones and she takes the orders and dishes up everything else…including their rich, creamy gelato. But I’ll get to that momentarily.

Richard and Ashley are the two who got me hooked on savory crepes. I never cared for them much before…until they came along. And…still…I hardly order them from anywhere else…because they don’t compare to the flavor combinations that I can get from Sweet ‘N’ Savory. I looked over the menu…and contemplated going sweet. But it was lunch…so…the savory sort of had my attention. I was going back and forth between two of them…and finally settled on…

The Sweet Onion Crepe.

Sweet 'N' Savory's Sweet Onion Crepe — Sweet ‘N’ Savory’s Sweet Onion Crepe

This savory crepe contained caramelized onions, figs, honey, and goat cheese, folded up in the gluten-free crepe and served toasty and warm and…mouth watering. Holy cow. I put in my order and Cathy placed hers (opting for the one with ‘all the meats’ as she never gets to eat meat at home since I am the cook). While we waited, we chatted with both Richard and Ashley about how we’ve been and what’s been keeping us busy. They apologized for missing me the weekend before at The Flea Off Market (severe weather shut it down early and they packed up 10 minutes before I finally arrived…SO not their fault. Just really bad timing!). We laughed about the strange weather and soon…both Cathy and I were receiving our delicious gluten-free crepes.

The seating area was on the other end of the food truck area, so we took a small stroll over to a picnic table and settled in. I quickly took the mandatory food shot for the blog and then picked up my plastic utensils and readied myself for my first bite of one of Sweet ‘N’ Savory’s crepes in a L-O-N-G time.

It was just as good as I always remembered. The savory Sweet Onion Crepe was the perfect blend of everything. You get sweetness from the caramelized onions…plus some great flavor and texture from the chopped up figs that are inside. The honey binds everything together. But the real magic in this crepe falls to the goat cheese. You get this nice balance of saltiness and creamy texture to counter the onion and fig mixture. Heaven. I cut off a piece for Cathy to try and she agreed…it rocked! And her crepe was apparently good too, because we polished them off in record time. For real! The crepe itself was toasted to a perfect golden brown and tucked neatly around the filling. It was heaven on a paper plate. And I was all smiles…in between chewing, of course. I have yet to have something from Sweet ‘N’ Savory that I didn’t like.

As we had been waiting in line, Ashely had mentioned their gelato flavors. She had done up a Brownie Batter Gelato that morning that she said was amazing. Lick-the-bowl good, I believe. She also said that it would pair perfectly with, my personal favorite, Salted Caramel. And they did have the salted caramel flavor. But she enticed me with something else…

A Dairy-Free Raspberry Gelato. So, Cathy and I abandoned our plans to celebrate my fastest half marathon time with our traditional Sundae Sunday at The Comfy Cow…and instead…went for Sweet ‘N’ Savory’s gelato. Cathy got the Brownie Batter. I was enticed to the Raspberry. Ashley served it up…and we happily paid and walked away with our refreshing sweet treat in hand.

Cathy fell in love with the rich, sweet, very-brownie flavor of the Brownie Batter Gelato. I took a spoonful and…WOW! Yeah…it was like eating rich, delicious, dark chocolate brownie batter. REALLY good. But, I was over-the-moon for my choice. Light, airy, and tangy…the zippy flavor of Sweet ‘N’ Savory’s Dairy-Free Raspberry Gelato won me over at first bite. Cathy, who doesn’t even like raspberry, took a taste and said, “WOW…that’s GOOD!” So, we perused the Buy Local Fair, buying products from local farms and businesses, while eating our little bowls of homemade, rich, creamy, light…gelato. I was in a good place. A very, very happy place.

So, I want to take a moment to welcome back my favorite Louisville, Kentucky food truck, Sweet ‘N’ Savory. I have missed you so much. And you totally have brought the flavor-factor back once again this year. I can’t wait to turn up at other events and try other crepes that you create and put together. Honestly…you’ve been missed. And next time…it might be a two-scoop gelato kind of day. Your food is love…and I love your food!

Sweet 'N' Savory's Dairy-Free Raspberry Gelato — Sweet ‘N’ Savory’s Dairy-Free Raspberry Gelato

May 20, 2014

Restaurant Review: Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza and Pub, Fishers, Indiana

Restaurant: Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza & Pub, Fishers, Indiana

Twas the night before a half marathon…

…so…in other words…gluten-free pizza night!

About a week before setting out to Fishers, Indiana, to run the Geist Half Marathon (for training), I started a full-on search for good gluten-free pizza in that area. I’m spoiled rotten by my local allergen-free bakery, Annie May’s Sweet Café, because her pizza crust is actually a thick crust…not this thin cracker crust you get everywhere else. I always crave her pizza and went on a search to, perhaps, find a place that was comparable to the one she makes.

No luck.

Cracker crust everywhere I turn.

UGH!

So…I tossed it out on my Facebook page for some suggestions. I wanted to try somewhere new…somewhere I couldn’t easily go here in Louisville. So no Puccini’s and no Mellow Mushroom (although…yum to Mellow Mushroom!). I didn’t want to go somewhere I already had gone up there to try…so no Monical’s or Jockamo’s. Some of my friends in my running group were, unknown to me at the time, also running Geist…and Laura said they were going to hit up Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza & Pub in Fishers on Friday night for their dinner. And she saw they had a gluten-free menu as well.

I went to check it out, along with two other places that I researched via Find Me Gluten Free.

In the end, due to being conveniently close to the hotel…Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza & Pub was where Cathy and I decided the night-before-the-race pizza would happen. And…as an added bonus, my good friend, Julia, was going to meet us there for dinner. YAY!

I’ve had a lot of misses on the gluten-free pizza as of late while on the road. So, I was desperately hoping that this pizza was good. And…after getting caught in some storms on the drive up to Fishers, then getting stuck in traffic, hitting up the race expo for packet pickup, and then getting caught in more traffic, we finally made it to the restaurant, where Julia got us a table in the bar and was patiently waiting…and had been for about 30 minutes (damn traffic). Lots of hugs and a quick browse of the menu…and we were set.

The inside of Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza & Pub is dark…but beautiful. It’s very rustic chic. And I thought the ambiance was perfect for a pizza/pub. It just felt right and comfortable. Our waitress came over…and I gave her fair warning of my food allergies. She put any of my fears to rest and assured me that they would cook me up a good pizza. So, with our minds made up…the order was placed.

Cathy and I were going to split the 10″ Gluten-Free Vava Veggie Pizza ($12.00 – which includes the $1.50 up-charge for gluten-free crust). Julia was on the same wavelength and got the regular wood fired version of the Vava Veggie Pizza ($10.50). With the orders in, we were able to sit and talk while we waited for out food. A short time later, our pans of pizza were being settled in front of us.

The Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza & Pub’s Gluten-Free Vava Veggie Pizza is done on a custom gluten-free cracker crust. Very thin crust…crunchy…you know the drill. The pizza itself is topped off with roma tomatoes, fresh basil pesto, crimini mushrooms, red and green bell peppers, broccoli, house tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese. It was very colorful and smelled absolutely delicious.

Our pizza, however, was a little lopsided. One half was coated with veggies, the other half had a lot of plain cheese. As I don’t handle dairy too well, I took a supplement and then took the slices with more veggies than cheese showing. That was fine by Cathy. I think sometimes she only tolerates the veggies that I get on my vegetarian pizzas. But…she dug in first.

First of all…the crust was cooked all the way through. That…was a huge plus. YAY! It had a nice crispness to the crust. The vegetable were fresh and added both savory and sweet aspects to the slices itself. I loved the mushrooms, finding them cooked perfectly through. Cathy fell in love with the pesto that was on the pizza. And each slice was packed with fresh veggie goodness, which I appreciated. But…I did notice how wet the pizza got soon after we dove into our first slices. I think it was the blend of tomatoes with the tomato sauce and basil…but it got a bit soggy after a short time. Which…made me sad. I love that crispness to the crust that pizza should have. Ah well…I polished off my half of the pizza regardless, giving each of my slices a liberal sprinkle with the crushed red pepper flakes. Mmmm.

All-in-all, not bad. Really. Not bad. In fact, I’d be more than happy to eat here again and try something else. I hear the gluten-free bread they make their sandwiches on is fantastic (thanks for the insight, Tammy!). If anything, I was most disappointed by the appearance (veggies were SO off-kilter!) and the way it just sort of got soggy after a moment of sitting while we ate. But…it was cooked through. The cheese was melted. The veggies were cooked to perfection and tasted fresh. I was content. I felt good.

And…it must have worked because this gluten-free pizza fueled me all the way to a new half marathon personal record!

Julia seemed really happy with her wood-fired pizza…and the crust looked absolutely fantastic on her slices. I admit…I had crust envy.

If you find yourself in the Fishers area, I highly recommend Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza & Pub for your lunch or dinner plans. They have everything from salads to pizzas to sandwiches…and even dessert. I toyed with the idea of getting gelato…but I opted against it in the end. But…trust me…this is a great place and they were very careful with the preparation of my food. And for that, I am eternally grateful.

I will definitely be back. Next time…I think I’ll try a sandwich!

Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza & Pub's Gluten-Free Vava Veggie Pizza — Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza & Pub’s Gluten-Free Vava Veggie Pizza