Entree – Page 19 – The Celiathlete

July 13, 2014

Product Review: SoL Cuisine Organic Falafel with Organic Tahini Sauce

Product: SoL Cuisine Organic Falafel with Organic Tahini Sauce – $4.99+

SoL Cuisine has been a surprise to me as far as the products they put out onto the market. For one thing, they are the only brand that offers gluten-free and vegan/vegetarian items that I can’t get otherwise. For that, I am forever in my debt to this company. Because of SoL Cuisine, I can have vegetarian breakfast sausages again. Because of SoL Cuisine, I have another option for veggie burgers. Because of SoL Cuisine, I can have vegetarian BBQ Ribs again. Because of SoL Cuisine…I can indulge in Falafel!

YES!

Falafel. That little Mediterranean cake made from chickpeas that is so awesomely yummy? Ever tried it? If not…you should. I love falafel. Always have. Because I am a huge fan of Mediterranean food as well. So, when I was grocery shopping and spotted SoL Cuisine’s Organic Falafel with Organic Tahini Sauce on closeout at my local natural food store…it was time to finally give it a try. I couldn’t argue with the price.

Unfortunately, I never really had anything in the house to use the SoL Cuisine Organic Falafel with. Normally, it would be served on pita bread…but my local Whole Foods stopped carrying the LivWell brand that had the gluten-free pita bread. So, that was sad. But, thanks to my trip to Boulder, Colorado and a stop in at one of their local natural food stores, I picked up these gluten-free sandwich petals (think Flat-Out Wraps). I picked up one of each kind of petal and brought them home with me.

And after a weekend in Detroit…where I saw Queen in concert…which was awesome. And…coming home in time to watch the World Cup Final between Germany and Argentina…I needed dinner. My breakfast was small and my lunch consisted of applesauce and a protein bar. Yeah…it was only 3:45 but I was ready for dinner for sure. I had so many options for easy meals to choose from in my pantry and freezer…so I pulled out some options and called in Cathy to help make a decision. She settled on Falafel (because we had it the longest). So I asked if I should put it on Amy’s Gluten-Free Sandwich Thins or the Sandwich Petals…and she decided on the Spinach Garlic Pesto Sandwich Petals. Hey…it was the closest thing we had to a flatbread. No pita…no problem.

SoL Cuisine Organic Falafel (cooked stove top)

So, I got a pan out and placed a touch of coconut oil in it. Then, into the pan went six (3 for each of us) of the Sol Cuisine Organic Falafel. I let them work in the pan while I put the frozen tahini sauce package into hot water to (hopefully) let it thaw before the rest of the meal was ready. Note to those of you out there about to try this product or thinking about it…thaw the sauce! Aside from that everything went very well. I cooked the Organic Falafel in the pan for about 5 minutes on one side…then flipped them over and did the same for the other side. They turned a gorgeous golden brown on the one side, so it was starting to come together. I got out the Sandwich Petals and heated up (one at a time) each flatbread, put some of the (thankfully) thawed sauce on each one, topped it with greens, then moved the now golden brown falafel over to the waiting flatbread. I topped it off with a bit more sauce, folded it over…and dinner…was served.

So, I settled in to finally really start paying attention to the second half of the World Cup final match. I carefully lifted up my Mediterranean sandwich of sorts and took a bite. I think I expected a little more of a crunch to the falafel from the stove top cooking, but, it was still quite soft. In fact, two of them started to meld together when I took another bite. But, falafel is not crunchy, but a chickpea cake of soft goodness, so this was actually what it should be like. And, honestly, I liked it. I liked it a lot. And the Organic Tahini Sauce that is included in the box is quite tasty as well. I was impressed. I found these easy to eat, and really quite delicious. I never know what it means when my roommate describes a product as “quite tasty” because she never really says anything else, so I can’t really say what her thoughts are truly on it…but she ate her Falafel Flatbread Sammie and that was enough to say that it was at least palatable to her. As for me…I devoured mine. The sandwich was a bit awkward, not really having a pocket to tuck everything into, but I made it work and in the end…it was a delicious, and quite healthy dinner.

SoL Cuisine does it again!

Let’s talk ingredients, yes? The SoL Cuisine Organic Falafel is made from organic chickpeas, organic okra, organic onion powder, organic garlic powder, wheat free tamari sauce, organic tahini, organic expeller pressed sunflower oil, organic tapioca starch, organic sesame seeds, and xanthan gum. The Organic Tahini Sauce is made from organic tahini, filtered water, organic lemon juice concentrate, sea salt, and organic garlic. This product is gluten-free, wheat-free, vegan, vegetarian, kosher, and organic.

Nutrition-wise…these aren’t a bad option at all. The serving size of SoL Cuisine Organic Falafel is three of the patties. These three patties will serve you up 110 calories and 2.5 grams of fat. You will be taking in 210 mg sodium and 1 gram of sugar. These are cholesterol free. Finally, you will be taking in 7 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. Filling and delicious.

So far, I have yet to really not enjoy something from SoL Cuisine. The Organic Falafel with Organic Tahini Sauce is a great and easy meal to prepare. Serve it up on flatbread or crackers…drizzle with the sauce, and enjoy every bite. This was a fantastic and unique meal to have while watching the World Cup…but it was a delicious stunner of a meal regardless.

Love!

SoL Cuisine Organic Falafel with Organic Tahini Sauce on a Gluten-Free Spinach Garlic Pesto Sandwich Petal

Chickpeas*, Okara*, Onion* & Garlic* Powder, Spice*, Wheat Free Tamari Sauce*(Water, Soybeans*, Salt), Tahini*, Expeller Pressed Sunflower Oil*, Tapioca Starch*, Sesame Seeds*, Xanthan Gum. – See more at: http://solcuisine.com/american-retail/sol-cuisine-falafel-sauce#sthash.k8FUfHIs.dpuf

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 8, 2014

Product Review: Miracle Noodle Garlic and Herb Fettucine

Product: Miracle Noodle Garlic and Herb Fettuccine – $3.49+

Ah…my dear Cuisine Cube. You’ve brought so much understanding and…great products into my life. And I’ve only been subscribing to you for three months now (my July cube should arrive tomorrow or Thursday, I believe!). While sometimes I receive products I have heard of or tried, there are other times I get products that I’ve looked at…wondered if it was worth trying…and put back on the shelf at the grocery store, either out of fear that I’ll waste my money…or out of not being able to expand the budget.

That was the case with Miracle Noodle. We have these in our local stores. I’ve spotted them at Meijer and at Whole Foods. I’ve probably spotted them a few other places as well. But…I never bought them. Why not? They were really no different than the Shirataki Noodles I used to buy and prepare. And, it took a couple of tries for me to get used to the texture…but they weren’t…awful. They weren’t bad. And once I got the hang of how to cook them…they weren’t a bad substitute.

Not one bit.

But I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t make myself purchase the little water and noodle-filled bags on the shelf at my grocery stores. I just…couldn’t.

But Cuisine Cube changed all of that.

I initially had other plans for dinner tonight, but then I found a recipe for corn tacos…which I need some ingredients for in order to fix…so it was time for another plan. I recalled my May Cuisine Cube had the Miracle Noodle Garlic and Herb Fettuccine noodles in it, and they were currently taking up residence in my pantry. This would be a great time to break them out…especially since I had some marinara sauce in the fridge and some vegan and gluten-free garlic bread (from my local bakery, Annie May’s Sweet Café) in the freezer. Dinner was saved.

Shiratake Pasta (Miracle Noodle) is made from the root of a plant called the konnyaku imo and is known for its health benefits for 2000 years in China and Japan. Shirataki is made from the soluble fiber of the plant and is remarkably low in calories. Like…for real! And, these noodles will absorb the flavor of any sauce or dish that you add them to. They are little noodle-y ninjas.

Miracle Noodle Garlic & Herb Fettuccine (drained and rinsed)

So, I immediately got the bread in the oven and while it was baking for 20 minutes, I got to work on the noodles. The Miracle Noodles are encased in a plastic sack that is filled with water. I cut it open and poured the noodles into a strainer. They smelled horrible. Fish-like. I remembered that from the Shirataki Noodles…but I had forgotten how pungent that scent initially was. But, it goes away. The noodles were given a 15-20 second bath under cold water and then placed into a pot of boiling water, simply to blanch them…only for a minute. Then, drain them again and place on paper towels, removing as much water as humanly possible. From here…you place them in a pan, heat them until they are dry, and then add them to your dish. In this case…the marinara sauce I had working on the stove top. Heat through…and serve.

Easy.

And…much to my genuine surprise…these were really good. One of my biggest obstacles with the Shiratake Noodles was the texture. Just rubbery and gummy and just…not pasta-like. I didn’t get that texture with Miracle Noodle. Not at all. I loved the texture of these noodles. They almost had that fresh pasta bite to them. Almost. And the flavor was amazing. This was the Garlic and Herb variety and it brought great flavor to the dish itself. No need to add any spices to the dish…these noodles did it for you. They tasted really good. To the point where I said I wanted to purchase them again…because I wanted to! Go figure! Never saw that one coming. I love pleasant surprises like that.

So, let’s first talk ingredients. The Miracle Noodle Garlic and Herb Fettuccine are made from purified water, konnyaku, garlic and herb mix, and calcium hydroxide. So…not completely free of “chemical” sounding things, but not bad either. Miracle Noodle Garlic and Herb Fettuccine is soy free, gluten free and cholesterol free.

Impressed? Wait until you read these nutrition facts! The Miracle Noodle Garlic and Herb Fettuccine contains two servings in each pouch. Each serving contains 15 calories and are fat-free. They have no cholesterol, as mentioned above, contain 5 mg sodium, and contain no sugar. These noodles have only 3 grams of carbs per serving. And they have 2 grams of fiber and no protein. So, they won’t fill you up, but they are a great low-calorie substitute for pasta. Guilt-free pasta!! That’s what I’m talking about. I’m a carb fiend…so sometimes a low-carb options is good to institute into my food regimen.

I was really set to dislike Miracle Noodle…but these were really amazing. The Garlic and Herb flavor of the noodles was a nice match to the plain marinara. The texture was perfect. And dinner was a low-carb, low calorie, delicious meal in the end. Beyond impressed and ready to add Miracle Noodle to more dishes in the future.

Thank you, again, Cuisine Cube.

Oh…and if you haven’t checked out Cuisine Cube yet…click here. You might want to subscribe yourself!

Miracle Noodle Garlic and Herb Fettuccine (with marinara)

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.

June 24, 2014

Recipe: Gluten-Free Blueberry and Dark Chocolate Scones

I love berries. Love them. I haven’t met a berry I didn’t like. I will EAT ALL THE BERRIES! And sometimes…I do.

Thanks to my good friend, Harry, I have a nice supply of freshly picked blueberries. And I really wanted to make the most of them. So, over the weekend, while doing some meal prep, I decided to do some baking…utilizing some of the blueberries.

Lucky for me, this month’s Vegetarian Times was featuring blueberries in their “One Food Five Ways” feature. SCORE! And the one recipe that really stuck out to me was the Blueberry and Dark Chocolate Scones. So…that’s what I made…for breakfast at the office on my gym mornings. It just will involve some reheating. And since I love scones, this seemed like a great recipe to attempt. The only difference is my version had to be gluten-free. So, I crossed my fingers and said a prayer to my gluten-free baking gods that this recipe might like my gluten-free all-purpose flour.

These pastries are so simple to make and don’t take a lot of time. They bake up beautifully and look amazing. Oh…and you might want to eat them the moment they come out of the oven because they make your home smell SO good!

Recipe: Gluten-Free Blueberry and Dark Chocolate Scones

Servings: 8
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Bake 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (I used Better Batter)
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I used Earth Balance)
3/4 cup low-fat milk, plus more for brushing (I used unsweetened almond milk)
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels)
3/4 cup fresh blueberries

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Work in the butter using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, until only small crumbs remain in the mixture.

Whisk together milk, egg yolks, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix just until incorporated (the mixture will be crumbly). Gently stir in the chocolate chips and blueberries. Gather dough into a ball.

Transfer the dough to a floured work surface, and press into a 3/4-inch-thick disk. Dust a knife with flour, then cut dough into 8 equal wedges. Transfer to prepared baking sheet, and brush tops lightly with milk.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until lightly browned on top and bottom.

~*~*~

This recipe embodies everything that is amazing and wonderful in this world. Fresh blueberries. Dark chocolate. Breakfast. These scones are a fantastic treat in the morning…and actually not too bad as far as nutrition goes…for scones. I loved the flavor of the bittersweet chocolate with the burst of sweetness from the blueberries. Harmony in breakfast form. I will be making these again…that’s for sure! Simple recipe…simple breakfast pleasure.

June 23, 2014

Recipe: Vegetarian West African Peanut Soup

I admit it. I’m a girl from the North, so when my CSA bin arrived with collard greens inside…I had NO clue what to do with them. None. And while I lived in Birmingham, Alabama for six years…I was never one for southern-style cooking. Just ask any of my friends and co-workers. I was not having any of it. So…collard greens had me stumped.

So, I did what any good Northern girl would do when staring at collard greens and trying to figure out a good way to use them before they went bad (because we waste NOTHING!). I hit up Pinterest. And…much to my delight, found a soup recipe (and I love soup!) that incorporated collard greens and pretty much (save for a red onion and an extra box of organic veggie broth) everything I already had in my pantry. Seriously! So…I figured I would give it a try.

Let me tell you…this soup is so easy to make. One pot. That’s all you need. I used my Dutch oven to cook everything up and it was just…easy. And smelled really good. I know…some of you might wonder how these ingredients all come together. Like…tomato paste and peanut butter…but it works. Just trust me. If you like Pad Thai…you’ll appreciate this soup. That’s what it smells and tastes like…minus the noodles and chicken and all that stuff. I got this recipe from Cookie + Kate…and it was a flavor sensation of pure perfection.

Recipe: Vegetarian West African Peanut Soup

Servings: 6-8
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Cook 35 minutes

Ingredients:

6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 bunch collard greens (or kale), ribs removed and leaves chopped into 1-inch strips
3/4 cup unsalted peanut butter (chunky or smooth…I used chunky so I wouldn’t have to buy peanuts to garnish)
1/2 cup tomato paste
Hot sauce, like Sriracha
1/4 cup roughly chopped peanuts, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

In a medium Dutch oven or stock pot, bring the broth to a boil.

Add the onion, ginger, garlic and salt. Cook on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.

In a medium-sized, heat-safe mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter and tomato paste, then transfer 1 to 2 cups of the hot stock to the bowl. Whisk the mixture together until smooth, then pour the peanut mixture back into the soup and mix well.

Stir in the collard greens and season the soup with hot sauce to taste.

Simmer for about 15 more minutes on medium-low heat, stirring often.

Serve over cooked brown rice if you’d like, and top with a sprinkle of chopped peanuts.

~*~*~

Like I said…it’s like liquid Pad Thai. And I love Pad Thai. It sounds odd…but trust me…the flavors are there. You can make it as mild or as spicy as you want. I kept mine near the middle, because while I love spicy foods, my roommate is a “heat wimp” (her words). So…I found the happy medium there. This soup is just delicious and honestly…couldn’t be easier to make. It didn’t take much time to get the ingredients ready and then you just let it cook, stirring every now and again. I do recommend using chunky peanut butter. It is just awesome.

So…if you are looking for a different soup to try…totally give this one a shot. I promise…you’ll like it. You might even love it…like me.

June 22, 2014

Recipe: Zucchini Noodle Pasta with Portobello Mushrooms, Garlic Marinara, and a Homemade Basil Pesto

Sometimes, I get more produce in my CSA bin than I can logically begin to work through in a week. Sometimes I think I should go to every-other-week….but then the thought of not getting my fresh fruits and veggies makes me sad. So, I try to come up with clever ways to use some of it up. Last week’s bin had a yellow summer squash and a zucchini inside…and this week’s bin…two zucchinis. I needed to use some zucchini up stat.

Also…I hate some large portobello mushroom caps, two of which were a little busted up…so making my portobello mushroom cap pizzas were not going to be an option. So I thought…what can I do with this? And then I thought…pasta.

But pasta made from zucchini…giving a bit of a low carb option (not that I worry about carbs!). I was going to coat everything in a pesto, but my homegrown basil was…not enough to do that. So I only had a small amount. So, I could garnish the pasta with it. And thankfully I had a jar of RAO’s Homemade Roasted Garlic Sauce in the pantry. Yes! Rescued by a manager’s special! HA!

This recipe was super-easy to make and put together. Even better…super good for you. And, even if you don’t want to mess with making a pesto, the dish won’t lack anything if you leave it out. Or, you can do what I originally had planned and skip the marinara and go with just the pesto! It’s up to you. I’ll put up the recipe for the full pesto recipe just in case. I had to cut mine down to 1/4 the original recipe as I only had 1/2 cup of fresh basil.

That being said…

Recipe: Zucchini Noodle Pasta with Portobello Mushrooms, Garlic Marinara, and a Homemade Basil Pesto

Servings: 2
Time: Prep 15 minutes; Cook 15 minutes

Ingredients for Pesto:

2 cups tightly packed fresh basil
1/2 cup walnuts
1 to 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped (to taste)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Ingredients for Pasta:

Olive oil
Chopped/minced garlic
Seasoning of choice (I used herbs de provence)
Sea salt to taste
2 zucchini
3 large portobello mushroom caps, sliced
6 oz of marinara (or 4 ounces of pesto)
Dab of homemade pesto (if not using as the sauce)

Directions:

Make the pesto.

Place the basil, walnuts, and garlic in a food processor fitted with the S blade. Pulse to combine, until the mixture is coarsely ground.

Turn the motor on and drizzle the olive oil in a thin stream. Add the sea salt, pepper, lemon, and nutritional yeast, and pulse a few more times to combine.
Make the pasta:

Use your julienne peeler, spiral slicer or mandolin to create noodles out of the zucchini. I used a mandolin and made long, thin strips of zucchini for noodles. It’s really up to you! Zucchini is usually full of water, so take a paper towel and squeeze them to get out some of the water. Place them in a bowl and set aside.

Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and heat for a minute at medium heat. Add 1 clove of minced garlic and sauté for one minute. Add your mushrooms and continue to cook until the mushrooms begin to release their juices and have browned up beautifully. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Rinse out your skillet (or wipe it down to get out any mushroom residue) and place another tablespoon of olive oil in the pan, allowing it to heat for one minute over medium heat. Add your zucchini noodles to the pan and begin to heat them up. In order to not turn them to mush, do not stir them. Just move them gently around the pan.

Once the zucchini noodles are heated, add the musrhooms back into the pan and season with your seasonings of choice. Definitely add a bit of salt though.

Toss together and then add the sauce (be it marinara or pest0). Continue to toss in the skillet until it is heated through. Transfer to bowls and top off with pesto, if you didn’t use it for your sauce of choice. Or don’t…if you didn’t want to fuss with it.

Serve!

~*~*~

This was so packed with flavor and so delicious. Honestly, it was super delicious. I’d love to make this again and serve it up in the way I intended…with the pesto sauce, but the marinara added great flavor and worked so well with the zucchini and mushrooms. A delicious, low calorie, low carb meal that doesn’t take too long to prep or cook. Dinner…couldn’t be easier.

Give it a shot. I hope you like it!

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)