Star Anise Foods Happy Pho Garlic Goodness – Vietnamese Brown Rice Noodle Soup
Product: Star Anise Foods Happy Pho – Garlic Goodness Vietnamese Brown Rice Pho Noodle Soup – $3.49+
Splurges happen.
For real.
And for me…splurges tend to happen when food is involved. Mainly…grocery shopping. Something catches my eye, peeks my interest, and before you know it, the plan to stick to the already tight budget is out the window and I’m scraping by the rest of the week. But it’s okay…because I have food. Right?
Sure.
Well, a splurge happened this past weekend. I was wandering the aisles of Whole Foods, which already is a dangerous thing, when my roomie spotted these little brown boxes. The words “PHO” caught her attention first. Followed by “GLUTEN-FREE.” Now we’re talking. She’s been wanting to have pho for a long, long while…but…I just don’t know of where to go in Louisville to make that happen for her. Instead…we figured this might be a good way to use up some of the produce and make our own version of a pho. And why not? If you can’t get creative in the kitchen…there’s no point to having one.
The product we spotted was by Star Anise Foods. It’s called Happy Pho, and it comes in three different flavors. We chose the Garlic Goodness Vietnamese Brown Rice Pho Noodle Soup. We figured we’d eventually try them all…if the one we tried was any good. Cathy loves garlic…so I had a feeling that would be the one to start us off.
Instead…with a little refrigerator magic…and a Organic Vegetarian Pho Base by Pacific Natural Foods (which was in my pantry, swear to the culinary gods!), this splurge of a purchase became tonight’s dinner. And tomorrows lunch for that matter.
Let’s talk a little bit about this product though. First of all, Star Anise Foods Happy Pho – Garlic Goodness Vietnamese Brown Rice Pho Noodle Soup is not only gluten-free, but also non-GMO, low in sodium, contains no MSG, made from 100% brown rice with organic green tea, vegan, all natural, made with organic ingredients, fat-free, wheat-free, egg-free, dairy-free, free from artificial colors and preservatives. It’s ALL NATURAL, my little pho babies!!
One serving is 1/2 the packet, which my roommate and I stretched out into 4 meals, so we’re only eating 1/4 of the packet each. Regardless, a regular serving will provide you with 222 calories. A serving only has 190 mg of sodium, which is amazing for a shelf-stable, packaged product. The Garlic Goodness variety of Happy Pho also will has 1 gram sugar, 3 grams of fiber, and 4 grams of protein. That’s really good!!
To make my pho…I pan fried up some thinly sliced tofu. While the pho starter came to a boil, I added the packet of seasoning that comes with the noodles and allowed it to blend with the pho starter. I then sliced up some bok choy (compliments of my CSA bin) and put it into the broth. Once the tofu was nearing completion, in went the brown rice noodles to soften up in the hot soup base. As the noodles finished up, I poured the tofu in to warm and…dinner was easily served.
And…OMG…was it ever good!! I mean super good. As in I make a mean vegetarian pho thanks to Star Anise Foods and their Happy Pho starter kits. Honestly. I was so happy with the flavor of this noodle soup. The brown rice noodles were a bit gummy, but that tends to be the trend with brown rice noodles. Sadly enough. But…the flavor was there, and the noodles, broth, tofu, and bok choy all married together to make this incredible, flavor-filled meal. The seasoning packet combined with the pho soup base made a perfect base for the vegetables, tofu, and…the noodles. My roommate and I devoured this with chopsticks. Happy girls, we were! Food Yoda, I speak like.
Go to your local Whole Foods…check out their aisle with the Asian foods. If you spot Star Anise Foods Happy Pho kits…buy one. Buy them all. Trust me, they are totally amazing and I intend to pick up more of them, other flavors, and give them a taste as well. This made for a quick, easy, and very delicious (and nutritious) dinner tonight. I was beyond impressed.
Star Anise Foods Happy Pho – Garlic Goodness Vietnamese Brown Rice Noodle Soup
Twas the night of my Monday fun run…and instead of doing my usual go-to meals…a Tasty Bite Indian meal or a grilled cheese sandwich…I went off the beaten path. I decided…pasta would be good. Mmmm…pasta.
I love pasta, and being gluten-free sometimes means I don’t get as good pasta as I used to be able to eat. Rice pasta gets mushy and gummy. Corn pasta is fine…but doesn’t always go with what I’m making.
And then…Andean Dream created the solution to my problem. Quinoa pasta. Yes…pasta made from quinoa. I figured…why not give it a try? So, I purchased a box of the spaghetti and took it home with me. I have an overabundance of gluten-free pasta…because I love pasta…like…love, love, love…devour…mmmmm…good…carbs…pasta…kind of love…so this one sat in my pantry until it was it’s turn.
Well, on Monday…for some reason…I decided it would be pasta night. Even though it was a hectic, busy, rushed night. Traffic going to Louisville is bad. I mean…BAD…every Monday and it’s only gotten worse with some of the construction going on…lane closures on the bridge…etc. Why I thought pasta might be a good idea, who knows? Things work out better in my head. Timing works out better in my head. But…that’s how life goes.
Live. Learn. Eat pasta anyway.
I made it home from work and immediately turned on the pot of water I left on the stove all day. It was covered, so I hoped that would bring the water up to a boil faster. I opened up the Andean Dream Quinoa Spaghetti and pulled out 4 ounces…or two servings. The box says that it serves 4, so this was half of the box. But you know me…I weighed it out.
The color and texture of the dried noodles remind me a lot of when I ate spelt pasta. That was a good sign. I loved my spelt pasta…until I could no longer eat it. While waiting on the water to boil, I did busy work…like get changed, put together lunch and snack for the following day, and chop up some grape tomatoes and get them sauteing in a pan with some olive oil. The water did boil and in went the Quinoa Spaghetti. The box said it would take about 13-15 minutes to cook, so I let it go…stirring occasionally…and hoped that it wasn’t one of those pastas that really took about 20-25 to reach that perfect al dente. It wasn’t. It took all but 13 minutes. I swear to the quinoa gods (which must exist for this to be a reality!).
Time to plate up. I had my tomatoes in a pan, so I drained the pasta, threw it in the pan with the tomatoes, added my chopped fresh basil, and just gave it a toss, warming it all up all the way through, coating everything in the remnants of the olive oil and red wine vinegar. Viola. Dinner was served. And…appropriately devoured…with a little slice of the gluten-free pull-apart bread I made and baked up over the weekend when my sister was in town.
So…how did the pasta stack up in flavor?
I only want to buy quinoa pasta from now on. It is fantastic. It didn’t get gummy or mushy. It held up through the additional cooking with the tomatoes and basil…in the sauce. It didn’t crumble or fall apart. It was so good. The texture reminded me not just of spelt pasta, but when I could eat whole wheat pasta. It just…was wow. Wonderful. Not chewy, not mushy, not disappointing at all. I was thrilled to cook it up again and have it perform equally as well on the second go-round.
Yes…Andean Dream has converted me. Quinoa pasta…FOREVER!
A serving size of Andean Dream Quinoa Spaghetti is 2 ounces, which dishes up a delightfully tasty 207 calories. Which is about right for a pasta. Just slightly under most other pastas out there. The Quinoa spaghetti has only 1 gram of fat. In addition to all that, not only is this pasta wheat-free and corn-free, but it is also sodium-free. That’s right!! A serving also provides you with a meager 3 grams of sugar and fiber. But, due to this pasta being made from quinoa and rice flour…a serving contains 6 grams of protein. Love that quinoa!!
Looking for a change or just want to step away from the strictly rice and corn based gluten-free pasta out on the market? I highly recommend Andean Dream pasta noodles. The spaghetti worked perfectly with my dinner and I can’t wait to try the other pastas that Andean Dream makes. So happy with this…and wish I had dug it out sooner!!
Gluten-Free Caprese Pasta made with Andean Dream Quinoa Spaghetti
Restaurant: Shalimar Indian Restaurant, Louisville, Kentucky
I need to send out a big, huge, whopping THANK YOU to my darling little sister. Because if it weren’t for her…it probably would have taken me forever…and ever…and even then I possibly would have put it off…to haul myself out to the Indian restaurant that is consistently voted THE BEST in Louisville, Kentucky. Normally, I would rave and go on and sing praises for the Indian restaurant I have been going to since co-workers suggested it. That being Dakshin, also in Louisville.
Oh. My. God.
I love Dakshin…but after the experience I had at Shalimar…it is out and Shalimar rightfully is where I want to go for my Indian food cravings. Forever. And ever.
Goodbye, Dakshin.
It was fun while it lasted.
Welcome to my Indian cuisine loving world, Shalimar.
I have mentioned quite a few times how my family grew up eating Indian food. Authentic Indian food. Our neighbors, who had children the same age as my little sister and my older brother, often invited us over to dinner when they were having curry. And I loved it. All the different spices and flavors…it was exciting and exotic. It was…beyond delicious. I was hooked at a young age.
So, as my sister’s husband isn’t as outgoing with food choices, when she told me she wanted to come visit me this past weekend, I wanted to get her to an Indian restaurant. Normally, I’d haul out to the far end of Louisville to Dakshin…but not this time. No way. I wanted to take her to the place that Louisville always seems to deem the best. This was a gamble…since I had never eaten there before. But…with those kinds of reviews and awards…how could it be a bad choice? I sent her the menu, although I knew that she’d be ordering the Chicken Curry…and comparing it to the stuff we grew up eating.
The big day, Saturday, came. And after a fun day of walking around sight-seeing, shopping, and just having a good time, we decided we were starting to get a little hungry. So…we headed over to Hurstbourne Lane to the strip mall where Shalimar is located. Two snags. First…traffic was ridiculous…so we ended up turning around and coming at the restaurant from another angle. By the time we got there and parked, we realized that the hours posted said dinner on the weekend was 5:30 p.m. We had about 40 minutes to kill. We hopped across the way to Half Price Books and just kept making circuits and looking at different books until we couldn’t take it anymore. Five minutes left…so we slowly meandered out of the store, got in the car, and headed back to the restaurant.
They were now open and people were being seated. We were given a nice booth at the side of the dimly lit restaurant and allowed to peruse the menu. I had looked over the menu before, but was going go give it a little more of a look while we had the time. Our water glasses were filled and we were asked if we’d like anything else to drink. We all decided to stick with water. I had spotted something that sounded AMAZING on the menu…so I was now set. Cathy was still deciding…but finally settled. When our server returned…we placed our orders.
Cathy went with the Lamb Biryani ($11.95), which is a classic Muglai dish of curried meats cooked with basmati rice. She made sure to specify that she wanted the spice on it as low as it could go. The less spice the better. Wimp. She also ordered a side of the Naan Bread ($1.95) to go with her meal. As predicted, my sister did order the Chicken Curry ($10.95), which is chicken that is cooked in a thick curry sauce. She opted for medium heat. She hoped it was as good as the Duggal’s. As for me…I went with the Broccoli Masala ($9.95), which might just be my new favorite thing in life. For real. This is simply broccoli cooked in spices. Except I ordered mine spicy! I always love some heat with my food…especially when it’s ethnic. And they promised they would do it up good for me.
Orders in, we talked a lot about growing up with Indian food in our lives…and just having some fun. We took some selfies in the restaurant. And…soon…our food arrived.
It all looked and smelled fantastic. I mean…really, really, really fantastic. I hated that I had pause to take pictures of my food for the blog because I was ready to dive in. My broccoli masala came with basmati rice, so after the photos were taken, I scooped up some rice onto my plate, then put some of the broccoli over it. Time to dig in.
FLAVOR EXPLOSION OF AWESOME-SPICY-SAUCE!!
No joke. If I were to pick something to eat as my last meal…this is definitely one of the front runners. Honestly, there seem to be no words to properly describe how amazing this dish was. I know…some of you are thinking that it’s just broccoli and spices…but it was more than that. It was the perfect blend of spices…with the perfect heat level. In fact…I probably could have taken it a little spicier. The broccoli was tender and cooked to perfection. The sauce…the sauce made it. The rice gave me some oomph to the meal. And I was even happier when I added a tomato chutney to it. It was the perfect meal with the perfect people.
For the record, the Chicken Curry brought back happy memories for my sister. Honestly. She was thrilled and said it totally reminded her of the stuff we grew up eating. And Cathy…loved her Lamb dish. She’s big on rice…and this was a big heaping pile of rice. For real.
We were so happy with the food and service that we got at Shalimar. I don’t think I can bring myself to stray from this restaurant. This is where you go to get authentic, delicious Indian food. This is where you go to get the flavors, the tastes, and the experience of Indian cuisine. This…is why Louisville consistently names this restaurant THE BEST Indian cuisine in the city.
Cauliflower is so versatile. I have made “bread sticks” from a head of this vegetable. I have made buffalo cauliflower florets as well. Pizza crust. I’ve put it in stir-fries. I’ve made a tempura batter and fried them up. But…when my CSA bin delivered me another gorgeous head of cauliflower…well…I wanted to do something different. I have my go-to recipes…but I just wanted something different.
With the magic of Pinterest and a recipe that I built around from Nom Nom Paleo…I took this beautiful head of cauliflower, mixed it up with some healthy fats and a dose of curry, cumin, and seasoning. Roasted it up in the oven…then topped it off with some fresh herbs. And the result…pure magic. Enough that I want to make it again…soon. I need more cauliflower.
Preheat the oven to 450°F and move the rack to the lower middle of the oven.
Place the florets in a large bowl and toss them with a generous amount of the oil of your choice (about 2 tablespoons).
Add the curry powder, cumin, salt and pepper and toss until the florets are coated.
Pour the seasoned florets on a foil-lined baking sheet and cover it tightly with another sheet of foil.
Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, then remove the top layer of foil and continue to roast the cauliflower for 20 more minutes, flipping the florets every 8 or so minutes, until they are softened and browned in parts.
Plate the cauliflower and give each serving a squirt of lemon juice and top off with the minced fresh parsley.
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Serious flavor. Even Cathy was talking about the next time I made this dish. I was so happy with the way it turned out. It wasn’t too spicy, which worked in Cathy’s favor. Just the right hint of seasoning. Total perfection. Tender…delicious…and amazing.
Just a couple minor changes to a recipe can make or break it. Honestly. But…a couple years ago, Cathy bought me the cookbook for Bouchon, Thomas Keller’s restaurant in Las Vegas. In fact, we dined there when we were in Vegas and had one of the best food experiences of our life up to that point. It was, in a word, heavenly.
And then…I just sort of let this gem of a cookbook sit on my shelf…never really pulling it out to explore. But when my CSA bin gave me leeks, I remembered one of the dishes we had in Vegas was…Potato Leek Soup. So, I pulled out my cookbook and got settled in to see if it was something I could, indeed, set out to make…and make properly.
There were a couple of minor tweaks necessary, for my food allergies and the like…like making it vegan. It actually worked out perfectly. Honestly. I was so happy with the way this soup turned out that I am eager to make it again…and again…and again. The best part was…save for a few minor ingredients (chives)…this recipe was made from items that were already in my pantry.
I will make not of my changes in parentheses. But huge props to Thomas Keller for this amazing recipe. And if I hadn’t eaten at Bouchon…well…I might never have experienced this or been inspired to make it for myself.
Recipe: Vegan Potato Leek Soup (inspired by Thomas Keller’s Bouchon recipe)
4 tablespoons (2 oz.) unsalted butter (I used Earth Balance)
Heaping 1/2 cup sliced (about 1/4 in. thick) shallots
1/3 cup sliced (1/4 inches thick) onions
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound (about 1 large) russet potato, peeled
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Bouquet garni or sachet of 8 thyme sprigs, 2 Italian parsley sprigs, 2 bay leaves, 1/2 tsp. black peppercorn, wrapped in cheesecloth
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock (I used a low-sodium organic vegetable broth)
3/4 cup heavy cream (I used So Delicious Culinary Coconut Milk)
1/2 cup minced chives
Extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Cut away and discard dark green leaves and roots from leeks, leaving only white and palest green sections. Cut in half lengthwise, rinse in cold water to remove dirt between layers. Place leeks cut side down and cut in 1/4 inch thick slices (yields about 3 cups).
Melt butter in large saucepan over med-low heat. Add leeks, shallots, and onions. Season generously with salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium and sweat the veggies, stirring often, for 3 to 5 minutes – veggies should wilt but not brown.
Meanwhile, cut potato lengthwise into quarters, then cut crosswise into 1/4 in thick slices, yielding about 1-1/4 cups.
Add garlic to the sauteing veggies and cook for another minute, then add sachet and potatoes. Cook for 2 to 4 min longer.
Add 6 cups stock, adjust seasonings. Bring to simmer, then reduce and simmer for 30 min, or until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat and let soup cool for about 15 min. Remove the sachet. Transfer soup in batches to blender and puree, starting at low speed (to release heat remaining in soup), and then slowly increase speed until soup is smooth. Don’t overfill the blender, since hot liquid can spurt out. It is helpful to place your hand over the lid while holding a towel. Strain through a fine sieve or the like if you want the soup to be extra smooth. (That part is optional…I chose not to, and my soup was still smooth!)
To finish, return soup to a rinsed out pan and bring to simmer. Add cream and simmer on low for 5 min – stir frequently and careful not to burn! Remove from heat. Stir in chives if serving hot. If refrigerating, pour into container and place in ice bath to cool (it keeps about 2 days). Serve sprinkled with chives and olive oil and fresh ground black pepper.
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You would be hard-pressed to tell that this soup was vegan. Honestly, the changes I made didn’t affect the creaminess or the taste of the soup. It was so good, and Cathy and I feasted on it for three delightful evenings. It was super packed with flavor and still super creamy. Substituting culinary coconut milk for the heavy cream didn’t change the texture at all. It worked brilliantly.
So…with soup season coming on strong…give this recipe a try. Thomas Keller is a brilliant chef and this recipe is one of the best soups I have made so far. Truly a delight.
Product: Nuovo Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Gnocchi – $5.99+
This was it. The last of the gluten-free gnocchi that I randomly spotted and purchased from my local Earth Fare store. I was so happy to find three varieties…all three had to come home with me that day. I knew I wasn’t going to get to them that quickly…so I froze them until I was ready to try them out. Smart move on my part…because it took a bit longer than originally anticipated.
I was thrilled…just thrilled with the Classic Potato and the Basil and Potato varieties that I devoured before. I saved the Gluten-Free Sweet Potato version for last because…I love, love, love sweet potatoes. Like…more than most foods in this world. Sweet potatoes make me super happy. And I will eat them in different ways too. So…why not in a gnocchi?
Thanks to Nuovo, this was simple to do which made my evening a lot more enjoyable. I didn’t have to spend most of the evening prepping my own dough for this gnocchi. All I did was take it out of the freezer and place it in the fridge prior to going to work…when when I got home…put them in some salted boiling water and allowed them to cook just as the package stated.
Easy. SO easy. And I was already anticipating digging into a helping of this as it was cooking in the water…and I was warming a sauce (a marinara…because that was all I had on hand). I drained them, tossed them with the sauce…and dinner was served.
So…with all the anticipation…was it worth it? Was it just as I imagined it would be.
Nuovo Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Gnocchi (boiled and drained)
Well…not really. In fact…I was more than underwhelmed by this particular variety. Where I raved and applauded the gluten-free Classic Potato and gluten-free Basil and Potato varieties…I was…just disappointed with the one I was anticipating the most. The Sweet Potato gnocchi definitely had a hint of that sweet potato flavor…however, it wasn’t the first thing to hit the palate. It was okay…it was still good…but it just didn’t knock my culinary socks off. The majority of the flavor came from the marinara sauce I tossed these potato pasta goodies in. I just felt like these were missing something…not texture-wise, but definitely in flavor. If you are going to be sweet potato…something…you need to have that sweet potato flavor there. I wanted to taste the sweet potato, not feel that it was masked. And that’s what I felt happened with these.
Nuovo is so very kind to offer a gluten-free version of their famous fresh pastas. I totally enjoyed the other two versions of gnocchi that I had from Nuovo…but this one just didn’t kick it up like the other two did. I think of them all, the Basil and Potato was my absolute favorite of the bunch.
Nutritionally speaking, the Nuovo Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Gnocchi serves up 2 servings…so my roommate and I split the pack. This serving dished up 270 calories and 1 gram of fat. A serving will also provide you with 350 mg of sodium and 11 grams of sugar (which I think is high…but it is a sweet potato…). And finally, you will get 5 filling grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein.
Not bad for a potato-pasta! Not at all. I just wish they had a better all-over flavor to them. But…you can’t win them all, right? If you are looking for a great sweet potato flavor…spend the time to make your own. Otherwise…Nuovo offers two other flavors in their gluten-free varieties that really rocked my gluten-free gnocchi loving socks!
Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Gnocchi in Mezzetta Napa Valley Bistro Homemade Style Marinara
It isn’t often that Cathy comes right out with a breakfast request. Normally, I ask the question the night before…”What do you want for brekkies?” Her response usually comes with a shrug, a garbled “Idunno…” And then leaves it to me to figure something out. Which…fine…I’ve grown used to that. But sometimes I don’t want to make the breakfast decision. Sometimes I actually do want to make something that she definitely wants to have in the morning.
But…last week…the unthinkable happened. Without a prompt from me…I got, “Can we have pancakes for breakfast?”
Can we ever!! Finally…some input. Finally…a request. FINALLY…a reason to bust out a new brand of gluten-free pancake mix. HA!
It was time to pull the Authentic Foods Gluten-Free Pancake & Baking Mix out of my pantry and welcome it to the wonderful world of my teeny-tiny kitchen. Mixing bowl time…at last.
I found the Authentic Foods brand of pancake mix while browsing the small food section at our local Home Goods store. I can’t believe how many different gluten-free foods they have in there by brands that I am unfamiliar with. And, to top it off, this was being sold at an unbeatable price. When the normal price is $3.00 more than what Home Goods is selling it for…well…you better believe my pantry is going to have a bag of it inside. Purchase made…and the wait time as I work through the products that came before it happened.
Until Cathy’s request. PANCAKES!
Now…simple pancakes would have been just fine. But I felt like making one of my favorite things from childhood. In fact, so many of my friends associate my sleepovers with the chocolate chip pancakes my mom would cook up for all of us the next morning. We all looked forward to it…putting on a nice slab of butter, then dowsing it with maple syrup. Oh yeah…my mom always treated us to chocolate chip pancakes…and my friends knew it.
So…I thought I’d bring it back. So, I mixed up the batter as instructed on the packet…1/2 a cup of the mix added to 1 beaten egg, 1/2 cup almond milk (milk or milk substitute), 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. I then folded in some of Enjoy Life’s mini semi-sweet chocolate chips. Voila…these were ready for my skillet.
The most amazing thing happened. No joke. These pancakes, after they began to cook on the skillet…puffed up and got fluffy…like real pancakes do. Like the pancakes my mom used to make me when I was growing up. I was thrilled to see the edges bubble up and the batter just sort of…expand with the heat. I was already anticipating flipping these over and seeing if the trend continued. And when the bottom side was an amazing golden color, these were flipped…and yes…they remained fluffy. You cannot even imagine the happy dance I was doing in front of my skillet. So many times gluten-free pancakes don’t rise…they just are flat…but these…fluffy and beautiful. Perfection!
Authentic Foods Pancake & Baking Mix is composed of a blend of stone-milled Garfava (a blend of flour made from garbanzo, fava beans, and Romano beans) and superfine brown rice flour. It was like biting into a traditional all-American pancake. Honestly. And with my addition of the mini chocolate chips…you better believe this breakfast took me back to those mornings my mom would treat us to this very same breakfast.
I served the pancakes with a drizzle of pure maple syrup…and settled in. These pancakes got that amazing golden crust on the outside. Inside…so fluffy and light. Not heavy and dense. Just the most perfect pancake I have made so far from these gluten-free mixes. I want to go see if Home Goods has more of this mix…because it made me so happy with each and every bite. For real. When pancakes make your day…there is something special going on.
Supposedly this mix is perfect for making waffles, muffins, cookies, donuts, crepes, and so much more. I just bought a donut cutter. Game on!
Nutritionally speaking, this pancake mix isn’t too bad for you either. I mean…these are carby…amazing…fluffy…REAL tasting gluten-free pancakes. Just take them for what they are and enjoy!! But…as I always cover this…a serving size of this pancake mix is 1/4 cup…which gives you light and fluffy…130 calories per serving and 1.5 grams of fat. So…really not so bad, right? Right! You will be getting 170 mg of sodium and 1 gram of sugar. Also these serve up a filling 2 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. So…woohoo!
If you have been longing for the light and fluffy pancakes you used to know…I highly recommend giving Authentic Foods Gluten-Free Pancake & Baking Mix a try. So far…it’s the one that has impressed me the most. I hope to find other products by Authentic Foods and see how they compare. Until then…I’m thinking pancakes for breakfast tomorrow.
Quick Indian meals are usually my Monday thing. I mean…I have to get home from work, scarf something down, and get changed and out the door to head to my running group’s Monday meet-up at 6 p.m. Not easy when construction is going on and often traffic is at a stand-still going across the river. It can be frustrating. And when trying to take a little bit of stress out of the day…the best thing to do is have a simple meal prepared.
But this time…this was a Wednesday thing. I had eaten a big lunch on the way back from Chicago the Monday before I had this…so no food was necessary that evening. Not a bite. But…Wednesday marked a big heaping deal of a run. My good friend, Natalie, was completing her pledged 180th straight day of running to raise money for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. And she invited the group at the store to run those last miles with her. She chose 4.15 miles, in honor of the date of the bombings, April 15.
So, that evening sort of ran (heh…no pun intended. See what I did there?) like a Monday night. That morning, I cooked up two servings of jasmine rice, let it cool, and tucked it away in the fridge for later. Upon returning home from work…I heated up the rice, pulled out my next packet of Tasty Bite goodness…and got ready to dive in.
This week…Tasty Bite Paneer Makhani. Paneer, for those of you not familiar with Indian cuisine, is a soft, vegetarian-friendly cheese. It can be firm or soft…depending on how it is made. But it is…delicious. Makhani is a Hindustani word meaning “with butter.” So…this is basically Butter Paneer. Don’t freak out…really it’s these cubes of paneer that are cooked in this fantastic, creamy tomato sauce…spiced just right to give it that Indian flavor. I love the taste of Indian food. So yummy.
So…what happens when said entree comes in a microwavable pouch? What happens when it only takes 90 seconds to heat and eat? Magic. Because Tasty Bite knows what it is doing when it comes to these fun little meals. Honestly. I wasn’t too sold on the thought of a buttery cheese dish…but…they proved me wrong.
The Tasty Bite Paneer Makhani is just what I described above…home-style paneer cheese in a creamy, spiced sauce. This pouch is a delicate balance of natural ingredients that are non-GMO, vegetarian, and gluten-free. Happy dance. In fact, the ingredients in this particular Indian meal include tomatoes, paneer cheese, water, onion, cream, cashew nuts, sunflower oil, ginger, garlic, salt, coriander, chiles, and spices. Sounds delicious, yes? Of course it does. So, after giving my jasmine rice a quick steaming in the microwave to reheat it…this little pouch of goodness was put in and given it’s 90 seconds to warm through.
I poured the contents over two bowls of rice…and dinner was done in 5 minutes total.
So, we all know that this Tasty Bite Paneer Makhani was easy to prepare…but how did it stack up in flavor and taste?
It was good. It was really good. I loved the bit of mild heat from the variety of spices in the sauce itself. The sauce was the perfect thickness…not too runny, but not too thick either. Perfect consistency. I wished I had more of the sauce, honestly. The cheese was…pretty good. I love paneer cheese, but this just seemed a bit rubbery. Probably because it is, after all, in a microwavable pouch. It wasn’t bad…it was still soft…but it wasn’t the star of this dish like it should have been. Major props to the sauce. It saved this one. I’d probably invest in this variety again…but only if nothing else caught my eye. The Paneer Makhani wasn’t about the paneer at all. It was all about that Makhani sauce.
So, let’s talk nutrition. A serving of the Tasty Bite Paneer Makhani is 1/2 of the pouch. This serving dishes up 220 calories and 17 grams of fat. YIKES!! Some of that, however, does come from the cashews…but most of it comes from the paneer. That’s…a hefty dosage of fat, I think. I mean, 150 of those 220 calories come from fat. That’s…not that great. A serving of the Paneer Makhani also will provide you with 440 mg of sodium and 3 grams of sugar. Not bad for a shelf-stable, processed meal, right? Also, you will be getting 1 gram of fiber and a whopping 10 grams of protein. Low fiber, high protein…good for running.
So, while the flavor was there in the Paneer Makhani, the paneer cheese definitely fell flat, but the sauce saved it. I would recommend trying this one, if you are a fan of Indian flavors. And if you love paneer cheese. Just know…fresh cheese that isn’t sealed in a pack and kept on the shelf definitely stands up better when used in Indian cuisine. But when you are an on-the-go kind of person…this definitely works in a pinch. So…not one of my favorites, but not bad either. Tasty Bite hasn’t put out a bad product…this one just didn’t wow me like the others have so far.
Da Luciano – Pizza, Pasta & Catering, River Grove, Illinois
Restaurant: Da Luciano – Pasta, Pizza& Catering, River Grove, Illinois
This…was an important dining choice to make when I was coming to Chicago, Illinois. I mean…for real. This was a big…heap…deal.
Why?
Because I was in town for the Chicago Marathon. I needed a safe meal…one that would guarantee that I would have no stomach issues…and…being that I was running on Sunday morning…this needed to include gluten-free pizza. It HADto be gluten-free pizza. That is my stipulation when it comes to the night before a big run. If it’s a half marathon or marathon…it has to be gluten-free, vegetarian pizza. It just works for me. Some down pasta…not this girl. This girl indulges in a few epic slices of (hopefully) amazing pizza. Gluten-free pizza isn’t tasteless cardboard, you know. When done right…it is a culinary work of art.
And I’ve eaten good and bad gluten-free pizzas…as they are well documented in this blog.
But there was something special about Da Luciano, which is one of the reasons, despite meaning a car ride outside of downtown Chicago, that I felt I needed to eat there the night before the Chicago Marathon.
What was so special about this place?
They understand Celiac Disease. They totally get me. They totally know how to handle and prepare my food so that I won’t get sick from eating there. And how do I know this? Well, as stated on their Web site, the owners, Luciano and Rosalia, were first introduced to the gluten-free world when four of of their seven children were diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Being an Italian family, bread and pasta were daily staples in their diets. Rosalia set out on a mission to find quality gluten-free bread and pasta for her children, but found that her options were limited. So, she began to experiment with her own recipes, succeeding in making gluten-free bread, pasta, pizza, and desserts that satisfied all of her children. When Da Luciano Pizza, Pasta & Catering opened the following year, they decided to offer their customers a gluten-free menu featuring Rosalia’s amazing recipes. The response from the gluten-free community was huge.
So…as you can see…this place won me over right from the start. And, upon arriving at the restaurant, we were immediately asked if anyone needed a gluten-free menu. I didn’t have to request one. I didn’t have to ask if one even existed. The hostess just flat-out asked. And so, when we were seated, I was given their rather extensive (no one sheet of paper here…but a true menu, my friends!) gluten-free menu to peruse.
So many of the dishes sounded awesome. And part of me wanted to do the gluten-free bruschetta for an appetizer…but we had all decided that dessert was happening…so the appetizer went to the wayside…this time. The gluten-free menu at Da Luciano is about as big as the regular menu. So many of the dishes are offered as a gluten-free option. From the dishes with meat (as I’m a vegetarian, I didn’t look at the extensive seafood, chicken, and veal offerings), but there were many amazing sounding pasta dishes. BUT…I never change up the night before a race…and it was one of their individual gluten-free pizzas for me.
When our waitress returned to the table to take our orders…we were all settled on what we wanted. Heather is not big on carbs, so she went with one of the chicken entrees. Her choice – Chicken Scaloppine ($14.95), which was thinly sliced chicken served in what looked like a tomato and mushroom sauce. Cathy opted for the Rigatoni Porcini ($11.95), which was rigatoni pasta cooked with porcini mushrooms in a light cream sauce. Jenn went with the Gnocchi al Pesto ($11.95), which was delicious looking gnocchi served in a creamy (probably) basil pesto sauce. It looked fantastic.
Da Luciano’s Gluten-Free Pizza with Mushrooms, Onions, and Roasted Red Peppers
But for me…I went with the Gluten-Free Pizza ($8.50) topped off with mushrooms, onion, and roasted red pepper ($0.75 each). I couldn’t wait to get a taste of this pizza. And…I wanted to make sure that Heather got a bite as well, because she suffered through the disaster of Pizza Ranch in Minnesota with me…and I wanted her to know good gluten-free pizza was out there. If we had been in Louisville…I’d take her to Annie May’s Sweet Café and split one of those amazing pizzas with her…but when in Chicago…you find a place that works.
We had a little wait, but soon our food was arriving at the table. And it all looked and smelled amazing! I photographed every dish…especially my pizza. And it was time to dig in.
So…
WINNING!! Granted, I still like my local bakery’s crust better…but this definitely is one of the best crusts I’ve had on a gluten-free pizza. Cooked to golden perfection, so it was crispy, without being burnt or overdone. And it still had that nice doughy texture with it as well. The sauce was amazing. The cheese…was more than I would have liked…but…it starts off as a cheese pizza. The other toppings get added. The star of the toppings, however, were the roasted red peppers. OMG…YES! Packed with flavor. Mild…but with that right amount of kick to keep the palate interested. The onions didn’t overpower anything. And the mushrooms were done to perfection. Nothing watery. Nothing disappointing. And, as I cut off pieces for my friends to try, the rest of it was mine. All mine. And yes…I devoured it all. Every slice. I might have licked the plate clean. It was delicious…and I needed to top off the tanks for the marathon the next morning. This was the key.
And, as I mentioned earlier…dessert was going to happen. I had 6 options to choose from on the gluten-free dessert menu. And while they all sounded fantastic, I was down to three choices…the cream puffs, the tiramisu, and the cannoli. It took a lot of pondering, internal debate, and deliberation with myself to pick between them. I rarely have so many options for a dessert…so choosing one was not easy. The cream puffs almost won, but I wasn’t sure how big they were and it came with two on the plate. The tiramisu was SO tempting. I haven’t had tiramisu in a long, long time. I wanted it. But…ultimately…I settled on the Gluten-Free Cannoli ($4.95). Both Jenn and Cathy opted for the regular Cannoli ($3.95) and Heather went with the regular Tiramisu ($3.95).
I was so excited when our desserts emerged from the kitchen and at our table. My cannoli definitely looked different from Cathy & Jenn’s…but it was the color and thickness of the shell. That was the only difference. Heather’s tiramisu looked absolutely amazing. Next time…(and there will be a next time!)…I’ll get the gluten-free tiramisu. It looked fluffy and amazing.
So…how was the gluten-free cannoli? SO SO SO good. SO GOOD!! MMMMMMMM….GOOD! OMG…GOOOOOOOOOD! The cannoli cream was amazing. Sweet, but not overly sweet. Creamy. Amazing. Delicious. It had bits of chocolate chips and fruit. There was a candied orange peel on each end. And the shell…sugary-sweet goodness. The crunch that it had with each bite was satisfying. And it all just blended together. It worked. And I devoured my dessert happily.
With that…I went and purchased a few bags of their gluten-free pasta, available at the register, and we paid our bill. As we were leaving, I overheard the restaurant manager explaining to a customer that the way the manage no cross-contamination is that all the gluten-free dishes are prepared in the kitchen upstairs at the restaurant…and the regular menu items are all done in the kitchen downstairs. Brilliant. And so safe for Celiacs. I loved learning that about Da Luciano’s. It’s nice to know I had nothing to worry about when eating there…which is good because the last thing you want before running 26.2 miles is tummy troubles.
We had to head back downtown…after dropping Heather off at a train station to head back to her hotel. We had plans for when she would arrive at The Hilton Chicago to meet up with us before the the marathon the following morning. We were all satisfied and happy with the meal we ate at Da Luciano. I will be back the next time I find myself in Chicago…which I hope is soon.
Speaking of which…the gluten-free pizza worked its magic as always…I had a fantastic marathon. Thank you, Da Luciano…for giving me my pre-race carbs in my favorite form. I can’t wait to come back and try more of your amazing menu.
So, if you find yourself in the Chicago area, make a point to head to River Grove and eat at the fantastic Da Luciano – Pasta, Pizza & Catering. It’s worth the short drive because the food is simply that amazing.
Ian’s All Natural Allergy Friendly Cinnamon Friend Toast Sticks
Product: Ian’s All Natural Allergy Friendly Cinnamon French Toast Sticks – $4.99+
It was the morning before the biggest race of my life. My first marathon. THE CHICAGO MARATHON.
I had just run an easy 3 miles before showering, getting dressed, and trying to find something a little substantial for breakfast for me, Cathy, and our friend Jenn before the three of us hit the road to Chicago. Lunch was not going to happen…so our food was going to be the snacks I made/packed and then a nice dinner at a restaurant that does gluten-free options out the wazoo for dinner. So, along with a bowl of Chocolate Chex…I reached into the freezer and pulled out the box I had of Ian’s All Natural Allergy Friendly Cinnamon French Toast Sticks.
I love French toast, and being gluten-free…I don’t get it unless I make it. BUT…that normally means that it’s French toast made with sandwich bread. Not delicious brioche or some other fancy-schmancy bread like all the “regular” people get to eat. Prior to these…I had been spoiled by the gluten-free delicious awesomesauce that is Van’s Gluten-Free Cinnamon French Toast Sticks. I mean…those blew me away. So, when I spotted Ian’s own version at my local natural foods, I picked them up for the occasion where I couldn’t cook an elaborate breakfast (which I am known to do…even on weekdays). The morning before a long-ish road trip seemed like the perfect time to break these out and give them a try. I was excited…because the pizza I had from Ian’s was SO amazing and good. I only expect good things now from them.
I noticed that the box indicated these were best cooked in the oven…which is what I intended to do regardless. So, I preheated the oven as directed by the box and then opened up the package to get a look at the contents.
Here is where my first issues with this product fall. Obviously, this product is geared more toward kids, however, I still think that the French toast sticks could be normal bread size. Van’s French Toast Sticks are the size of regular bread. The version by Ian’s…about the length of my thumb…maybe a little longer, but not by much. Strike One. The box also says that there are 5 servings inside. A serving is 4 sticks. I had enough for my friends and I to have 1 serving each and then split one lone stick into thirds to make it even-Stevens. Five servings my marathon-running behind!! So aggravating. So…Strike Two.
What did intrigue me about these miniature French toast sticks is that they had this white crust of sugar on them. Okay…this was new. I figured that would cook up and melt down in the oven and be a delicious part of this, so far disappointing, product. My faith went all to Ian’s here…I trusted them. So…into the oven they went…cooked as directed, and removed when done.
I dished up a serving and 1/3 for each of us, warmed up some maple syrup, and breakfast was served.
I really, really, really wanted these to be good. Two strikes so far…they needed to taste epic. But…they didn’t. That white sugar-like coating did nothing to enhance the flavor of this bland product. In fact, when it cooked, it didn’t melt and give that warm cinnamon-sugar feel I was hoping for. Instead it created this hard crust around each little piece of French toast. Not impressed. The maple syrup, I hoped, would soften it up. I always warm my maple syrup…but that didn’t even help. And the flavor, overall, very, very bland. I hated the fake sugary flavor that these had. I hated the texture…so tough on the outside thanks to that coating of sugar. Yep…Strike Three.
You better believe these will never find their way into my freezer again. So disappointing coming from Ian’s.
Regardless…I still feel I need to discuss the ingredients and the nutritional worth of this product. Ian’s All Natural Allergy Friendly Cinnamon French Toast Sticks are made from cinnamon brown rice bread, tapioca starch, cinnamon, yeast, cane sugar, and a batter consisting of water, white rice flour, cane sugar, tapioca flour, potato starch, cinnamon, sea salt, and xantham gum, While I admire and approve of the fact that I recognize every single ingredient on that list (no preservatives, no chemicals, nothing fake), I just wish this product tasted good. Because…it was a rather epic fail on the food scale. This product also contains no wheat or gluten, no milk or casein, no eggs, no nuts, and no soy. It is vegan safe…but not vegan tasty.
As for the nutrition information…as I mentioned earlier, a serving of Ian’s All Natural Allergy Friendly Allergy Friendly Cinnamon French Toast Sticks is 4 of the little mini pieces. These four bites (seriously…bites) will serve you up 170 calories (NOT WORTH IT!) and 6 grams of fat (NOT WORTH IT!). You will also be supplied with 95 mg sodium and 2 grams of sugar. You only receive 2 grams of protein and absolutely no fiber from these. So, these will not leave you feeling full or satisfied for hours. Nope. In fact, we were all reaching for the homemade gluten-free madeleine cookies I baked up about halfway to Chicago. So annoying.
There is absolutely nothing redeeming about this product. It was a total and complete disappointment from the moment I opened the box. I was hoping it would only get better from there…but it was a false hope. And the three of us who ended up eating them despite not really caring for them…were not impressed nor happy with our breakfast that morning. It was a good thing dinner was fantastic. And it’s a good thing I bake a mean gluten-free madeleine!!
Never…ever…again. Sticking with Van’s Gluten-Free Cinnamon French Toast Sticks forever and always!
Sorry, Ian’s…but you lost me on these. At least your pizza is still good…
The Celiathlete 