If I have time on Sunday morning…as in I am back from my long(ish) weekend run before my roommate rises and shines, I sometimes like to take a moment to prepare a hearty breakfast for the two of us. If she’s awake…I throw together something a little quicker and with less preparation and thought. So, the mornings I get my run done and come home to a still-quiet apartment are some of my favorite mornings. I’ve just finished running…and now I get to spend some time, some stress-free moments, in the kitchen…making my favorite meal of the day!
Breakfast!
Don’t get me wrong, breakfast food can be eaten at any time during the day…but I love a good, hearty, and healthy breakfast to get my day off to a good start.
This morning…I made up Gluten-Free Pain Perdu with Blueberries and Raspberries…which I based my version loosely off of Giada De Laurentiis’ recipe. I say loosely because mine is gluten-free…mine uses raspberries (not oranges) and I sweetened my gluten-free bread with lemon zest…not orange zest. My syrup is raspberry based instead of orange based.
Pain Perdu, by the way, is French Toast. So…it’s easy to make and, ultimately, delicious. Here is the recipe for mine:
Recipe: Gluten-Free Pan Perdu with Blueberries and Raspberries
Gluten-Free Pain Perdu with Blueberries and Raspberries
4 slices of gluten-free bread (I used Udi’s Gluten-Free Millet-Chia Bread) (If not gluten-free, use slices of whole grain bread or country white bread, preferably 1 day old)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Syrup:
4-5 ounces raspberries
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup raspberry liqueur (Chambord) or raspberry fruit juice/fruit juice blend
2 star anise pods
1 cinnamon stick or 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (about 6 ounces) fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves (optional)
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Directions:
For the toast: In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, orange zest, and cinnamon together until smooth. Pour the mixture into a 9-by-13-inch casserole. Add the bread slices in a single layer. Let the bread soak for 10 minutes, turning once.
For the syrup: Place the raspberries into a small saucepan. Add the sugar, water, raspberry liqueur or raspberry juice, if using, star anise, and cinnamon stick. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool, about 20 minutes. Remove the star anise pods and cinnamon stick and discard.
Preheat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and add the butter. Using a spatula, remove the bread slices from the egg mixture, allowing any excess liquid to drain. Cook until golden, about 3 minutes each side. Place on 4 serving plates and drizzle with the raspberry syrup and fresh raspberries. In a small bowl, toss the blueberries and mint together and spoon on top of the French toast. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.
Product: Qrunch Foods Original Qrunch Burgers – $5.99+
Sometimes a product comes along…and it’s intriguing. It sounds like it could be the most amazing thing ever. It’s vegan. It’s gluten-free. It’s a veggie burger that I don’t have to sit there and ponder the contents of the box. It’s all laid out…right on the packaging. No second guessing. No searching the internet for an FAQ on the company. No secrets. Nothing to hide.
That’s what I first loved about Qrunch Foods Qrunch Burgers.
What is a Qrunch Burger, you might ask. Aside from the earlier prelude that this is, in fact, a veggie burger…let me explain a little more. Because this is not your ordinary veggie burger. Not one bit. In fact, it may be the ultimate veggie burger. I’ve eaten every brand of gluten-free veggie burger out on the market that I can find in this area. And while I have raved about many, disliked a few…believe me when I state that the Original Qrunch Burger is…
THE BEST VEGGIE BURGER EVER!
Don’t believe me? Try it yourself. But…trust me…you’ll want to believe me.
Where was I?
Oh yes…what is a Qrunch Burger. The answer to this is simple. It’s a veggie burger that is “powered” by the superfood – quinoa. And, as a gluten-free vegetarian, we all know that quinoa is one of my most favorite things in this world. But the awesomeness doesn’t end there. This burger is also loaded with organic millet and organic vegetables. It is free of virtually all common allergens (gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, corn-free, wheat-free, egg-free, nut-free) and made in a gluten-free facility. These burgers are made from all natural ingredients and do not contain any artificial flavors, colors or GMOs.
Even better…it’s fantastic.
Being that it is Memorial Day, my roommate and I decided that we would have the customary all-American holiday feast. But for us…that means veggie burgers (as opposed to hamburgers) and hand cut shoestring fries, which I bake in the oven to crispy perfection. I had a box of the Original Qrunch Burgers in my freezer. As I received a CSA bin with plenty of fresh veggies that I could utilize for these burgers. Yep…we were good to go.
Qrunch Foods Original Qrunch Burger patty
So, after I made fresh guacamole to go on the burgers (trust me…it’s awesome) and I got the potatoes cut, seasoned, and into the oven, it was time to turn my attention to the actual burgers. I pulled out my skillet and got it warming up while I pulled the box of Original Qrunch Burgers out of the freezer. Once my skillet was properly heated, the patties were put on to cook through. This takes about 5 minutes on each side. I went ahead and put a slice of vegan cheese on the patties to go along with the rest of the Memorial Day festivities. Once each side had been properly warmed and browned on the skillet, it was time to dress the burgers.
I didn’t have any gluten-free hamburger buns on hand this week…so I used gluten-free bread. I dressed the bread with a light coating of vegan Sriracha sour cream, then placed the red leaf lettuce down. The Original Qrunch Patty was next, followed by a tomato, red onion, and then a spoonful of my homemade guacamole. I adorned each plate with a healthy serving of my hand-cut shoestring fries. With the burger assembled, it was now time to settle in for the holiday feast.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I took my first bite. I’ve had some pretty epic fails when it has come to taste and texture of veggie burgers. While most have been passable, the gluten-free varieties just don’t seem to live up to the standard other veggie burgers I used to be able to eat (can’t anymore…because they have gluten in them) laid down.
That is not the case anymore. I took one bite of my Original Qrunch Burger and was in a new happy place. Honestly. What I loved about these was not just the flavor, although it is definitely the best I have had…to date. The texture is awesome. The outside of the patty gets this nice crunch to it. The inside…soft, with that perfect “meatiness” to it that actually makes you believe you are, in fact, eating a burger. I loved how seasoned this patty was. You can even see the organic onion, organic carrots, organic broccoli, and organic spinach in the patty. Nothing fake about these burgers. Seasoned to perfection with garlic and kosher salt. The flavors just popped in my mouth. I was so happy that it took everything in me not to just go into devour mode and shove as much each bite into my mouth at a time. I savored…and I’m glad I did.
Nutritionally speaking, these burgers do rate a little higher on the calorie scale. One patty is 190 calories and contains 11 grams of fat. So…probably not one of the leaner options out there, but not bad as a whole. I’ve definitely encountered worse. Each patty will also supply you with 2 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein. Love that quinoa…a protein powerhouse! In addition, these patties are low in sodium, topping out at 150 mg. Loving it.
For a burger that elliminates so many foods and allergens from their line-up of ingredients, what emerges is one of the most amazing veggie burgers I have ever had the simple joy of eating. I don’t think any other burger will find its way back into my freezer. Qrunch Foods has definitely raised the bar with their highly delicious and very tasty Original Qrunch Burgers.
In fact, it seems that other people agree. In a recent taste test done by the Washington Post Food Section, the Qrunch veggie burger came in third on overall merits. And…it was the only allergen-free burger in the top seven. So, it’s not just me. Others agree that Qrunch Burgers are something special.
I noticed these are also available in a Spicy Italian flavor. Oh yeah…I’m going to be trying that out. And very soon.
If you’re looking for a different flavor or a different sort of veggie burger…Qrunch is the way to go. Honestly. Veggie burgers have great potential…but these blew away the competition. No question about it. Qrunch rocks!
A burger made from Qrunch Foods Original Qrunch Burger and served with homemade hand-cut shoestring fries
Awhile back, Prevention magazine did a profile on Kris Carr. If you’ve never heard that name before, you’d be inspired by this woman. She is a best-selling author, a wellness activist, and a cancer thriver. Yes…thriver. You see, on Valentine’s Day in 2003, Carr was diagnosed with a rare and incurable stage 4 cancer. This diagnosis made her want to feel better, love harder, and enjoy life more fully. She wanted to live life to the fullest…and live it like she meant it.
Part of that journey was changing the way she ate. She went to a complete lifestyle makeover. She switched to a nutrient dense, plant-based diet, began exercising, and found joy and fun in everything.
Really…this woman is amazing and her story was one I remembered from the plethora of magazines I receive each month. I appreciate Prevention for profiling her…because it led me to her book: Crazy Sexy Kitchen.
This book just happened to be on the shelf of my local library. And after flipping through it briefly…I went ahead and borrowed it. Immediately I had recipes I wanted to try…but the one that interested me most is the one I made for dinner tonight…and, believe me when I say, it’s worth the effort to make. I had to make modifications with the ingredients at times, but in the end…it turned into a beautiful dish.
The recipe is below.
Recipe: Gluten-Free and Vegan “Clam” Chowder
Gluten-Free and Vegan “Clam” Chowder
Serves: 12
Time: Prep 60 minutes; Cook 15 minutes
Ingredients for Cashew Cream:
4 cups whole raw cashews, rinsed under cold water
Ingredients for Kombu Broth:
4 pieces kombu seaweed (I didn’t pick this up, so I used sheets of nori)
2 quarts water
Ingredients for Smoked Mushrooms*:
1 tablespoon small hickory chips
1 heaping cup diced king trumpet mushrooms
*(NOTE: I had 10 ounces of crimini mushrooms on hand and no stovetop smoker, so I improvised…)
Ingredients for Chowder Assembly:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup diced white onion
1/2 cup diced celery (I used diced carrot because I didn’t have celery, but I did have plenty of carrots)
1 cup peeled and diced baking potato
2-1/2 to 3 cups water
1 teaspoon lemon juice, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon Tobasco or other hot sauce, more to taste (I used Sriracha)
2 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper, more to taste
Directions:
Prepare Cashew Cream: Put the cashews in a bowl and cover with water. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate to soak overnight.
Drain the cashews and rinse under cold water. Place the cashews in a high-speed blender (this will need to be done in a couple of batches) and add enough water to cover by an inch.
Purée until completely smooth. If needed, pass the cashew purée through a fine strainer to remove any course bits; the final “cream” should have a smooth, thick consistency of heavy dairy cream. This will make about 3 cups cream (consistency will depend on the amount of water added while blending, and can vary from just over 2 cups to about 3-1/2 cups; thin as desired)
Prepare Kombu Broth*: Combine the combu and water in a medium pot and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook 40 minutes, then strain. This makes about 5 cups kombu broth, more than is needed for the remainder of the recipe. The broth will keep, covered and refrigerated, up to 10 days.
*(Note: I didn’t have kombu on hand, so I used nori sheets, and followed the instructions as if they were kombu. The flavor was probably milder than it would have been…but this worked. I did, however, have to press on the nori to wring out the rest of the broth)
Prepare Smoked Mushrooms*: Prepare a stovetop smoker: Spread the chips in the base of the smoker, directly over the burner. Place the drip pan (if using) over the chips and a rack on top of the drip pan. Place the diced mushrooms on the rack (be sure to use a rack fine enough so the mushrooms don’t fall through) indirectly over the chips (do not place the mushrooms directly over the chips, as this can cause them to oversmoke and turn bitter). Partially cover the smoker with a lid, leaving it open a cuple of inches. (If you do not have a commercial stovetop smoker, you can substitute by using a heavy roasting pan, a cake rack, and heavy duty foil to cover the pan as a lid.)
Heat the smoker over medium heat just until you see smoke escaping through the opening. Close the smoker entirely and gently smoke just to infuse the mushrooms with smoke flavor, not to cook, 3 to 5 minutes. Be careful not to oversmoke, or the mushrooms will become bitter.
*(Note: I don’t have a stovetop smoker or anything I could have used to do the makeshift one…so instead I went about this a little differently. After rinsing my mushrooms and cutting the stems even to the caps, I put them in a bowl with 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons of Liquid Smoke (make sure it is a gluten-free brand), a touch of salt, and some kelp granules. I mixed this until everything was coated then placed them on a baking pan and roasted in a 350°F oven for 45 minutes. I then diced them as the recipe called for. It yielded perfect results.)
Assemble Chowder: Heat the oil in a medium-size soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery (in my case, carrots), and potato. Sweat the ingredients, stirring frequently, until softened, 8-10 minutes.
Add 1-1/2 cups each of the Kombu Broth, Cashew Cream, and all the smoked mushrooms. Reduce the heat, and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes to develop and marry the flavors. The Cashew Cream will thicken as it cooks, and you will need to add water from time to time to thin and adjust the consistency. We added about 3 cups of water as the soup cooked.
Season with lemon juice, Tobasco (or hot sauce of choice), salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired. This makes a generous 2 quarts of soup.
~*~*~
This recipe looks labor intensive at first glance, but I soaked the cashews overnight and making the cashew cream was a synch. As for the broth, I made that ahead as well and let it chill in the fridge. Then, when I needed it, I poured out the amount for this recipe and it was all set to go. All I really needed to do was chop the vegetables and get everything cooking.
And what emerged was a flavorful, creamy, delicious vegan clam chowder. The flavors were awesome. And the texture of the mushrooms after roasting in the oven for that long was just like a clam tasted (back before my vegetarian days and when chowder was safe to eat). I wasn’t sure what to think about this as I started to cook everything together in my big pot on the stove, but the end result was awesome.
I can’t wait to heat up more and enjoy it all over again.
As a side note, this soup is freezer-friendly. So go ahead and freeze the extra if needed and allow it to thaw when you’re ready to have more. Otherwise, the soup does keep for about 1 week in the fridge.
This is TOTALLY going to be made over and over again. Shockingly delicious. But, then again, Kris Carr enlisted the help of Chef Tal Ronnen for this one…so it’s no surprise this soup is packed with awesomeness.
It was October 24, 2011 when I first was able to finally try Udi’s Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts. I remember the day like it was just yesterday instead of almost two years ago. At this point, my gluten-free journey was in the beginning stages. I had tried Udi’s bread…and loved it. But that was basically all I could find in my area…until one day…the gluten-free gods smiled upon me…and one of my local stores started carrying Udi’s Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts in their freezer section. I was so happy (and hungry) at that moment, I damned my budget, threw a pack of them into my cart and went home to make some gluten-free pizza for dinner.
Almost two years ago.
Sometimes things change over the span of a couple years. Companies toy around with recipes…sometimes because it is needed (Udi’s Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls…yes…you…and I still am not the biggest fan of those)…and sometimes because they just want to see if they can improve on the awesome product they already have on the market (Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bread…your new recipe is awesome!).
One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the quality, taste, and sheer awesomeness that comes in each pack of Udi’s Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts. Sure, Udi’s now makes pre-topped frozen pizzas…and those are all fine and good. But sometimes…most of the time…I have my own pizza toppings in mind and I want to get into my kitchen and draw on my inner allergic chef and just…create.
Udi’s Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts
Most people would think that would mean…make your own gluten-free crust. I have. And sometimes I still do. But when you’re hungry or in a hurry…you work with what is available to you. And what my area happens to have in almost every grocery store now…are Udi’s Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts. And I couldn’t be happier about it.
Recently, I received an amazing box of gluten-free goodness from Udi’s of products, both classic and new…to try for my blog. One of the included items was a pack of their Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts. As I run a lot and my favorite pre-race meal is gluten-free pizza…this had me stoked. I already knew I was a huge fan of their pizza crusts…although it had been…probably about a year since I had last had one.
Well, yesterday I ran two 5K races…one in the morning and one in the evening. And that meant…Friday night was gluten-free pizza night. Normally, my roomie and I would just pick a local restaurant that had a respectable, safe gluten-free pizza on the menu. But…we’re on a tight budget this month…and now…I had pizza crusts in my freezer. So…yes…I would make my own.
I got out my pizza stone, put some cornmeal down, then got the pizza crusts out of the freezer. I removed one of them and put the other one away. Once my pizza stone was properly heated and the corn meal beginning to brown, I placed the crust down on the stone and began to top it with what ingredients I had on hand. I made my own version of a gluten-free and vegetarian Hawaiian pizza. A little marinara, some homemade gluten-free and vegan bacon, some red onion, chunks of fresh pineapple, and topped it off with Daiya mozzarella vegan cheese. Oh…my pre-race meal was already making me drool and it still had to bake.
Udi’s Gluten-Free Pizza Crust (ready for toppings and baking)
Into the oven it went for about 10-12 minutes. It smelled fantastic as it started to bake, the cheese getting melty and gooey…the pineapple beginning to caramelize under the heat of the oven, the crust turning to that perfect golden brown. Oh yes…this was gluten-free pizza that was going to get me through two races in one day. And it was turning into pizza perfection.
And the best part was…I still LOVED it. Every last bite of it. My pizza turned out brilliantly. The crust baked to a crispy, yet still chewy, perfection. It was able to sustain the heavy pineapple chunks among the other toppings. And it tasted so good. SO good. This crust is light and thin, so you don’t feel like a glutton for downing half of the entire crust (which is the serving size, BTW). I am just as in love with these pizza crusts now as I was almost two years ago. Nothing about them has changed. They are amazing. Top them off however you wish. You can’t go wrong when you’re making it your own. And thanks to Udi’s…you can do this on a super busy night…or if you just want to have some time to relax. Pizza doesn’t have to be about making your own crust. Let Udi’s do that for you…because this is a crust worth slicing into and devouring.
Nutritionally speaking, this is also one of the best pre-made gluten-free pizza crusts on the market. The serving size, as I mentioned before, is 1/2 of the pizza. It makes sharing with someone so simple and easy. My roomie gets her half and I get mine. I leave a zone between the halves for easy slicing, as she uses real cheese on hers…whereas I am lactose intolerant and use vegan cheese on mine. It works out beautifully. A serving of the crust alone will only set you back 190 calories and 5 grams of fat. Trust me…this is on the low end of most of the pre-made gluten-free crusts out there. Believe me…I have searched. On top of that, your half of a pizza serves up 4 grams of protein. AWESOME.
These crusts are made from a blend of tapioca starch, brown rice flour, water, canola oil, egg whites, evaporated cane sugar, tapioca syrup, tapioca maltodextrin, salt, xanthan gum, yeast, and cultured corn syrup solids (to prevent mold). Combine it and what you end up with is one of the best gluten-free pizza crusts in your grocer’s freezer section. These have been on the market for quite awhile…but if you are new to the gluten-free lifestyle or just haven’t spent the money to try them out…I encourage you to do so…and do so now. These are fantastic and…make having a pizza party a whole lot less stressful.
Bake up one for yourself and taste the awesomeness of Udi’s Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts. No really. Do so. Pizza waits for no one.
Gluten-Free and Vegetarian Hawaiian Pizza made on Udi’s Gluten-Free Pizza Crust
When you’re a gluten-free vegetarian…you buy and try products like this. There is nothing wrong with that, right? In fact, I encourage all you seafood lovers to give these a shot. Maybe start with the most amazing gluten-free and vegan breaded shrimp…then try some of the other offerings.
You see, this little company called Sophie’s Kitchen, is making these frozen vegan seafood dishes…and I couldn’t be happier about it.
I was on the fence with their Gluten-Free Vegan Fish Filets…but I fell in love with the rich and bold flavors and texture of the Gluten-Free Breaded Vegan Shrimp. Well, I had pasta to use up…so I got it in my head to do something with the Gluten-Free Breaded Vegan Scallops.
Why not? A nice gluten-free angel hair pasta dish with some sort of garlic sauce would pair perfectly with scallops, yes? Of course it would. Pasta, garlic and scallops are…like…best mates.
So, the other night for dinner, that’s exactly what I set out to make. I got my gluten-free angel hair pasta going on the stove top, worked on a side of roasted asparagus (done in the oven with olive oil, balsamic, a little salt and a dash of black pepper). Then, I pulled the Gluten-Free Breaded Vegan Scallops out of the fridge (I put them in there to thaw while I was at work) to get them onto their own baking sheet and ready for the oven as well.
That’s really all there is to these. You place them in the 375°F oven for 10-15 minutes, or until they are golden on top, and then…you’re ready to serve them up, however your little heart desires.
My pasta turned out to be an epic fail. My sauce was awesome. And as for Sophie’s Kitchen Gluten-Free Breaded Vegan Scallops?
I really liked these! I mean…really liked these. Not to the epic scale that I love the Gluten-Free Breaded Vegan Shrimp…but the scallops are really tasty as well. The texture was great. They weren’t grainy or anything. They didn’t taste like rubber. They had the perfect texture of a seared scallop. I felt that it really was the star of the entire dish that I whipped together. These just looked and tasted authentic. I was very happy with feasting on them. I actually saved a scallop as my last bite since the pasta was an epic fail (see blog post before this one). My sauce was awesome though. But the vegan scallops, as any “meat” portion of a dish should be, was the star.
So…what exactly are these seafood imitations made from? The answer is…konjac root, which is an ancient superfood staple across Southeast Asia and is very popular in traditional Japanese cuisine. It’s also known as the elephant yam. The konjac is combined with seaweed and other ingredients and viola…vegan (and in most cases, gluten-free) seafood. In this case, the Gluten-Free Breaded Vegan Scallops are made from water, konjac powder, beta glucan, modified potato starch, organic agave nectar, sea salt, rice flakes, potato starch, white pepper, carrageenan, and seaweed. Put them together…and you get…amazing imitation scallops that have some of the best texture and definitely soaked up the garlic and olive oil in my sauce. Delicious.
Nutritionally speaking, a serving of Sophie’s Kitchen Gluten-Free Breaded Vegan Scallops is 8 pieces. This serving will only set you back 50 calories! FIFTY CALORIES!! You will also be taking in only 1 gram of fat, 3 grams of fiber…and sadly…no protein here. These little breaded vegan scallops of awesome have no cholesterol, no trans-fat, no preservatives, no added colors, no MSG, no added sugar, are naturally low in sodium…and basically contain no artificial…ANYTHING!
Loving it!!
This is the third product that I have tried by Sophie’s Kitchen and these are definitely my second favorite thus far. I would love to try them in another way for preparation purposes. I am really loving what Sophie’s Kitchen is brignign to my gluten-free and vegetarian table. Thanks to their vegan line of seafood…fish can be back on my menu!
I think I’m in love with Sophie’s Kitchen.
No…I know I am.
Thank you…great people behind Sophie’s Kitchen…for giving this gluten-free vegetarian delicious options for a seafood dinner.
Sophie’s Gluten-Free Breaded Vegan Scallops (served over DeBoles Gluten-Free Rice Plus Golden Flax Angel Hair Pasta)
DeBoles Gluten-Free Rice Plus Golden Flax Angel Hair Pasta
Product: DeBoles Gluten-Free Rice Plus Golden Flax Angel Hair Pasta – $2.69+
Ah…gluten-free pasta.
It can be just as good as the full-barrel pasta. Or it can be…beyond disappointing. I always hope for the best and tonight when I got it into my head to make an angel hair pasta dish with some vegan and gluten-free scallops on top. I happened to have some gluten-free angel hair pasta in my pantry, however, so this wasn’t going to be an issue. The most difficult part of dinner prep was going to be making the garlic sauce.
Upon arriving home, the gluten-free angel hair pasta was pulled out of the pantry and I got some water boiling in my large pot on the stove. The pasta that was debuting in my kitchen was none other than DeBoles Gluten-Free Rice Angel Hair Pasta…now with Golden Flax. I have had DeBoles pasta before…and it’s been…okay. Nothing to really scream about. But…decent enough to get by.
While I got the water boiling, I prepped some asparagus to roast as a side dish and got that in the oven. Then, I got the gluten-free and vegan breaded scallops set on their baking sheet for when they would join the asparagus in the oven. By then, my water was boiling, so I got the scallops into the oven and then got out the ingredients for my sauce and put the skillet on a burner to warm up.
It was now time to add the noodles to the boiling water. I opened up the box of DeBoles Gluten-Free Rice Plus Golden Flax Angel Hair Pasta and poured it into the water. The boiling water immediately calmed, and I gave the pasta a stir until everything was covered by the water. A rolling boil returned and I went ahead to focus on making my garlic sauce, giving the noodles a stir every now and again.
As the pasta began to soften, I noticed how brittle and delicate these noodles were going to be. When I would stir the noodles, they would occasionally split or break apart into smaller noodles. Okay…that’s fine. My mom used to split the noodles in half and cook spaghetti like that. I just…was hoping for something that would really hold up.
DeBoles Gluten-Free Rice Plus Golden Flax Angel Hair Pasta noodles, cooked…and unclumpy!
I cooked these to the perfect al dente (about 9 minutes), then drained them. I shook out the excess water and went to put the noodles into the skillet to mix with the sauce. And that was when I poured them into the skillet that I noticed just how gummy and sticky they were. They clumped together terribly. I was not happy. I poured a little more olive oil into my garlic sauce in hopes that it would help de-stick the noodles, but it didn’t. They just became this massive clump of gluten-free rice noodle pasta. I was livid. Honestly. No good at all.
But the pasta was all I had to work with…so I had to use it, despite it all being one ball of noodles now. I managed to scoop up four servings and place two in Pyrex containers for the following night…and the clumpy noodles that were left went into bowls for dinner. Over the top went the vegan and gluten-free breaded scallops from Sophie’s Kitchen. And then I gave mine a hit of crushed red pepper flakes, where my roommate took freshly grated Parmesan.
Dinner was…served, I guess. The image of it in my head seemed a lot better than the actual result. Stupid pasta. And, just as it appeared, it tasted. Not mushy, but gummy. The noodles broke as you tried to lift them from the bowl, perhaps due to the weight of the other noodles now stuck together…or the fact that this pasta was very delicate. I was not pleased. They tasted fine…the texture was great. But they just didn’t cook up properly, despite me doing everything right.
As for the bowls of noodles in the fridge…when reheated, I went ahead and left the lids off the Pyrex, hoping it might take some of the gumminess out of the noodles. Is it weird that I preferred the noodles on the second day as opposed to the first. My plan did work, although they were still a clump of really short noodles, instead of single long strands of angel hair pasta that could be wound around a fork. Suckage. But…like I said…at least they taste good.
Nutritionally speaking, this is like any other pasta noodle. For a 2 ounce serving (yes…I do measure and weigh), you’ll be set back 210 calories and 1.5 grams of fat. Not too shabby for pasta, yes? Thanks to the flax, you get a nice hit of 4 grams of protein. Unfortunately, the fiber content in this is rather low, so it may not be as filling as a regular pasta noodle would be. But, when you’re gluten-free…you use what you are given. And this is what I had. These noodles are gluten-free, wheat-free, and an excellent source of Omega 3…something this gluten-free vegetarian doesn’t really get regularly.
So…while not a horrible choice for noodles, there are others out there I would return to before picking up another box of DeBoles Gluten-Free Rice Plus Golden Flax Angel Hair Pasta. I prefer my noodles not to stick together…break…have a gumminess to them…you know…what any good gluten-free eater should get. Something done right and something done well. These noodles…failed me. And now…I have no love for them. I liked them…but it’s not love.
We’re just…acquaintances.
DeBoles Gluten-Free Rice Plus Golden Flax Angel Hair Pasta, now shortened and stuck together, topped with Sophie’s Kitchen Vegan and Gluten-Free Breaded Scallops
For the past month or so, I’ve been experimenting with dinner rolls…as slider buns. And having found out that my very own local allergen-free bakery, Annie May’s Sweet Café, makes the best I’ve ever tasted…well…sliders have become one of my go-to menu items. And with summer on the way, despite not having a grill, it is burger time.
BUT…being a gluten-free vegetarian sometimes means…I have to make my own sliders. And, trust me, some recipes work out better than others. For one thing, mine tend to not want to hold together, turning to mush and not really having that “meaty” texture to them. Granted, the two recipes I’ve done haven’t really lent themselves to being faux meat, but…the thought was there. When you bite into something that is meant to be a burger…that’s sort of the texture and taste that you are going for.
The other day, after buying yet another bag of allergen-free dinner rolls from Annie May’s…and knowing I had plenty of fresh produce in my fridge…I thought…sliders for dinner on Sunday might be awesome. The thing was…I really didn’t want to make my own. It was a super-busy weekend as it was…and Sunday I had spent a majority of my day listening to the Dalai Lama speak in Louisville. I was starving when I got out of there (no gluten-free and vegetarian options at the venue) and after downing some ice cream…I went grocery shopping for…the Poblano Chick(pea) patties I blogged about not too long ago. Except…the store didn’t have them anymore. My plans were about to go down the tubes.
But…then I remembered the glorious day I spotted SoL Cuisine Sliders (vegan and vegetarian, mind you) at Whole Foods in their freezer section. While it would mean I’d have yet another blog to write (I was backlogged enough I thought) on a product I could eat…I really wanted some real food for dinner that night. So…neglecting my initial response to make something I’ve already had before…my roommate and I headed over to Whole Foods and picked up a box of SoL Cuisine Original Sliders.
It was like it was meant to be. Because this box contained six sliders…and I had six dinner rolls. Awesome! Granted, the serving size for this product is 2 patties…we really weren’t out that much more by adding one more for each of us for dinner. A serving (2 sliders…remember…) will set you back only 100 calories. Yep. 50 calories per slider. Not too shabby, right? I thought it was awesome. The normal serving size also provides a fantastic 13 grams of protein! These vegan and gluten-free burgers are are low in sodium (240 mg) and have 3 grams of fiber. I think I should also mention that two patties is only 3 grams of fat as well. How awesome are these little veggie burgers of gluten-free wonder?!
SoL Cuisine Original Sliders
And they weren’t difficult to prepare either. You can grill them, microwave them, cook them stove top, or put them in the oven. I had other things to prep with dinner…so I decided to do the oven method. I hoped this wouldn’t backfire, as I’m sure grilling or even doing it stove top would have gotten a nice crisp on the outside of these little patties. That being said, I prepped a cooking sheet and laid out all six patties, putting them into a 350°F oven. They had to cook for about 10 minutes on one side…and then flip them over and cook for another 10 minutes on the other side. Perfect, as I would have to throw my dinner rolls in to toast them up for my condiments and add-ons.
They smelled fantastic while they were cooking. And in that time I mashed up an avocado for the sliders, cut up some lettuce, chopped up a tomato, and sliced into an onion…all in the name of gluten-free vegan slider goodness. When the rolls and the sliders emerged, it was time to assemble the burgers. And I was starving and ready to eat.
So easy. A touch of avocado, then lettuce, the slider, vegan cheese, tomato, onion, and then more avocado before placing the top of the dinner roll on and making…the perfect slider. I did this for all of the rolls and patties and served them up to my roommate and I for dinner. She was already digging in by the time I finished putting mine together…and she was raving about the flavor. This was good news, as the SoL Cuisine Tofu Rubs were just…meh…okay. I settled in for my own dinner and lifted a slider to taste.
Oh…yeah…these are keepers. These are one of those products that will continue to find its way into my freezer. Seriously!
The SoL Cuisine Original Sliders are amazing. They are perfection. They taste meaty without being made from meat. In fact…they have such great texture and taste, if you closed your eyes, you’d think you were truly eating a burger. It’s amazing. It’s awesome. I am in love with these. Not only do they have fantastic texture and flavor, but they pair so well with any topping you might want to put on there. I heaped these sliders full with different condiments and vegetables, and they didn’t detract at all from the taste of the burger. These definitely compliment anything you top it off with. Or…if you want to sneak a taste on its own (like I did…for the sake of the blog) know that they are also very delicious on their own. Three sliders were so filling. But I was happily stuffed.
The SoL Cuisine Original Sliders are gluten-free and vegan. They are also kosher, and are a great source of calcium and iron. And what, exactly are they? Well, according to their ingredient listings, these little patties of meat-free, gluten-free goodness are composed of filtered water, soy protein concentrate, sunflower oil, dried onion, modified vegetable gum, dried tomato, sea salt, dried garlic, spices, organic lemon juice concentrate, and caramel color. I love seeing ingredients that I recognize. Love it.
So, not only are these a healthy choice for a meal, but they are delicious as well. I can’t wait to purchase more of these, or even try the other two slider varieties in the freezer section: Spicy Black Bean Sliders and Quinoa Sliders. Both sound…awesome! They will both be purchased for the sake of the blog and consumed. I hope they can live up to the high bar the Original Slider set. Totally loving my gluten-free and vegan sliders. Thanks to SoL Cuisine…I don’t always have to make my own. Sometimes…I can just cook them up and leave the prep to someone else.
Gluten-Free and Vegan Sliders made with SoL Cuisine Original Sliders
So, last night I set out to work some culinary magic with some items in my refrigerator and my freezer. What came out of the plethora of ingredients I had on hand was one of the most amazing taco dinners I have ever created. I made mine gluten-free and vegan to fit my dietary needs, but if you happen to like real shrimp…use it. If you can eat regular sour cream…use it. The great thing about recipes is…they are made to be modified.
By popular demand, here is the recipe for my Gluten-Free and Vegan Shrimp Tacos with a Mango Salsa and Sriracha Sour Cream.
Recipe: Gluten-Free and Vegan Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa and Vegan Sriracha Sour Cream
Gluten-Free and Vegan Shrimp Tacos with a Mango Salsa and Sriracha Sour Cream
Servings: 2 (2 tacos each)
Ingredients for Avocado, Tomato and Mango Salsa:
Avocado, Tomato and Mango Salsa
1 mango – peeled, seeded and diced
1 avocado – peeled, pitted, and diced
4 medium tomatoes, diced
1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped red onion
3 tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the mango, avocado, tomatoes, serrano, cilantro, and garlic.
Stir in the salt, lime juice, red onion, and olive oil.
To blend the flavors, refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving.
Note: You will have left-overs…so enjoy with some gluten-free corn tortilla chips or save for the next day.
While the salsa is chilling in the fridge…prepare the rest of the tacos…
Ingredients:
4 Rudi’s Gluten-Free Fiesta Tortillas
1 box of Sophie’s Kitchen Gluten-Free Breaded Vegan Shrimp (or you can use real shrimp if not a vegetarian/vegan, just make/use a gluten-free breading)
2 leaves of Romaine lettuce, chopped
1/4 cup vegan sour cream (I used Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream – or use real sour cream)
1 tablespoon Sriracha
Directions:
Preheat the oven and cook the shrimp according to the instructions on the box. If using Sophie’s Kitchen Gluten-Free Breaded Vegan Shrimp, it takes about 10-15 minutes.
Mix together the vegan sour cream (or real sour cream, if using) with the Sriracha to make the Sriracha sour cream.
Warm the Rudi’s Gluten-Free Fiesta Tortillas in the microwave for about 20 seconds.
Remove and place on plates.
Placed chopped lettuce on each of the tortillas.
Scoop about 1/4 cup of the Avocado, Tomato and Mango Salsa over the lettuce.
Top the salsa with the cooked shrimp.
Top each taco with the Sriracha Sour Cream.
Fold tortillas around filling and ENJOY!
~*~*~
I’m already considering making this again tonight, because I still have a good chunk of the salsa remaining and…it was really, really, REALLY good. The combination of the sweet salsa with the savory vegan shrimp (don’t mock…they are awesome) and the hint of heat from the vegan Sriracha sour cream all just worked together. My roommate (who doesn’t have to do gluten-free or vegan…in fact…loves real shrimp) fell in love with this dinner and said it was one of the best dinners I ever made.
Product: Love Grown Foods Blueberry Banana Walnut Hot Oats – $2.49+
We all know by now that every day during the workweek, my lunch consists of one thing and one thing only – gluten-free oatmeal.
I have tried a lot of gluten-free oatmeal out on the market. Some I have liked, a couple I have loved, some I tolerated, and some…I just couldn’t bring myself to finish.
When it came to gluten-free granola, I was no stranger to the awesome and amazing lure and taste of Love Grown Foods. They definitely had the best out on the market. That’s why I continue to buy it. And I probably always will. My pantry is never without one of their varieties, for sure. They are perfect with my fruit and Greek yogurt parfaits on non-gym mornings. My love affair with Love Grown Foods started early. And it has only grown ever since.
Rewind for a moment now to December 2012. I noticed an announcement from Love Grown Foods that was declaring the release of a brand new product. Much to my delight…it was their line of Hot Oats. You got it…gluten-free oatmeal. I was beside myself. I couldn’t wait to try it. I just…I just had to. If their granola was on the top of my list, surely their oatmeal had to be epic.
And between the launch and the beginning of May 2013…I could only sit and wonder. I was extremely jealous of every post I saw via Twitter of Facebook of people enjoying their Love Grown Foods Hot Oats. Why? Because I just could NOT find it in this area. No shocker there, right? It happens all the time. A gluten-free company I trust and love announces a new product. I get all excited and then spend up to as much as a year trying to find it in the Louisville, Kentucky area. It’s aggravating and frustrating and makes me one unhappy gluten-free camper.
However, one store in my area must have felt my pain. Because I was out at my local Fresh Market in Louisville, just scouting the aisles as I tend to do…and lo and behold…in the cereal aisle, the clouds parted and a ray of sunshine illuminated the shelf upon which the little cups of Love Grown Foods Hot Oats were sitting. Okay, not really…but it makes for a much better story. The fact of the matter is…I FINALLY found them! At long last! YAY!! That…was the good news. The bad news was, my already strict budget for gluten-free grocery shopping was reaching max capacity…so I could only purchase one of them. JUST ONE! After all this time.
So…that decision was to try the Love Grown Foods Blueberry Banana Walnut Hot Oats. Because all those ingredients were things I absolutely love in life. So…why not?
Today…at lunch…I got my first taste of hot loving!
Making this oatmeal is so easy. It makes the others that I eat feel so labor intensive. Pull back top halfway, pour water up to line inside container, microwave for about 60 seconds (adding 10 to 20 seconds depending on how thick you want your oats). Let sit for 2 minutes. Then…devour.
Told you it was easy.
I did all of this, putting my oats in for an additional 20 seconds because I dislike soupy oatmeal, and took it back to my desk at the office to sit for two minutes. I somehow managed to find some way to occupy myself so that I didn’t go nuts waiting for it to reach the point of doneness for consumption by…me. Two minutes…that seemed to take forever. Anticipation was killing me. And then…it was time.
I peeled off the top and gave the oats a good healthy stir. They had set up to perfection. Nice and thick without being chunky and overdone. YES! Getting the consistency of the oatmeal right is a challenge in and of itself…but this made it so easy to get just right. Creamy and thick and just how I liked them. Lunch perfection if you ask me. Throughout the oats, I could see the blueberries, the bits of walnut, and, yes, even some banana. My little spoon scooped up a heap of the hot oats and I indulged in my first taste.
OH. MY. HOT. OATY. GOODNESS.
Love…LOVE…LOVE this! Here’s the thing…not only was the consistency to my liking, it wasn’t overly sweet, it had the right amount of each of the components listed as the flavor on the front. And all of it worked together. Every last ingredient. It was a little savory, a little sweet, and wasn’t a little too much of any of it. Perfectly balanced. The dehydrated fruits rehydrated to perfection in the microwave as it warmed. The blueberries were soft and ripe. The walnuts added a nice hint of savory flavor. The banana…well…it’s banana and therefore always wins. And the oats…creamy and steamy to perfection. I can’t wait until I have enough room in my food budget to try another of the four flavors.
And for those of you who don’t know…the flavors that Love Grown Foods currently offers in their line of Hot Oats are: Strawberry Raspberry, Apple Cinnamon, Peach Vanilla Almond, and (of course) the Blueberry Banana Walnut.
So, now that we know these offer a spoonful of hot love in each bite…what about those pesky nutrition facts?
A serving is a single container of the hot oats. More than enough. It was really filling. In fact, these oats kept me feeling full longer than any of the others that have come before it. I approve. One serving of the Blueberry Banana Walnut Hot Oats serves you up 240 calories (which is a bit higher than other gluten-free oatmeal out there…but…yeah…don’t even count calories here…this is love…and you can’t put a calorie stamp on love!) and 4.5 grams of fat, of which a good percentage comes from the healthy fats contained in the walnuts. So fear not. The sugar content might seem a bit high at 12 grams, but brown sugar is one of the ingredients…and fruits naturally have sugar in them. I give this one a pass. As for fiber, you get served 5 filling grams of it and you also will be devouring a protein power-punch of 7 grams. This gluten-free athlete (who craves protein due to also being vegetarian) approves. Mightily approves.
And as I mentioned ingredients above…you’ve pretty much heard them all – certified gluten-free oats, brown sugar, banana, walnuts, blueberries, and cinnamon. That’s it. Nothing fake here. All real ingredients. All real good for you.
I encourage you, and even implore you to seek out Love Grown Foods Hot Oats at your local natural food stores or grocery stores. If they don’t have them, talk to customer service to see if they can order in the products. I hope my budget eases up a bit so I can afford to try another one. Because if the rest of the flavors that are out there come close to the amazing and awesomeness of the Blueberry Banana Walnut version, well…I might be in for a lot of budget juggling in my future.
Love Grown Foods continues to prove that putting a lot of love and care into the development, production, and taste of a product can pay off. I’m hooked. And now I just want more Hot Oats in my life. And stat.
Love Grown Foods Blueberry Banana Walnut Hot Oats (prepared)
So, I got a little impulsive when I was at Annie May’s Sweet Café on Saturday morning. It happens. Especially after a good race. And even more so after having not been to the cafe for two weeks. Two long weeks. UGH! Way too long to be away from my favorite place to grab food that I know I can safely eat. But, I’m finally back in town for a little while and that means…I’m back to my routine.
After running a great 5K race in Louisville on Saturday, my roomie and I headed to Frankfort Avenue and pulled up (FINALLY!) into Annie May’s Sweet Café parking lot. It was breakfast sandwich time. And as we were sitting there noshing on our delicious breakfast (which also included an allergen-free doughnut…because…they are doughnuts and I love them!), Cathy spotted a bag of dinner rolls up on the top of the bakery case.
While we were polishing off breakfast, she asked if I wanted to get them to try. I gave her that, “Are you really asking me that?” look and nodded my head while happily stuffing my face with more of the allergen-free vegan breakfast sausage sandwich. With that decided and our breakfast consumed, we went to the bakery case (where I resisted ordering one of the amazing chocolate chip cookies…despite really, really wanting one) and just snagging up one of the two bags of the allergen-free dinner rolls. We went to the register, paid for them, and went on our way.
I had no idea what I was going to use them for at that point. But my roommate had suggested I make tzatziki with the cucumbers I got in my CSA bin. And I had these gluten-free and vegan pablano chickpea patties in my freezer so I thought…why not make sort of a mock falafel slider? These dinner rolls would definitely make the perfect slider buns. Saturday we indulged in both Annie May’s Sweet Café and then gluten-free crepes from Sweet ‘N Savory Food Truck at Louisville’s Buy Local Fair. So, we were pretty full upon returning home that day. But…that’s what Sunday’s are made for.
Sunday evening, I made up my homemade tzatziki and then got the poblano chickpea patties into the oven. While they were starting to cook, I got the bag of dinner rolls off the counter and undid the tie. I pulled out all six of the dinner rolls (carb happiness, yes?) and put them all on a baking sheet. When the chickpea patties were about halfway done, I slid the dinner rolls into the oven to toast for about 15 minutes at 350°F, just to get them golden crispy on the outside. I did make sure I watched them though, as I didn’t want them to burn. The chickpea patties and rolls finished at the same time. I let them both stand for a minute while I sliced up a leaf of romaine lettuce and pulled the tzatziki out of the fridge.
Annie May’s Sweet Cafe Allergen-Free Dinner Rolls
Now…the fun part. I sliced each of the dinner rolls in half. They were so soft and steamy on the inside. They looked absolutely fantastic. It was definitely food porn of the drool=worthy type. I placed a dollop of tzatziki on each bottom half of the dinner roll, added some lettuce, put 1/3 of each patty over the lettuce, topped it off with a little more tzatziki, then put the top of the dinner roll over it. BAM…instant mock falafel sliders. All gluten-free. LOVING it.
But, the real test would come with the dinner rolls. How would they hold up? How would they taste?
I should have known, given that these came from Annie May’s…that they would be epically awesome. I never doubted it for a moment, to be honest. One bite…and I knew that these little dinner rolls had to come to Thanksgiving with me this year. They were soft to begin with, but I wanted to be sure they could hold up to the sliders I was making. So, just that short time in the oven and they got this golden crispness on the outside, but remained soft on the inside. It was dinner roll perfection. And, they didn’t hollow out. You actually got an entire dinner roll. They were light and fluffy on their own, without skimping on the bread part on the inside. They tasted awesome. Perfect. And completely allergen-free.
Annie May’s Sweet Café lists the ingredients for these allergen-free dinner rolls as millet flour, sorghum flour, tapioca starch, quinoa flour, water, olive oil, egg replacer, agave nectar, apple cider vinegar, and xanthan gum. I recognize all of those ingredients and think that they have really hit the nail on the head when it comes to their bread mix. The flours they use just bake up beautifully. Light. Not dense. Not heavy. And perfect. I was in love with every bite. And I meant it when I said I would buy a dozen or so of these for Thanksgiving, which I am hosting this year and keeping gluten-free…because that’s how my kitchen is.
A big shout-out to my local gluten-free bakery, Annie May’s Sweet Café for once again bringing me allergen-free perfection. This time…in the form of a simple dinner roll. Sometimes it’s these little things in life…these little kitchen miracles I bring home from your business…that make my gluten-free life so much more amazing. I love you…and can’t wait to try more of your goodies that I have yet to try. Until then…see you on Saturday for breakfast.
Mock Falafel Sliders made using Annie May’s Sweet Cafe Allergen-Free Dinner Rolls and Moo Moo’s Vegetarian Cuisine Vegan & Gluten-Free Poblano Chick(pea) Patties
The Celiathlete 