Category: Food

Product: DelGrosso New York Style Pizza Sauce – $1.20+

One of the most difficult foods to navigate when gluten-free is sauces and dips.  Without a doubt.  You’d be amazed what contains gluten.  Reading the ingredient list is necessary.  Grocery shopping takes a little bit longer.  But safe dining is a huge plus.

While out at Big Lots, surprisingly, I spotted some pizza sauce that was clearly labeled gluten free.  This gets huge props because it takes away the guess work.  I wish labeling laws would become a bit stricter when it comes to gluten-free foods.  I tend not to buy anything questionable, so if it’s labeled, you’re guaranteed a sale.

The pizza sauce I’m talking about is DelGrosso’s New York Style Pizza Sauce.  At only 35 calories per 1/4 cup, you’re not going to fill up on sauce.  In addition, the sauce literally has seven ingredients in it: tomato puree, tomatoes, sugar, imported olive oil, salt, garlic, and spices.  I recognize every single one of those, therefore…it gets another point in its favor.

I sauced up Udi’s Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts with this amazing sauce.  Just popping the lid and I could smell the amazing scent of the tomato sauce.  This definitely boded well.  A thin layer was applied to the crust, then topped with five different cheeses.  A little more sauce was used to dot a bit at the top and into the oven it went.

Seven minutes later, I was slicing up a piece of pizza and sinking my teeth into one of the most delicious New York Style sauces I have tasted yet.  Honestly.  It has great flavor without being overpowering.  It complimented the crust and the toppings.  And, this is the perfect sauce for a vegetarian pizza.  Given that I am also a vegetarian…this was yet another point in its favor.  I found that this sauce was deliciously savory and sweet topping, just like a New York style sauce should be.  Perfection in a bottle.

This jar was packed with flavor and would be amazing on any style pizza you could come up with.  Best yet, it’s not expensive in the slightest.  Gluten-free, pizza topping that is a delicious slice of heaven.

Use it well.  Use it often.  Top it off with your favorite toppings.  Use it as a dip.  Load it up with cheese.  But enjoy it.  Down to the last spoonful.

Product: Mother Farms Multigrain Tortilla Chips – $3.99+

A friend of mine who often recommends gluten-free products to me when she spots them sent me some information on these chips and it sent me out to the grocery store in search of them.  I did find them in my area, at a local natural food store, and they were happily on sale as well.

So, yes…they came home with me.

Now, I can eat tortilla chips on their own.  No dip necessary.  There is something about corn chips that are so madly addictive.  This is why I always portion things out in bowls, because if I didn’t, I’d likely consume an entire bag before I realized it.

Mother Farms introduced a Multigrain Tortilla Chip made from multiple grains (duh), and some rice flour.  Then it is topped off with a bit of honey and some sea salt.  What emerges is this amazing flavor in each bite.  Yeah, they’re fantastic on their own.

But I bought them with a  mission in mind.  I was making a gluten-free Chile Con Queso and these gluten-free tortilla chips were just the thing to pair with them.  Wow, was I ever right.  With the perfect seasoning, these tortilla chips complimented the flavor of the cheese dip to perfection.  These would also be fantastic with a salsa as well.  They are sturdy chips that are made for dipping.  Honestly, these have quickly become one of my favorite crunchy snacks to nosh on.  It truly was love at first bite!

(Thank you Julie!)

If you are looking for an amazing flavor and a fantastic new chip, look for Mother Farms products.  The ingredients are USDA organic, they are gluten-free, they are kosher.  All of that and they pack a flavor punch like none other.

Go ahead.  Try to eat just one.  And when you find you can’t, dish out a serving and try them out with a dip of your choice…or just eat them as is.

Perfectly delicious in every crunchy bite.

Product: Garden Lites Butternut Squash Soufflé – $3.49+

The soufflé binge continues.

And can you blame me?  So many delicious flavors to try; so little time.

Nevermind the fact that these little frozen meals of wonder are vegetarian and gluten-free, meaning – just what I need to eat.  With how filling these are, you won’t even believe that they are so low in calories and fat.

Last night, I tried the soufflé that originally caught my eye and drew me to this brand – Butternut Squash.

I love butternut squash.  It’s one of my most favorite foods on this planet.  Honestly.  It’s sweet without being too sweet and it really pairs well with variety of flavors and dishes.  So, this really caught my eye.  Two of my favorite things: butternut squash and a soufflé.  Yum.

As I had another filling lunch at the office yesterday (the leftover vegan chili I made), I was quite happy to come home and prepare another easy, filling meal for my roommate and I.  Yep.  Soufflé and some sort of Ore Ida product, to be split between the two of us, resulting in a fantastically (and surprisingly) filling dinner for under 300 calories.  And it’s so easy.

Out of the freezer came the Butternut Squash Soufflé.  The first thing I noticed was how amazing the color was.  The other soufflés by Garden Lites tend to be on the white or green color scheme, but this was a brilliant orange and it was a refreshing change of pace.  I boshed it into the microwave for the required 4 minutes, let it sit for a minute, and then cut off the plastic and set it for one final minute of heating before I served it up, sliced it in half, and set some oven-crisped Crispy Crowns on each plate to complete the meal.

This smelled absolutely amazing.  So, settling down to eat it was quite exciting.  Like I said…this was the soufflé I had been looking forward to the most.  It was definitely more dense than the other ones (and is the only one to have 180 calories instead of 140 calories).  But, it is made of just butternut squash and eggs.  So, yes…it would be a little heavier.  One bite, and the rich, sweet taste of the butternut squash hits the palate and yeah…it’s pretty amazing.  I enjoyed the way it just melted in your mouth.  I was only eating half of the soufflé (because I thought there was more than 1 to a box, so my roommate and I have been splitting them), but it was just right.  I think the entire thing would have been too rich.  Full of flavor without adding anything to it, low in sodium, decadent, and straight out of the freezer.

How easy is that?

Surprisingly, this wasn’t my favorite out of the bunch like I had assumed it would be.  That still is held by the Roasted Vegetable Soufflé.  I wasn’t disappointed with this one at all, as it is definitely packed with sweet, rich flavor, but I think the lack of other flavors to round it out and break it up, makes it a little more of a challenge.  Garden Lites does a fine job with their frozen soufflés and I wouldn’t change this one for the world, but being the butternut squash fiend that I am, I was surprised that this one didn’t light my fire more than others that came before it.  But…that being said, I enjoyed every bite of this one, savoring it, and finding that butternut squash really is one of the best foods on this planet.

Remember, Garden Lites has given me a link to a coupon to share with all of you so you can go and try these products as well.  I’ve found them at my natural food stores as well as in Whole Foods…and more recently at my liquor store in their frozen food section.  So take a look.  Use the coupon.  Try these out and enjoy them as much as I am.

Five down…one to go!

Product: Garden Lites Spinach Soufflé – $3.49+

Round four of the soufflé splurge continues.

So far, all the previous ones have been quite delicious, some more than others.  Tonight, since it was the chili cook-off at the office lunch (I provided gluten-free, vegan chili), an easy and light dinner was the plan.  So, into the freezer I went for another soufflé.

Tonight, the random reach-and-grab brought out the Spinach Soufflé.  This product was quite reminiscent of the Roasted Vegetable Soufflé with its rich, deep green color.  Once again, the heating of it was easy.  A delicious, light meal (or mini-meal) is warmed and ready in just about 6 minutes.  Again, since I didn’t realize only one came in the box, my roommate and I split this and served it with a side of Ore Ida Crispy Crowns.

What I loved about the Spinach Soufflé was not just the color.  It had a great taste, that brought it up to my second favorite soufflé to date.  Along with freshly chopped spinach, this soufflé incorporates onion, cauliflower and potato to its flavor, along with the addition of natural spices and flavors.  Egg whites are what gives it the light, airy texture.  Mixed together and heated in the microwave…and it’s an easy, healthy, fantastic mini-meal for those days you aren’t super hungry but need something for dinner so you don’t just eat half a gluten-free chocolate cake (don’t judge…it happens).

Garden Lites has really hit it on the mark with these amazing soufflé meals.  I love how light and low calorie they are.  Less than 2g of fat per serving too.  Can’t go wrong with that.  And, above all, they taste fantastic.  Each one has a distinct flavor, and they all definitely taste of the key vegetable that they highlight.  Nothing overwhelms the star of each dish.

I really thought the Spinach Soufflé had great texture and flavor.  I rank it right behind the Roasted Vegetable…so it holds second place.  With only two more to go in the line-up, I’m curious to see how the rest measure up.  But, if nothing else, I can already tell they will taste amazing.

Look for these delicious, light, healthy meals at your grocery store and give them a try.  Soufflés aren’t just for restaurants anymore!

Product: Dave’s Gourmet Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce – $6.99+

Who says pasta sauces have to be tomato based?  I love a little variety in my meals and with the flavors that cross my palate and love shaking up a ordinary dish with something extraordinary.

While out grocery shopping one day, I spotted a line of pasta sauces by Dave’s Gourmet.  And one in particular caught my eye – Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce.  I love the flavor of butternut squash.  It is, quite possibly, my favorite in the squash line.  So, this intrigued me enough to purchase it.  And after it sat in my pantry for a couple weeks, I decided it would be the best sauce to use in a gluten-free lasagna.  What kind of lasagna.  Cheese.  Five cheese at that.

First of all, the bright orange color of this sauce is fantastic.  When I opened up the jar, I could smell the sweet aroma of the variety of vegetables incorporated into this sauce.  While butternut squash is the star of this particular sauce, onion, garlic, and roasted red peppers also contribute to the flavor.  When something smells that great upon just popping the lid, I could only imagine how amazing it would be in my pasta dish.

So, it started off my dish with a small layer of sauce, then noodles, cheese, sauce, noodles, cheese, sauce noodles, sauce and more cheese.  Because, this is lasagna.  You layer on the goodness.

I baked it accordingly and the aroma of it was amazing.  I was ready to eat long before it was even done cooking.  The hint of sweetness was evident even as it cooked away in the oven.  And when my timer went off telling me that my lasagna was ready, I didn’t want to wait to let it sit to cool a moment.  I wanted to dig right in.

So, I did.

Dave’s Gourmet hit the pasta sauce right out of the proverbial ballpark with the Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce.  It’s sweet and carries a delicate flavor that really, really paired well with the variety of cheeses that I opted to use.  Fantastic.  I later found out that this sauce actually won Best Pasta Sauce at the 2009 Fancy Food Show in New York.  Go figure.  I can tell you why.  It’s like no other pasta sauce you have ever had before.  And once you get  a taste of it, you’ll want to try it out on other dishes.  I was actually sad I used the entire jar in my lasagna, because it was SO amazing and so full of flavor that I just wanted to see how it would go on polenta, or as a spaghetti sauce, etc.  You get my drift.

So, I guess another purchase of this flavor will be in the very near future.  Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce…who would have guessed it would be so good?

And now that I know, I can’t wait to see what the other flavors offered by Dave’s Gourmet taste like.  It’s pricey…but damn…it’s worth the cost.

For now…this is my favorite pasta sauce…ever.