Frozen – Page 12 – The Celiathlete

June 22, 2014

Product Review: Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli

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

Product: Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli – $3.29

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I might have hoovered my portion…

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

Seriously??! Yep. Seriously.

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

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

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

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

I love you for it.

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

June 21, 2014

Product Review: Rudi’s Gluten-Free Rosemary and Olive Oil Ciabatta Rolls

Product: Rudi’s Gluten-Free Rosemary and Olive Oil Ciabatta Rolls – $7.49+

Thank you, dearest Raisin Rack, in Columbus, Ohio. Because ever since I heard of the debut of the Rudi’s Gluten-Free Ciabatta Rolls…I’d been wanting to try them out. I used to get samples of their products all the time…but that has sort of stopped in the past year. Too bad, I loved being able to try out products that take forever to make it to my area. While Louisville, Kentucky is quite the foodie mecca, it still lags behind at times when it comes to gluten-free foods in the grocery stores. Even the most dedicated of natural food stores around here (and we have plenty) don’t get in these products for what seems like a year from their debut.

BUT…

Apparently, Raisin Rack, up where my friend Jenn lives near Columbus, Ohio…is quite the opposite.

On a visit there awhile back…I was given the task of filling up a nice basket of products that I haven’t seen before…or have wanted to try…but are not always readily available in our area. I took to this task with a gleam in my eye and products on the mind. And just as my basket was full…I wandered past a freezer at the end of an aisle and glanced down to the bottom…only to see…Rudi’s Gluten-Free Ciabatta Rolls…both types: Original and Rosemary and Olive Oil.

I gave my roomie the gluten-free doe eyes of puppy dog pleading…and she relented and let me add one to the already full basket I was hauling around the store. I opted for the Rosemary and Olive Oil variety because…um…yum! Jenn was helping me Tetris the products so more could get in there. HA! Brilliant.

However, with a fantastic, local, allergen-free bakery in my city…I sometimes don’t get to bread-y things in my freezer for some time. And can you blame me? Well…despite a stop at the bakery this morning…tonight when I was cooking up some zucchini noodle pasta with portobello mushrooms and a garlic marinara sauce with homemade basil pesto…I figured…with the low carbness (is that a word? It is now…) of the meal itself, I would go ahead and give the Rudi’s Gluten-Free Rosemary and Olive Oil Ciabatta Rolls a try. Seemed like a good time to do so!

So…while Germany and Ghana draw in their World Cup match…I began making ribbons of zucchini with my mandolin slicer…chopping up huge portobello mushroom caps…and making my own vegan basil pesto with the pesto Cathy and I are growing on our balcony. As I got the portobello mushrooms into a sauté pan to begin cooking and sweating out…I got out the Rudi’s Gluten-Free Rosemary and Olive Oil Ciabatta Rolls and plucked two from the package. They were actually light and airy…not what I was expecting at all. But…hell…the only other gluten-free ciabatta rolls I’ve had are Schar’s…and they are really good.

Rudi's Gluten-Free Rosemary and Olive Oil Ciabatta Rolls (frozen) — Rudi’s Gluten-Free Rosemary and Olive Oil Ciabatta Rolls (frozen)

I preheated the oven to 400°F and placed the rolls on a baking sheet. Once the oven was properly warmed…into the oven the rolls went for 10 minutes. That gave me ample time to not only watch the end of the World Cup match, but also get the zucchini noodles in the pan with some olive oil…add the mushrooms back in…season…add the sauce…and get it all together. They rolls finished up just as I was finishing up placing the zucchini pasta into bowls and polishing it all up with my homemade pesto.

I pulled the Rudi’s Gluten-Free Rosemary and Olive Oil Ciabatta Rolls from the oven. They didn’t look much different from when I put them in the oven…maybe a little more golden…hard to say. But…they smelled fantastic. I’m a huge fan of rosemary…and so is Cathy. We each got one roll and a bowl of my made-only-with-veggies “pasta” dish and dinner was served.

While we watched “The Supersizers Go…Seventies” we indulged in our own meal…thankful we weren’t eating the tinned and powdered rubbish the people in England ate in the Seventies. Real food here. With a side of one simple gluten-free roll.

The Rudi’s Gluten-Free Rosemary and Olive Oil are really…really good. Honestly. They may not look like much, but one bite…and you’ll be sold too. The outside of the roll gets that nice crusty, crunchy crust on it. But the inside…still soft and doughy and just…mmmm. I think Cathy would normally melt some butter inside and dig in. But we had pasta…and this sort of bread is great for sucking up the last bit of sauce. And when your noodles are made from zucchini…you tend to have some sauce…or at least some veggies to pile on top. The bread was amazing. I was actually very impressed because, while rosemary is one of my favorite spices…it can overwhelm and overpower quite easily. Not here. They use just the right amount so that you get the flavor without it taking over your palate. Oh, I hope we get these soon in our stores around here. Otherwise…next time I visit Jenn in Columbus, I am taking a cooler…ice packs…and stocking up!

Ciabatta with herbs and olive oil…awesome. And without all the hassle of making up a flour blend that works with this sort of bread and doing it myself. LOVE IT!!

So, let’s talk ingredients. One thing I love about Rudi’s Gluten-Free products is that they use real ingredients…no junk…no chemicals. It holds true with their Gluten-Free Rosemary and Olive Oil Ciabatta Rolls too. The ingredients are: water, potato extract, tapioca starch, rice flour, rice starch, evaporated cane juice (cane sugar), egg white, yeast, sea salt, xanthan gum, olive oil, rosemary, sodium bicarbonate, garlic powder, natural enzymes.

As for nutrition…I love these stats. A serving of the Rudi’s Gluten-Free Rosemary and Olive Oil Ciabatta Rolls is one roll. With this one roll, you will be consuming 70 calories and 0 grams of fat. YES…FAT FREE!! While on the subject of fat, you won’t find saturated or trans-fats in these rolls either. LOVE. One roll provides 170 mg sodium and 1 gram of sugar. LOVE THIS! Oh…and they are cholesterol free too! Non-GMO. And you will be taking in 1 gram of protein…but these rolls have no fiber. So don’t make a meal out of these…they won’t leave you feeling full.

I’ve always been a huge fan of the products that Rudi’s Gluten-Free has out on the market. It’s the sandwich bread that I purchase each week. It’s the wraps I purchase to make tacos or the like. And now…it’s the rolls I serve at dinner. Because when a company cares that much about the quality of their food…it shows. Gluten-free foods are a science, but when done correctly…they can knock your foodie socks off.

My feet are bare.

HA!

Rudi’s Gluten-Free…another stellar product!! Thank you for making dinner rolls so delicious!

Rudi's Gluten-Free Rosemary and Olive Oil Ciabatta Rolls (baked) — Rudi’s Gluten-Free Rosemary and Olive Oil Ciabatta Rolls (baked)

June 20, 2014May 11, 2015

Product Review: So Delicious Dairy Free Gluten-Free Cookie Dough Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert

Product: So Delicious Dairy Free Gluten-Free Cookie Dough Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert – $6.99+

Pause.

Observe.

Stare at the product listed above.

Did you figure out why I had to have this in my life? Did you?

I’ll give you a hint. Two words.

Not “dairy free” (although my stomach is thankful that it is)…not “gluten-free” (although…if I’m eating it, obviously it is).

Keep looking. Ah…you saw it too?

COOKIE DOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you aware that, growing up, cookie dough ice cream was my absolute favorite thing in life. I mean, it blended two of my all-time favorite things in life…ice cream and cookies. Not just cookies…but that soft, rich cookie dough that everyone (save me) just ate out of the bowl. I love the ice cream…we were just never a cookie dough out of the bowl kind of family. But…COOKIE DOUGH ICE CREAM THAT IS VEGAN AND GLUTEN-FREE!!!

Yes…that is in my freezer. In fact…two pints of it are in my freezer. HA!

The ice cream itself is actually labeled to be a “frozen dessert,” as technically it doesn’t contain any cream…but…we all know it’s ice cream. Made by the coconut milk people, So Delicious (a brand and name I trust!), makers of much epic goodness! Seriously, I’ve yet to find a product of theirs that hasn’t just been amazing! They are called So Delicious for a reason. That’s quite the reputation to live up to…but they do it with style!

This product is just what it sounds like…a vanilla coconut milk based ice cream that is packed with gluten-free cookie dough chunks and crispy chocolate flakes. Happy memories flooded my mind as i pulled this out of the freezer and let it sit on the counter for about 10 minutes. When you have dairy-free ice cream, you need to let the it sit out to thaw a little so it’s easy to scoop. Just…trust me on this. I am a pro. I haven’t indulged in cookie dough ice cream in ages. And I really haven’t since I had to go gluten-free three years ago. SO…EXCITED!

As it is mega hot and stupid humid outside…ice cream just sounded amazing. Ice cream always sounds amazing though. I grew up in New York and ate ice cream year round…even when it was negative something degrees outside. Ice cream is just one of my comfort foods. And, trust me, not all dairy-free varieties are up to par.

But this one is. I never doubted it since it was made by So Delicious. In fact, I found it to be really good. You can’t even taste the coconut in the base. It just tastes like a light vanilla ice cream. The gluten-free cookie dough balls give this great body and texture. I loved getting to one of the hunks of cookie dough and letting it melt for a moment on my tongue. Mmmm…

…must not raid freezer for other pint…

And the flakes of chocolate give it a great crunch as well. That’s the key to cookie dough ice cream…creamy, gooey, crunchy, sweet, and a bit of salt (from the dough). It’s the most magical ice cream, because it literally can trip every switch on your taste buds. Mmmm…

…put the spoon down…

As you can guess…I LOVED IT!

Let’s take a look at what So Delicious pours into their So Delicious Dairy Free Gluten-Free Cookie Dough Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert (which is a tasty mouthful…literally!), shall we? The ingredients are listed as containing: organic coconut milk, organic dried cane syrup, cookie dough (made from rice flour), chicory root extract, chocolate flake, carob bean gum, guar gum, natural vanilla flavor.

How’s that for ingredients, eh? And remember, this ice cream is vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, and kosher.

As for nutrition…well…it’s ice cream. A fantastic dairy-free ice cream…but still ice cream. A serving of the So Delicious Dairy Free Gluten-Free Cookie Dough Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert is 1/2 cup. This serving will dish up 170 calories and 9 grams of fat. Do not freak out over the fat. Yes…some of it is from the “dough” part of this ice cream…but some of it is the healthy kind that you find in the coconut milk. This ice cream is cholesterol free, contains only 35 mg sodium and 16 grams of sugar. Yeah…that is a lot of sugar. But…it’s a treat. A serving will also provide you with 7 grams of fiber and 1 gram of protein.

As I tuck the pint back into the freezer and lick my bowl clean…I just want to reiterate how happy this frozen dessert made me. I can’t thank So Delicious enough for putting a dairy-free and gluten-free cookie dough ice cream out on the market. I’ve been craving cookie dough ice cream for years now…and finally…I have the liberty to indulge.

As you can tell…that’s never a problem with me! If you haven’t tried the So Delicious Dairy Free Gluten-Free Cookie Dough Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert…then you’re missing out. So get to your grocery store and snag yourself a pint. It’s a taste of cookie heaven in a creamy, dreamy ice cream base. It’s…all that is good in life! It is, simply put, amazing.

And yes…so delicious! (See what I did there? So clever!)

A serving of So Delicious Dairy Free Gluten-Free Cookie Dough Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert

June 19, 2014

Product Review: Katz Gluten Free Cinnamon Buns

Product: Katz Gluten Free Cinnamon Buns – $5.99

I love it when Katz Gluten Free puts out new products. Why? Because it means they are expanding on the line of goodies that I already love and adore. And, trust me, in today’s gluten-free-filled world…quality is what I look for. I’ve been suckered into new products from big companies before only to have a product that tastes like sawdust or something worse. And then…sometimes you get these little known companies that put out the best gluten-free product you have ever tasted.

And that medium can rock back and forth. Honestly. Gluten-free foods are more science than anything else. And if the texture or flavor are even the slightest bit off…well…the consumers will make it known.

I am a huge fan of Katz Gluten Free. Fell in love with their products from the instant I ordered their free Sample Pack (all you do is pay for shipping!) a long, long, long time ago. Okay…it was probably about two years ago, but still…it feels like I’ve been ordering Katz Gluten Free products my entire life. I was blown away by the standards they maintain and the quality of each product they put out for their consumers and customers. If you’re new to gluten-free foods…I highly suggest ordering this pack…and while you’re at it…order the Gluten Free Powdered Donuts…because…they’re amazing. Just trust me and add it to your shopping cart!

Good. Now that that’s done…let me talk to you about one of their newest products! One that I squealed and squeaked and cheered for when I saw the e-mail announcing it to their product lineup. Katz Gluten Free Cinnamon Buns. Like…cinnamon rolls…with the icing already applied. Oh…hell yes!! We all know my weakness for a good cinnamon roll. And finding a good cinnamon roll is not easy when you’re gluten-free. HA…there’s an idea for a Tumblr…”It’s Not Easy Being Gluten-Free.” But I digress.

Cinnamon Buns.

Gluten-Free. Freakin’. Cinnamon. Buns.

There…back on track.

I ordered these the instant they came up as a new product. And then froze them, per instructions, until today. Because it was a gym morning…and I was out of foods that were easy to take to the gym in a cooler to have at the office. These…are easy. And, being that they are a product of Katz Gluten Free…I was pretty certain they’d suffice for a breakfast. I wouldn’t take a bite and wish that I had brought something else. Of that, I was certain.

So, last night I removed two of the four buns from the package of Katz Gluten Free Cinnamon Buns, placing them in a plastic bag to thaw. I don’t know why I do this when I know I’m going to microwave the product anyway. I just think it’s easier to get the right temperature when it’s not coming from frozen. So, overnight, they sat and thawed on my counter…and this morning, I packed them in the cooler and hauled my booty to the gym…and then to work. My reward…breakfast that consisted of one of the Katz Gluten Free Cinnamon Buns. My roomie got the other one.

One quick 20 second zap in the microwave is all I gave each of these rolls. And it was just what it needed. Because I could have eaten them at room temperature…but you want that fresh from the oven feel, right? I know I do. That’s why I normally thaw them and then give a small zap each time I eat a Katz Gluten Free product. I do the same with the donuts…and OMG!

So…I settled in at my desk with my warmed Cinnamon Bun, the icing now all gooey from the quick heating…and that cinnamon filling just ready to be sliced into. I took my fork, gave it a neat cut, and then took my first bite.

And this is where it gets complicated. Because I like these. I like these a lot. The only issue I had with them was that the outer part of the Cinnamon Bun was…dry. Yes…even with the icing. It was just…dry. The further you ate into the bun, toward the center, it was moist (and that may have to do with the filling being inside the roll), but that first initial bite just was not the moist and delicious cinnamon roll texture I was anticipating. BUT…that being said…the flavor was awesome. The cinnamon gave just enough spice…the sugar…sweetness…the icing wasn’t too much, but it kept each bite sweet yet satisfying…without taking over and just coating your mouth in sugar, which can happen. It was just a light drizzle of icing, and for that…I was happy. Because…I’m not a frosting/icing kind of girl. I often find it way too sweet. But this was icing perfection. The Cinnamon Bun, itself, had great flavor. And after that first initial twist in the roll, it got a bit moister. It tasted like a cinnamon roll. Maybe a day old cinnamon roll…but that might be due to freezing (you have to keep them frozen as these have no preservatives in them…as is the case with a lot of baked gluten-free goodies), or the microwave, or a flaw in the roll itself. But…I wouldn’t turn my nose up at these. Not at all. I’m already contemplating when the best time to bust out the other one might be. HA!

Taste good…a little dry on the outside…but delicious once you get to that inside. YUMMY!

So, let’s talk about ingredients. As I mentioned, there are no preservatives added to the Katz Gluten Free Cinnamon Buns. So, they do need to sit in your freezer if you aren’t going to eat them right away. The Katz Gluten Free Cinnamon Buns are made from a gluten-free flour mix (potato, tapioca, sorghum, white rice, brown rice, and corn), trans free margarine, water, sugar, eggs, brown sugar, confection sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, dry yeast, honey, xanthan gum, salt, corn syrup, baking powder, sunflower lecithin, emulsifier, nutmeg, canola oil, and orange juice. These Cinnamon Buns are gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free.

As for nutrition…well, it is a breakfast pastry. Yep. Pastry. Which means…sugar, sugar, sugar. It’s true. And while I am trying to cut down on the amount of sugar that I consume…sometimes you just have to have a treat. A serving of the Katz Gluten Free Cinnamon Buns is only one of the rolls. Trust me though…it’s plenty. This one Cinnamon Bun has 280 calories and 15 grams of fat. Yes…15 grams of fat. Pastry. Remember? In addition, you will be consuming 25 mg cholesterol, 110 mg sodium, and 14 grams of sugar. It’s a lot…I know…but not bad for a pastry. These shouldn’t fill you up, considering they contain only 1 gram of fiber and 2 grams of protein…but it kept me going until my morning snack time.

So…a solid product from Katz Gluten Free. I was not disappointed with the Gluten Free Cinnamon Buns. They had great flavor. And since it was only the outer ring of the roll itself that seemed dry…well…I can blame that on freezing them…or even reheating in the microwave. Regardless, that small point isn’t enough to prevent me from picking these up again. But…I’d have to really be talked out of ordering the Powdered Donuts. It’s the truth. I love cinnamon…and these definitely hit all the right flavor tones.

June 17, 2014

Product Review: Garden Lites Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Veggie Muffins

Product: Garden Lites Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Veggie Muffins – $3.99+

I am not going to lie…I’ve been eying the Garden Lites Veggie Muffins since the day I first spotted them in my local natural food and grocery stores. Why did it take me so long to get a box? Well…it probably would have taken me longer, but my roomie surprised me with a box one day after I sent her out on a grocery expedition. I obviously forgot some sacred ingredient to something I was cooking right then…or I would have gone. But the roomie often picks up little surprises when she’s sent on these emergency runs. Maybe it’s to tame me, since I’m usually wound up about missing something I need. Whatever the reason…she brought me a box of Garden Lites Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Veggie Muffins. And I was all too excited to try them.

I just…never did. They just remained in my freezer.

I think I got all caught up in making my Breakfast Banana Splits and other such “real” food items, that opening the freezer for breakfast hadn’t happened in a long time. I knew they were in there…

Lo and behold…after a week of Cathy being down with a cold and sitting out of gym workouts (meaning I’d go really early and get mine in, then come home and make breakfast instead of hauling it to work post-gym), I had no idea what to have after our time at the gym. I began to search the pantry and fridge. I found grapes…but those only get you so far. I’d include some…but what to eat to refuel and recover?

And then…I remembered the box of Garden Lites Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Veggie Muffins. Problem…SOLVED!

I know what you’re thinking…zucchini with banana with chocolate chips…how could that possibly be good? Well…zucchini bread is good. Banana bread is good. Both types of bread with chocolate chips are damn good. So…why not combine them? It should work, right?

Garden Lites Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Veggie Muffin (individually wrapped)

I won’t lie…even I questioned it this morning as I packed the box of muffins in the cooler. After the workout, we walked to our office and I got to work on breakfast. These little muffins couldn’t be easier to prepare. They come individually wrapped. And all you have to do is pop the wrapped muffin into the microwave for 35 seconds. Carefully remove the muffin from the microwave and then the plastic wrapper…and viola…your muffin is ready.

I think my biggest fear was that these were going to be soggy. Or mushy. Or just…gross. But, I cooked up all four of them, two for me and two for Cathy, and our breakfast was ready. In less than three minutes. That has to be a new record!

I settled in at my desk with my first batch of work and my breakfast. And after one bite, I knew the stack of paperwork was going to have to wait while I gave my full attention to the Garden Lites Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Veggie Muffins. Oh. My. God! No…really…who knew that a muffin made primarily from vegetables and fruit could taste this fantastic. Or this moist. It was like biting into a luscious piece of banana bread. But with zucchini in it. You can’t even taste the zucchini, you just sometimes get those green flecks in the muffin. And the chocolate chips…just enough to sweeten the deal without consuming the flavor of the muffin itself. This was truly one amazing product and the love I have for it surprises even me. I never would have thought about pairing zucchini with banana…but…damn…it works. It works in delicious ways!

I don’t think my morning could have started any better…

So, let’s take a look at the ingredient list for the Garden Lites Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Veggie Muffins, shall we? These muffins are made from zucchini, pasteurized egg whites, sugar, pasteurized whole eggs, certified gluten-free oats, soluble corn fiber, semi-sweet chocolate chips, banana, sorghum flour, brown rice flour, corn starch, baking powder, canola oil, natural banana flavor, salt, and vanilla extract.

Recognize all those items? I sure do. And when mixed together and baked…epic things happen, both flavor, texture, and food-wise.

Now, how about the nutritional aspect of these muffins? A serving is only 1 of the Garden Lites Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Veggie Muffins. As all we had before working out was a breakfast fruit, yogurt and granola parfait, Cathy and I each had two. But…if you stick to the serving size, you will be consuming 120 calories and 3 grams of fat. In addition, you will be taking in 20 mg cholesterol, 170 mg sodium, and 11 grams of sugar. I know the sugar seems high, and while some of that comes from the chocolate chip, some of it comes from the real banana that is included in the ingredients of the muffins. One serving will also give you 5 grams of filling fiber and 3 grams of protein! These muffins are gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free!

Nutritional and yummy too! Gotta love it. And I sure did. I want to try the other varieties of muffins. Yes…they have other flavors. In fact, in addition to the Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Veggie Muffins, Garden Lites has Veggie Muffins in the following flavors: Carrot Berry, Golden Corn, Veggie Blueberry Oat, and Zucchini Chocolate! So…I must try all the Veggie Muffins. Because these honestly did impress me. And I lasted all the way through my snack time. And that doesn’t always happen. Good quality food…great product…

I’m hooked. On muffins made with veggies and fruit.

Oh yeah…loving it!

Garden Lites Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Veggie Muffins (cooked)

June 15, 2014

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

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

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

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

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

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

But, I digress with the muffin.

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

Gluten-Free and Vegan Garlic Bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

June 15, 2014

Product Review: Hilary’s Eat Well Adzuki Bean Burger

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

June 13, 2014

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

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

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

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

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

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

YAY!

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

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

You know I went for the veggie pizza! HAHA!

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

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

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

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

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

So…did it live up to the box hype?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now I need to stock another one in my freezer…

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

June 11, 2014

Product Review: Halo Top Creamery Lemon Cake All Natural Light Ice Cream

Product: Halo Top Creamery Lemon Cake All Natural Light Ice Cream – $5.49+

So…a couple weeks ago I posted my first blog on my first flavor of Halo Top Creamery All Natural Ice Cream. It was the vanilla flavor…and save for some not-so-creamy texture…it ranked high in my book! What’s not to love about an ice cream that has fantastic flavor, dishes up like ice cream, and is low in calories and high in protein? There is SO much to love about that…let me tell you!

So, I was sort of (okay…maybe a little more than sort of) excited about dishing up a bowl of the other flavor that my roomie and I decided to pick up that day there was a special on them at our natural food store. I chose Vanilla Bean. She chose Lemon Cake. This shouldn’t surprise anyone…as she is a lemon freak! Like…freaky freak over lemon. Like Rick James Superfreak over lemon. I mean…I love lemon too, but she takes her lemon love to a new and somewhat disturbing extreme. HA!

Recall…the Halo Top Creamery Vanilla Bean All Natural Light Ice Cream had amazing flavor, but was less creamy than regular ice cream. It wasn’t bad through and it didn’t fall apart and flake when dished. It still rolled up perfectly in the ice cream scoop and made pretty little balls of ice cream in my bowl.

Well…tonight…it was the Lemon Cake flavor’s turn to shine.

We polished off dinner (Gluten-Free and Vegan BLATs [vegan bacon (made with black beans and buckwheat groats…yes…I make it myself!), lettuce, avocado, and tomato sandwiches) with grilled corn-on-the-cob. I asked if she wanted ice cream of cookies for dessert. She had no opinion…and I didn’t care. Since we had the ice cream longer than the cookies…I opted for the ice cream. Besides, she has a cold and up until this morning a sore throat…so ice cream is the best remedy for that, right? Of course!

I pulled it from the freezer, got my 1/2 cup measuring cup out (yes…I portion-size everything!), ice cream scoop, and ice cream bowls. I was ready to dish. The ice cream scoop went into the pint…and it flaked. It flaked!! It didn’t roll up into the scoop. It busted up into little ice cream like pieces…and crumbled. The result was a bowl of ice cream that looked more like scrambled eggs than ice cream.

BUMMER!

So…the texture on this one was WAY off. But…what about the flavor?

On the Web site, the Halo Top Creamery Lemon Cake All Natural Light Ice Cream is described as being not too sweet and not too sour. It states that it has the perfect amount of zesty freshness and sweet richness. And it’s called Lemon Cake because it has a “smooth cheesecake-y texture.”

*eyes scrambled egg-like ice cream in bowl*

REALLY??!!

Okay…the flavor was actually a very delicate and enticing blend of lemon flavor. It wasn’t overwhelming…but Cathy didn’t even realize she was eating the Lemon Cake Halo Top Creamery Ice Cream. I mentioned it after and she said, “That was the lemon cake?” I don’t know what to say about that…because she also is fighting a cold. To me…the lemon flavor was actually spot-on. It wasn’t overpowering but it wasn’t too under-the-radar either. It had great flavor.

But…my GOD…it was not at all ice cream-like. More like…sorbet gone wrong. And it’s too bad. It really is too bad because I had such high hopes for the Halo Top Creamery Lemon Cake All Natural Light Ice Cream. If you don’t mind flaky, crusty ice cream…then this is for you. But, it is called ice cream for a reason. And this…was not the texture I was hoping for when I bought it.

Disappointment.

The Halo Top Creamery Lemon Cake All Natural Light Ice Cream is made up of milk and cream, cultured non-fat milk, cage-free eggs, whey, erythritol, organic cane sugar, chicory root, casein protein, acacia gum, sea salt, organic lemon peel, organic lemon oil, organic sunflower oil, organic carob gum, organic guar gum, carrageenan, and organic stevia.

As for nutrition…a serving of Halo Top Creamery Lemon Cake All Natural Ice Cream is 1/2 cup. This serving dishes up only 70 calories and 3 grams of fat. A serving also gives you 43 mg cholesterol, 89 mg sodium, and 4 grams of sugar. This 1/2 cup serving will also provide you with 4 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein. Not bad.

Too bad the ice cream is not good…

This was a huge disappointment. I wanted to try all the flavors, but this sort of made me not want to waste my money.

Sad.

A “scoop” of Halo Top Creamery Lemon Cake All Natural Light Ice Cream

June 11, 2014

Product Review: Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Southwest Veggie Stuffed Sandwiches

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

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

Mmmmm…

Yeah…those were the days.

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

Sometimes dinner.

Those were the days I lived out of my freezer.

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

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

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

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

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

Perfect.

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

Dinner was served…conveniently speedily.

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

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

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

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

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

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