In honor of today, I am posting up my successful soiree into a different pancake flavor. Lemon. Oh…and it was really light and delicious. Definitely a palate pleasing flavor in the morning.
So, turn on those skillets and make some pancakes today in honor of the big day.
Recipe: Gluten-Free Lemon Streusel Pancakes with Berry Compote
Gluten-Free Lemon Streusel Pancakes with Berry Compote
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries/strawberries (no sugar added)
1 tsp. cornstarch
2 packets artificial sweetener
1/4 c. water
Dash of salt (optional)
Ingredients for the Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour (I used Gluten-Free Bisquick)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (I used Truvia)
1-1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/4 cup butter, melted
Ingredients for Lemon Pancakes:
1 cup gluten-free pancake or baking mix (I used Pamela’s Products)
1 egg, large
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
Directions:
Begin with the berry compote.
In small saucepan blend cornstarch, salt, sweetener and water.
Cook over medium heat until clear and slightly thickened, stirring constantly.
Add blueberries (or strawberries, or whatever berry you fancy) and heat until warmed.
For the pancakes, mix all ingredients together until there are no lumps. Batter should be not too thin or too thick.
Pour 1/4 cup batter onto a preheated, lightly oiled griddle (medium low heat, or 350° for electric griddles), flip once.
Serve warm with a topping of berry compote and lemon streusel.
~*~*~
These were lemon-fresh and really delicious. The image above shows my blueberry compote, but the second day I served up the extras, I made a strawberry compote, which was just as delicious topping these lemon pancakes. And the streusel topping added an extra flavor punch.
So, happy (gluten-free) Pancake Tuesday. Get those flapjacks flipping…not just today, but any day!
Pamela's Products Simpebites Extreme Chocolate Mini Cookies
Product: Pamela’s Products Simplebites Extreme Chocolate Mini Cookies – $4.49+
The name should say it all.
These aren’t just called chocolate cookies. Or double chocolate cookies. No, my chocolate loving, cookie monster friends. These are called Extreme Chocolate Mini Cookies for a reason.
Simply put…they are a chocolate rush of rich, decadent, chocolate goodness.
Pamela’s Products delivers to us (yet again) another great product. This time…in bite-size form. I’ve had Pamela’s cookies before. A few different varieties (although I think I’ve only reviewed one of them – the peanut butter ones, if you were wondering). And they have all been a gastronomical delicacy that has provided my sweet tooth with plenty of gluten-free goodies. I swear by this brand. And these once again make me stand further by these products.
It’s an unassuming product name at first. Simplebites. Little cookies that make great finger-foods. Just grab and go. Tuck them away for a snack. Perfect size. And then you catch the Extreme part of the name. At first, you think…there is no way these unassuming chocolate morsels could live up to the ‘extreme’ name. And then you take a bite. They are the right mix of chewy and crunchy. The perfect amalgamation of textures and flavor. The chocolate immediately stands up and gets your taste buds ready for more. Honestly, it’s a good thing I portion these out (a serving size is 4 cookies) because it would be so easy to just open up the package and eat the entire thing.
We all know I’m a bit of a cookie fiend as it is. So when I say these are one of the most amazing cookies I have ever eaten since going gluten-free…it’s no exaggeration. In fact, I intend to use my new ice cream maker to create a gluten-free chocolate strawberry cheesecake ice cream with every intention of using these cookies as the “cookie crust” portion of the mix. Oh yes…these little cookies pack an extreme chocolatey punch.
If you extremely love chocolate, then these cookies are chocolate to the extreme and are made for you and your sweet tooth. Honestly…they are in a league of their own. Extremely simple. Extremely delicious. Extremely gluten-free. Extremely chocolate.
It’s a wonderful gluten-free world we live in…thanks to simple products like this that make an extreme name for themselves.
It’s America’s comfort food. It’s a tradition. It’s saucy, cheesy, laden with a variety of toppings. You can make it however you like, whenever you like. Even better, now you can simply buy pre-made pizza crusts (often in a freezer) instead of pizzas that are already loaded up with what the company thinks is your choice of toppings.
Pizza is a fantastic treat. Even more so when you have a gluten intolerance.
Over the last few months, I’ve gotten to try pizza crusts from Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery and Udi’s Gluten-Free Foods. I could top them however I liked, and often made a variety of options with these pizza shells. What I loved about them was that for only 150 calories, I could consume half of the pizza. Which means, I didn’t feel bad about the toppings I chose to add to it.
Whole Foods Gluten-Free Bakehouse Pizza Crusts (thawed and brushed with olive oil)
And then, one day while out at Whole Foods, I spotted the Whole Foods Bakehouse Gluten-Free Pizza Crust in the freezer. Without even looking at anything else, I grabbed it, tossed it into my shopping basket, and happily made my purchase. I had pizza on the brain and some delicious gluten-free tomato sauce and some fantastic vegetarian and gluten-free toppings to throw on them at home. A couple nights of pizza were heading my way.
That was until I got home and as I was putting away the groceries, I flipped over to the nutrition information. At first, I was quite pleased. 120 calories per serving. Nice! And then, I looked at the serving size. Simply put…1/6th of a pizza crust. So, where I could eat half a pizza before for only 30 more calories, I was now delegated to one measly, child-size slice of pizza…not to mention the toppings that still needed to be added. This pizza crust sat in my freezer for a couple of weeks before I came to the only conclusion I could think of to justify the calories in the crust. Margherita pizza. No sauce, just a drizzle of olive oil. Some sliced fresh tomatoes. Freshly chopped basil. And a sprinkling of Daiya vegan mozzarella shreds. Nothing with it. Just two slices of pizza.
Gluten-Free Magherita Pizza (on Whole Foods Gluten-Free Bakehouse Pizza Crust)
With that in mind, the pizza was thrown in the oven to bake. I thawed the pizza out in the microwave before topping it with my low-calorie, light toppings. And then for about 30 minutes, it happily baked, the cheese melting down, the crust browning to a perfect golden color. Out of the oven and sliced into six small pieces. To think only one would constitute a meal for an adult is ludicrous in my opinion.
That being said, the pizza crust is actually quite delicious. It has a soft, chewy texture, that is a bit reminiscent of pan pizzas (back when Pizza Hut was my go-to pizza joint and a gluten allergy wasn’t even on my mind). I liked it. A lot. It was a nice change of pace from the “tortilla-thin” crust pizzas (despite being a huge fan of thin-crust pizza…as it is my favorite after all) that the gluten-free community do normally get handed. However, despite its great texture and flavor, I still find it hard to swallow the calorie count with each slice. I mean, really? Granted, I love a good Margherita pizza (and I must say, I make a damn good one!), but it would have been great to sauce this up, top with a variety of cheeses and not feel the need to honestly stick to just one, small sliver of a slice in order to not go into calorie shock. I have a fantastic gluten-free baguette which would have been a fine side with the pizza, which remains frozen in my freezer because, yes, it’s really hard to get past the calories in 1/6th of the pizza.
If you don’t care about the amount of calories you consume throughout the day, or if you want to make a light, white pizza like myself, or even just want to treat yourself to a ‘restaurant-style’ pizza…this is a great one to get. It’s expensive, but it is the closest to an actual pizza crust I have found so far. And sometimes, that’s really all that matters. Calories can be burned off in the end, right?
I wish Whole Foods could find a way to make the calorie count on this a little better as far as calories per slice go. But, if in the end it just means you leave the sauce off, lightly cheese it, and put fresh vegetables on it, well, it still makes one fantastic gluten-free pizza. And, really, that’s what should matter.
Two small slices gluten-free Margherita Pizza on Whole Foods Gluten-Free Bakehouse Pizza Crusts
Product: Glutino Gluten-Free Macaroni ‘n Cheese – $5.99+
Glutino definitely has earned its spot on gluten-free brands I can trust just from previous products of theirs that I have snagged and tried. I mean, so far I have enjoyed every product of theirs that I have managed to sink my teeth into. I have many more to go, but I found one the other day that was new to me. It isn’t, at all, a new product. I just had never seen it before. In fact, the only reason I found it in the first place was I made a random stop into a natural food store I had never been in before looking for a different product…which they didn’t have…but ended up leaving with something in the end.
The product – a classic comfort food to be sure.
Glutino has a frozen gluten-free Macaroni ‘n Cheese.
Now, the chef part of me wants to condemn it right off. I mean…it’s frozen! And, since I make a great gluten-free homemade macaroni and cheese, you might be wondering why scoop up something that’s frozen? Well, I’ve done some of the boxed varieties out there available to the gluten-free community; it would only be fair to give the frozen variety a fair shake.
Glutino Gluten-Free Macaroni 'n Cheese (cooked in microwave)
And so…one night after a long day at work when the last thing I wanted to do was cook and the budget was not allowing for any sort of dinner out, I reached into my freezer for an easy, comforting meal to split (and when served with two slices of Against the Grain’s Baguette it’s the perfect amount) with my roommate. Normally, this package holds one serving. But I have a difficult time consuming 440 calories in just a main entreé of a frozen meal. Even my homemade macaroni and cheese doesn’t have that kind of calorie count. So, splitting was definitely ideal.
And after cooking it per the instructions on the box, I stirred it and served it up for dinner. It smelled amazing. And, for being a frozen meal, looked pretty good. It wasn’t mushy, nor was it overcooked, despite the finicky nature of my microwave. It was heated to absolute perfection.
Glutino’s Macaroni ‘n Cheese uses brown rice pasta and mixes it with a creamy cheesy sauce made up of Monterey Jack, Cheddar and Parmesan cheese. The triple cheese combination brings out an intense flavor that is just the right amount of richness to make you savor each and every forkful of this meal. Even the noodles plumped up to perfection. I was quite happy with this product in the end, despite being a frozen meal. Hey, sometimes you just gotta take the easy way out and let someone else do the prep work.
This gluten-free macaroni and cheese totally surpassed the boxed varieties that I have tried. Glutino does a lot well. And this is yet another fantastic product I would be more than happy to add to my list of products I will buy again. Simple and delicious. And cheesy. So…it’s a frozen meal of perfection ready to be warmed in your microwave to warm you up during these chilly winter nights.
Good show, Glutino!
Glutino's Gluten-Free Macaroni 'n Cheese (stirred, dished, and ready to eat!)
Product: Mother’s Farms White Quinoa Tortilla Chips – $3.99+
Maybe it was for the best.
I had an event to attend on Saturday night, so I needed a light, delicious snack to get me through to the reception. Not wanting to spoil my appetite for anything that I might be able to consume (and, sadly, I wasn’t able to eat anything that night) I needed a little bite without being too heavy or two much.
After scouring my pantry and freezer, I finally pulled down a bag of Mother’s Farms White Quinoa Tortilla Chips. I had purchased these, on sale, at my local natural foods store and had been wanting to try them out. I had some of my infamous gluten-free chile con queso in the refrigerator, so I tore into this bag and dished out a serving to accompany the cheesy dip of awesomeness.
Except…the dip was no longer any good. SO…I now had an open bag of tortilla chips and nothing to dip them in. Now, I’m not above eating tortilla chips on their own, but I really love dips. Really. Thankfully, I found a jar of salsa in my pantry and the afternoon was saved.
But prior to any dipping, I did have to taste the chip on its own for blog’s sake. Well, these were fantastic. Amazing flavor, without a lot of salt, tasting like your run-of-the-mill tortilla chip, which would normally be made with corn…not quinoa.
Well, I’m a huge fan of quinoa, so these were fascinating from the moment I spotted them. Why Quinoa? Well, consumer requests were coming into Mother’s Farms asking for better ingredients and the use of ancient grains. What resulted was a chip made from quinoa, organic sesame seeds, and a hint of sea salt. What emerged from that was one of the most amazing tortilla chips I have ever bitten into and dipped into a medium salsa. I would have been delighted to have not dipped these as they were just perfectly seasoned. They would be great with guacamole, or hummus, or queso, or salsa or…well, you get my point. But the fact that, on their own, they don’t leave you wanting anything more, speaks volumes.
These chips are not only kosher, and approved USDA organic, but they are also gluten-free and a low fat, low calorie snack to sink your teeth into and savor. Mother’s Farms has done it again and I am once again blown away by their snacky goodness. It just goes to prove, you don’t have to stick to the norm to make something amazing with your products.
Honestly, these are some of the best chips out on the market. You may wonder why. Well, every ingredient is 100% natural in these chips. Any ingredient listed on the bag is something that you can actually find in nature. These chips are actually made from their vegetable counterparts. No additives you wouldn’t even begin to recognize, let alone pronounce. Just a crunchy taste of vegetables, packed with flavor, and providing a healthier alternative to other lines out there.
Yes…it is a chip. If you truly wanted the ‘healthy’ benefits, the vegetable would be preferred. But sometimes, you just gotta have that salty, crunchy flavor of a chip. Well, when that happens, I recommend reaching for these.
I found quite a few intriguing flavors in their line-up. Do mind which you buy though. Not all of them are gluten-free. Those that are are kindly labeled on the bag (THANK YOU!!). So, the winning flavor that got to come home with me was one of their newest in their Exotic Vegetable Chips line-up. It’s the A La Mexicana flavor, which are chips made from tomato, black bean, and roasted garlic. It was intriguing. It sounded amazing. It was on sale. It was purchased…and consumed.
One of the main components of these chips that I fell in love with is how colorful they are. Honestly, it’s a rainbow of red, orange, whites, and purples when you pour them out of the bag. A serving size is an amazing 14 chips, which weighs in at about 150 calories. And bite-for-bite, each one packs a fabulous flavorful punch to the taste buds. These aren’t overly salty and don’t leave an oily residue on your hands. They have the most amazing crunch that is then followed up by the hints of Mexican seasonings that just make everything blend together perfectly. They are quite tasty and were a great pairing with my gluten-free (and dairy-free) grilled cheese sandwich that I consumed at midnight the other night after an event. I had the same thing the next day at lunch because it was so good!
I know, promoting reaching for a bag of chips to snack on isn’t the healthiest form of encouragement, but when they are made from real vegetables, lightly seasoned, taste amazing, and aren’t oily in the slightest, you feel a little better about doing it. I did. And I can’t wait to dig into other flavors out there.
Enjoy Life Soft Baked Double Chocolate Brownie Cookies
Product – Enjoy Life Soft Baked Double Chocolate Brownie Cookies – $3.99+
When most people think gluten-free, the words soft, moist, delicious, epic, yummy, melt-in-your-mouth, and amazing won’t be the first words that come to mind. I can promise you that.
But that’s because a lot of gluten-free foods have a stigma attached. Most think that anything that is gluten-free will immediately be heavy, dense, tasteless, flavorless and dry.
I know that’s not the case. And I hope other people come around in their way of thinking. Because gluten-free foods can be, and are, fantastic.
Last night, my case was proven once again by Enjoy Life. Again, I’ve had some hits and misses on their products, but a majority of them have been really good. These went beyond really good. These were moist nibbles of chocolatey goodness. And that, my friends, is a good thing.
Enjoy Life’s Soft Baked Double Chocolate Brownie Cookies are soft baked, so each bite is moist and rich. The chocolate flavor of these brownie cookies is enhanced by the addition of Enjoy Life’s (dairy-free, soy-free, and gluten-free) semi-sweet mini chocolate chips. So, not only do you get a rich brownie to chew on, but you get little bursts of chocolate throughout each bite. How can that be a bad thing?
It’s simple.
It can’t.
Enjoy Life is certainly a brand to trust if you have food allergies. Their products are void of the eight most common food allergies (wheat/gluten, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish or shellfish). These products are also made in a dedicated facility so there is no cross-contamination. This means, if you have one of the most common food allergies, this is a brand you can rely on to keep you safe! Oh, and read the ingredient list. You’ll recognize every ingredient on there. No chemicals that leave you not only wonder how to pronounce it, but what in the world it might be and if it is, really, that safe to ingest. No guess work with these products. Or as the box says, “No artificial anything.” Peace of mind.
But, back to the chocolate. I was in chocolate heaven at first bite when I sat down with two of these for dessert (serving size, my friends!) I was getting ready to head out the door to yoga and needed my sweet, chocolate fix. This did it…in spades. These melted against your tongue with each chewy bite. I love that they weren’t hard at all. And the chocolate blasts is just enough without making it too rich to stomach. In a word: YUM!
Enjoy Life hit it out of the ballpark with these amazing cookies. And I hope more of the offered varieties I spotted on their Web site come to the area where I live. I have a very limited selection at all the stores I shop at, so seeing more of these products make an appearance would make me a happy sweet-toothed foodie. For sure.
Whether you’re a cookie monster, a chocoholic, or just love to treat yourself to something good every now and again, I think Enjoy Life is a fantastic company making good products for everyone to enjoy…not just the food allergic. But, for those of us with these allergies, bless them for their dedication to making products safe for us to eat.
Another cookie review. I love cookies. You love cookies. We all love cookies. So either I’ll review as many as I can sink my teeth into, or gluten-free cookies really will take over the world.
*blink*
I’m okay with that, by the way.
This is actually the last cookie in the gluten-free, vegan line-up from Liz Lovely. Yes…I have tried all the rest of them. Some I’ve loved. Some I liked. And only one I didn’t really care for at all. But overall, Liz Lovely bakes up gluten-free, vegan cookies to die for.
The last one in the cookie arsenal is the Gluten-Free Snickerdoodle.
Once again, let me reiterate that snickerdoodles are one of my favorite cookies…EVER! My mom used to make them every Christmas and I would love reaching into that cookie jar to snatch one at the close of dinner. I love the cinnamon-sugar combination, the light texture, everything about the perfection that is a delicious snickerdoodle cookie.
Well, Liz Lovely has created a gluten-free, vegan variety that takes me back to those days when I was young, eating my mom’s freshly baked cookies. Yes…these are good enough to be compared to my mom’s!
Here’s what’s awesome about them. They are very light and soft. The cinnamon adds the right amount of spice, but the sweetness from the sugar balances it all out. Honestly, if I didn’t have to open the package to get them out, I would swear they were homemade. Soft, great texture, sweet, flavorful, delicious…I could go on.
The point is, Liz Lovely makes amazing cookies. The company is also known for their strictly vegan line as well (which has some other flavors not available in the gluten-free line-up). Yeah, they might be a little pricey, but the product you receive is out of this world. Honestly. If homemade isn’t an option, I highly recommend either ordering Liz Lovely’s cookies online, or finding a local store that carries them. They are worth it down to the last crumb. Just remember…as hard as it is to stick to it, a serving size is half of a cookie. Yes…half.
Snickerdoodles…pure win. I mean, when I compare them to the ones the most amazing baker I know (my mom!) used to make for me, well, you know they have to be good. And they are. Gluten-free and damn good.
Product: Ruth’s Foods Apple Almond Cinnamon Chia Goodness – $7.99+
Fact: I never would have even looked twice at this product except a co-worker of mine picked it up for me as she spotted the gluten-free label on it and it made her think of me.
So, with that disclaimer put out there, yesterday I finally got around to trying this product out, manufactured by Ruth’s Foods. It’s called Chia Goodness and it comes in a variety of flavors. For me, yesterday, it was lunch. Normally I’m a (gluten-free) oatmeal at lunch kind of girl. Especially during the winter. But what I love about oatmeal is that it’s filling without being too heavy. It’s the perfect lunch to enjoy in the comfort of my work cubical.
But, as I was in the midst of opening up a new box of oatmeal, I spotted this in my pantry and decided now was as good a time as any to try it.
It’s bizarre. Two tablespoons is all the package calls for. What you dish up is a strange mix of little black seeds and whatever dried fruits is combined to flavor it. Mine is Apple Almond Cinnamon. So I had dehydrated apples, almonds, and raisins throughout mine. This is a raw food, so you can ‘enjoy’ it either warm or cold. Cold kind of freaked me out, so I heated up some water, poured the required 1/4 cup into the bowl and let it sit for about 5 minutes. This is all per package instructions.
The result? Well, it smelled fantastic…like apple pie. Yum. However, it had become a gelatinous bowl of…black seeds and dehydrated fruit. Honestly, it had this slimy film that no amount of stirring or allowing it to sit and absorb helped. It looked unappetizing. The weird part was…it actually tasted good. It had really great flavor and was seasoned perfectly so that the cinnamon didn’t overpower it and the dehydrated fruits were a key to the texture.
BUT…the sliminess killed it for me. You see, apparently when chia seeds (yes…like those you put on a Chia Pet) get wet, they get gelatinous, taking on a slimy, wet texture. That’s fine…if you’re growing a Chia Pet. If you’re trying to enjoy a lunch, that’s not so fine. It was really, really difficult for me to get beyond the look of this product to eat it. I was hungry, so I did. It smelled and tasted good, which is a plus. It looks like that Shrek Chia Pet you’ve been harvesting on your windowsill regurgitated in your bowl, which is bad.
I definitely see the draw to chia seeds, though. Chia seeds have some of the most nutrition packed into them. They are not only lactose free, but naturally gluten-free as well. These little seeds are a powerhouse for calcium, containing more than five times that in milk. Even more impressive is that these little wonder seeds contain more Omega 3 than flax or salmon. That’s perfect for a vegetarian like me. Except…I can’t stomach the sight of this stuff.
So, if a bowl of goo doesn’t set your stomach turning, you might really like Chia Goodness. It’s available in four flavors: Original, Cranberry Ginger, Apple Almond Cinnamon, and Chocolate. It really smelled and tasted good. I just can’t handle the slimy consistency. It just turns my stomach. While Chia Goodness is a superfood in a simple package, it’s just not for me.
A bowl of Ruth's Foods Apple Almond Cinnamon Chia Goodness
Up until recently, I pretty much wrote off ever having simple crackers ever again. There are plenty of snack crackers out in the gluten-free market. Really good ones too by Mary’s Gone Crackers, Crunchmaster, Glutino, etc. But none that I noticed that were anything like your every day table crackers. You know…saltines. The ones you pair with a creamy soup or chili, using the little squares as a spoon for the hearty meal.
I missed those and didn’t even realize it.
And then, once again, Schär stepped in and came to my gluten-free rescue.
One of my local grocery stores has a few shelves of gluten-free foods in one of their aisles. So, I often stop there, eye the products longingly, look at the price stickers, and sadly move on. But one day there was a sale. Yes…a sale. And on one of the shelves was a package of Schär’s Table Crackers. Now, I had never seen anything like this before. From the image on the package, these looked like saltines. Was it even possible?
Needless to say, the package found its way into my shopping cart and then in my pantry. And then the weather got weird and warm in winter so soup wasn’t really on the menu. And then the weather turned around.
So, the other night I made a creamy broccoli cheddar soup (yes, from scratch) for dinner. It felt like the ideal time to break out the Table Crackers that had been lying in wait in my pantry. So, as the cheddar cheese was melting into my creamy soup, I was opening up this package and marveling at just how much these crackers resembled my Saltines of days past.
A packet of Schär Gluten-Free Table Crackers
The pack that I grabbed from the container were a bit crumbled. Probably from shipping. But, crackers are crackers whether dipped or crumbled into soup. I was just happy to have them. I broke them up (and despite the ‘perforated line,’ they don’t bust up uniformly but…eh…who cares? You dip them anyway!) and set them on a plate. Dished up some soup and carried it over to the couch to enjoy under the coziness of my Rainbow Brite snuggie (Don’t mock me, it’s awesome!).
One bite of Schär’s Table Crackers and I was reminded of my post-gluten-free days. They taste exactly like saltines, minus the unnecessary salt. They are a little heartier than the crackers of my past, but that means they stand up to the rigors of soup and chili dipping. And they taste amazing. I admit…I was skeptical.
These crackers are made from buckwheat, which, despite the name, is gluten-free. Potato startch and rice flour round out the flavor combination giving it the base. The rest, is pure Schär magic. Once again, spot on with their products. I love finding a brand I can trust. So far, Schär has not let me down.
Even better…they brought table crackers back into my life.
It’s winter. So grab a steaming bowl of soup and these amazing gluten-free Table Crackers from Schär and melt away the winter chill. These crackers are so much like the ‘real’ thing, you won’t even know the difference. Light, easy to digest, and tasty. What more could you ask for?
The Celiathlete 