Category: Gluten-Free

Side dishes can be the bane of my existence sometimes when it comes to meal planning.  While making a gluten-free main course is easy now, finding the perfect side isn’t always as simple.  In fact, sometimes it can be a nightmare.  Especially when you are having guests over and gluten-free spaghetti is on the menu.  Who doesn’t like a little bread with their pasta?   After all…it’s one of the best things to sop up all that extra sauce, right?  (Okay…so I know how un-Italian it is to have bread with the pasta, but I’m an Irish girl, LOL!)

The idea that something is gluten-free doesn’t always sit right with people.  The uninformed automatically assume that it is going to lack flavor…or taste of cardboard.  Surprise all you naysayers out there…gluten-free food is full of flavor and often better tasting than what others might call “the real thing.”

While out shopping at a local natural foods store, I stumbled across a couple packages of Chebe bread mixes on sale and decided a splurge was necessary.  After all…I had spotted other Chebe mixes at the grocery store, but was never brave enough to pay full price for them in case I didn’t like it.  But…decision made…the mixes were purchased and I now had some options in my pantry should I need them.

That case did arise a few weeks later, when my roommate and I invited our friend Greg down to help me celebrate my birthday.  That night, I was going to cook up some gluten-free spaghetti and vegetarian meatballs.  My roommate suggested I make one of the mixes up to accompany the dish.  I agreed, selecting the Original Bread Mix from the pantry.  Then, I gathered all the necessary ingredients (olive oil, shredded Parmesan cheese, 2 eggs) and got to work on following the directions on the packaging to create the little bread balls that were shown on the cover.

The dough was easy to mix and roll, each little ball staying in the right form.  The oven was preheated and ready by the time I finished, so into the oven they went while I prepared the rest of the meal.  By the time the pasta was cooked, drained, and mixed in with the sauce and vegetarian meatballs, Greg had arrived and everyone was hungry.  The Chebe bread was pulled from the oven, smelling AMAZING, mind you, and I topped them off with a brush of melted margarine and garlic powder.

The bread cooled as I plated up the pasta and took it out to my roommate and our guest.  I returned for the bread, stacking it in a small bowl and bringing it out to my eager (and hungry) guinea pigs.  Keep in mind, these two do not have to eat gluten-free…so the gauntlet was thrown down.  My roommate took a bite and immediately went back for another one.  I asked what she thought and she said, “These are good!”

But Greg…my real challenge as he is very particular about his food…had to have his own say.  “These aren’t good,” he said.  “These are AWESOME!”

And that was when I knew Chebe had hit it out of the ball park.  Grabbing my own little bread-ball of goodness, I took a bite, finding it perfectly crisp on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside.  PERFECTION.  Absolute perfection.  And so delicious.  The bread not only baked to perfection, but it wowed me (the chef) and my two fellow diners.  I mean, knocked us off our feet.  In fact, we all just kept grabbing for more, leaving only a few standing in the bowl.  They later were reheated to have with breakfast the next day.  And guess what…they were still crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.  Who needs “real” bread?  Real bread is what Chebe is about.

In fact, the company prides itself on the fact that it never was about being gluten-free.  The recipe for this bread, which is a staple in Brazil, is naturally gluten-free.  Naturally good for you.  Naturally delicious.  It’s gluten-free, soy-free, corn-free, rice-free, potato-free, yeast-free, tree nut-free, iodine-free, sugar-free, peanut free, and non-GMO.  Nothing gets added to make it better.  All ingredients are recognizable…and the list is short on the package.  Seriously.  If that doesn’t make you feel good about a product, well, I don’t know what will.

This bread would have been equally delicious with just the mix and no added flavors (the Parmesan, the garlic butter, etc).  I can attest to that.  And now…I’m hooked on Chebe.  I don’t want to make pasta again until I have more.  I want to cook up other mixes…create meals around them.  When a product makes me want to create a meal around it…then there is something special to it.  I will sing my praises for Chebe because when something is this good by nature…then everyone needs to try it.

Everyone.

Hey!  Leggo my…

On second thought…keep your Eggo waffles.  They have yet to go gluten-free.

I’m not trying to be facetious here, but breakfast options can be limited for people on a gluten-free diet.  I eat a lot of eggs.  But after awhile…eggs get boring, no matter how you season or serve them.

Thank the gluten-free gods for companies like Van’s Natural Foods, who seem to be embracing the gluten-free community and offering up a variety of breakfast items that are quick and easy.  Just pop into the toaster and serve.

While I have limited options around where I live, I have managed to find two gluten-free options from Van’s in my grocery stores.  The previously reviewed gluten-free French toast sticks…and the gluten-free blueberry waffles.

Now, there is a plethora of gluten-free waffles out on the market.  I’ve found one other kind here…and as a previous blog indicated, I didn’t like them.  So I was a bit skeptical when it came to how Van’s waffles would measure up.  But…my trepidation was short-lived.

First of all, they smell of blueberry heaven as they toast in the toaster.  Despite being frozen, they emerge crisp and slightly brown from my toaster and hit the plate.  A quick drizzle of syrup and I’m ready to eat.  Breakfast is served…in less than five minutes.  That doesn’t happen often for me…so this is a nice treat.

One bite…and I’m hooked.  These waffles are sweet, probably in part to being flavored with fruit juices as well as berries.  These hold up a little better to the syrup, as opposed to the Nature’s Path Wildberry ones I had previously consumed.  While still growing soft as the syrup soaked up, these maintained a level of toastiness that satisfied my waffle-loving breakfast-foodie soul.  The addition of the blueberries and blackberries gave the waffle the right amount of flavor.  These were “Van”-tastic. (See…I made a pun!)

So many people think gluten-free means tasteless, bland, and boring.  Thank goodness there are companies like Van’s Natural Foods out there striving to prove people wrong by producing quality gluten-free products.  Gluten-free is delicious.  And now…gluten-free mornings can be simple and satisfying.  Check your grocer’s freezer and give these waffles a try.

No one is on top of their game in the morning.  Not even me…the constant early-riser.  There are days that I love to stand over the stove and cook up an omelet or some egg scramble, perhaps mix up some gluten-free pancakes, or bake up some home fries.  And then there are mornings when the last thing I want to do is spend the morning in the kitchen, draped in my apron, trying to keep my work clothes clean while I attempt to make something edible.

That’s when the freezer section in the grocery store comes in handy for most people.  When you have to eat gluten-free…it can be a bit more of a challenge.  However, unlike other frozen breakfast food companies, Van’s Natural Foods seems to have embraced the gluten-free community.  In my grocery store, I’ve found waffles and the cinnamon French toast sticks.  It’s a start for this area, and I have no doubt that soon I will see other options there.

My local grocery store was running a 2/$5.00 special on Van’s products one day when I was in there.  Spotting the blueberry waffles and the cinnamon French toast sticks (both clearly marked as wheat and gluten free), I decided to give them a try.  Why not splurge a little on the grocery budget for a few more moments of rest on the sofa in the morning with my book?  Sometimes it’s worth it.

Thank goodness…Van’s was more than worth the purchase.

Now…the packaging is a little deceiving when it comes to the French toast sticks.  The image shows sliced bread sticks, covered in cinnamon and sugar, looking ample and fluffy and…picture perfect.  The actual product is a lot different.  The actual frozen bread is very thin.  There is no sprinkling of cinnamon-sugar on the top.  And not even when toasted does it begin to look fluffy and as picture-perfect as the box.  But…I try not to judge a product on its cover…meaning, I don’t always give credence to the appearance on the box.  What product actually looks exactly like what’s pictured anyway?

So, the bread-shaped slices went into the toaster, long enough to crisp and give me time to warm up the syrup to pour over the top.  I tore the sticks apart, drizzled with a bit of syrup and settled in for my quick breakfast…already having my doubts.  But when I sliced into one of the sticks, it had the perfect level of crispness.  The texture was pleasing to the palate – light, not heavy.  That way you don’t feel like taking a snooze immediately following your morning meal.  It’s okay that the bread is thin, because instead you get a nice crispy outside, but a soft center.  The bread is more cinnamon-flavored than topped with cinnamon.  It’s sweet, which the brown sugar that is in the flour mixture plays a roll in, I’m sure.  However, it meshed well together.

While they weren’t much to look at, even upon toasting, what Van’s brings to the breakfast table is a gluten-free treat that is not only fun to eat, but also delicious.  Food doesn’t have to look just like the box, as long as it delivers in flavor.  Van’s product may not look like much, but what it lacks in appearance is quickly made up for in texture, and more importantly, taste.

Gluten-free breakfasts are simple and simply good again.  Thanks to Van’s Natural Products.

Mustard doesn’t have to be boring.  Because…let’s face it.  When we think of mustard, we usually think of that blinding yellow spread that gets slathered on sandwiches across the nation.  Right?  But mustard can be more than that and…it can taste better too.

Koops’ mustard products are a great example.  Not only does Koops’ step outside of the usual flavors of mustard (you know…Dijon, yellow, etc.), but it gives consumers 8 options to choose from.  Even better…all ingredients are natural and every flavor is gluten-free.

My friend, Amanda, dropped off two flavors at my apartment awhile back.  I already reviewed the Dijon mustard in an earlier blog.  The other one she handed over was Koops’ Arizona Heat mustard.  Since I began this blog, my general rule is that if it is gluten-free and vegetarian, I will try everything.

This certainly fit the bill, so I started small with the mustard…and went from there.  My first sojourn into the Arizona Heat was as a condiment on a grilled cheese sandwich.  Normally, I add a smear of Laughing Cow cheese to my grilled cheese before placing it in the skillet.  This time, I went for Koops’ Arizona Heat mustard.  And…I found the flavor deliciously spicy.  My next taste test was as a dip for my vegetarian chicken nuggets.  PERFECT.

What makes this mustard work is the smooth, sweet taste at the beginning, and then the bite of spice that comes soon after.  It’s that bite from the peppers that are blended into the  mustard that bring the heat and really makes this blend of mustard work.  I love it.  It’s the right level of heat…not enough to overpower the flavor of the mustard itself, but enough to make it distinct.  And that’s why Koops’ makes some of the finest mustard out there.  Now, the tricky part is finding somewhere that carries this particular flavor…as I am running low since I use it on A LOT of my dishes.

If you like a bit of heat that doesn’t take away from the flavor of the condiment itself…nor the food…then try Koops’ Arizona Heat mustard.  You will probably find yourself using it whenever and wherever possible too!  Tasting is believing.

I feel the need to clear the air.  I find boxed processed foods to be the enemy of our society.  Yes, they are easy.  Yes, they are quick when we have a busy day (and who out there doesn’t?), but fresh is best.  That’s always been ingrained in my head, even growing up when my mom stopped buying the orange-powder mac & cheese in a box and made her own (and far more delicious) from scratch.  I normally do this.  But…sometimes the last thing I want to do is stand over a hot stove, stirring my almond milk and gluten-free flour to make my white sauce to melt my cheese over my noodles with.

On a weekend, sure.  But when a macaroni and cheese craving hits while heading home from the office and your stomach has a case of the rumblies because your mid-afternoon snack didn’t hold you as long as you wanted.

Normally someone would grab the Kraft EZ Mac or the box with the pouch of neon orange powder off the shelf and spend the next 10 minutes whipping up an easy, satisfying mac and cheese meal.  But when you are gluten-free, Kraft is not the answer.

Thank goodness for Annie’s Homegrown…the answer to a quick and inconvenient mac and cheese craving.  Annie’s gives the gluten-free community a delicious, creamy, and healthy mac and cheese option.  No…seriously!  And while it does come complete with the neon orange powder pouch, the comparison ends there!

The noodles in Annie’s Homegrown are rice pasta.  And they hold up very well under the boiling process to get them to the perfect consistency.  They don’t fall apart like some cheaper gluten-free pastas do.  And, more importantly, they don’t stick together.  The calorie count, when compared to Kraft is cut cut dramatically.  Annie’s gluten-free option is about 280 calories a serving as compared to Kraft’s 400.  The sodium content in Annie’s is 390mg as compared to Kraft’s 580mg.  Annie’s has less sugar and less cholesterol too.

It’s prepared like regular boxed macaroni and cheese.  Boil water, add rice noodles…cook for about 10-12 minutes at a boil.  However, instead of adding the powder to the cooked noodles, in a separate container, you take 1/4 cup of milk (I use unsweetened almond milk) and dump the cheese powder into it, mixing it up separately.  Then, drain the noodles, put back in the pan and pour over the now-liquid cheese.  For a creamier texture, the box invites you to add margarine/butter, but it’s not necessary and this is only an option.  I chose not to use the margarine, and settled in with my bowl of easy gluten-free macaroni and cheese.

One bite and I was in easy-mac heaven.  Seriously.  It was creamy without the margarine.  And by mixing the cheese separately, it meant that it didn’t have lumps or that grittiness that often comes with those boxed & powdered varieties.  The flavor was cheddar cheese heaven.  Just the right amount of flavor.  The noodles were spot-on with consistency and texture.

While processed is never my first choice, on those days when I’m strapped for time, this is a great meal to prepare and enjoy without doing damage to your waistline or your budget.  This gluten-free treasure is one of the less-expensive gluten-free food options out there.  It’s hard to say no when it’s affordable and easy.

It will never replace my homemade macaroni and cheese, but it will always have a spot on a shelf in my pantry.  In fact, I currently have two boxes on there for my next emergency dinner crisis!  Thank you Annie’s Homegrown for giving us a flavor-filled burst of macaroni and cheddar cheese when needed most.  My tummy thanks you!

Thank goodness for flavor-packed gluten-free cereals of the variety I grew up with.  Sometimes those brands and cereal names in the gluten-free aisle at the store and seem like a risk when it comes to finding the perfect breakfast cereal.  Because if it doesn’t live up to expectations…if it isn’t as good as you hoped, well, you’re out of money and either stuck with it or have to throw it away.  Neither of which are a good option in the end.

But then…there is General Mills’ Chex cereals.  Growing up, this brand was only available in three flavors.  Two of which are gluten-free.  All of them made a delicious snack mix when combined with a few extra ingredients.  But, recently, General Mills introduced three new flavors to their gluten-free lineup.  Cinnamon, Chocolate, and Honey Nut.  I have blogged about the first two.  I couldn’t leave Honey Nut Chex out, right?

And why should I?  I loved this flavor more than I thought I would.  It was perfectly flavored, just the right amount of sweetness in each bite.  Any more and it would have been too much.  Any less and it would have lacked something.  The sweet corn flavor is only enhanced with a touch of honey.  It doesn’t overpower the cereal.  Instead, it gives it a bit of added kick and a delicious end result.

I was skeptical when I bought this one, figuring I wouldn’t like it as much as the much more appealing Cinnamon Chex and Chocolate Chex.  This was a nice surprise.  And with Chex being the most affordable gluten-free cereal out there, the five gluten-free flavors available mean I can change it up whenever I want.  Sometimes you want your breakfast to taste like breakfast, so cinnamon and chocolate aren’t your first go-to option.  Honey nut, however, is a breakfast flavor I grew familiar with as a child while eating Cheerios.  But the flavor in Honey Nut Chex far surpasses anything that bee was hawking.

Affordable and delicious…Honey Nut Chex has forever won a place in my pantry, my cereal bowl, and my heart.  Don’t spend a fortune on gluten-free cereals you are unsure of.  Find a brand you trust.  And try every variety you can.  Chex wins…with every gluten-free flavor they offer.  Well done, General Mills.  Well done, Chex!