It’s that time of year when everyone is getting into the Mardi Gras spirit. King Cakes are being baked, brought into office/home, and consumed. Cajun food is a big, big thing. And it lasts…all the way through Mardi Gras.
But most Cajun food is very sausage and seafood heavy. And for someone like me…a gluten-free vegetarian, that’s not a good thing. Especially since…I love Cajun food. Red beans and rice…heck yeah! Gumbo…bring it! Jambalaya…oh yeah. Loved it all. And ate plenty of it prior to becoming a vegetarian.
Some Cajun food does happen to be vegetarian friendly. Some is even gluten-free friendly. But finding a combination of the two isn’t easy. Especially out in the wild.
So, with the upcoming Fat Tuesday falling tomorrow, I took a recipe from Top Chef alumni (and fan favorite) Fabio Viviani and made a few changes to it in order to truly make it gluten-free and vegan. And I cooked this all up on Sunday night for dinner…and it made enough for my roommate and I to dine on it all the way through Fat Tuesday. Gotta love that.
Below is the recipe with my modifications. What emerges is a delicious dish and meal that will satisfy even the most savvy Cajun carnivore. I hope to make it again sometime soon.
KIND Plus Cranberry Almond + Antioxidants Snack Bar
Product: KIND Plus Cranberry Almond + Antioxidants Snack Bar – $1.99+
When you think cranberries…you think big, bold, tart flavor, yes? I know I do. Trust me…I’ve eaten my fair share of things with cranberry in them. Even got some fresh cranberries in my CSA bin around Thanksgiving this year and turned them into a fantastic dessert. So…cranberries don’t scare me off. I know they can bring a lot to a dish if utilized properly.
But, that is where I feel something went wrong in this variety of the KIND Plus Snack Bar.
I already had my doubts. Because, while I eat cranberries…they aren’t my most favorite thing in the world. In small doses, yes…that’s fine. But, here…they were sharing the show with almonds…but when you gaze at the bar, you see lots of the sticky redness that would be the cranberries that make up this snack.
I figured, however, I would put my preconceptions of the bar on hold and allow it to speak for itself.
And it had its chance on Sunday…when I tore into it prior to a 9 mile long run for training. I split this in half with my roommate, because I always value her opinion and we were going for brekkies after I ran…so it would be a light breakfast for both of us, but still give me enough energy to at least get through 9 miles of indoor running hell (it was raining…so it was dreadmill (treadmill) and track time for me!). BAH!
So, before my first bite, this bar did have some things going for it. For one thing…the addition of antioxidants, brought about by the inclusion of numerous vitamins (A, C, & E…of which I think would come from the cranberries. In fact, KIND’s Web site claims that this bar contains 50% of the recommended daily intake of these three vitamins, which help fight free radicals and help maintain the immune system and healthy skin. Well…that is, indeed, a plus.
Aside from that, this KIND Plus bar is a blend of almonds, dried cranberries, macadamias, honey, non-GMO glucose, crisp rice, chicory root fiber, and sunflower oil. I mean…that doesn’t sound offensive at all. And, in fact, my co-worker ate this one the other day. She said it was pretty good, and she doesn’t like cranberries…but also said…it wasn’t that great and that she wouldn’t get it again if given the option.
So, Sunday morning, I had my own taste.
And I agree with my co-worker.
I really, really wanted to like this one. I mean, my co-worker and I spent good money on this box…I want to like every bar inside of it. But the fact of the matter was…this one was just…bland. Yes! BLAND! A bar with cranberries in it…was bland. The flavor was totally lacking, which was a huge disappointment for me. If I am eating something, I want to taste every component of it. But I didn’t get much of anything with this one.
And, unlike the previous one I had the day before, this one was very sticky and chewy, which is okay…but I prefer to be able to hold it without needing a napkin or a good wash of my fingers afterwards. Just sayin’.
With all of this in mind, let’s give a little nutritional walk through of this bar. An entire bar only serves up 190 calories, so it’s great for a snack of quick on-the-go breakfast. The bar contains 13 grams of fat, which most of which would come from the nuts…so at least it is the healthy kind. With the inclusion of the nuts, you also get a fair amount of fiber (3 grams) and protein (4 grams), which helps your body feel full. And, for being a snack bar, the sodium level is low, sitting pretty at 25 mgs. With only 11 grams of sugar, this really is a healthier choice than many of the snack bars out there.
It’s just…lacking in the flavor aspect. And if something doesn’t wow me at first taste…I’m not going to bother with it again.
So, from the KIND box…I’ve had one bar that I’ve really enjoyed and one that I’ve not enjoyed. So…we’re half and half so far.
If you like cranberries…this bar might be for you. I’m not a huge fan of cranberries, but I do eat them…and surprisingly, it was the lack of cranberry flavor that I disliked most. Where I expected tart…I got sweet…and not even enough of that to really satisfy. I know there are always bound to be flavor duds in a combo pack. Sadly, for me, it was the KIND Plus Cranberry Almond + Antioxidants Snack Bar. Disappointed? Totally. And definitely not going to seek this one out to buy on its own.
KIND Plus Cranberry Almond + Antioxidants Snack Bar (unwrapped)
Yep. I don’t mess around when it comes to holidays…and after a busy day on the go (with an amazing brunch, coffee, shopping, and a stop off for some crazy-good ice cream)…I came home for a bit to relax. And I knew…that despite the brunch and ice cream treat, my roommate and I were going to need something else for dinner.
And with it being National Pizza Pie Day…I had just the thing in mind.
Please note…I realize this is not actually a pizza “pie” per se…but it is…technically…a form of pizza.
Even better…it’s a form of pizza I can eat.
Now, I’ve done my share of sampling of gluten-free frozen pizzas since going gluten-free. Kind of. Normally, despite craving some gluten-free pizza at times, I don’t like paying an arm and a leg for a frozen gluten-free pizza. I’d rather go spend that money and get one done up right at a restaurant (like Mellow Mushroom or Uncle Madio’s where they take extra precautions with gluten-free pizza preparations). It would end up being about the same amount for the same amount of pizza actually. And if not, the quality is far better.
But, last weekend, my roommate told me she would buy me a gluten-free treat of my choice while we were roaming around Earth Fare, my favorite grocery store…ever. It took me a moment to ponder out what exactly I wanted to get with such a tempting offer. And after struggling with choosing between a sweet treat, gluten-free onion rings, gluten-free vegetable pot stickers…I finally decided to go with Ian’s Allergen-Friendly (no wheat, no gluten, no dairy, no casein, no soy, no eggs, no peanuts, no tree nuts) French Bread Pizza.
This is not a new product. Not at all. In fact, I’ve seen this product in the freezer section of my local grocery store since I had to go gluten-free…and always said I was going to try it. Unfortunately…the price just never was right and I couldn’t justify it in the end with my tight food budget. But…as a treat…it might be worth it. Especially if I needed a quick hit of pizza sometime.
Well, what better day to eat it than National Pizza Pie Day?
The box comes complete with two slices of gluten-free French bread that is topped off with a tomato sauce and Galaxy’s vegan mozzarella rice cheese. I wasn’t sure what to make of the product upon opening it. The frozen bread looked like any normal frozen pizza would have done. I wasn’t sure how well the “cheese” would do in the oven, but I preheated it to the 400°F the box suggested and placed each slice of bread onto a baking sheet. Into the oven it went for 23 minutes…but since my oven is a bit off…I let it go for 25 minutes before removing it.
Much to my surprise, the “cheese” melted beautifully over the slices of French bread. The tomato sauce was bubbly and the cheese was piping hot and gooey. In fact, some of it had even stuck to the pan. So, that was a nice surprise. Vegan cheese never melts this well lately (and trust me…I eat it all the time). The French bread crisped up to a beautiful golden color. That was a nice surprise!
So, I plated each slice, handed my roommate hers and went to retrieve mine. She was already digging in when I returned so I inquired as to what she thought. I mean, after all, she can eat any pizza whenever she wants. It’s me with the dietary restrictions.
“It’s yummy!” she said. So…I went ahead and took my first bite.
Despite the fact that I burned the roof of my mouth on the molten vegan cheese…I had to agree with her. This was a delicious bite of pizza. And so easy. I mean…for something frozen and out of a package…the flavor was amazing. I loved the crispy crunch the crust of the French bread gave each bite. And the the inner parts were soft and chewy, like a good pizza crust would be…without being doughy or overly chewy. The sauce was a non-entity and the “cheese” just gave it that pizza topping that was necessary for it to be a pizza. But…it was good. It was really good.
Each slice of bread contains 250 calories and 10 grams of fat. The sodium content is quite low, at only 220 mg per serving. And each slice offers up no cholesterol, no trans fat, and 3 grams of protein. Nice!
And despite being rather small in size, these slices of French bread pizza are definitely filling. I didn’t even need a salad or anything to eat with it. Perfect as a meal on its own and rather safe for basically any food allergy. It was only recently that Ian’s moved away from soy cheese, which was a fantastic choice in the end, opening this one up for people who have soy allergies. All the products Ian’s puts out contain no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives…ever!
I would definitely buy these again in a heartbeat. The crust was awesome…loving the crispy outside and soft inside. It wasn’t overwhelming with the amount of bread. The sauce and cheese were a great topping. And these were so easy to prepare and so delicious to devour.
Which is exactly what happened…while watching Moonraker on Blu-Ray.
Don’t judge.
There is no better way to spend Naitonal Pizza Pie Day than enjoying a gluten-free and vegan French Bread Pizza…from Ian’s.
Find it in your grocer’s freezer section…and give it a try yourself.
Ian’s Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free Cheesy Vegan French Bread Pizza (baked)
You know what’s awesome about KIND Bars? How filling they are. And a lot of that stems back to the ingredients that go into each bar. Now, I’ve sampled a few of these, but a Groupon came over not too long ago and my coworker and I decided to split the difference and get it. So, we ended up purchasing the KIND Cube, which included 16 bars…2 of a variety of flavors.
When it arrived, we each took our share and she began to sample a different one each day. As I go to work with my snacks already planned, I decided to hang onto mine for important mornings…such as race mornings.
Today…was a race morning.
The Snowman Shuffle 4 Miler was running in Louisville, Kentucky on Saturday morning, and after downing some cereal and a cup of coffee at home (along with some water for hydration), my roommate and I set out to hit Cherokee Park in time to find parking, get my packet, get stretched out, and get running. But, with most race mornings, I normally find myself starving at the start or during it if I don’t eat something at least an hour beforehand.
As we arrived at the park, I was already tearing into the KIND Bar she chose to split that morning. It was the Madagascar Vanilla Almond bar. Very intriguing. I wasn’t sure what to make of it…but none of the ingredients sounded offensive to my senses…so…I tore off the wrapper and had her take a picture of it (she needs to work on how close she puts the camera, LOL!). And then, I broke it in half, gave her a share of it…and we headed toward packet pickup, happily noshing on the bar.
And we both agreed…YUMMMMMMMMY!
The Madagascar Vanilla Almond bar is actually more than just almonds…so if you are allergic to other nuts, but not almonds, be aware…this one actually has more than the name lets on. In fact, the bar is composed of a blend of almonds, peanuts, cashews, and walnuts, mixed with honey, non-GMO glucose, chicory root fiber, crisp rice, Madagascar vanilla, and soy lecithin. Okay, so some of the ingredients don’t sound as appealing when listed out like that…but trust me…when they are all put together, KIND Bar magic happens.
The Madagascar Vanilla Almond Bar is part of KIND’s Nuts and Spices collection. And here is the best part…it is a perfect balance of sweet and salty. My biggest concern leading up to my first bite was that it was going to be way too sweet. And something sweet is good…but doesn’t always sit right just before a race. Thankfully, the vanilla didn’t overpower the bar itself. It complimented the mix of nuts and crisp rice. The honey helped bind it all together. This bar wasn’t terribly sticky so nothing felt like it was catching in my teeth or getting my fingers too sticky to put my gloves back on. It was really balanced and really, really delicious.
Nutritionally speaking, KIND Bar’s are a perfect way to go…especially for protein and the like. In the Madagascar Vanilla Almond variety, the entire bar contains 210 calories and 16 grams of fat. If that seems high, keep in mind that this fat is brought about by the nuts, so it is actually the healthy sort. The sugar content in this bar is very low, sitting nicely at 4 grams. And the protein is awesome, with this bar offering 7 grams of it. Awesome. With 15 mg of sodium, this makes for a healthy choice for breakfast or a snack. And with 5 grams of fiber, it will keep you feeling full.
And…just eating half this bar about an hour before a very chilly run…I can attest that this is true. I wasn’t hungry before or during the run at all. My appetite only began to kick in after I ran, waited in the cold for awards, and finally hopped in the car to get brunch at my favorite allergen-free bakery.
KIND Nuts & Spices bars are part of a line of bars that are crafted from the highest quality of whole nuts and some of the best spices found in nature. These bars are an indulgent treat, providing natural protein, fiber, and only 5 grams of sugar (or less) in each bar. There is nothing artificial in any of these bars. Even better, all of KIND’s products are gluten-free and produced in a certified, dedicated gluten-free facility. Love that!
So…next time you are in need of a delicious, nutritious, filling snack that is portable and just as yummy as ever…reach for a KIND bar. I highly recommend the salty-sweet taste of the Madagascar Vanilla Almond bar. I would purchase this one again in a heartbeat.
KIND Madagascar Vanilla Almond Nuts & Spices Bar (unwrapped)
Snack crackers are so versatile. But most of the ones on the market are off limits to the gluten-free. But thanks to the abundance of gluten-free products hitting the shelves these days, it seems every gluten-free company out there has at least one variety of snack cracker. Some…have more.
I’ve enjoyed the likes of Crunchmaster, Mary’s Gone Crackers, Blue Diamond, Schär, etc. But most recently, I have been exploring the different flavors of crackers that Glutino has to offer.
Now, Glutino and I have a rather good relationship as far as the taste of their food. So far, I have had nothing to complain about. Texture, taste, density, and flavor have all been right on par. I appreciate that. Given the fact that I haven’t been gluten-free my entire life, I know what the ‘real’ thing tastes like and sometimes have a hard time separating that from what I now have to eat. In other words…I find common gluten-free foods not up to the standard I once knew.
And then…sometimes I find something better.
Glutino has been good to me and for me.
And that trend continues with my tasting of Glutino Multigrain Crackers. These gluten-free crackers actually surprised me with their flavor. I have since looked up a few reviews, most of which bitched about the overpowering fennel flavor (fennel tastes like licorice). I don’t like licorice…but I don’t even get a taste of it in these crackers. In fact, I currently no longer even see fennel listed on the ingredients list. The poppyseeds are still part of it…and you can certainly see them in the surface of the cracker. But fennel…not anymore, I don’t think. Rosemary extract though…that’s there!
The bizarre thing about these crackers is…they taste like Triscuits…just without the graininess and shredded bits. It’s like…if a Ritz and a Triscuit were to get married…this would be the offspring. Honestly. It’s the perfect blend of that butter Ritz texture with the flavor of a Triscuit. It’s…fantastic, honestly. And this would be amazing with a schmear of cream cheese, cheese, salsa, hummus…whatever…on top. But on their own, they too are astounding in their flavor. I loved this cracker…bite-for-bite.
So…how did I end up with these in the first place? Long story short…one of my local grocery stores was running a mega closeout on the gluten-free section. Fearing that it was going to be gone for good, I stockpiled items I wanted to try, but could never quite justify to work into the budget. That’s how these ended up in my pantry…and it just so happened it was their turn to shine during my afternoon snack time this week. And shine they did.
I highly recommend these as a cracker for any get-together where gluten-free options are needed. Or…just in general. My roommate, who tries everything I eat, also enjoyed these. She was the one who made the Triscuit connection (she would know!)…and I couldn’t agree more. Fantastic seasoning, not laden with salt, great flavor, and just amazing from one bite to the next.
Nutritionally speaking, because I do always go there, these aren’t bad for a snack cracker. A serving size is 30 grams (and you know I weigh out my servings!), or about 8 crackers. This serving would set you back only 14o calories and 4.5 grams of fat. That’s not bad at all. These crackers only have 260 mg of sodium in the serving. While fiber and protein are both low, it’s a snack cracker…so use it with something like hummus that has some protein power to it.
Nutritionally sound, and amazing in taste and texture. Glutino…you keep winning me over, heart, body, and gluten-free soul!
Twas the day of the Super Bowl and I made my roomie one simple promise.
Nachos.
No…really. She had been craving nachos and I decided, despite us not watching the big game (instead we watched cooking shows…for real!), I told her Super Bowl Sunday would be the perfect day to break out some nachos for dinner. Of course, the one catch to me being the chef of the apartment is…I make them my way.
Thankfully…she’s quite okay with that…and words like gluten-free and vegan don’t phase her one bit.
I know…awesome!
So…after a major cleaning spree that day, I started to piece together our not-too-bad for you version of Super Bowl Snack Awesomeness. And we dug in while watching an Emeril Lagasse show on Vegetarian Main Dishes. I can’t make this up, friends!! This is a true story. But the best part of this story is…how awesome and filling these nachos turned out to be!
Recipe: Gluten-Free Hearty Rice and Bean Vegan Nachos
5 ounces (about 6 1/2 cups) Tortilla Chips (I used Garden of Eatin’ Blue Corn Chips)
3/4 cup cooked no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained if canned
4 ounces Teese Nacho Vegan Cheese Sauce
1/4 cup milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
1 avocado, sliced
1 fresh Serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped (optional) (I roasted mine with my red pepper)
1 red pepper, roasted and chopped
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1/2 cup prepared salsa
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 lime
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Cook the brown rice according to package directions. While rice cooks, saute the onion in a small skillet and set aside.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, add Teese Nacho Vegan Cheese Sauce and 1/4 cup milk. Stir together until creamy and sauce thickens. Add half of the roasted peppers.
Spread chips in a 9×13-inch baking dish and spoon rice over top. Sprinkle with black beans beans, onions, and the rest of the roasted peppers (red and Serrano). Bake until the nachos are very hot, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and add the avocado slices. Spoon the vegan nacho cheese over the nachos, add salsa, sprinkle with cilantro. Squeeze lime over the top.
Serve.
~*~*~
These were so amazing and delicious. I was so happy with the way this turned out. It was definitely the perfect food for Super Bowl Sunday. Nothing better than some junk food on a big game night, even if you are not watching the game. And as far as recipes go…this isn’t too bad for you. Packed with protein (thanks to the beans…and quinoa could be substituted for the rice), vegetables, and vegan cheese…it was guilt-free snack food for dinner.
And my roommate has already requested I make them again sometime.
Why? Why did it take me so long to actually try you out?
You blew me away…like…totally blew me away the first time I used your Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour. I never stopped raving about you. I never bought you…because you are expensive. But, now I understand that you are completely worth the cost. Every. Single. Dollar.
Because not only did you manage to wow me with your Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour (which I received as a complimentary box at a gluten-free expo I attended in Birmingham, Alabama), but you have blown me away with the taste, texture, and all around chocolatey goodness of your both fudgy AND cake-like brownies. And there is something so magical and fantastic about finding that perfect level of balance when it comes to brownie perfection. Even more…the difficulty that comes with having to be gluten-free.
But somehow, my dearest, beloved Better Batter…you did it.
After having amazing results making cookies using your Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour, the other box that my roommate and I got for free at the expo was…the Gluten-Free Fudge Brownie Mix.
Now, I love brownies. I am not big on cake…but offer me brownies and I am your friend for life. Thus…brownies were the obvious choice for me.
However, I had a lot of gluten-free brownie mixes to go through. And while some have been…good…others…great…yours, Better Batter…yours were AMAZING!! Yours are the ones that I will rave about until the day I go to my gluten-free grave.
And here’s why…
Better Batter Gluten-Free Fudge Brownies (baked)
While I am not a fan of cake, I prefer the cake-like brownies over the heavier fudge versions. So, I did the version with three eggs, not two. I mixed together the water, oil, eggs, and the mix as directed by the box, then poured them into my pan and baked…all the while, that rich chocolate scent was filling my apartment. I couldn’t wait to pull these out of the oven and let them cool. And when they were cooked through, I let them sit while I ran a few errands and returned home…ready to treat myself to them for dessert.
These brownies are packed with chocolate flavor. I mean, packed. So if you are a chocoholic like me…you will love this. Every bite is rich, decadent, moist and…just awesome. Yep…awesome. There is no strange aftertaste from the gluten-free mix. It’s all about flavor. Good, amazing flavor. My roommate doesn’t even have to eat gluten-free…but she devoured these as fast as me. Seriously…these are the top-of-the-line when it comes to brownies. I know I raved about my Bob’s Red Mill…and they are my second place…but these…these are reigning supreme!
If heaven were encapsulated in brownie form…it would look and taste like these. Despite being cake-like brownies, these have that rich fudgy flavor of the fudge brownies…without the heaviness. That’s the best part. They are so light…so it’s always tempting to go back for more. And being a chocoholic…this is not easy to stop myself from doing. So far, however, I have managed.
So far.
Nutrition-wise, these are…brownies. So moderation is key. You get 20 servings out of one box…so make sure you cut it up in the proper portions. The mix itself has 110 calories in it…then add the oil and eggs to it and it bumps it up a little more…but still in the 160 calorie range. Remember…this is a treat and you should always treat it as one. Even if you do want to go and eat the entire pan…as I often do. Restraint and moderation.
Better Batter…I love you. I can’t even put into words how much I love you. You entranced me with your basic All-Purpose Flour…and you won me over with the fantastic taste and texture and flavor of your Gluten-Free Fudge Brownies. I am one happy gluten-free girl.
And now…yes…I will shell out the money for your mixes. I can’t wait to try what other products I can create from your plethora of mixes and tasty treats.
Back to the grocery store I go for more of your gluten-free goodness in a box.
Can’t wait!
A serving of Better Batter Gluten-Free Cake-Like Fudge Brownies (I was out of plates…dont judge!)
XO Baking Company Gluten-Free Banana Bread Mix – $7.99+
It happened once upon a time…back a couple years ago when I was instructed by my doctor to adopt a gluten-free diet. I attempted, from scratch, to make banana bread. And…it failed. Miserably. It was dense, heavy, and…WET! And I disliked it enough to throw it away. And from that moment on…I never attempted it again. Never. I designated any over-ripe bananas to another cause.
And then, while out shopping one afternoon and randomly stopping into a Home Goods store, I stumbled across their gourmet food section. Danger, Gluten-Free Will Robinson, Danger!! They actually had quite a good selection of gluten-free foods and products. And I…just had to try them. The one that seriously caught my eye, however, was the XO Baking Co’s Banana Bread Mix.
I mean…it had been forever since I had had good banana bread. I was craving. For real!
So, it and a few other items made their way into a basket I ran back to the door to get and soon I was checking out with a plethora of new gluten-free goodness. Or…at least I hoped.
And then, because my pantry is overflowing with gluten-free goodies…this had to sit and wait…and wait…and wait…and wait…
…and then I realized that the expiration date was approaching…so I dug it out and intended to make it over the weekend. Without reading the back for ingredients, I went grocery shopping for my regular items…and then came home to get to work on my bread (which would serve as breakfast for the entire week!)
It was only then that I realized that I required three large overly-ripe bananas for the bread mix. DUH! I don’t know why I assumed this would magically taste like banana on its own. So, my roomie and I dashed back out to the grocery store. And NONE of the stores had any overly ripe bananas. In fact…they were all very green. I mean…GREEN!
What to do? We finally discovered a couple at Target…but needed one more. So, we grabbed on that wasn’t quite as green as the rest and decided to just run with it. When you are handed under-ripe bananas…you attempt to do your best to make banana bread.
Back at home, mixing this together was easy. I mashed the bananas then put them into my Kitchenaid mixer. To that, I added eggs, oil, and almond milk. That got beat together until just combined. Then, in went the bread mix straight from the package. A little more mixing and it was done. As I’m working on shrinking the amount of items in my pantry, I added the rest of the chopped pecans (about 1/2 cup) and then put in 1/4 cup of Reeses peanut butter chips and 1/4 cup chocolate chips. I folded these into the batter, poured them into the pan and baked for about an hour.
The entire time it baked, I couldn’t help but return to the kitchen to steal another whiff of the bread. It smelled fantastic as it cooked up. And when it emerged, it was a beautiful golden color on the outside. I allowed it to cool in the pan before turning it out and setting it to cool the rest of the way.
The big test came the following morning when I sliced it up to make some French toast with it. O.M.G. No…for real.
I didn’t do anything fancy to the French toast batter. Just egg, a little light coconut milk, vanilla and cinnamon…dunked the bread and put it on my skillet. Flipped it once it got golden, then served it with a bit of hot maple syrup (homemade and delicious from my friend Erica).
This bread is packed with flavor. Even done up as though it were French toast (which definitely was preferred to the usual gluten-free sandwich bread I use). The nuts, the peanut butter chips, and the chocolate chips really compliment that banana flavor. The texture isn’t too dense or heavy. In fact, it seemed perfect for this kind of loaf of bread. I was enamored with the variety of flavor that hit my palate. BUT…to be fair, I needed to taste it without dressing it up too much. So, the following morning, I just gave the bread a light toasting in the oven to warm it. Then a small schmear of vegan butter and a drizzle of honey…and BAM. Banana bread perfection. The sweet honey worked well with the nuts and different flavor chips that were baked in.
Oh…this is a definite must have for your gluten-free pantry. If you can’t make a good banana bread from scratch, then you should totally give this mix a try. The guess work when it comes to what flour to use and how long to bake is taken out of the equation.
This mix is created using a gluten-free flour blend (which includes cassava flour, unmodified potato starch, organic coconut flour, and xanthan gum). Brown sugar adds a nice hint of sweetness to it. Baking powder gives it that necessary lightness to rise, baking soda, sea salt, and organic vanilla flavor. That’s it.
As for the nutrition standing…the mix contains 110 calories for 1/12 of the loaf. I went ahead and sliced mine into 12 slices so that I was certain of the servings when I began carving into it. That’s not bad. Not bad at all. This mix is also completely all natural, rice-free, trans fat free, gluten-free, wheat-free, and soy-free.
And in the end, you are left with a delicious, moist, banana-flavored bread that you can dress up however you like or just leave with simply bananas. Any way you slice it…it is AMAZING! XO Baking Co. is off to a good start and winning me over already.
Product: Sol Cuisine Organic BBQ Tofu Ribs – $5.49+
Being a gluten-free vegetarian isn’t always easy. When I had to go gluten-free…it meant that many of the faux-meat products out there, via Boca, Morningstar, Quorn, and Gardein were off limits to me. So, finding a replacement has been more than a challenge. Sure…there are some that exist…but they are few and far between…and mostly limited to veggie burgers.
Which is fine. Except when you’re tired of veggie burgers.
Imagine my excitement to walk into my favorite grocery store, Earth Fare, and find a product line called Sol Cuisine, which features gluten-free and vegan products. The one that immediately caught my eye, however, was the Organic BBQ Tofu Ribs.
Yes…BBQ Ribs. For gluten-free vegans.
*the gluten-free gods smile upon me*
I did what any clear-thinking gluten-free consumer would do. I grabbed one from the freezer section and tossed it into my cart. I mean…why not? If nothing else…it would be interesting.
Welcome, then, to the weekend…where my usually scheduled meal and snack times goes completely awry. Seriously. It’s not always a good thing…but that’s what happens when you’re constantly on-the-go on the weekend. It happens. After a long day out on Saturday, my roommate and I returned home, hungry and ready for dinner. I had plenty from my CSA bin to work with, but she was in the mood for fries. And I decided that the perfect compliment to homemade, baked “fries” would be…these Organic BBQ Tofu Ribs that were sitting in my freezer.
Why not? What did we have to lose?
The box actually indicates that these should be thawed in the fridge (whoops) or in the microwave…although no actual instructions for that are given. So I threw the package of ribs onto a microwave safe plate, and began to hit the defrost button until I felt I had reached a good level to continue with the cooking process.
Nothing could be simpler. Then…you get your choice of cooking method: Microwave, Stove top, or Oven. Since I had the oven going, I went ahead and opted for that method. So, into a casserole dish they went…and then into a 350° oven to cook for 20 minutes. About halfway through, I was to give them a good stir…so I did that and then let them finish cooking as directed by the box.
Once time was up…I happily pulled the casserole dish from the oven and began to serve up the ribs with the baked fries as well. Now, the box indicates that there are 3.5 servings inside…so my roommate and I decided we would split the difference and just make it into 2 servings. That meant we each got 4 of the tofu ribs. I set them alongside my homemade fries and dinner was served.
So…I dug in…very eager to taste.
And very confused.
Okay..not confused…but let down. Before I had to go gluten-free, I loved eating Morningstar Farms BBQ Ribs. They were amazing. These…these were…not as amazing. In fact, the texture was a bit spongy…but, let’s keep in mind, this is tofu. So…I can deal with that. Sadly, however, the sauce was rather bland. Bland enough that I went and grabbed my bottle of Stubbs Original BBQ Sauce and added to my plate. I think next time I get these, I will try to cook them in a pan, and maybe get a different and better texture on them.
For being made of tofu…these weren’t bad. They just weren’t the epic feast that I was hoping for. So…worth trying again, yes. Scream about them from the rooftop awesome? Not really.
Now…for the nutrition part…
Sol Cuisine Organic BBQ Tofu Ribs pack a caloric punch of only 130 calories per serving and 7 grams of fat. These have a very low sodium count, holding at 160 mg. And, even better, they pack a whopping 9 grams of protein per serving. Awesome! So, quite nutritionally sound…I will definitely give them that.
Despite the texture and lack of flavor, I’d be willing to try other products by Sol Cuisine…and I would happily eat these again…but probably seared off in a pan instead of cooked in the oven. Maybe work some of that spongy texture out.
Overall…not great…but definitely not bad.
Sol Cuisine Organic BBQ Tofu Ribs (cooked in the oven and served w/ a side of homemade oven-baked fries)
There was a time, a couple years ago, when I could still eat just about anything I wanted. One of my favorite crackers for years (up until I started cutting out food with High Fructose Corn Syrup in it) was Ritz Crackers. And, yes, my dear snacking friends…Ritz do, in fact, contain HFCS. BOOO!
But, then the whole needing to go gluten-free thing happened and Ritz Crackers became a distant memory anyway. Oh, sure, I missed that buttery, rich flavor of each bite of those soft crackers…but with gluten ingredients and HFCS…that was a recipe for disaster for me. Completely.
And so, my life continued on…without a snack cracker for a long time.
But then, the market on them sort of exploded. From Mary’s Gone Crackers to Crunchmaster to Schär to Blue Diamond…gluten-free snack crackers have made the ultimate comeback…in a variety of flavors, textures, and tastes. I’m rather particular when it comes to taste and, especially, texture. I like to have light crackers…nothing heavy or dense. I want the first bite to have a soft crunch, not something loud. In other words…I was searching for a gluten-free Ritz cracker.
Well…Glutino nailed it.
Honestly, they did. A while back, they released their line of various snack crackers (which they are currently adding to with two new flavors). Originally, these came in Original, Multigrain, Vegetable, and Cheese. When my local grocery store had their mega closeout on their gluten-free selection, I grabbed what they had. A box of Glutino Cheese Crackers and one box of Glutino Multigrain Crackers.
You guessed it…these found their way into the black hole of my pantry…up until I ran out of my current snack and consulted my pantry list to see what was up next. These crackers were. And I was pretty stoked about trying them.
A serving of Glutino Cheddar Crackers is 30 grams (I weigh mine out), or about 8 crackers. Nutritionally speaking, this sets you back 140 calories and 5 grams of fat. Sodium levels are very low, totally 180 mg per serving. And each serving has 2 grams of protein. Not too shabby for a snack cracker. This is comparable to Ritz…but less fat and more protein. Awesome.
But…the big test is on taste. This can make or break a product.
When it comes to Glutino Cheddar Crackers…I don’t so much as get bombarded by cheese flavor. It’s there…but it’s very light, almost like an accent to the cracker itself. These are not salted, which I prefer, so the taste has to stand up for itself. And yeah…these do make the cut. One bite and it was like I was back in my Ritz Cracker face-stuffing days. Honestly. These crackers are very light with a gentle crunch and buttery texture. And the flavor is so reminiscent of Ritz. I love how the cheddar flavor doesn’t overwhelm the cracker itself. But I also think that these are probably better enjoyed topped off with some sort of spread (be it cream cheese, cheese slices, cheese spread, salsa, etc.) They are good. Oh, yes…they are good.
Glutino has definitely been hitting the mark with their products and I only hope that this trend continues. If you happen to be hosting a party and need a gluten-free snack cracker for any hors d’oeuvres, these are a great choice. If you are looking for a healthier snack option than chips…these are a great choice. And if you just miss having those Ritz crackers…these are a great choice.
The Celiathlete 