Cereal. It’s the most basic breakfast item out there. It’s also an easy go-to lunch, dinner, or midnight snack. Trust me…I have eaten it for every meal occasion out there. But…mostly for breakfast. Especially on race mornings or gym mornings. Why? Because it’s simple, easy, and not something that requires a lot of preparation or clean up.
I love the simplicity of a bowl of cereal. But cereal can either be good…or not so good. And sometimes…it can just be bad.
A couple days ago, I opened up a box of cereal I had never tried before. But I found it at my grocery store and decided to give it a go. After all, sometimes you need a different flavor, texture, brand, or just…something different to brighten up your mornings. So, instead of getting one of my Envirokidz cereals, I opted for Nature’s Path Gluten-Free Sunrise Crunchy Vanilla Cereal.
I would put this one in the second category. The Not So Good.
It’s not that this cereal is at all bad. In fact, nutritionally speaking, this is one of the better ones out there. Especially for the gluten-free crowd. Let’s take a look, shall we?
A serving of Nature’s Path Sunrise Crunchy Vanilla cereal is 2/3 cup. This serving will only set you back 110 calories (without milk…I use a splash of unsweetened almond milk, so I probably total 120 calories with mine). Not bad for a breakfast cereal. A serving only has 1 gram of fat, 6 grams of sugar, 3 grams of fiber, and 2 grams of protein. The Sunrise Crunchy Vanilla cereal also contains 12 grams of whole grains.
This cereal is chock-full of a variety of crunchy textures from flakes to puffs to crispies. So, at least it keeps the palate interested. But…stop right there. For me…depsite being lower in sugars for a breakfast cereal…I found this one WAY too sweet. Oh…wow…is it ever sweet!
Thank goodness I use unsweetened almond milk to top off my cereal because without it…this might be an big fail. It’s tolerable, flavor-wise…save for that vanilla sweetness that stings your taste buds and keeps on going from there. It just tastes off to me. Perhaps I’m used to milder flavors in the morning. This one definitely sucker-punches your taste buds with an abundance of vanilla flavor. It’s way too much for my liking and tends to take away from the otherwise pleasing textures of the cereal itself.
Oh, I was so disappointed with this one. As it isn’t offensive, I’m still eating it. Going to use it up and move on…never to purchase this one again. I think, in my mind, I was hoping it would be a lot like the Kay’s Naturals Gluten-Free cereal I tried last year. But this one was nowhere near that caliber of deliciousness. Like…completely went in the opposite direction.
While we all crave something sweet some mornings, this is just too much all at once. Thank you, Nature’s Path, for changing up the offerings for the gluten-free crowd…but this one just doesn’t suit me at all. Maybe take that vanilla sweetness down a notch. Then we’ll talk. Until then…back to Envirokidz.
KIND Healthy Grains Maple Walnut Clusters with Chia and Quinoa
Product: KIND Healthy Grains Maple Walnut Clusters with Chia and Quinoa – $4.99+
Here is a tale of my typical Saturday. After I run, either in a race or for training, my roommate and I usually get some food (breakfast/brunch) and then start our usual routine of grocery shopping. And, in case you were wondering, yes…this is pretty much an all-day adventure. With my dietary needs, there are certain stores in the area that carry certain staples or items that I need or use or just want. And I can’t get them at the usual suspects when it comes to grocery stores. So, it means a drive to Louisville to hit up the wide array of natural food stores and organic grocery stores that they have. Thank goodness for that.
Where am I going with this?
Well, I was lax this past week in my duties of creating a grocery list of items I needed as we ran low or out of them. I was just…busy…stressed…or whatever. That being the case, after I raced on Saturday morning and we grabbed brunch at a local restaurant, we headed out to accomplish our grocery shopping from the list I randomly threw together while we noshed…hoping that I didn’t leave anything out.
As we came back over to our side of the river, to finish up on products available everywhere but cheaper at certain grocery stores…there were still a number of things on the list. And as we stood in the refrigerated section with all the yogurt, and I piled our cart full of Chobani Greek Yogurt…it didn’t even dawn on me that…we used up the last of the granola last week. Well, that was until we ducked into the cereal aisle and that knowledge hit me like a ton of bricks. DUH!
Normally, I adorn the breakfast parfait I whip up (which consists of granola, vanilla Greek yogurt, and fresh fruit) with Love Grown Foods granola. But this particular grocery store didn’t have that brand and after being at a dozen other stores that day…I just wanted to finish up and go home. So, I scanned…just to see what they might have that is gluten-free. And what did I spy with my weary grocery shopping eyes?
KIND Healthy Grains.
GLUTEN-FREE! Yep. I am in love with most of the KIND bars I have been eating, so I figured…why not use this for my granola this time around. Branch out. Try something new. They had about five different flavors to choose from, so I called my roommate over to select one. I would have been happy with any of them. She, however, can be a bit pickier…so it’s best to let her choose at times. She scanned the flavor varieties for a moment and reached out to grab…the KIND Healthy Grains Maple Walnut Clusters with Chia and Quinoa.
Not the one I expected her to grab. So, that was a surprise.
KIND Healthy Grains Maple Walnut Clusters with Chia and Quinoa
Today was the big day. Instead of regular cereal, on non-gym days I have a bit more time in the kitchen, so I usually whip up a nice warm breakfast along with a breakfast fruit, yogurt and granola parfait. Today’s combination…caramelized apples with vanilla Greek yogurt and topped off with KIND Healthy Grains Maple Walnut Clusters. I’m a pro at the apples part, so I got those working in a pan on the stove. Then, I opened up the bag of Maple Walnut Clusters.
First appearances…awesome. Big clusters, little clusters, and individual oats are literally throughout this bag. It makes for great texture and great combination. With the variety of cluster sizes, it definitely makes scattering them throughout the parfait a little more exciting. I reached into the bag and snagged one of the bigger clusters…because if I was going to blog on these, I needed to taste them on their own. I popped it in my mouth and slowly began to chew.
Really, really good. I mean…wow. The maple flavor lends the right amount of sweetness an the walnuts gives it that balance that you look for in a granola. I thought the texture was awesome and it had a great crunch to it. And, this would definitely pair well with caramelized apples, for sure. So, I was pretty stoked about the new granola. I placed some in the bottom of the two bowls, topped it with some of the vanilla Greek yogurt, then hit it up with some apples…repeated the layers…then gave the top a light sprinkling of the Maple Walnut Clusters and called it a breakfast masterpiece.
And it was. I thought the texture and flavors meshed so well with the fruit and yogurt combination this morning. In fact, if anything, it added a hint of sweetness to the finished product. I kept going back for more. The clusters didn’t get soggy in the yogurt, even when I had to let mine sit for a moment while I finished preparing the quinoa breakfast porridge with blueberries and toasted walnuts. I had a lot working in the kitchen today…so my attention was divided between different dishes I was making…and making sure I was getting myself fed before heading out the door. So, KIND totally hit the nail on the head with its KIND Healthy Grains Maple Walnut Clusters with Chia and Quinoa. Seriously good eats.
As for any nutritional information, the KIND Healthy Grains Maple Walnut Clusters with Chia and Quinoa contains a heart-healthy blend of walnuts, chia, and whole grains amaranth, quinoa, oats, millet, and buckwheat. They are sweetened with a hint of maple syrup. And, as a bonus, these clusters contain 300 mg of Omega-3 fatty acids and provide 17 grams of whole grains per serving. And how much is a serving? 1/3 cup. Yep. That’s really good for a granola. Trust me!
This 1/3 cup of KIND Healthy Grains will also provide your body with 130 calories and 3.5 grams of fat . Not too shabby. Not at all. Even better, these clusters are not littered with excess sugars. In fact, the sugar content is quite low, standing at 6 grams per serving. LOVE that. A LOT! And, thanks to the addition of chia and quinoa, each serving provides 3 grams of protein. It’s nice to have a healthier granola option out on the market. Also, KIND Healthy Grains are all gluten-free, cholesterol free, low in sodium, and all natural.
What’s not to love about that?
I hope to try some more varieties of the KIND Healthy Grains line in the very near future. My breakfast parfaits depend on it!
Breakfast Parfait with caramelized apples, vanilla Greek yogurt, and KIND Healthy Grains Maple Walnut Clusters with Chia and Quinoa
While I have enjoyed all the previous three flavors in the Über line-up of sweet and salty fruit and nut bars, nothing has come close to matching the fantastic taste and flavor of your Bananas Foster version. I took one bite and died and went to heaven. This bar is so reminiscent of a delicious piece of banana bread that I hoovered the rest of it…savoring it as much as I could manage, but just wanting to eat more and more and more. It’s a good thing I left the box at home because I’d be tempted to eat all five bars. Calories be damned.
Seriously…where have you been all my life? And please…don’t ever leave me.
Love always,
Me
Lärabar Über Bananas Foster Snack Bar
OH. MY. GOD. IT. IS. SO. GOOD.
Okay…now that I have that out of my system, let me get down to the basics of this blog. A couple months ago, my local grocery store had every flavor of Lärabar Über on Manager’s Special. I could have grabbed so many more boxes than I did…and wish now that I had. But, being that, at the time, I was overladen with snacks and protein bars, I chose just to get one of each. After all, I had yet to try the Über line from Lärabar and wasn’t sure if I would like them or not. I actually had enjoyed, immensely, the previous three flavors: Cherry Cobbler, Apple Turnover, and the Roasted Nut Roll. The last in the line-up to near the expiration date was the box of Banana Foster bars.
Now…I love bananas because, well, I love them and I’m a runner…so therefore…I love them. Packing that flavor into an über delicious protein bar…SMART!! No…really. Because none of the other bars, for me, come close to rivaling this one in flavor. Immediately I know…banana. And, even better, the inclusion of the nuts and seasoning make it taste like an amazing slice of the best banana bread you have ever eaten. It was food porn in the best possible way. Snack time this coming week is going to be amazing.
So…here’s the basics…
The Lärabar Über Bananas Foster bar is completley gluten-free, non-GMO, and kosher. Awesome. But let’s not stop there. It is made up of a variety of fruit and nuts. So, if you have nut allergies, this bar may not be the best choice. If you, however, do not have an allergy to nuts…this bar is awesome. The Bananas Foster bar contains simple ingredients that you will immediatley recognize. These are walnuts, almonds, brown rice syrup, dates, dried bananas, pecans, honey sea salt, and cinnamon. That’s it. No funky chemicals and no added preservatives. Nothing that you have to google to know what it is…and no ingredients you can’t pronounce. 100% naturally good and good for you.
As for the nutrition facts, a serving size is 1 bar. This bar packs the most calories of all 4 varieties, clocking in at 230 calories per bar. Also, on a sad realization…this bar also packs 17 grams worth of fat. YIKES!! While I do love my desserts, I try to keep things lower on the fat scale when it comes to snacks. This bar is low in sodium (140 mg), lower(er) on the sugar scale (8 grams), and packs 4 grams of protein per bar, thanks to the inclusion of all those nut varieties.
So, while high in calories and high in fat (but, as most of this fat comes from nuts, it is at least the healthy fat), it actually is rather nutritious. And I can see this being something I could eat prior to a shorter race (I usually split them with my roommate anyway).
What I loved so much about this bar is that it actually tastes like a treat. It’s like eating a dessert. And, I do suppose some could argue that at that calorie count, it pretty much is a dessert. But imagine the amount of sugar you are taking out, as well as all the butter and cream. Like I said…healthy fats here. It’s decadent without being unhealthy or rich. It’s just one amazing bite after the next. It’s a struggle to NOT devour it without savoring the flavor. It really is that good. The Web site describes them as ‘bananamzaing.’ No kidding. This bar is bananas! And bananas…is good.
Product: Dr. Lucy’s Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies – $5.59+
So, if you recall, the other day I did a not-so-favorable review on Dr. Lucy’s Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies. I called them salty…and definitely found them to be more savory than sweet. I wasn’t impressed. In fact, my roommate and I figured that the only way we could get rid of that “beany, salty” flavor was to slap a piece of chocolate in between two cookies, add a little Marshmallow Fluff, toast it with the kitchen torch, and eat it like you would a S’more.
Don’t judge. You do what you can when you refuse to waste money and throw something away. The sugar cookies…were just not my thing.
As you can imagine, tonight when I was to bust open the remaining box of Dr. Lucy’s cookies that I got on sale at the store, I wasn’t feeling too good about it. At least I knew the texture to expect. Crunchy, crispy is how these cookies are described on the Web site and there is no better description for them. These cookies are about the size of a Chips Ahoy cookie. So, they are what I would consider a normal size cookie.
I’ll start with the background and work my way into what I made of this new flavor.
First of all, a serving of Dr. Lucy’s Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies is 3 cookies. Those three cookies will only set you back 130 calories and 5 grams of fat. A serving also contains 12 grams of sugar and 2 grams of protein. Not bad for three cookies, eh? Aside from that, the flour mix that is used is one that is composed of bean flours. I concluded that the addition of garbanzo and fava flours is what gave the sugar cookies that odd taste after taking a bite. I was nervous, then, that these would have the same problem.
Also of note, these cookies are vegan, gluten-free, and contain no peanuts, tree nuts, milk or eggs.
So, the moment of
truth arrived. Dessert time. And I popped these cookies out of the box and handed three to my roommate before heading off to retrieve my own. She took the first bite and I had to inquire if it was any good. She said that it tasted like the sugar cookies, but with chocolate. It was pretty good.
Oh, I dread those words coming from her. Sometimes ‘pretty good’ means it’s okay…sometimes it means ‘I don’t like it, but I’m not going to say that to you.’ And deciding what she means when she says something is ‘pretty good’ is nigh on impossible. I released a sigh and made a comment about how I was hoping it would taste better than the sugar cookies. I picked up my cookies and went to settle in and attempt to enjoy my dessert.
One bite…and I knew that by ‘pretty good’ she meant that these cookies were…okay. In fact…they were rather close to actually being just good. I mean, I’m not big on crunchy cookies, but this one is actually suited to it. I actually found that the vegan chocolate chips added a nice hint of sweetness to the cookie base, which is exactly what the sugar cookies were lacking, and why my roomie and I doctored ours up with things to make them sweeter and take away from that odd taste that the sugar cookies had. With the chocolate chip cookies…I don’t get that at all. Thank goodness for chocolate! It saved the day once more…and made me feel a lot better about my dessert.
Apparently, the Dr. Lucy Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies have taken top honors when compared to major gluten-free brands in an independent taste test. And a lot of that sweetness comes from their use of dark chocolate chips. I love, love, LOVE dark chocolate.
So, I guess I was going into this tasting with the wrong mindset, because after one bite, I was actually quite satisfied with these chocolate chip cookies. Dr. Lucy’s might have missed the mark with their sugar cookies, but the gluten-free chocolate chip ones are actually…pretty good. And that’s definitely a step in the right direction.
Product: Dr. Lucy’s Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies – $5.59+
For the two years I have been gluten-free, I have been hearing and reading about the cookies from Dr. Lucy’s. I see advertisements for them in certain magazines. I pass them on the shelves at the grocery market. In a word…I knew about them, I just hadn’t taken the time to try them. And why not?
Because I have so many cookies in my pantry (remember…living gluten-free cookie monster here) and these were a bit on the pricier side when it came to gluten-free cookies. And, until recently, no flavors really stood out. You had your basics and the ones that pretty much every gluten-free cookie company shells out to the marketplace. Sure, I had read amazing things about Dr. Lucy’s cookies…but I wasn’t ready to spend that kind of money on them. I do, after all, have to budget my grocery bill each week.
That being said, my local grocery store had a mega closeout on their gluten-free section. Enough to throw me into panic mode and grab at least one of everything I desperately wanted to try…just in case it was gone for good. In that mix was a box of Dr. Lucy’s Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies. And last night…these just happened to be up next for dessert. So, after eating dinner, I opened up the pantry and dug out the Sugar Cookies, which were the first of the two boxes to be used. I checked for the serving size…three cookies!!…and then pulled out a serving for both my roommate and myself.
At first glance, these cookies look like your every day, run-of-the-mill sugar cookies. They are crispy. I could tell that before even biting into one. If you, like me, prefer a soft cookie, this brand may not be for you. But if you don’t mind some crunch (and I don’t…I just prefer soft cookies in the long run)…then go ahead and try these out for size. They are a light golden color and the tops are dusted with sugar crystals. Yep…almost like homemade…just without the hassle.
My roommate was the first to bite into these treats last night, and when I asked how they were, she said…”Pretty good.” Which usually means…they are edible…but we’ve had better. So, after I took a picture for the blog, I settled in for my own taste.
And yeah…they are “pretty good.” After visiting Dr. Lucy’s Web site, I have discovered that the main flours that are used to make these cookies are bean flours. Yep…bean flours. And I think that’s why, to me, at least, these cookies tasted more salty than sweet. They were definitely more of a savory treat as opposed to what I think of as a dessert. And that really threw me off. For real. I mean, when you think SUGAR COOKIE…you think…sweetness, a bit of gritty texture, and sugar. And…while there was a hint of sweetness at first, it sort of changed the more you chewed and took on a more salty aspect. It sort of threw my taste buds for a loop and they weren’t quite sure what to do with that.
The Web site does describe the cookies as “crispy, crunchy” and that is completely on par with the cookies I was eating. These cookies are also all produced in a dedicated facility so that there is no risk of cross-contamination. While these cookies are definitely crispy and crunchy (seriously…nothing chewy or soft about these), they don’t crumble and fall apart when you take a bite out of them either. On the contrary, they hold together really well, so no need to throw them on that dessert plate. You can nip at these and hot have the crumbles land in your lap.
That being said, when it comes to flavor, you’ll probably either love these or loath these. I’m still on the fence. I wanted sweet…something to cleanse the palate after I ate…and I sort of get that…but not quite. I just don’t find this to be a successful execution of gluten-free cookies. They aren’t bad…but they are…weird. The flavor just was off for me…and I’m pretty certain it has to do with the bean flours that are used to produce the base of the cookie.
While not bad…I’d probably choose a different gluten-free sugar cookie on the market before buying a box of these again.
Product: Rao’s Homemade Tomato Marinara with Basil Sauce – $8.99+
Oh yeah…Rao’s pasta sauce is expensive. VERY expensive.
So, what am I doing buying it? Well…it was on sale for half off…meaning I only paid about $5.00 for a 24 ounce jar. That’s not too shabby, right? *looks around innocently*
The fact of the matter is, no matter what food magazine or awards you might be looking through, when it comes to jarred pasta sauces, Rao’s always comes out on top. And I have been dying to try some of their sauce for…ever. No…really. Forever.
When a sale hit a local natural food store I shop at, I couldn’t help but snatch up one of the more basic sauces. Start basic…and if they nail that…then go bigger. That’s how I like to look at it. So, it came down between the regular marinara sauce or the tomato basil sauce. And…being the flavor fiend that I am, I decided to throw the whole basil aspect into the pot and see how that works. So, at half the cost, I purchased my first jar of Rao’s pasta sauce – Rao’s Homemade Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce with Basil.
And, with the urge to make stuffed shells and the gluten-free pasta shells and filling to do it with…it was as though the fates aligned to make this a reality. This sauce didn’t sit in my pantry for long at all. I was definitely eager to give it a taste. Last night, after a long day at the office, I went ahead with plans to make my gluten-free and vegan stuffed shells. I cooked up the noodles, stuffed them with my own variety of a filling, and then laid them in a thin layer of sauce before topping them off with the remainder of the jar.
From the moment I popped the lid and took a small taste…I knew there was going to be something magic about this sauce. No doubt about it. From just one little swipe at the top of the lid, I could sense the flavor explosion this sauce was going to lend to my dish. And I couldn’t be happier about it. Fact of the matter was, however, I needed to get my stuffed shells in the oven to cook and then I would really see how the sauce was, on its own and with the pasta and stuffing. So, into the oven it went…and for 30 minutes…I sat in wild anticipation.
Okay…really I did yoga…but I thought a lot about the casserole cooking up in my oven. Thirty minutes later, I was rolling up my yoga mat and pulling my pasta out of the oven. It smelled divine. My roommate even said that if it tasted as good as it smelled…we were lucky girls tonight.
Luck had nothing to do with it. A really amazing pasta sauce did, however.
Let’s start with the nitty-gritty. Rao’s Homemade Tomato Marinara Sauce with Basil is definitely a low calorie option for topping off pasta. A serving is 1/2 cup, and a jar will serve 6 people. In this serving, you will only set yourself back 60 calories…so if you are a sauce fiend, you won’t feel too bad about indulging a little. A serving contains 5 grams of fat, mostly from the olive oil (a healthy fat) as well. In addition, it is low in sodium (only 340 mg) and contains no cholesterol.
Enough of that technical stuff though…
Rao’s Homemade Tomato Marinara with Basil Sauce tastes like I just cooked it up that same night and poured it over the pasta. It really does taste the fresh. The ingredients are cooked and quickly jarred by Rao’s…so they retain all their flavor and don’t sacrifice quality as well. I mean, this sauce is all natural, containing tomatoes, Italian olive oil, onion, garlic and basil. Simple, clean flavors..that just explode with each taste. Most jarred pasta sauces taste like jarred pasta sauce. Not this one. It honestly tasted like I just made it…except better than my homemade sauce. It was light, chunky, and just simply amazing. All those food awards and reader surveys can’t be wrong and they weren’t. Fresh tomatoes and fresh basil…it tastes like it’s fresh from farm to table. I was beyond impressed.
Yeah…I know…I balk at the price of this pasta sauce too, but after tasting it…I would be reluctant to go back to any other jarred sauce out there. This one was beyond impressive. And now I hope to try the other flavors in the massive Rao’s sauce lineup. If you can find a jar that you can work into your budget, I encourage you to do so…immediately. Trust me…the taste alone is worth every dollar.
Gluten-Free & Vegan Stuffed Shells topped with Rao’s Homemade Tomato Marinara with Basil Sauce
Product: Tinkyáda Brown Rice Grand Shells – $3.39+
You know…I do have to give major props to Tinkyáda as a whole when it comes to gluten-free pasta options that are out on the market today. They definitely have the best variety when it comes to options. Normally the grocery store will have your basic fusilli, penne, spaghetti…but Tinkyáda actually has a couple of different options out there. For that, I am beyond appreciative.
One such option that is difficult to find, but worth the search or possibly the Internet order…is Tinkyáda’s Brown Rice Grand Shells.
In other words…a gluten-free option for anyone who has been craving stuffed shells.
Like I had been.
For…like…ever!
And on a whim one day while out at the grocery store, I spotted some Tofutti Better Than Ricotta Cheese in the vegan/vegetarian refrigerated section and bought it. Why? I have no idea. I wanted to try it. Tofutti makes the best vegan sour cream and a really great vegan cream cheese…so why not give the vegan ricotta cheese a try, yes?
I’m a chef in my own mind…the answer to that is always…a resounding, “YES!”
So, I purchased it. And took it home. I popped it into my refrigerator.
And then…it just…sat.
But it donned on me this past weekend while out grocery shopping…that I had purchased a box of Tinkyáda Brown Rice Grand Shells this past summer while in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for a race. I stopped by the Gluten-Free Trading Company and made a point to purchase a box of those. Why? Because my friend Jenn and I ended up ordering some on the Internet awhile back and we still haven’t used them. So…I now got to be the guinea pig.
After a long, hectic day at the office, I got home and immediately put a pot of water on the stove to bring to a boil. I retrieved this pasta from the pantry and popped it open to take a look. If you, like me, were expecting “normal” sized jumbo shells…like the “real” stuff you can buy at the store if you can eat the regular stuff…you will be disappointed. I sort of was.
Tinkyáda Brown Rice Grand Shells (cooked)
These Grand Shells…are definitely much smaller than the average shell you would use to make stuffed shells. So, I did feel my heart drop a little upon opening up the box. I checked the serving size…and it said that the box held 4 servings. So I counted out the shells and found I had 28 of them. Awesome. I always allow for pasta rippage and general carnage when using larger noodles. You might recall my unfortunate incident with the Tinkyáda Lasagna Noodles…and how they stuck together and then promptly fell apart into pieces, making my lasagna…a little interesting to put together. So…I dumped the entire box into the boiling water and cooked it for about 18 minutes, just so that it was al dente.
While the noodles cooked, I said a prayer to the gluten-free pasta gods for a little luck when it came to the shells. Maybe, just maybe enough of them would be useable. If not…I’d have to get really creative with my stuffed shell meal. So, with the shells boiling away, I set to prepping my filling for the shells.
I totally made this up. All I knew was that I wanted to use the Tofutti Better Than Ricotta Cheese. So, I scooped out a cup of it and put it in a bowl. From there…it needed to be seasoned. So I grabbed some dried herbs from my spice rack and just started eyeballing things. In went the parsley, sage, thyme, basil, and oregano. Then, a little garlic salt, some crushed red pepper flakes, a touch of cayenne pepper, and a little garlic powder. I mixed it all together. Then, I grabbed the green onions I had from my CSA bin and chopped those up, both parts…the white and the green, and threw them into a pan to sautee in a little olive oil. Out of the fridge came the vegan and gluten-free chorizo that I got at Trader Joes. I added it to the pan after the onions had softened and just allowed it to heat through. Finally, I threw in some minced garlic, let that heat for about 30 seconds until it was fragrant…then took it off the heat. I let it sit for a few minutes, then emptied that into my ricotta cheese mixture and folded it all together.
At that point, my shells were just about ready. I set up the colander to drain them, and picked up the large pot of noodles. Holding my breath, I poured the contents into the colander, expecting torn bits of these grand shells to tumble out. But, for the most part, the shells were completely intact. Color me impressed! I gave the shells a rinse in cold water and then shook them carefully out to get most of the water out. I brought them over to my work station and prepped my casserole dish with some tomato sauce and a sprinkling of Daiya mozzarella shreds.
Tinkyáda Brown Rice Grand Shells (stuffed)
Then…the exciting part. Stuffing the shells.
I handled each shell carefully at first, afraid that one single wrong move would cause the shell to tear or fall apart. Let’s face it…rice noodles have this reputation of getting mushy. And they have that reputation because…it happens. One tablespoon of filling went into each of the “grand” shells, because that gave them the perfect stuffed appearance. As these shells don’t fold over like normal shells, I laid them in the pan face up, instead of down, because I didn’t want my stuffing to fall out into the pan. The entire point of having stuffed shells is that they are…stuffed. Only a few shells didn’t make the cut. And the rest I had leftover were tossed only because I ran out of stuffing. It happens. Next time…more stuffing.
So now, the shells had survived boiling, draining, rinsing, and stuffing. And they were still holding their form. Still impressed. So, I took the remainder of my tomato sauce and poured it over top the shells. A sprinkling of Daiya mozzarella shreds went over the top. Then, into the oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes it went.
And I managed to squeeze in some time with my yoga mat while it baked away. I uncovered the dish for the last 5 minutes of baking and hoped for the best.
Out of the oven they came and I took a moment to marvel at how amazing the pasta still looked. The big test now was how they would hold up as I transferred them from the casserole dish to the plate.
The Tinkyáda Brown Rice Grand Shells passed with flying colors. I scooped up each shell in the cradle of a spoon and carefully deposited a serving on a plate. They didn’t fall apart at all. I was SO impressed. Now it came down to taste.
My roommate and I settled in with our dinner and she took the first bite. She raved about the filling. And then said that the noodles were actually really good. She loved how they were like regular ones in that you slice into them, and they squish down and the filling fills up the fork. I couldn’t agree more. Some of the shells were still a little too al dente…but the sauce and filling helped with that. Of course, the true test will come tonight when I reheat the shells and see if they still hold up as well after spending the night in the fridge.
As far as brown rice pasta goes, Tinkyáda is one of my go-to brands. I haven’t met a noodle I didn’t like from them. Honestly. The box of Tinkyáda Brown Rice Grand Shells has 4 servings in it. That’s actually a lot of shells…so you can probably squeeze out more to be honest. Even if they are smaller than the average pasta shell. A serving as 210 calories, which is right there with regular shells, so that’s a plus. The serving has only 2 grams of fat and 43 grams of carbohydrates for all you gluten-free athletes out there. Oh…and 4 grams of protein as well. Loving that. What’s even better is that the ingredients couldn’t be more basic: stone-ground brown rice, rice bran and water. Yep…I love ingredients that I recognize and can tell you exactly what they are. Love that this has nothing questionable in it.
So, all-in-all…a great showing for Tinkyáda when it comes to these “jumbo” (I use the term loosely) shells. I won’t complain. They did the job. And, as far as I have seen, Tinkyáda is currently the only gluten-free pasta company that offers something remotely close to the jumbo pasta shells out on the market. So, there is definitely a niche there and one that I am happy they filled.
Much love, Tinkyáda…and appreciation. Because my stuffed shell craving has been satisfied. Now…if only my local stores would start carrying these in their inventory…
Gluten-Free and Vegan Stuffed Shells made with Tinkyáda Brown Rice Grand Shells
As you may very well know by now…I love soup. Absolutely LOVE soup. If I have the time and ingredients, I will make any soup from scratch, freeze it, and eat it whenever the urge to slurp something hot and filling on a cold (or sometimes warm) day strikes. This winter has been particularly good for soup. Except my time hasn’t been as free as I wish it were at times, so a from-scratch soup doesn’t happen as often as I would like. That being the case, I stocked up on a couple gluten-free and low-sodium cans of soup to grab if the need to warm up and have a quick meal should strike.
This was the case last night. Over a week ago, my office moved buildings. And, unfortunately, the temperature control is…not the best. The building is old…but I still like to be able to feel my toes when I’m at the office. Just sayin’.
Needless to say…I was freezing pretty much the entire day. Which made me really not want to go on my fun run. It was not bad outside last night, actually. Somewhere in the low 40s, which is great running weather. But, after being chilled to the bone all day, the last thing I really wanted to do was step outside, on purpose, and go for a 30 minute run in Louisville.
BUT…on the way home, my roommate talked me back into it. After all, I had already had it in my head to prepare an easy meal prior to going (soup with a gluten-free and vegan grilled cheese sammie), that wouldn’t be too heavy, but will still power me through my run. So, I agreed that I was being a wuss and said that when we got home, I’d warm up the soup and get the sandwiches cooking before changing and heading over the river to run with my running group.
Upon walking through the door to the apartment, I shed my jacket and immediately went to the kitchen to pull out a pot to warm the soup in. The only can of soup left in my pantry (mental note made: buy more soup!) was Amy’s Organic Low Fat Black Bean Vegetable Soup. My roommate retrieved the can for me while I turned on the stove and got out the vegan cheese and other such items for the sandwiches. I left the bread in plastic bags to thaw while we were at work.
I opened the can and poured it into the pan, setting it over a medium heat so that it gave me time to get the sandwiches assembled and into the skillet. At first…it looked…rather disgusting. This thin brown broth followed by chunks of vegetables and this thick black bean puree. Yeah…it smelled okay…but it didn’t look very good. I managed to give it a good stir and get all the ingredients incorporated together. This thickened up the broth and made it look much better overall. I mean, it’s black bean soup…of course it’s not going to be beautiful. But…it needs to at least look appetizing.
It heated while I got to making the gluten-free and vegan grilled cheese, and they did finish up at the same time. Miracle of miracles. So, I plated the sammies and then grabbed a couple of bowls from my cabinet to ladle the soup into. It wasn’t as thick as most black bean soups tend to be, but I loved being able to see the variety of vegetables that were included in this soup, so it wasn’t just beans and spices. That was a nice touch. And yes…it smelled amazing. I will definitely concede to that fact. I walked the bowl out to my roommate then went to put water in the pot to soak while I went to eat before getting ready to head out to my running group’s Monday run.
I asked her as I was getting my food together what she thought of the soup. She said that it reminded her a lot of chili, which she has been craving, so that was a good thing. And if the roommate likes it…that’s also a good thing. She can be quite picky about certain things. And, human nature deems that all of us prefer different flavors and textures. I love a lot of spice in my food, so I found this rather unimpressive in that category, while she thought there was some heat to it. I found it mild, she found it sort of spicy. See what I mean?
Overall, however, it did it’s job. It was a satisfying meal that provided plenty of nutrients, protein, and wasn’t overkill on the calories and sodium like a lot of soups can be. Especially when they involve heavier ingredients like beans.
In fact, a serving size of this soup is half the can. And that will only set you back 140 calories and 1.5 grams of fat. How awesome is that?! A serving does contain 620 mg of sodium, which is higher than I like…but lower than a lot of soups on the market. So, we went with it. And, thanks to the black beans, one serving packs 6 grams of protein to your diet. That’s amazing.
So, while I would have liked a little more spice, this soup is a safe, gluten-free and dairy free soup. No cholesterol. And, most importantly, filling and delicious. If you like a little more flavor…add some of your own spices or a dash of hot sauce. I might do that next time. This soup is rich and filling and was the perfect way to warm up before going for a chilly run.
Another delicious product from Amy’s Kitchen.
A bowl of Amy’s Organic Low Fat Black Bean Vegetable Soup
Ah, winter. The only thing about winter that I absolutely love…is that it is the heart of soup season. Nothing beats a warm bowl of soup on an icy cold evening. Nothing. Just…trust me on this one.
Now, I do love to make my own soups and often do. However…sometimes there just isn’t enough time in the day to get all the prep work and the whole cooking part of the meal done. It can be a bit daunting…especially in my closet-sized kitchen. I love to cook, but not in there. Not for long periods of time. There just isn’t room.
Well, upon returning from vacation in Disney World, my roomie and I were looking to use up some of the items that are lingering in the pantry, fridge, and/or freezer. Being that we had come from warm, beautiful Florida…back to a wintery mix falling from the Louisville skies…soup sounded pretty awesome. We had two more days until the weekend and we were trying to make it through without hitting up the grocery store for anything besides necessary items (her skim milk, my Greek yogurt, etc.).
That being said, I had a couple of Amy’s Soups in my pantry…both gluten-free of course. It was just a matter of which one we should devour that chilly evening.
I let Cathy choose…and her decision was to have Amy’s Thai Coconut (Tom Kha Phak) soup that night with a gluten-free grilled cheese and avocado sandwich. Sounded good to me…and it was as easy as making a sandwich and heating up the contents of the soup can, which made my travel weary body very happy.
Tom Kha Phak is a popular soup in Thai restaurants that combines sweet coconut milk with warm Thai spices, organic tofu, lemongrass, shiitake mushrooms, sweet potatoes, and other various vegetables. So many times, this type of soup is a go-to for someone who is unfamiliar with Thai food and not sure what to get or what they might like. As Tom Kha Phak has a delicate, mild flavor…it is often a good place to start.
But…I adore Thai food. I love Thai food. I often crave Thai food. That being said, I have never had Tom Kha Phak at any Thai restaurant. I normally go for a Pad Thai or something along that line. So, I didn’t know what this soup was going to taste like or if I would like it. Really the most daunting part of it was the fact that it was a coconut milk based soup. Which, shouldn’t make a difference as I drink and use coconut milk in many things. Why this threw me off and made me a bit apprehensive about this soup is beyond me. Guess it was just one of those mental roadblocks.
But, I set aside any judgement and poured the soup out of the can into a pot and began to warm it on the stove. While that was warming, I went to work on the gluten-free grilled (vegan) cheese and avocado sandwiches. They finished up at the same time, so I couldn’t have been happier. I sliced the sandwiches into fourths (because you gotta have those little triangles!) and then dished up little bowls of the soup. Dinner was served.
I’ll say this…the soup absolutely smelled fantastic, so if that was any indication as to what it might taste like…I was ready to be wowed. One little slurp of just the broth and I was hooked. Once I began ladling up spoonfuls of the broth with the vegetables and tofu…it was soup magic. This instantly became one of my most favorite pre-packaged, buy-it-off-the-shelf soups on the market. I loved the warm spices that were throughout the coconut milk broth. The vegetables were soft, yet packed with flavor. The tofu was rich, but didn’t overpower anything else in the soup. I wanted more…but all I had was what was in my bowl. So I savored it…down to the last slurp.
Amy’s Thai Coconut Soup (Tom Kha Phak) has no trans fat, no added MSG, and no preservatives. It is certified vegan and gluten-free. The ingredients that go into this soup are all items I recognize. Every single one of them. Filtered water, organic coconut milk, organic sweet potatoes, organic carrots, organic tofu, organic green beans, organic onions, organic shiitake mushrooms, spices, sea salt, organic evaporated cane juice, organic cornstarch, organic tamari, kaffir lime leaf (remove this before serving, BTW), organic garlic, shallots, organic orange peel, and organic oil. I bet you recognize every single item I listed off. It’s all natural and organic…and what that sort of quality brings to the product is astounding.
As for nutritional information, the serving size is half the can, which means you get two servings out of the container. Each serving contains 140 calories and 10 grams of fat. Don’t panic over those fat calories…much of that is healthy fat that comes form your coconut milk. A serving packs a 4 grams of protein punch. And, for being a canned soup, the 580 mg of sodium isn’t too bad comparatively speaking.
Oh…and this soup is delicious. If I didn’t get my point across earlier.
Amy’s Kitchen provides so many gluten-free and vegan options that I don’t know why I doubted the quality and taste of this soup. I have yet to meet an Amy’s product that I can eat that I don’t like. Honestly…when a company puts that much effort into providing the best quality and tasting product they can produce…it shows.
And this soup…now ranks as one of my favorites. Never tried it? Go out to your grocery store…right now…and buy a can. Give it a quick warm and enjoy. I promise…you’ll fall in love with it as quickly as I did.
This past week, I found myself in Disney World. Why? To run the Disney Princess Half Marathon, of course. But I knew that there would be times where food might be an issue for me…especially when mid-day hunger strikes while out at the park. There was no guarantee that I’d find something that I could eat. So, I traveled prepared, as always. And thanks to the KIND bars that I ordered with my Groupon, I had quite a few on hand with me on my trip and in the parks.
This entry is a little more unconventional than my normal product reviews…because I am going to review three bars in one post. Why? Because it makes life a little easier on me…and doesn’t mean multiple entries for you, my dear readers, to page through.
We both win.
So…without further adieu…
KIND Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut Snack Bar
Product: KIND Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut Bar – $1.99+
I admit…when I first pulled this bar out of the cube, I was less than thrilled. While I do appreciate the flavor of coconut in things, I wasn’t sure if the coconut would overwhelm the entire flavor of the bar. But…I figured there was only one way to find out. That morning before heading out to Animal Kingdom, I packed the Almond & Coconut Snack Bar from KIND’s Fruit & Nut line and hoped for the best. My roommate and I would be splitting it, so at least if we didn’t like it…we’d only have half to eat.
When we did bust out the bar for a snack and split it in half…we both took a bite…
And…were both surprised. Full of great flavor. Sort of like eating an Almond Joy…without the chocolate coating. Yeah…I was impressed and I devoured. No hesitation. No complaints. The hint of coconut flavor was perfect.
This bar contains almonds, coconut, honey, crisp rice, and chicory root fiber, all of which are bound together and create a great salty-sweet snack bar. I thought all of the ingredients worked well together. The bar wasn’t overly sticky nor was it messy to eat. And the flavor was spot-on!
The Almond & Coconut Snack Bar has 190 calories for the entire bar and 12 grams of fat. It is low in sodium, having only 25 mg. In addition, the entire bar has 3 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber, making it quite filling. While this bar has 12 grams of sugar, which I consider a lot…it at least has less than a candy bar would…so I give KIND that much.
Surprisingly, I enjoyed this one!
KIND Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut Snack Bar (unwrapped)
KIND Plus Blueberry Pecan + Fiber Snack Bar
Product: KIND Plus Blueberry Pecan + Fiber Snack Bar – $1.99+
The next day at Disney brought about a similar scenario. My roommate and I were hitting up Magic Kingdom and we knew that it was going to be awhile between breakfast and dinner…so we needed a couple of snacks to fulfill any mid-day cravings that could not be satisfied by Dole Whip (hehehe). Of course, before even hitting the Magic Kingdom, I had a race expo to attend so I could pick up my race packet and do some necessary shopping. This actually took much longer than I anticipated…and so…we ended up hitting Magic Kingdom right about lunch time.
So after getting through bag check and entering the park, we spotted a parade going on. This gave us a good excuse to stop and enjoy a bite to eat. This time…I packed the KIND Plus Blueberry Pecan + Fiber Snack Bar. This one I was really, really excited about. Why? Because in my mind, I was certain it was going t taste like blueberry pie. And why wouldn’t it? One of my favorite berries and one of my favorite nuts…all in one bar. HELLO!
Well, we tore into this one and we both couldn’t agree more…that my assessment without tasting it was spot on now that we both had a bite. Blueberry pie. All the way. And…oh…was it ever delicious!! The bar was another perfect blend of sweet and salty. And every bite reminded me of a homemade blueberry pie. Delicious…fantastic…and tasty. We both devoured this one in record time and commented on how we would never hesitate to purchase that one from the store. YUM!
The KIND Plus Blueberry Pecan + Fiber Snack Bar contains almonds, pecans, honey, blueberry pieces (a mix of blueberries, sugar, apples, plums, apple juice, pectin, and natural blueberry flavor, cashews, raisins, chicory root fiber, and crisp rice. This gives it a fantastic texture and amazing flavor when all combined to make the bar.
In addition, this particular snack bar has only 190 calories for the entire bar and 12 grams of fat. Each bar packs a protein punch of 4 grams and contains 5 grams of hunger-quenching fiber. Awesome. Even better, this bar has only 9 grams of sugar. I love that. And the sodium is only 20 mg.
This one was a total winner!
KIND Plus Blueberry Pecan + Fiber Snack Bar (unwrapped)
KIND Plus Almond Cashew with Flax + Omega 3 Snack Bar
Product: KIND Plus Almond Cashew with Flax + Omega 3 Snack Bar – $1.99+
After my race, my roommate and I were hitting up Hollywood Studios…and since I had run 13.1 miles, I figured the munchies would totally strike. And they did. Right on cue just as we settled in to watch the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular (of which I was selected to be an extra and participate in the show), we both agreed it was time to feed our bellies something. So, as usual, we pulled out the snack bar we packed for the occasion. And it seemed like it would be as epic as the prior ones.
I mean…cashews…almonds…yummy!! Love both of those nuts. But…
Yes…this one has a but…
It really wasn’t all that spectacular. I mean, given that it was made up of almonds, cashews, dates, honey, flax seeds, macadamias, vanilla extract, and chicory root fiber, it had the makings of one epic bite after another. But this one really lacked flavor. And it had a weird aftertaste that I didn’t care for at all. I wasn’t impressed. I ate my half. My roommate at her half. But we were underwhelmed and disappointed. Thankfully, the race provided a box of goodies that were all gluten-free…and it had a different brand of protein bar in it…that was much tastier…so we washed this one down by splitting that one. And it was much better.
So…this one…for me…was a fail in flavor. It just wasn’t good. Not one bit.
That being said, the entire bar has 190 calories and 11 grams of fat. The bar has 4 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber. The sugar level is at 11 grams. But this bar has no sodium and no cholesterol. A healthy choice, to be sure, but not a very flavor-filled one. And, I appreciate flavor way too much to let that slide.
This bar could have been amazing…but sadly…it wasn’t.
KIND Plus Almond Cashew with Flax + Omega 3 Snack Bar (unwrapped)
And those were the three bars that I devoured at Disney World. Two winners, and one that I would never buy on my own. Never. Not a bad record to have. KIND is doing well so far. Only two haven’t wowed me of the ones I have tried out of the box. And I still have three more to go.
The Celiathlete 