Category: Products

Product: Katz Dinner Roll (Small Challah) – $3.99; Sample Pack – cost of shipping (varies per state)

It’s a weekend, so I decided to dive into my gluten-free sample pack I got for free (well, I paid for shipping) from Katz Gluten-Free awhile back.  A couple weeks back I tried out a couple of offerings from the pack and absolutely was impressed.  So far, Katz is on a roll.

This morning…a roll is one thing that I was giving a taste test.

Last night, I pulled a few more of the goodies out of the sample pack to thaw on the counter to have after my long run this morning.  One of these goodies was the Gluten-Free Dinner Roll (Small Challah).  I was actually quite excited about giving this a try because I have been seeking out a good, light gluten-free dinner roll since attempting to make my own and not quite succeeding texture-wise.

Well, Katz was on the job as usual and provided me with a delicious roll indeed.  This little roll not only was soft after defrosting all night, but it honestly probably didn’t have to be reheated.  I did, though, with a short zap in the microwave for good measure.  This warm, soft and fluffy roll did make a nice addition to my breakfast.  However…there really wasn’t anything spectacular about it.

That being said, I found these to be of a much better texture than the ones I baked up awhile back.  They were definitely not as dense, and I loved how fluffy they were and soft to bite into.  This is, by far, the best version of a dinner roll I have had yet…and that’s including biscuits.  While most gluten-free rolls tend to be spongy in texture, these were simply soft and moist, and delicious with a light schmear of butter.

I love the products that Katz puts out and have been impressed with each one.  While these were not blow-me-over amazing, they were the best rolls I have had since going gluten-free.  Even better than my own attempts at such things.  The rolls didn’t crumble, yet were delightfully soft and flaky.  It’s hard to get that sort of a combination when dealing with gluten-free baked goods.  Katz once again worked gluten-free magic.

And, unlike a lot of bread-y counterparts in the gluten-free world, these rolls are right up to par with regular options.  Only 130 calories per roll and only 5g of fat, they are a nice treat to have…one-at-a-time, at dinner.  These are sold in packs of four normally.

My roommate, who doesn’t have to eat gluten-free but mostly does because of me, said that her half of the roll was good…but nothing special.  She’s right…but when it comes to gluten-free noshing…these are definitely at the top.

Product: Genius by Glutino Gluten-Free Multigrain Sandwich Bread – $5.99+

It’s brilliant.

I think I can say I found the Harry Potter of gluten-free breads.  Or the Einstein of gluten-free breads.  Or maybe even the Sheldon Cooper of gluten-free breads (no Bazinga necessary).

I have had the chance to try out quite a few top brands of gluten-free bread and have liked and disliked a few things about each.  From Udi’s to Rudi’s…gluten-free bread has gone from bland cardboard to wow…that tastes so much like the real thing.  It’s fantastic.  But one thing has never been quite right when it comes to those pricey loaves you buy from the freezer section of the grocery store, should you be lucky enough to have a grocery store that carries it.  And that one thing…is size.

Now, a lot can be said about size not really mattering.  What these top bread brands in the gluten-free world have brought is fantastic texture and flavor.  Sometimes…it’s just like biting into a slice of “regular” bread.  No…really.  And I have a deep love for each of these.

But then…I ran across Genius by Glutino.  I was in our local natural foods store when I spotted it…yes…in the freezer.  Now, I had heard rumors of this bread, seen it mentioned on the internet, on the Glutino Web site, over on Twitter.  I knew it existed…just not in my little world because my area is very slow on the gluten-free uptake at times.  I was so happy to see it that I forgave the $5.99 price tag (which is on par with Udi’s anyway) and immediately bought it.  I was in the market for bread that day anyway…so it was on the grocery list.  I didn’t deviate…this time.

I chose the Genius Multigrain Sandwich Bread and tonight got to test it out for the first time in my second favorite sandwich ever (as peanut butter is my first!)…and that’s a grilled cheese sandwich.  I thawed out two slices of bread in a plastic bag on the counter while I was at work.  I came home to perfectly defrosted bread that was very soft and light to the touch.  In fact, it felt less dense than the others on the market.  Loved that.  I put a schmear of gluten-free Dijon mustard on, topped it with a non-dairy cheese slice and then spritzed a little olive oil over it before setting it on my warmed skillet to toast up.

Here’s what I loved about this bread and this sandwich…

The bread toasted up to golden perfection.  It laid lightly on the skillet so the edges didn’t burn, as is all too common with other breads I’ve used for my grilled cheese sammies.  The cheese, even being vegan, melted to perfection inside.  And the bread itself had a golden crust on it without being toasted to a rock-hard oblivion.  And, it still held up when I went to dip it into my soup.

I even sampled part of this bread without it being toasted.  Very light, very springy…and reminded me so much of what real sandwich bread was like back when I could eat it.  And to think, I wasted most of my ‘real’ bread days eating that ‘mostly cardboard 45 calorie’ crap that’s on the market.

I don’t feel like I’m missing out though, because, for the first time ever, the Genius bread is actual bread size.  I’m not kidding.  It is the same size as regular loaves of bread as I used to have them.  I was so happy with this.  Elated.  The bread must be called Genius because making it actual size is brilliant.  It’s a stroke of genius.  It’s the phenom of gluten-free breads out there.  And it can really hold its own in the market.

The flavor and texture of Glutino’s Genius Multigrain Sandwich Bread blew me away.  I’m seriously in awe and trying to plan out what kind of sandwich I’ll eat with it next.  I bet it makes a sensational Fluffernutter.

Want to break away from tiny loaves of bread and bite into something that brings the size, texture, and flavor of real bread to your gluten-free palate…then find Glutino’s Genius sandwich breads and build a better gluten-free sandwich.  What are you waiting for?  The bread may be a gluten-free superstar, but you are the genius that has to put the sandwich together.  Go on.  You are a culinary, sandwich building genius…with the Genius bread to prove it.

Product: Pacific Natural Foods Organic Creamy Tomato Soup – $2.49+

Soup season has come and gone, right?

Not in my world.  I could eat soup, yes even hot soups, even in the heat of summer.  Why?  Because I grew up doing that.  And some nights, you don’t want to slave over a stove or toil over something in an oven when there are better things to do…like getting in a run before it gets dark or polishing off another episode of that show you’ve been trying to catch up on.  You know…life’s little important things that make your day just…right.

So dinner shouldn’t stress you out.

And that’s why Pacific Natural Foods is once again on the scene with another stunning, simple, organic soup that takes a favorite and makes it a classic.

That is no overstatement of the truth.  It is exactly how I felt with every spoonful of the Organic Creamy Tomato Soup that I heated up for dinner tonight.

Soup is an amazing thing.  It’s light, yet filling and it pairs well with crackers or a sandwich…or even a salad.  But in all honesty, tomato soup was meant to go with a grilled cheese sandwich.  So, I made up one of my gluten-free and dairy-free grilled cheese sandwiches to pair off with this soup, poured it into bowls and settled in for my dinner.

What I found was this soup more than delivered on flavor.  It was flavored to perfection.  I could have closed my eyes and sworn it was homemade, left to simmer on the stove, instead of coming out of a box and just simply being warmed for a few minutes over a burner.  It really rivals the real, homemade stuff.  And that’s what I fell in love with immediately.  It was light, yet rich, and packed with that classic tomato soup flavor.  The sweetness of the tomato isn’t too much but it still has that robust flavor you comes to expect from a tomato soup.

I ate it on its own…I dipped my sandwich into it.  I, personally, loved it down to the last bit in my bowl.  I cleaned it up as best I could and made a promise to get more of this kind as soon as I could.  I never would have picked this one up on my own, as I tend to steer clear, though I don’t know why, of the classics.  But this one came in my “Don’t Be A Gluten” gift basket of gluten-free goodness and wonder…and today just felt like a soup and sammie kind of day.

This soup…certainly hit the spot.  If you love the classics, don’t overlook Pacific Natural Foods Organic Creamy Tomato Soup.  It’s perfection and almost instant gratification.  All you have to do is open the container, pour into a pan, heat, and enjoy.  Let me tell you…it won’t get much better than this one.

Product: Dave’s Gourmet Organic Red Heirloom Pasta Sauce – $7.99+

You know…sometimes shelling out a few extra dollars for a quality product is well worth it.  The most difficult part is justifying trying that product in the first place.

Luckily, my roommate and I familiarized ourselves with Dave’s Gourmet pasta sauces back when we found them on sale at our local natural foods store.  Yes…these are quite pricey.  But as we discovered after our first taste of the Butternut Squash pasta sauce…the flavors, texture, and taste all stand up for themselves.  So yeah…the price tag…worth it.

With the epicness of the Butternut Squash pasta sauce still in our minds, we set out to try another one of Dave’s Gourmet pasta sauces.  Why not?  We were blown away by our first try.  Why not tempt the foodie gods a little and give another flavor a go.  The difficult part was deciding on what sauce to coat our spaghetti with.

We finally opted for the Organic Red Heirloom Pasta Sauce.

This time, the decision was to simply dress up some gluten-free rice noodles.  Nothing fancy.  No lasagna or stuffed shells.  Nothing full of other flavors.  We wanted to taste the simplicity.  That’s the best way to tell the standard of a sauce.  Eat it as it is meant to be.

And this sauce is nothing short of stunning.  It has a very fresh taste that allows you to really get the hints of garlic, fresh herbs and, the star feature…the organic heirloom tomatoes.  It has a very mild flavor to it and it isn’t heavy like the butternut squash version of Dave’s Gourmet sauces.  This one is just a simple tomato sauce that is bursting with flavor.  It’s light and pairs perfectly with a sprinkling of fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano, gently sauced over simple pasta noodles.  It’s not too thick and not too thin, but shows evidence of the bits of onion and tomato that are incorporated into it.

For a light tomato sauce to stand up on its own and really just wow you, there has to be something special about it.  With a short list of ingredients, there doesn’t seem to be anything wow-worthy in this sauce.  The fact of the matter is, Dave’s Gourmet is doing everything right with their sauces and something this simple to resonate on the palate speaks volumes.

Trust me, while it’s not always easy to justify the price tag for a product, when you find something that really stands up and smacks your taste buds around…then…it’s worth the extra cost.  For me, Dave’s Gourmet is always worth a few extra dollars.  It’s ramping up pasta to a new level…and it’s all in the sauce.

Product: Blue Diamond Sea Salt Nut Chips – $2.50+

So…here’s the deal.  Blue Diamond is the master of all things almond.  Let’s face it.  They put out the best almond milk, they are tops when it comes to their nut products, and they created Nut Thins, which I have a love-hate relationship with at times, finding some to be full of flavor and some to be quite bland.

So, I wasn’t sure what to think of Nut Chips when I spotted them at the grocery store.  But, the fact of the matter was it was a crunchy product that was gluten-free that I haven’t tried yet.  My roommate threw it into a cart and said I had to sample them…for the blog, of course.

Well, I can’t argue with that.

And this week brought about my chance to give these things a try.  I dished out a serving (15 chips) to take to work with me.  I love a good crunchy snack in the afternoon that will see me through until dinner time.  I was hoping that these would do the trick.  They look like a chip version of their Nut Thin counterparts…but here’s where they differ…

These are really, really delicious.  I mean, filled with flavor.  It has a chip-like texture that isn’t cardboard-like.  And I found them to be rather amazing when all was snacked on and done.  I loved the rich crunch, the just-the-right-amount of salt seasoning each wedge.  I absolutely thinks these are amazing on their own, but would handle a dip really well.

Here is something else that intrigued me…these chips are baked, not fried.  They have no saturated fat, no cholesterol, no MSG, and, naturally, no wheat or gluten.  They are made from brown rice and almonds from California.  The sea salt is added to bring out the crunchy flavor.  And despite the fact that these are a chip, they are a rather healthy alternative to the real thing.  One serving only has 130 calories and only 3.5g of fat.  Can’t argue with that.  Guilt-free, gluten-free yums.

I’m hooked.  Totally.

Product: Tasty Bite Punjab Eggplant – $3.29+

Mmmm…Indian food!

Mmmm…easy, quick Indian food.

This isn’t the first Tasty Bite meal that I’ve had.  This is the second.  And for the second time, I have been wowed by the simplicity and flavors that have been packed into one microwaveable meal, concealed in a pouch.  Yeah…I wouldn’t be expecting much either, but what this meal lacks in packaging it makes up for with intense Indian flavors.

No joke.

I don’t joke about my food.  Especially Indian food, which happens to be one of my favorite cuisines to indulge in.  Honestly.

I bought a bag of jasmine rice awhile back and find that this is the perfect accompaniment to these dishes.  Steaming up a batch of it is easy.  Then just reheat the rice with a splash of water before giving this entree a quick zap in the microwave.  Honestly, the entire meal is ready in less than five minutes.  It’s perfect for those nights where you want something substantial, healthy, and a little bit spicy.

The Punjab Eggplant entree brings the flavor of Indian food with typical spices infused into it for the perfect bite each time.  With a delicious blend of salt, coriander, chiles, ginger, cumin, turmeric, and cloves, the heat of this meal is not too intense, but evident.  It’s the perfect spice level.  I wouldn’t mind more, but I’m a spicy girl who loves a good deal of heat.  The eggplant is soft, delicious, and pairs well with the flavors that are incurred with the inclusion of tomatoes, onions and garlic.  It’s a tasty bite of Indian goodness with simplicity.

As with most (not all) of Tasty Bite’s entrees, the Punjab Eggplant is gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, and kosher.  YAY!  This makes it a great go-to choice for an Indian meal that has proven to be far superior to the frozen entrees I’ve had in the past.

As a busy, on-the-go, kind of girl, quick meals are sometimes a necessity.  This particular one only sets me back 150 calories.  And all it took was about 2 minutes in the microwave and some rice to go with it.  It’s that easy, that fast.  And yes…it really is that amazing.

Tired of getting your Indian food from the freezer?  Look no further than the shelf at your grocery store.  Tasty Bite is there.  And…for the record…the Punjab Eggplant is phenomenal.

Product: Nature’s Path Organic Whole O’s Cereal – $5.29+

Cheerios.  Oh…I have missed them.  I grew up eating them.  And continued to eat them even as an adult.  After all, you’re never too old for Cheerios.  Plus…they are delicious and nutritious.  And come in a variety of flavors these days.

So, imagine my sadness after having to go gluten-free and realizing this meant never again having my beloved Cheerios for breakfast or lunch or dinner or snack.  Never.  Not ever again.  It  was a deep wound, let me tell you.  And one that I carried with me…up until recently.

I was at the grocery store just browsing the gluten-free section when this box caught my eye.  I almost did a double-take, but there it was…as clear as day on the golden box…Nature’s Path Organic Whole O’s…GLUTEN FREE!

This was the answer the cereal monster craved.  It was…like Cheerios…but…but could it take their place?  Only one way to find out, yes?

So, at a hefty price…more than I like to pay for cereal, this box came home with me.  And after I polished off the current box of gluten-free Chex…this was moved up into the rotation.  I was set for disappointment.  Nothing could be as good as the original, right?

WRONG!

I won’t say it was love at first bite with this cereal.  It took a few to really fall in love with it.  I discovered, though, that for the life of me, I couldn’t remember what Cheerios tasted like.  I was appalled at myself, but…a bit relieved.  This meant that these Whole O’s wouldn’t have to try to live up to something.  What I think I remembered of them though, I actually discovered I probably would have liked these better.  Yes…these little O’s of goodness were making my gluten-free day a in a big gluten-free way!!  I think these are actually sweeter than Cheerios, but after letting my roommate have at a couple (and she still eats Cheerios) she insists that Cheerios are actually sweeter.  Fine by me, as I loved the flavor that were in each bite.  After a glance at the short list of ingredients, that sweetness seems to stem from the addition of pomegranate juice concentrate.  I love pomegranate and pomegranate juice…and it doesn’t taste of pomegranate either.

These little O’s of yumminess are also very crunchy and hold up to my bath of almond milk each morning as well.  Not one soggy bite, which is very much appreciated.  If I wanted soggy cereal I’d dish out oatmeal in the morning.  No, in the morning when I’m usually having a scrambled egg or a soft pancake or something along those lines…I want a crisp bite of cereal to start me off.  And that’s exactly what this cereal delivers.

This O connoisseur was more than happy with the taste, texture, and everything else that came along with this cereal.  However, it will have to be treated as a treat to myself with the pricetag it comes with, but such is the way with gluten-free goodness.  A treat, though, is always well worth it when it is this fantastic.

Product: Pacific Natural Foods Organic French Onion Soup – $1.99+

As I have been a vegetarian for a couple of years now, I’ve learned that a lot of soups are actually made with a chicken or beef base, despite the safe sounding vegetable names…like tomato, vegetable, french onion, etc.  And, even more tricky since having to go gluten-free is being confident enough with a soup or restaurant to be able to guarantee that there will be no contamination and that no ingredients contain gluten.  Gluten is tricky and shows up in some of the oddest places.

Like in soup.

So, imagine my delight when I came across a version of French Onion Soup from Pacific Natural Foods that is not only labeled gluten-free (YAY!!  I wish more places would label), but is also 100% vegetarian.  I was so excited and ended up buying a couple of these without even tasting one first.  Yeah…I get pretty worked up over food and do spontaneous stuff like that.

I actually have made this soup twice.  The first time, without any additions.  And it was delicious on its own.  Honestly.  The soup itself is a broth that is made from filtered water and an organic sauteed onion base, which really highlights the crisp, caramelized flavor of the onion in the soup.  It was really good to dip my gluten-free/dairy-free grilled cheese into.  Yummy.  But, it was boring.  Yes…despite all the flavor, it looked like a bowl of…sewer water, to be honest.  So, when I made it on another night, I touched it up a little.  I cut up some gluten-free bread crusts I had in the freezer and spritzed them with some olive oil, giving them a hint of garlic seasoning.  That went into the oven to make croutons.  While those were toasting, I caramelized up some shallots to add to the broth.  The soup went onto the stove to heat, and in went the shallots.  Once heated through, each bowl was garnished with some gluten-free croutons and then sprinkled with some Gruyere cheese, which I then attempted to melt down with my kitchen torch (it worked better in my head than in practice).

However, this really did step up the soup a level.  Not only did it give it some body, but it boosted an already flavorful broth into something actually resembling a soup.  I still ate it with my grilled cheese sammie, because the soup on its own was only 30 calories, which wouldn’t hold over this tummy for long.  Even with the little additions.  So, low calorie, flavorful, gluten-free, vegetarian, and delicious…that’s a recipe for success.

And luckily, this soup is readily available at local grocery stores.  Finally…a French Onion Soup that even I can indulge in.  Thank you, again, Pacific Natural Foods.