Vegan – Page 36 – The Celiathlete

August 23, 2013

Product Review: Walden Farms Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Waldon Farms Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Product: Walden Farms Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing – $4.99+

You know…up until I started on my new 70/30 Clean Eating plan my sports nutritionist has put me on…I never would have thought twice about enjoying the basically guilt-free products put out by Walden Farms. I mean…I’ve had quite a few salad dressings from their extensive line-up that I have quite enjoyed. And, a couple weeks ago, a bottle of their Balsamic Salad Dressing just happened to wind up on Manager’s Special at my local grocery store. I hadn’t tried this flavor yet…so I figured I’d give it a shot. If I didn’t like it, I wasn’t out much thanks to the reduced price.

So…I initially was introduced to Walden Farms by Rocco DiSpirito in his Now Eat This cookbooks. He uses the calorie free (yes…CALORIE FREE) ketchup in a few recipes as one of the ingredients. I was intrigued. I had seen a few of these Walden Farms products lurking at numerous grocery stores in my area…so…one day I decided to try one of the salad dressings. And…it really wasn’t bad at all. For the record…I have never tried the ketchup.

Anyway…a few salad dressings later…here I was with one of my favorite dressings to have when out at a restaurant. Mostly because it’s safe. Any vinaigrette is normally a safe bet when it comes to dressing up a salad. And I’ve always loved the flavor of a good Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Polishing off the lettuce, tomato, and green peppers from my last CSA bin, I’ve been making quite a few salads this week. Tonight, I needed a new salad dressing. So…out came the Walden Farms Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing. I tore off the seal and twisted off the cap, taking a light sniff of the bottle. It smelled just like Balsamic Vinaigrette…so that was a good sign.

I put the 2 tablespoon serving size over my salad (yes…I did measure it!) and dove in.

The flavor is authentic. It has the feel, taste, smell…everything a normal Balsamic Vinaigrette would have. Just…this one happens to have no calories (save the trace ones that are always in something you eat or drink…even those zero calorie diet sodas!). I was impressed. I was beyond impressed. It was like having a full-barrel version of this dressing…but without all the fats and calories. Delicious. Amazing. Just what my salad needed to be dressed with. It complimented every vegetable inside my bowl. Two tablespoons almost felt like too much. This was a hearty dressing…while still having that oil and vinegar consistency.

But…here is where my sports nutritionist has ruined me. As I’m feasting on this dressing, I start to wonder how a dressing that is normally made from a wine vinegar and olive oil could exist without calories. Yes…these things run through my mind. So, I turned the bottle over and took a look at the ingredients. They include: triple-filtered purified water, balsamic vinegar, white vinegar, cellulose fiber, salt, dijon mustard, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, white pepper, natural flavors, natural spices, caramel color, xanthan gum, sucralose (SPLENDA!! NOOOOO!), and sodium benzoate. Yeah…first of all…SPLENDA! NO NO NO NO NO!! SPlenda is bad. And bad for you. And now I just want to dump this dressing down the drain and get something real and good and made with natural products. That’s my next problem…cellulose fiber? Sodium Benzoate? Huhwha?

As far as the nutrition panel reads…it’s flooded with zeros. Zero calories, zero fat, zero cholesterol, zero protein, zero fiber, but it does have 260 mg of sodium. This dressing is gluten-free, calorie-free, sugar-free, and fat-free.

But the Splenda thing is really bothersome. I just don’t like it. At all. So…fat and calories aren’t bad for you…you just have to take them in moderation. And so that is how I shall take my salad dressing.

But no longer from Walden Farms. While I appreciate their products and have enjoyed all the ones I have tried…I just can’t continue to put Splenda into my body. Not when I’m trying to better it.

It’s too bad. It really is.

August 22, 2013

Product Review: Crunchmaster Grammy Crisps Cinnamon & Sugar

Product: Crunchmaster Grammy Crisps Cinnamon & Sugar – $2.95+

One of my favorite things in life is that sweet/spicy blend of cinnamon and sugar. Honestly. I love a light coating on my gluten-free French toast…or over my air-popped popcorn. I love it just dusted over a schmear of vegan butter spread on a gluten-free slice of bread, tasted in the oven…to make the perfect cinnamon toast. Yes…cinnamon and sugar is my thing. It might explain why Snickerdoodles continue to be my favorite cookie…ever!

And while this product is no longer really all that “new”…I had really never been able to find it in the stores around here. Until a local grocery store started to carry them in their gluten-free section. I am, of course, speaking of Crunchmaster Grammy Crisps Cinnamon & Sugar. I fell in love with Crunchmaster crackers a long time ago. And about a year ago, I believe, they introduced a few new products. One of which was the Grammy Crisps. When I spotted these on the shelf…I had to take them home. I had to. There was no arguing with me about budget this time. This was a necessity.

Now…growing up I loved graham crackers. I still do, but my gluten-free options are pretty limited to two brands. So, when I heard about the Grammy Crisps from Crunchmaster, I immediately envisioned that flavor of those cinnamon sugar graham crackers from my youth. You know, the ones where one side is coated in crystals of sugar and cinnamon…the other side plain. And what you get is the most amazing graham cracker flavor…ever?

That’s what I envisioned with these.

And I was…kind of right.

Today was the day I broke out the box of Crunchmaster Grammy Crisps Cinnamon & Sugar and dished up a serving (30 grams) to take to work with me for my afternoon snack. I think I sat in anticipation all day, wondering what these would taste like. I almost started to berate myself for not having a backup in case these were just…nasty. But I don’t think I’ve ever had a product from Crunchmaster that wasn’t at least consumable.

When 3 p.m. rolled around, my snack drawer was opened and I was pulling out my little container that held these squares of graham-cracker like cinnamon sugar flavor. Without any show of self control (because sometimes I have none!)…I popped one of these crackers into my mouth and crunched away. My first initial thought was that it actually lacked in flavor. It just tasted…bland. And I was sad. But then, the dusting of cinnamon and sugar on these rice crackers finally kicked in. So…they weren’t overly sweet…or very sweet at all…but then you get this nice hit of semi-sweet warmth from the cinnamon and sugar. It takes a moment…but it gets there.

The texture of these crisps reminds me a lot of what regular Crunchmaster crackers are like. Very substantial, crunchy, but light. They really do give you a nice crunch with each bite. I just wish the seasoning was, perhaps, cooked into the crisps rather than dusted on the outside. It is just this close to perfect. But it misses the margin ever so slightly.

Let’s talk ingredients. I would say, with the exception of the sugar, that this snack would almost be considered clean. It has very few ingredients, being made from brown rice flour, whole grain sorghum flour, sugar, cinnamon sugar seasoning, potato starch, safflower oil, and salt. I recognize every single one of those ingredients. Which is always reassuring when it comes to buying something processed in the store. At least I don’t have to look up some crazy preservative or chemical additive to find out what it is. The Crunchmaster Grammy Crisps Cinnamon & Sugar are certified gluten-free, free of peanuts, cholesterol free, contain no saturated fat, and are made from 100% whole grain.

Now, let’s talk the nutrition aspect. These are little brown rice crackers that are dusted with a cinnamon sugar blend. One serving is 30 grams, or about 25 crisps. This serving will dish you up 130 calories and 2 grams of fat. That isn’t bad for a snack. The sugar level sits only at 5 grams, which is actually amazing considering that these are cinnamon and sugar flavored snack crackers. These have only 150 mg of sodium as well. And, this serving will also give you 1 gram of fiber and 2 grams of protein.

My love for Crunchmaster products continues…even though I wasn’t blown away by these crisps. They are good. They are. They remind me of Cinnamon Toast Crunch…actually…just without all the sweet sugary flavor that encapsulated every little square of that cereal. That was my sister’s favorite cereal growing up, so we ate that a lot. The flavor of these is a bit reminiscent of that. I liked these though, enough to polish off the box in the next couple of days (I’m a serving-size stickler). If you love the flavor of graham crackers…with a touch of sweet and spice…then the Crunchmaster Grammy Crisps Cinnamon & Sugar might just be for you.

If you find them…they are at least worth a taste. If you like the taste of cinnamon and sugar…these have it. It just isn’t the initial WOW-factor on flavor I expected. But, they are definitely worth a try. Trust me.

August 22, 2013

Product: So Delicious Unsweetened Cashew Milk

Product: So Delicious Unsweetened Cashew Milk – $2.49+

You know…I’ve found that even if I could drink it…I have lost my appetite for cow’s milk. Seriously. I have no real urge to pour a glass and down it. That being said…I have been drawn in and become hooked on unsweetened non-dairy milks…such as those made from nuts or coconut. Honestly. It doesn’t get much better than your morning cereal swimming in a pool of unsweetened almond milk…does it? It’s one of my little joys in life. And I’m not ashamed.

Well, I think the minds at Turtle Mountain, makers of the So Delicious Dairy Free products, have introduced a new line of dairy-free beverages. From the company that makes, honestly, some of the best coconut milk, some of the best almond milk…and some of the best other products that utilize those…So Delicious Dairy Free has brought Cashew Milk to the market.

Yes.

Cashew. Milk.

Why this hasn’t been done before, I don’t know.

I mean, I’ve downed soy milk, rice milk, hazelnut milk, almond milk, coconut milk…I even did one of those nut-milk blends that was made from almonds, hazelnuts, and cashews. But never, ever…just cashew. Which is sad…because it is my favorite nut. It’s also the most popular nut in America, with 31% of people naming it their top choice (almonds came in at 16%). Cashews have a delicate flavor, but are quite rich. And they are a great source of iron, phosphorus, selenium, magnesium, and zinc. They also contain high levels of antioxidants that can help lower the risk of cardiovascular and coronary heart disease.

Cashews are not just delicious…but little powerhouses in their own right!

Currently, So Delicious offers two varieties of their Cashew Milk. Both of which are unsweetened. One is the original flavor the other…vanilla. I’d love to try vanilla, I just have to find it first. As it was, this was tucked away on the bottom shelf at my local Whole Foods. I didn’t see it, but my roommate spotted it and I commenced with yet another happy dance in the aisles of Whole Foods. Their Christmas video of goofy customers will be filled with me this year, I swear. So, as the only available option is the Unsweetened Original Cashew Milk…that’s what I bought.

This morning…it made its debut. Actually, I opened it up last night to pour into my Maple Raspberry Overnight Oats, but…I didn’t taste the milk. My roommate did…and said it tasted like almond milk. That’s her palate for you.

So, I’m working on polishing off a box of Vanilla Chex…so this morning, my cereal got a nice, healthy dash of So Delicious Unsweetened Cashew Milk. I found it to have a bit more body to it than unsweetened almond milk, meaning it was a bit thicker…more like cow’s milk. I tasted it…and found that it had a very smooth and light flavor. I liked it. Maybe not as much as my unsweetened almond milk…but I liked it. I liked it enough to slurp it up by the spoonful with my cereal. Now…lunch today, I retrieved my Refrigerator Oats and sat down to devour it. The cashew milk was SO good in that. I mean, it had a thicker consistency, so it wasn’t as soupy as it usually is. It really softened up the gluten-free oats, mixed well with my dairy-free yogurt, my pure maple syrup, and the raspberries I added for flavor. It was fantastic. I’d use the So Delicious Cashew Milk in that every single time I make it…if I could. I was blown away. And I think I ate them faster than I ever had before. I loved that both varieties that are out are unsweetened. I only buy unsweetened almond milk, so that was how I wanted my cashew milk. It has a bit of a richer texture and flavor…and I liked it. As a cashew lover…well…that’s a good thing.

Let’s talk ingredients now…because I have been cutting certain additives out of my diet wherever possible. I was so happy to see that So Delicious Unsweetened Cashew Milk did not have carrageenan listed. Total win. What this milk is made up of includes: cashew milk (filtered water and cashews), non-GMO canola oil, calcium phosphate, magnesium, magnesium phosphate, locust bean gum, gellan gum, guar gum, vitamin A acetate, sea salt, vitamin D-3, L-Selenmoethionine (selenium) zinc oxide, folic acid, and vitamin B-12.

As for the nutritional information I like to pass on…keep in mind that this is milk derived from a nut. Therefore…it is going to have more fat than other non-dairy products. And…this one actually has a lot of fat in it. A serving of 1 cup will only serve you up 35 calories, but 30 of those calories are calories from fat. Yeah…that’s…a lot. One cup will also provide you with 3.5 grams of fat and 85 mg sodium. This beverage has no fiber, no protein, no cholesterol, and no sugar. I’m bummed about the protein part. At least I get 1 gram with almond milk.

So…overall…a delightfully tasty beverage from So Delicious. The Unsweetened Cashew Milk is just as good as it sounds. I hope to track down the vanilla version of it sometime because I love my unsweetened vanilla almond milk and treat myself to it every now and again.

So Delicious…you are definitely living up to your name…as you tend to do. Thank you for introducing my favorite nut to milk form and livening up my breakfast and lunch. SO DELISH!

August 17, 2013

Product Review: Endangered Species Natural Dark Chocolate Bar with Espresso Beans

Product: Endangered Species Natural Dark Chocolate Bar with Espresso Beans – $2.99+

I love chocolate covered espresso beans. They are little “pellets of power” as my roommate calls them. And she couldn’t be more right. But they have to be dark chocolate coated. Why? Because dark chocolate…as I stated before…is my favorite chocolate and the only one I prefer to consume. Milk chocolate is not for me. And white chocolate…it’s never really impressed me. Dark chocolate, with all it’s healthy antioxidants and heart-healthy qualities is the way to go.

I still remember reading one of Dean Karnazes’ books (he is the Ultramarathon Man for those of you who are unfamiliar with the name) about running in his first ultra marathon. He was at one of the checkpoints and he was given a slice of brownie. What made this brownie the most amazing thing he had ever tasted…was the espresso beans that were baked inside the chocolate fudgey treat. Runners love that extra kick that caffeine can give to their runs…and having it with a hit of chocolate is my favorite way to eat espresso beans.

Imagine my joy when I was at my local Earth Fare store and spotted the Endangered Species line of chocolate bars. They had so many varieties on their shelves and my roommate told me to pick one. ONE!!!!! How was I supposed to choose? But…I did. And while the Dark Chocolate Bar with Blueberries was very tempting (blueberries…another super food for runners!)…I ended up selecting the Natural Dark Chocolate Bar with Espresso Beans.

And I couldn’t be happier with my choice. This chocolate bar ended up getting tucked away in my drawer of run goodies in my kitchen. And, like the chocolate bars that came before it…I totally forgot that they were in there. With sell by dates coming up…I figured now was as good a time as any to work my way through them. A nice little sweet treat for the office day. Perfection. Just what I needed for that mid-afternoon pick-me-up. With the espresso beans, that shouldn’t be a problem.

So, this past week, I opened up the bar and broke it up into 1/5 portions. The serving size on the back indicates that the actual serving is 1/2 of the entire bar. But I just needed a taste…not half a bar at 2 p.m. Just saying.

Let me say this…this bar won me over at first taste. The dark chocolate is some of the best I have ever had the chance to taste. Rich. Smooth. It wasn’t too bitter at all. Just the perfect hit of dark chocolate goodness. And it’s the perfect percentage for dark chocolate so that it isn’t too bitter and you still know you are eating dark chocolate. This particular bar sits pretty at 72% cocoa. The espresso beans…oh…yeah. Just like eating a few dark chocolate espresso beans. That’s what this tastes like. Caffeinated love with a hit of coffee flavor. Color me a happy chocolate-eating girl.

This chocolate bar is certified gluten-free, vegan, uses Rainforest Alliance Certified Cocoa, it’s kosher, and it’s non-GMO certified. The cacao is sourced from ethically traded cacao farms that ensure fair trade, responsible labor practices and sustainable farming. Are you sold on this yet? What is even better, 10% of the net proceeds of each bar purchased are donated to help support species, habitat and humanity. That means…indulging in a cause. A very good and important cause.

So…this clean eating chocolate loving lady gives this bar a huge, huge thumbs up. Honestly. I’m totally addicted. Maybe it’s the espresso beans. Maybe it’s the delicious bittersweet dark chocolate. But I’d wager it’s the combination of the two. As far as ingredients go, this chocolate bar is made up of bittersweet chocolate, and roasted coffee. No…really. How’s that? It’s sweetened from vanilla and beet sugar. Clean eating chocolate for sure.

Nutritionally speaking, by breaking it up into 5 portions of 3 squares, I only consume 84 calories and 7 grams of fat. But, if you were to consume the 1/2 bar (or 43 grams) listed as the actual serving size, you’d be taking in 210 calories and 17 grams of fat. It is cholesterol-free and sodium-free. Seriously. And, for a chocolate bar, the 12 grams of sugar isn’t enough to make my eyes bug out of my sockets. There is also 5 grams of filling fiber and 3 grams of protein as well. Love it.

If you want a sweet treat without breaking up with your diet…if you just require a hit of chocolate every now and again, I highly recommend the Endangered Species brand. Even better…if you love coffee…indulge a little in the Dark Chocolate Bar with Espresso Beans. You won’t be sorry. And it does give the right hit of bittersweet goodness and a little pick-me-up when you need it most.

Indulge in a cause. Indulge in Endangered Species Chocolate. Enjoy!

Endangered Species Natural Dark Chocolate Bar with Espresso Beans (unwrapped)

August 15, 2013

Product Review: Dark Chocolate Dream Pure Dark Dark Chocolate Bar

Product: Dark Chocolate Dream Pure Dark Dark Chocolate Bar – $3.59+

If there is one treat (aside from peanut butter) that I allow myself on a daily basis…it’s dark chocolate. Why? Because I love, love, love dark chocolate. I have never been a big fan of the mild milk chocolate…and white chocolate…that’s not even chocolate. Dark chocolate has and will always be my one true chocolate love. I blame my mom for this…as she was a dark chocolate fiend when we were growing up. I guess I do get some of my best traits from mom!

Anyway…I had a stash of these Dark Chocolate Dream dark chocolate bars in my drawer at home. I got them when a local store put them on closeout…as if they were going away forever. At the discounted price…I couldn’t let them get away without me trying them. Right? Right!

Well…I forgot I had them. *hangs head in shame*

No…really…I forgot. I FORGOT I HAD DARK CHOCOLATE IN MY HOME!! What in the world is wrong with me??! Anyway, I uncovered them not too long ago, as I was digging for a protein bar to take with me in case a restaurant didn’t have food for me. It was like uncovering treasure. A stash of like…six dark chocolate bars. All different. All just waiting to be devoured…savored…or whatever.

Working my way through them…the other day, without a dessert plan in mind after dinner (dessert is important…it must happen and it always does in my home!), I remembered that I had a Dark Chocolate Dream Pure Dark Dark Chocolate Bar in that drawer…and in my pantry…Marshmallow Fluff and some gluten-free graham crackers. Do you see where I am going with this?

S’MORES!

I mean…gluten-free s’mores for dessert?! Brilliant, yes? Absolutely!

So, I went to the drawer and dug out the Pure Dark bar. Prior to this, I had a couple other Dark Chocolate Dream Dark Chocolate Bars…the Raspberry and the Rice Crunch. I broke off two of the squares for the s’more, retrieved the gluten-free graham crackers from the pantry and the fluff. One graham cracker got the bit of chocolate placed onto it…the other one…layered with Marshmallow Fluff. I took my kitchen torch (yes…I have my own kitchen torch) and toasted up the fluff before sandwiching them together for the perfect gluten-free (and vegetarian) S’more.

One bite…and I knew I was in Pure Dark heaven. Because the star of the s’mores was not the toasted fluff (although that is delicious) or the gluten-free graham crackers. No…the star is that hit of bittersweetness that can only come from amazing dark chocolate. This chocolate is rich…which meant it was the perfect thing to pair with the sweet fluff and the salty-sweet graham crackers. It just brought balance to everything. And…the Pure Dark Dark Chocolate Bar is simply that…dark chocolate. Nothing else. Just solid dark chocolate. And…yes…it is amazing. Let’s not forget, dark chocolate is actually considered healthy and good for you. It is loaded with antioxidants and heart healthy stuff.

So…what is this amazing Pure Dark Dark Chocolate Bar made from? According to the wrapper, the Pure Dark bar from Dark Chocolate Dreams contains evaporated cane juice, unsweetened chocolate, roasted soy flour, soy lecithin, cocoa powder, pure vanilla extract.

As for the nutritional value. Well…it’s chocolate. Need I say more?

But for those genuinely interested…one serving of the Dark Chocolate Dreams Pure Dark Dark Chocolate Bar is 1/2 of the bar. That would be four squares. This serving would provide you with 240 calories and 14 grams of fat. This is why I only do one square at a time…which works out to 60 calories and 6 grams of fat. Regardless…let’s say you really needed chocolate that day…so you went with half the bar. This would also provide you with 15 mg sodium, 23 grams of sugar, 1 gram of fiber, and 3 grams of protein. So…all-in-all…not too bad. Not great. But, this is to be a treat. I recommend 1 square a day…not half the entire bar. Much more manageable. Oh, and you get to enjoy it longer too.

Dark Chocolate Dreams has really impressed me. Honestly. I have enjoyed all three of the dark chocolate bars that I had in my drawer. Each one had something different about it that sort of set it apart from the others. But for the simple love of something dark chocolate and sweet…I highly recommend the Pure Dark bar. It doesn’t get much better than the original.

Dark Chocolate Dream Pure Dark Dark Chocolate Bar (unwrapped)

August 13, 2013May 11, 2015

Recipe: Gluten-Free Peach Almond Muffins

Every Saturday ushers in my long run. Some weeks I go longer than others. It all depends on my training plan. Usually, whenever possible, I like to treat the runners from my Saturday morning clan, to something rewarding at the end of their efforts. We all, as small groups, run different mileage, or different paces, so I usually have my roommate over at the coffee shop we meet at afterwards with their treats.

As I had four beautiful, amazing peaches from my CSA bin this past week, I really wanted to make something with them. And it just so happened, that the week prior, I stumbled across an amazing looking recipe from one of my favorite blogs – Two Peas & Their Pod.

All I had to do was modify it to make it gluten-free. Not so hard when you have a fantastic gluten-free all-purpose flour. So, later than planned, on Friday night, I turned on my oven, got out the KitchenAid mixer…and got to baking.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Peach Almond Muffins

Servings: 18
Time: Prep 15 minutes; Bake 20 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Muffins:

2-1/4 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (I used Better Batter)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground all spice
1 large egg
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup buttermilk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1-1/4 cups diced peeled peaches

For the Almond Streusel Topping:

1/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour (I used Better Batter)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1/3 cup sliced almonds

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.Line 14 muffin cups with paper liners or grease the cups. Set pan aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Set aside.In a small bowl, whisk together egg, canola oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and almond extract.Pour liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix gently with a spatula. Mix until just combined.

Gently stir in the peaches.

To make the almond streusel topping, in a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter. Mix with your hands until you have a crumbly mixture. It is ok to have pea size chunks of butter. Mix in the sliced almonds.

Pour muffin batter evenly into prepared muffin cups.

Sprinkle the almond streusel topping on top of the muffins.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let muffins cool to room temperature and serve.

~*~*~

These little muffins did surprise me. Because when I snagged one fresh from the oven…split it in half…and taste tested it…I couldn’t really tell that it had much flavor. So, I wasn’t exactly sure that they won me over. My roommate said she really thought it tasted good and encouraged me to go ahead with the plan to package them up and share with my running group.

I am so glad I did, because everyone had high comments on them. I was part of the last group getting back (I ran 16 miles, but the heat and humidity were killer…so it took a little longer), and everyone was finishing up their coffee and post-run refueling. And I saw quite a few muffin wrappers on the plates. Everyone thanked me for them and said they were delicious! Hmm…

Fact is, I do think these muffins are even better on the following day. Give all the flavors a chance to sit and soak into the muffin itself. Because when I had mine…it was fantastic. A little denser than I usually like my muffins, but the streusel topping was awesome and the peaches were really complimented by the different spices that were mixed throughout.

I’d make this again in a heartbeat.

So, if you love peaches and you love muffins…I encourage you to give this recipe a try. Super delicious. Runner approved.

August 12, 2013

Product Review: BOLD Organics Gluten-Free and Vegan Veggie Lovers Pizza

Product: BOLD Organics Gluten-Free and Vegan Veggie Lovers Pizza – $9.49+

Sometimes…if you look hard enough…you manage to find something amazing…despite it being a processed food in the freezer department. At least it was at a natural food store…so that’s saying something, right? Right!

That’s what I’ll keep telling myself.

Anyway…what I speak of is a brand of gluten-free and vegan pizza (this version anyway) made by BOLD Organics. In fact, BOLD Organics pizzas (the vegan and the meaty ones) are all gluten-free, milk-free, lactose-free, casein-free, whey-free, egg-free, peanut-free, and treenut-free. EPIC!! I mean…EPIC, right?! Right!

BOLD Organics was founded with a simple principle to strive for – creating the most delicious and healthy frozen pizza on the market. And that vision was reached and realized with the line of gluten-free and dairy-free pizzas that, as the Web site puts it, “are redefining just how good eating healthy can taste.”

It’s not too bold (see what I did there?) a statement either. Because what BOLD Organics did…was take their goal and do everything in their power to make it a reality. Seriously. Founder, Aaron Greenwald, often found that traditional gluten-free products on the market were bland and lacked taste. That was when Aaron embarked on his mission to not just help people eat better…but also feel better. And he sourced the best chefs he could find who not only understood gluten-free food, but could also provide bold (I did it again) flavors to the products his company would produce. And so…BOLD Organics was born.

BOLD Organics began producing high quality, allergen-free foods…so people could have a choice when it came to gluten-free pizzas. He strove to provide restaurant quality food with premium taste…without paying a premium price.

Well, when I spotted this in my natural food store’s freezer…I decided that having a frozen pizza on hand wasn’t a bad idea. I mean…when you need something easy one night, just pop it out of the freezer, onto a pizza stone…and viola…dinner! So, I had one stashed in my freezer. And, as I am trying very hard to work my way through the plethora of gluten-free goodness I have stocked up in my freezer and pantry, on Friday, as I had a 16 mile run on Saturday, I figured gluten-free pizza would be the way to go.

BOLD Organics Gluten-Free and Vegan Veggie Lovers Pizza (cooked)

Out of the two vegan options offered by BOLD Organics, I went with the Veggie Lovers version. Why? Because any pizza that is topped with seasonal vegetables (organic roasted red peppers, organic roasted yellow onions, and shiitake mushrooms) is okay in my book. The cheese they use is completely vegan. So, I pulled this out of the freezer directly after work and preheated the oven to 450° F, per the instructions on the box. I stuck my pizza stone in to warm while the oven preheated and set about opening up the box.

The box does make me think that the pizza would be a little bigger than it really is…but what it lacks for in size (it’s an 8-inch pizza), it makes up for in the fact that it is not a cracker-crust, very thin-crust pizza. Nope. Not at all. This pizza has depth to it. It has the most amazing crust…and I could tell that before it was even baked. With the oven heated and pizza stone warm, I tossed the pizza in to cook for 20-22 minutes. If the vegan cheese has not melted, it says to broil it for 1-2 more minutes. The cheese on my pizza melted beautifully and the crust became fluffy and golden and just…perfect looking.

I removed the pizza from the oven and sliced it in half. The box I have says the serving size was half the pizza. That seems to have changed now…but…I’ll go off what I had in my freezer. One half went to my roommate, the other half was mine…all mine. I can say this…it looked and smelled amazing. But, as always, the true test lies in the taste. That is the absolute heart of the matter.

I settled in for dinner, fork in hand, and sliced through the crispy, yet soft crust. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside. That is pizza crust perfection, my friends. PERFECTION! And, furthermore…this pizza was frozen pizza perfection. It looked like all the non-gluten-free counterparts you see on the market. It wasn’t this sad-looking thin crust slab of cheese and veggies. No. This was a bold looking, veggie laden (save for the mushrooms…I got a bit gypped on those), vegan cheese coated amazing thing. The flavors were melt-together perfect. It was sweet from the peppers and savory with the cheese. It had that perfect crust. I was in pizza heaven. I was. Because, with the exception of my local allergen-free bakery, I can’t find anything but cracker-crust when it comes to gluten-free pizza. That just changed. My whole frozen pizza world just expanded. I was…SO impressed. The cheese, even being a vegan mozzarella, was stretchy and melty and gooey. Pizza perfection. BOLD pizza perfection. I’m sold. For life.

Let’s talk ingredients and nutrition, shall we?

This pizza is made up of filtered water, vegan gourmet mozzarella cheese alternative, inulin, soy protein, agar agar, sea salt, plant-based natural flavor, carrageenan (BOO!), vegetable source of lactic acid, organic crushed tomatoes, organic potato starch, organic rice flour, organic corn meal, organic roasted red bell peppers, shiitake mushrooms, organic roasted yellow onions, fresh yeast, organic tomato paste, organic extra virgin olive oil, xanthan gum, organic evaporated cane juice, organic oregano, organic apple cider vinegar, sea salt, and organic spices (rosemary, black pepper, granulated garlic, red chili).

As far as nutritional value goes…for half of a pizza…this isn’t too bad. One serving (1/2 of the pizza) served up 340 calories and 13 grams of fat. That’s actually not bad! I was impressed. It has 670 mg sodium, which is a little high…but…not bad in the grand scheme of things. The serving has 6 grams of sugar as well, which is super good. And, 1/2 of the pizza dishes up 6 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein.

It’s awesome. BOLD Organics produced a product they can totally be proud of and stand behind. I loved every bite I took of this one. And I will definitely try the Vegan Cheese version in the future too. With a fluffy and flaky crust like that…it’s hard to stop me from stuffing another one in my freezer.

This pizza BOLD-ly went where no gluten-free pizza went before…and they did it perfectly!

A serving of BOLD Organics Gluten-Free and Vegan Veggie Lovers Pizza

August 9, 2013

Product Review: Sol Cuisine Original Sliders

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i392/veggiefoodlover/Products/003_zpsef1636b4.jpg — Sol Cuisine Original Sliders

Product: Sol Cuisine Original Sliders – $5.49+

There is one thing that normally goes missing in my life. Being a gluten-free vegetarian…having sliders is usually not even an option…unless I make them myself. I’m okay with that…I’ve done it quite a few times, but sometimes it’s nice to just throw something into the oven or a pan and have it ready in no time flat.

And that was never the case until I spotted these amazing little slider patties at Whole Foods. What caught my eye? The box. It clearly is labeled…these slider patties are vegetarian/vegan, wheat-free, gluten-free, a good source of calcium and iron, and also made with heart healthy soy! You better believe I didn’t even blink when I grabbed a box of these and tossed them into my basket. Budget be damned this time. I wanted some sliders, dammit!

As fate would have it, I happened to have some gluten-free dinner rolls in my freezer, which would definitely make the perfect stand-in for slider buns…because you definitely can’t find those in gluten-free form. Not yet. But gluten-free dinner rolls…they work. I use them all the time for sliders…normally ones from my hometown allergen-free bakery…or Udi’s. But this time it was Katz Gluten Free. Which I toasted up in the oven to get that nice golden crust on the buns.

But…let’s get back to the star of this post…Sol Cuisine Original Sliders.

Frozen little disks of meatless goodness, that aren’t really that highly processed when you look at the ingredients. Which, I’ll do now, since I brought it up. These little patties are made from filtered water, soy protein concentrate, sunflower oil, dried onion, modified vegetable gum, dried tomato, sea salt, dried garlic, spices, organic lemon juice concentrate and caramel color. So, it’s not exactly clean eating…and yes…it is a processed food, but it isn’t too bad. Not when you compare it to other items out on the market. And the fact that these are vegetarian/vegan make me one happy girl.

The box supplies about 3 different ways to cook these up. Oven, stove top, microwave…however you choose. When I made the Sol Cuisine Breakfast Patties, I cooked them in the oven. But I already had dinner rolls and hand-cut sweet potato fries (yep…I made my own fries) working in the oven. So, I figured why not give the stove top a go. I warmed up a skillet and lightly coated it with some olive oil. Into the pan I placed four of the little patties. They immediately began to sizzle and cook. I gave each side about 4 minutes…and they got perfectly golden and had that great crust you associate with a good burger. I was already happy.

I plated each one up on one of the toasted dinner rolls and topped it with condiments and served it up with my oven-baked sweet potato fries. I handed my roommate her plate while I fixed up mine. She dug right in. And I could tell she was one happy girl when I saw her take her first bite. Now, as I have mentioned numerous times before, my roommate LOVES burgers. She is neither gluten-free nor a vegetarian…but she doesn’t mind eating like one. Lucky for her…as I am the cook in the apartment. And she was devouring these.

I settled in and was prepared to try for myself. Sol Cuisine has wowed me with their Breakfast Patties…and they totally disappointed me with their Tofu BBQ Ribs. So…I knew this could go either way. But…it was a total win!! The little patties are FANTASTIC. They have this great savory flavor to them. Pan searing them was definitely the right call. It gave them this moist texture. It was the perfect veggie burger, without tasting like a veggie burger. Honestly! I was in love with the texture. I thought the flavors were spot on. And I wanted to savor each bite. But…you know…burgers are best when they are warm. So, I polished it off and vowed to pick them up again sometime…as a treat.

Nutritionally speaking, a serving is 2 patties. This serving will dish up 100 calories and 3 grams of fat. That is SUPER!! These patties are cholesterol free and sugar free. WOOHOO!! And they are low on the scale for sodium, with only 240 mg per serving, which is awesome for something that is processed. In addition, 2 patties will also give you 3 grams of fiber and 13 grams of protein. No wonder this meal filled me up. I was full for the rest of the night.

DELICIOUS!!

Sol Cuisine…keep this up and I may be working my way through your entire line of gluten-free and vegan products. I’m one happy slider-eating girl!! And I can’t stop talking about them! Thank you!! THANK YOU!!

Gluten-Free Sliders made with Sol Cuisine Original Sliders

August 9, 2013

Product Review: Glutino Gluten-Free Pretzel Sticks

Product: Glutino Gluten-Free Pretzel Sticks – $5.59+

Glutino, Glutino, Glutino.

How I love you. How I love you and your clever name. How I love you and your delicious products. I don’t think I’ve met a product of yours that I haven’t liked as of yet, and that’s in the 2 year span that I’ve had to go gluten-free.

Back when this whole journey began, one of the first products that really stood out to me was the Glutino Gluten-Free Pretzel Twists. I remember having picked them up at the grocery store to take to work with me for an afternoon snack. One bite, and I knew that I’d be okay being gluten-free. The pretzel twists were even better than regular pretzels. And I was forever hooked on the Glutino brand.

Somehow, however, through all of this, I never got back to purchasing other Glutino pretzels. Because at the time…they also had pretzel sticks out on the market. Why I never bothered to get them, despite being totally over-the-moon for the pretzel twists…I will never know. But thanks to a Manager’s Special at my local grocery store…two years later…that changed.

And yesterday…yesterday was my first taste of Glutino Gluten-Free Pretzel Sticks.

Glutino spells L-O-V-E when it comes to their products. Because these products definitely love me and I totally love these products back. Case in point are these pretzel sticks.

So, I’m sitting at my desk…and the 3 p.m. munchies are striking. With a stomach rumbling, I reach into my drawer and pull out my portioned serving of Glutino Gluten-Free Pretzel Sticks. I remove one, and take one crunchy bite. SMOOTH. It has this great buttery taste to it. It’s salty, but not overdone. And they are so light. Sometimes regular pretzels could feel a bit heavy, and the consistency of them more doughy (as in crunchy doughy not soft pretzel doughy…just thought I’d clear that up!) than anything else. Not these. Nope…Glutino definitely hit the nail on the head when it came to designing and making their amazing Gluten-Free Pretzel Sticks. I couldn’t stop myself. I wanted to savor my snack, but my fingers kept reaching for another one and another one. I shared one with not only my roommate, but also my co-worker (who loves to hate on gluten-free products). Cathy loved the flavor and said we’d have to make sure we kept Glutino pretzels in the pantry. My co-worker…who I know wanted to hate it…she did…couldn’t. She looked at me, nodding her head, and said, “I like these better than regular pretzels.” YES!! When I can win over this person with gluten-free stuff, I always feel like the company was successful with the product. I’d call this a major WIN for Glutino.

And yes…the Pretzel Sticks really are that delicious.

Let’s talk ingredients and nutrition, shall we? Pretzels are definitely a snack, but one of the healthier choices, I believe, when it comes to products on the market. As far as what goes into these sticks of delicious salty wonder…corn starch, potato starch, palm oil, sugar, sea salt, cellulose gum, soy lecithin, baking soda, yeast extract, sodium acid pyrophosphate, citric acid, and sodium hydroxide. So…some normal sounding ingredients and some that make you go…”What am I eating?” Clean eating this isn’t…but it’s one of the treats I allowed myself this week.

As for nutrition facts, a serving is around 33 sticks or about 30 grams (because we all know I weigh my food to be more accurate). This serving will provide you with 140 calories and 6 grams of fat. I hate that the fat count is so high, but again, this is a treat and a snack I don’t have all the time. And, a lot of gluten-free products tend to be higher in fat than regular. Most regular pretzels are…fat free. I feel a little gypped here on the nutrition scale. UGH! Anyway…pushing beyond that, these have 420 mg sodium per serving and less than 1 gram of sugar. That’s standard when compared to brands of regular pretzels. You get no fiber or protein from these pretzels either…so while they are delicious, do not expect them to quell your hunger for long.

Bummer.

So…Glutino wins for sure on taste, texture, flavor…and overall awesomeness of their Gluten-Free Pretzel Sticks. However, as far as the nutrition value goes…they feel like a bit of a letdown. But…when it comes to gluten-free snacks, this is definitely one of the better choices. Not only are they packed with amazing flavor, but they are light, they are delicious…and as long as you don’t sit down with the entire bag and devour them all in one sitting…not horrible on the nutrition aspect. I will give them that.

Glutino…keep on giving me and others in the gluten-free community so many amazing products and I can guarantee we will continue to come back to you. I’m a repeat offender when it comes to buying products with the Glutino brand name on it. And I’m not ashamed to admit it.

I can’t wait to dive into another serving of the Glutino Gluten-Free Pretzel Sticks this afternoon. Maybe I’ll take time to savor them this afternoon. Or maybe I won’t be able to contain myself again.

Either way…I’ll definitely enjoy!

August 7, 2013

Rice Crunch puts a new bite into my Dark Chocolate Dream chocolate bar

Product: Dark Chocolate Dream Rice Crunch Chocolate Bar – $3.59+

Chocolate is my favorite sweet indulgence. Really.

And not just chocolate. Dark chocolate. I dislike milk chocolate. And white chocolate is…not really chocolate. Dark chocolate. That’s where it is for me. I love that bittersweet, rich, deep flavor that dark chocolate offers up. I love how it literally will coat my taste buds and I will just let anything dark chocolate melt slowly. It makes the indulgence last even longer.

A while back, my roommate picked up a few Dark Chocolate Dream chocolate bars from the local grocery store. They were on closeout, so in a panic we bought pretty much one of everything. I tucked these away in a drawer and forgot all about them…until recently. So, now I’ve been working my way through these chocolate treats…before they expire and all that good stuff.

I’ve been given a plan by sports nutritionist to move toward a clean eating diet. And while most would not consider chocolate to fit into that…I like to point out the health benefits of dark chocolate. It’s good for your heart because it has been shown it can help lower blood pressure. It helps improve cognitive function in your brain by increasing blood flow to your brain. In fact…it’s been shown to help reduce the risk of stroke. It’s a mood booster. It is full of antioxidants. Oh, and dark chocolate has high concentrations of potassium, copper, magnesium, and iron. NICE!

So this week, the drawer held a couple of choices, but I opted for the Dark Chocolate Dream Rice Crunch Chocolate Bar. Why? Well…while I did enjoy the Enjoy Life’s Boom CHOCO Boom Ricemilk Crunch was good and filled with the crunchy rice bits for that added oomph…it sort of had this chalkiness to it.

Dark Chocolate Dreams Rice Crunch Chocolate Bar does offer up a better alternative. Honestly. While the puffed rice isn’t as prevalent as it was in the Enjoy Life version, the crispiness is definitely throughout the entire bar. In other words, you take a bite…and it’s like biting into a Nestles Crunch bar all over again. But safe. And made with dark chocolate. Oh…and I should mention that this dark chocolate bar is vegan as well.

The Dark Chocolate Dream Rice Crunch chocolate bars are made with simple ingredients which include all of the following: evaporated cane juice, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, roasted soy flour, puffed wild rice, soy lecithin, pure vanilla extract. No fake chemicals, no preservatives, nothing that you need to look up in order to figure out what it is you are eating exactly. Nothing like that. Everything is pure and real. Real food…real chocolate. I love it already.

As for nutrition…well…I remind you that this is a chocolate bar. So, do mind your servings. For me, I take one square with me to work, which equals out to 60 calories and 4 grams of fat. That’s not bad for one square of chocolate. But, the serving size for this treat is usually half of the chocolate bar. This serving will provide you with 240 calories and 14 grams of fat. The serving only kicks in 15 mg of sodium, which isn’t bad. However, remember…this is a treat and this is a sweet…and chocolate is still high in sugars. 1/2 of the bar will give you a huge dose of 23 grams of sugar. Aside from that, you will be provided with 1 gram of fiber and 3 grams of protein.

But…the flavor. The flavor is what does it. I love to savor my chocolate. A nibble here…another there. And that’s the way I eat this one. The dark chocolate has that bittersweet flavor to it…which is amazing and delicious. I love how it melts against my tongue, and that hit of dark chocolate just lingers…and then, as I bite into it…the crunch from the puffed rice. It’s one of the best things in the world, which is why I think Nestles Crunch bars sell so well. Crunchy, smooth, rich, dark…it’s the best of everything. And I for one love every tasty bite.

Not all chocolate bars are created equal. And not all chocolate bars are gluten-free. Thanks to Dark Chocolate Dream…I can still eat a Rice Crunch bar and savor it with the even more flavorful taste of dark chocolate. Well done!!

Dark Chocolate Dream Rice Crunch Chocolate Bar (unwrapped)