Vegan – Page 48 – The Celiathlete

November 12, 2012

Zoë’s Kitchen prepares variety of delicious gluten-free foods that will bring you back for more

Restaurant: Zoë’s Kitchen, Louisville, Kentucky

It was a beautiful early November afternoon. And I was hungry. I was hungry and standing in Blue Mile, a local running store at The Summit in Louisville, Kentucky, shopping for reflective gear to wear while running since the days are growing shorter and the nights longer. And it hit me. I was hungry. So was my roomie. And we had no idea where I could eat.

Granted, I know I have the Find Me Gluten-Free app on my phone, but still…

At the mention of choosing somewhere to eat, the very helpful employee at the running store, who I know from group runs I go on every Monday night, suggested a few options, one of them being just up the shopping center sidewalk – Zoë’s Kitchen.

Now, I had been wanting to try out Zoë’s Kitchen for awhile now, but my roommate had been pretty certain that their gluten-free menu was either non-existent or just not very big. But, as I mentioned above, I have an app for that…so I pulled out my phone and the first place Find Me Gluten-Free listed was…yep…Zoë’s Kitchen. I pulled up the menu, and while much of the rather extensive gluten-free menu was meat-based…there were quite a few vegetarian/vegan options as well on there.

It was just up the way. I was hungry. I was sold.

So…with the reflective gear purchased, we thanked our food pimp/employee and away we headed to feed our bellies. Stepping into Zoë’s Kitchen for the first time, I was immediately reminded of how Noodles & Co. is run. You place an order and are given a number. The order is sent to the line and is prepared by the very capable staff in the back and then brought to your table. Simple. Easy. Effective. Right away, I informed the cashier taking the order that I am a Celiac and can’t have gluten. Then, I placed my order and the proper deductions from the dish were immediately taken. I loved that.

My order…the Gluten-Free Veggie Kabobs, which comes with a side of White Beans and a Side Greek Salad ($8.55). To make the dish gluten-free, the pita and the feta cheese are left off. This entree was not charged extra for being gluten-free. It was a simple button pressed on the cash register, and the computer took off the ingredients so that the kitchen staff knew how to prepare it. I loved that.

My roomie decided to give the Steak Stack sandwich a try, and got it with the highly recommended Rice Pilaf ($7.39). Her sandwich consisted of sliced steak, portobello mushrooms, mozzarella, caramelized onions, feta spread, tomato, and rosemary oil all piled into two slices of sourdough bread. She loved every bite of it, and is totally in love with the rice pilaf. It was recommended by a runner. Of course it’s going to be awesome.

My entree was much larger than I expected, despite not having pita bread to go with it. The Veggie Kabob’s are grilled to ultimate perfection, with just the right amount of charring on each vegetable. The kabob’s themselves are made up of charbroiled portobello, zucchini, peppers, onions, and tomatoes. A bowl of the braised white beans with fresh rosemary comes on the side, and a HUGE side Greek salad comes along with it. The salad was secondary, but I took a few bites of it anyway. What I really wanted to dig into were those kabobs. And that was what I did. I eased all the charbroiled vegetables off the wooden skewer and tried each and every one of them. They were very fresh and broiled to absolute perfection. The tomatoes were still juicy. The zucchini, peppers and onion were all cooked to perfection. But the star was the large chunks of meaty portobello mushroom. Cooked and charbroiled to a blackened perfection, these were my favorite part of the entire dish and what I kept saving for last when it came to what I chose to skewer with my fork.

The White Beans with Fresh Rosemary were delicious. Not overly seasoned, but packing a delicious flavor. The gravy that they were nestled and hidden in was absolutely amazing. And as for the side salad…the humungous side salad…what I could eat of it was very good. It didn’t even need any dressing. That was the best part. Trust me…that’s weird for me to say. But the greens, the onions, the chopped veggies were all very ripe and just worked. But, it was the least interesting part of the entree, so I focused on the kabobs and beans…and it satisfied and filled me up.

For the record, my roommate loved the Steak Stack sandwich and said that her portobello mushrooms were also the star of the entire sandwich. Leave it to a Mediterranean-inspired comfort food restaurant to nail mushrooms!! Honestly…we both raved about them and they were both cooked in different ways. That speaks volumes.

What also speaks volumes is that we returned for lunch…today. Yep. We were out that way to finish off grocery shopping and lunch was needed. We didn’t even hesitate to stop back into Zoë’s Kitchen once again. I got the same thing as yesterday, but with the Fresh Fruit instead of the beans. And my roomie…she opted to try the Greek Chicken Pita with the Rice Pilaf ($7.39), although originally had thought to get the Steak Stack again.

Yeah…twice visited in two days…and amazing food each time. That definitely speaks volumes. Now, Zoë’s Kitchen is a minor chain, which crops up in 12 states. They have around 54 stores scatted in these 12 states, and are based out of Birmingham, Alabama. Nothing on their menu is fried. Everything is made fresh. And you can tell. The quality of the food really shines. And that’s what is important.

I’m already anticipating my next visit back. Maybe this time I’ll get the Hummus…but it’s so hard to even consider not getting those charbroiled portobello mushrooms again. They still make me crave.

If you happen to live in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, or Virginia, chances are you can find a Zoë’s Kitchen somewhere nearby. Otherwise, you’re going to have to do some traveling if you’re seriously interested in this fast, delicious, Mediterranean-inspired food. I promise…it’s worth seeking out. I’m glad I did.

Zoë's Kitchen's Veggie Kabobs with White Beans and a Side Greek Salad — Zoë’s Kitchen’s Veggie Kabobs with White Beans and a Side Greek Salad

November 9, 2012

A different sort of vegetarian burger in Earth Fare’s Mushroom Rice Burger (gluten-free)

Product: Earth Fare Natural Mushroom Rice Burger – $3.99+

I have fallen into a veggie burger rut. That sounds strange…I know. But it’s true.

The marketplace for gluten-free veggie burgers is booming. And I’m happy about that, because as a gluten-free vegetarian, sometimes I just want to have a good veggie burger. And many of the ones I have tried have been awesome. Some have been better than others. Despite being one of the more pricier ones, I absolutely can not step away from Amy’s Kitchen Sonoma Burger. It’s delicious. And one of the more sane ones when it comes to nutrition.

You might recall my run-in with the epically off-the-chain deliciousness of Sunshine Burgers…but the calories and fat content in them totally derailed my moment of joy.

It’s hard to find decent gluten-free, vegetarian food that isn’t laden with high calories and a lot of fat.

But, one day while shopping at my area’s newest grocery store, Earth Fare (I call it Earth Joy because it makes me happy!), I stumbled across their house brand of veggie burgers in the freezer section. As I was on my last Amy’s patty, I figured…why not try something else? And with a quick glance at the nutrition information, I felt so much better about this selection than any of the ones that have come before it. Now, I just had to hope it tasted as good as it sounded.

The veggie burger I chose this time around is Earth Fare’s Mushroom Rice Burger. And when I removed it from the freezer last night to cook up for dinner, what I loved seeing was the bits of rice that are actually part of the burger. You can also see the various vegetables that are incorporated into the patty itself. Love that. In fact, the Mushroom Rice Burger is composed of portobello and button mushrooms, onions, carrots, red and green peppers, black olives, potatoes, and garlic. Organic brown rice is added to that flavorful mixture, and they are seasoned with wheat-free organic tamari, sea salt, garlic, and some herbs.

A single burger is the serving size, but for once, the nutrition facts on the back of the box didn’t send me throwing it back in the freezer. One patty is only 90 calories (I think this is the first gluten-free veggie burger I’ve had that is under 110 calories) and contains only 1.5 grams of fat (THIS IS A FIRST!). It is a lean burger that is low fat, gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO, and free of saturated fat. The sodium level is very low (290 mg). And one patty contains a whopping 8 grams of protein. Love that.

Last night, because I had some red onion, local bibb lettuce, and some tomato on hand, I decided it was time for another veggie burger. So, I busted out the Earth Fare Mushroom Rice Burger to cook up and give a try. I put it in my skillet to cook and heat through. This was actually very easy to do. I just made sure that it wasn’t cold anywhere in the middle, and flipped it a couple of times until it was nice and golden on the outside and warm throughout.

As I am out of my gluten-free hamburger buns, I have been opting to sandwich my burgers in…gluten-free bread. I happened to only have one slice left of my Glutino Genius bread, so I did sort of an open-face burger thing in lieu of getting more gluten-free bread or some gluten-free buns. I threw a slice of Veggie Slices Provolone Flavor cheese over it to melt down. Then, I plated it with the fresh vegetables and sat down to enjoy.

My first order of business was to get a piece of the burger itself, with no veg or bread. Why? Because I really wanted to see how it tasted, unmarred by the flavors that accompanied it. One bite…and I fell in love. This veggie burger is packed with amazing flavor. All organic. All delicious. I haven’t been this impressed by a veggie burger in a long time (especially one that is at least a little more nutritious for me to eat!). Gluten-free veggie burgers are becoming a little more common, but these…these not only have the best nutritional stats of any that I have tried, but they were moist and rich with flavor. All of the vegetables, the rice, the seasonings…they all mingled and mixed to form this perfect bite of a burger.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I hoovered it. Just completely devoured it.

Yes…it is that good.

I have noticed that Earth Fare markets are opening up throughout the country. If you have one nearby, I encourage you to go inside and try some of what they have to offer. It’s a great little healthy supermarket. And I have fallen in love with their selection (especially for someone like me!) and their products. Their very own brand of veggie burgers has now become my absolute favorite. Now…how’s that for amazing?!

Earth Fare Natural Mushroom Rice Burger, topped with melted non-dairy provolone cheese, bibb lettuce, and tomato

November 8, 2012

Recipe: Oven Roasted Potatoes, Peppers, and Collard Greens in a Vegan Cream Sauce

Okay…I lived in Birmingham, Alabama for six years…and never once ate collard greens! Never. Not once. Why? I don’t know. Perhaps it was the ill-fated attempt my mom had cooking okra that turned me away from those “southern” vegetables. I can’t say for sure. But I never felt the need to try them, nor the desire.

But, much like with the Brussels sprouts, along came my CSA bin and inside…collard greens.

Now, my roommate happened to scoop up a recipe card for a Collard Green Hash while we were out at the grocery store, but the problem was, it was going to take an hour and fifteen minutes (not including prep time) to throw that together. And I was hungry and not wanting to deal with it. So, instead, I had one of my “I’m just going to make this up” moments and created my very own recipe using a leafy green vegetable that I had never tasted nor cooked with before.

And surprisingly…it worked!

Recipe: Oven Roasted Potatoes, Peppers, and Collard Greens in a Vegan Cream Sauce

Potato, Sweet Peppers, and Collard Greens in a Vegan Ancho Chile Cream Sauce

Servings: 2-4
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Cook 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2 small Russet potatoes, cubed
6 mini sweet peppers, chopped
5 collard green leaves, stalks trimmed and cut into strips
olive oil
salt
red pepper flakes
garlic powder
3 tablespoons sour cream (I used Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream)
1/4 teaspoon Ancho chile powder
dash of lime juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

Wash the potatoes and pat them dry. Slice the potatoes into cubes and place in a zip lock bag. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season with salt, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder. Seal the bag and shake to coat the potatoes.

Next slice the sweet peppers away from the seeds. Chop them and add them to the bag with the potatoes. Give another shake. Then pour the peppers and potatoes out onto the baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Pour the potatoes out onto a baking sheet and spread them out over the surface. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 15 minutes.

While the potatoes and peppers begin to roast, wash the collard greens and cut away the stems. Slice the collard greens in half, then into strips. Place in another zip lock bag and drizzle with a little olive oil. Season with a little red pepper flakes and garlic powder. Seal the bag and shake to coat the greens. Set aside.

In a bowl, place 3 tablespoons of sour cream (I used a vegan sour cream) and add 1/4 teaspoon of Ancho chile powder. Stir until combined. Add a small dash of lime juice and stir. Set aside.

After 15 minutes, remove the potatoes and peppers and give them a stir. Spread the strips of collard greens over the potatoes and peppers and place in the oven for another 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and transfer the mix of potatoes, peppers and greens to the bowl with the cream sauce in it. Stir to coat.

Serve.

~*~*~

I was actually surprised with how much I enjoyed this side. I probably could have eaten it as my meal and been completely content with it. But I had a veggie burger calling my name. I’m actually excited to be making this again tomorrow night with my dinner, I loved it so much. If you have never tried collard greens before, or if you are looking for a new way to enjoy them…I recommend this recipe. Not just because I made it up…but because it is actually quite yummy!

November 7, 2012

Recipe: Vegetable Curry

Sometimes a recipe just catches your attention. That’s exactly what happened to me one day when I was at my local library. On the shelf holding the new books there was one called Simply…Gluten-Free Quick Meals by Carol Kicinski. I picked it up and flipped through it, and immediately some recipes began catching my attention. So, I checked it out.

It just so happened that one of the recipes in there was for a vegetable curry (Curry in a Hurry). I had everything required for the recipe except the can of coconut milk, the butternut squash, a potato, and the frozen peas. But those were affordable enough to add to that week’s grocery list, so I went ahead and made plans to have this recipe for dinner this week.

And last night…I made it up and I was so happy with the results. This is a hearty, delicious, vegan curry that anyone can enjoy. You can adjust it to your level of spiciness (I kept mine mid-range, as my roomie is a heat wimp and I love it spicy). It’s full of flavor and will fill you up without filling out out with calories.

Recipe: Vegetable Curry

Vegetable Curry (served over jasmine rice)

Servings: 6
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Cook 25 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed (I bought mine pre-cut!)
1 large Idaho potato, peeled and cubed
1 medium yellow or white onion, thinly sliced (I used shallots)
1 cauliflower head, cut into florets
2 to 4 tablespoons gluten-free mild or hot Indian curry paste (I used Thai Kitchen)
14.5 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk, shaken well (I used light coconut milk)
15 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen peas

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven with a lid over medium-high heat.

Add the butternut squash and potato cubes and sauté just until they start to brown a little, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the onion, cauliflower, and curry paste, starting with a little and continuing to add until you reach the desired heat level. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the paste is combined and the onion is just starting to soften.

Add the coconut milk and stir to combine. Cover the pot, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Add the chickpeas and frozen peas to heat through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Serve.

~*~*~

I served my curry over steamed jasmine rice. It was so delicious. With it being fall and the winter months approaching, this made for a nice, warm, hearty meal that is packed with fresh ingredients and lots of nutritional value. It’s a fantastic and different way to use those winter vegetables that are in season and everywhere at the grocery store right now.

And this is really easy to prepare. I definitely recommend buying the squash pre-cut, as it takes out a lot of the hassle. No shame in it, my friends. Trust me! If anything…I would just recommend a little pinch of salt. Other than that…this made for a delicious, filling dinner under 300 calories per serving. And I loved every bite of it. I also can’t wait to make it again!

November 2, 2012

Enjoying breakfast with a taste of Enjoy Life’s Cranapple Crunch Granola

After checking Enjoy Life’s Web site, I’m not 100% certain this product is even available anymore. Which is definitely too bad. And here’s why…

It is fantastic!

Simple and to the point on this blog. I picked up this pouch of granola at Big Lots one day while I was out and about. They just happened to have it on sale…and I just happened to snatch it up with one of the Double Chocolate Crunch granola pouches as well. I figured I could use it on homemade, gluten-free apple crisp. And then I realized it was highly unlikely that I would get around to making apple crisp anytime soon, despite the overflow of apples in my CSA bin every week. So, this morning…I got a little creative with breakfast.

With it being fall/winter time, apples are in abundance when it comes to my produce. So, I see them every week and try to come up with easy, efficient ways to use them. Even if it means just slicing them and eating them straight. Well…that could have happened this morning. And then…I had a brilliant stroke of brilliance (as I like to say). And I dug the bag of Enjoy Life Cranapple Crunch Granola out of my pantry and got set to work some of my breakfast magic.

I ended up getting out my vanilla Greek yogurt, caramelizing up some apples, and then serving it in parfait form with the Enjoy Life Cranapple Crunch Granola serving as the crunchy bit to give it texture. Assembling it was easy. Caramelizing apples I can do in my sleep. And throwing Greek yogurt over everything is something I’m used to doing…often. So, as I am still quite sleep deprived thanks to noisy downstairs neighbors, this simple task was just what I needed this morning.

Upon opening the bag of granola, however, I knew I needed to sample it on its own. Quality control and so I could give a true statement about flavor and taste via this blog. I thought it looked a lot like Rice Krispies with craisins and dried apples thrown into the mix. Which, isn’t a bad thing. I reached in and pinched up a bit of the granola and some of the dried fruit to eat and tossed them back. The bits of brown rice flakes were crunchy and really packed with flavor. And the bits of dried cranberry and dried apple really brought a bunch of fruity flavor to the mix. Honestly. I was beyond impressed. I wasn’t expecting much, because at first glance…it looks like something I could have easily thrown together. But it just packs that apple flavor with the cranberry to add to the tartness. And I loved that it didn’t have huge chunks like most granola does. This was just flakes of brown rice bits and the dried fruit.

And how did it fair in my breakfast parfait? Awesome!! It complimented the vanilla Greek yogurt and the caramelized apples better than any granola that has come before it. My taste buds were extremely happy with each flavor that danced across my tongue. Really delicious. And it stayed crunchy even with the fruit and yogurt. It’s hearty and I like that…considering it looks like regular cereal.

Nutritionally speaking, this granola hits at a good level when it comes to sugars. While some I have tried have had ridiculous amounts of added sugar to them, this stands with only 10 grams in a serving. The calorie count will only set you back 160 calories and 3 grams of fat. And the serving size is 1/2 cup. Way more than most granola offers, which is normally about half that serving. Love it.

Enjoy Life makes really amazing gluten-free and allergen-free products. They are processed and made minus the top eight food allergens (meaning they are Wheat Free, Dairy Free, Peanut Free, Tree Nut Free, Egg Free, Soy Free, Fish Free, Shellfish Free). The Cranapple Crunch Granola is a great gluten-free granola that packs a wildly delicious flavor punch and is definitely more nutritious than others out there on the market. It’s peace of mind.

And, beyond that, it’s delicious.

IF this flavor, the Cranapple Crunch Granola, is still one of Enjoy Life’s products…or if you can seek it out and find it…definitely get it. Definitely try it. And definitely enjoy it. Now I feel like I need to savor every bite…because who knows if I can ever get it again!

October 31, 2012

Recipe: Roasted Pumpkin-Apple Soup

A couple weeks ago, my CSA bin contained an item that I wasn’t too sure what to do with. Hey…it happens. Honestly. Not that this item was exotic or anything…it’s just not something I’ve done much with. The item in question…a pie pumpkin.

Naturally, one would think…make pumpkin pie! The thing is…aside from being a Celiac…I do not like pumpkin pie! Never have. So, baking a pie was out of the question. I had to come up with something else to do with it. But first, I had a few out of town trips and the like to do…which actually allowed the pumpkin to ripen quite a bit while I was away. So, on Sunday…I settled on spending time, chopping, peeling, seeding, and roasting up the pumpkin. For what?

Only one of my favorite things in the world. SOUP!

I found a great recipe from Eating Well that would also use up some of the apples that I got in my numerous bins over the past couple of weeks. Let’s face it…one can only eat so many apples. And when you go out of town…well…there they are. They are the hot item in the bin I get right now. Every week means more apples. I’m okay with that. I like apples. But I have a lot of them now. So…this soup was ideal because it included roasted apples as well. The recipe…super easy with only 9 ingredients. And trust me…this soup is awesome and creamy without the addition of milk, cream, or flour!

Recipe: Roasted Pumpkin-Apple Soup

Servings: 12
Time: Prep 30 minutes; Cook 60 minutes

Ingredients:

4 pounds pie pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2-inch chunks
4 large sweet-tart apples, such as Empire, Cameo, or Braeburn, unpeeled, cored, and cut into eighths
1/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
6 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1/3 cups chopped hazelnuts, toasted
2 tablespoons hazelnut oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Toss pumpkin (or squash), apples, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Spread evenly on a large rimmed baking sheet.

Roast, stirring once, for 30 minutes.

Stir in sage and continue roasting until very tender and starting to brown, 15 to 20 minutes more.

Transfer about one-third of the pumpkin (or squash) and apples to a blender along with 2 cups broth. Puree until smooth.

Transfer to a Dutch oven and repeat for two more batches.

Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and heat through over medium-low heat, stirring constantly to prevent splattering, for about 6 minutes.

Serve each portion topped with hazelnuts and a drizzle of hazelnut oil.

~*~*~

Now, I have heard of the goodness of pumpkin and apple together, but this was the first time I tasted it for myself. And OH MY GOD! Yeah…it’s good. The pumpkin-apple combination brings a bit of sweet and savory to the soup. It is so yummy.

A word of warning…I had to hand peel, slice, seed, and chop my pumpkin and this took FOREVER. If you can buy it pre-done…DO IT! Trust me. Just do it. I have a great, sharp set of knives and this was still a struggle. It was totally worth it in the end…but, wow…it really took a lot of time to get it right and done. But, once it was roasting with the apples…my kitchen smelled awesome and I couldn’t wait to make it into the soup. Don’t bypass the hazelnut oil (it can be pricey!) or the chopped hazelnuts on top either. I found these to be key ingredients to the finished product.

When life hands you a pie pumpkin…seriously…make soup!

October 28, 2012

Lärabar’s Peanut Butter Cookie just like the real thing…only better

Lärabar Peanut Butter Cookie (snack size)

Product: Lärabar Peanut Butter Cookie – $1.99+

Two of my favorite things – peanut butter and cookies.

I thank Lärabar every time I open one of their bars and experience the promised flavor on the package. The thing is…they do this with simple ingredients…no more than 9 to a bar. The amazing thing is how much they actually taste like what they are setting out to make the bar taste like.

This past weekend, I took along a mini Lärabar to eat about 30 minutes before the start of a 5K race I was running. I have found this to work. Too often I’ve just had cereal before a race and I end up finding myself starving just before the start or at least a mile in. That’s no good. I want to have energy before a race. These…do the trick.

I grabbed three to choose from and ended up going with the Peanut Butter Cookie variety at chow time. I was pretty pscyhed about this one. Why? Well, as I said…peanut butter and cookies are two of my favorite things in life. And here they were…together…in the form of a gluten-free protein bar that I am able to eat.

The Peanut Butter Cookie Lärabar is made up of three ingredients. That’s it. Peanuts, dates, and sea salt. Seriously. The snack size bar contains only 100 calories and 3 grams of protein. It has 6 grams of fat in it, brought to you mostly in part by the peanuts. But that’s a healthy fat and something your body needs regardless.

So now that I’ve given you the nutritional rundown, how exactly did it taste? Moist. Fresh. And soft. And yes…it was just like eating a very soft peanut butter cookie. The flavor was spot-on! Three ingredients…and Lärabar totally delivered on it. This bar was chewy and tasted like it was fresh off a cookie sheet. The best part was the balance of flavor. While I love peanut butter and could totally eat it out of the jar on a spoon (and do that on occasion, LOL!), I didn’t want this to taste like that. And it didn’t. It honestly tasted like a peanut butter cookie. And it was love at first bite. I devoured it faster than I probably should have…but it was delicious and I was hungry. Therefore…nom.

The Peanut Butter Cookie Lärabar is gluten-free, kosher, dairy-free, soy-free, and vegan. It’s also delicious and now one of my current favorites! Looking for a quick bite on-the-go that is good for you, delicious, and like eating dessert without being a dessert? Try the Peanut Butter Cookie Lärabar. You’ll be hooked like me.

I sort of wish I had more…

But…on to the next flavor…

October 25, 2012

Beanitos Black Bean Chipotle BBQ chips a better snack option

Product: Beanitos Black Bean Chipotle BBQ Chips – $3.49+

Okay…I know you’re thinking it…because I thought it too.

Chips…made from beans?! Isn’t that usually reserved for…you know…potatoes, corn, or even rice?

The answer is…yes. And yes.

I was a huge skeptic about Beanitos chips. I admit it. I saw them on the gluten-free shelves at my various grocery stores and natural food stores and immediately turned my nose up at them. While I’m a huge fan of beans, the idea of chips made out of them just didn’t sound…right. At all.

And then I attended a gluten-free tasting fair at one of the natural food stores here in town and one of the samples they had out were Beanitos. Well…free samples are a good way to introduce a skeptic to something with the potential to be epic, yes? I hesitated at the dish…but finally picked up the little tongs and snagged one of the round chips. I turned it over in my hands, then, very tentatively took a bite. And…then another. And then I just popped the rest of it in my mouth. Huh. I hadn’t expected to like them. But…chips made from beans were actually quite tasty.

And for a couple weeks, that’s where I left it. I had tried them. Yes…they were good. But I didn’t purchase any. Probably due to the plethora of snacks I currently had kicking around in my pantry.

Until my local grocery store put almost the entire gluten-free section on closeout. And fearing that I was about to lose my gluten-free aisle…I snatched up everything that was marked down. Beanitos was one of the items on the markdown. So I grabbed a couple of bags. And this week, I opened up the bag to get a serving (1 ounce, or about 10 chips) to take to work with me for my afternoon snack. They were next up as far as snacks in order of expiration dates. The first flavor up was the Chipotle BBQ flavor.

Love. Seriously. Spicy without too much heat. They have a great chipotle and mesquite flavor. They have just enough to bring out the flavor without overwhelming your palate with spice. They were a bit salty, but the sodium level is low on the bag. So, it’s not horrible…just I’m so used to unsalted snacks. I couldn’t stop eating them. So it is a good thing I portion out my snacks because I would have been quite tempted to just devour them all. I also think they would go crazy-good with my homemade guacamole.

Beanitos are completely corn free, gluten free, and potato free. It is all made from beans and rice. And that makes for a heartier texture and a more solid chip. They are high in fiber and protein, which is a nice change. And, in addition, they are cholesterol free, trans fat free, non-GMO, and kosher. A serving is 140 calories and 7 grams of fat. Not bad for a chip. Not bad at all. They come in a bunch of different flavors and all of the chips are vegan except the cheddar cheese flavor. I mean…come on…these chips are made out of protein-packed beans!

Yes, I was a skeptic, but tasting made me a believer. Chips made from beans are actually quite delicious. I can’t wait to dive into another variety of them. I no longer fear Beanitos. I plan to keep them in my pantry!

October 22, 2012

No go on Caesar’s Gluten-Free Potato Gnocchi

Product: Caesar’s Vegan Gluten-Free & Wheat Free Potato Gnocchi – $4.79+

Before I had to go gluten-free, I fell in love with these amazing Italian potato dumplings known as gnocchi. The problem being, even though made from potato, these contain flour and that puts it on the no-no list for Celiacs. I was quite…sad, depressed, and unhappy when this happened. It was like I was being denied something that I had only just discovered and fallen in love with.

And then, one day while walking through the Liquor Barn, of all places, with my roommate, we discovered Caesar’s Gluten-Free Potato Gnocchi in the freezer section. Enter me doing a happy dance of joy right there. I wanted to take it home with me that day, but I had enough products in the house at the moment to work through.

Then…a couple weeks later, while on that side of town, my roommate and I stopped in again and this time a bag came home with me. And then…it sat in my freezer. I can’t explain why. It just sort of happened that way. With the influx of fresh vegetables and fruits coming in with my CSA bin, getting to the frozen foods in the freezer or the items in my pantry got a little less common.

However, this past weekend, I was heading out of town to stop by my friend Jenn’s house and then…the following morning, the three of us were going to venture out to Hershey, Pennsylvania as I was running in the Hershey Half Marathon on Sunday. So, I was bringing dinner to make things easy on us all on Friday night.

That evening, after arriving and settling in at her home, we got out the pot of water and got it up and boiling before pouring in the frozen potato gnocchi. I was quite disappointed right off with the amount of pasta in the bag. The sack said it was meant for four people, but there was barely enough to serve as an entree for the three of us. We let that slide however, and put the small amount of gnocchi in the bag into the boiling water. With gnocchi, the way you tell if it is done or not is that they float up to the top. Problem number two with Caesar’s Gluten-Free Potato Gnocchi…half of them floated immediately. How can we tell if they are done if the frozen dumplings are already floating? We decided, instead, to just time it for the 4 minutes suggested on the package.

Caesar's Vegan Gluten-Free & Wheat Free Potato Gnocchi (cooked) — Caesar’s Vegan Gluten-Free & Wheat Free Potato Gnocchi (cooked)

While that was going, we heated up some sauce for the meal and set the table. We checked on the gnocchi after four minutes. Not all of them were ready, so we let it go a little longer. Finally, we figured we were where we needed to be. Again, kind of hard to tell when half floated right off the bat.

We drained the pan, then dished out the miniscule amount of gnocchi between the three of us. We added the sauce…then a sprinkling of cheese and settled in at the table.

Only to be immediately disappointed. I’m not joking. Maybe a third of the gnocchi dumplings were perfectly cooked. Some were gummy. Some were still hard. It was inconsistent. And I was less than impressed. This didn’t make me remember the amazing gnocchi I was able to eat before having to go gluten-free. And that’s sad. Because this was the first gluten-free gnocchi I was able to find. I could make my own, of course, but it’s a lot of work and time I currently don’t have. But…I may be headed that way.

I’ve tried Caesar’s Gluten-Free Stuffed Shells and really enjoyed them. But these didn’t make the cut this time. Not at all. I was so unimpressed with the potato gnocchi. Therefore, I don’t think I’ll be purchasing them again.

I have heard that the best gluten-free gnocchi is made by Nuovo, which I finally found at one of my local grocery stores. But Caesar’s gluten-free gnocchi will never make it into my apartment again. Totally not worth the money.

Caesar's Vegan Gluten-Free & Wheat-Free Potato Gnocchi with tomato sauce — Caesar’s Vegan Gluten-Free & Wheat-Free Potato Gnocchi with tomato sauce

October 19, 2012

Recipe: Quin-y (Quinoa) Bean-y Lettuce Wraps

So, my CSA bin this week contained a beautiful bunch of very large, amazing romaine lettuce leaves. Immediately, the first thing I thought of to do with it was make lettuce wraps. They are simple, tasty, and low carb. And, you can literally put anything you want to inside of them. Pack them with your favorite foods, roll them up, enjoy.

As I’m attempting to use up the fresh produce in my fridge before my upcoming trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania for the Hershey Half Marathon, I had plenty of options to choose from. What I ended up doing was cooking up some quinoa (a pantry staple in my kitchen), tossing it with some beans, green chilies, and roasted red peppers, giving it a dusting with vegan cheese, and viola…lettuce wrap perfection. My actual recipe follows…

Recipe: Quin-y (Quinoa) Bean-y Lettuce Wraps

Servings: 2
Time: Prep 5 minutes; Cook 15 minutes

Ingredients:

6 large romaine lettuce leaves
2 Wild Garden Traditional Hummus On-The-Go pack (1.76 ounces each) (…or your favorite hummus)
1/2 cup quinoa, dry (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
1/4 cup organic black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons roasted red pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons green chiles (I used Ortega Fire Roasted Diced Green Chiles)
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
2/3 cup cheddar cheese (I used Cheddar Flavor Rice Shreds)

Directions:

Cook quinoa according to package directions.

While the quinoa is cooking, rinse and dry romaine lettuce leaves. Spread hummus over each leaf and sprinkle with red onion.

When quinoa is cooked, remove lid from pot and add black beans, roasted red pepper, and the green chilies. Stir. Cover and allow to steam to heat through. Remove from heat.

Spoon quinoa mixture into each leaf. Top off with cheese. Fold romaine lettuce around the filling.

Enjoy!

~*~*~

These were really delicious. My roommate even asked if we could have them again tonight. And that is definitely the plan. Not only are they easy to make and assemble, but they are full of flavor, low carb, high in protein, and just delicious. As I like a little zing to mine, I added a splash of Cholula Hot Sauce to mine.

Looking for an easy meal to prepare without a lot of hassle and that’s not high in carbs or calories…give these a try. Fill them with whatever you have on hand…or give my own recipe a try. I’m totally looking forward to dinner tonight!