Category: Vegetarian

Product: Millers Finest Gluten-Free Corn Pasta Rigatoni – $2.00

Sometimes finding gluten-free things at a discount store is awesome.

While out hitting up a 20% off everything sale at Big Lots a little while ago, my roommate and I spotted these corn noodles, labeled gluten-free, from Millers Finest.  They were being sold for $2.00, plus the discount…so, we figured we could at least give them a fair shake.  While there are lots of corn pasta noodles out on the market, I never quite ventured that way since going gluten-free as I was afraid they would…taste like corn.  And unless my pasta dish has a Mexican flair, that’s not what I’m looking for.

But, at $2.00, how could I not get it?

It sat in the pantry.  And sat in the pantry.  And then sat a little bit longer until I decided to bake up a pasta dish that the other day.  While I have elbow noodles from my favorite gluten-free pasta company (Tinkyáda), I decided to pull out the Millers Finest Corn Pasta Rigatoni from the pantry and give it a go.  Besides, these would be a larger noodle and a bit easier to use in a skillet bake.  So, why not throw caution to the wind?  It was a new recipe anyway, so might as well try something new in the process.

Cooking up the pasta couldn’t have been easier.  Boil water, add noodles, allow cook in boiling water, giving a stir every few minutes or so, for about 13-14 minutes, or until a perfect al dente.  I did just that, and then started the slicing and chopping up the vegetables for the skillet while it was going.  By the time I had the vegetables sauteing away and added the vegan and gluten-free chorizo, the noodles were ready to be drained.  Moment of truth time.  I drained them and was so happy to see that they weren’t falling apart or turning to mush upon leaving the hot water.  In fact, they held up beautifully.  I had to let them sit for a moment, while I finished mixing in the chorizo, but once that was incorporated, in went the noodles and some cheese, blended that in, let it cook, and again, the noodles held up.  They didn’t shred or fall apart.  They weren’t logged with water and turning to mush.  They were the perfect consistency for this pasta dish and I couldn’t have been happier to see that.

After a quick bake in the oven to melt the cheese on top, out came the pasta.  I let it sit for five minutes to set and then dished up a serving of it for both my roommate and I.  She was the first to try it and she was hooked.  These noodles didn’t have a corny taste at all.  In fact, they tasted and had the same great texture as regular pasta.  I loved how sturdy they were and how the cheese, sauce, vegetables and vegan chorizo didn’t take away from the noodles nor overwhelm the consistency of them.

Even the following evening, with a nuking in the microwave for some leftovers, the noodles held up wonderfully.  I couldn’t be happier with a chance purchase ever.  I know Big Lots gets a lot of flack for being a “ghetto” store, but sometimes the deals and the products inside are worth checking out.  I, for one, hope to find this pasta there again and try it out in other pasta dishes.  I am absolutely sold on it.  And now, I don’t think I’ll scoff as much at gluten-free corn pasta as I had in the past.  If nothing else, this totally sold me on it.

Millers Finest may not be a brand name, but it sure is fantastic.  If you find it, I urge you to give it a try on your next pasta night.

Bon Appétit!

Product: WorldFoods Thai Sweet Chili Sauce with Kaffir Lime Sauce – $3.99+

Finding a Thai sweet chili sauce that is also gluten-free isn’t as easy as it sounds.  But I was making a Vegetable Pad Thai for dinner and it called for a Thai sweet chili sauce.  I got online the night before heading out to grocery shop and found one particular brand that was basically available everywhere.  The problem was…I couldn’t find it anywhere.  The shelves were picked clean of it.  Sure, there would be the spot where it should have been, but it wasn’t there and none were in stock.

It was at my final grocery stop at the day that I found myself in Whole Foods and in the Asian cuisine section.  Once again, the brand I had looked up was sold out.  Empty spot at the shelf just mocking me.  But my roommate spotted another sweet chili sauce on the shelf from WorldFoods.  It was even labeled gluten-free (YAY!).  While this one also had kaffir lime added to it, we went ahead and got it.  After all, the recipe called for lime juice anyway, so this would only add to that flavor.

What we didn’t expect was to fall in love with this sauce…which is exactly what happened.

This stir-fry/dipping sauce was fantastic.  It has a nice heat from the spicy red chillies that are blended in with kaffir lime and lemon grass.  This adds a nice tang to the heat, a counter-balance, if you will, that paired beautifully with the Vegetable Pad Thai and all the other components that were mixed in.  My roommate and I loved this sauce so much, we garnished each of our bowls with a drizzle of it over the top.  Honestly.  The perfect heat for the prepared dish.  The lime really adds to the flavor and makes the sauce stand out without taking away from the other components of the dish.  It does, however, add that much needed spice that I love in my Asian food.

I’m already coming up with other dishes I can supplement this sauce into, including marinating some tofu in it for a random dish that I could easily throw together one evening after work.  Yeah…this sauce is spicy sweet and delicious.  I think I sense another jar being purchased in the very near future.

Product: Annie Chun’s Maifun Rice Noodles – $3.59+

I point the finger at two different elements that lead to the purchase and use of these Maifun Rice Noodles from Annie Chun’s.  First…I blame a sale.  I can’t pass up a sale on something that is gluten-free.  So, thanks to my local grocery store having a price reduction on these, they have been in my pantry for a couple of weeks…and I have been pondering what to do with them.

That’s where the other element comes into play: My mom.

My mom has been surprising me recently with little envelopes in the mail that are full of recipes that I can try.  One of the ones she sent me was for a delicious looking Vegetable Pad Thai.  I had to tweak it a bit to ensure that it remained vegetarian and gluten-free, but it wasn’t difficult at all.  And where the recipe called for flat rice stick noodles…I used these Maifun Rice Noodles instead, as they already had taken up residence in my pantry.  Why go out and buy something else when I can easily substitute.

So, what are Maifun Rice Noodles?  They are thin rice noodles, sort of like angel hair pasta, that cook up quick and easily and are ideal to use in any Asian style meal, be it soups, salads, or stir-fries.  As I would be stir-frying mine up in my wok with the vegetables and sauces for the Vegetable Pad Thai, I followed the box directions for stir-frying with them, filled up a bowl with hot water, and soaked the noodles in it for about 8 minutes.  Sure enough, after 8 minutes passed, they were no longer hard, but soft and ready to be added into the wok when the recipe called for it.

The difficult task came after I tossed everything in the wok and was ready to serve it up.  Just like with pasta, the noodles like to wind around each other and get tangled into a giant knot, so while I had the vegetables and greens in the wok, the noodles were in the middle and none of the vegetables were easily intermingling with them.  They were sort of off to the sides.  So, I grabbed some tongs and did my best to mix everything together, but ended up scooping up noodles then ladling over the vegetables to be mixed with the chop sticks as we ate dinner.  Sometimes, you just have to submit and let the food win.

All that being said, I couldn’t have thought of a better noodle to pair with this recipe.  As the peppers and greens were sliced or roughly chopped, having the smaller, thinner noodles was a blessing in disguise.  Not only did it lighten up the dish, but it didn’t take away from the flavors of the peppers and the mustard greens, garlic, ginger, lime, chilies, etc.  Everything could be tasted without anything really dominating the dish.  I loved how thin and light they were, which made me not fill up quickly and I didn’t feel stuffed at the end of my serving sized bowl.

These noodles are so versatile and with their natural lightness and thinness, they pair well in any cuisine.  I hope another sale happens soon because I’d love to try these out in another recipe somewhere along the line, or create my own.  Regardless, I’m in love with the versatility, flavor, and lightness of these Maifun Rice Noodles by Annie Chun.  They were perfection in my stir-fry and really paired well with every component that was added to the wok and the dish in the end.

Product: Oasis Jalapeño Hummus – $2.19+

When I went to Whole Foods last Saturday, hummus was not on my grocery list.  And I was sticking to my list because so often I veer off from it and then wonder why I ended up spending a small fortune.  So, I promise you, this wasn’t even in my shopping basket as I went through the store.

Yet…I’ve been eating it all week.

So, how did it come into my life?

Simple story…that involves a Whole Foods employee who was being featured at her register.  Listed as one of her favorite products was Oasis Jalapeño Hummus.  Well, I love spicy things…and I love hummus.  So, as it caught my eye, I turned to my roommate and said, “Jalapeño hummus?  That sounds epically awesome.”

Amanda, our cashier, caught my interest and said that was her most favorite thing and that she’d be happy to give me a free container of it to try.  Um…yes, please!!  So, after she finished ringing up the food I purchased to make my vegetable pad thai and gluten-free skillet cheesy pasta this week, she hurried out to the refrigerated area and grabbed a container of the Oasis Jalapeño Hummus to send home with me.  I thanked her profusely.

Well, that was the best marketing strategy ever because now, after having enjoyed it for the better part of this week, I’m absolutely hooked.

It looks like your basic, run-of-the-mill hummus, with a dollop of jalapeño in the center.  Mmmm.  But the slight heat is apparent throughout the entire spread.  I dish up a serving each morning (2 tablespoons) and bring a serving of baby carrots with me to work and this is my afternoon snack.  And it’s so perfect.

The hummus is smooth and creamy.  It has that standard hummus flavor of the chickpeas and tahini with a touch of garlic and all.  But it’s that slow heat from the jalapeño that really makes this a stand out among other hummus brands, types, and spreads.  I even had my roommate give it a taste, and even she liked it.  In fact, she commented on how amazing that would be on a sandwich as neither of us are big on mayonnaise.  That comment shocked me because before she was very anti-hummus, but she seemed to honestly like this.  Perhaps all she needed was a little spice to get those taste buds on par with everything else.

So, I want to thank Whole Foods, Amanda, and Oasis for this product.  Now that it’s in my life, I think it will start making the grocery list.  Fantastic hummus with a spicy kick.  It pairs well with vegetables, bread, etc.  The options are endless and that’s what I love to see in a product.

So, if you want to take hummus to the next level…find Oasis Jalapeño Hummus and get dipping.  Because it really is worth raving about.