Category: Vegetarian

Product: Alexia Sauté Reds – $3.29+

Have skillet.  Will sauté.

Sometimes, an affordable gluten-free diet means lots of potatoes and rice.  It’s a good thing I like potatoes and rice.  Yet…sometimes you just want something a little different.  Sure, potatoes (and rice, for that matter) can be done up a million different ways, but when you are playing around with ingredients you have on hand…sometimes you just get stuck in a rut.

Once again, Alexia came to my rescue with her fabulous potato and vegetable sides.  This time, the game of freezer Russian roulette when it came to dinner was won by the bag of Alexia Sauté Reds.  It’s a blend of red potatoes, baby portabella mushrooms, whole green beans, and onions.  And nothing could be simpler to make.

Also included in the package is a frozen package containing a thyme-infused olive oil.  Place said pouch into hot water to allow the oil to thaw.  Heat a pan on the stove.  Once warm, add the olive oil, then the contents of the package.  Sauté for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes begin to brown.  Yes…it really is that easy.  And on a hectic day, who really wants to deal with some fussy thing for dinner?

As in the previous review of Alexia potato and vegetable sides, this can be a side for a group, or makes a perfect dinner for two.  Once the sauté is done, dish up and serve.

Here’s what was fantastic about this one.  The thyme-infused oil paired so well with the vegetables and potatoes.  It just added the right hint of flavor so that nothing was too bland or not seasoned.  Nothing else had to be added.  No salt.  No pepper.  It was perfect fresh from the skillet.  The vegetables cook to the perfect level of doneness, not burning, not being still too hard.  And the potatoes get to the perfect stage, where they only begin to crumble off your fork as you go to take a bite.

These little bags make an easy go-to side or dinner for anyone.  And…it’s affordable and easy to make.  Nothing beats that.  Oh…being gluten-free and vegetarian also wins brownie points from me.  So, when you’ve had a long day and don’t want to pull out a slew of ingredients, simply grab a bag of Alexia Sauté Reds…cook…enjoy.

When life is hectic, your dinner shouldn’t be.

Butternut squash soup.  There are fewer things in life that make me happier than butternut squash soup.  Seriously…THIS is comfort food to me.  The rich, creamy flavor of soups made from squash just hit the mark for me.  Some people consider comfort food a casserole or a rich dessert.  To me, nothing beats a steaming bowl of soup.

Why?

Well, soups have potential.  Every soup can act as a base for something else.  But the true challenge of any soup is if it can stand on its own.

As far as pre-packaged soups go, I’ve had a lot of success with Pacific Natural Foods.  Even better, quite a few of their savory flavors are available with 50% less sodium.  Since The Agriculture and Health and Human Services departments released the dietary guidelines earlier this year, lowering American’s intake of sodium to 1500mg a day (or about half a teaspoon), sodium has been the topic of conversation.  But, it is something that my roommate and I have been watching for years.  High blood pressure runs in her family, so keeping an eye on sodium intake is just something we’ve always done when choosing processed foods.

My local grocery store has quite a huge lineup of different soups from Pacific Natural Foods.  Since I LOVE squash soups, their Creamy Butternut Squash soup was one of the first to hit the cart during a recent sale.  And nothing could be easier to make.  Pour out serving, heat on stove.  Serve.  It’s that simple.  You have time to make a grilled cheese sandwich to accompany it if you so desire.

I had high hopes for this soup when I settled in one chilly evening for dinner.  One spoonful and I was swimming in soup heaven.  This creamy soup has so much going for it.  It has a slightly nutty flavor in part due to the fresh butternut squash that Pacific Natural Foods ensures is used in their soups.  But, it’s seasoned and there is a hint of a spice behind that initial flavor.  Closer inspection of the ingredients show that hits of nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger are used to season this soup.  Flavor.  This soup is bursting with it.  From the smooth, creamy texture to the hint of spice as you swallow…this is everything a butternut squash soup should be.  And only 280mg of sodium per serving.  Winning!

This soup is also gluten-free, vegan, and dairy-free.  Which fits right into my dietary guidelines.  Well done, Pacific Natural Foods…for once again showing that less really is more and that processed foods don’t have to load up on sodium to be packed with flavor.  Food can naturally be good.  And Pacific Natural Foods proves it over and over again with their delicious soup lines.

It’s soup season…don’t just take my word for it…savor it for yourself.

It’s that time of year.  The days are growing shorter.  The air is getting that crispness to it.  The leaves are changing color.  And farmer’s markets are shutting down for the season.  Grocery store produce aisles are packed with fall vegetables – potatoes, squashes, apples, etc.  These are some of my favorite flavors which is why autumn is one of my favorite seasons.  The foodie in me eagerly awaits those sensuous fall flavors and aromas…how simple spices can ignite a simple dish.

What Alexia Foods does with their Harvest Sauté is mix together some fall favorites and create a treat that is colorful and packed with flavor.  This frozen bag is meant for a side…but my roommate and I split it between us and enjoyed it as our main course the night I cooked it up.  Nothing could be easier.  Inside are the frozen vegetables and a pack of sage-infused olive oil.  Simply thaw the oil pouch in hot water and pour into a pan.  Heat and add the blend of red potatoes, onions, whole green beans, and carrots.  Sauté for about 10-12 minutes, until the potatoes begin to brown.  Serve.

It’s that easy.

No additional seasoning is needed.  The sage-infused olive oil adds tremendous flavor, and is enough to help cook the vegetables without leaving them laden in oil, greasy and inedible.   The vegetables absorb the cooking oil, so each piece is seasoned in the pan as it cooks.  Nothing is left undercooked.  The time given to sauté everything is perfect.  The potatoes almost fall apart on your fork.

What I loved about this blend was how reminiscent it was of foods I was given in Ireland.  Most Irish meals are served with vegetables in the colors of the Irish flag (green, white, orange).  And here we have green beans, potatoes, and carrots.  Even for being a pre-packed frozen side, what Alexia Foods manages is to bring together healthy items, cooked in a healthy manner, and good enough to be eaten on its own or shared with others as a side.

I picked up four different types of these potato sides from Alexia Foods on a trip to the grocery store…and this was just the first tantalizing taste of what else was in store for me.  What a way to start.

Looking for a fantastic flavor this autumn?  Add some of Alexia Foods’ delicious potato and vegetable sides to your Thanksgiving feast.  Or, wrap yourself up in your snuggie one night and treat yourself to something indulgently simple and delicious for supper.  It’s not only a side…it can be what is for dinner.

It is virtually impossible for me to eat pizza these days.  Which is sad…honestly.  Because I love pizza.  I love everything there is about pizza.  In fact, I love playing around with different toppings and seeing how the flavors mesh.  But, being a gluten-free vegetarian doesn’t always make this easy.  Especially around where I live.  In fact…unless I venture over the Ohio river to one of two local places that offer a gluten-free pizza…then I’m usually out of luck.

And then Rudi’s gluten-free pizza crust came into my life.  Literally.  In a box from UPS.

Suddenly pizza was back on the menu.  And better (and healthier) than any restaurant-served pizza, I now had the opportunity to prepare my own…any way I wanted it.  The little allergic chef in me rejoiced at the opportunity to not only try a new product, but to lay down some new flavors in a pizza.

Here’s what I love about Rudi’s Gluten-Free Pizza Crust…EVERYTHING!!  First of all…the calorie and fat content beats any ready-made crust in stores.  My roommate wanted to make regular pizza while I had gluten-free…but she didn’t like the nutrition information she was looking at.  Aside from that, all the weird and unpronounceable ingredients in a lot of the store-bought pizza crusts can’t be good for your body.  I recognized everyingredient on the Rudi’s gluten-free pizza crust package.  In the end…my roommate got to have some gluten-free goodness for her pizza as well.

That night’s pizza was a goat cheese and potato pizza with a splash of rosemary.  Epic goodness…but only enhanced by the amazing crust that acted as it’s base.  I laid out the crust, brushed it with a bit of olive oil and seasoned it with rosemary and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper.  I laid down some Mozzarella Flavor Veggie Shreds (that’s non-dairy mozzarella cheese), some very thinly sliced potato, chunks of goat cheese, and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes.

Into the oven it went and I crossed my fingers.

Here’s what I expect from a pizza crust (even the ready-made ones)…for it to bake to a delicious crisp.  For it to not fall apart and drop all my toppings into my lap or onto my plate.  For it to only add to the flavors of the pizza, and not take away from it.  So, after baking in the oven, I pulled the pizzas out, sliced them to perfect portion size, and took my first bite.

The crust…was perfection.  It had a sweet flavor to it, which really balanced out the flavors of the pizza toppings.  It had a nice texture.  The flavor was outstanding.  I was hooked at my first bite. Seriously.  I closed my eyes and took another bite, focusing on every burst of flavor from the crust.  The texture was outstanding.  And, the other half of the pizza was dinner the next night, so into the refrigerator it went.  In most cases, pizza crusts grow soggy overnight in the fridge, making the next day’s pizza experience…not anywhere near as delicious as when it was freshly baked.  But after about a minute in the microwave, the cheese was sizzling, the pizza was heated through, and the crust…still had crispness.  It didn’t fall apart, even when reheated.  That speaks volumes.  I couldn’t believe how amazing this product was.

I will sing my praises for Rudi’s Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts…because it is a slice of gluten-free heaven.  The perfect combination of natural ingredients created the perfect crust for any pizza.  It’s fantastic…either way you slice it.  Choose your own toppings, go to town, and rest assured that your pizza will taste better than anything a local place with a gluten-free option can offer.

Craving pizza?  Go hit up your grocery store for Rudi’s Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts.  They do pizza a favor by taking pre-made crusts to the next level, providing a gluten-free option, and making it naturally healthy and delicious.  You can’t argue with perfection and that’s what Rudi’s offers in every delicious slice.

Pizza is back on this girl’s gluten-free menu…and it has never tasted so good!

It’s a classic.  Grilled cheese.  We eat it when we’re kids.  We eat it as adults.  There is just something that is so comforting about that sandwich.  It’s comfort food.  You can enjoy it in any season because it pairs well with soups, salads, or a side of potato chips.  You can eat it with just cheese, or dress it up with caramelized onions, a slice or two of tomato, sauteed mushrooms, or whatever might please your palate that day.  Gourmet grilled cheese restaurants and food shops are popping up everywhere.  And we love it.

But sometimes cheese doesn’t love you back.  When I discovered I was lactose intolerant, I had to find an alternative to one of my favorite comfort foods.  My local grocery store, while it doesn’t have much, did have a variety of different flavors of Veggie Slices, one of the products that Galaxy National Foods produces.  Having had good luck with their Veggie Shreds, I decided I would give it a shot.

Out of all the choices offered, I decided to go with the pepper jack flavor for my sandwich.  After purchasing it, I brought it home and immediately started to warm up a skillet to make my sandwich.  I opened the pack and pulled out one of the slices, very much like American cheese slices.  Peeling back the plastic, I took out the “cheese” slice and placed it on some gluten-free bread.  And so…into the pan it went.

My biggest concern was how it would melt.  I love a gooey sandwich, where when you pull the grilled cheese slices apart, the cheese just stretches with it.  I noticed that as my bread was toasting, the cheese wasn’t really melting.  I gave it a flip, and continued it on the other side.

Plating up, I sliced it up…

Veggie Slices do melt…a little.  But, I won’t hold the lack of gooey melty goodness against the company.  Why?  Because it tastes good.  Just like cheese.  This pepper jack flavor doesn’t have the spicy bite of real pepper jack, but there are undertones of that flavor.  I mean, nothing will be as good as the real thing.  But this is a good enough substitute.  The “cheese” tasted like cheese…so that was a good start.  And the slice did melt…just not up to what I grew up with.  But…this is a different sort of grilled cheese, right?  So it will be different.

Another thing I loved about Veggie Slices is how they are loaded with calcium.  These slices don’t have any cholesterol or lactose in them.  AND…they are gluten-free.  Not only that, the calorie and fat content of these little slices are quite low, making them a great option for cheese lovers who are looking to cut a little fat out of their diet.

I think a lower heat might help the Veggie Slices melt better.  A gradual heating of the bread as it toasts might give it a bit more time.  But this product has a place in my fridge now.  And I have two other flavors just waiting for me to give them a try.  And I can’t wait…because for a cheese alternative…Veggie Slices does well.  I was impressed.  When my only complaint is that the pepper jack lacked the spice associated with it, well…that’s speaks highly of the product.

I look forward to trying Veggie Slices on gluten-free veggie burgers and other meals in the very near future.  Great product for the cheese lover in all of us.

Soup is one of my favorite things in this world.  I love soup.  It’s light, but filling.  It can be served alone or with a grilled cheese sandwich.  It warms you up on a cold day.  And the best part about this time of year is…it is totally soup season!

The problem since I went gluten-free, however, was finding brands that were safe for me to eat.  Gluten hides in many things and soup can be a bit tricky.

Pacific Natural Foods is a brand I trust.  A lot (not all) of their soups are gluten-free, which makes them a great go-to for boxed soups…when I need a quick meal and can’t make my own from scratch.

While out grocery shopping one morning, my roommate spotted Pacific Natural Foods’ Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup on closeout.  It was labeled gluten-free, so I didn’t have to second-guess any of the ingredients, and it was on a major sale.  So, we picked up two small boxes of it and decided to give it a try.

That week, the weather got a bit cooler so I made soup that night for dinner.  It had been a busy day at the office, so something simple to warm up on the stove was ideal.  The soup itself isn’t much to look at when you first pour it into the pan.  As it cooks, however, the magic starts.  It smells amazing as it warms itself on the stove.  It was making my mouth water.  Seriously!!

This is where the idiom of “Don’t judge a book by its cover” should be brought into play.  As I said…it doesn’t look like much.  I dished it up for my roommate and I, and settled in for dinner.  My main concern was my roommate.  She’s new to foods that have a bit of a “kick” to them.  Spicy foods are something she’s adjusting her palate to.  So the “chipotle” part of this soup was what concerned me.  As for me, I love foods with spice.  I like the flavor spices add to many dishes.  So, I went into this feeling confident I would like it.

The verdict: we both loved it.

The spice wasn’t overpowering.  In fact, it was just the right amount of heat.  The sweet potatoes added a nice chunky texture to the soup, so it wasn’t just a thin broth.  In fact, it bulked it up, made it a bit thicker than many of the Pacific Natural Foods soups.  I didn’t expect to fall in love with this soup like I did, but it packs a flavor punch that excited every tastebud on my tongue.  No lie.  Spicy, thick, sweet, warm, rich, smooth…it was everything a soup should be.

And, sadly, as it was on closeout, I haven’t been able to find it at any grocery store since.  Such a shame since I’d buy out the store if I found it again.

If you can find this soup at your grocery store…honestly, it’s worth buying.  Packed with bold flavor, it was a fantastic find.  I just wish I could find it on shelves now.  It saddens me that such a fantastic product is no longer available here.  However, I’m constantly on the search and one day…I’ll find it again.  This soup is worthy of the hunt.  I wouldn’t do it for any soup…just this one.  It is that good.