Vegetarian – Page 39 – The Celiathlete

June 27, 2014

Product Review: Trader Joe’s Polenta Provencale with Spianch & Peas in a Spicy Cream Sauce

Product: Trader Joe’s Polenta Provencale with Spinach & Peas in a Spicy Cream Sauce – $3.49+

It’s Friday.

It’s Friday, and despite getting paid today, I have no money. Which totally thwarted my plan to have gluten-free pizza away from home today. Seriously. The last thing I wanted to do after the day I had today was cook. I was having those, “I don’t want to be in that damn tiny kitchen any longer than I have to!” But, that’s not happening today. That’s not happening for a long time at this point.

*SIGH*

But I burden you with things that have nothing to do with this blog or product. Sorry. Just a little anecdote to explain why I ended up with my head and arms in the freezer, trying to find something that was not labor intensive or requiring much else in the means of cooking. I had a few options…though not too many…but decided that since it had been in the freezer the longest, the Polenta Provencale I picked up at Trader Joe’s a long while back was going to have its moment to shine.

This is generally used as a side dish…but it was going to be a meal for my roomie and I. So, I cooked up the entire package instead of just two portions of it. Those would have been really small portions…but for a side, I suppose that’s what you need. HA!

Anyway…I put my pan on the stove and turned on the burner to a medium-high heat, as instructed on the bag of frozen product suggested. I cut open the packaging and peeked inside to see little orange balls of corn goodness with some greens. All clotted together by ice. Beautiful. I sighed…and poured it into the awaiting hot pan.

It took about a minute or so for the ice to melt in order for me to break up the clumps of polenta and vegetables, but once that happened…so did the magic of this dish. I went to get cups down for a drink to have with dinner…and when I came back to stir, while the polenta was still frozen, the spinach and the peas were now turning a gorgeous green and a sauce was beginning to show up in the pan. This gorgeous…orange sauce. It also was starting to smell really, really good. Okay…maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. I left it to cook some more and poured drinks, walking them out to the living room and setting them on the table. I returned and gave the dish another stir. The polenta was starting to soften, meaning it wasn’t all the way frozen now. Thank goodness. I could see tomato now in the sauce. And the sauce was getting thicker. It all finished up just as the roommate emerged from her bathroom from her shower. Perfect timing. I got down two bowls and split the contents of the pan evenly.

I delivered the dishes to the table and settled in to enjoy my little bowl of Trader Joe’s straight-from-the-freezer-to-your-stove meal…and hoped it was good. I had no Plan B today. But…I’d think of something if I had to. I’m good at that in a pinch…especially when I’m hungry and food is involved.

So…it wasn’t the pizza I was craving.

However…it was good. I think it’s a bit misleading to call the sauce “spicy.” Personally, if I wasn’t so comfortable in my seat, I would have added a touch of hot sauce or some red pepper flakes to kick up the heat a little. My roomie, who is a spice wimp…well…she didn’t say one word about any heat or spice…nor did she suck down most of her drink upon the first few bites. This, my dear foodies, means…it’s not spicy. The polenta gets soft, without getting mushy. And the vegetables are the perfect accompaniment to the dish. The spinach absorbs that sauce and the peas add to the texture. But it’s that sauce that ties everything together. That sauce…although not spicy…was fantastic. I devoured this…chewing and swallowing of course…but devoured. I savored it as long as I could, but it was, for a meal from a freezer, really good!

I want to try to make it on my own…like…from fresh ingredients. Not frozen. Hmmm…

Speaking of ingredients…this package of Trader Joe’s Polenta Provencale with Spinach & Peas in a Spicy Cream Sauce contains relatively few ingredients in the grand scheme of things. The ingredients in this dish include polenta (made from water, corn flour, salt, and dried skim milk), crushed peeled tomatoes, creme fraiche, spinach, peas, tomato, cow’s milk cheese, olive oil, salt, garlic, strong chili pepper, basil, modified rice starch, parsley, thyme, and modified corn starch. I, however, am not a fan of the two modified starch ingredients. GAH! That’s a bummer. This product is gluten-free and vegetarian, however.

As for nutrition, however, this isn’t so bad. A serving of the Trader Joe’s P0lenta Provencale with Spinach & Peas in a Spicy Cream Sauce is 1/3 cup, cooked. There are about 4 servings per package. But, since this was dinner, this became 2 servings…so these stats just double. If you eat a regular serving (1/4 of the package), you will be consuming 130 calories and 7 grams of fat. In addition, you will be taking in 20 mg cholesterol, 280 mg sodium, and 2 grams of sugar. In the grand scheme of things, for a frozen, packaged product…that is awesome. You will also be taking in 3 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein. Not lying…this dish is filling!

If you really like things spicy, I recommend adding a bit of kick to the Trader Joe’s Polenta Provencale with Spinach & Peas in a Spicy Cream Sauce. But…it’s not bad the way it is. I loved the rich, creaminess of each bite…from the sauce to the polenta to the vegetables…it was a trio of deliciousness. One that I will definitely consider trying again when I need to have one of those “prepare it quickly” meals.

Nicely done, Trader Joe’s. If anything…try to get those modified starches out of your product. Then…this will get my full approval. Until then, just know that I found this one tasty little meal tonight. And I’m glad I had it in my freezer for the day I was having. The fact that it tasted good as well was the added bonus!

And this is why I love Trader Joe’s.

June 26, 2014

Product Review: Pacific Foods Organic Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Product: Pacific Foods Organic Roasted Red Pepper Hummus – $3.99+

It took awhile for her to come around…

Actually it took a lot of me just forcing her to eat it…but now my roomie, formerly someone who loathed hummus and everything about it…someone who when I would make her eat it insisted it had to be warm first (EWW!!)…has since seen the error in her ways. It happened a little while ago actually. She’s been a hummus fiend ever since. Without it needing to be heated.

So…hummus has become one of those things we tend to have on hand in the kitchen these days. It’s a great, healthy spread…good on just about any vegetable…or a gluten-free cracker…or in a gluten-free wrap or sandwich. Hummus is not only delicious…it’s also so versatile.

I admit…this is the first time I’ve ever purchased hummus in a box. Usually it’s in those lidded plastic containers in the refrigerated area of the grocery store. But Pacific Foods has created a, ready for this?, shelf stable hummus. Yes…shelf stable. Which is good, because I forgot I had this in pantry. I actually got this box of hummus for free with a deal going on at my local Earth Fare awhile back. It was spend $10 or something and get free hummus. Free and hummus. Two of my favorite words!

Well…it’s late in the week. Tomorrow another CSA bin of fruits and veggies will be delivered to my door, and I’m still trying to use up some of the veggies from this past week. I decided to make it easy. Knowing that one of the veggies still in my bin was my carrots, I went to the pantry and put the box of Pacific Foods Organic Roasted Red Pepper Hummus into the fridge before heading to the gym this morning. I knew tonight, I could polish off the remaining two ears of corn by grilling them up and serving them with some carrot sticks and a serving of the hummus.

Work was hectic today…so I was glad to have an easier dinner planned. Upon returning home, I peeled the corn and got it in the grill pan with some roasted garlic and her vegan buttery spread. As that was grilling and, as usual, smoking up the apartment, I started to peel and slice the carrots. When they were ready, I plated them, seasoned the corn, and then grabbed the Pacific Foods Organic Roasted Red Pepper Hummus from the fridge. I opened up the box and noticed that it really needed to be stirred. This…is no easy task. When you try to stir something in a bowl, it’s easy. When you try to stir something in a box…a mess is bound to happen. I kept it pretty well contained to the box itself though. Once it was blended, I scooped out some healthy tablespoons and dinner…was served.

Mmmm…veggies for dinner.

That’s pretty usual for me actually…being a gluten-free vegetarian.

So…how was it?

It was delicious. Definitely not as creamy as the refrigerated varieties, but not bad. It was packed with really good flavor. I could taste the roasted red peppers…which just elevated the spread. I loved how easy it was to scoop up with the carrot sticks. And it was so refreshing. Honestly. In fact, I ate my grilled corn up first so I could end my meal with the hummus. That’s how much I liked it. It reminded me a lot of the hummus I make. That’s what the texture reminded me of, and perhaps that is why I enjoyed it so much.

Interesting to note…the Pacific Foods Organic Roasted Red Pepper Hummus is one of few shelf-stable hummus’ on the market. It is actually packaged in BPA-free cartons. The hummus contains 1/3 fewer calories and 40% less fat than the leading refrigerated brand. And, Pacific Foods, as always, places their reputation on their high-quality ingredients.

Speaking of ingredients, the Pacific Foods Organic Roasted Red Pepper Hummus is made from water, organic chickpeas, organic roasted red bell peppers, organic red bell peppers, organic canola oil, organic tahini, organic garlic, organic lemon juice concentrate, sea salt, organic sesame oil, organic spices. It is vegetarian, vegan, cholesterol free, dairy-free, corn-free, soy-free, wheat-free, and yeast-free.

So let’s talk nutrition, shall we? Hummus is such a healthy spread. Honestly. It’s amazing. A serving of the Pacific Foods Organic Roasted Red Pepper Hummus is 2 tablespoons. This will provide you with 45 calories and 3 grams of fat. A serving will also give you 130 mg sodium and 1 gram of sugar. LOVE IT. It will also give you 1 gram of fiber and 1 gram of protein.

Hummus is one of the best condiments and spreads to ever come into the world. It’s rich, creamy, and delicious. It’s good on sandwiches, or on salads, or on pizzas, or on crackers, or on vegetables…etc. You see what I’m getting at here? Hummus makes the world a richer and happier place. Well…maybe not alone…but it is one healthy way to enjoy some of your favorite foods in a new way. Or…just dip some tortilla chips or fresh veggies in it…and you’ll be just as happy. Pacific Foods Organic Roasted Red Pepper Hummus is amazing and I will totally be trying out the other two flavors in the future.

In case you were wondering…Pacific Foods also has an Organic Classic Hummus and an Organic Roasted Garlic Hummus.

Try all three versions. But, if nothing else, trust me on the amazing tastiness that the Roasted Red Pepper variety provides. Oh…so good!

June 25, 2014July 7, 2014

Product Review: Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Snickerdoodle Soft Baked Cookies

Product: Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Snickerdoodle Soft Baked Cookies – $2.49

COOKIE!

The Cookie Monster is back with an in budget, delicious, fantastic, soft-baked, cinnamon-y, sweet, three-bite treat. Oh yes. I discovered that in Aldi’s liveGfree line, they have Soft Baked Cookies. And one of said cookies only happens to be my most favorite flavor in the entire world…

SNICKERDOODLES!

I’ve said it before…and I’ll say it again…nothing will ever be as good as the Snickerdoodles that my mom used to bake, usually around Christmas. They were my go-to cookie. Something about that sweetness with the little bit of heat from the cinnamon. Ah…it’s cookie perfection if you ask me. Seriously. When done right…soft, chewy, cinnamon-sugary Snickerdoodles are honestly the best cookie in the world.

That being said, when I noticed that one of the boxes of gluten-free items currently being stocked by Aldi in their liveGfree line was Snickerdoodles…there was no hesitation. These were totally coming home with me.

Well, tonight was the night I busted these out. For me…the most difficult part of having Snickerdoodles in the apartment (especially good ones) is not eating them all in one go. And with cookies that are soft baked and about two to three bites in size…that’s not always an easy task. But, I’ve trying to behave. I binge on peanut butter more than I should already…

But I digress…

Let’s focus for a moment on the important things…

COOKIES!

Gluten-free Snickerdoodles.

Soft-Baked Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles.

Ah…life is good. I can say that because, following the trend, the liveGfree version of a Snickerdoodle (which I suspect is being made by Enjoy Life as these are so similar) is really delicious. It’s the right amount of cinnamon for that little kick of spice, with the hit of sugar to bring some sweetness. The cookie is soft, chewy, and amazing. The texture is perfect. The flavor is all right. Everything hits the right note…from the instant you open the box and fish out a serving, to the time you lick the cinnamon off your fingertips. These cookies are sheer Snickerdoodle perfection. If anything…they’re too small for my liking. But…I don’t mind two small cookies instead of one big cookie.

As I said, these cookies parallel the Enjoy Life Soft Baked version…but the ingredients are actually slightly different. Not by much. The Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Snickerdoodle Soft Baked Cookies are made from sorghum flour, brown pure canse sugar, date paste, expeller-pressed vegetable oil, juice concentrate (grape, apple, pear), natural rice dextrin, golden flaxseed, soda, xanthan gum, salt, vanilla, ground cinnamon, and rosemary extract. Not completely clean eating…but not as bad as some cookies out on the market…gluten-free included. At least I recognize everything in this brand. Aldi’s liveGfree brand proudly declares that it uses all natural ingredients and “no artificial anything.” These cookies are certified gluten-free and also cholesterol free! In addition, they are also egg-free, dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free and wheat free. LOVE IT!!

As for nutrition…for cookies…these aren’t so bad. Honestly. A serving size of the Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Snickerdoodle Soft Baked Cookies is 2 cookies. These two three-bite cookies will dish you up 120 calories and 5 grams of fat. You will be taking in 100 mg sodium and 10 grams of sugar (not bad for cookies!). And finally, you will be provided with 1 gram of fiber and 1 gram of protein. These…are meant as a treat and not something that will fill you up.

I continue to be impressed by Aldi and the products in their liveGfree product lineup. I sincerely hope that Aldi continues to stock and carry these gluten-free products. It is so rare that I can go into a store, buy one of almost all their gluten-free products and spend less than $30. And that’s what happened when I purchased these products from Aldi at the beginning of May. It was one of the most worthwhile stops and shopping trips I have made.

Aldi’s liveGfree line is making living gluten-free a whole lot more affordable…and delicious!

June 24, 2014

Recipe: Gluten-Free Blueberry and Dark Chocolate Scones

I love berries. Love them. I haven’t met a berry I didn’t like. I will EAT ALL THE BERRIES! And sometimes…I do.

Thanks to my good friend, Harry, I have a nice supply of freshly picked blueberries. And I really wanted to make the most of them. So, over the weekend, while doing some meal prep, I decided to do some baking…utilizing some of the blueberries.

Lucky for me, this month’s Vegetarian Times was featuring blueberries in their “One Food Five Ways” feature. SCORE! And the one recipe that really stuck out to me was the Blueberry and Dark Chocolate Scones. So…that’s what I made…for breakfast at the office on my gym mornings. It just will involve some reheating. And since I love scones, this seemed like a great recipe to attempt. The only difference is my version had to be gluten-free. So, I crossed my fingers and said a prayer to my gluten-free baking gods that this recipe might like my gluten-free all-purpose flour.

These pastries are so simple to make and don’t take a lot of time. They bake up beautifully and look amazing. Oh…and you might want to eat them the moment they come out of the oven because they make your home smell SO good!

Recipe: Gluten-Free Blueberry and Dark Chocolate Scones

Servings: 8
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Bake 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (I used Better Batter)
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I used Earth Balance)
3/4 cup low-fat milk, plus more for brushing (I used unsweetened almond milk)
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels)
3/4 cup fresh blueberries

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Work in the butter using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, until only small crumbs remain in the mixture.

Whisk together milk, egg yolks, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix just until incorporated (the mixture will be crumbly). Gently stir in the chocolate chips and blueberries. Gather dough into a ball.

Transfer the dough to a floured work surface, and press into a 3/4-inch-thick disk. Dust a knife with flour, then cut dough into 8 equal wedges. Transfer to prepared baking sheet, and brush tops lightly with milk.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until lightly browned on top and bottom.

~*~*~

This recipe embodies everything that is amazing and wonderful in this world. Fresh blueberries. Dark chocolate. Breakfast. These scones are a fantastic treat in the morning…and actually not too bad as far as nutrition goes…for scones. I loved the flavor of the bittersweet chocolate with the burst of sweetness from the blueberries. Harmony in breakfast form. I will be making these again…that’s for sure! Simple recipe…simple breakfast pleasure.

June 23, 2014May 11, 2015

Product Review: Glutino Gluten Free Vegetable Crackers

Product: Glutino Gluten Free Vegetable Crackers – $4.99+

One of my go-to brands here! Everything…and I literally mean…EVERYTHING that I have tried from Glutino has been amazing. From my first ever product…their pretzels to their pizza to their breads to their breakfast bars…to everything else I can lay my hands on (especially the chocolate covered pretzels…which are my favorite thing in life…in general!)…I have found Glutino to be one of the gluten-free brands that I can trust to put forth a quality product that also has perfect flavor and texture.

Not too long ago, for no reason I can discern whatsoever, I picked up a box of their Gluten Free Vegetable Crackers. Normally I don’t keep random crackers in my pantry. God only knows why I had a box of these in my pantry…unless they were on sale or I just, at the time, had a craving. Or maybe I thought I’d need them. Regardless, they’ve been in my pantry for a little while. In the back. Where I kept forgetting they were there.

UGH! This is why I clean up my pantry every month. To remind me of what I have and what I need to use.

Well, yesterday I went ahead with some much-needed meal preparation. I was in the kitchen for much of the afternoon, not only working on things I would need for Sunday’s dinner…but things for Monday and beyond. The week. Or beyond that…because one thing I was making was a fantastic Vegetarian West African Peanut Soup, which I can freeze some portions.

Anyway…it’s Monday. It’s crazy. And I really just wanted to be able to come home, eat something, and then settle in to watch some World Cup with dinner. This meant I prepped the soup on Sunday, let it cool down, froze four portions of it and put the other two into the fridge for easy reheating on Monday evening. That’s exactly what I did. I also baked Vegan Blueberry and Dark Chocolate Scones too…but I digress…

I was thinking, while at work, that we might want something with the soup tonight…and was trying to figure out if I wanted to bake up gluten-free corn bread…or grill up some corn…or just have crackers (I have another brand awaiting its turn for tasting and blogging rights). I asked my roommate around lunch time and she was apathetic toward any suggestion. I hate when she doesn’t care…because…honestly…I’m good with anything. I just want some input. But…on the way home, it seemed she had it all worked out…requesting crackers with the soup.

Sweet. Decision made.

The next question was which kind to have with dinner. Since the Glutino Gluten Free Vegetable Crackers had graced my pantry shelf longer than the other one…they won the non-existent coin toss. In other words…default!

As I heated up bowls of soup, I plucked the box from the pantry and opened up the top. Two silver bags of freshness were waiting for me. I checked the nutrition information and found that the box held four servings, so each silver bag held two servings of crackers. Perfection! I got out some paper towels, cut open one of the freshness sealed bags and poured out the contents, splitting the crackers evenly between Cathy and I.

These crackers are larger than a standard Ritz cracker. They have this subtle pale color, but inside each cracker you can see little flecks of flavor. I loved vegetable crackers growing up, so I was hoping that these would live up to my high expectations. I finished up the soup, and served it with a serving of crackers each. I wasn’t exactly sure how vegetable flavored crackers would go with peanut soup…but I was willing to at least give it a shot.

Believe it or not…it worked. Seriously.

I think the texture and overall flavor of Glutino’s crackers (regardless of flavor) reminds me a lot of oyster crackers (Dear Glutino…please make oyster crackers for my soup!). And I used to eat the hell out of oyster crackers. But here is where the magic comes in with this particular cracker. You see, it’s flavored…with vegetable flavors. Seriously. You get this little taste of herbs, garlic, and even tomato in each bite. It would be great with cheese or even some hummus and vegetables on top. The vegetable flavor definitely gives this cracker a more savory feel and taste. And I loved it. While I dipped most of my crackers in the soup, I kept some out to eat on their own. That’s how good these are! They can be eaten plain and their subtle flavors bring a lot to the cracker itself. Delicious, any way you choose to eat them. Trust me.

Ingredients in the Glutino Gluten Free Vegetable Crackers include corn starch, white rice flour, organic palm sugar, modified corn starch, dextrose, eggs, sunflower lecithin, tomato powder, salt, dehydrated oregano, dehydrated garlic, guar gum, sodium bicarbonate, ammonium bicarbonate, and rosemary extract. Not a big fan of that word “modified” in there…but…I just now noticed it!

As far as nutrition information goes…the Glutino Gluten Free Vegetable Crackers contain 14o calories per serving (about 8 crackers) and 5 grams of fat. These crackers also serve up 5 mg cholesterol, 270 mg sodium, and only 1 gram of sugar. That’s not bad at all. In addition, one serving will also provide you with only 1 gram of fiber and 1 gram of protein. Not too filling…so don’t expect the crackers to hold you all day. Not happening.

Seriously…if you’re looking for a snack cracker or something to serve up at a party, I highly recommend the Glutino Gluten Free Vegetable Crackers. They are perfectly seasoned bites of cracker goodness. Great for soups, snacks, and savory hors d’oevres. Really just great. Eat them on their own, or dip or top them however you like. You won’t be disappointed. On the contrary, you might find yourself stocking your pantry with these on a regular basis.

June 23, 2014

Recipe: Vegetarian West African Peanut Soup

I admit it. I’m a girl from the North, so when my CSA bin arrived with collard greens inside…I had NO clue what to do with them. None. And while I lived in Birmingham, Alabama for six years…I was never one for southern-style cooking. Just ask any of my friends and co-workers. I was not having any of it. So…collard greens had me stumped.

So, I did what any good Northern girl would do when staring at collard greens and trying to figure out a good way to use them before they went bad (because we waste NOTHING!). I hit up Pinterest. And…much to my delight, found a soup recipe (and I love soup!) that incorporated collard greens and pretty much (save for a red onion and an extra box of organic veggie broth) everything I already had in my pantry. Seriously! So…I figured I would give it a try.

Let me tell you…this soup is so easy to make. One pot. That’s all you need. I used my Dutch oven to cook everything up and it was just…easy. And smelled really good. I know…some of you might wonder how these ingredients all come together. Like…tomato paste and peanut butter…but it works. Just trust me. If you like Pad Thai…you’ll appreciate this soup. That’s what it smells and tastes like…minus the noodles and chicken and all that stuff. I got this recipe from Cookie + Kate…and it was a flavor sensation of pure perfection.

Recipe: Vegetarian West African Peanut Soup

Servings: 6-8
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Cook 35 minutes

Ingredients:

6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 bunch collard greens (or kale), ribs removed and leaves chopped into 1-inch strips
3/4 cup unsalted peanut butter (chunky or smooth…I used chunky so I wouldn’t have to buy peanuts to garnish)
1/2 cup tomato paste
Hot sauce, like Sriracha
1/4 cup roughly chopped peanuts, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

In a medium Dutch oven or stock pot, bring the broth to a boil.

Add the onion, ginger, garlic and salt. Cook on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.

In a medium-sized, heat-safe mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter and tomato paste, then transfer 1 to 2 cups of the hot stock to the bowl. Whisk the mixture together until smooth, then pour the peanut mixture back into the soup and mix well.

Stir in the collard greens and season the soup with hot sauce to taste.

Simmer for about 15 more minutes on medium-low heat, stirring often.

Serve over cooked brown rice if you’d like, and top with a sprinkle of chopped peanuts.

~*~*~

Like I said…it’s like liquid Pad Thai. And I love Pad Thai. It sounds odd…but trust me…the flavors are there. You can make it as mild or as spicy as you want. I kept mine near the middle, because while I love spicy foods, my roommate is a “heat wimp” (her words). So…I found the happy medium there. This soup is just delicious and honestly…couldn’t be easier to make. It didn’t take much time to get the ingredients ready and then you just let it cook, stirring every now and again. I do recommend using chunky peanut butter. It is just awesome.

So…if you are looking for a different soup to try…totally give this one a shot. I promise…you’ll like it. You might even love it…like me.

June 23, 2014

Product Review: Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancakes

Product: Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancakes – $2.69

Oh…pancakes. I love pancakes. I’m a runner…I’m supposed to live on pancakes, right? I wish I did, honestly. Because I grew up eating pancakes for breakfast, sometimes for lunch, and my family was a big believer in pancakes for dinner. We love breakfast in my family and breakfast for dinner was sort of like a tradition with us. My mom had a great recipe for what was deemed “The Best Ever Pancakes.” I loved it when mom would cook up pancakes, getting the skillet all nice and warm before pouring that perfect, fluffy batter onto it in perfect circles, flipping it as the edges bubbled and revealing this perfect crusty outside with that soft, cakey, light and fluffy inside. Mmm…I’m drooling just thinking about it.

Except…I can’t eat those pancakes anymore. And, ironically, neither can she. With both of us dealing with Celiac diagnosis (mine three years ago, hers late last year), those pancakes will have to remain a fond memory. But, that’s not to say that pancakes are off the menu. In fact…so many different gluten-free pancake mixes and frozen pancakes are out on the market these days. Between that and pizza…you’d think that’s all Celiacs and the gluten intolerant eat. And…I would if I could get away with it. But I also like variety. So…maybe not.

Back as May (Celiac Awareness Month) kicked off, Aldi brought out it’s brand new line of gluten-free products for testing on the market. I heard about it from work and from my mom. So, on Mother’s Day…my roommate and I trekked to the store, found products we could afford, and walked out with one of practically everything…for less than $30. NO JOKE! Talk about a bargain. The kicker was going to be whether or not these products were any good.

As we start our journey through the Aldi liveGfree line that has invaded our pantry(s) and our freezer, I keep an open mind. Just because it’s inexpensive doesn’t mean it’s going to be crap. And, as of today, there is only one product so far that I wouldn’t bother with again (The Southwest Veggie Stuffed Sandwiches). Everything else has been decent or even delicious. So, that’s a win. Products that actually fit my budget and are good too? Sign me up. Or at least send me to Aldi every once and awhile (provided they keep this line in stores…and I pray they do!).

I happen to have a fantastic blueberry invasion in my fridge and freezer these days…compliments of my good friend Harry. LOVE blueberries and how good they are for you. And I’ve been eating the hell out of them. With a busy Monday morning at hand, I knew that I needed breakfast to be relatively simple. Aside from having a fruit, yogurt and granola parfait…to round it out…I figured I would try the other version of the frozen pancakes that I picked up at Aldi (I previously reviewed the blueberry variety…ironically). These are simply Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancakes. Also known as…the standard…the pancake to end all pancakes. If you can’t make a good buttermilk pancake, you’re not worthy of wielding batter and a spatula.

A package of three of the Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancakes

The best part about these, however, is that they are already prepared and frozen. They come in individual servings, already wrapped and ready for their date with some source of heat. The box gives three options…microwave, toaster, and oven. I went with the oven, because it would allow me some time to shower and change before they were done cooking. Perfect. Each wrapper contains three pancakes. I opened up the wrappers, placed the pancakes on a baking sheet, covered them with foil, and put them in a preheated oven at 375°F for 10-12 minutes. My oven is old…I went for 12 minutes.

Just as with their blueberry counterparts, when I removed them from the oven and pulled away the foil…this cloud of steam emerged and the pancakes were now soft…thawed…and looked absolutely perfect. I placed three on each plate and topped them of with a homemade blueberry compote. There is the irony of the other flavor being blueberry! Anyway…I served up a plate to the roomie and then began some clean-up work in the kitchen while I dug into mine.

I loved this. What I felt was the best part was that rich, buttermilk flavor that you get with each bite. Even with the blueberry compote, you can’t miss the flavor from the pancakes. It was rich and smooth and just pure pancake perfection (try saying that three times fast!). They were so light and fluffy…like they were homemade. Like they were the pancakes my mom used to make (just not as fluffy or epic or delicious!). I will point out these are a bit small…but what frozen pancakes aren’t. I loved the texture…not having anything gritty or gummy. Just soft and chewy and delicious bite after bite after bite. I was actually impressed. I asked Cathy her thoughts and she said, “They don’t have much flavor.” But she also is congested with a summer cold and really can’t taste much at the moment. So, that was a comment I am ignoring and a question I shouldn’t have asked the girl with the stuffed up sinuses. DUH!

Let’s discuss ingredients, shall we? The Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancakes from the Aldi liveGfree line contain water, rice flour, tapioca flour, sugar, soy flour, potato flour, whole egg powder, canola oil, buttermilk, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum, and natural flavors. These are all ingredients that I recognize and box proudly declares that this product contains “No Artificial Anything.” Love that too!

As for nutrition, these are actually really good stats for pancakes. One serving (3 pancakes) of the Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancakes will provide you with 210 calories and 4 grams of fat. NICE! That’s awesome for pancakes. A serving will also give you 40 mg cholesterol, 390 mg sodium, and 9 grams of sugar. The sugar is…higher than I like…but…it’s pancakes. Also, you will be taking in only 1 gram of fiber and 5 grams of protein. Love that protein stat, but the lack of fiber is probably why my stomach was rumbling by 9 a.m. I resisted the urge to snack though. Even though I really needed to do so.

For the price, I really can’t complain about the Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancakes. I actually savored each bite this morning because they tasted so darn close to homemade. I really am hoping the trial run of this gluten-free line catches on at Aldi because sometimes convenience foods are necessary and they do make life easier. And when they are made right, like these pancakes, they can really add some smiles and sunshine and rainbows and unicorns…or at least something delicious to start (or perhaps end) your day with. On mornings when you are pressed for time or are just running late…something this easy to prepare and to enjoy sure does come in handy. Maybe if I beg and bat my eyelashes Aldi will keep this line around for awhile. I’m one happy customer so far!

Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancakes (fresh from the oven)

June 23, 2014

Product Review: Jessica’s Natural Foods Gluten-Free Pecan Almond Granola

Product: Jessica’s Natural Foods Gluten-Free Pecan Almond Granola – $6.99+

It wasn’t in the budget this week. Honestly. But I have a lot of delicious, fresh blueberries at home and needed some way to prepare them. Well…some other way as I’ve already put some in a blueberry compote for gluten-free pancakes and even baked some into dark chocolate and blueberry scones. Mmmm…scones. I’ve been eating them prior to running and after running. So, when I was out grocery shopping, it occured to me that one of my favorite ways to eat blueberries…is in my breakfast fruit, yogurt and granola parfaits. So, while at Whole Foods, Cathy and I were walking through the cereal aisle and she spotted the bright, colorful, yellow packaging of Jessica’s Natural Foods Gluten-Free Granola!

Her eyes fell on the Motor City Crunch variety, which is a chocolate and hazelnut granola. Mmmm…Nutella in granola form. I wanted it. So, I told her we had to get one, because, after all, we had blueberries to eat. So, she grabbed…the Gluten-Free Pecan Almond Granola??!! After waving chocolate hazelnut at me? That’s just mean and cruel, I think. Next time I’m selecting so I get the chocolate hazelnut. Crazy roomie of mine. Chocolate and hazelnut always win. I mean, I love pecans and almonds, but those are in…pretty much every other granola out there. And Motor City Crunch actually had like a special title and everything It wasn’t just the flavor. It has to be big…it has to be amazing…it has to wait until next time…

Bummer.

But…you just go with it in these situations. So, instead of the one I thought we were getting…the Jessica’s Natural Foods Gluten-Free Pecan Almond Granola is the actual variety that made it into our shopping bag and then into the pantry on Saturday.

Fast forward to Monday morning. I had spin class to get to by 5:30 a.m. and breakfast had to be quick. So…here it was…blueberry breakfast parfaits. I pulled out the pouch of granola and opened it up. I retrieved glasses to build the parfaits in and then the Greek yogurt and berries from the fridge. I plucked the honey from the pantry. And I figured I had to taste-test the granola before loading it into the parfaits. So, I reached inside and plucked out a large clump of granola.

It was sweet without being overly sweet. It looked like it was packed with sugar…but it’s not. The nuts add a great bit of depth to the flavor and the oats are toasted to perfection. You get that perfect granola crunch followed by the sweetness. I had to take another bit before telling myself that I actually needed to build a parfait and couldn’t just eat the granola. But trust me…I could. While I might have been disappointed that the flavor I wanted remained shelved at Whole Foods…this flavor is top of the line. I mean, honest-to-goodness ingredients and flavors. Low in sugar…packed with enough flavor that makes you almost feel guilty when eating it. It was like a treat. And when I paired it with the ripe and very fresh (and amazing) blueberries and the Greek yogurt…it was a fantastic combination. The pecans, almonds, and oats brought this nice texture, the berries practically burst on my tongue…and the smooth yogurt just tied it all together. This was a wonderful (and tasty) surprise this morning. LOVED this flavor.

So…let’s talk ingredients. Inside a package of Jessica’s Natural Foods Gluten-Free Pecan Almond Granola you will find certified gluten-free rolled oats, organic honey, brown sugar, expeller pressed sunflower oil, pecans, almonds, ground flax seed, coconut, maple syrup, pure vanilla extract, sea salt, cinnamon, and tocopherols (natural vitamin E). That last ingredient sounds very chemical-like…but look at everything else. The sweetness, I now see, is due to the honey, brown sugar, and maple syrup that are included. I can taste the hint of coconut and the seasoning of cinnamon that is included. And the combination is magic on your taste buds. Not only is it gluten-free, but it’s also cholesterol free. YAY!

Nutritionally speaking…these stats are pretty awesome. A serving of Jessica’s Natural Foods Pecan Almond Granola is 1/4 cup. This serving will provide you with 135 calories and 7 grams of fat. That isn’t bad for something that contains nuts. Mostly healthy fats there. A serving also will give you only 25 mg sodium and 6 grams of sugar. This is phenomenal for a granola. You will also be taking in 3 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein. It doesn’t sound like much, but you will actually feel full. Trust me.

I always try to get Cathy’s opinion on a product and since this was the flavor that she chose…against my wishes (because NUTELLA!)…I asked her what she thought. She gave her usual…”It was good.” Or whatever. And then I remember she is still fighting off a summer cold and she had just woken up. Dammit. No luck these days with her opinion. And this one I really wanted. Maybe another time.

That being said, despite not getting the Chocolate Hazelnut variety I am enamored with high praise and love for Jessica’s Natural Foods and the Pecan Almond Granola. Delicious. Not too sweet…although it just looks like it should be more sweet than it is. It’s sheer granola perfection and I can’t wait to try the other flavors. But next up…Motor City Crunch. For real!

June 22, 2014

Recipe: Zucchini Noodle Pasta with Portobello Mushrooms, Garlic Marinara, and a Homemade Basil Pesto

Sometimes, I get more produce in my CSA bin than I can logically begin to work through in a week. Sometimes I think I should go to every-other-week….but then the thought of not getting my fresh fruits and veggies makes me sad. So, I try to come up with clever ways to use some of it up. Last week’s bin had a yellow summer squash and a zucchini inside…and this week’s bin…two zucchinis. I needed to use some zucchini up stat.

Also…I hate some large portobello mushroom caps, two of which were a little busted up…so making my portobello mushroom cap pizzas were not going to be an option. So I thought…what can I do with this? And then I thought…pasta.

But pasta made from zucchini…giving a bit of a low carb option (not that I worry about carbs!). I was going to coat everything in a pesto, but my homegrown basil was…not enough to do that. So I only had a small amount. So, I could garnish the pasta with it. And thankfully I had a jar of RAO’s Homemade Roasted Garlic Sauce in the pantry. Yes! Rescued by a manager’s special! HA!

This recipe was super-easy to make and put together. Even better…super good for you. And, even if you don’t want to mess with making a pesto, the dish won’t lack anything if you leave it out. Or, you can do what I originally had planned and skip the marinara and go with just the pesto! It’s up to you. I’ll put up the recipe for the full pesto recipe just in case. I had to cut mine down to 1/4 the original recipe as I only had 1/2 cup of fresh basil.

That being said…

Recipe: Zucchini Noodle Pasta with Portobello Mushrooms, Garlic Marinara, and a Homemade Basil Pesto

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

Ingredients for Pesto:

2 cups tightly packed fresh basil
1/2 cup walnuts
1 to 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped (to taste)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Ingredients for Pasta:

Olive oil
Chopped/minced garlic
Seasoning of choice (I used herbs de provence)
Sea salt to taste
2 zucchini
3 large portobello mushroom caps, sliced
6 oz of marinara (or 4 ounces of pesto)
Dab of homemade pesto (if not using as the sauce)

Directions:

Make the pesto.

Place the basil, walnuts, and garlic in a food processor fitted with the S blade. Pulse to combine, until the mixture is coarsely ground.

Turn the motor on and drizzle the olive oil in a thin stream. Add the sea salt, pepper, lemon, and nutritional yeast, and pulse a few more times to combine.
Make the pasta:

Use your julienne peeler, spiral slicer or mandolin to create noodles out of the zucchini. I used a mandolin and made long, thin strips of zucchini for noodles. It’s really up to you! Zucchini is usually full of water, so take a paper towel and squeeze them to get out some of the water. Place them in a bowl and set aside.

Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and heat for a minute at medium heat. Add 1 clove of minced garlic and sauté for one minute. Add your mushrooms and continue to cook until the mushrooms begin to release their juices and have browned up beautifully. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Rinse out your skillet (or wipe it down to get out any mushroom residue) and place another tablespoon of olive oil in the pan, allowing it to heat for one minute over medium heat. Add your zucchini noodles to the pan and begin to heat them up. In order to not turn them to mush, do not stir them. Just move them gently around the pan.

Once the zucchini noodles are heated, add the musrhooms back into the pan and season with your seasonings of choice. Definitely add a bit of salt though.

Toss together and then add the sauce (be it marinara or pest0). Continue to toss in the skillet until it is heated through. Transfer to bowls and top off with pesto, if you didn’t use it for your sauce of choice. Or don’t…if you didn’t want to fuss with it.

Serve!

~*~*~

This was so packed with flavor and so delicious. Honestly, it was super delicious. I’d love to make this again and serve it up in the way I intended…with the pesto sauce, but the marinara added great flavor and worked so well with the zucchini and mushrooms. A delicious, low calorie, low carb meal that doesn’t take too long to prep or cook. Dinner…couldn’t be easier.

Give it a shot. I hope you like it!

June 22, 2014

Product Review: Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli

Aldi's liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli — Aldi’s liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli

Product: Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli – $3.29

I am still praising Aldi for their special gift to those of us who have to follow a gluten-free diet as May (also known as Celiac Awareness Month) kicked off. I had heard from numerous people that Aldi was going to test their gluten-free product line, called liveGfree, in their stores to see how it did. Two coworkers of mine snatched up a few products and told me I had to get over there. And then my mom called and said she had gone to Aldi and stocked up on quite a few things as well and that I really, really needed to check out my Aldi.

So, on that very same day…Mother’s Day…my roomie and I did just that. And we pretty much bought one of everything. We didn’t get the flour and dessert mixes because I am overloaded with those…but one of practically everything else. We even found the frozen items in the freezer near the back. Sometimes walking the aisles does pay off. Hey…we were in no hurry and I hadn’t been to Aldi in at least a year…if not longer. Lucky us…we spotted the frozen meals from the liveGfree line…and picked up the vegetarian ones. One of everything. Including the frozen pancakes. Because…pancakes…HELLO!

Well, World Cup is currently going on…a month later. And with busy days and wanting to catch matches…even on a Sunday like today…we had a full morning and it was leading into an afternoon of World Cup watching and chores around the house. Much of my day was spent in the kitchen, prepping meals for this coming week. Just makes life a lot easier. Trust me.

So, for lunch…Cathy and I decided that we’d keep it light (because with the USA World Cup match against Portugal tonight…we’re doing vegan fish and chips)…and thought we’d each of one of the (previous reviewed) Rudi’s Gluten-Free Rosemary and Olive Oil Ciabatta Rolls and split one of the frozen meals in the freezer. I asked if she was feeling ravioli or lasagna…

Well…as you can tell…she went for the ravioli.

Aldi's liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli (frozen) — Aldi’s liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli (frozen)

Here’s the best thing about these meals…they are so convenient. Sure, frozen food is never as good as fresh, but I don’t have the time nor the skills to make my own gluten-free ravioli. I’d love to…but…seriously…no. Not right now. Life is far too busy. With the rolls toasting in the oven, I plucked the box of Aldi’s liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli from the freezer and opened it up.

Like most microwave meals, this comes in a microwave-safe tray. I could see the large (loved the size) ravioli and the red sauce and big flecks of cheese all over the dish. I cut a slit through the plastic as directed and popped it into the microwave for 5 minutes. Yep…five minutes. Then let it sit for one minute and…just like that…lunch is served! I cut the plastic away and dished up the ravioli between Cathy and I. Again, I was more than impressed with the size of these. They were at least two inches around. I topped our servings off with the extra sauce and cheese that lingered in the tray and popped a roll on each plate. Time to take a bite.

Aldi's liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli (cooked) — Aldi’s liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli (cooked)

First of all, I’ve had quite a few gluten-free ravioli’s since having to go gluten-free. Only one…Conte’s…has truly impressed me. Well, color me impressed. Seriously. While this isn’t as good as the Conte’s brand…it is close. The ravioli actually cooks to a nice al dente texture, so it still has a bit of that bite that pasta should have. And, wow…the filling was so delicious. And these were packed with filling. They didn’t skimp on that at all. And for that, I praise them to the sky. So often the fillings in these microwave meals are non-existent…but these oozed cheese. Yummy. And the sauce had a lot of flavor as well. Fresh tasting, even. Maybe slightly oily, but nothing that couldn’t be skimmed off. You can tell it is made from real ingredients, which is actually quite surprising for a microwave meal…from Aldi of all places. Saucy…cheesy…delish!

I might have hoovered my portion…

So, as I mentioned it above, let’s take a look at the ingredients. Amazingly and surprising (to me)…is the fact that these are real ingredients. I recognize them all. Seriously. The tomato sauce part is made from chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic, canola oil, butter, parsley, basil, sugar, and black pepper. The dough is a blend of rice flour, corn starch, tapioca dextrin, water, whole eggs, canola oil, xanthan gum, salt, guar gum, and sodium alginate. The filling is a combination of whole milk ricotta cheese, romano cheese, eggs, salt, and parsley. And then…it’s all topped off with mozzarella cheese!

Seriously??! Yep. Seriously.

Almost makes me feel less guilty about eating a processed microwaveable meal. HA!

As far as nutrition goes, a serving size is 1 package. The entire thing is all yours to eat and enjoy and savor. This meal will serve you up 360 calories and 15 grams of fat. Yep…it is a lot…but it’s a lot of cheese! You will also be taking in 85 mg sodium, 560 mg sodium, and 7 grams of sugar. The sodium is a little higher than I like, but still under 600 mg…so it’s okay. Also you will be taking in 4 grams of fiber and 15 grams of protein! Yes!! That’s awesome. And it is a rather filling little meal. Seriously. And…yeah…it’s good too!

I would definitely restock this product in my freezer. And as long as Aldi keeps this line in their stores, I will continue to purchase these items. Because when I can walk out of a store spending under $30 for the huge amount of products I purchased…well…it makes my budget a whole lot better. Honestly.

Thank you, Aldi…for making gluten-free convenience food savory and palatable. Being able to eat something tasty from the freezer that also won’t bust the budget is a fine treat indeed.

I love you for it.

Aldi's liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli (cooked and plated) — Aldi’s liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli (cooked and plated)