Vegetarian – Page 80 – The Celiathlete

January 1, 2013

Nothing sinful about Sinfully Gluten Free’s light and fluffy table rolls

Product: Sinfully Gluten Free Table Rolls – $3.25

I attempted to make dinner rolls back when I first went gluten-free. The problem? They just came out way too dense. Super, duper heavy. I wasn’t a fan…but my roommate and I ate them with our breakfast (usually making egg sandwiches out of them) or with our dinner…doing what we could to make them lighter. Or at least…not feel so dense.

And I attempted cheddar biscuits using Gluten-Free Bisquick once with a non-gluten-free friend of mine…and they were dense. My mom attempted to do it for Christmas Eve so I could enjoy bread with everyone. My dad was the guinea pig…and he said they were too chewy. They were definitely dense and heavy…and not up to par. My mom ended up making a regular batch for everyone else and I consumed two of the ones that she attempted gluten-free.

Dinner rolls were turning out to be an epic gluten-free fail.

But…over the New Year, I was heading to Ohio to hang with my friend Jenn. And one of the trips we planned was to head to Dayton, Ohio…for the sole purpose of hitting up Sinfully Gluten Free. You see…I love their Cinnamon Rolls (which they only have on Saturdays) and Jenn is a huge fan of their Lemon Bars (yes…and Jenn doesn’t even have to eat gluten-free!)…so I called ahead to make sure they had 4 trays of them on hand for me. I didn’t want to make the trip and be disappointed by ending up walking away without any cinnamon rolls. Well, the snow started the night before and continued through much of the next morning…delaying the journey to Dayton. But…we eventually dug out the car and made our way onto the slick roads for our road trip to Dayton.

By the time we got there…it was lunch time. Lunch was now going to be part of the fun at Sinfully Gluten Free. I had mentioned that I put in an order for Cinnamon Rolls, but that I would get it after I ate lunch. So, we all ordered lunch, settled in to eat, then made our purchases afterwards.

However…it just so happened that there were these table rolls in the pastry case. And now I was intrigued. The original plan for that evening was gluten-free stuffed shells…and I thought some dinner rolls might go well with it. So, I also picked up a bag of those along with the 4 trays of cinnamon rolls I had ordered the night before. Jenn…well…she bought them out of every lemon bar they had in the place. We are gluten-free rockstars, friends!

With the later lunch, however, we weren’t hungry enough for the gluten-free stuffed shells. I didn’t want to freeze the table rolls, because when I pulled them out of the bag at home, I realized how soft and light they were. I hadn’t held a gluten-free dinner roll that was light yet. I wanted to definitely eat these before they had to see a refrigerator or freezer. So, after a little thinking of something light to do for dinner…we settled on table rolls with scrambled eggs.

Once the eggs were in the pan, I gave the table rolls a little warm-up in the microwave. This took their soft and light texture to a warm version of it. With a schmear of butter…it would be the perfect compliment to…any meal, really…but that night…it was scrambled eggs.

I wanted to eat part of the roll without the butter to start with. Just to see what it tasted like. First of all, these heated up so well. I think they would have also done well with a slight toasting in the oven…but the microwave warmed them through and gave them that fresh out of the oven feel. I loved that. They were still very light and steam rolled back as I tore into mine and took a bite.

Light. Fluffy. Soft. Chewy. They were dinner roll perfection. Put one of these down in front of someone who wasn’t aware that they were gluten-free and I guarantee that you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. Honestly. These were not dense at all. I wish I knew the secret to making gluten-free dinner rolls that didn’t feel and taste so heavy. These were light as a feather and delicious. And they complimented the eggs perfectly. I gave part of mine a small pad of butter and topped it with a bit of the scrambled egg…and it was a match made in heaven.

These rolls would compliment any dinner to be sure. They are the perfect bite of gluten-free bread. No feeling like you’re eating an entire loaf. These were light to the touch and just plain light in texture. And the taste…phenomenal.

Sinfully Gluten Free is sinful in the respect that everything they put out is a delicious bite…and just sheer gluten-free magic. I hope to purchase more dinner rolls from them next time I’m in town because I was highly impressed.

How do they make them so light and fluffy? I may never find out…but thankfully Sinfully Gluten Free bakes them up that way…so that even the gluten-free community can enjoy a good dinner roll every now and again!

YUM!

Sinfully Gluten Free Table Rolls with Scrambled Eggs

January 1, 2013

Caramel oozes from tasty Katz Gluten-Free donuts

Product: Katz Gluten Free Caramel Donuts – $5.99

Giant donut balls of caramel goodness. There is no other way to describe the new donuts from Katz Gluten Free. Honestly.

Now…I was a little weary about purchasing one of the filled donuts from Katz Gluten Free. I have yet to try the custard donuts or the jelly donuts. While they both look fantastic…I’ve heard that the filling is actually a bit skimpy in them. It is probably the biggest complaint I have heard regarding the filled donuts.

But…when I saw the announcement for the new Caramel Donuts from Katz Gluten Free come over my e-mail, I didn’t even hesitate to order them. I love caramel…so this just sounded fantastic from the instant I read about it. Drool-worthy even. My spontaneous purchase, I hoped, would pay off.

The donuts arrived two days later and into the freezer they went. Until this weekend. Because my friend Jenn is just as much of a caramel connoisseur as I am. So, when I was heading to her place for the New Year, I promised donuts. And so…the other morning, Jenn, Cathy and I each had one full donut and 1/3 of a donut to ourselves.

I let the donuts thaw overnight on the counter in the container. Then, when we were ready for breakfast…into the microwave they went. A 15 second warmup. It was enough to just give them that fresh-from-the-oven effect. Honestly. The caramel oozed from each donut. No skimping on the filling here.

But the best part…the powdered donut that surrounded the donut. I mean, the caramel was good and all, but the cakey donut that surrounded the filling was the true star. I love the powdered donut from Katz Gluten Free anyway…so it was no surprise that this was my favorite part of this breakfast treat.

Would I purchase these again…probably. But I much prefer the gluten-free powdered donuts and the cinnamon donuts over the filled. But the oozy caramel was definitely not skimped on in these. So, for those of you who are gluten-free (or even if you aren’t…both Jenn & Cathy are not gluten-free…but love these donuts as much as me!)…these donuts are amazing and tasty…and are definitely not lacking in the filling.

Oh…and they are tasty too.

Mmmm…gluten-free donuts that are amazing. Thank you…again…Katz Gluten Free!!

December 31, 2012

Recipe: Gluten-Free Zucchini Fettuccine in a Vegan Cream Sauce

It was the night before Christmas and my mom and I were settling in to plan a vegetarian and gluten-free entreé option for me (the only vegetarian in the family) and a possible side for everyone else at Christmas dinner. We had meant to do planning long before then…but we both lead very busy lives and we had a lot of other stuff to do when I flew into town for the holidays.

So, the night before the big day, we found ourselves at Earth Fare in Birmingham, Alabama…picking up the necessities for the recipe we finally decided on. The original recipe was from Manifest Vegan, and it involved the use of maitake mushrooms. But…only my mom and I like mushrooms in the family, so we put our heads together to come up with a replacement. Our solution: zucchini.

That settled, we hit up the grocery store and purchased all the necessary items, including RP’s Fresh Gluten-Free Fettuccine noodles. I fell in love with RP’s fresh gluten-free pasta very recently and no other pasta would do for Christmas. With the ingredients purchased…we were ready to start cooking up a variation of this vegan pasta dish for Christmas. And we did just that on Christmas morning…and finished up in enough time to pack up everything and head to my sister’s house.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Zucchini Fettuccine in a Vegan Cream Sauce

Servings: 8
Time: Prep 20 minutes; Cook 30 minutes

Ingredients:

16 ounces, brown rice fettuccine style pasta (I used RP’s Gluten Free Fettuccine)
3-1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 leeks, cleaned and sliced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 stick cinnamon or 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
10 ounces zucchini, chopped
3 finely diced carrots
3/4 cup white wine
1-1/2 cups full fat coconut milk
1 cup (salted) vegetable broth
2 tablespoons superfine brown rice flour
Chopped chives for garnish
Salt to taste

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Douse pasta with 3 tablespoons olive oil and then add sea salt.

In large pan, combine leeks, thyme, garlic, cinnamon, zucchini, and carrots with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil and sauté until golden on edges. Add the white wine and cook over medium low heat until much of the liquid has dissolved. Stir in coconut milk and vegetable broth and let cook over medium heat until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Stir often to prevent scorching.

Whisk in 2 tablespoons superfine brown rice flour and let cook until thickened, stirring often with a spoon, about 7 minutes. Combine with pasta and salt to taste, if needed. Top with fresh chives before serving.

~*~*~

The pasta was quite a popular dish at Christmas dinner. No one even knew it was vegan and gluten-free…except for the fact that I could eat it. LOVE that. And everyone tried it…and loved it. Let me tell you…the item that really makes this dish pop is that addition of cinnamon. It was amazing. I can’t wait to make this again.

Go ahead and try it. And if you love mushrooms like me…go ahead and keep the maitake mushrooms. When I make this at home for myself and my roommate…I’ll do it with the mushrooms. Mmmm…I kind of want this for dinner this week now…

December 31, 2012

Another healthier chip option from Boulder Canyon with Rice and Adzuki Bean Chipotle Cheese chips

Product: Boulder Canyon Rice and Adzuki Bean Chipotle Cheese Snack Chips – $2.99+

I started off with the original. Just a touch of sea salt and I had in my possession a snack chip made from rice flour and adzuki beans. Yes…you read that right…adzuki beans. And what did I make of these? That they were phenomenal. Like…better tasting Doritos. And much healthier option at that than what preservatives and unnatural ingredients go into Doritos.

So, this time I was quite excited to dive into the bag of Boulder Canyon’s Rice and Adzuki Bean Chipotle Cheese flavored chips. I mean…a little extra spice is always. Combine it with the addition of cheese…and yeah…it’s winning.

That being said, after I scooped up a serving of these chips to haul to the office with me, I couldn’t wait to dive into them and really test them out. I mean, the original flavor had been mind-blowing delicious…so these had to be yummy-amazing right?

ABSOLUTELY!

That afternoon, when my 3:00 snack time rolled around, I pulled out my container which had a 1 ounce serving (or around 20 chips), and took up my first chip. One bite…and I was even happier with these than I was the original. Oddly enough, the fact that these tasted more like Cool Ranch Doritos (despite having cheese in them) was amazing. Cool Ranch was always my favorite. I was hooked. Love at first bite.

The texture and flavor with each of these was fantastic. And one serving only set me back 140 calories and 7 grams of fat. Not too shabby for a snack trip. In addition, with the inclusion of adzuki beans in the ingredients, these chips give 2 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber. I loved these and was quite sad when I got down to the bottom of my serving and had no more to nosh on.

Would I buy these again? In a heartbeat. Without a moment of hesitation. YUM YUM YUMMY!

Looking for a healthier option for a snack chip, I would definitely direct you to find Boulder Canyon’s Rice and Adzuki Bean Chipotle Cheese snack chips. I promise…these are not just a healthier snack chip option…but delicious too.

December 20, 2012

The Swiss Colony adds gluten-free goodies to their catalog…including these Chocoláno cookies

Product: The Swiss Colony Gluten-Free Chocoláno Cookies – $19.95

It was a huge surprise to me one day when I received an additional Swiss Colony catalog in the mail. Now, I used to order Swiss Colony stuff all the time. From cheeses to chocolates, they are one of the best go-to resources for tasty treats for loved ones and friends…or even for yourself. When the gluten intolerance happened, however…I had to bid adieu to Swiss Colony…at least for myself. And then…I received a little sunshine in the mail when a sugar-free and gluten-free catalog showed up.

Now, they didn’t have everything listed in the gluten-free portion of the catalog. Nope. They actually had listed the cheesecakes, which, while they look fantastic…were definitely overpriced. Yikes.

I mean, I’m used to paying a pretty penny for gluten-free goodies, but a $50 cheesecake is not what I’d like to spend my money on. I’m sure they are delicious and really, really good…but…alas…I do live in a budget.

Well, as I normally do at the holiday time, I was surfing through Swiss Colony’s Web site for a couple of purchases for friends and family members. And I came across their gluten-free section on there. I figured I’d give it another look. The cheesecakes were there…and some of the 123 Gluten-Free box mixes you can find at stores for a variety of baking needs. And then there were cookies…and brownies…ooooh…

I sent the link over to my roomie to take a look. And she immediately goes, “Are those gluten-free Milano cookies?”

Sure enough, there on the page were what Swiss Colony was billing as Gluten-Free Chocoláno Cookies…and they definitely resembled the infamous Milano cookies I used to be able to eat. As it was the holiday season, it was definitely time to treat myself, so I ordered some of the Chocoláno Cookies and hoped for the best.

Well, yesterday they arrived. Just in time too, because I needed something new for dessert in the apartment. These would be perfect. Well, I tore into the box at the office and was actually pleasantly surprised by how many were in the container. I was expecting a small box…as that’s normally what happens. But this came in one that said there were 16 servings (although I think there are more than 16 cookies in there). It was a very welcome surprise. I was just getting giddy thinking about diving into these after I ate my dinner and before I got to work on some gluten-free vegan baking that needed to be done.

Well, dessert time came and I opened up the plastic container and pulled out two cookies. One for myself…one for my roommate. She was the first to take a bite. I asked what she thought and she said…”Is good.” Which I never really know if that means it is good or…eh…I’ve had better. So, I took my own taste to decide for myself.

At first bite…they hardly taste like anything. I can definitely taste the rice flour in the cookies. And they do have that buttery lightness to them, which I love. The chocolate cream in the middle, however, is awesome. It really kicks the cookie up a notch. And then, once you finish that bite…that flavor lingers and…that’s when that Milano cookie flavor hits. It was very reminiscent of the cookies I used to enjoy. The thing was, that flavor didn’t hit until the very end. It was bizarre. But…all-in-all…a delicious cookie in the end.

The serving size is one cookie…and like I said, there are definitely more than 16 cookies in that container. They are tasty, sweet, and won’t fill you up. I love that about them. In addition, they only have 100 calories per cookie, which isn’t bad for something cream-filled. The outer cookies have a great crunch to them, yet still are smooth and soft. And the cream will definitely win you over. As with everything chocolate that Swiss Colony does…the chocolate is sublime.

I really want to congratulate Swiss Colony on adding a selection of gluten-free treats to their growing catalog. It definitely made my holidays a little merrier…and much tastier.

If you miss Milano cookies…these are definitely worth a try. They aren’t exact…but…wow…if they aren’t close.

December 20, 2012

Great texture with Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Buckwheat Creamy Hot Cereal…just bland!

Product: Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Buckwheat Creamy Hot Cereal – $4.40+

I’m going to be the first to admit it. When I pulled out this box from the pantry to take to work with me as my lunch today, I was more than a little nervous about it. At first, I thought nothing of it. But the more I looked at the box, the more I thought this spontaneous gluten-free sale item might have not been the wisest choice while out grocery shopping. And the only reason I think that is that it sort of makes a reference to grits. And I do not like grits.

So…yeah…wasn’t too sure about this one.

But that’s what happens when I get caught up in the moment of a great gluten-free sale. When items get marked down or put on closeout, I snatch them up as fast as I can. Sometimes I think twice about them…but not this time. My local grocery store was having a closeout on their entire gluten-free section. And that made me think that they were getting rid of it. Thankfully, they didn’t…they were going to expand it and were moving things off the shelf. But…it put the fear of a gluten-free-less pantry into my head and I just started grabbing whatever was marked down on closeout and throwing it in my cart.

Hodgson Mill Gluten-Free Buckwheat Creamy Hot Cereal was one such item. And today…was the moment of truth…

It wasn’t…horrible. It wasn’t what I was used to either. And I think that might have been part of the problem. The texture was actually nothing like grits…more like oatmeal. I’m okay with that. I always eat oatmeal for lunch. In fact, I was so concerned with the texture that I caramelized some apples up this morning to reheat and add to the cereal…and that’s what I did when lunch time hit. I settled in at my desk at work with a hot, steaming bowl of the Gluten Free Buckwheat Creamy Hot Cereal and took a bite.

It wasn’t sweet at all…and that was what I missed. While I’m not a fan of loading things down with sugar, even with the caramelized apples it was just bland. I went to add some sugar to it…and it was just not a good idea. It actually made the flavor a bit worse. So, I stuck it out, figuring tomorrow I’d try again, maybe with different fruits and some brown sugar or maple syrup to sweeten it. It wasn’t horrible…it just needs some additional work to get it to where I like it.

So, I’ll try it again tomorrow…with different fruit and something to sweeten it up. It was the texture I had been worried about originally…but that wasn’t the problem with this one. It was the flavor, or lack thereof, despite my attempts to make it taste a little sweeter through the use of fruit and additional sweetener.

I guess only time will tell when I give this another shot with a different fruit and a different sweetener. All in all…not bad…but not my favorite. It’s…edible at least.

Hodgson Mill Gluten-Free Buckwheat Creamy Hot Cereal (with caramelized apples)

December 20, 2012

Dark Chocolatier Sea Salt Holidrizzle Kettle Corn from Angie’s Artisan Treats a salty-sweet treat indeed

Product: Angie’s Artisan Treats Dark Chocolatier Sea Salt Holidrizzle Kettle Corn – $4.99+

Okay…it doesn’t get much better than this:

Popcorn.

Dark chocolate.

Salt.

What this provides is this amazing salty-sweet blend that is one of my favorite tastes ever. I guess that’s why I love chocolate covered (gluten-free) pretzels so much. Salty-sweet is my favorite thing because it honestly is the best of both worlds. Why choose when you can have both?

I had never heard of Angie’s Artisan Treats until my friend Shana posted a picture of the bag of Dark Chocolatier Sea Salt Holidrizzle Kettle Corn on Facebook. I was immediately intrigued. In fact, I was immediately craving. I asked her one simple question – is it gluten-free? Her response: YES! And she said she found it at Target, so when I was at Target a couple days later…I hunted and found it on the end cap. I grabbed the last two bags.

And then…the time just never seemed right to open it up. I mean…who really needs to make time for dark chocolate drizzled popcorn? But I have an air popper and that’s usually what I do for popcorn at night. Until last night…when I spent a majority of the evening baking up requested Triple Chocolate Mint Truffle Blossom cookies for my roommate (per her request) and had no counter space in order to set up the air popper. Her suggestion: why not eat the popcorn we bought at Target?

Brilliant!!

So, that evening, I dished up 1-2/3 cup of popcorn for each of us (yes…I do actually measure this out!) and served it up with our nightly cup of tea. As I settled in for the evening, I picked up one piece of popcorn, perfectly drizzled with dark chocolate, and took my first bite.

OH. MY. GOD.

If heaven was made of popcorn, then it would surely taste like this. So delicious. I love the sweetness of the dark chocolate and how it plays with the soft texture and the saltiness of the popcorn. It doesn’t feel heavy at all. In fact, the entire snack seems very light as you eat it. And yeah…it’s pretty damn amazing.

Angie’s Dark Chocolatier Sea Salt Holidrizzle Kettle Corn only has 13o calories per serving and will set you back 6 grams of fat. That isn’t too bad. These are all natural, gluten-free, contain no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. No artificial sweeteners are used in this popcorn either. This snack is a great source of whole grains and is non-GMO!

The best part is…it is super delicious…perfect for a snack to satisfy every craving and flavor you might have. I am so glad my friend Shana posted this on Facebook or I might have gone the rest of my life without this snack in my life.

Dark chocolate sea salt popcorn…how sweet it is!!

December 20, 2012

Recipe: Baked Quinoa Casserole with a Spicy Cheese Sauce

I’m getting ready to leave town for a little while to head home to see my family for the holidays. And I still have a large amount of produce from my CSA bin that is just dying for me to use it. So, I was trying to decide what I could make that would utilize some of the contents in my crisper drawer, which would allow for me to clear out some of the produce and make room for the new stuff I’m getting on Friday…which my roommate will have to take care of as I won’t be in town.

So, after a little bit of searching I ran across a recipe on a blog called Purely Twins, and I sort of based my own recipe off of the basis they laid down for theirs. I did a completely different sauce and chose very different vegetables…but the quinoa…that stayed the same.

I wasn’t too sure how this was going to turn out…but the end result was actually mighty tasty…and extremely healthy.

Recipe: Baked Quinoa Casserole with a Spicy Cheese Sauce

Servings: 6-8
Time: Prep 20 minutes; Cook 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups quinoa
4 cups water
2 cups chopped raw zucchini
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 handfuls kale

For sauce:

1-1/2 tablespoons butter (I used I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter)
2 tablespoons flour (I used Hodgson Mill Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour)
1 cup almond milk
1/4 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup freshly shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
pinch paprika

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the quinoa by bringing 4 cups of water to a boil. Add in 2 cups of dry quinoa and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, allowing to simmer for about 15 minutes or until the water is gone.

While the quinoa is cooking, make the sauce.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the flour into melted butter, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute or until mixture is golden and lumpy.

Gradually whisk in the almond milk and bring to a boil. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 to 2 minutes, or until thickened.

Add the cheese, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and paprika, whisking until smooth. Remove from heat.

Once the quinoa is ready and the sauce is made, grab a large bowl and pour your cooked quinoa into the bowl. Add the cheese sauce. Then put the freshly chopped vegetables into the bowl. Mix well so that the vegetables and quinoa are evenly dispersed.

Pour the mixture into a 9×13 glass pan and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until the quinoa casserole is golden brown.

Serve and enjoy.

~*~*~

What can I say about this? For being something that I just took a concept from a blog…and then mixed up a sauce and threw it all together…the end result was really delicious and super healthy. Quinoa is packed with protein and combining it with fresh vegetables was a great way to boost the nutrition value of this meal. I was a big fan. And the spicy cheese sauce wasn’t overly spicy. It just gave enough of a little kick that you knew it was there.

Yeah…I’d make this again in a heartbeat.

December 19, 2012

Julie’s Organic Carrot Cake Ginger Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies like a frozen slice of gluten-free pie

Product: Julie’s Organic Carrot Cake Ginger Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies – $5.99+

Mmmmm…

The words gluten-free and ice cream sandwich are normally not found hand-in-hand. But thanks to the teaming up of Glutenfreeda (who provides the cookie portion of the ice cream sandwich) with Julie’s Organic Ice Cream…even the gluten-free can have a sweet taste of an ice cream sandwich. Even better…not being limited to just the chocolate cookies with the vanilla ice cream. While it is traditional and the most common, even in the ice cream sandwiches that are not gluten-free, Julie’s Organic Ice Cream offers up four different varieties of gluten-free ice cream sandwich cookies.

And I have now had them all…with my final taste going to the Carrot Cake Ginger Ice Cream Sandwich Cookie.

This one actually was the one that my roommate dreaded. She isn’t the biggest fan of carrot cake (unless I make it, she says) nor ginger…so she sort of put off eating this one until I just marched over to the freezer the other day when it was time for dessert and pulled these out. Her reaction, “Oh…we’re having those?” And picture this being said in the most unenthusiastic tone of voice one can conjure. She was really, really, really not happy that I made that decision.

However…her tune soon changed…

The Carrot Cake Ginger Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies are composed of ginger cookies made by Glutenfreeda that are soft and crumbly…like a pie crust. And the carrot cake ice cream is what fills these up and gives them their amazing combined flavor. I’ve never had carrot cake ice cream before, but if it always tastes like this…I want more of it in my life!!

These ice cream sandwiches were SO delicious. My roommate took the first taste while I was snapping pictures for the blog (as I tend to do). And she says, “Oh…it tastes like a frozen pumpkin pie!” I finished taking pictures as she went to sit down and nosh on hers a bit more and took my first taste. She was absolutely correct. Forget carrot cake flavor, these really did taste like a frozen pumpkin pie. The ginger cookie gave the illusion of a crust and the ice cream was just super good. I loved the combination of flavors and how they would melt together on my tongue. The cookies are super soft, so that adds a crumbly consistency to them which sort of makes these more pie-like in the end.

SO YUMMY!!

I found myself looking forward to dessert the next day…but dinner was taking forever to cook (naturally). But, anticipation is part of the fun, yes? And when we settled in to devour the final two in the package, we sadly big adieu to these ice cream sandwiches. Phenomenal flavor. I would totally buy these again in a heartbeat. Absolutely loved them.

So, if you happen to be out at the store and looking for something different to try…whether you need to eat gluten-free or not…I highly recommend trying Julie’s Organic Carrot Cake Ginger Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies. It’s a slice of heavenly pie in ice cream form…and boy…is it ever delicious!

Julie's Organic Carrot Cake Ginger Ice Cream Sandwich Cookie — Julie’s Organic Carrot Cake Ginger Ice Cream Sandwich Cookie

December 18, 2012

Safety for allergen-sensitive customers a priority at Harry & Izzy’s in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana

Restaurant: Harry & Izzy’s, Indianapolis, Indiana

Twas the night before the Santa Hustle Half Marathon and all through the city, this runner’s stomach was rumbling…and that meant one thing…gluten-free pizza.

It’s a race tradition for me these days. I tend to run better in races the day after I eat a gluten-free pizza dinner. Hey…I’m an athlete with superstitions now. And for me…the night before races means I have to eat gluten-free pizza (or gluten-free pizza related). The one time I didn’t eat something pizza related, I felt like death at the end of the race (granted, that might have been the 90% humidity that I ran in, but still…)

So, with that in mind, my roommate went on the hunt for places in downtown Indianapolis that offered gluten-free pizza that wouldn’t be too difficult to get to from our hotel. Just up the way was Harry & Izzy’s, who actually have a gluten-free menu…with, yes, gluten-free pizza on the menu.

Harry & Izzy’s is an independent, upscale American Grill with two locations: downtown and at the Indianapolis International Airport. It is actually the sister restaurant to the famous St. Elmo Steak House, which means they share a few classic dishes. Some of which are even on the gluten-free menu.

However…the added difficulty with me is that I’m also a vegetarian. So, with the exception of one of the salads, I was pretty much limited to the pizza anyway. But…I’m okay with that. The pizza was the entire reason I was there to begin with.

Dinner tonight was being shared with Cathy (the roomie) and our friend Greg. Once we were finally seated (they were changing over the tables from lunch to dinner, so it took our hostess three tries to get us to a table that was ready for us), we were handed menus and asked if we were going to want something other than ice water to drink. As I am running tomorrow, I stayed with the water. So did Cathy. We also went ahead and gave our waitress the heads up that I am medically gluten-free. She said she would go grab a gluten-free menu for me and that when she takes my order, the manager would come up and talk to me and ask if I had any questions with the menu. I actually loved that.

Greg arrived soon after and we settled into conversation as we had much to catch up on. Our waitress returned with the manager, Amy, who directed her focus right on me to talk to me about their gluten-free options. She asked if I had any specific questions regarding the menu. At that point, I didn’t. So she said our waitress would now take our order and if I had any concerns, to just ask for her. What a great perk. It really put my mind to ease about how the food was prepared on the gluten-free menu when the manager makes a point to come out and talk to me about it. Yeah, I felt confident. I was ready for some pizza.

So…we placed our orders. Greg went with the Steakburger, a burger served with cheese (he had them leave that off), lettuce, tomato, onion, and a spicy mayo ($12.00). He chose the coleslaw as his side item.

Harry & Izzy's Gluten-Free Thin Crust Pizza (topped with cheese, caramelized onion, and mushrooms) — Harry & Izzy’s Gluten-Free Thin Crust Pizza (topped with cheese, caramelized onion, and mushrooms)

Cathy and I decided that we would split the 10-inch gluten-free thin crust pizza on the menu. For our toppings, we chose cheese, mushrooms, and caramelized onions ($12.00). The plain cheese pizza normally runs $10, but each additional topping is $1 each. That is an awesome price for a gluten-free pizza, let me tell you!

Our waitress went to go put in order and for the time being, we got caught up on eveything that has been keeping our lives so busy as of late. It had been awhile since we last got together with Greg and we had much to talk about. As our food was nearing time to come out, I noticed our waitress grab a couple of plates for my roommate and I. She specifically wiped them off and placed them in front of us. I appreciated that too, as it means they are very aware of the dangers of cross-contamination and were taking no chances.

A few minutes later, our waitress was climbing the stairs with a tray laden with our food. The burger was set down in front of Greg and Cathy and I were given the pizza. Our waitress aid that the Parmesan cheese might have something in it to keep it fresher longer that might be gluten-free, but I prefer red pepper flakes on my pizza anyway…so my roommate got the fresh Parmesan and I took the red pepper flakes. I appreciated my waitress mentioning the possibility that the cheese wasn’t safe. That is often the case when it comes to Parmesan at restaurants anyway…so I normally just skip it regardless. I prefer a little added spice to my pizza regardless and always opt for the red pepper in the end.

The pizza was sliced so that Cathy and I would each get three slices. And let me tell you…this pizza was really delicious. It is brick oven baked, and that is evident from the crispness of the outer crust of the pizza. I did find the inner crust to be softer than I would normally like…but when you can’t bake a pizza on a pizza stone, that crispiness is sometimes very hard to achieve. That being said…I was impressed. With the first bite, the complete flavors of the sauce, the cheese, the mushrooms, and the perfectly caramelized onions all came together on my palate and it was just…yummy. Super, duper, delicious yummy! I don’t think the crust is actually made by Harry & Izzy’s…but the fact is they cook it up fantastically. And my roommate and I devoured each bite. Each slice was completely downed and enjoyed thoroughly.

And, yes, even after that…we left a little room for dessert. The waitress asked if I was feeling the Créme Brûlée…but it was the Sorbet that caught my attention. I love ice cream and frozen goodies…so the sorbet sounded like the perfect palate cleanser and way to end the meal. I was given a choice: lemon or raspberry. I decided on the Lemon Sorbet ($3.50). Cathy and Greg decided they would split the Signature Brownie ($8.00) from the homemade dessert menu. I couldn’t enjoy that chocolate goodness due to the brownie, but the dessert consisted of a homemade brownie topped with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, caramel sauce and candied pecans.

Harry & Izzy's Signature Brownie (NOT GLUTEN-FREE) — Harry & Izzy’s Signature Brownie (NOT GLUTEN-FREE)

Our desserts arrived. I had two amazing scoops of delightful, light, pleasing lemon sorbet. I loved how it wasn’t too sweet or sour. It was the perfect level of each for lemon sorbet. My problem with sorbets normally is that they can be too sweet. So after a few bites, I’m done and craving something to counterbalance the sweetness. This wasn’t the case with this sorbet. It was balanced and refreshing. And it was just what I needed at the end of my meal.

The Signature Brownie was this tower of dessert awesomeness. It was definitely meant to split. Cathy and Greg managed, between them, to devour it completely. But it was a near thing. Cathy raved about the brownie base, saying that you could tell that it was freshly made. It died a very messy death between the two of them. And it looked so good. Now there is something I totally miss since going gluten-free…the amazing dessert sundaes I used to be able to help eat.

To say that I was impressed with the service and the food at Harry & Izzy’s is an understatement. I felt confident that the food I was receiving was safe to eat. They took very, very good care of me and were very careful with the food that I ordered. I have already said that whenever we are in Indianapolis, this had to be our go-to spot for food. There was plenty on the menu that caught Cathy’s eye…so she seems more than happy to go along with that.

Being a Celiac means that the food has to be safely prepared and served. Not every restaurant knows how to do that properly. But with Harry & Izzy’s…I had no concerns about the food I was served and appreciated all the attention given to me and others who have food allergies. I appreciated that the manager personally came out to talk to me and answer any questions I might have about food preparation and the menu in general.

When I feel that safe at a restaurant, of course I’ll want to go back. I’m looking forward to my return sometime in the near future.

Thank you, Harry & Izzy’s for the delicious, safe meal. I can’t rave about you enough. The precautions you take set my mind at ease and made me feel content in my decision to eat there. It means so much to me that you take that sort of care and consideration for those with food allergies.

I will be back. Oh yes…I will be back.

Harry & Izzy's Lemon Sorbet — Harry & Izzy’s Lemon Sorbet