Category: Vegetarian

Product: Kay’s Naturals Better Balance Honey Almond Cereal – $6.29+

It’s the plight of the gluten-free vegetarian athlete.  Protein…protein…protein.  I sometimes really have to monitor my intake to make sure that I am getting enough.  That’s why Greek yogurt (Chobani for the win!) has become my friend.  But one can’t live on Greek yogurt alone.  And the more places that protein can be found…the better.

I never would have thought cereal.  And I never would have even dreamed of picking up this brand…as we don’t have it in my area.  But Milwaukee had it on the shelves of the Gluten-Free Trading Company…and on my second visit there…I grabbed a box.  For some reason…I just really wanted to try it.

The cereal is from Kay’s Naturals, a company that basically scoured the growing supply of so-called nutritious foods and discovered that the missing link in it all was a more balanced blend of protein, carbohydrates, fiber and fats.  The fact that the products put out by Kay’s Naturals are all-natural and gluten-free definitely helps promote a better diet.  Not only that, they focus on providing a healthy balance of low calories, lean soy protein, no cholesterol, lower carbohydrates, higher fiber…and, most importantly…great tasting products.  Doing this with a gluten-free line is even more valuable to those who do have to eat gluten-free because a recent study out of Harvard Medical School found that most gluten-free products that are currently on the market place are high in starch and tend to lack essential nutrients.

So, that’s the gap Kay’s Natural’s sought to fill.  And fill it…they have.

I don’t know what compelled me, out of all the items in the Gluten-Free Trading Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to pick up a box of this cereal.  I think a lot of it was the declaration of PROTEIN on the front of the box.  Like I said…protein is a huge issue for me and I’m trying to work on that.  There were actually three flavors available: Apple Cinnamon, French Vanilla, and Honey Almond.  I chose Honey Almond…because I figured it would taste like Honey Nut Cheerios if nothing else.

Woke up on the morning of a 4 mile race and discovered I was out of Honey Nut Chex.  No problem.  This box was in my pantry and ready to be tested.  So, I poured out a serving (28g…which I measured to be 3/4 cup) and added a splash of unsweetened original almond milk.  I took my first spoonful, really expecting cardboard.  I mean…it was a line of products I knew nothing about nor had seen.  I hadn’t even seen it mentioned on any of the gluten-free sites I frequent.

However…it was really good.  And, to answer the question…no…they did not taste like Honey Nut Cheerios at all.  Instead, they sort of tasted like vanilla ice cream…if vanilla ice cream was crunchy.  Seriously.  No joke.  I mean…sure it isn’t even the French Vanilla variety, but the Honey Almond was really delicious.  I was very happy sitting down to this bowl at breakfast and getting set for my race.  Really good.

I am so impressed I am really considering ordering their products online…in the sample pack…and then probably by what I end up liking more from the line.

But in one bite…Kay’s Naturals’ won me over.  It helps, now that I know what this company set out to do for gluten-free foods, to support companies that are looking to lean up gluten-free products.  So many gluten-free products are high in calories and fat…but it’s quite the opposite with these.  In fact, the Kay’s Natural Honey Almond Protein Cereal has only 100 calories in a serving.  Out of that, only 1.5 grams of fat as well.  Lean protein, 9 grams worth, is what really kicks this cereal up a notch.

If you can find it…I encourage you to buy it.  If you can’t…order it online.  I was so happy with it.

Product: Boulder Canyon Jalapeño Cheddar Kettle Chips – $1.70+

Preface to this blog…I am a spice-seeker.  I love a bit of heat in my food.  Especially when something is made for a little extra fire.  I don’t want burn.  I want spice.  There is a difference.

Last year while in Los Angeles, my friends and I were out snack shopping before a night of drinks, music, and goofiness.  Being the only gluten-free girl in the group, we tried to find things that even I could have.  And one of the chip varieties we grabbed from the grocery store…was Boulder Canyon.  It wasn’t this flavor…but that was my introduction to this brand.  The bag was clearly labeled gluten-free…which I appreciated.  And…all but two of their flavors are gluten-free.  Each bag is clearly labeled so there is no confusion.

Let’s hear it for labeling!  WOOHOO!

Imagine my joy, then, when I was out at the store in town and spotted Boulder Canyon Kettle Chips on the shelf.  While we have had these in the area for awhile…what really caught my attention was the flavor: Jalapeño Cheddar.

Now…I am a sucker for anything that is labeled jalapeño.  That is issuing a spice-worthy challenge, my dear friends.  So, you better believe these found their way into my shopping basket and were out the door with me when I checked out.  I was so excited about trying them.  But…as always, they tend to have to wait until I use up other products first.

But their time to shine has finally arrived.

I measured out 28 ounces (about 14 chips) of these fantastic kettle chips to take to work with me for my afternoon muchies.  Like clockwork…at 3:00 p.m.  I was totally stoked about popping the lid off my dish I brought them in.  I carefully selected my first chip, took a breath, and then took a bite.

What I expected was the sweetness of a kettle chip.  That I got.  I got a little bit of salty from the chip and the cheddar cheese.  But what I didn’t get was the heat.  Here we have a chip that is clearly flavored with jalapeño…and I don’t even get an inkling of it.  No slight burn at the end of the bite.  No spice.  Nothing.  It just tastes like…a chip.

Apparently the jalapeño powder and red pepper was a little light in this batch.  No spice…no heat…no nothing.  Lots of crunch and a bit of cheese.

Not a complete disappointment though…the chips are good.  Packed with flavor (minus the spice) and really crunchy and good.  I loved how they weren’t too salty and were not greasy.  That’s a huge thing with me.  I just feel that if something is advertised as having that jalapeño kick…it really should leave your throat with a little spicy tingle.  Or…maybe that’s just me.

As for nutrition…these are chips…so…yean.  One serving is only 150 calories, with 8 grams of fat.  Not great…but not bad.  Not in the grand scheme of things.  They are low in sodium though, which isn’t always the case when it comes to potato chips.  Just remember…keep to a serving size and don’t down the entire bag.  I mean…these are good, but…be snack smart.  Especially when it comes to chips.

So, the spice let me down, but the chips themselves are actually quite good.  If you aren’t a fan of spice, then you won’t have to fear these.  My roommate, who is a wimp when it comes to spicy foods ate this without a problem.  Loved that it didn’t have any heat or burn to it.  So, if you are a lover of flavor but heat-meek…these might be the ideal chip for you.  And you’ll impress your friends by telling them the chips you are crunching on…are jalapeño flavor.

I don’t count Boulder Canyon out.  I have had massive luck with other flavors from their line (which I haven’t blogged about because they were actually my roomie’s snack…not mine).  And these are actually quite good in and of themselves.  So…I would buy them again.  And maybe spice them up with a dip of some sort.

Happy munching!

Product: Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Corn Fusilli – $3.49+

I don’t know how many more times I can reiterate this but…I LOVE TRADER JOE’S!!

Trader Joe’s is not only impeccable about labeling their products…so shoppers know for sure if something is vegan, vegetarian, kosher, gluten-free, etc…but their line of products is impressive.  Honestly.  I wouldn’t go back if it weren’t true.

And I do go back.  Every week.  And every week I find something else I love about Trader Joe’s.

Well, it just so happened that I was in the mood to make the Brown Butter – Pumpkin Mac & Cheese for dinner the other night.  This time, however, I was going to toss in some fresh broccoli as well.  Why?  Because I had broccoli…and I could.  So, why not?  The thing is…I needed a good gluten-free pasta that would not only be ideal to cook, bake, and then…for the following evening…reheat (GASP!).  I’ve used brown rice pasta before and they tend to turn to mush after sitting in the refrigerator.  The one time prior I used a corn pasta, I was quite impressed with the way it reheated.  It wasn’t Trader Joe’s variety…but that’s what I had this time around.  Into the pantry I went and emerged with Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Corn Fusilli.

Cooking the corn pasta is simple.  Boil water, add corn pasta, cook for about 9 to 11 minutes…or until reaching that perfect al dente.  As I was actually going to bake mine too, I kept it just under that perfect pasta level.  Drain.  Top however you wish.  Enjoy.

The actual packaging said to cook this pasta for 9 minutes…but at nine minutes it was still a bit crunchy to the taste.  I went a bit longer, another couple of minutes and it got it to just under the level it needed to be at.  I think I should have actually boiled the pasta in a larger pan, to be honest.  I can’t really blame it on the pasta.  More of a kitchen blunder, really.  So, it took a bit longer than anticipated.  And I had to keep my pumpkin and cheese mixture moving so it wouldn’t solidify.  But once these noodles got where they needed to be, texture-wise, we were back in the game.  I gave the noodles a quick drain, put them back in the pan, then coated them with the pumpkin-cheese coating for the pumpkin mac & cheese.  Mmmm.  Then, it was into the oven for about 20 minutes.

When the casserole emerged, it was hot, bubbly, and smelled amazing.  Even better…every fusilli noodle was intact.  Honestly.  It was a thing of extreme beauty.  The macaroni and cheese dish itself was a fantastic shade of pumpkin orange.  The noodles were just spread throughout.  Little bits of broccoli adorned the dish.  It really looked and smelled great.  And when I went to scoop it into bowls…nothing wilted or fell apart.  The pasta held it’s shape and didn’t collapse under pressure.  Corn pasta…for the absolute win!

But…how did it taste?  Amazing.  For the record, corn pasta does not taste like corn.  That was my initial concern when it came to using corn pasta.  But it actually has a texture much like whole wheat would…without getting gummy like whole wheat pasta tends to.  It is the right texture for pasta.  Really…if you didn’t tell anyone you were using it…they wouldn’t know.  It is amazing and versatile…and it holds up against a combination of pumpkin and cheese.  That’s…outstanding.

And the results…delicious.

Even better…it reheats beautifully.  Doesn’t turn to mush or anything!  This makes me one happy gluten-free pasta loving girl, trust me.

Trader Joe’s makes quality products.  Honestly.  They are taking steps in the right direction and making sure their products live up to the brand they have established over the years.  Let me tell you…I’m hooked.  And this line of gluten-free pasta has forever worked its way into my kitchen. Beyond impressed.

Livwell Gluten-Free Pita Bread – $4.99+

You never realize how much you missed eating some things until you haven’t had it in awhile…and then come across it.  Going gluten-free has meant I have given a lot of things up in this past year.  Some people would lament this…and I have been there.  Especially when it comes to dining out and the only safe thing on the menu is a salad.  Other people would embrace the change and get creative or seek out new food items.  As you can see with the maturation of this blog from a strictly vegetarian standpoint to one of a gluten-free vegetarian…reviewing products, restaurants, and posting recipes…after the initial sadness of waving goodbye to some of my dietary staples…I have learned to improvise, adapt, and overcome.

So it was the craziest thing when I was shopping at Whole Foods the other day.  After such a positive experience with Livwell English muffins, I was back in the bakery section once more pawing through the other items they had by Livwell on the shelf.  I was like a kid in a candy store.  My doubts had been put to rest and now I was ready to dig in and try something else.

After a little deliberation, my roomie helped me narrow my choices down and from there…I went on to select the Livwell Gluten-Free Pita Bread for my next experiment…er…taste test.  Research for the blog, you know?

It dawned on me as we were checking out…just how much I missed stuffing pockets of bread with whatever I cooked up for a filling.  Seriously.  I used to make pita sandwiches all the time.  And then…I couldn’t.  And for the first few months of my gluten-freedom…I just didn’t have bread.  I couldn’t justify the cost…so it was just out of my diet completely.  That began to change, thanks to some sales at local shops and finally readjusting the budget so that some staples could return to my diet.

So…yeah…the pita bread was making me so stupidly happy.

With the help of my CSA delivery of fresh, local vegetables, I conjured up a plan to create a delicious pita sandwich for my roommate and I to have for dinner one night.  The only item I had to go to the grocery store for was an organic red bell pepper.

For dinner, I sliced up a tomato and placed it on a baking sheet.  With it, I placed the full red bell pepper and tossed it in the oven for about half an hour to roast.  I turned it once halfway through and…wow…did it ever make the kitchen smell amazing.  While the tomatoes and the pepper were roasting, I rinsed off some spring mix lettuce, chopped up a yellow onion, and pulled out my homemade tzatziki.  For my roommate, I cooked up a couple slices of veggie bacon (not gluten-free, so my sammie was sans-veggie bacon).  As the pepper was finishing up in the oven, I pulled out the Livwell Pita breads and got to work.

The first thing I did with each soft, delicate slice was cut it in half.  The directions say to toast for 1 to 2 minutes, probably in a toaster oven.  I don’t own a toaster oven, so I threw each half into the toaster, turned down the heat, and popped them down.  I let the toast for a moment before bringing each slice up, flipping it over and putting it back down for another moment or two.

When I brought them up again, they were warmed and slightly toasted.  And they smelled really good.  My pepper and tomatoes were done, so they came out of the oven and I set myself to the task of peeling and deseeding the roasted pepper.  Simple.

So…it was now time to see how Livwell would stack up with their second product for me to try.  Using a butter knife, I carefully began to separate the bread halves into the pita pockets.  I thought this would be more difficult than it turned out to be.  Despite being a very thin cut of bread, the Livwell pita bread was pretty easy to pry apart into the pocket form.

There was one point in their favor.

Creating the sandwich and seeing how the bread held up was the next challenge.  I gave each pita a swipe of tzatziki, then stuffed it with greens, the roasted tomatoes, some sliced roasted red pepper, a sprinkling of onion, and then topped it off with some more tzatziki.  I was shocked that these pitas weren’t crumbling in my hands.  Despite their delicate appearance these shells are very hearty and stood up to me stuffing, swiping, and jostling as I put together the sandwiches.

With the pita bread now properly dressed and stuffed it was time for the ultimate taste test.  My roommate and I sat down for dinner and dug in.

Livwell really does exceptional work for the gluten-free community.  Let me start by saying that.  Because this pita bread tasted so much like the white version of the full-barrel stuff I used to eat.  It was light, warm, amazing, and delicious all rolled into one.  The bread never got soggy and fell apart, despite the dressing.  It held together and sustained the stuffing with no problems at all.  The texture was fantastic.  Not too heavy, but made to withstand whatever it might be stuffed with.  The taste was exceptional.  It honestly reminded me so much of the pita bread I used to eat growing up, or as an adult…before I was told to go gluten-free.  So…I was a happy little foodie at dinner.

These amazing pita breads contain only 141 calories for the entire pita.  Yeah…that made me a happy girl.  Each one only contains 2 grams of fat as well.  It’s a fantastic choice when it comes to gluten-free breads.  These pita pockets are completely gluten-free, wheat-free, and dairy-free.  Which means…ideal for someone like me.

So…if you have been wanting to stuff a sandwich again, but your gluten-free lifestyle has been making that impossible…find Livwell products and snag their pita bread.  Honestly, you’ll fall in love with these.  My roommate isn’t gluten-free, but even she was raving about these.  Honestly…one of the best breads I have had since I had to go gluten-free.

I also think that should I make some Indian food in the near future, these would double perfectly for naan bread.  Of course, I noticed on Livwell’s Web site that they actually do make gluten-free naan bread.  My Whole Foods just doesn’t carry it…yet.  I think it might be time to talk to customer service about a special order…

Check out your local Whole Foods and see if Livwell products are on their shelves.  You won’t be disappointed.