The Celiathlete

Product: Pacific Foods Southwest Vegetable Soup – $2.99+

So…what’s one of my favorite things to eat, friends?

You know this by now…

SOUP!

And nothing gets me going more than a really delicious, flavorful, well-seasoned soup.  One of the top powerhouses for flavor is anything that has that Southwestern spice to it.  I make my own version from scratch of a Southwest Soup (my mom’s recipe and quite delicious), so when I bought a box of Pacific Foods Southwest Vegetable Soup…it had a lot to live up to.

And for the most part…it did.  This soup has a great tomato base, and has bits of black beans, corn, onion, and green peppers in it.  It’s definitely not as hearty as the version I make from my mom’s recipe…but it had all those familiar flavors.  And that was a good thing.  I loved the little hint of spice, brought out in the broth by the chipotle pepper, I presume.  It had a nice warming feel to it, and that’s definitely something I look forward to when I eat a soup.

This was just enough when I paired it with one of my infamous gluten-free, dairy-free grilled cheese sammies.  That being said, I think it could have stood on its own as a meal.  But I can’t have soup without grilled cheese.  It’s just not human.  Or American.  It is culinarily incorrect.  Is culinarily even a word?

It is now.  I used it in a sentence.

This soup from Pacific Foods is brand new to the line-up.  It’s one of their Homestyle soups, and I can see why.  They use fresh ingredients, nothing artificial.  And…of course…it is gluten-free.  I love a good gluten-free soup.  They are so difficult to come by at times though.

This soup packed a little Southwestern flavor with healthy vegetables and it made for a really great soup to enjoy while catching up on your favorite television saga (for me…it’s usually Top Chef).  If you’re in the market for a delicious vegetable soup…then this soup is it for you.  Nothing can beat a rich tomato base with classic garden vegetables, black beans and Southwestern spices soaking in it.  It’s really, really good.

So seek out your natural foods section and find this little Southwestern soup in a box.  And give it a try for yourself.

Product: Tasty Bite Jodhpur Lentils – $3.29+

My kitchen is turning into a little Indian food mecca these days.  And while I would love to prepare a curry or some other vegetarian dish from India, I haven’t had a moment to really explore the proper spices and ingredients…yet.  I do intend to do something from scratch soon, but the timing has been off on these busy days.

But, that’s why a company called Tasty Bite exists.  Because what Tasty Bite has on grocery shelves is a little spice and a little flavor of India in an easy to microwave pouch.

It’s as easy as making up some jasmine rice and then putting the little pouch of goodness into the microwave for about two minutes or less.  Then at the beep…your dinner is served.  And let me tell you, these little pouches pack a flavor punch.

Tonight, I pulled the Jodhpur Lentils out of my pantry to give a try.  These yellow lentils were flavored with the usual suspects when it comes to Indian cooking – cumin, turmeric and chilies.  There is a hint of garlic in the sauce.  It’s just amazing flavor.  And lentils are a fantastic source of protein.  If you’re like me, a vegetarian athlete, getting enough protein in the diet can be a bit of a challenge.  But lentils are a good way to incorporate that into the diet.  And ethnic food like this makes the perfect way to infuse these protein-packed wonders into the diet.

I found the Jodhpur Lentils to be a bit mild by my usual Indian fare standards.  But, that was okay as I was running soon after ingesting it.  That being said, I found it still to be packed with the right flavors and delicious texture.  The yellow color is beautiful and when I mixed these up with the rice, it made for a filling but light meal in the end.  The mild flavor, while I am used to bold, spicy flavors, I didn’t find to be a letdown.  It was a nice blend of heat and mild flavor.  In the end, it was just what the palate needed.

So, if you love Indian food but are afraid of the spice that sometimes accompanies it, I recommend the Jodhpur Lentils by Tasty Bite.  It’s a mild introduction to a fantastic culture of flavor and spices.  And when you can’t get it from India itself or a local Indian restaurant, then Tasty Bite provides a perfect substitute.  I promise…these are amazing.

Oh, and this little package of yellow lentils is also vegan/vegetarian, kosher, and gluten-free.  BONUS!  So, dig in.  You’re treating your taste buds to something fantastic.

Product: Tasty Bite Bombay Potatoes – $3.29+

Yep.

I’m at it again with the quick and easy Indian meals.  And why not?  There are some nights, like tonight, for example, where standing over a stove or waiting on something to cook up in the oven is just not feasible.  I got off work and came home and had enough time to heat up some rice and one of these Indian meals to eat before changing into shorts and a tech shirt and heading over to Louisville for a fun run around a park.

That’s how it works on Monday’s in my little world.  Which means, there are no big culinary creations in my kitchen.  Not on my fun run nights.  Normally it’s soup and sandwich night, but I’ve been working my way through the pile of Tasty Bite meals I bought while they were on sale.  Since my selections are all gluten-free and vegetarian or vegan, these are not only quick to heat and eat, but also fall right into my dietary restrictions.

What more could a busy, on-the-go girl ask for?

Tonight’s Tasty Bite selection was the Bombay Potatoes.  I was pretty certain these were going to be epic.  I was a little more concerned about my roommate enjoying them.  The reason being I noticed they included chickpeas.  She has said countless times she isn’t a fan…but she bucked up and gave it a try.

So, the Bombay Potatoes are simply chunks of potatoes and chickpeas, slow-cooked in a sauce that is made from tomatoes, onions, and a plethora of Indian spices, like coriander and cumin.  It smelled fantastic as I nuked it in my trusty microwave for two minutes.  I gave it a stir and then dished up the concoction over two servings of jasmine rice.

While the overall look of it is uninspired…and very brown, the flavor makes up for the lack of color.  This meal is fantastic.  Not only is it filling, but it is seasoned to perfection.  A serving only contains 130 calories and it is also low in fat.  In addition, it’s quite filling, especially served over rice (I know…potatoes and rice…double starch…carby goodness for this running girl!).  I relished the mix of spices and flavors that were in the sauce and infused into not only the potatoes but also the chickpeas.  The texture was awesome and the serving provided a great 5g of protein as well.  Awesome for this gluten-free vegetarian as well.

Tasty Bite is three-for-three when it comes to their meals.  This is the third one that I have sampled and once again I have fallen in love with the ethnic and authentic flavors, despite coming in a little pouch that gets microwaved for only a few moments.  They say good things come in small packages.  In this case…so do delicious things.

Products: Blue Diamond Nacho Flavored Nut Chips – $2.50+

Are you aware that not every variety of Doritos is vegetarian, let alone gluten-free?  It’s true.  I know because I looked on the Web site and did some investigation.  Not gluten-free…I’m used to that.  But a tortilla chip that isn’t vegetarian.  Now there is something that makes me go…WHAT?!

Not only are Nacho Cheese Doritos (like…the original…the kind that brought about those legendary little corn chips) not gluten-free…but they are not vegetarian either.  And that’s sad.  Especially since I grew up munching on these tasty delights and have now had to give them up.

That being said, a good substitute had yet to be found.

Then, I picked up a bag of Blue Diamond’s Nut Chips in the Nacho flavor.  Previously I had delved into a bag of the Sea Salt flavor and absolutely fell in love with the light, baked, nutty, salty flavor of them.  They had more flavor than the Nut Thins, also a product of Blue Diamond, and were shaped like those triangles you love to dip into gluten-free queso and salsas.

So, I was pretty excited and equally nervous when it came to my afternoon snack today.  Because either a snack I pack is going to wow me or…I’ll just much my way through it because I’m not enjoying it…but I’m hungry and it has to see me through to dinner.  Today…I took one bite into Nut Chips and got that resounding crunch I love.  In addition, the cheese wasn’t an afterthought…it was the star.  If Doritos were good for you…this is what they would taste like.

And…if you’re like me you do tend to pay attention to those little nutritional details attached to the packet.  Nut Chips are baked and not only full of flavor but provide a good crunch, not that wimpy, soggy texture you get with some baked chips.  These are made from brown rice and almonds grown in California.  A serving size is a whipping 14 chips and only sets you back 130 calories.  Not too shabby.  A serving only dishes up a lean 4g of fat as well.  They are almost guilt-free.  Almost.  But they are tasty and perfect to fulfill that need for something salty and cheesy all at once.

Who needs those Doritos anyway.  Not this gluten-free girl.  Not at all.  I’ll take these.  One serving size at a time.

Product: Bakery on Main Gluten-Free Maple Multigrain Muffin Flavor Instant Oatmeal – $5.99+

Oatmeal is one of my favorite things to eat these days.  It’s weird, though, because a year ago, I wouldn’t have touched the stuff.  But, it seems the breakfast mush has since grown on me.

Having gone gluten-free though, oats can be a bit tricky…as can some of the ingredients that go into those pre-mixed, just add water/milk, and heat in the microwave brands that you find at the grocery store.

Thankfully, there are some gluten-free oatmeal brands out there.  You just have to look.  I have tried a couple in the past, and not really been impressed.  Then, I stumbled across Bakery on Main when I was at my local natural food store.  As a rule, if there is strawberry…it wins.  That being said, I previously bought a box of the Strawberry Shortcake Flavor Instant Oatmeal.  And I absolutely loved it.

Then, a special came over Gluten-Free Saver for 6 boxes of Bakery On Main’s Gluten-Free Oatmeal.  That means 36 pouches of their oatmeal, two boxes of each of their three flavors.  I was very excited.  And, though it took awhile, the box of oatmeal goodness finally arrived via the mail.

Now, instead of using it for breakfast, oatmeal is my easy go-to lunch at the office.  I just take it to the kitchen, pour it out in my bowl, add water, and microwave.  It’s simple, easy, and quite filling.  The warmth doesn’t even bother me on hot summer days.  It’s kind of like soup and ice cream to me in that way.  I can eat it year round, no matter the temperature outside.

I decided to start my Bakery on Main oatmeal journey with the Maple Multigrain Muffin Flavor Instant Oatmeal.  It was the one I was most concerned about not really liking all that much.  So I was hoping it would prove me wrong.  At lunch that day, I prepared it as the pouch instructed, by adding 2/3 cup of water and microwaving for about a minute and a half.

The oatmeal emerged smelling fantastic.  I took it back to my desk and settled in with my spoon.  One bite…and I found that while it smelled good, it really lacked in that maple flavor.  Perhaps a little dash of brown sugar might help it along, but I found the overall flavor to be quite bland.  Sad, since I was so gung-ho over the Strawberry Shortcake Flavor version.

The Maple Multigrain Muffin Flavor Instant Oatmeal is a blend of gluten-free oats, amaranth and quinoa, infused with the flavor of maple syrup.  This provides a great protein punch, mind you, which a gluten-free vegetarian does need.  I just wish the maple syrup flavor popped a bit more when all was said and done.  It wasn’t horrible…it just was more bland than I would have liked.

I love that Bakery on Main is creating this line of gluten-free products, including oatmeal, granola, and granola bars.  While I have loved the previous flavor…I found the Maple Multigrain Muffin Flavor Instant Oatmeal to be a bit of a letdown in the end.  But, with a little tweaking, I think I can make this version sing.  Perhaps a small scoop of brown sugar or an additional swirl of some gluten-free maple syrup.

Oatmeal is either really tasty, or really bland.  While this one wasn’t a complete flop, it wouldn’t be one I would purchase again.

Product: Stubb’s Original Bar-B-Q Sauce – $3.69+

Sauces and dressings can be scary, scary things when you have a gluten intolerance.  Honestly.  Depending on the ingredients that go into something, it may or may not be safe.  That’s not a good feeling when you’re either dining out or just trying to add a bit of pizazz to a dish you are creating at home.

Thankfully, there are some companies that label their sauces as being gluten-free, taking the guess work out of it.

Stubb’s is one of those companies.

Normally I use Bulls-Eye Original BBQ sauce when it comes to my bar-b-que sauces.  While Bulls-Eye Original is gluten-free, I came across a bottle of the Stubb’s Original BBQ sauce on the Manager’s Special table at my local grocery store.  This meant…it was a deal.  And since it was clearly labeled as gluten-free and all the ingredients were gluten-free, then…to me…it took a lot of the guess work out of it.

As none of the current vegetarian protein companies that supply my local food shops with goods make a gluten-free vegetarian/vegan nugget, this has sat around in my pantry for a little while.  But, tonight, I whipped up a  Gluten-Free Bar-B-Que Grilled Tofu Sandwich with oven roasted red onion and green heirloom tomatoes and just a dash of vegan mozzarella cheese for dinner.  I definitely needed some bar-b-que sauce to marinate the tofu in before grilling, so the Stubb’s Original Bar-B-Q Sauce was the obvious choice.

I dug it out of my pantry and quite happily filled a bag with a bit of it.  The slice of tofu went in and a little more sauce was added.  The bag was given a good massage and shake, until everything was coated and then placed in the refrigerator overnight.  In the morning, I flipped it over and let it sit until dinner time.  Then, onto my cast iron grill pan the tofu went, being brushed with a bit more of the sauce until it was perfectly grilled.  I spread a bit of the sauce over a gluten-free sandwich roll, topped that with a bit of vegan mozzarella cheese, which I then melted in the microwave.  Over that went some spinach, the grilled tofu, the oven roasted tomatoes and finally the red onions.

One bite, and I was sold on the flavor of this sauce.  Stubb’s Original Bar-B-Q Sauce is sweeter than Bulls-Eye, but contains a hit of smokey flavor at the end.  And that’s what I look for in a bar-b-que sauce.  While I love a more robust flavor, the sweetness to this sauce is the perfect balance, especially when that finishing smoke hits the palate.  I definitely fell in love with the bold, yet sweet flavors that really married this sauce together.  I hope that the one brand of vegan and gluten-free nuggets I discovered some day get to my area, because I think this sauce would be fantastic over it.  Until then, I’ll play around with other options and see what sort of bar-b-que goodness I can create.

Stubb’s took a great recipe with fantastic flavors and bottled it up with a smokey finish that makes this sauce…amazing to taste and even better to pour on.  It’s a keeper.  And I’m so glad I took a chance on it, stepped away from my norm, and gave it a try.