Category Archives: Food/Cooking

Great Value Gluten Free Rice Pasta & Cheddar Cheese Mix

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Great Value gluten free mac and cheese Remember the happy-happy joy-joy feeling you got from eating Kraft Macaroni and Cheese? Remember that feeling going bye-bye when you went gluten-free? Well, you can get that feeling back – believe it or not – courtesy of Wal-Mart.

Not kidding.

I’ve tried other gluten-free Mac & Cheese out-of-the-box mixes and they have been just awful. So when this turned out to be good – I was shocked AND happy. Happy-happy joy-joy, even.

Boil 6 cups of water and add their rice pasta. They say on the box 10-12 minutes, and that’s exactly what it was. No “it says 10 minutes but they mean 40” deal. While the pasta’s draining, mix 1/4 cup of milk with an optional 2 tbsp of butter, and then add the powdered cheese sauce mix.

There really weren’t any ingredients that I couldn’t pronounce, and I did not see any soy.

One package contains 2.5 servings of fluorescent orange, cheesy heaven. 260 calories, a boatload of carbs, 460 mg of sodium, and 6 g protein (I wasn’t sure if that included the milk).

Head on over to Wal-Mart and get yourself some of this in their gluten-free section.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for an unhealthy mac & cheese fix. 🙂

Chobani Greek Yogurt with Steel-Cut Oats – Apple Cinnamon

Posted in Food/Cooking, Health by

Chobani Greek Yogurt with Steel Cut Oats Gluten Free!How many times do you walk by the yogurt section and see all those cups with granola and chocolate crunchies on top and think “Those jerks! Why don’t they make those gluten-free?” Okay, it’s just me then? Really? Ha! I didn’t think so. Well…Chobani to the rescue.

Chobani has introduced a line of Greek yogurts with GLUTEN-FREE steel-cut oats in them. Yessuh!

I tried the apple-cinnamon flavor – and man, is it good! It’s thick and creamy, and doesn’t have that nasty yogurt tang – so even people who don’t like yogurt will probably enjoy this. The oats have an excellent consistency to them, hearty, not mushy. (And we all know how violently I despise mushy food.) The apples are actual fresh apples, diced up into juicy, crispy bits. And not just a few apples or a couple of oats. There’s plenty of each in every bite. Don’t go expecting some sugary-sweet treat, like those gross syrupy fruit-on-the-bottom type yogurts. This tastes like a homemade, all natural, delicious breakfast.

This little puppy has 160 calories, 2g fat, 28g carbs, and 10g protein. It contains probiotics and live active cultures. AND, Chobani gives 10% of their profits to charity. I’m sold. You can learn more at www.chobani.com.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Almond Butter Dark Chocolate Protein Puck Gluten Free and Vegan Bar

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PROTEIN PUCK IMG_3337Hockey lovers – here’s one for you. Actually, this is for anyone who’s gluten-free.

It’s the Protein Puck. Perfectly round, but not quite regulation size. (sorry, that was a hockey pun, people!) I discovered these at Eagle Ice Arena in Spokane, but I’ve seen them sold elsewhere.

It looks more like a pre-made hamburger patty than a puck, actually. This is also one of those cases where you open a package and eat the entire thing only to find out it was two servings, not one. That’s quite common with these snacks and cookies. However, the next time I purchased one, I didn’t find it that difficult to portion it at all. It is very dense and filling.

Protein Puck IMG_3339If you like almonds, you will love this. The Protein Puck is certified gluten-free. You can learn more about them at http://www.myproteinpuck.com/.

RECOMMENDED

 

Ian’s Fish Sticks

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148 ians fish sticksThese fish sticks are sort of a conundrum. I’m not quite sure how I feel about them. You could easily eat them as finger food, because they are not all greasy and nasty. Dip them in tartar sauce or cocktail sauce, whatever. They have good flavor – there’s no nasty fish taste. They have the flavor of a good fish stick.

It’s the consistency that perplexes me. The fish is fine – very nice, actually – I’m referring to the crust. Clearly, the crust is made mostly of corn meal. It’s pleasantly crispy, but a little thick and difficult to get a fork through. Hence being perfect for finger food.

I cooked these at the maximum (400 degrees for 15 minutes, flip the sticks, then another 10 minutes) and they did not brown, not unlike many gluten-free foods. So don’t judge their doneness by their brownness. They looked just as yellow when they came out of the oven as when they went in.

These Ian’s Fish Sticks are wheat- and gluten-free, milk- and casein-free, egg-free, nut-free, and soy-free. The crust/breading is made solely with corn and seasonings. If you have a corn allergy, sorry.

My box came with 13 fish sticks. The nutrition facts claim the serving size is 6 sticks and there are 2.5 servings per container. Obviously 13 sticks does not give you 2.5 servings. Just be aware. It’s not a big deal.

This 8 ounce box is normally $6.99 but I got it on sale at my local Safeway for $4.99. 2 servings for that price – you be the judge. They were definitely a nice change of pace.

Amy’s Broccoli & Cheddar Bake

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amys broccoli cheddar bake IMG_9994Amy’s and I don’t have the best of relationships. I find some of their foods a little too “earthy” for my taste. But this gluten-free Broccoli & Cheddar Bake is a winner.

It bursts with robust cheddar flavor and is creamy and smooth. There is always a hint of the broccoli throughout, of course more so when you bite into a floret. And these are nice, bite-size florets – not the “leftover stems or stalks or whatever” pieces you often find in frozen meals.

This dish is certified organic, and has 430 calories, 20 grams of fat, 640mg sodium, 44g carbs, and 16g protein. It heats up in less than 5 minutes and is fantastic comfort food for those cold winter days. Only one thing could make this dish better: meat. (You didn’t realize I was a meatatarian? *sigh*) So I sliced up and heated a hot dog, and then mixed it with the dish. Awesome!

If you love cheese, this is the dish for you. You can always find more information at www.amys.com.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

PanaPesca Hardshell Clams

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924 hardshell clamsSweet, tender, delicious steamed clams. Having grown up near the New England coast, I know a thing or two or three about seafood. I also know that living here in the inland Pacific Northwest, I can’t find too much of those wonderful dishes out here. Or – not at least that I could afford.

But I made a wonderful discovery the other day. Seafood isn’t something people (at least not me) like to take a chance on. If I think it’s going to be disgusting, what’s the point. So when I saw a one pound package of frozen hardshell clams on sale at my local Safeway for $3.49, I was skeptical. Native New Englanders have long said “bah humbug” to frozen seafood. Longing for something different on my gluten-free, soy-free, salicylate-free diet, however, I gave in and made the purchase. And I am so glad I did!

Quick and easy: one pot, one plate and less than ten minutes meant a fast, delicious meal and easy clean-up. I followed the “Classic Steamers” recipe on the back of the package and these clams were perfect in 5 minutes of cooking time. And yes, it gets better.

They say one serving per bag. That means not having to share. I love that. I also love the 89 calories, .9 grams of fat, the 12 grams of protein, 3 grams of carbs, and 38% of the daily recommendation of iron.

These clams were so sweet and delicious that I needed very little butter on them. They’d be great with a little garlic and tossed with pasta. I’m too lazy for that, though. Boil & eat – no thawing – that’s for me!

I do have one regret: I only bought one bag! Must go back and get more!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

926 steamed clams

Dannon Creamery Lemon Cheesecake

Posted in Dessert, Food/Cooking by

905 dannon creameryWell, this was a surprise, indeed. One of the things I miss about being gluten-free is cheesecake. So many recipes have flour in them as a thickener, and if not, they have a glutenous crust. So, when I saw this Dannon Creamery Lemon Cheesecake flavor Dairy Dessert was gluten-free, I grabbed it.

Since it contains active yogurt cultures, and – it’s Dannon, I was expecting … well… yogurt: running, tangy, yogurty. When I peeled back the metal cover, it looked like I was right. Kinda yucky looking, isn’t it? But the smell of lemon wafted up to me and it was just lovely. So I gave it a shot. It’s thick and creamy like cheesecake!

The flavor is very subtle on the cheesecake end – the lemon isn’t that strong, but it does overpower the mild flavor. If you take a bite without the lemon, it’s really delightful. Either way, I’m just happy to be eating something that is like cheesecake, yet healthy at the same time.

180 calories, 6g of fat, 8g of protein, and low everything else. Nice. For more on these yummy treats, check out http://www.dannoncreamery.com/

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Amy’s Teriyaki Bowl

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155 amys teriyakiI’m not sure how I feel about this Teriyaki Bowl made with organic tofu, brown rice, and broccoli. It’s a little spicier than I would like. It was certainly quick and easy enough to prepare – a total of 4.5 minutes in the microwave. And they ask you to remove the plastic for the second half of the cooking – and no, it didn’t splatter all over the inside of my microwave.

At only 290 calories and 4.5 grams of fat, that’s pretty good for a meal. 780 mg of sodium, 12 grams of protein, and 0 cholesterol is also nice. The consistency is good – nothing is hard or chewy or mushy. If it had just a little less kick to it (which is probably not even noticeable to a regular person), this would be a viable dinner option for me at only $3.99 at my neighborhood Safeway.

If you don’t mind your teriyaki just slightly on the spicy side, then this dish is for you. Me? I’ll stick with making my own version of teriyaki – with Worcestershire sauce, honey, ginger, garlic, and butter – used in this Tangy Cashew Chicken recipe.

You can always find out more about Amy’s at www.amys.com.

 

Gorton’s Gluten-Free Grilled Salmon Fillets

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672 salmonThank you, Gortons, for this delicious, gluten-free fish. The Classic Grilled Gluten-Free Salmon Fillets are definitely winners. Sure, it would be easy enough to pawn nasty salmon off on those poor Celiac people, but no. Good stuff. Trust me.

Like their grilled pollock, I found it amusing to discover two pieces of frozen fish resembling bricks. (Hmmm… fish bricks and fish sticks?) But I have to admit, these did cook up very nicely. No nasty, fatty veins or slimy, pungent brown sections. Just nice, tasty, pink wild-caught salmon. I like salmon on salad, and when I broke this piece up, I actually found a bone in it. So, yeah, it’s real fish.

I find salmon to be more filling than white fish, which makes these servings quite generous. Each brick has 90 calories, 2g fat, 350mg sodium, only 3g carbs, and 15g protein.

And, I got these on sale for $2.99 a box. That’s an incredibly reasonable per pound price for salmon.

You can read more about these at http://gortons.com/product/classic-grilled-salmon and you can learn about all of Gortons’ gluten-free fish at http://gortons.com/products-browse?category=49&species=All

Enjoy!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

687 gortons salmon

 

Glenny’s Gluten Free Whole Fruit & Nut Bar

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499 glennys cashew barsWhen I opened the little sleeve on this Glenny’s Cashew & Almond Whole Fruit & Nut bar and saw that it was literally packed with nuts, I thought, oh my, this thing is going to break my teeth like those Nature Valley things did. HA! I was really, really wrong.

The consistency was great; each hearty bite was pleasant tasting, slightly sweet, and contained the occasional burst of almond flavor. No nasty crumbling or chipping or any mess at all, so these would be great on road trips while in the car, plane, hotel, whatever.

The ingredients are all natural, contain no soy, and each bar has 140 calories, 7 grams of fat (0 trans fat), 0mg of Cholesterol!, 16g carbs, and 3g protein. Frankly, I’m a little surprised at how little protein is in them since they are mostly nuts.

I purchased this box of 5 bars at WalMart. Like so many gluten-free foods, these are made in Canada (catch up, US!). You can learn more about these (and all the other Glenny’s gluten-free foods) at http://www.glennys.com/products/all-natural-fruit-nut-bars.html