Udi’s Lasagna

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IMG_4211 udis lasagnaYUM! Hot, hearty, quick, easy, reasonably priced, and delicious. How can you go wrong with that combination? Udi’s has hit it out of the ballpark with this lasagna. So satisfying. The flavor, consistency, and appearance – all great.

Even though when you take the tray out of the microwave the sauce looks a bit soupy, it’s really not. There’s just enough of it to keep it moist. And the sauce is light and flavorful. Spicy smell while cooking, but not spicy to taste. There’s just enough sausage to give it a hint of a very pleasant kick.

The cheese consistency was good. At 5:45, the cook time was very convenient. While it’s frozen, it may look like it needs more cheese on top, but it really doesn’t.

I don’t know about other gluten-free lasagnas, yet, but for $4.99 a single serving, I’ll be looking for this on sale and will buy a few when that happens. Thank you, Udi’s.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Wolfgang Puck Free Range Chicken Soup

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IMG_5659 wolfgang puck compWhen I feel crummy, I want chicken soup. Of course, when I feel crummy, that’s when I don’t feel like making chicken soup. Who wants to go to all that trouble? You? Then send me some chicken soup, will you? (I will say, last time I was ill, a dear, sweet friend made me some turkey soup. All hail turkey-soup-making friends!)

This time, I was prepared. At least I hoped I was. On a recent trip to Safeway trolling for gluten-free foods, I found Wolfgang Puck Free Range Chicken with White and Wild Rice Organic Soup on sale. So I got a can.

I will be completely honest. (What else is new?) When I opened this can, I almost hurled. It smelled TERRIBLE. If your stomach is at all off, I recommend you have someone else open the can. (Sorry, I just call ’em like I see ’em.)

I heated one can of soup in one bowl (see photo). It says on the can there is enough for 2 servings, but I beg to differ if you’re serving it as a meal. If you’re serving it as an appetizer, well, you can probably get away with that. I cooked it for 2-1/2 minutes on high as per the instructions. I recommend putting a plate underneath. It didn’t boil over, but there was a lot of  condensation under the microwave-safe cover.

IMG_5661 wolfgang puck compThe broth was not runny – it was a nice thickness for dipping toast or crackers (or in my case, 1/2 an Udi’s bagel). The texture of the rices was very good. The chicken chunks were a little tough, but not chewy or nasty. My sensitive palette would have liked just a tad less paprika, but for normal people, I’m sure it was fine.

Would I buy it again? I consider this one of those “break glass in case of emergency” foods, so yes. I have a container of Pacific Foods g/f chicken soup ready to try next. We’ll see who wins the spot on my lazy Susan.

Quick and Delicious Gluten-Free Breakfast

Posted in Food/Cooking, Health, Recipes by

RANCH SCRAMBLE IMG_3872I have a love/hate relationship with eggs. I hate the smell. I love the protein. I won’t eat them if they’re runny. I love that they’re versatile and easy to prepare. I also do not like ranch dressing. Yes, I know, there is actually one human being alive who doesn’t like ranch. Whatev. But I do like the small company Litehouse, and I do like their OPA dressings which are super low in calories and high in protein. And, two negatives make a positive, right?

In this case, yes.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbs OPA Ranch Dressing
  • 1 tbs Cream or Milk
  • 2 slices Udi’s White Sandwich bread

Break eggs into a small, non-stick skillet. Add cream and dressing. Stir with plastic fork or whisk until thoroughly mixed. Cook on your preferred setting until your level of doneness is achieved. Meanwhile, toast bread.

Boom – done. One pan, one plate. Easy cleanup. No nasty egg smell in the house. In less than 5 minutes, you have a delicious, different, protein-rich meal for any time of day – not just breakfast.  Eggs and ranch…I’m thinking a quiche might be next… Nah, too much work. You try it and tell me how it goes. 😉

Click here for more on Litehouse OPA Ranch dressing.

Great Value Brand Gluten Free Granola Bars

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IMG_5679 great value granola barYes, that’s right, WalMart has gotten into the gluten-free food business. Technically, I’m not sure their Dark Chocolate Granola Bars actually qualify as GRANOLA since they seem to be made of rice crisps, but I’m not complaining. I really, really like these.

So many gluten-free granola bars require bionic jaws to chew them, or teeth of steel to crack into them. These bars are light and happy and sweet, sort of like what I would imagine Rice Krispie treats would be like if you added chocolate flakes.

Five bars come in a box for $2.48 which is about 50 cents less than the least expensive gluten-free snack or granola bars. Unlike the others, these are not “packed with nutrition,” but they have only 100 calories and 2.5 grams of fat. They’re great for a quick sweet tooth fix. Beware, if you eat while driving or on the couch, the chocolate flakes do have a tendency to fall out. You wouldn’t want those on your pants. No, that didn’t happen to me. They fell all over the plate in the photo. I’m just sayin’.

I like these bars a lot and I do recommend them.

 

Kozy Shack Simply Well Naturally Flavored Puddings

Posted in Dessert, Food/Cooking, Health, Snacks by

Kozy-Shack-Simply-Well-Rice_Pudding-4Pk-565x245There’s a lot of cheap junk food out there…and there’s a lot of expensive health food out there as well. So finding something healthy that tastes good at a decent price…and then adding gluten-free to the mix is an accomplishment!

Kozy Shack Simply Well puddings are naturally flavored, and state gluten-free not only on the outer packaging, but on each individual serving cup as well. They contain 3 grams of prebiotic fiber per serving, are made will real milk, are a good source of antioxidant vitamin E, calcium and vitamin D, and have no hydrogenated oils or preservatives.

Healthy Pudding? Yes, pudding…you know, like dessert? Yet each cup has only 100 calories and as little as 1 gram of fat, depending on the flavor. Speaking of flavor…they taste great. I tried the lemon ginger; don’t let the name discourage you – it is not biting or tangy. It is a light, mildly sweet, lemony treat, with an occasional tiny hint of ginger. The consistency is smooth like custard. It is great as an in-between meal snack.

The dark chocolate flavor is less sweet, and a little less smooth than the lemon. It is a little heavier consistency-wise, and more resembles the flavor of a chocolate mousse than a pudding. I would love to add some whipped cream on it for a really delectable dessert. However, it doesn’t need the topping to be delicious.

All good things come at a price; I purchased these treats on sale for three dollars per four-pack, which translates to 75 cents a cup – for a yummy, healthy, gluten-free treat. There are five flavors in all.

Simply Well Naturally Flavored Pudding by Kozy Shack can be found in your grocer’s refrigerated dairy section. For more information about Kozy Shack, go to their official website. All Kozy Shack puddings, flans and gels are gluten-free.

 

This article originally appeared on Celiac-Disease.com on March 10, 2010 at http://celiac-disease.com/kozy-shack-simply-well-naturally-flavored-puddings/  Flavors and prices may have changed since that date.

Best. Cookies. Ever.

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IMG_5723 immaculate cookiesSerious. Dead serious. Not kidding. These cookies are the most awesome cookies ever, even better than glutenous cookies!

Imagine, if you will, the outer edges of a brownie – just a little crispy on the outside but still chewy on the inside. Then imagine an entire cookie exactly like that. That is what the Immaculate Baking Company has created with their Fudge Brownie Cookie Dough. You get 12 balls of dough in a tray. Flatten those out (I use wax paper and the palms of my hands), pop them in the pre-heated oven, and BAM! 15 minutes later you have the most amazing cookies ever. Even my gluten-mongering friends are like OMG with these cookies. Best. Cookies. Ever.

Seriously – you could put some vanilla ice cream and other stuff on them and make a brownie barge type thing but they are so good I hate the idea of actually putting anything on them. I appreciate them all by themselves.

WARNING – do NOT bake all of them at once if you are alone. You will eat them ALL. I tend to cook four at a time right before I bring two to a friend. If I wasn’t bringing them until the next day, I would eat them all. You will not be able to resist. Honestly.

Run, don’t walk, to your nearest Safeway or the other stores which carry this product. You won’t be sorry.

More information (including a store finder) is available at www.immaculatebaking.com.

IMG_5739 immaculate cookie

 

Real Food, Real Taste and Gluten-Free: Bistro Sensations

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Bistro Sensations Smoked Mozzarella SausagesI love it when something good happens by accident. But when something great happens by chance, well then – I’m going to tell everyone.

I was in Wal-Mart and saw Bistro Sensations Smoked Mozzarella with Artichoke and Garlic fully cooked chicken sausage in the refrigerated section. I have no idea why I picked up the package. When I turned it over, surely enough, it said gluten-free. That was all I needed to see! I was also pleased that they contained no soy (although they are not labeled as soy-free).

When we got home, we put those sausages on the grill. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the best): I give them an 11. Even my gluten-mongering spouse loved them. Great flavor, great texture…I felt like a normal person eating normal food. That doesn’t happen too often.

The sausages were not greasy. The seasonings were just right. We had 1-1/2 sausages each with some beans. That left one sausage. I decided to make a crustless quiche with it the next night.

There are no seasonings other than salt in the following recipe because I wanted the flavor from the sausage to be the feature of the dish.

Sausage & Cauliflower Crustless Quiche (Gluten-Free)

  • 5 eggs
  • 1 cup of cooked cauliflower
  • 1 Bistro Sensations sausage link
  • Salt
  • Dash of milk or half and half
  • 1 cup of Italian shredded cheese
  • Pam for grilling or oil

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Grease pie pan.
  • Chop up cauliflower and sausage.
  • Spread half of each on the bottom of the pan.
  • Beat eggs.
  • Add milk/cream and salt. Beat some more.
  • Add shredded cheese and stir.
  • Pour 3/4s of the egg mixture into the pie pan.
  • Scatter the other half of the cauliflower and sausage evenly through out the pan.
  • Pour the rest of the egg mixture into the pan, covering the rest of the ingredients.
  • Cook for 30 minutes.

Let sit for about 5 minutes to set, then cut and enjoy. Makes 4 generous slices as a main course.

Enjoy!

This article originally appeared on Celiac-Disease.com on April 17, 2010 at http://celiac-disease.com/real-food-real-taste-and-gluten-free-bistro-sensations/  Unfortunately, it is not clear if Bistro Sensations sausages are still available. I’m sure other brands will work just as well.

Gluten Free LUNA High Protein Bar

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IMG_5664 luna bar compOne word: yuck. Sorry, LUNA, I am a supporter, but I couldn’t stand this.

The first thing that assaulted my senses was the taste/smell of alcohol on the very first bite. Then there was a weird saltiness. The only reason I was able to finish the bar was because I drowned it in Cool Whip (which I then proceeded to eat directly out of the container to get the LUNA taste out of my mouth. I’ll let you decide whether I’m joking about that or not).

The flavor was supposed to be Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. The only other two flavors available (in the store) contained peanut butter, and I’m not a fan of that. I’m also not a fan of soy-based protein, which is the foundation for this bar. It didn’t occur to me to check the ingredients in the store – I just saw GLUTEN FREE and the 99 cent special price and dove in. Yes, I’m a big dummy.

This LUNA bar is 170 calories, 6g of fat, 12g of protein, and contains decent amounts of calcium, Vitamin D, iron, and other stuff. Oddly, there was no chocolate liqueur which a lot of these bars use for flavor.

It turns out that they have a bunch of other flavors, too. You can check those out at http://www.lunabar.com/products/luna-protein  Maybe those flavors are better. I don’t know. I do know that I’m not going to find out.

IMG_5665 luna bar

DanActive Probiotic Dairy Drink – Gluten-Free Vanilla

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DANACTIVE IMG_3868Okay, I made a mistake here. I went into this thinking that, because DanActive is manufactured by Dannon, it would be more like a smoothie than a drink. I figured (sorry, this is kinda like math, here) Dannon = yogurt. Yogurt + probiotic dairy drink = thick, smooth beverage.

WRONG.

Sorry, Dannon, but to me, this is more like the liquid penicillin we used to drink as children back in the dark ages. Except I remember that tasting better.

If you like tangy yogurt, then this will be a breeze for you. But I am a big sissy and like the yogurt that tastes like cream. Yes, every meal should taste like dessert. What’s so wrong with that?

In any case, I tried this because it’s a) probiotic; b) certified gluten-free; and c) it was marked down 50% off.  Yeah, I’m cheap. So sue me. I try all this stuff so you won’t have to. You wanna make that up to me? Tell your friends about this blog. Oh, and buy some of my books.

The family pack I purchased has 8 bottles in it. The normal price (at a small, local Safeway) was $4.49. That’s 56 cents per bottle. Now, this is not a meal replacement by any means. It is more like a supplement. It contains L.Bulgaricus, S.Thermophilus, and “10 billion of its exclusive probiotic culture L.Casei Immunitas which no regular yogurt has” according to the package. I checked my yogurt – that contains L.Casei. It doesn’t say anything about Immunitas. Frankly, that sounds like a disease contracted by political refugees.

Each 3 ounce bottle has 70 calories, 1 gram of fat, 11 carbs, and 3 grams of protein.

So, if you want something with a bit of a tang to quiet those between-meal stomach grumblings, this might be for you.

G/F Mac & Cheese Steel Cage Match: SamMills Brand

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gluten free mac and cheese IMG_1892

No one said there would be math.

At the WalMart store in Colville, Washington, there is an impressive selection of gluten-free foods in the freezer section – for a non-health food store, anyway. This is where I discovered SamMills the Corn Master’s Gluten Free Macaroni & Cheese In a creamy Cheddar Cheese Sauce.

At $2.97 for 8 ounces, vs. Amy’s at $3.58 for 9 ounces, it was worth trying. It is wheat free, soy free, egg free, tree nut free, peanut free, fish free, shellfish free, and gluten free. Phew!

While I was in the store, I glanced at the cooking instructions. “Cook on high for 3-1/2 minutes” in the microwave. Super easy. Sold.

Then I got it home and went to cook it. That was when I really read the instructions:

Gluten free mac and cheese IMG_1887

  • Cook on HIGH for 3-1/2 minutes
  • Remove film, stir well and cook thoroughly until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

SAY WHAT? No one told me math would be involved. *Sigh*

Seriously, cooking to a certain temperature is my most hated thing. I take this stuff very seriously, and if I can’t get it up to temperature, am I supposed to throw it away? I mean…

Anyway, I finally got it to 165. That was kind of a pain. It didn’t look too bad. And, it had very good flavor. The pasta consistency was similar to slightly undercooked, but I like it that way. I’d much rather have pasta I can sink my teeth into than have mush. So, the SamMills Mac & Cheese was good, but the cooking part was a bit stressful for me and sort of lessened the enjoyment of the dish. For more on SamMills products, go to www.SamMills.eu.

Tune in next time for Amy’s Rice Mac & Cheese.