Beanfield's Bean and Rice Chips

I learned about this company while attending the Gluten Free and Allergen Friendly Expo in February at the Del Mar (CA) Fairgrounds. I want to give my business to a company that cares about creating a healthy product, gives back to the community, and is environmentally conscious. The Gluten Free industry is a growing and many are trying to create their niche; I try to support a quality product and a conscious producer.

I tried the unsalted Bean and Rice chips with sandwiches, burgers, and salsa. They were a satisfying addition to my meal. The texture is between a corn chip and a potato chip. I appreciated not having added salt as the excess salt in many packaged chips is something that deters me from purchasing them and making them at home instead. These are a better option when shopping to fill your pantry than corn chips as they provide more fiber and protein. You will eat fewer Bean and Rice Chips than you would eat tortilla or potato chips…they are satisfying without the added salt and oil.

I also tried the Barbecue flavor chips. My husband is a fan of barbecue chips and he was a FAN of these also. He liked that they were not extra salty and had a smoky barbecue flavor. They leave little to no residue on your fingers as you eat them unlike other barbecue chips.

When you plan your next shopping trip, start by going to the www.beanfieldssnacks.com website to see where their products are found near you. In San Diego I have found them at Sprouts and Whole Foods. I noticed they are also in a handful of other markets in the area. To find out where you can find them near you all you need to do is type in your zip code on their store locator page.

Great Gluten Free Bread is Challenging to Find in a Bakery...

While attending the Gluten Free and Allergen Friendly Expo at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in February I encountered a San Diego bakery that has excellent Gluten Free Bread...and more.

Coronado's Gluten Free Pantry and Coronado Cake produces gluten free items that no one would realize were gluten free. Often I find most bakeries do not have a gluten free option and, when they do, the flavor is very sweet and the texture is not quite right. The bread and cup cakes I tasted were perfect!

I had a classic loaf of bread. When I thinly sliced, toasted it, and added butter a natural sweetness came out...perfect for breakfast with a hard boiled egg and some fruit! when I cut it thicker, toasted it, and added roasted vegetables and olive oil, a savory flavor emerged. The bread adapted well to the foods with which it was used. I used the end sliced for french toast. The bread absorbed the egg and almond milk mixture better than mass produced gluten free bread but did not get "soggy".

Follow the links above to contact Coronado's Gluten Free Pantry and Coronado Cake. Fresh Gluten Free baked goods can be yours with a simple email! If you are local to the San Diego area, they make cakes for special events...graduations...weddings...birthdays...First Communions, etc.

Pasta Greek Style

I like to have a bag of frozen shrimp on hand to make a quick meal when I am in a pinch. I saw a jar of sun dried tomatoes in my pantry and decided to purchase some feta cheese to create this meal. This recipe can be made in 30 minutes or less. You can customize the flavor profile to fit your taste preferences.

Base Recipe for 2
2 cups of pasta - I used DeLallo Gluten Free Pasta
12 large frozen shrimp per person (I purchase pre-cooked)
1 jar sun dried tomatoes - I used Mezetta's 12-ounce jar.
1 jar of artichoke hearts
2 cups of crumbled feta cheese

Option:
Use chicken instead of shrimp
Dice 1-2 shallots for additional flavor
Change the flavor profile by adding olives and beets to simulate a Greek Salad
Use a traditional pasta if you are not avoiding gluten due to health reasons

Instructions:

• Add the jar of sundried tomatoes (and 1/2 of the oil) to a pan and saute' the shrimp until tender enough to remove the tails. 
• Add the shallots at this time if you are using them
• After you remove the tails you can turn off the heat
• Drain the artichoke hearts, dice if you wish) and add to the warm pan.
• Prepare a quart of boiling water in a pan. When the water boils add the pasta. Cook 2-3 minutes less than the package recommends.
• When the pasta is done, reserve 1 cup of the water and drain.
• Add the pasta to the shrimp and sauce and turn the heat back on to low.
• Add 1/4 cup of pasta as you bring heat back into the pan.
• Add more water and olive oil from the sun dried tomato jar as needed
• Just before serving - or at the time of serving as I crumbled mine as a garnish in the pictures - add the crumbled feta cheese.

Granola with SuperSeedz

Homemade granola is simple to make and easy to customize. At the Gluten Free and Allergen Friendly Expo I learned about SuperSeedz and decided I needed to try to incorporate them into my granola. I have been including pumpkin seeds into granola from time to time to take advantage of its protein and iron. The idea of adding FLAVORED pumpkin seeds to add to the granola’s flavor profile and texture intrigued me.

Enjoy this granola with a subtle vanilla and chocolate flavor. Next time I will have to add dried strawberries to make it a true Neapolitan granola!

I started with:

·      3-4 cups of oats (I get Gluten Free Bob’s Red Mill)

·      1 cup  of coconut flakes

·      3 / 4 cup of uncooked quinoa

For flavor and texture I added:

·      1 cup of CoCo Joe SuperSeedz

·      2 tbsp vanilla extract

·      4 dried figs – diced

To add moisture I added:

·      1 1/2 cups of olive oil

I mixed the ingredients in my stand up mixer and put it on a foil lines cookie tray. I sprinkled 1 cup of honey to the top of the granola and baked in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes (depending on the heat of your oven). You know the granola is done when the edges start to turn golden.

When the granola is done I take it out of the oven and let it cool. Once cool I remove it from the foil and place in an airtight container. 

Enjoy your granola with your favorite milk or yogurt as a breakfast treat or top frozen yogurt or ice cream as part of a sweet treat.

You may not have noticed SuperSeedz on the shelves in your local store. This family owned business is growing nationally. Their website lists retail locations carrying their products (http://www.superseedz.com/pages/find-a-retailer). You can also buy the product on the SuperSeedz website. I'll certainly be sharing other recipes using other flavors!

Rumble Super Shake

Rumble Super Shake is a new product I was introduced to at the Gluten Free and Allergen Friendly Expo in San Diego. My husband fell in love with the product as a post workout recovery drink. He is drawn to the taste of the flaxseed oil used to add the Omega 3s to the jar. 

The product is titled super shake but it is not THICK as some might think. It is sweet, naturally, which I appreciate. I like sweet, but my preference is toward natural sweets rather than artificial. I tried the Vanilla Maple and Dutch Cocoa flavors. To add body to the Dutch Cocoa, I blended it with a ripe banana and created an on-the-go breakfast drink.

This gluten free shake made with natural ingredients should be part of your workout routine. I suggest keeping a few in your refrigerator at all times!

You can look on the company website www.drinkrumble.com to find a store in your area to purchase Rumble Super Shake or to make a purchase online. As of this post, in the San Diego area, it can be found at Pharmaca in La Jolla, Whole Foods in UTC and Hillcrest, and Bristol Farms in UTC. 

Gluten Free and Allergen Friendly Expo

I attended the Gluten Free and Allergen Friendly Expo in San Diego a few weeks ago. Health has sidelined me from sharing the GREAT products with you that I discovered. Look for upcoming posts about new products and recipes developed using them!

If you are in the area of any of the future expos (Atlanta, Schaumburg, Worcester, and Dallas) ... I highly suggest you take time to attend.

Send Me Gluten Free

I was given a sample subscription box at the Gluten Free and Allergen Friendly Expo in San Diego last month. Send Me Gluten Free is a great subscription box for those new to a Gluten Free Diet and Lifestyle as well as for those looking to try new products out in the marketplace.

The box I opened was a treasure chest of goodness! It contained a serving of fettuccine from Gluten Free Meister. The noodles cooked up well. I tossed them with some homemade pesto and had a great side dish for a workday lunch.

The box included some trial size snacks, Yum Earth Organics gummy bears, and even Do Naturals conditioner!

The GoMacro peanut butter and chocolate chip macrobar was a great mid day snack to fuel me between work and teaching my fitness classes. I liked the chewy texture!

Raw Revolution Organics provided a creamy peanut butter & sea salt bar in the box. This is a bit saltier than the GoMacro bar due to its ingredients and works better post workout for me. Both were satisfying...I just prefer salty after a sweaty workout!

Munk Pack provided a raspberry coconut flavored Oatmeal Fruit squeeze.  I enjoyed it as a late in the day meal. It tasted great - not too sweet - and was easy to digest. I was able to eat it on the run between teaching multiple fitness classes. I need to find where these are sold locally so that I can try the other flavors!

I am excited to try the Santa Fe White Bean Chili w/ Chia Seeds and Bell Peppers by cooksimple. I have been ill and am just getting back into eating beyond the BRAT diet. I'll post about my experience with this product soon...once I begin adding spice back into my life!