Gluten Free Box Risotto Review

So I continue on my search for the best gluten-free products out there, and I’m trying new things every week. 

I recently tried this Lundberg Alfredo Risotto, found in the organic section of your grocery store.

This Risotto didn’t taste bad. I added some freshly grated parmesan to top it, but it still tasted like it came out of a box. It was creamy and flavorful, but still had that lingering cardboardy/out of the box taste. Perhaps that is a horrible way to explain it, but that’s the only thing I could think of! 

I would buy this product again, but I would use it as part of a dish rather than an entire dish. I think adding some of my own flavoring and other components would help make this Risotto taste even better!

Gluten-Free Baked Mac & Cheese

Over a year ago I posted one of my favorite recipes of all time, and it’s one of those dishes that I can never get sick of…baked mac & cheese with broccoli. I make this dish on a very regular basis, so it was one that definitely had to undergo a transformation when I went gluten-free. The basis of this recipe came from a Betty Crocker cookbook recipe.

I replaced the elbow macaroni noodles with gluten-free tubetti rigati, and replaced the white flour with oat flour. It turned out great! Highly recommended, and nobody will be able to tell that it’s gluten-free!

Ingredients:
1.5 cups uncooked gluten-free tubetti rigati
2 tablespoons light butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup Oat Flour (can use rice flour or any other gluten-free flour)
1 3/4 cups milk ( I use soymilk)
8-12 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups frozen broccoli (thawed)
1/2 cup gluten free breadcrumbs

Instructions: 

 Heat oven to 375°F. Cook and drain noodles as directed on package. Cook broccoli as directed on package. Once they are both cooked, mix pasta and broccoli together.

Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in salt, pepper, garlic powder, and basil. In small bowl, mix flour and milk until smooth; stir into butter. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.

Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted.

       

Stir in macaroni. Into ungreased 1 1/2-quart casserole, spoon macaroni mixture.

Sprinkle Gluten Free Breadcrumbs over the top

Bake about 30 minutes or until bubbly and light brown. Enjoy your gluten-free comfort food!

Red Bridge: Gluten Free Beer Review

Going gluten-free after my Celiac diagnosis wasn’t too hard…except for the beer. I am a beer enthusiast (fancy phrase for liking to drink?) so switching to gluten-free beer, which I hadn’t heard much about, was going to be difficult.

The first beer I tried is possibly the most widely-available gluten-free beer out there. They seem to sell it at most grocery stores…even WalMart! Who’da thunk it?! It’s called Red Bridge, and it’s brewed with Sorghum. The way I’d describe this beer is that it’s very similar to a red or amber ale…it tastes a lot like Killian’s Irish Red. It’s a little bit lacking in taste, and it’s more watery than I’d typically go for, but other than that it’s not bad at all!

So, for a gluten-free beer that is widely-available, it’s pretty good! I will definitely be continuing my search for the best gluten-free brew out there…stay tuned!

Toasted PB & Nutella: Gluten-Free Sweet Snack

Thought I’d share my favorite gluten-free snack so far. I haven’t had much time to go to the store this week, so I had to use the things I already had in my pantry. This is so tasty, you may never eat a regular PB & J ever again.

This is a PB & Nutella toasted sandwich. And it is incredible.

Grab your gluten-free bread and toast it (I use Ener-G White Rice Loaf…it’s okay. I will be searching for other options, but once you toast it, you’d never know it was rice bread).

Right after the bread pops out of the toaster, spread one slice with peanut butter, and the other with nutella. Squash them together and voila! Magically gooey and delicious.

 

Silly Ass Disease and the New Gluten-Free Me

There will be some definite changes in the recipes and beverages I post here, starting now! Last week I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, for which the only treatment is a lifelong gluten-free diet. My coworker and wonderful friend, a 59-year-old man named Lonnie, made this news a lot easier to cope with by calling it “Silly Ass Disease.” I can’t think of it by any other name now, and it makes me smile every time I hear “Celiac.” Which is a completely backwards reaction.

ANYWAY.

All of my recipes from here on out will be gluten-free, but I will include ingredients to use for those who aren’t gluten-free. I see this as a huge opportunity to create new recipes that other Celiacs, gluten-intolerant, and other gluten-free people can enjoy. Don’t worry, they will still all be vegetarian and vegan…I’m not about to start eating meat!

I will likely also post my favorite gluten-free products as I come across the ones I like, and the ones that are completely terrible….because there will definitely be some. For example: Nut-Thins as a replacement for crackers? Not a huge fan. Maybe they’ll grow on me, but I will continue to search.

The first gluten-free product I tried was spaghetti. Sam Mills Pasta d’oro, gluten-free corn pasta.

With this product I made Spaghetti Aglio Olio with freshly-grated parmesan, and it actually turned out great! Once I had all my spices and oil in there, I forgot that it was corn pasta. It has a slightly different taste and texture, but not to the point where it’s incredibly noticeable. I definitely recommend this product!

 

That’s it for now! Get ready for some delicious vegetarian & vegan gluten-free recipes from your favorite Silly Ass at Bev & Veg!