Gluten Free Food Reviews

At the holidays, I just love pie- pumpkin pie, key lime pie, buttery southern pecan pie, and my all time favorite- french apple cream pie. Yummmmmm. The only time I make pie is at Christmas and Thanksgiving, so when I make it, it better be good.

When I went gluten free last spring, I panicked- what about my famous holiday pies? I can easily adapt the fillings to be gluten free, what I wasn’t so sure about the crust. (My attempts at a homemade crust were less than tasty.) Since Thanksgiving is just around the corner, I decided to experiment with the Gluten Free Pantry Perfect Pie Crust mix. Since most of the other mixes are decent, I had high hopes for this one.

One mix makes two crusts, or enough for one double crust pie. I decided to make one pumpkin and one lime custard pie, to see how the crust reacted to the different fillings.

I found the mix simple to combine and roll out, even though I had to add seven of my own ingredients ( Gf Baking powder, sugar,10 tbsp. butter, 10 tbsp. shortening, eggs, water and cider vinegar). I have to admit, that was a little annoying. However, when it came time to transfer the pie crusts to the pie pan, it was a bit tricky due to cracking and splitting. However, I fixed the cracking fairly easily with my water-dipped fingertips.

After baking for 45 minutes ( average for both), the crust crumbled profusely when I tried to slice a piece of the pie. Uh-oh, not a good sign.

This is not a light and flaky crust. It is thick and dense (despite the crumble factor), and reminds me more of a shortbread cookie or biscuit. I also thought the crust could use a bit more sweetness; the flavor seemed a bit bland to me.

I did not care for this Gluten Free Pantry pie crust mix with either my lime custard or pumpkin pie. This just wasn’t what I expected or hoped for. I guess I will have to keep looking, since I haven’t found my perfect gluten free pie crust recipe or mix- yet.

PROS: easy to mix

CONS: you have to add alot of your own ingredients, very crumbly, dense and heavy texture- not light or flaky

Rating: 2 stars

You may purchase this mix at:

Gluten-Free Pantry - Perfect Pie Crust
From: glutenfree.com

Ingredients: White Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Corn Starch, Guar Gum, Granulated Honey, Salt.

Read what the following bloggers and forum posters think about this mix: Stephanie from What I Eat, Gluten Free Girl, posters at the Gluten Free Forum, S’Kat and the Miscellania, Sea at the Book of Yum, and glutenfreeworldgirl

Tomorrow I am off to historic Philadelphia with my family for the last weekend getaway of the fall season. We hope to enjoy the gorgeous fall leaves along the way, and balance contemporary fun and history on our itinerary. Our hotel we are staying at provides a full kitchen, which is great news for me! I find it difficult to travel, not knowing where to eat since it is not always convenient or possible to bring a bag lunch or cooler with me wherever I go. Having a celiac reaction away from home is just rotten.

As I plan my vacation menu, I decided a simple pasta dish would fit the bill; that reminded me of the DeBoles Corn Elbow gluten free pasta noodles I tried on my last trip back home. I swiped them from my parents’ gluten free cabinet, and have no idea how much they cost.

I paired the elbow noodles with a simple marinara sauce and parmesan cheese. I was pleased to discover the corn noodles held their shape very well- no mushiness or falling apart. The final product appeared pale yellow and seemed slightly textured.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the flavor. The corn flavor of the pasta competed with my tomato-based sauce, and it simply didn’t taste good. I imagine the flavor would be better paired with a cream-based sauce or may work well in some type of casserole. In this case, they just weren’t for me.

PROS: not mushy, keeps shape, slight texture holds onto sauce

CONS: corn flavor of noodles may compete with flavorful sauces

Rating: 2 1/2 stars

I wanna try this pasta! Where can I buy it?

Ingredients: yellow corn meal and yellow corn flour

While visiting the Twin Cities area in my home state of Minnesota, I loaded up on goodies from a local shop called the Bittersweet Gluten Free Bakery. I was eager to try their Bittersweet Pancake/ Waffle mix, since I am a huge fan of pancakes, but have yet to find a gluten free pancake that I truly adore. My attempts at homemade gluten free pancakes were just awful thus far, so I don’t even bother trying anymore. I got sick of the mushy rice taste and texture.

This mix arrived in a simplistic white glossy bag with marigold letters and is priced at $5.75. The mix makes about dozen smallish/ medium pancakes. And I’ll be honest, I was not impressed at first. To prepare the mix, add eggs, oil, water, brown sugar, and vanilla. I made the pancake mix exactly as stated on the package and the mixture was so thick and hard to work with- it was driving me crazy! Even after adding a few spoonfuls of water, I had to spread the mixture in the pan with the back of a spoon. I cooked the pancakes in a bit of butter on medium heat to crisp the edges.

The pancakes cooked unevenly and appeared bumpy with mounds of pancake rising into little peaks and valleys. Surprisingly, the pancakes had a pleasant and unique texture; they were dense, but not pasty or grainy like other gluten free mixes. In fact, I would say this mix is the closest thing to a “regular” pancake texture that I have found thus far. The flavor is surprisingly sweet and pairs really well with fresh fruit and whipped cream. I imagine if the mix was thinned out enough, it would make some pretty tasty crepes. I will be in Minnesota again for my sisters wedding in December and plan to try it out!

PROS:excellent flavor and texture- yummy!

CONS: difficult to spread in the pan- verrryyy thick! Appearance isn’t so great, you have to add quite a few ingredients yourself.

Rating: 4 stars

This mix may be purchased at various locations around the Twin Cities; however, you’ll get the best prices at their main location on Cliff Road in Eagan. Please check their website for more information.

 They do not ship at this time, but maybe, just maybe, if you call them and beg they may make an exception.

Ingredients: white rice flour, potato starch flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, sea salt, psyllium powder, xanthan gum

I thought this single serving of gluten free cornbread from the Lean On Me Baking Company would be great with a hot bowl of soup on a drizzly and particularly miserable autumn day, and I really wasn’t in the mood to make a whole pan of cornbread. Perfect. I picked this frozen product for $2.99 at my local natural foods store. I was curious whether a sugar free, protein packed ( 7 grams!) piece of cornbread tasted any good.

This is what the cornbread looke like fresh from the box. A little icy, eh?

This is what the cornbread looked like after thawing for 45 minutes of my countertop.

The box directions suggest thawing for 10 minutes at room temperature. Ummm, this is not nearly enough for it to thaw and warm enough to eat! After 45 minutes it appeared thawed, so I zapped it in the microwave for 15 seconds for the final warming.

This cornbead is surprisingly moist, almost too much so. It has a springy, smooth texture with a mild corn flavor that is borderline bland. The consistency reminded me more of a cake than a cornbread, as it was not crumbly at all. I definately needed some honeybutter for this cornbread! Overall it is a decent product that is great for soups and chili.

PROS: no crumbling, moist, single serve package, sugar free, 7 g. protein

CONS: almost too moist, bland flavor, long thaw time

Rating: 4 stars

Where Can I Buy This Cornbread?

Lean On Me Home Style Gluten-Free Cornbread (Frozen - 0.25 Unit)

Gluten Free Mall

Ingredients: water, eggs, maltitol, soy protein, soy oil, corn bran, cornmeal, baking powder, salt

If you are one of those newly gluten free people that miss your Van de Kamps or Mrs. Paul’s frozen fish fillets, you are in luck my friend. The Dr. Praeger’s Potato Crusted Fish Fillets just might be what you are looking for. I purchased this product from the frozen food section of my local grocery store for $3.69. It contains six all natural medium sized pollack fish fillets.

These fish fillets may be baked in the oven or pan fried in a bit of vegetable oil. Since I am not a fan of oily fried food, I opted for the oven version. I baked these gluten free fish fillets in the oven for the full 15 minutes until the exterior was really golden and crunchy.

The exterior of the fillet is a crispy crunchy shell that somewhat separates from the fish fillets, but not so much that it takes away from the flavor or texture. The potato crust is very mild with the slightest touch of sweetness from the brown sugar and is definitely not salty like other commercial fish products can be. I loved that! The fish inside appeared flaky and moist with a mild flavor that paired well with the potato crust. I am not a huge fish fan, but these fillets were mild enough for both my children and me to enjoy with fresh steamed veggies and homemade baked french fries. Overall, it’s a great product I would consider buying again.

PROS: perfectly crispy exterior, mild flavor, not at all salty, great for kids and adults, all natural ingredients

CONS: Flavor is on the bland side; Fish fillets aren’t for everyone- if you liked Van de Kamps and Mrs. Paul’s products before going gluten free, then you will like Dr. Praeger’s fish fillets as well.

Rating: 4 stars

Where can I buy these frozen fish fillets?

Dr. Praeger’s Potato Crusted Gluten-Free Fish Fillets (Frozen - 0.50 Units)- from the Gluten Free Mall

Ingredients: Pollack Fillets, Potato Flakes, Potato Starch, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Egg Whites, Salt, Brown Sugar

Mmmmm, who doesn’t like a pizza that is quick and easy to prepare? I found this gem at my local grocery store in the natural foods department. For $5.99, I thought this Amy’s Cheese Pizza Rice Crust Made with Organic Rice Flour and Tomatoes was worth a try. It easily serves two to three people.

Fresh out of the box:

To jazz it up a bit, I added some onion, tomato, sharp cheddar, and basil to most of the pizza, leaving just one section plain cheese. I was curious to see how the crust supported extra toppings. Since my pizza stone was used for a gluten pizza, I opted for a foil lined pan for my baking experiment.

The pizza cooked up nicely in a solid 12 minutes; I found the cheese and crust cooked much quicker than the center. To prevent overbrowning, watch it closely as it bakes and cover the edges with foil if necessary. The edges were definately crispy.

The crust baked up crispy on the bottom with a softer center. It tasted of cornmeal and rice, a mild flavor. The crust was on the thicker side and was able to support whatever extra toppings you throw it’s way. The crust was a solid, decent gluten free pizza crust and is probably one of the more decent semi-thick pizza crust you’ll get from a premade frozen gluten free product, despite it’s somewhat mealy consistentcy and texture. However I wouldn’t consider it flavorful or especially yummy. I think I like my crust a little chewier.

As for the toppings, I actually liked the sauce. There was just enough of it for some flavor - it really balanced out this gluten free pizza so it was neither dry or mushy. It had more of a fresher taste with minimal sweetness. I suggest adding a bit of your own cheese for full coverage if you add your own toppings. The cheese tasted really good and melted quite nicely.

Overall, this is a decent pizza that’s great for a last minute pizza craving. Of course it is not as tasty or flavorful as homemade, but it is decent, especially if you add your own toppings.

PROS: substantial crust, great base for extra toppings, nice balance of mild flavors, organic ingredients,

Cons: Crust has a “gluten-free” taste, crust cooks quickly and has a mealy texture

Rating: 4 stars

Where Can I Buy This Rice Crust Pizza?

WellnessGrocer.com

INGREDIENTS : PART SKIM MOZZARELLA CHEESE (WITHOUT ANIMAL ENZYMES OR RENNET), ORGANIC RICE FLOUR, ORGANIC TOMATO PUREE, FILTERED WATER, ORGANIC SUNFLOWER SEED MEAL, TAPIOCA FLOUR, ORGANIC POTATOES, ORGANIC EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, EXPELLER PRESSEDHIGH OLEIC SAFFLOWER OIL, ORGANIC HONEY, SEA SALT, ORGANIC RED ONIONS, YEAST, SOY LECITHIN, SPICES, ORGANIC GARLIC. CONTAINS MILK, SUNFLOWER SEEDS AND SOY.

Read what other sites and bloggers have to say about this pizzza!

CeliacFoodReviews.com

Sea at Book of Yum

Shannon at Digestive Diva

Sneako.com

My marvelous husband tinkered with my computer to get it to work for now. Maybe if I am good Santa will bring me a new one this year? Here’s to hoping!

In the meantime, I have a stockpile of reviews itching to be posted, spanning a variety of categories. So, the theme for October is . . .

LEFTOVERS!

My leftovers that is- reviews of snacks, meals, desserts, frozen food items that are leftover from prior months. . . we’ll have a bit of everything in the next few weeks. I’ll kick off my leftover reviews with Amy’s gluten free frozen pizza. Check back tomorrow for photos and details!

Uggghhhh, Computer issues are making my life very frustrating! I will be offline for a bit until my computer decides to behave itself. Until then, I will continue to stockpile reviews to publish in the not-so-distant future.

If you want my new reviews sent to you via email, feel free to register for email updates on the right sidebar, Just enter your email in the box and viola! My reviews will appear in your inbox soon.  Until then, happy gluten free cooking and snacking!