Gluten Free Food Reviews

( I can’t believe this is my 200th post!)

Yum! Cali did it again- another tasty seasoning mix that is free from gluten! I am always wary of the seasoning packets at the grocery store that are supposed to be gluten free. I worry that the spices may not be pure or the formulation may have changed to contain new gluten ingredients. One thing I really like about the Cali seasoning mixes is that I can cook conveniently and eat with peace of mind that they won’t make me sick.

I used this versatile one ounce Spicy fiesta gluten free seasoning mix as a yummy variation on an old favorite- crunchy beef gluten free tacos.

I added the seasoning mix to one pound of cooked ground beef for a quick and easy Tex Mex dish. I found this mix to contain just the right amount of heat - a bit of a kick without burning your mouth. I loved the layered flavors of the chili pepper, garlic, leek and black pepper, supported by a touch of carrot, green pepper, cumin, cayenne and sea salt.

The packaging also provides a recipe for vegetarian tacos and use for this seasoning on veggies, as a marinade, chip and veggie dip, with pasta and beans, and on burgers. Let your imagination go wild- you can use this mix on just about anything!

PROS: great, high quality flavor, versatile, individual packets for ease of use

CONS: if you like really spicy foods, this may not be for you

Rating: 5 stars

Want to try this gluten free spice mix for yourself?

Click the link below to see packaging and purchase:

Cali Spicy Fiesta Seasoning from glutenfree.com

Ingredients: chilli pepper, garlic, onion, black pepper, celery, carrot, leek, green pepper, cumin, sea salt, spices, tapioca starch, brown rice flour, fructose, cayenne, citric acid

To check out more Cali product reviews, click HERE

Want to try making homemade taco seasoning? Click below for some recipes to get you started:

Stephen’s Recipes

All Easy Cookin’

Celiac.com

Pennythoughts

What is your favorite gluten free Tex Mex or Mexican food dish?

Ahh, another quality Cali seasoning for your cooking enjoyment!

Cali Fine Foods Herb Medley Gourmet Seasoning Mix ( Mild spice) boasts versatility and claims to be ideal for dips, marinades, meats, vegetables, pasta and rice. There are even four recipes as well as servings suggestions on the back of the packaging. Very handy! I decided to use this .9 ounce mix to make oven baked seasoned potatoes.

This seasoning mix is, indeed, very mild. The aroma of the spices is pure and strong and seems to be high quality. The flavor reminded me of their Garlic Gusto seasoning, minus the strong garlic and black pepper. The flavor in this gluten free seasoning is a nice combination of onion and garlic subtly complimented by carrot, parsley and leek. Don’t be shy with this seasoning- because the flavor is so mild, I preferred to use the whole packet with my potatoes to get the full flavor of the gluten free spice blend.

Personally, I was not disappointed with this seasoning mix and felt this flavor blend best complimened vegetables and chicken. It is great for saving time in the kitchen when you want a home cooked meal with minimal fuss.

PROS: high quality spices and seasonings, nice blend to have on hand to save time in the kitchen

CONS: almost too mild, use the entire packet for full flavor

Rating: 4 stars

Click HERE to purchase this mix from glutenfree.com

Ingredients: Parsley, onion, garlic, carrot, leek, green pepper, sea salt, tapioca starch, brown rice flour, celery, fructose, black pepper, spices, citric acid.

More Cali Reviews:

Cali Foods Garlic Gusto Gourmet Seasoning Mix

Cali Foods Swet & Spicy BBQ Seasoning Mix

Mmmm, grilled gluten free BBQ chicken. Quick, easy and super yummy!

Cali Fine Foods sent me this .9 ounce gluten free BBQ mix seasoning packet to try. I was quite intrigued by this dry seasoning packet. When I think of barbecue, instead of a dry rub of spices, a saucy slathering on my meat of choice comes to mind compliments of the years I lived in Houston. But hey, I thought it would be interesting to give it a try.

I dutifully followed the directions on the back of the package. I rubbed my chicken breast with the seasonings, let it marinate in my fridge for 40 minutes, and then grilled it on my George Foreman grill. Yes, I know this is cheating a bit since I dind’t use my “real” outdoor grill. But, there is still snow on the ground in may part of Pennsylvania. Outdoor grilling was out of the question. My chicken grilled nicely and looked really good.

With this seasoning mix, I should have used more on my chicken. I only used a few teaspoons since it is categorized as “spicy hot” on the packaging and I have a sensitive palate. However, I was surprised that the flavor and heat tasted much milder than I anticipated, I suspect if I really coated the chicken the spiciness would have been kicked up a notch or two.

The flavor of this gluten free BBQ seasoning packet is quite pleasant. The chili pepper, garlic, and black pepper take center stage, complimented by a dash of cayenne. I believe the carrot, cinnamon and fructose should have added a sweet kick to the seasoning ( according to the name of the product), but I did not taste much sweetness. I think this is indicative of a delicately balanced blend of ingredients. Overall, this is a tasty blend of spices for a quick meal idea that could kick up flavor on a variety of meats or seafood.

PROS: easy to use, balanced blend of seasonings, enough seasoning for 2 lbs of chicken

CONS: be careful to fully coat the chicken for maximum flavor, plan for time to marinate

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Think you’d like to try this gluten free BBQ seasoning mix? Click the link below:

Cali Sweet & Spicy BBQ Mix from gluten free.com

Ingredients: Chili pepper, garlic, onion, black pepper, spices, celery, carrot, leek, green pepper, cumin, sea salt, fructose, tapioca starch, cayenne, brown rice flour, citric acid, cinnamon.

**Cali seasonings may also be purchased at califinefoods.com and glutenfreetradingcompany.com as well

Check out my other Cali reviews:

Cali Garlic Gusto Seasoning Mix

Cali Herb Medley Gourmet Seasoning Mix

This April is my anniversary month.

In April I will be gluten free for two years- minus some cross contamination issues here and there (oops!). For 18 of those months, I did not eat any stir-fry, Asian influenced dishes, or marinades that required soy sauce. Why you may ask? This may sound silly. but I simply did not know that gluten free soy sauce existed. And oh did I love spicy Chinese food and stir-fry! When I realized that I could, in fact, still have my favorite dishes, I was SO excited! After I purchased my first bottle of gluten free soy sauce, I think I made stir fry four nights in a row- each a different version- spicy chicken, veggie, beef and broccoli- you name it, I made it. I was in heaven! It was the best $3.49 I ever spent.

I have had no problems with my gluten free soy sauce. I purchased the San-J Tamari organic soy sauce after my sisters wedding at a natural foods store back in December, and I have enjoyed it ever since. At first, I was unsure since the label only says “wheat free.” And as we all know, wheat free does not mean gluten free. However, on the label, it is specified that this gluten free soy sauce is made in a plant inspected by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization. That made me feel better.

I have successfully used this gluten free product in grilling marinades and stir-fry so far. This product is just another reason why I have discovered cooking and eating gluten free isn’t so bad after all.

Rating: 5 stars!!

Try this gluten free soy sauce for yourself! Just click on the link below:

San-J - Tamari Organic Soy Sauce
From: glutenfree.com Ingredients: water, organic soybeans, salt, organic alcohol ( to preserve freshness)

Wow. These gluten free seasonings sure pack a punch! Cali Fine Foods sent me this one ounce Garlic Gusto Gourmet Seasoning packet to try out. When I cut open the packet I was shocked at how strong and pure the seasonings smelled. You can tell it is high quality, and a little goes a long way. The packaging boasts that this gluten free seasoning may be used for dips, marinades, meats, vegetables, pasta, rice, and more. Eight serving suggestions are even printed on the back of the envelope. No doubt this seasoning is versatile.

I decided to use the Chicken Rice Soup recipe with the Garlic Gusto seasoning packet since it was a cold, dreary day. Soup and a hot loaf of gluten free french bread sounded really good for dinner.

The recipe was a breeze to make, and I only used half of the seasoning packet. Because the flavor was so overpowering, I think even using 25% of the seasoning packet would have been more appropriate for a balanced and flavorful. soup. I immediately noticed the strong garlic and black pepper flavor and it complimented the chicken and rice nicely. The more I tasted, I noticed subtle layers of flavors of “seasonings” that helped make my soup very tasty. Because the seasoning packet contains brown rice flour and tapioca starch, it thickened my chicken broth to provide a thick and hearty soup. Overall, this is a flavorful product that would compliment a variety of gluten free meals.

PROS: high quality spices, a little goes a long way, cheerful packaging

CONS: very strong aroma and flavor, be careful not to over season

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Where can I buy Cali Foods Garlic Gusto Seasonings?

Click HERE to purchase this gluten free seasoning product from glutenfree.com

Ingredients: Organic when available: garlic, opinion, celery, carrot, leek, green pepper, parsley, spices, sea salt, tapioca stratch, brown rice flour, black pepper, fructose, citric acid

*Cali seasoning mixes may also be pruchased at califinefoods.com and glutenfreetradingcompany.com

Check out my other Cali reviews:

Cali Sweet & Spicy BBQ Seasoning MixÂ

Cali Herb Medley Gourmet Seasoning MixÂ

I purchased this 13 ounce bottle of salad dressing for $3.95 from my local grocery store, in the natural foods section. I was excited to find an italian style dressing marked “Gluten-Free”. Yah, baby!

I must say, this dressing is wonderful, amazing, light, and flavorful. The consistency is that of any good vinaigrette, and pours easily, but is not runny. The aroma is so strong and fresh, you can almost taste the herbs. This dressing is not too sweet or fruity, but balances the blend of flavors harmoniously. The addition of lemon juice also gives it a nice kick. My gluten consuming family and friends always remark about how good it is. I must agree! This dressing works well on fresh salads as well as in recipes or marinades. A little dressing goes a long way, and I found the bottle lasts a long time at my house.

Pros: strong and flavorful

Cons: Can’t think of any!

Rating: 5 stars!

Where Can I Buy This Salad Dressing?

WellnessGrocer.com

Ingredients: Water, safflower and/or sunflower oil, vinegar, honey, sea salt, cornstarch, dried vegetables (bell pepper, onion, garlic), garlic puree, herbs, extra virgin olive oil, locust bean gum, spices and lemon juice concentrate.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size:2 tablespoonServings Per Container:12  Amount Per Serving % Daily Value Calories: 50 Calories from Fat: 35 Saturated Fat: 0g 0% Sodium: 400mg 17% Dietary Fiber 2g 9% Protein: 0g  Vitamin C: 0%  Iron: 0%  Organic: 95% Â

Yum! I just love this syrup with a stack of hot Pamela’s pancakes on a chilly morning.

This syrup comes in a 12 ounce glass bottle, ready to serve. It is dark amber grade and pours fairly thin. Therefore, it absorbs into the pancakes or waffles pretty quickly. Be conservative in your dosage unless you want mushy pancakes, and be prepared to eat quickly.  The natural flavor is fairly strong but not overly sweet. I particularly like this syrup heated in the microwave or on stovetop for the best flavor.

Pros: nice flavor, 100% organic

Cons: Consistency is pretty thin

Rating: 3 1/2 stars

**Please see the Pamela’s products review to see the syrup on pancakes

This is one of the few gluten free BBQ sauce brands I have found locally so far, so I was REALLY hoping it would be a good one. I found this sauce for $4.29 for a 10.5 ounce bottle

Well, it’s good, but not great. The sauce has a strong fruit base and is mildly sweet and spicy. The consistency is fairly thin compared to its gluten-containing counterparts that are thick and rich. This sauce is merely “ok” as a marinade or for grilling. I would suggest adding more spice to liven it up. I did use this for a slow-cooked pulled pork recipe, and added green chilis, chili powder and garlic for a pretty tasty result that my gluten-consuming family and friends enjoyed to rave reviews.

Pros: A nice base for recipes

Cons: “fruity” tasting, need more spice and flavor to liven it up

Rating: 3 stars

Where Can I Buy This Sauce?

Mr. Spice Honey Gluten-Free Barbeque Sauce BBQ-

from glutenfreemall.com

Ingredients: Water, Apple Cider Vinegar*, Evaporated Cane Juice*, Tomato Paste*, Blackstrap Molasses*, Rice Starch*, Herbs & Spices* Potassium Chloride, Garlic*, Natural Flavor, Onion*, Lemon Juice*, Xanthan Gum, Gum Arabic*,Honey*, Citric Acid, Spice Extract*, Natural Hickory Smoke Flavor. *ORGANIC

Ooooo, I like this seasoning! I use it to make beef and chicken tacos, burritos, salads and quesadillas. This seasoning offers a nice mexican flavor without worrying about gluten ingredients. It is not very spicy and would be appropriate for those that prefer mild or medium heat.

I purchased this at a natural foods store for $4.49 for a 4.5 oucne bottle,and it lasts quite a long time, since a little goes along way.

Rating: 4 stars

Ingredients: garlic powder, ground cumin, spanish paprika, salt, onion powder, cayenne, oregano powder.

Where Can I Buy This Seasoning?

GoodDayGlutenFree.com

Food4Celiacs.com

 

This dressing is an organic version of the ranch dressing we have all grown to love- minus the gluten. I purchase this in various gorcery stores in my area for $3.69 for a 12 ounce bottle

This ranch dressing is fairly thin in consistency and darker in color due to the natural ingredients- it’s not the thick, bright white Hidden Valley has blessed us with. However, the taste is fresh and full of flavor . It is great with salads, fresh veggie dips, or anything else you would use ranch dressing for.

Pros: Great ranch flavor

Cons: thin consistency

Rating: 3 1/2 stars