Gluten Free Food Reviews

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

I found myself in a fix for dinner. I was planning on making chicken tenders with my favorite coating, the Southern Homestyle corn flake crumbs. But, I was out. Oh no! So, I tried the Ener G bread crumbs, and prayed my picky kids would like them. My 10 ounce box of Ener G bread crumbs cost $2.99.

The bread crumbs appeared slightly yellow in color, mostly fine with larger pieces in texture, and coated my chicken easily. As I sauteed the chicken tenders, they created a crisp coating that wasn’t too thick and heavy.

The end result was great! The flavor was mild enough that you could easily add any spices or seasonings you wish, and the flavors would not compete. I added some garlic and parmesan cheese to my chicken coating, and it was so good, my kids inhaled them. THAT, is amazing. These gluten free bread crumbs are a good product that would work in a variety of recipes (chicken, baked mac & cheese topping etc).

Pros: Mostly fine texture, some larger bits; mild flavor, versatile, affordable price

Cons: Add your own seasonings for best results

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Where Can I Purchase these gluten free bread crumbs?

Click HERE for the Ener G website, or check your local natural foods store

Ingredients: Filtered Water, Rice Flour, Tapioca Starch, Safflower or Sunflower Oil, Pear Juice Concentrate, Yeast, Methylcellulose, Bamboo Fiber, Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose, Calcium Phosphate, Salt, Glucono Delta Lactone, Guar Gum, Hi Maize Corn Starch, Sodium Bicarbonate, Organic Palm Fruit Oil, Tapioca Syrup, Orange Citrus Fiber, Nulomoline (inverted sugar from cane or beet), Xanthan Gum.Enriched with Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Iron and Folic Acid.

Oh my do I LOVE these! I picked up this hefty 32 ounce bag of Bob’s Red Mill gluten free rolled oats for a mere $5.99 at a local natural foods store when I was in Minnesota for my sister’s wedding back in December. I was thrilled that such large bag of gluten free oats was available since I adore my recipe for coconut pecan apple crisp and oatmeal cookies. This huge bag cost the same as my 17 ounce box of Lara’s gluten free oats in my pantry. I felt like I hit the lottery!

This is what the Bob’s red Mill site states about their gluten free oats:
Our Gluten Free Rolled Oats are pure. They are grown by over 200 farmers on clean, dedicated oat-growing fields. They plant only non-GMO “pedigreed” seed stock. Each farm delivery is sampled hundreds of times and tested with an R5 ELISA gluten test to ensure the absence of gluten. Advanced color-sorting removes undetected impurities. Roasting enhances that wholesome, robust flavor you expect. The oats are packaged in our new, 100% gluten free facility and tested for gluten again to ensure their purity. *Please be advised that a small percentage of people with celiac disease may not tolerate even the purest of oats. If you are unsure whether oats are suitable for your diet, please check first with your health advisor before eating them.

My family and I love these delicious oats and consumed them with no ill effects. The only problem I can find is that unless your local natural foods store carries them, they are difficult to find online to purchase- even the Bob’s Red Mill site is sold out!

Lucky for me- and you- my local natural foods store has started filling online orders, Click the link below if you want to purchase them ASAP. In the meantime, I will post new links when another site has them in stock.

Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Oats from Nature’s Pantry

Rating: 5 stars!

Pros: Finally! An affordable gluten free rolled oats product, tastes great, large size bag

Cons: May be difficult to find in stores and online

Despite the numerous company names on the box (Chateau Cream Hill Estates, Lara’s, & The Pure Oats Company), this product is a keeper, hands down!

These rolled oats are guaranteed to be free from gluten and wheat, a very common contaminator of many other “regular” oats products due to manufacturing and harvesting techniques. These oats are harvested from fields that have been free from wheat for at least three years, packaged in a dedicated gluten-free facility, and batch tested for purity. For more information on this company check out their website HERE. Also, since this product is manufactured in Cananda, I feel especially secure about their gluten-free status due to strict Canadian requirments to be labeled gluten-free.

These oats taste wonderful, and may be used in any oat or oatmeal recipe. I was impressed that the inner plastic storage bag has a ziplock to ensure freshness and purity. This company really thought of everything. I am so excited I found these!!

Pros: finally a gluten-free rolled oat product, Great taste, ziplock storage seal inside the box

Cons: price- $5.99 for a 1.1 lb. box

Rating: 5 stars!!

To purchase these oats click the link below:

Cream Hill Estates Lara’s Rolled Oats (No Cross Contamination) from glutenfreemall.com

Ingredients: Pure whole grain rolled oats

For some amazing recipes using these oats, click HERE. Be sure to check out these cookies, too. I substitute Pamelas baking mix for the oat flour and they are to die for! In fact, I ate a ton of the dough before they made it into the oven. (I know, I’m so bad!)

This 3 ounce plastic bottle of vanilla powder is great in any recipe that calls for vanilla. The price is steep (a whopping $8.69 in my local market). However, the wonderful thing is that you only use 1/4 tsp. for every 1 tsp or “regular” liquid vanilla when baking or cooking. Therefore, this little bottle will last you a v-e-r-y long time.

I love the taste of this vanilla and it adds a nice, rich scent and flavor to anything I bake. I have had mine for a few months and have hardly made a dent in it, since I usually only need 1/4 tsp at a time. I also like that it doesn’t have any extra alcohol that is often added to liquid vanilla. Overall, a high quality product and a great find!

Pros: bottle lasts a long time, great aroma and flavor, use in any recipe

Cons: Price, using powdered vanilla might seem strange

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Where Can I Buy This Vanilla?

Authentic Foods Gluten-Free Vanilla Powder- at glutenfreemall.com

Ingredients: natural vanilla bean extractatives, evaporated cane juice, silica, cellulose

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

 

Now, I have to admit, I have only used this for baking cookies and making apple crisp, so I have no clue if it actually makes great hot oatmeal. 

This brand is imported from Ireland and costs $3.99 for a 16 ounce box at my natural food store. They assured me it was a gluten-free product, and I had no reaction when I ate it. However, use at your discretion (Note added: this product meets European stnadards for “gluten-free”, but does not meet Canadian standards, which are more strict. the US doesn’t have any real standards right now.)

That being said, these oats are fantastic and make amazing apple crisp ( recipe is listed in the recipe section on this site) The cookie recipe on the box is also decent as well. The oats seem to be smaller than your typical Quaker Oat variety, but they taste really good.

Rating: 4 stars

NOTE: See breakfast reviews section for a new brand of  gluten-free oats . yay!)

 

This baking powder is gluten-free, corn free/ cereal and sodium free. It is a great replacement for “regular” baking powder in any recipe. I have tried this in both gluten-free and “regular” baking recipes with superior results. I don’t know what else you could say about baking powder . . . it’s a great find!

I found this item in the natural foods section of a local grocery store. It comes in an 8 ounce glass jar and cost $4.29.

Rating: 5 stars

Where Can I Buy This Product?

Allergygrocer.com