Glutino Gluten Free 3 Cheese Macaroni & Cheese

Another frozen entree on our list to try was Glutino's Gluten Free 3 Cheese Macaroni & Cheese. We prepared it in under five minutes with the aid of a microwave. The mac and cheese emerged looking scarily similar to the picture on the package. Yes the gluten free mac & cheese really was that orange! My first forkful was a bit of a disappointment after that however.

So this is a mac & cheese meal that is perhaps too rich for its own decadent self. The 3 cheese sauce was heavy, thick, and unfortunately totally lacking in flavor. I don't know if it tasted like it needed more salt, more flavoring or what, but the taste was ultimately just bland. The thought that it was missing salt is suspect- particularly as the entree contains a whopping 1430 mg of sodium! I think it lacked a cheddary tang. The macaroni itself wasn't too bad with generous sized noodles that held up pretty well after microwaving. I would say this is more like deli Mac & Cheese. If you can find it, go for Amy's gluten free mac & cheese instead. Also, you'll be able to cut back on the plastic as Amy's has more environmentally-friendly packaging.

In sum, though the macaroni itself were springy enough, the cheese sauce is too creamy and dense and doesn't taste like anything. It's just all too blah! Plus it sat like a leaden football in my stomach for many hours after consumption.

Ingredients:
Rice pasta (stone ground brown rice, rice bran, water), water, monterey jack, cheddar and parmesan cheese blend (pasteurized milk, cheese culture, bacterial culture, salt, calcium choloride, microbial enzyme, rennet, lipase, cellulose sorbic acid), whole mik powder, canola oil, natural flavor (natural flavor, milk, maltodextrin, sodium citrate, silicon dioxide, cheddar cheese solids (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), whey, buttermilk, salt, butter (cream, salt), sodium caseinate, disodium phosphate, lactic acid), corn starch, salt, rice starch, spices, oleoresin of paprika.

This product may contain traces of eggs, soy, fish and sesame seeds.

Nutrition Facts:
Serving size: 1 cup (250 g)
Servings per container: 1
Calories: 430
Calories from fat: 180
Total fat: 20 g
Sat fat: 9 g
Trans fat: 0.5 g
Cholesterol: 45 mg
Sodium: 1430 mg
Total carb: 44 g
Dietary fiber: 2 g
Sugars: 5 g
Protein: 19 g

Glutino Gluten Free Duo Mushroom Penne

Wegman's continues to feature a great selection of gluten free products. While shopping in the frozen food section we found Glutino's Gluten Free Duo Mushroom Penne. We were hoping it would satisfy our ever present craving for celiac safe pasta and our need for convenience.

So for lunch one cold, rainy afternoon we removed the plastic and popped the penne into the microwave and heated for 4 minutes. I think we may have stirred it in between. What emerged was a scorching hot meal that took a while to cool down before we could even attempt to eat it without suffering from third degree mouth burn.

Our first observation was the pleasant vapor of steamed mushrooms. We could definitely tell that this was a mushroom dish we were about to consume. I would say that's not such a bad thing!

Even better was that the penne did indeed taste like mushroom, had a mild creamy sauce and the pasta was decent. It did soften more than I like- certainly there was no al dente here, but it didn't transform to a mushy glue either. The duo-mushroom wasn't half bad! It was definitely a satisfying and not too overpowering meal. It's more like a gourmet frozen meal I would say. Next time I will probably add a handful of fresh chopped parsley to enhance the flavor.
Rob really liked this one and gave it a large number of stars in the approval rating department.
Mostly I was a fan of the mainly natural ingredient list- though this one will definitely be in the low-carb club.

Ingredients:
Rice pasta (ground brown rice, rice bran, water), mushroom broth (water, baked mushrooms, natural flavorings, potato flour, unsalted butter [cream, flavorings], dry whey), mushrooms (portobello, white), pasteurized milk (homogenized milk), onions, corn starch, canola oil, sea salt, natural flavor (maltodextrin, lipolyzed cream), garlic, guar gum, spices.

This product contains milk ingredients. May contain traces of eggs, soy, fish and sesame seeds.

Nutrition Facts:
Serving size: about 1 1/4 cup (300 g)
Servings per container: 1
Calories: 380
Calories from fat: 50
Total fat: 6 g
Sat fat: 1.5 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 5 mg
Sodium: 720 mg
Total carb: 73 g
Dietary fiber: 5 g
Sugars: 1 g
Protein: 8 g

Pasta: Mrs. Leeper's Chicken Alfredo

As I'm always on the look-out for fast (gluten-free) food, I wanted to give Mrs. Leeper's Chicken Alfredo a try. Made with rice pasta, this dinner can be prepared in about 15 minutes.

According to instructions, I cooked up a pound of cubed chicken in a 10 inch skillet. Once cooked, I added 2 cups of hot water, 3/4 fat free milk and the sauce mix. I brought this to a boil, then added the pasta, covered and simmered for 11 minutes. I then removed from heat and let stand for a few minutes before serving.

I served the Chicken Alfredo in bowls and topped with a stir-fry of carrots, onions and green beans. Quite tasty, is what Rob and I both concluded of our meal. Mrs. Leeper's Chicken Alfredo was creamy with a tang from the various cheeses. The pasta, as it is made from rice is not terribly hearty- meaning it does get a bit soft, but with the crisp vegetables, it tasted just fine. Certainly don't expect a restaurant-style fettucini alfredo if that's what you are craving, but do expect a quick, tasty meal that is safe for celiacs.

Pasta: Tinkyada Gluten Free Pasta a la Rachel Ray

Rachael Ray is one hot ticket. Just ask anyone- from the butcher to the neighborhood outdoors’ store owner! So I was pleasantly surprised when I received a copy of her new cookbook, 2,4,6,8: Great Meals for Couples or Crowds. Of course the minor catch is to convert her recipes to tasty gluten-free fare for my husband.

Last night I made Proscuitto and Spinach Bucatini, and wow was it a hit! The hit part though was a result of a great pasta safe for celiacs.

I substituted Tinkyada Fettucini-style wheat free/ gluten free pasta for the bucatini. This brand purports itself to be not mushy with a good, consistent texture. Tinkyada could not be more right. All I did was boil 4 quarts of water, added some salt and the gluten free pasta and cooked for 10 minutes, then rinsed with cool water. The package suggests 13-15 minutes, but I’m a stickler for al dente.

The Tinkyada gluten free fettucini looked just like regular pasta, tasted superb, and is actually quite good for you with its brown rice content. It had a nice bite to it, absorbed the sauce beautifully and truly lived up to its name. Tinkyada was pasta Joy for celiacs!

Ingredients:

Stone ground brown rice, rice bran and water.

Nutrition Facts:
Serving size: 2 oz. / 56 g dry

Servings per container: 7

Amount per serving

Calories: 210

Calories from fat: 15

Total fat: 2 g

Sat fat: 0.5 g

Trans fat: 0 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 15 mg

Potassium: 100 mg

Total Carb: 43 g

Dietary fiber: 2 g

Sugars: 0 g

Protein: 4 g

Pasta - Pasta Schar

I recently had the opportunity to cook up some Pasta Schar for dinner, and what can I say other than that I was very impressed. Made in Italy, Pasta Schar is gluten-free and quite delicious, even for a non-celiac. The little anellini pasta tastes just like the real thing- though be careful not to overcook it. A swift 4 minutes of cooking brings the anellini pasta to the table in no time flat. We had ours with basil tomato sauce, chick peas, garlic and a sprinkle of asiago cheese. Pasta Schar even withstood 20 minutes of additional baking in the oven. I hadn’t expected it to be such a light pasta with the perfect consistency- in general the right everything. I do believe Pasta Schar could be served to to non-celiacs who would never be the wiser. Rob (my celiac) really enjoyed it.

Pasta Schar Anellini pasta is made from naturally gluten free and wheat free ingredients, including maize starch, maize flour, rice flour, pea protein isolate, emulsifier: E471. It contains 361 kilocalories, 7.7 g of protein, 78.7 g of carbohydrates, and 1.7 g of protein. If I can locate it again, I will definitely make this a staple!