Product Review: Fosse Farms' Dressings & Marinades

Visit Fosse Farms Inc. for more information!

Elaine Fosse began making salad dressings in 1987 because she was dissatisfied with the current market offerings - and I can't tell you how happy I am! Certified gluten free, soy free, dairy free, salt free, vegan and free of additives and preservatives, Elaine's line of dressings are healthy and delicious.

With an ingredient list that reads "Pure Olive Oil, Cranberries, Vinegar, Sugar and Herbs" how can you go wrong? It is my understanding that as many ingredients as possible are produced on the farm, including the vinegar and berries, and Elaine sources her olive oil from California - creating a local and sustainable product grown and produced using West Coast ingredients.

While I had the luxury of trying all of Fosse Farms' fabulous dressings, my personal favorite was the extra-garlic Blackberry -- lightly sweet, tangy and with a garlic taste that was pungent without being overwhelming. We loved it on spinach salads with goat cheese and walnuts, as a marinade for barbecued chicken, and as an interesting way to add an extra kick to your sandwich. Definitely a new favorite!

Flavors Available:
- Raspberry (also organic)
- Cranberry (also organic)
- Marionberry
- Blackberry (also organic)
- Blackberry with extra garlic (my favorite)
- Organic Provencal

Available in-store and at farmer's markets across Western Washington and Northeast Oregon and of course online, Fosse Farms dressings are most easy to find at Whole Foods.

Product Review: Jones Mock Salt

You may be thinking "Oh, just another salt-free seasoning alternative..." but that's where you're wrong! Jones' Mock Salt is a super delicious no-sodium seasoning blend that is gluten free, organic and produced in the Pacific Northwest. June Jones developed the seasoning over the past several years in an effort to help family and friends who suffer from heart conditions which require limiting sodium intake - and what a success!

With a fine texture and complex flavor, what could be better? This seasoning blend is anything but bland and includes a few surprises - like orange peel - which creates a subtle blend of flavors that packs a big punch and lingers on the palate.

For sure, Jones' Mock Salt is my favorite seasoning blend!

Product Review: Glow Gluten Free Cookies

Ingredients by Cookie

Chocolate Chip
Garbanzo & Fava Bean Flour, Brown Sugar, Semi-Sweet Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Dextrose, Soy Lecithin, Vanilla), Organic Palm Oil, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Eggs, Xanthan Gum, Pure Vanilla Extract, Sea Salt, Baking Soda. Contains Eggs, Soy Lecithin.

Double-Chocolate Chip
Garbanzo & Fava Bean Flour, Brown Sugar, Organic Palm Oil, Semi-Sweet Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Dextrose, Soy Lecithin, Vanilla), Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Eggs, Natural Cocoa, Organic Coconut Flour, Coffee, Baking Soda, Sea Salt, Xanthan Gum, Pure Vanilla and Chocolate Extract. Contains Eggs, Soy Lecithim, Tree Nuts.

Gingersnap
Garbanzo & Fava Bean Flour, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Palm Oil, Molasses, Eggs, Ground Ginger, Cinnamon, Cloves, Xanthan Gum, Sea Salt, Baking Soda, Pure Vanilla Extract, Natural Coffee Extract. Contains Eggs.

Snickerdoodle
Garbanzo & Fava Bean Flour, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Palm Oil, Eggs, Cinnamon, Xanthan Gum, Pure Vanilla Extract, Sea Salt, Baking Soda, Cream of Tartar. Contains Eggs.

Overall Rating - 4.5/5 Stars
These cookies are perfect for dunking - like a gluten free version of Chips Ahoy (yum!)

Taste
Becky: A blast from the past for a moment, please - my mother places before me a saucer holding three gingery snaps and a delicate teacup filled with piping hot lemon curd, homemade from lemons she's squeezed herself. My five-year-old fingers tenderly dip a cookie into the pudding, and together they form the perfect mouthful - the resounding "bite" of ginger, the zing of lemon, and the over-riding sweetness of both. Yes, Glow Gluten Free Gingersnaps are this delicious, and I admit I purchased a box of lemon meringue pie filling in an attempt to recreate my childhood passion. And it was heaven! The Double Chocolate Cookies didn't disappoint (make-your-own ice cream sandwiches, anyone?), and the Snickerdoodles were great, too. The cookies are made with garbanzo bean flavor, and while one really can't tell, if you are really looking for it the taste is there. But honestly, it's not a biggy for these - all three flavors are good, and certainly better than many of the gf cookies out there right now.

Kelsey: The chocolate chip is just what I remember from childhood school lunches; the gingersnaps are gingery (although they could maybe use some more snap...); the double chocolate is chocolatey without being too sweet and the Snickerdoodle - while admittedly, not my favorite - was cinnamon, spice and everything nice. For being made with both garbanzo and fava flour - notorious for their notable aftertaste - these cookies are totally delicious and the only way you could tell is if you're reading the nutrition info.

Texture
Becky: These are not soft-baked cookies. They're crisp yet tender, and not at all hard as rocks as some gf cookies are. The crumb is delicate, but the cookies hold up well to dunking - in both milk AND hot lemon pudding. The Double Chocolate cookies have little chocolate chunks in them that melt away and coat the tongue - a nice textural addition for certain! Overall the texture for all three flavors was exactly like non-gf cookies, and honestly, I think no one would know the difference if these showed up on a dessert buffet or after school snack table!

Kelsey: Crunchy without being teeth-shattering, like a grown-up version of my favorite childhood snacks. The gingersnaps are the most texture-flavor appropriate, but aside from the Snickerdoodles - a flavor which should only be served soft-baked - the texture is perfect.

Storage
Becky: The seven cookies come in an adorable Chinese food container, with colorful labels and a cheerful logo. Storage is easy if more than one flavor is in your pantry or cupboard because they stack easily. Inside is a sheer plastic wrapper that keeps them extra fresh. I feel I must make a guilty admission here - I opened the three containers when they arrived and had a cookie from each (with a huge glass of milk), and then hastily wrapped them in their inner wrappers and tossed them into the freezer until review time. I certainly had my doubts about the freshness of the cookies, but guess what? After thawing on the counter overnight, the remaining cookies were fresh as could be, unbelievably tasty as I'd remembered, and impressively unspoiled in every way. Who can argue with that?!

Kelsey: The most darling packaging ever! The cookies are wrapped in cellophane and boxed up in an adorable Chinese food-style container. The bright colors, cute logo and - here's the best part - AD LIBS on the back! That's right, delicious cookies AND fun in every box. What's not to love?

Availability
Becky: Widely available in the U.S and Puerto Rico, although not all of the "50 nifty" yet. I suspect this is rapidly changing, but until they're available in your local area, you can find Glow Gluten Free cookies at www.glutenfree.com as well. I was pleased to find 5 retailers local to me - a miracle in my very rural area, so keep your eyes peeled for these in your town, too. And until then, I'll just sit here with my milk and cookies and glow(t)...

Kelsey: Surprisingly, there is only one retailer identified by their store locator in Washington State. That being said - at least it's available in person! Always available online, these cookies are (so I hope) spreading like wildfire to nearby markets and grocers.

Cost
Becky: Not a budget-breaker at about $5.50 per box. There are seven very large cookies in each container, and one cookie is pretty filling, so they're certainly worth the money. That's about seventy cents per cookie, and given the cost of the high quality ingredients, I'd say this is a decent buy. Don't forget to add in shipping costs if you're ordering from the website!

Kelsey: Not a bad price point at $5.50/box, but for only 7 3-inch cookies - delicious, satisfying cookies - they're still a little steep. Worth it for these delectable dunkers, but maybe as more of a special cookie than an everyday lunch box sort of thing.

Hi everyone!

In the Anaheim, CA area this weekend? Stop by the Natural Products Expo (aka Expo West) and say hello! We'll be at booth #4056 sample our burritos, oatmeal, granola and NEW pizza wraps (Chicken Pesto, Three Cheese and Italian Sausage- yum!) as well as gluten free cheesecake. Yes, CHEESECAKE.

We would LOVE to see you (and feed you!) but if that's not enough, we're in fabulous company!

Product Review: Enjoy Life Soft Baked Cookies

From left to right: Double Chocolate Brownie, Lively Lemon, Snickerdoodle

Ingredients
Free of wheat, gluten, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish and shellfish products!

Double Chocolate Brownie
Sorghum Flour, Brown Pure Cane Sugar, Date Paste, Expeller-Pressed Vegetable Oil (Safflower Oil and/orSunflower Oil), Juice Concetrates (Grape, Apple, Pear), Chocolate Chips (Evaporated Cane Juice, Chocolate Liquor, Non-Dairy Cocoa Butter), Water, Natural Process Cocoa Powder, Natural Rice Dextrin, Vanilla, Baking Soda, Salt, Xanthan Gum, Rosemary Extract.

Lively Lemon
Sorghum Flour, Brown Pure Cane Sugar, Expeller-Pressed Vegetable Oil (Safflower and/or Sunflower), Juice Concentrates (Grape, Apple, Pear), Lemon Granules (Evaporated Can Juice, Rice Flour, Rice Syrup, Non-Hydrogenated Palm Oil, Natural Flavor, Tumeric Concentrate, Salt), Date Paste, Unsweetened Applesauce (Water, Apples), Natural Rice Dextrin, Ground Flaxseed, Baking Soda, Xanthan Gum, Natural Lemon Flavors, Water, Salt, Citric Acid, Rosemary Extract.

Snickerdoodle
Sorghum Flour, Brown Pure Cane Sugar, Date Paste, Expeller-Pressed Vegetable Oil (Safflower Oil and/or Sunflower Oil), Juice Concentrates (Grape, Apple, Pear), Natural Rice Dextrin, Water, Ground Flaxseed, Vanilla, Baking Soda, Xanthan Gum, Salt, Cinnamon, Rosemary Extract.


Overall Score
Five out of five stars!

Taste
I sampled three of the flavors available - Double Chocolate Brownie, Lively Lemon, and Snickerdoodle. All three were perfection! The Double Chocolate Brownie tasted like a delectable bite of brownie freshly cooled from the oven, complete with little tidbits of yummy chocolate chunks. The Lively Lemon were a perfect balance of tangy fresh lemony flavor and just-sweet-enough. These almost tasted like they were soaked in fresh lemon juice and would be a wonderful complement to a hot cup of tea on a snowy day, or a frosty glass of iced tea (with mint, of course!) on a hot summer's day. The Snickerdoodles tasted just like I remembered from my childhood - sweet and vanilla-y, with more than a hint of cinnamon that was just enough- a glass of milk is all one needs to feel content. Interestingly, there is sorghum flour in these cookies, and even though I don't care for it, I had no idea it was there! Hands down, five stars! BC

Enjoy Life does it again! Creating great-tasting snacks that take "allergy friendly" to a whole new level! My favorite is the Double Chocolate Brownie which, at 65 calories per cookie, is the perfect afternoon snack, lunchbox addition or light dessert! Chocolatey with little pockets of chocolate chip deliciousness! KG

Texture
Of the three cookies the best, texture-wise was, for me, the Lively Lemon (although trying to decide between those and the Double Chocolate Brownie was next to impossible). Now, Snickerdoodles will forever be etched in my mind as a more flat cookie with crisp edges and soft centers, so these were different that what I am used to, but it was nothing the taste didn't make up for! Overall, the textures for the three flavors was consistently excellent - moist, tender crumb, and virtually indistinguishable from cookies made with wheat flour. The texture of these cookies is something professional and home bakers alike can strive to achieve. BC

Soft and just the right amount of chewy, these cookies are the perfect soft-baked bite of dessert. The Brownie is just as a little brownie bite should be; the Lively Lemon is packed with little chunks of sweet and tangy lemon. KG

Storage
A nicely sized 6 oz. box of cookies won't last long enough for storage to be an issue, but if you purchase them by the case like I just might, the boxes are small, and the inner wrapper keeps the product utterly fresh. Also, Snickerdoodles and Chocolate Chip (which we didn't review here) come in individual serving-sized 2-cookie pouches to send in school lunches or to toss in purses or backpacks - a great idea for what will sure to be a much sought after treat! BC

The perfect sized cookies in an easy to store shelf-stable package, as Becky reminds us, the Snickerdoodles are also available in two-by-two packs for school lunches, taking to the office, etc. KG

Availability
Widely available in grocery stores across the U.S. and Canada, Enjoy Life also has a convenient website that makes online ordering a breeze!

Product Review: Zing Bars

Zing! bars are unbelievable! With six “deliciously different” flavors (Chocolate Peanut Butter, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Coconut, Almond Blueberry and Cranberry Orange) Zing bars are healthy and delicious. Developed by a team of four registered dietitians (each with a master’s degree in nutritional biochemistry - wow!) Zing bars are healthy without being healthy tasting (if you know what we mean). Each bar contains 10-13g of protein, all-natural ingredients and are soy-free -- three of the six flavors are even vegan (dairy-free)!

Ingredients
Vary by flavor; all are wheat-free, gluten-free, soy-free and the Cranberry Orange, Chocolate Coconut and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip flavors are also vegan/dairy-free.

Taste
I’ll be honest, I’m a picky eater - especially when it comes to protein bars. Usually, if I’m lucky, there will be one or two flavors of a given product line that I will enjoy - but this is absolutely not the case with Zing! bars! While my favorite is the Chocolate Coconut, I can (and have...) happily eaten and enjoyed all six of their flavors

Texture
Just the right combination of chewy and crunchy, these bars don’t leave you looking for a glass of milk or water!

Storage
Small enough to fit in your purse or backpack, these bars are perfect for on-the-go snacking.

Availability
Widely available in grocery stores on the west coast, you can also order Zing bars online both through Amazon.com and directly through store.zingbars.com

Overall Score (5.0)
Nutritious, delicious, free of soy proteins, three gluten-free/dairy-free flavors and routinely tested for gluten content - what’s not to love? Sign me up!

Special offer to Glutenfreeda readers: enter Glutenfreeda in the coupon code at checkout and receive $5.00 off per box-no limit. Offer good through December 31st, 2010

Coming to you from Kazakhstan, a Manti Recipe!

We would first like to give a brief shout-out to a few stores who have recently begun carrying products from the Glutenfreeda Foods, Inc. line:

Atkinson's Markets in Idaho are now carrying our burritos! Find them at Giacobbi Square in Ketchum, Alturas Plaza in Hailey and at the Valley Market in Bellevue!

Broulim's will now be carrying our oatmeal and burritos. Find them on South Main street in Driggs, ID.

Dan's Supermarkets in North Dakota are now carrying the burritos as well! Dan's has three locations in Bismarck, two in Dickinson and one in Mandan, ND - check them out today!

We join the Peking to Paris challengers along the route between Semey and Usharal in Kazakhstan. Today, I am sharing a traditional dumpling recipe for manti (plural of manta), a typical main course from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Armenia. While a truly authentic recreation of this recipe would likely include horse meat (a Kazakhstan staple), this recipe calls for ground beef or lamb instead.

Manta Recipe

Ingredients
3 cups all- purpose gluten free flour
1 cup water
1 large egg
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

For the Filling
250g (one-half pound) ground beef or lamb
1 large onion (chopped in very small pieces)
Salt and black pepper

Yogurt Sauce
2 cups plain yogurt
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
In a large bowl, combine flour, water, egg, olive oil and salt. Kneading well to form a smooth, but not sticky, ball of dough. If it is too sticky, add more flour until the dough is smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand, at room temperature, for one hour.

While the dough is standing, prepare the filling: in a medium bowl, combine chopped onion, ground meat, salt and pepper until well mixed.

Lightly dust a board or countertop and rolling pin with flour. Divide the dough into four equal sections, rolling out each piece as thinly as possible without tearing.

Cut each sheet into equal squares (about 1.5" by 1.5") Put a teaspoon of filling at the center of each square until you run out of dough or filling.

To fold the dumplings: fold diagonally to form a triangle. Press edges firmly together to seal the dumplings (if necessary, use a little bit of water on the inside edge to help the pieces stick together.) Take the two corners (connected by the longest, folded side) and pull together until corners overlap - pinch together (it will look like a floppy brimmed hat -- see image here.)

In a large pot, boil the water and add a little bit salt, olive oil. Add the dumplings and stir, cooking for approximately 15 minutes, until the dumplings rise to the surface. Periodically test filling for doneness and be careful not to overcook. While the dumplings are cooking, prepare the yogurt sauce.

Yogurt sauce: place the minced garlic, yogurt, water and salt in a small bowl, mixing well until combined.

When the dumplings are done, drain with a slotted spoon. Serve warm with yogurt and hot pepper sauce.

Image from Anna's Recipe Box