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: Jo-Sef Gluten Free Cookies

Overall Rating: 4 Stars

Taste
For the first time in my ever-lengthening life, chocolate was not my favorite flavor for these cookies. The Cinnamon-O's sandwich cookies are divine - a blast from the past that tasted like those pink-iced animal cookies from my non-gluten-free childhood - YUM! The more elegant (dare I say mature?) square version, without the sandwich, were equally great. Vanilla-O's, and their plain square counterpart were both good, too. The chocolate could definitely have been more chocolatey, and I admit to being disappointed, but then I freely admit that the one item I miss from my pre-gluten free life is a certain chocolate sandwich cookie that is way too good to be good for me. Ah, well - these are still satisfying with a good glass of milk! Be forewarned: the sandwich cookies are sweet - almost too much so, and I think the sandwich cream is the culprit. One cookie was enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. Oh, and the Animal cookies? Who needs the little circus-car-shaped box - these are perfection! BC

While I agree that the Cinnamon cookies are absolutely the star flavor, I didn't think the chocolate was quite so lacking - I don't have a huge sweet tooth and the composition of these chocolate biscuits was just perfect for me! A glass of milk, while maybe not a necessity, was an ideal partner for these great little treats and, for being gluten-free, dairy/lactose/casein-free, egg-free, corn-free, nut-free AND vegan, these cookies are unbelievably awesome! Sign me up! KG

Texture
These are a bit on the gritty side, and for some reason the Chocolate-O's and chocolate squares were more so than the Cinnamon and Vanilla cookies. The grittiness is a function of the rice flour, of course, and maybe a finer grind might do the trick here. It's nothing to detract from the great flavors, except in the chocolate cookies - again, they were much grittier, and the grit did make me pause and think about it - NOT something one wants to be doing while enjoying a sweet treat. BC

While the cookies could be a little "gritty", I'm all about keeping things in perspective -- as biscuit cookies, these are amazing! They hold up to being dunked without crumbling/falling to pieces/dissolving into mush at the bottom of my morning cup of coffee. While there is no major texture difference between any of the three shapes (O's, squares or animal cookies), this does mean that that O's are a little thick on the cookie and thin on the frosting -- perfect for dunking, but a little challenging for solo consumption. KG

Storage

The cookies are in a thin plastic tray (except the animal cookies) and the tray slides into a plastic foil wrapper. On all the boxes of cookies I opened, every single wrapper caught on the tray and ripped to shreds - I blamed myself at first, but after all the packaging did this while I was being mindful, I'm pretty sure it wasn't me. I think the cookies will be stale before I can eat them all, and this is disappointing, especially since I really like these cookies! It's too bad a different packaging method couldn't be attempted, or that the wrapper couldn't be made bigger. It all slides into a beautiful box, of course, but the box won't protect against freshness. BC

The freshness issue is a big one - to be fair, I didn't have quite the same issue with the wrapper but regardless, I did end up sticking all but one box of them in ziploc bags to keep them fresh. That one box - the Vanilla Squares - was kept out as an experiment and I have to say, after a week of sitting on the counter in nothing but their opened foil wrapping and cardboard box, they were still pretty fresh - maybe not exactly fresh, but not soggy or stale tasting either - I was pretty impressed! KG

Availability

Four stars! Widely available in most grocery stores and natural markets, and through the Jo-Sef website as well. Worth seeking out, that's for sure! BC

While what Becky writes is true on the East Coast, these cookies are a rare find in grocery stores out West. Available online from Amazon.com, Gluten Free Mall and the Jo-Sef website you can definitely still order them, but good luck finding them in a grocery store. Sorry guys, but I'm giving you a 2/5... KG

Price Point
With an MSRP of $4.89/box for the O's, $4.49/box for the squares and $3.99/box for the animal cookies, these cookies fall into the average price range for gluten free baked goods - on the upside, the boxes are pretty darn full so I felt, at least, that I was getting a lot of bang for my buck -- instead of just packaging!

Hale's Kitchen: A New Spin on Bruschetta

This month, Hunter Hale show us how to take traditional bruschetta to a whole new level! Instead of demonstrating a few of the (probably) hundred variations on savory bruschetta, our young chef has developed several sweet adaptations that make for a simple, elegant desserts! Watch out Food Network, Hunter Hale is on his way!

Part I:


Part II:


The Recipes...

Sweetened Ricotta, Pistachio & Chocolate Drizzled Bruschetta
Ingredients
4 slices of Udi's Gluten free White Sandwich Bread, crusts removed and sliced on the diagonal, toasted
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup confectioner's sugarDash of vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped pistachio's
2 Tablespoons chocolate sauce or chocolate shavings

Directions
In a small bowl, beat the ricotta with the confectioner's sugar and vanilla extract until incorporated.

Spread ricotta mixture on top of the toast triangles and top with chopped pistachios and drizzle with chocolate (or top with shaved chocolate).

Marinated Strawberries with Sweet Mascarpone Bruschetta

Ingredients
4 slices of Udi's Gluten Free White Sandwich Bread, crusts removed and cut on the diagonal, toasted
1 cup strawberries sliced
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
Dash of vanilla extract
Mint leaf for garnish

Directions
Toast the bread triangles under the broiler until just browned.

In a bowl, combine the strawberries, sugar and balsamic vinegar. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

In another bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese along with the confectioner's sugar and a dash of vanilla extract until incorporated.

Spread about 1-1/2 tablespoons of the mascarpone cheese mixture over a toast triangle and top with marinated strawberries. Drizzle the top with any reserved marinade and garnish with a mint leaf.

GFCF Weekly Roundup: Coconut Pineapple Chicken Fried Rice

A naturally dairy/casein-free recipe, gluten free fried rice can be pretty difficult to come by in commercial kitchens. Using tamari or gluten free soy sauce, this is an incredibly easy recipe to duplicate take out at home! With the added twist of curry powder, coconut milk and - a personal favorite - pineapple juice, this is not on your traditional take out menu!

Coconut Pineapple Chicken Fried Rice

Ingredients
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 Tablespoons pineapple juice
3 Tablespoons gluten free soy sauce/tamari
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1/2 onion, cut into 1/4" pieces
4 cups cooked long grain rice
1/2 cup cooked chicken meat, cut into ½” pieces
1/2 cup snow peas, cut in half

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine coconut milk through pepper in a small bowl and set aside. Place a wok or large skillet over high heat until hot. Add the oil, swirling to coat sides. Add ginger and onion and cook until the onion is softened about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the rice. Add chicken, snow peas and sauce. Cook and stir until well blended and heated through. Serve immediately.

Photo: fakelvis

Recipe of the Week: Grilled Halibut with Mole and Pico de Gallo

This week's recipe is a hopeful gesture towards a summer that, at least for those of us in Seattle, seems so very far away! Even better, this recipe is naturally gluten free, dairy/casein-free, egg-free, soy-free and peanut-free - wow! Featuring fresh pico de gallo and homemade mole sauce, this dish will make you feel like summer sunshine is right around the corner!

Grilled Halibut with Mole & Pico de Gallo

Ingredients
Mole Sauce
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup roasted sunflower seeds
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 yellow bell peppers, seeded & chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2-1/2 cups gluten free chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon salt

For Pico de Gallo
1/2 small white or red onion or 8 slender scallions finely chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded, if desired, and finely diced
1/4-1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (leaves and tender stems)
1-2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

4 halibut filets
Olive oil
Salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions
For mole sauce

Heat oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add sunflower seeds, garlic, bell pepper, onion, cumin and cinnamon and stir until blended. Cook until onions are translucent. Add chicken broth and season to taste with salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Transfer sauce to a blender and blend or process until smooth.

For Pico de Gallo
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Prepare a grill or coals.

Brush filets with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until fish is opaque, about 5 minutes per side.

To serve
Top fish with mole sauce and then salsa.