Annie's Homegrown Gluten Free Rice Pasta and Cheddar

Annie's Homegrown Gluten Free Rice Pasta and Cheddar
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

Macaroni and cheese is one of the most popular comfort foods out there and what do you know? It's full of gluten. Of course it would be. Anything that tastes good seems to be full of the stuff. (Did you know tomato soup has gluten? Who'd have thought...) 

And for some reason, making a gluten-free macaroni and cheese seems to be something that requires a degree in miracles as most of the time gluten free macaroni and cheese is a disaster. It's likely that there's simply nothing quite like wheat-based pasta for that perfect consistency for holding all that cheese.

Many companies have attempted to create a gluten-free macaroni and cheese and most of them have offered a product that tastes good as long as you like paying a lot of money and you enjoy hovering over the stove, plucking a few macaroni bits out every two seconds from the pot just to make sure the concoction doesn't turn to mush.

Annie's Homegrown Gluten Free Rice Pasta and Cheddar
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

And that's what will happen to Annie's Homegrown Gluten Free Rice Pasta and Cheddar should you walk away from the stove for more than two minutes. The box might say this stuff is done in about eight minutes, but it's MUCH FASTER than you think. Once that water is boiling and you drop that box of rice pasta into the pot, you'd better be ready to stand there, because the moment you leave it, that pasta's going to mush town on the first available train.

Rice pasta really is a delicate flower of a pasta and requires special care and attention any time the word "water" is used in its general vicinity. But as long as someone is willing to pay attention to the pasta and not leave the stove (truly, this is imperative), rice pasta is indeed a worthy base for macaroni and cheese.

Annie's Homegrown Gluten Free Rice Pasta and Cheddar
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

For "Annie's" version of macaroni and cheese, the directions suggest that while the pasta is cooling on the stove top that you should toss in the powered cheese and the quarter cup of milk the recipe calls for into a bowl and stir it up. This is actually a good idea as it means more cheese is on the pasta in the bowl when it's eventually mixed together instead of in the stove pot.

But one thing to note: I've made this pasta several times (at least a half dozen) and every time I've made the recipe to the box's specifications, the end result has turned out too soupy as the cheese just won't connect right and stay on the pasta - even if it's left to sit for a while. Your best bet is to back off on the milk a bit unless you like your macaroni and cheese a little soupy. You can also add a bit of butter for taste, but this is completely optional and the final result is fine with or without it.

Annie's Homegrown Gluten Free Rice Pasta and Cheddar
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

Annie's Homegrown Gluten Free Rice Pasta and Cheddar Report Card

The Good Things:

As long as you keep an eye on the stove and aren't too liberal with the milk for the cheese mixture, Annie's is a great option for macaroni and cheese and does the job extremely well. 

The basic taste of this mac & cheese is very satisfying and is worth a try. You might have to make it just a few times in order to get the recipe just right, but the end result is worth it, especially if you've had a gluten version of macaroni and cheese in the past and remember fondly what it tasted like.

What Could be Better:

One guess as to what's always on sale at the grocery store and what's never on sale. That's right. You'll never find Annie's macaroni and cheese on sale in gluten free form. Or if it is on sale, the store's offering a paltry ten cents off the massive price tag (which can hover upwards of three and a half dollars!). This means that people who are fond of wheat can enjoy macaroni and cheese for about fifty cents while the gluten free crowd has to pony up their first born.

The consistency of rice pasta is also so delicate that making this macaroni and cheese seems like a more difficult operation than it should be. But this could be a general failing of rice pasta in general and not an issue for Annie's.

Tips for Great Mac & Cheese:

DO NOT LEAVE THE STOVE WHILST THE PASTA IS COOKING. This is absolutely important. Even if you think going into the living room to catch some television for just a few minutes is okay, it's not. This pasta must be eyeballed at all times.

It's also a good idea to back off on the amount of milk that the recipe on the box calls for. Just back it off a bit and you'll have a less soupy result for your macaroni and cheese.

Glutino Gluten Free Chicken Pizza with BBQ Sauce

Glutino Gluten Free Chicken Pizza w/BBQ Sauce
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

The frozen food industry is so intent on offering people the pizza they so desire that there is usually an entire aisle dedicated to nothing but frozen pizza and from gourmet pizzas topped with vegetables and types of cheeses that can't be pronounced by anyone who didn't take French in high school to ten thousand types of meat, there is usually a pizza for everyone. 

And this includes people who can't eat gluten or wheat. Although it's worth noting that most gluten free pizzas in the freezer section are a relatively new addition to the selection of gluten free food available on the market.

I have been told that there exists a gluten free pizza from California Pizza Kitchen in the freezer section of the grocery store somewhere, but I have yet to find this delicacy (if you know of any California-local grocery stores where this mystical pizza might be found, do let me know by commenting!). 

And so for my latest foray into frozen pizza, I've had to settle for a Glutino brand of pizza that has promised me chicken and barbecue sauce. After wiping the thin covering of ice and frost from the exterior of the box, the pizza pictured on the front does seem like it would be tasty. But upon first inspection of the box, it would seem that the pizza inside can't be that large as the box itself is quite petite.

Of course, the laughs begin when you actually open the box and see the actual size of this precious sized pygmy pizza.

Glutino Gluten Free Chicken Pizza w/BBQ Sauce
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

It's just so cute. And tiny. AND ALMOST SEVEN DOLLARS. Seriously. This pizza needs to wash the dishes or something for that price. It's got the diameter of a one dollar bill! There aren't a lot of foods that inspire giggles in me, but discovering this expensive gem certainly got me cackling once I opened the box.

Glutino Gluten Free Chicken Pizza w/BBQ Sauce
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

But enough about the size of the pizza. Because tasty things can indeed come in small packages, right? If someone is willing to endure the rather immense cost of this tiny frozen disc, perhaps the resulting pizza pie is worth it.

As with most frozen items, I chose to put this in the oven as things just tend to cook more evenly in the oven and when the food is done, I'm not greeted with a frozen center for whatever it is I choose to cook. Sure there are a few things that can go in the microwave, but frozen pizza generally does best in the oven. And so a little over twenty minutes after popping the pizza into the oven (it was kind of cute... my oven is pygmy sized just like this pizza), I was greeted with a nicely cooked and crisp pizza disc.

Glutino Gluten Free Chicken Pizza w/BBQ Sauce
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

Now, the picture on the front of the box would have you believe that on this tiny pizza there would be at least an entire flock's worth of chicken included, but as it was, the fine folks at Glutino felt it best to include just a single piece of chicken per piece (assuming you cut the pizza into quarters). Considering the price, they're a tad stingy with the chicken.

After the huge price, the tiny size and the lack of chicken, what this item really comes down to is taste. And this is a strong point for the pizza as it does taste good. The only problem is that the entire pizza is about the size of a single slice of a regular pizza and it takes some serious willpower not to simply toss back the entire pizza the second it comes out of the oven. It's like a wee appetizer. The calories and fat are decent on it although the fat seems a tad high for the size of it. The sodium is also a fair punch in the gut as well although the protein is a nice healthy bonus.

Glutino Gluten Free Chicken Pizza w/BBQ Sauce
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

Glutino Gluten Free Chicken Pizza with BBQ Sauce Report Card

The Good Things:

This pizza might be small, but it is very tasty. The rice style crust is done really well and while it might be a tad bit foamy at times (if you put pressure on the crust, it simply feels like foam), this is a small complaint considering the general taste of it is quite good. 

At a basic level, this is just a great tasting pizza. Great job by Glutino for making something that tastes great but is free of gluten.

What Could Be Better:

For all that is holy, the price of this little beast is obscene. It truly is something that defies explanation. Gluten free food is more expensive, but this little pizza takes the cake. Or pie. The pizza is also really small (which makes the price all the more hilarious) and has a fair bit of sodium in it. But if you're willing to overlook the price, it's a good pizza. Worth checking out if you recently got a raise at work or if you're looking to do some spending.

Schär Naturally Gluten-Free Spaghetti

Schär Naturally Gluten-Free Spaghetti
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

Pasta is available in a number of gluten-free forms and various types of pasta tend to taste better with different toppings. Rice pasta is generally the best pasta for a classic bowl of macaroni and cheese while corn pasta is often going to taste best with some marinara sauce for its topping. While it does come down to individual taste, the nice thing about pasta is that if someone has a gluten or wheat allergy, there are many alternatives and finding the best option for a pasta dish just takes some experimentation.

And for a plate of spaghetti, it is this author's opinion that one of the best options is going to be corn pasta due to the general strength of the pasta after it's been cooked. Any type of pasta might tend to get a little mushy if it's left in a pot too long, but alternative non-gluten based pastas are extremely vulnerable to becoming a mushy mess. This is where corn pasta shines as it has a strength to it that other pastas do not.

Schär Naturally Gluten-Free Spaghetti
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

Of course, it should be noted that corn pasta does taste different than traditional pasta that is made from wheat. For Schär Naturally Gluten-Free Spaghetti, the strength of it is generally within expectations and covering it with a pile of marinara (or any sort of tomato-based sauce) along with some Parmesan (or even mozzarella) is a fine idea as the resulting taste is pleasing.

One of the benefits of this particular brand of pasta is the fact that it's made with words like "natural" on the package, which might be an attractive element for anyone who is interested in eating foods that haven't been through significant processing. Not only is the product gluten, wheat and lactose free, but it's also got zero cholesterol and is not made with preservatives. This is a great pasta to use if you're interested in making your own sauce and having a natural pasta to serve with it.

Schär Naturally Gluten-Free Spaghetti
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

The one area where people who enjoy eating pasta might have to watch out is in the calorie column as just a single package of pasta (which is likely good enough for three people so long as there are sides involved) equals about 1200 calories. This means if you add cheese and sauce to the mix and perhaps some gluten-free bread with a little garlic and butter, you might very well be looking at thousands of calories worth of food for what might be just part of a full meal. 

Schär Naturally Gluten-Free Spaghetti w/Marinara & Parm
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

It's advisable that anyone seeking to eat a healthy amount of calories each day be careful not to toss the entire package into the pot unless they're interested in seeing the number on the scale jump up or they've got some friends over to share the meal.

The nice thing about this pasta is that it's not going to need an extreme amount of babysitting at the stovetop as would rice pasta (which is generally a type of pasta that cooks at a lightning pace). 

Of course, that doesn't mean that it can be left on the stove for a half hour and come out just fine. As with any gluten-free types of pasta, it's always best to cook it just a few minutes less than you might cook pasta that was filled with gluten. But just a hair less when it comes to corn pasta as it does perform well when it's cooked right.

Schär Naturally Gluten-Free Spaghetti Report Card:

Schär Naturally Gluten-Free Spaghetti
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

The Good Things:

Schär does generally make pasta that's tasty and this (mostly) corn pasta is something that should pair well with some traditional Italian toppings such as a type of tomato sauce and any sort of cheese that you might expect to see in an Italian restaurant.

What Could be Better:

There's not a lot that Schär could really change regarding their pasta as it performs well in cooking tests and does produce a tasty pasta experience when fully cooked. For anyone who has had the pleasure of eating regular gluten-filled pasta, the taste difference is certainly noticeable, but anyone who can't eat gluten shouldn't feel too deprived when they're forced to eat an alternative type of pasta such as this corn pasta.

A warning to anyone searching for a gluten-free pasta - as is the case with most gluten-free dishes, you'll likely pay much more for a small package of Schär Naturally Gluten-Free Spaghetti than you would pay for a run-of-the-mill pasta where "gluten-free" wasn't printed somewhere on the package. Expect to pay as much for a small package of Schär pasta as you might for a family size package of the regular wheat stuff.

Lundberg Risotto Creamy Parmesan

Lundberg Risotto Creamy Parmesan
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

There are some delicious rice and risotto inspired concoctions on store shelves today that manufacturers have offered for anyone who loves their rice to be covered with sauce, toppings or various condiments. But very often it would seem that tossing a half a bag of wheat flour into that mix seemed like a good idea to whoever was crafting that recipe. 

So this has meant a lot of label reading and much disappointment as many of these prepackaged foods have had wheat listed somewhere down the list of ingredients.

One exception to the wheat rule seems to be a company operating under the name Lundberg, which creates a variety of different types of risotto (and other rice-like entrees) with varieties of risotto that include flavors such as Parmesan, garlic and butternut squash (among many others). Most of what the Lundberg folks sell seems to be gluten free and usually says so right on the box.

Lundberg Risotto Creamy Parmesan
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

And out of all those varieties of risotto that the company has avaialble, the Creamy Parmesan is recommended as a good introduction to the company's products as risotto does require a little more care and tending during the cooking process than rice, which can usually be left and forgotten on the stove and turn out just fine. Risotto needs someone paying a little attention to it or the overall cooking process might result in something burned or in something less firm that might otherwise be best for this type of food.

The calories and nutritional content of the Creamy Parmesan variety is pretty respectable and the company makes an effort to say on the box that they have some sort of eco-friendly farming involved in the creation of the product. 

One of the only drawbacks to making risotto is that it's a bit temperamental as far as the finished product is concerned and it's really easy to over-cook or under cook the risotto if you don't take the time to saute it in the beginning. This author definitely forgot to saute at the beginning of her Creamy Parmesan risotto experience.

Lundberg Risotto Creamy Parmesan
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

If you do happen to forget to saute the risotto or you end up with a finished meal that's a tad soupy, don't worry. You can let it sit for a while and it should get a better consistency after a few minutes. It's also recommended that some additional Parmesan be tossed onto the end result as well, especially if the risotto is going to serve as the main course of a meal. The texture and flavor enhancement offered by the extra Parmesan sprinkled on the top is a tasty addition. I used grated Parmesan for my risotto, but I'm sure shredded would work fine as well.

Lundberg Risotto Creamy Parmesan
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Lundberg Risotto Creamy Parmesan Report Card

The Good Stuff

This particular flavor - Creamy Parmesan - is one of the subtler flavors the company makes and is fairly tasty either as a main dish or as a side for a meal that might have a chicken type of main course. 

This flavor in particular is recommended over the garlic varieties as the seasoning for the garlic risotto is quite strong. The creamy Parmesan flavor is much smoother and would go well as a side dish without overwhelming the main course or becoming too heavy for something that's just a side.

What Could be Better

It would be nice to see the company make a bigger version for a family to eat. Despite the words "gluten free" being stamped on the front of the box, this is likely something that anyone in the family would enjoy whether they had a gluten issue or not. The price is also somewhat higher than other simple boxed rice-like entrees. But that seems to be so common with anything that has "gluten-free" stamped somewhere on the box.

Tips for Great Risotto

Back off the water just slightly or it will be a tad more soupy than might be considered the best presentation of risotto. And it's important to remember that risotto is somewhat of a different beast from rice. Follow the directions on the box or you'll get soup.

Boulder Canyon Kettle Chips Parmesan and Garlic

Boulder Canyon Kettle Chips Parmesan and Garlic
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

Uttering the word "garlic" tends to send some people running due to the overwhelming aroma of that very pungent spice, but it is considered by many cooks to be an absolutely vital ingredient to many different recipes. And it would seem that the Boulder Canyon Natural Foods company has seen it fit to combine this distinct herb alongside the more subtle taste of Parmesan, which is definitely intriguing.

Now, potato chips are a universal snacking food of which very few people are allergic. But whenever the bag gets a few additions to it such as spices or herbs, the potential for some sort of evil wheaty or glutenous content becomes all but certain. Any time that there's ever a plate of fries (potatoes) that have been cooked up in a restaurant and covered with some sort of delicious topping, there has always been some sort of flour tossed about in the mixture.

And the folks at Boulder Canyon seem to be aware of this issue as they have specifically suggested on the top of their bag in big letters that their kettle chips are gluten free. Which is sort of awesome. 

Because how common is it to find toppings on fries and chips that are gluten-free?

Boulder Canyon Kettle Chips Parmesan and Garlic
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

It tends to happen about as often as finding a freeway with no traffic on it in Los Angeles, according to the experiences of this writer. And sometimes companies don't even bother to provide at least one variety of chips that haven't otherwise been draped with pounds and pounds of gluten infused toppings. So seeing "gluten free" stamped on the front of a bag of chips is likely to make me snatch them off the shelf immediately.

And Boulder Canyon Kettle Chips Parmesan & Garlic are the first potato chips of this sort that I decided to try simply because they were on sale at my local Sprouts. And what a good choice that was, too. Because these chips are pretty terrific. Kettle cooked potato chips are generally a deliciously sinful way to eat potatoes and when there are toppings involved, the experience only gets better.

The people in charge of seasoning these things at the Boulder Canyon manufacturing place definitely know how to use their spices as the chips are not overwhelming with their aroma, such as might be the case with a bag of Funyuns where the moment they're opened everyone runs for the hills to avoid the tsunami of onion smell that unfurls.

The Boulder Canyon chips have the expected taste and texture (and greasiness) that is expected of such kettle cooked potato chips and the fat content and calories are similar to what you'd expect from such food.

Boulder Canyon Kettle Chips Parmesan and Garlic
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Boulder Canyon Kettle Chips Parmesan & Garlic Report Card

The Good Stuff

Everything. If you like garlic and Parmesan, these chips are a great option as the two flavors definitely sit well together on those potato chips. The garlic isn't overpowering and there's just enough of the seasonings included on the chips for a really enjoyable snacking experience.

What Could be Better

While it's not something I would recommend the company change, the calories and fat in these delicious suckers are definitely something of which to be aware. Just like any other calorie-laden snack, eating these chips should be a treat and not an entire meal. Eat them in moderation! If you can. Because the contents of that bag tend to disappear rather swiftly...

Blue Diamond Baked Nut Chips Nacho

Blue Diamond Nut Chips Nacho
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

Doritos. They are the zesty, cheesy cousin to Cheetos and they leave a delightful amount of cheesy particles on the fingers of whoever is lucky enough to have a bag of them in their cupboard. Unfortunately for anyone who loves nacho cheese flavored snacks and has problems with wheat or gluten, Doritos are off the the list of allowed food. And they really are a delightful food, which is why this author has searched for quite a few years now to find a suitable replacement.

One such possibility is Blue Diamond Nut Chips Nacho, which is one of many different types of nut-based snacks that the company makes. From actual regular almonds that come in a tin to a round shaped nut "thin" that's sort of like a cracker, just about everything the company makes has the words "gluten free" stamped onto it. And the familiar triangle shape and nacho flavor on the company's Nut Chips seems to beg a comparison. We now seem to associate anything that's nacho flavored as having to come in the shape of a triangle.

It's best to get the bad news out of the way so you don't feel yourself sitting on pins and needles to find out if Blue Diamond Nut Chips are actually Doritos clones. 

They are not.

Blue Diamond Nut Chips Nacho
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

And there's nothing wrong with this as sometimes it's best to simply eat a food and like or dislike it on its own merits and not how it compares to another food. And these nut chips do have some positive elements which would likely be attractive to someone seeking a snack with some healthy elements. Not only are they infused with almonds, but the bag also suggests that there is a healthy amount of whole grains included, courtesy of some brown rice. 

The maker also likes to advertise that there's less saturated fat than a regular bag of chips. But let's face it, saturated fat tastes good. Everybody knows it. If you're aiming for a healthy snack, it's worth trying the nacho flavor just to see how they taste, but you might have some luck trying the Blue Diamond Nut Chips, Sour Cream and Chive flavor.

Blue Diamond Nut Chips Nacho
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

Blue Diamond Nut Chips Nacho Report Card

The Good Stuff

These little cracker.... chip... things are a nice snack type diversion, but it's unlikely they'll be anyone's favorite food. Nachos and almonds just don't seem to be a great partnership. It's possible that finding some sort of condiment for dipping would improve the experience.

The nutritional content of the chips is likely a big plus for anyone seeking their whole grains requirement for the day and the fact that the chips don't have a lot of fat or calories in them (you can toss back about half the bag for around 250 calories) is a big plus for anyone who likes to snack. There's also no trans fat which is great.

What Could be Better

In their present form these little chips are a decent snack, but I have to question why they decided on a nacho flavor for some chips made with almonds. It just seems a pairing of two fairly distinct flavors that don't have any reason to be put into the same recipe. But perhaps it will float someone's nacho flavored boat. They're a healthy snack to be sure, but if the nacho flavor isn't your speed, try the many others the company has up for grabs.

Glutenfreeda Gluten-Free Burrito Chicken & Cheese

Glutenfreeda Gluten-Free Burrito Chicken & Cheese
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

One of the great things about Mexican food is that there is a lot to choose from regarding gluten-free food due to how many recipes call for ingredients like corn instead of wheat flour.

But burritos, which are arguably one of the more popular items on menus, are usually off limits because they include gluten-based flour tortillas. And let's face it, a traditional flour tortilla seems to wrap around a bunch of refried beans and cheese a lot easier than a corn tortilla. 

This author has experimented in many attempts to make a burrito using something other than a wheat flour tortilla and most of these experiments have been unmitigated disasters.

And so therefore it has become necessary to troll the aisles of the grocery store to see if there are any companies capable of crafting a good tasting ready-made burrito. One of the only companies who seems to be creating such delicacies is called Glutenfreeda and they have a variety of different burritos that are generally located in the freezer section of the grocery store. 

Glutenfreeda Gluten-Free Burrito Chicken & Cheese
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

On display here is the Chicken & Cheese variety which offers some nice elements for individuals looking for natural foods. The package states that the burrito has no hydrogenated oils and contains zero grams of trans fat. The burrito is apparently also "hand-rolled," although who knows if this method of burrito creation actually makes it taste better.

As is to be expected with frozen burritos, it's possible to place the burrito in the microwave for a quick zap or put it in the oven for about a half hour to cook slowly. I generally choose the oven if I have the time simply because the overall cooked temperature tends to be a bit more even. Most of the time when one of these little frozen tubes comes out of the microwave, the center is a glacial pod of ice.

One of the most noticeable things about this burrito is that it has a lot of varied ingredients within it and that it's not just chicken and cheese. For anyone looking for a burrito that's mainly chicken and cheese, you might be disappointed.

Glutenfreeda Gluten-Free Burrito Chicken & Cheese
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

As evidenced to the left, the burrito itself is a tidy size and is likely not to serve as an entire meal for someone unless they're an eleven year old, so if this is something you're bringing to work to toss in the microwave it's best to bring along another item such as some gluten-free tortilla chips. And the small size of the burrito makes its three dollar price tag rather painful.

For people who can eat regular gluten-filled burritos of wheat flour wrapped bliss, they'll probably pay less than a buck. This burrito costs three times that amount. On sale. At least for people in California.

Overall the burrito seemed wanting regarding actual chicken and cheese. It felt much more like the burrito was all refried beans and rice rather than chicken and cheese. Indeed, refried beans, rice and salsa all come before chicken or cheese in the listing of ingredients. If the company wants to suggest that their burrito is chicken and cheese, they need to plump these ingredients up a tad.

Glutenfreeda Gluten-Free Rice and Beans.... I mean Chicken & Cheese Burrito
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

Glutenfreeda Gluten-Free Burrito Chicken & Cheese Report Card

The Good Stuff

The nutritional content of this burrito is terrific as it has zero trans fat and a nice amount of protein at eight grams per burrito. The overall calories are a hair high for an item that's as small as it is, but the healthy factor for this burrito is great. If you're into smaller meals eaten throughout the day instead of a big lunch, this item fits the bill.

The company also suggests that they do as little as possible to process the foods that go through their factory, so it's a great example of a natural product as well. In addition, texture and taste of the flour tortilla (which is made of corn and potato flour) is great as well, even if my burrito happened to get a little crispy along the exterior.

Glutenfreeda Gluten-Free Chicken & Cheese Burrito
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

What Can Be Improved

More chicken! More cheese! If people are going to have to pay three bucks for one of these little suckers, there had better be some chicken in there. Otherwise, it's best to label this burrito as "rice and beans." No joke.

For a Better Burrito

It's recommended that the oven be used for preparation here, but it's absolutely vital that the burrito isn't cooked too long or the exterior may tend to get a bit too crispy. The directions suggest forty-five minutes is a good cooking time, but I tossed my burrito in there completely frozen and it came out crispy at a half hour.

Ancient Harvest Quinoa Mac & Cheese

Ancient Harvest Quinoa Mac & Cheese
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

One of the most delightful foods from childhood is macaroni and cheese and it's one of those foods that manufacturers love to advertise since it's so eternally popular. And in the last few years there has been some movement from pasta makers to create macaroni and cheese options that are gluten free. One such type of macaroni and cheese is Quinoa and according to Wikipedia, it's a type of crop that offers edible seeds, but it's not technically a type of grain. 

The neat thing about the crop though is that it does have an unusually high level of protein for something that resembles a grain and scientists have actually determined through testing that it's a complete protein as well. The crop is something that NASA engineers have suggested might be a healthy source of food during long space flights.

But for those of us here on earth, Quinoa is a great alternative to wheat-based pasta because it offers a very nice, solid texture when cooked. Unlike rice pasta, Quinoa will not usually melt into a bowl of goo if it's left to boil on the stove too long. And the high nutritional value of the food is a huge plus for anyone following a wheat-free or gluten free diet since such diets tend to be deficient in some types of important vitamins and minerals.

Ancient Harvest Quinoa Mac & Cheese
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

For Ancient Harvest Quinoa Mac and Cheese, the prospect of getting to eat macaroni and cheese that's not likely to turn into a mush bowl is quite appealing and anyone who has eaten Quinoa before will likely be quite aware of its suitability for cooking. But just because Quinoa acts great on the stove-top doesn't mean that it will necessarily accommodate absolutely any sort of topping or accompaniment.


This type of pasta does taste quite different from regular wheat pasta when it is cooked, although just because it's different doesn't mean that it can't taste good. In fact, when Quinoa is paired with a type of marinara sauce and some Parmesan, the taste combination is fantastic. 


But it's this author's opinion that Quinoa is not necessarily something that lends itself well to a macaroni and cheese presentation.

Ancient Harvest Quinoa Mac & Cheese in the Pot
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

Or perhaps it's simply because Ancient Harvest Quinoa Mac & Cheese has such an incredible amount of salt in it. Though anything with cheese is going to have some serious salt, macaroni and cheese is always one of the biggest offenders for anyone who wants to lower their salt intake. And Ancient Harvest Quinoa does seem to have a high salt content and might be extremely salty at first taste. 


But there are some options to lessen the significant salty flavor.


To take some of the salty bite out of the meal, adding some butter seems to do the trick. The directions for preparation don't require anything but milk to be added, but it's fine to add your own ingredients. In fact, the "variations" on the back of the box do suggest that the flavor can be enhanced with the addition of some butter.

Ancient Harvest Quinoa Mac & Cheese in the Bowl
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

One of the interesting things about Quinoa is that it stays together terrifically after it's cooked and therefore allows for a nice, solid meal, but for macaroni and cheese, the use of much more delicate rice pasta seems to lend itself better to the concoction. 


Quinoa has a great taste to it and it's definitely got some amazing nutritional components, but the addition of cheddar cheese in traditional macaroni and cheese just isn't the perfect presentation. 


It is by no means something that tastes bad, but for pure taste, going through the hassle of cooking rice pasta (which tends to turn to goo if you don't stare at it and rip it from the stove almost immediately) might result in a better overall macaroni and cheese experience.


For true macaroni and cheese aficionados, it might be best to consider going with Annie's Homegrown Gluten-Free Rice Pasta & Cheddar Mac & Cheese instead even though proper preparation of that particular manufacturer's rice pasta does take a close eye on the stove.

Ancient Harvest Quinoa Mac & Cheese Extreme Close-Up!
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

Ancient Harvest Quinoa Mac & Cheese Report Card


The Good Stuff


Quinoa has an amazing texture and consistency and is truly a wonderful alternative for pasta for anyone who requires gluten free food as it doesn't have nearly the problems that rice pasta does in staying firm after it's been cooked. It can actually be prepared in an "al dente" style if the cook prefers a firmer style of pasta. Quinoa also has better nutritional value than rice pasta or even simple corn pasta.


What Can Be Improved


As stated above, this particular type of Quinoa does have an amazing amount of salt in it and it's very noticeable in your first bite. While many people do love salt, it's often a good idea to add some butter to the finished product to lessen that salty blow.


Tips for Great Mac & Cheese


If this particular type of Quinoa is too salty or the taste isn't just right, do consider making macaroni and cheese with rice pasta, as the results are usually better as far as pure taste is concerned. For anyone who is already familiar with Quinoa and loves it, Ancient Harvest Quinoa Mac & Cheese will probably be a great option for getting that pasta fix.

Gluten Free Pizza from Fresh Brothers

Fresh Brothers Pizza Box
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

Every few months a new type of food becomes popular among companies offering gluten free entrees and in 2012, the name of the game is pizza. After several years of suffering through the stale, cardboard discs of gluten free pie crusts, major pizza companies are now getting in on the game along with regional pizza restaurants jumping in, too.

One such restaurant is Fresh Brothers, which is a pizza chain in southern California with around a half dozen locations in and around Los Angeles County. The biography of the owners suggests that the recipes used by the company came from their experiences with local pizzerias in the 1970s. And they are just one of the many pizza restaurants to have started offering gluten free varieties of their pies.

Like most other gluten free offerings, the pizza from Fresh Brothers is only available in a smaller size - medium - although the size of that pie is fairly respectable and would easily feed two people. Someone with a bigger appetite might want to snag an entire pie for himself.

Fresh Brothers Cheese Gluten Free Pizza - Hungry Now?
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

The most important part of gluten free pizza is always going to be the crust because it's the specific element within the recipe which must be modified to accommodate the dietary needs of someone with a gluten or wheat allergy. 

For Fresh Brothers, their crust tastes more like a regular pizza crust than like one of the flaps of the cardboard box in which it comes delivered.

And this is a good thing, because often a gluten free crust will look like a round yet tasteless saltine cracker and will have the same sort of consistency as well.

For anyone who has eaten a regular pizza crust before, it's easy to tell the difference between the taste of a crust that has wheat and the gluten free variety, but Fresh Brothers does have a good way with toppings and their general approach to serving gluten free pizza seems to be one worth checking out. The crust is slightly thicker than a thin crust pizza yet it has the consistency of a regular pie.


It's worth noting that the crust is a tad denser than you might expect from pizza. But I think this is normal for gluten free foods that are placed in the oven.

Fresh Brothers Cheese Gluten Free Pizza
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

Fresh Brothers would get bonus points if they could devise a way to make their gluten free pizza a little thicker, but in its present form, it's definitely one to check out for anyone who has a sensitivity to gluten. 

A note to anyone interested in alternative toppings: it's a good idea to confirm whether specific toppings conform to being gluten free.

And regarding toppings, the nice thing about the crust is that it's of a suitable thickness to accommodate toppings beyond just cheese and sauce. If your dietary restrictions allow for it, the BBQ chicken pizza is highly recommended.

A word of caution for anyone interested in getting a gluten free pizza is that if a person has Celiac Disease, it's always important to confirm the type of cooking conditions in which the pizza is made. Most pizza restaurants will have common preparation areas and traces of gluten might be present in the vicinity of the pizza. Generally, pizza from a restaurant is going to have a high chance of coming into contact with traces of gluten and for individuals with serious allergies, caution is advised.

Fresh Brothers Herbs and Parmesan Topping
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

Fresh Brothers Gluten Free Report Card

The Good Things:

This pizza does indeed taste like pizza and the toppings are great. The size is a bit larger than traditional gluten-free pizza crust. The thickness of the crust is also pretty nice for holding a lot of toppings.

What Could be Improved:

The eternal struggle for people who are forced to eat gluten free or other alternative foods is not the fact that the food tastes like cardboard so much as it is that the food costs an arm and a leg. Fresh Brothers is definitely worth a taste and will probably be a great pizza experience, but it will also set you back a few dollars more than a regular pizza. I always joke that since there's no wheat in the pizza, it's missing an ingredient, so technically it should be cheaper! So far I don't think the gluten free industry has caught on...

Fresh Brothers Cheese Gluten Free Pizza
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

Tips for a Great Pizza:

Get on Fresh Brothers' mailing list! They offer coupons each week and most of their specials are available for their gluten free crusts as well. 


The gluten free variety will be a few dollars more even with the coupon, but getting on their email list is highly recommended for timely discounts.

To find out more about Fresh Brothers and their gluten free pizza options, click here