Monte Bene Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce

Monte Bene Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Sauce isn't one of those things that you'd immediately imagine was full of wheat, but given there are some varieties of gluten-free sauce on the market today, that must mean that the general bottle of marinara that you might find off the shelf at the grocery store could indeed have some wheat or gluten in it, even if the label doesn't seem to include anything glutenous in its description.

As a fairly versatile heavy condiment, sauce in all its variations can have many different herbs, spices and small additions (like vegetables or meat) added for flavor and often it's the source of a lot of the flavor that might appear in a simple bowl of spaghetti or a plate of baked mostaccioli. 

Often, the sauce is going to be the element of swiftly made pasta that will give it a little kick and it's pretty simple to serve up an interesting dish made of nothing more than pasta, Parmesan and sauce if there's some fun herbs or vegetables in the sauce.

Monte Bene Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

And because sauce can be made in so many different ways with so many variable ingredients, it's likely that a fair portion of those sauces are going to include some elements of gluten, so it's nice that Monte Bene has come out with a tomato sauce that's specifically labeled as gluten-free so that individuals who have a severe allergy will have an option.

Of course, whether a pasta sauce is made with gluten or not, there are a number of things about it that need to be right with the overall recipe otherwise its gluten-free status isn't going to matter much. And regarding pasta, usually one of the most important elements of that taste scale is going to be the overall consistency or thickness along with the general aroma and taste provided by the herbs or spices.

This particular type of pasta sauce is such that it would be appropriate for a number of different sauce-covered meals such as pizza and various types of pasta. The sauce isn't too smooth and watery, but nor is it too thick where it might cause unnecessary bumps on a pizza. The herbs are also well planned out and offer a nice aroma with a nice combination of basil and pepper and the company's tomato selection seems solid as well.

So far this author has tried the pasta sauce on spaghetti, pizza and . While the nutritional content seems a little sketchy (it does have some fat in it, so beware of overloading on it), the taste is everything you'd expect from a jar of pasta sauce.

Monte Bene Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Monte Bene Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce Report Card

The Good Stuff:

Tastes like pasta sauce and has a nice aroma. A pleasing consistency that's not too thin yet not too overloaded with chunks of vegetables either. Overall a nice choice for anyone interested in making sure that their pasta sauce is indeed gluten free.

What Could be Better:

This pasta sauce is just pasta sauce. The fact that it tastes just like pasta sauce should and is also gluten free is a nice bonus. It won't win the Nobel Prize, but it does its job well as a gluten free pasta sauce. Definitely worth a try, especially when paired with a gluten-free pizza crust.

Schär Gluten Free Wheat Free Pizza Crusts

Schär Gluten Free Wheat Free Pizza Crusts
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

There are many ways that pizza can be enjoyed by the general public, but when it comes to gluten free pizza, it's a magic trick as to whether the final product is going to be worth the invariable bags of money required. It doesn't seem to matter whether one orders a pizza from a restaurant that delivers pizza, if a person decides to visit the freezer section of their local grocery store or whether a budding chef decides that making a pizza from scratch is the way to go, the final result is going to be something that is going to cost a pretty penny.

A pizza that is gluten free and actually tastes good is definitely going to cost at least ten dollars for a very modestly sized pizza and likely much more if it's obtained from a restaurant that delivers pizza. While it is fortunate that so many gluten free food makers have recognized the need for a pizza that doesn't have wheat and gluten in it, the fact that someone will usually have to pony up a fair chunk of change means that trying such delicacies isn't going to be that common unless someone's been lucky with the Powerball numbers lately.

Schär Gluten Free Wheat Free Pizza Crusts
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Regarding the Schär Gluten Free Wheat Free Pizza Crusts, a pair of crusts will range from a little over seven dollars to around ten dollars as they always come in a pair in a box. They're also individually wrapped, which means they can be eaten at very different times without issue. They also don't need to be frozen, which means they can sit in a cupboard for a while and be just fine.

Regarding the calorie content and nutritional value of the crusts, like most pizza that tastes good, the crusts are going to be rather caloric and the traditional toppings put on the pizza are probably going to add a few hefty calories of their own, especially if there are things like chicken or pepperoni added on top of cheese and sauce (I am suddenly rather hungry writing this...). When prepared correctly, these crusts do turn out very well, so it's important to have an active lifestyle if an entire pizza is on the menu for a single meal. They're not the sort of food that would rest well in the refrigerator either, so if you're not aiming to eat the whole pizza, having a friend who might be interested would probably be a good idea.

Without a doubt, pizza is this writer's favorite food and so if there's a pizza on the market somewhere that has the words "gluten-free" in it, you can bet it's going to end up in this blog. And since the wrong decision with cooking times, toppings and the finished product can provide wildly different results, experimentation can certainly be expensive.

Schär Gluten Free Wheat Free Pizza Crusts
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

For anyone seeking the best way to prepare this pizza, it's definitely recommended that a nice coating of oil accompany the bread-like disc into the oven as this will provide a much better finished pie with a nicely browned crust. It's also recommended that the pizza be cooked on a very high temperature in the middle of the oven. This provides a crust that isn't burned and a nicely charred bit of cheese on the top.

This crust can certainly come out a winner, but only if it's prepared correctly and some experimentation might actually need to take place depending on the likes and dislikes of the person making the pizza. Generally, such a crust is going to come out rather dry and even crumbly if it's placed into the oven without oil and likewise, if the crust is cooked for too long, it could tend to roll up somewhat and start to crack along the edges. To avoid the potential for an improperly prepared crust, a person is going to need to know his or her oven and how it likes to treat food. It's probably a good thing that there are two pizza crusts in every box because the first one always turns out weird if you don't know what you're doing beforehand.

The bottom line regarding this gluten free pizza option is that it's not going to be any cheaper than the other pizzas out there, but it can turn out to be a very good meal. The result is going to offer a pizza that is a little thicker than some of the other gluten free pizza crusts out there and this is why it's important to cook the pizza only as long as it takes to brown the crust and cook it thoroughly. It's not easy to burn it, but it is easy to dry it out (hence the suggestion on the oil).

Schär Gluten Free Wheat Free Pizza Crusts
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Schär Gluten Free Wheat Free Pizza Crusts Report Card

The Good Stuff:

If you're willing to work with the crust and make a few of these pizzas with various toppings and types of sauce, this pizza can come out tasting pretty terrific. Definitely worth a try, especially if you like pizza and would like to make one on your own.

This pizza crust also conceals fairly well the fact that it's a gluten-free option and anyone who might be eating the pizza with someone who can otherwise indulge freely with wheat and all sorts of nefarious ingredients, it shouldn't be a big deal. The crust is a little denser than one might find of a general wheat type crust, but taste-wise it's a great option.

What Could Improve:

The pizza crust does indeed require some special treatment so as to make sure that it doesn't turn out dried and cracked. Not everyone is willing to put this sort of time and effort into a pizza crust, even if they are promised a terrific result. But whether that is truly something that is worth a check in the negative column is probably up for debate.

Lundberg Cinnamon Toast Organic Rice Cakes

Lundberg Cinnamon Toast Organic Rice Cakes
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

For years rice cakes and similar airy foods that are often meant as a food that people trying to lose weight might try and often they were derided for being nothing more than crunchy air. But through the years a lot of different flavoring techniques have come about along with some modifications and experiments regarding the texture of the cakes.

Today's rice cakes often have a lot of salt, high calories and even some fat in them and while this can certainly make them taste better, it does sort of remove the food from the column that marks them as a food meant for low calorie diets. One of the first things anyone should do these days is make sure that if they're looking for a low calorie food that they always take a look at the nutritional facts on the back of the package.

Lundberg Cinnamon Toast Organic Rice Cakes
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

For many gluten-free foods, this is especially important because the removal of gluten often spells the addition of many more calories than one might suspect would otherwise be offered in a particular food. For Lundberg Cinnamon Toast Organic Rice Cakes, one of the most attractive features of the food is that it's organic and gluten-free, so if you're looking for an organic snack that's not too terrible on the wallet, these cakes are a decent investment.

As for the nutritional facts on these cakes, they're definitely well within the bounds of what could be considered a diet food or low-calorie snack and munching on a half bag of these likely wouldn't put anyone's diet off the tracks. They also happen to taste exactly like one might expect a cinnamon flavored rice cake to taste. The addition of "toast" to the name though probably isn't required. They don't really resemble a piece of toast or taste like one. They just taste like cinnamon and rice pieces.

Lundberg Cinnamon Toast Organic Rice Cakes
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Generally the biggest complaint someone might have with these suckers is the fact that all that's required is a light breeze and they look like the debris from an explosion of Rice Krispies. Which might be great if you're going to try these rice cakes in a bowl of milk, but might be a problem if you're eating them with one hand while driving. The picture to the right is simply the result of tossing a few of these things on my counter.

Fortunately the fact that these little things break apart easily doesn't make them taste any less cinnamon-like and the overall taste and consistency is to be expected of how a rice cake might taste. They're likely a great option for anyone who is trying a low-calorie or reduced calorie diet and they a great option for people who want an organic snack. So many foods today simply say "natural" on them, but still seem to include questionable ingredients. Most of the foods that Lundberg manufacturers are organic. 

They also have a lot of information on their website about sustainable farming and eco-friendly farming, which definitely makes it worth checking out their other items as well. They're a great example of a company that is committed to organic food and isn't trying to play the "natural" game with their customers.

Lundberg Cinnamon Toast Organic Rice Cakes
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Lundberg Cinnamon Toast Organic Rice Cakes Report Card

The Good Stuff

These rice cakes taste good, are great on nutritional content and have the added bonus of being crafted from organic ingredients. Certainly a trifecta for a healthy gluten-free snack. Definitely worth a try.

What Could Be Better

Clearly, the potential for these rice cakes to disintegrate into rice pellets is a problem and when I bought a bag of these things, it's not like I experienced an earthquake before opening them. It's probably a good idea to eat all the rice cakes that are intact first and then just pour all the rice crumbs out of the bag into a bowl and eat them like little bits of candy (tossing the plastic bag back like you're a bachelor with a carton of milk is also acceptable).

Think Thin Brownie Crunch High Protein Bar

Think Thin Brownie Crunch High Protein Bar
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

For decades now energy bars have come in two distinct formats. The candy format and the dirt format. Invariably, an energy bar is either going to taste like you're eating an Oreo cookie or is going to give someone a realistic view of the way dirt happens to taste. 

An energy bar or protein bar company will usually try to make its bars taste like candy by filling them with the nutritional equivalent of a bag of M&Ms or they will try and try to get people to eat their sawdust-inspired concoctions withe promise of "oh, but they're so healthy for you!"

How can someone expect to get healthier if they're eating something that's covered in a pound of chocolate? And who cares if something is healthy for you if it tastes like you're eating the softly woven strands of a pair of muddied shoelaces?

Think Thin Brownie Crunch High Protein Bar
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Unfortunately, it's often absolutely impossible to determine whether an energy bar is actually going to taste good (like candy) or if it's going to be hard to get through the whole thing without tossing it out. At the grocery store, there have got to be at least fifty different brands of health food style bars out there that promise everything from a "low glycemic index" to a high protein jolt of energy.

For the Think Thin brand of energy bars, they have all the markings of a regular candy bar (they're usually covered in what appears to be a candy or chocolate coating) and yet the bars are usually stamped with keywords like "high protein" and "natural," which are definitely supposed to inspire confidence in whoever tries the bars.

But it's hard to actually believe an energy bar is healthy when the whole thing is covered in a layer of chocolate (as the Brownie Crunch variety is). And one of the interesting things about this particular company and their "health" bars is that they suggest on the front that the bar has zero grams of sugar and yet on the ingredients for the bar, there is 20g of "sugar alcohol" listed.

Think Thin Brownie Crunch High Protein Bar
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Most people will never have heard of sugar alcohols before, so here's a rundown: it's essentially a "hydrogenated form of carbohydrate," and this means that it's often something that is used to reduce the intensity of fake sweeteners. The Think Thin people are (likely) utilizing sugar alcohols so as to provide sweetness in their protein bars without causing a spike in that person's blood sugar.

So, given the fact that these bars actually taste good and seem to be a great choice for a boost of protein in the middle of the day or perhaps before a large workout, the fact that they have this "sugar alcohol" as part of their ingredients is something that you might have to consider as sugar alcohols do impact the blood sugar somewhat so if you're sensitive to sugar, don't pop too many of these things.

And really, you shouldn't have to as they are nicely filling and are probably a much better way to pass the day or prepare for a workout than eating an actual candy bar. This variety does indeed taste like a brownie and has the nice bonus of a chocolate shell around its exterior. As a protein bar (and something that is advertised as a healthy option), these bars are quite good and are worth a try if you're looking for a gluten-free energy bar option.

Think Thin Brownie Crunch High Protein Bar
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Think Thin Browning Crunch High Protein Bar Report Card

The Good Stuff:

This thing tastes like a brownie and it's got the advertised protein in it. As protein bars are notoriously low on taste or are often just a candy bar disguised by some clever marketing, the Think Thin people seem to have pulled only a minor amount of tomfoolery with the fact that they print "zero sugar" on the front of the bar yet there is a level of sugar alcohols in the bar. Fake sugar, but a type of sweetener nevertheless.

What Could be Improved:

The bar is quite dense and although that's almost to be expected with protein bars, this variety could benefit from a less compact nature. It tastes good, so it's definitely worth a try, but it is a little dense sort of beast (and it'll probably make you thirsty as well so have a glass of water nearby!).

Lucy's Cinnamon Thin Cookies

Lucy's Cinnamon Thin Cookies
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

There are generally a few methods for making cookies that don't have wheat gluten in them. One method results in a rather crispy cookie that is prone to exploding into a shower of small cookie crumbs every time someone takes a bite. Another method is some strange recipe where the cookie doesn't look anything like a cookie and the consistency doesn't seem very dessert-like either.

And then there are also cookies that a dry and taste like cake that's been sitting out on the counter for a few days along with cookies that simply fall apart if you stare at them too hard. With all of the strange recipes for cookies out there that don't include wheat gluten, it's almost like a game to try and figure out why most bakeries are trying to make cookies that just don't look like cookies.

Lucy's Cinnamon Thin Cookies
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

The cookies from Lucy's bakery seem to fall into the very first category mentioned. The cement cookie. Surprisingly, this shouldn't put you off eating the cookies as the recipes used do tend to be pretty tasty and are worth potential damage to one's tooth enamel.

For the cinnamon variety, one could almost pretend that the consistency of a very stiff cookie was fine and accepted since the usual recipe for a ginger snap is often going to be . . . snappy.

The nutritional content of these cookies isn't too out of this world although it's kind of odd that in this small package of four cookies, that the manufacturer would bother with making a serving size of 1.3 in a single bag. They should just put the number of calories that are in the entire snack size bag on the back and not expect people to notice that there's a third more calories in the bag than the simple number that's printed on the back of the bag next to the word "calories."

Lucy's does have a few different kinds of cookies and their sugar variety offers pretty much the same exact consistency (cement) although taste-wise, both recipes are rather good. Indeed if the cookies were made in such a way that they were softer, they'd honestly be a true competitor for wheat-filled cookies. As it is, the cinnamon variety is something that seems to work well with the idea of a ginger snap, which someone might expect to have a harder consistency.

Lucy's Cinnamon Thin Cookies
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Lucy's Cinnamon Thin Cookies Report Card

The Good Stuff:

If you like cinnamon and you enjoy cookies, Lucy's recipe is a winner (just like their sugar cookies). And the convenient snack-size packs are great for tossing into the lunch box of a child who's going to school or someone who might want a snack with their afternoon tea while at work.

What Could Change:

As noted above, these cookies are certainly a little on the stiff side and if the taste of the cookies wasn't so superior, they would definitely not get a very high mark. Not only does the hard nature of the cookies make them a bit of a crunchy experience, but they really do have a crumb-factor of 11.5 on the Richter-scale. Make sure you have a napkin ready for all those crumbs or are able to eat them over the sink.

Mrs Leeper's Creamy Tuna Pasta

Mrs Leeper's Creamy Tuna Pasta
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

There are what seems like a hundred different "Helper" style meals in the average grocery store that combine some combination of meat (or fish), cheese and pasta into a big bowl with all sort of different seasonings included. Unfortunately, all of these hodgepodge style meals are such that wheat flour is a primary ingredient due to the noodles.

Without tripping too much on the toes of Betty Crocker and her legion of "Helper" meals, the Mrs. Leeper's folks have created a series of gluten-free pasta options that utilize corn pasta instead of wheat flour pasta as Betty has been so apt to do these many years. And the use of corn pasta is likely a good choice as the other option for such pasta dishes has usually been rice pasta and as anyone who is familiar with different types pasta is aware, rice pasta is rather delicate and corn pasta has a bit of strength to it.

Mrs Leeper's Creamy Tuna Pasta
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

If one were to compare "Tuna Helper" to the cloned version from Mrs. Leepers, the overall taste is a little different simply because corn pasta offers a different type of taste anyway, but the cheese sauce tastes different too, and this is likely on purpose as Mrs Leeper's probably needs to differentiate Creamy Tuna from Tuna Helper anyway for proprietary reasons.

Regarding the taste of the pasta as it was meant to be eaten with the added milk, butter and tuna, the meal is what one would expect for the combination of these particular foods and it would seem that the company's long history of offering gluten-free pasta in various formats has given them a lot of time to experiment with different recipes. The company also offers a variety of different pasta meals with combinations like Beef Stroganoff, Cheeseburger Mac and Beef Lasagna. 

Their Creamy Tuna recipe is a fun meal to try if you're willing to mix up all those ingredients and let it simmer for a year and a half (well, perhaps just twelve months as it likely depends on the type of pan you use and the quality of its heat transference). Such meals do tend to require very little preparation and a long amount of time spent on the stove so it's best to be patient when making such a meal.

Mrs Leeper's Creamy Tuna Pasta
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

As the back of the box would indicate, it's necessary to have some milk, tuna and butter on hand to mix in the pan although if someone were short the tuna, it might be possible to just make the plain pasta with the cheese (although, why would you? that would mean you were going to a lot of trouble to make a glorified version of macaroni and cheese)

Assuming you're patient enough to see this meal to its conclusion, these sorts of recipes do generally suggest that the cook allow the finished meal to settle for a bit in the pan after the pasta is at the desired consistency and this wait is a fairly important part of getting a good result out of this recipe as the cheese mixture will really firm up and adhere to the pasta much better if it's allowed to sit for just a short while after it's finished on the stove. Impatient cooks might find that the finished meal is too soupy. This is easily avoided by leaving it on the stove for a while without the heat on. About five minutes is all it needs.

The calories and fat in this particular meal aren't too out of line with one might assume the would be in a meal that was composed of a bunch of pasta, cheese and some tuna and so while it can be tempting to dump the entire batch into a large bowl and have at it, that's probably not an activity that anyone outside of a marathoner should consider.

Mrs Leeper's Creamy Tuna Pasta
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Mrs Leeper's Creamy Tuna Pasta Report Card

The Good Stuff:

For anyone who has ever had Tuna Helper and had to switch over to a gluten-free lifestyle due to allergies, this particular Tuna Helper clone is a decent replacement and the corn pasta does hold up rather well to the rigors of boiling so the time that the mixture must simmer and settle isn't a problem and the end result has a pleasing consistency. 

What Could Improve:

The final verdict on this pasta is that it's a suitable replacement for the Betty Crocker style of tuna and pasta, but it could use a bit of extra kick with the seasonings that are included with the cheese mixture. It's also a good idea to toss some extra tuna in as the recipe seems to low-ball it on the amount that would work well for the overall mixture.