Gluten-Free Recipe: Quinoa Meatloaf

Gluten-Free Quinoa Meatloaf

Gluten-Free Quinoa Meatloaf Recipe: A delicious, moist, and health-oriented Meatloaf variation using Ground Turkey and Quinoa and other gluten-free diet favorites to lower-fat, increase fiber, and maximize flavor! This recipe my wife created a while back produces my favorite meat loaf ever! It is wheat-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free, and transforms the traditional meatloaf recipe into one that yields fulfilling meal, perhaps even for those people who do not ordinarily care for meat loaf - all while also preserving the essence of what a meat loaf is all about.

I have always loved a great meatloaf, but did not have the occasion to enjoy a great one since starting a gluten-free diet, simply because of the fact most traditional meat loaf recipes rely on bread or breadcrumbs as fillers. To accommodate Celiac Disease diet requirements, as well as satisfy my own love of a great meatloaf, my wife created this wonderful wheat-free glutenfree version of meatloaf using quinoa instead of bread. I already absolutely love quinoa, and the result is an amazingly moist and delicious meatloaf that is significantly lower in fat and calories than a traditional meatloaf.

It also adds a bit of extra inventiveness in the form of health-friendly fiber via either Inulin (i.e., ground chicory root), or Benefiber (brand) dietary aid. I wanted to point out here that although Benefiber is wheat-dextrin, it is labeled Gluten-Free and considered Gluten-Free because wheat-dextrin does not contain any of the gluten-proteins that are at the source of reaction-problems for people with Celiac Disease. If you feel more comfortable choosing a filler that is not a wheat-derivative in any way, go with the Inulin, or perhaps omit completely if you desire.

The recipe is versatile too. Instead of forming the combined ingredients into a meat loaf, you can just as easily create hamburgers using the same recipe and topping (pan fried on the stove). My wife has tested the recipe on a wide range of people that have been absolutely amazed at how delicious and moist and flavorful meatloaf can be, and at how healthy it can be at the same time. I certainly appreciate it when a recipe is both delicious AND more healthy! And, at the advice of some people, this recipe has been entered into baking contests to show even more people how incredible a gluten-free meatloaf can be, whether they are are gluten-free / Celiac or not. It's always good to make recipes available that are friendly to everyone's diet (well, perhaps not for the vegetarians this time around, but for most everyone else).

Here is another LINK TO THE RECIPE over on our free gluten-free recipes library site: Gluten-Free Wheat-Free Meatloaf Recipe using Quinoa and Ground Turkey.

Enjoy! And, feel free to let us know what you think of this interpretation of "meatloaf" and how it compares to the ones you otherwise are used to or remember in your pre-gluten-free / Celiac days. Thanks.

Sorry my picture is not the best, as I think I chose a plate color that somewhat blends in with the meatloaf. But, you can see the texture of the loaf and the little quinoa grains in there if you look closely :)

Autism and Gluten-Free Diet

There has been a long-running debate in the Autism and Neurological Disorders community about whether adherence to a gluten-free and/or casein-free and/or whey-free diet is truly helpful to Autistic children and patients. We may soon finally see some definitive proof, or disproof, of whether the wheat-free, gluten-free, milk-free diet concept is advantageous or not, thanks to a clinical study underway at the University of Texas (UT) Health Science Center at Houston, TX.

UT Houston researchers are studying diet in Autistic Children to discover whether there is a possible link between gluten and/or dairy products. This is supposedly the first double-blind clinical study to determine whether science can back the anecdotal claims of parents that posit how removal of gluten and/or dairy products from their kids' diets brings about positive change and improvement in symptoms. The study employs some investigative experts in the fields of gastroenterology, psychiatry, and behavioral sciences.

Researchers acknowledge that a lot of children with autism present with gastrointestinal problems as well, but they currently lack any definitive scientific proof that these issues are directly related to brain development and resulting autism symptoms. So, this study will, in its first phase, enroll 38 autistic children between 3 and 9 years of age and try to elucidate the impact and influence that gluten and milk proteins effect on these children - if there is any correlation. Cosomorphin (a milk peptide) and gliadomorphin (a gluten peptide) are targets of the investigation, as they are thought to perhaps be related to behavioral changes in autistic children. Another aspect of this research will look into the intestinal permeability (leaky gut) issue to see how that concept interplays with autism and gluten / casein proteins.

I find this all quite encouraging, as it will certainly help shed some light on the impact, or lack thereof, a gluten-free diet (and/or milk-free diet) for a "treatment" for autism. I tend to favor science fact over just observation, though I give credence to both, and I especially find *proper* scientific study (like this one, which is using a double-blind placebo controlled approach) useful in understanding and assessing the prospects of any treatments for any conditions.

I have had a fair amount of our gluten-free dessert recipe books sell to parents that say they are trying a gluten-free diet for their children and to (or through) medical professionals, especially allergists (wheat and/or gluten allergy treatment), dietitians, and doctors that treat autism. Just the anecdotal evidence of a fairly strong correlation between autism and celiac disease, as shared between families that have claimed successful outcomes and improvements in autism symptoms by applying a gluten-free diet, has been enough to create demand for our recipes book among this group of people.

And, though I certainly enjoy selling our books to people with autism, so their kids can enjoy great desserts while being free of gluten, I would love for there to be some scientific proof (by way of this and other double-blind scientific diet studies) to back their decision to implement a gluten-free diet for their autistic children too. I'm sure parents of kids with autism feel the same way. Well, stay tuned and hopefully the study results will be forthcoming in the next few months!

Gluten-Free Breakfast the easy way

Although I love Homemade Gluten-Free BlueBerry Buckwheat Teff Waffles, and Buttermilk Millet Gluten-Free Waffles, and my Gluten-Free Diet Pancakes for breakfast, I also sometimes just have a taste for something quick and easy to make that delivers a bit more protein into the diet and incorporates some fresh vegetables and herbs at the same time.

Today's "gluten-free recipe" (so simple I hardly call it a recipe), is one of my favorite quick to prepare breakfasts that is nothing more than scrambled eggs with some fresh produce from our garden: cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, oregano, and thyme. I think it takes me more time to walk outside to the garden and collect the ingredients than it does to actually cook the eggs :)


I like how colorful the end result is, and how the tomatoes and herbs bring a bit something extra to the recipe (over basic scrambled eggs). I'll vary the type of vegetables I add... sometimes onions and garlic, and other times some fresh cubed zuchini or white squash too. Recipe variations are rather easy to come by. And, this is certainly a recipe is has a low glycemic index, making it suitable for diabetics or blood-sugar concerns too.

I don't concern myself with the cholesterol in the eggs either, as I eat so little in the way of cholesterol containing foods otherwise, it just isn't going to make any difference in my gluten-free diet.

The garden produces everything I need except for the eggs, and though I wouldn't mind raising some chickens for the eggs, our city has ordinances in place where we have to get written "approval" from our surrounding neighbors, and I don't want to deal with that particularly. Hmmm... maybe an Ostrich would be a neat way to get some eggs? :) Actually, I see those giant eggs at Whole Foods (for something like $20!!), and can't help wondering what they taste like. But, that is a bit out of scope for now, and I will stick to my simple chicken eggs and garden vegetables.

Gluten-Free Recipes : Pumpkin / Tomato Soup

This is a continuation on the recent series of Gluten-Free Blog postings I have featured here using recipes that put our annual garden harvest to use in delicious and healthy gluten-free diet delights.

Today's post is combines our recent very versatile tomato, onion, peppers, basil, and garlic "base" recipe with another long-time gluten-free favorite (and highly versatile) vegetable: pumpkin! Our garden produced everything but the pumpkin for the recipe... our zuchini and white-squash and other squashes could be used instead perhaps, but pumpkin was my choice of the moment, and I had some left in the freezer from last year still that I wanted to use up. So, here is the result.

This "gluten-free recipe" is about as easy as it gets, presuming you have had created the constituent recipes - baked pumpkin and the fresh tomato and vegetable base recipe - from earlier :)

If not, don't worry, you can achieve a similar outcome (well, sorta), using a jar of your favorite gluten-free pasta sauce (and perhaps some added vegetables and herbs) along with pumpkin puree. The only problem with using canned pumpkin instead of preparing your own baked fresh pumpkin puree, is the texture will not quite be the same. Perhaps the close-up picture from my prior posting on gluten-free pumpkin "pasta" will make that evident, as you can see the fibrous nature of the cooked pumpkin that I'm using for this latest pumpkin/tomato/vegetable and herb soup/stew (pictured here).


Aside from just combining the pumpkin with the tomato "base" recpe, I add some hot red-pepper flakes to my version of the recipe, to give it a bit of extra zing. But, you can certainly season as you like. It is a super-healthy low glycemic-index soup that is quite flavorful! You don't taste pumpkin much per se, as the tomato and peppers, onions, basil and garlic tend to provide the bulk of the flavor in this recipe. But, the pumpkin adds some heartiness and makes for a recipe that is just a bit different.

This is a great way to use all that cooked pumpkin up that we freeze every Fall. After a year, I am *just* finishing up eating the 60 pumpkins we cooked and froze the flesh/pulp from last year. And, I just purchased the first of this year's harvest that I now need to bake and start freezing again: 15 pumpkin-pie pumpkins for $7.50 direct from a nearby farm. Wonderful!

Again, these very affordable (50cents each!) pumpkins have made for wonderful recipes all year round, whether for gluten-free pumpkin-roll cake, pumpkin risotto, pumpkin "pasta", gluten-free dairy-free pumpkin cake or this current recipe for pumpkin soup/stew. I hope you are able to enjoy these recipes as much as we do!

Gluten-Free Recipes : Garden-to-Plate #3

This is a continuation on my series of Gluten-Free Blog postings about recipes that use our annual garden harvest for delicious and healthy gluten-free diet delights.

Today's post is all about using those ever versatile vegetables: eggplants!


The first thing I do is quickly rinse the eggplants off, remove the stem, and cube the eggplants. Then, I place the eggplant in a cast-iron fry pan that has a bit of olive oil in the bottom, and I also quickly apply some canola oil-cooking spray to the surface of the eggplant.


Now, crank up that burner on your stove to a rather high temperature, as you will want to caramelize the eggplant and sear the surfaces. This tends to bring out quite a bit of flavor and adds a bit of complexity to the final dishes. This will only take a few minutes, and the result will look something like this (I placed the eggplant in a bowl for the picture, since it didn't show very well against a blacked/seasoned cast-iron pan).



Now you can have all sorts of fun creating a variety of derivative gluten-free recipes and dishes that start with caramelized eggplant.

One simple recipe I create with the eggplant relies on the recipe I just recently posted, which is the Gluten-Free Italian Tomato Sauce Recipe with Peppers, Onions, Garlic, and Basil. That recipe yields another very versatile "base recipe" that can be combined to form many other wonderful gluten-free diet creations.

I simply combine these two items together - the eggplant and the tomato, pepper, onion base. When I finish braising my eggplant, I simply leave it in the pan and then start adding ladle-fulls of the tomato mixture to it, allowing it to simmer and thicken a bit as I go. In the end, I get a nice rich tomato-eggplant stew of sorts that is quite flavorful and goes well with all sorts of other dishes.

Another variation I create simply adds garlic, onion, basil, and some hot pepper flakes to the eggplant towards the end of the caramelization process, and continue to apply the same caramelization technique to these added ingredients, yielding a recipe that delivers something like this to your plate:


Simple, and absolutely fantastic... and, it just happens to all be naturally gluten-free too! I can hardly emphasize enough how I love eggplant, as it is so easy to work into all sorts of dishes. Have fun making your own variations on these gluten-free recipes, and enjoy experimenting with new combinations of vegetables and additional ingredients. Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Recipes : Garden-to-Plate #2

We are busy putting more of our gluten-free garden production to use, and the big project of recent is the mass preparation of a very versatile tomato, onion, peppers, basil, and garlic "base" recipe that we use for many additional recipes that I will be discussing here later, including:

• homemade gluten-free pasta sauce, which is essentially just a cooked-down thicker version of the "base", plus any additional
  
• eggplant recipes
• pumpkin and squash recipes
• and many more gluten-free diet recipes that can extend and build upon the core ingredients featured in today's recipe

The primary ingredient in this gluten-free recipe is tomatoes. Tomatoes comprise the bulk of this "base" recipe, and as such the recipes makes for a great way to use up a substantial pile of tomatoes - and our garden is lately producing a very nice pile indeed. In addition, we were lucky enough to find a farm close by in Amish country where they had an abundance of tomatoes for the dirt cheap price of 22-cents/pound! I couldn't believe it when I saw the price of $6.50 for a 30# box. Car Trunk: FILLED :)

So, we augmented our own garden's production with 120 pounds from the Amish farm. This has led to a great deal of cooking the past few days, but the end results are well worth the effort, as we freeze the product of our base recipe and other derivative recipes for consumption all year round. This saves a fortune when compared to buying tomatoes and vegetables off-season!

The recipe itself is quite simple. Just start by placing the following items in a nice big aluminum roasting pan (we used heavy recyclable ones that we easily cook a roast a few batches in before they they wear out - I recommend this method to save all sorts of cleanup time):

• tomatoes,
  
• sweet green peppers and/or red peppers
  
• Hungarian peppers or another medium-warm pepper (if you desire a bit of spiceyness and added zest)
• some olive oil in bottom of pan
• a bit of cooking spray to coat the tops of veggies with
• Note: the onion, garlic, olive oil, basil will be prepared stove top in a cast iron pan where we will caramelize those ingredients to add all sorts of flavor to this recipe.
  

Place those tins of tomatoes and peppers into the oven at a high temperature where they will roast nicely. We've chosen to bake them at 460F for 1/2 hour or a bit more, and we look for a bit of browning / bubbling to occur on the surface of the tomatoes and peppers. Don't be concerned much with a few blackened areas on the vegetables, any overly-burnt areas will easily peel away after you remove these from the oven and let them cool a bit. In fact, a bit of browning of the tomato skins and pepper skins tends to add additional flavor to your recipe.

While the tomatoes and peppers roast, it is a great time to work ahead a bit and move onto the part of the recipe that is done stove-top. As I mentioned earlier, we prefer to infuse additional flavor and complexities into our recipe by caramelizing the onion, garlic, and basils in a bit of olive oil in a cast iron frypan. This is done at a rather high temperature, and doesn't take too long, though it does require you to flip the ingredients around to prevent burning.

After the roasted vegetables are done and cooled enough to work with, you simply move them into a large pot (as pictured at the beginning of this gluten-free blog entry) where you can work with them. At this point, you can optionally cut out any portion of the vegetables you do not want (like the tomato-stem regions, pepper-stems and/or seeds, etc). This is totally up to you. I certainly recommend removing the pepper stems, but I personally don't notice the cooked tomato-stem-base areas if left in the recipe.

Now, if you are adding some flavor to your sauce with various warm or hot peppers, now is the time to decide whether you wanted just an accent, or if you are really going for some spice. If you want an accent only, I defintely advise removing the seeds from the hot peppers at a minimum, since those can tend to really pack a punch.

Basically, you are now just going to get your hands wet (in tomato sauce) as you use a knife or kitchen scissors to chop up the cooked and roasted vegetables to the consistency you desire. When you have the tomatoes and peppers as you like them, go ahead and add the caramelized garlic, onions, basil, and perhaps any optional salt and herbs to your liking. Your gluten-free tomato, pepper, onion, garlic, and basil "base recipe" is now complete.

I will be putting this gluten-free, wheat-free, dairy-free (heck, it is vegan!) recipe to use a few times in coming gluten-free blog entries. I find this recipe to be an amazingly versatile and portable starting point for all sorts of other kitchen creations. And, this is a very HEALTHY GLUTEN-FREE DIET recipe to say the least. We are always looking for great ways to balance our diet out with fresh fruits and vegetables, and it is always nice when a recipe can be used many times over to achieve this goal. Enjoy, and more to come soon.

Gluten-Free Recipes : Garden-to-Plate #1

I absolutely love this time of year! Our gluten-free garden is reaching full production mode now, and I can enjoy the fruits (or, veggies) of our labor in the form of some tasty and simple-to-make gluten-free recipes. Yes, even though gluten-free desserts are my forte', I enjoy eating the healthy and flavorful vegetable dishes just as much - especially when the entire dish can be prepared using only homegrown fresh produce.

This is a very simple gluten-free recipe that makes use of various items from the garden, and can be made in only a few minutes time.

The recipe components:

• Zucchini
• White Squash
• Onion
• Garlic
• Basil (we used a couple varieties)
• Olive Oil -- OK, I admit it... we didn't grow olives and press our own oil :)

The key to getting this recipe to produce a spectacular taste is caramelization (i.e., the oxidation of sugars in order to extract a sweet and nutty, browned-sugar accent). You are going to want to fully utilize these naturally occurring sugars in the onions, garlic, and vegetables to your advantage, and the best way to do that is to caramelize the onions/garlic in a fry pan (I love cast-iron fry pans) with a bit of olive oil.

This requires cooking at a fairly high temperature. And, depending on your particular method for caramelizing, you may also want to add a bit of water throughout the process to help spread the resulting browned sugars around and form a bit of a sauce (water addition requirement will depend mainly on whether the items you are carmelizing contain enough naturally-occuring water of their own or not).

Basically, that's all there is to it. You essentially stir-fry the remaining vegetables into the mix, and I suggest adding the herbs (basil) last since they cook quite quickly. In fact, the order you combine the veggies is totally in your hands, since you may prefer a bit crisper onions than squash, or vice-versa. I personally like my vegetables to remain ever so slightly firm throughout (I don't like them turning to mush certainly), as I find the texture and flavor the best at this point.

In the end, you should be able to just dump those fried vegetables out onto a place and enjoy your latest gluten-free recipe from the garden in a flash! Gluten-Free, Wheat-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan,... plus, healthy and delicious!

Serve it up and enjoy!

Awesome Gluten-Free Pasta!

Above is a picture of this small-batch wonderfully delicious designer gluten-free pasta (fettuccine), prior to cooking, that I recently had the pleasure of eating. It was fabulous!

My wife and I both agree that it is the best gluten-free pasta we have ever tried. In addition, my wife has since consumed "real" pasta (the standard wheat / semolina type) from a well known Italian restaurant, and she concluded that this gluten-free pasta was better than the "normal" pasta she had at the restaurant. I'd say that is a remarkable achievement for a gluten-free pasta to say the least!

This particular spinach-basil-accent gluten-free pasta is by Kelly Smith [UPDATE: Kelly's business did not survive; her pasta was quite good, but the company is long gone]; I left the remainder of this blog post here just to show what is possible with gluten-free pasta. (mike: April, 2011).

The only down-side is that because Kelly makes it only at certain times, you need to get "in the queue" essentially. In fact, when I told Kelly that I planned to review this pasta, she said:

"You are welcome to mention [the pasta] if you want to. But please mention that right now - pasta is something we do only when we aren't swamped with baking [other items]. We have people who sign up for it - we just let them know when we do a run of it. I never have any leftovers. That's why it took me so long to get a batch to you."

I can understand why there are no leftovers. It certainly is a treat to have a gluten-free pasta this good, and I am willing to wait for a while and get in line or whatever :)

I was quite impressed by the presentation - both dry, and cooked. It looked wonderful. And, even more impressive is how it lived up to its looks and tast fantastic! The *only* thing I noticed that was not exactly like "real" pasta was that you had to perhaps be a bit more careful with watching the cooking time, and you had to be sure to rinse it well after cooking for the best texture. I also found that, as strange as this sounds, the pasta improved with a little "resting period" as it sat on my plate (between my first taste, and the time it took me to take the second picture above, which by the way, is prior to me adding any sauce or pesto, etc).

This product review and evaluation is coming from someone who rarely eats pasta (gluten-free), mainly because I don't need useless carbs in my diet, and because most pasta on the market (dry, commercialized, pre-packaged stuff) isn't good enough to entice me into eating it. I've tried soy pasta, white rice and brown rice pasta, quinoa (not good), and pasta with lupin flour (which Bi-Aglut uses, and is rather decent, but is difficult to find recently). But, none of those main-stream commercial options offer nearly the "real" pasta experience. As such, I save my carbohydrate (self-imposed) quota for my gluten-free desserts instead: cakes, cookies, pies, brownies, smoothies, and so forth. But, Kelly's pasta is good enough to actually make me want gluten-free pasta now!

I don't know all the exact ingredients she uses in her pasta (perhaps that's a trade secret for something so good), but I do know it is clearly gluten-free, and that it is also corn-free (since Kelly is allergic to corn). Regardless of what is in there beyond the basil and spinach components, the fact is that the end result is quite wonderful.

There is perhaps hardly any reason to add a summary paragraph, since my determination is most obvious: this small-batch designer "homemade" type high-quality gluten-free pasta is superb! Now if only Kelly could find a way to expand her business and keep up with demand for pasta in addition to her desserts, breads, pizza crusts, and other wondeful gluten-free diet items.

Costco Gluten-Free Bargains

Costco Gluten-Free Deals

We recently purchased a membership at Costco in order to take advantage of some very nice cost-savings on items we consume regularly, especially fresh produce. We joined only after taking a look around to make sure that the savings would more than offset the price of the membership, and it quickly became obvious that just the yearly savings on gluten-free produce would pay for the membership.

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Update (2011-August): I have added a new Costco Gluten-Free Bargains for 2011 (link) blog that extends upon this blog with some more current information and more details on prices for a list of gluten-free products Costco offers currently.  Some of the items features in this blog are still very much available and still a deal, and additional deals and money-saving gluten-free items are available in 2011.

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Costco Gluten-Free Products : Kirkland Brand and others.

In addition to great deals on larger quantities of fresh produce, I have been quite impressed to find a few of Costco's own "Kirkland" brand products that are clearly labeled gluten-free. As such, I tried them, and have been quite impressed with the value and quality of the products. A couple of these Kirkland / Costco gluten-free products that we have tried and really like include:

• Tortilla Strips / Chips - manufactured by Mission for Costco it seems. A 3 pound bag of these gluten-free corn tortilla chips (just corn, lime, water, veg. oil, and salt) is a bargain at just
• Rotisserie Chicken - Costco's own freshly prepared chicken, and quite nice for those that enjoy a roasted chicken but don't have the time to bake one at home.

In addition, Costco has some well-known name-brand gluten-free products like the Mary's Gone Crackers. I just picked up a 20 ounce box of these gluten-free crackers at Costco for just $6.99.

I like the ability to purchase gluten-free in bulk on occasion, especially when it is products I regularly consume, and when the bulk-packaging also leads to more economical gluten-free foods in general (not all bulk-packaging is a "bargain" - calculate first, then buy). The products mentioned here have passed my calculation-test. When compared to smaller quantity packaging elsewhere, these gluten-free products are quite competitive on a per-ounce or per-pound basis.

Costco Gluten-Free Products : Money-Saving Examples

For example, with the Mary's Gone Crackers. As I mentioned, the 20-ounce box at Costco was $6.99. This compares to the next cheapest place to get them (which is Amazon.com in 12 box cartons, 6.5oz per box; or 78 ounces total - for a price of $36.86 currently). The difference is substantial when you calculate it: Amazon's price is good, but that same 20 ounces of crackers will cost you $9.45 at Amazon's rate compared to Costco's $6.99. So, you save nearly $2.50 per every 20-ounces (i.e., a 26% savings!) over Amazon by purchasing your gluten-free Mary's Gone Crackers at Costco. Plus, though I really like the crackers, it is a bit much to have 12 of those 6.5oz boxes here at once :)

Now those Kirkland / Mission brand gluten-free tortilla strips I really like are also a supreme deal: $3.49 for 3 pounds of chips. They have held up well once opened too, even without preservatives. So, at just over a buck/pound, the tortilla strips are a wonderful bargain for a crunchy gluten-free snack food I can keep around for my weak moments where a fresh carrot or celery-stick just isn't fixing my cravings for munchies.

If your version of a snack includes jerky / pepperoni, I saw some Oberto Classics brand of Beef Pepperoni sticks clearly labeled gluten-free (and no added MSG) on the front of the bag. A 24-ouce (i.e., 1.5 pound) bag was $8.99, which I believe is pretty decent for that type of thing.

If you have a Costco near you, check it out. Their fresh produce section is really nice. And, we've been saving a fortune over the grocery-store prices on things like organic carrots (I buy 10# bags for munching, and for the ever important gluten-free carrot cake) and all sorts of other fruits and veggies including: greens (lettuces, etc), broccoli, apples, mangos, grapes, cherries, peaches, nectarines, watermelon, apricots, bananas, onions, and the list goes on... plus, they have some decent prices on frozen things too (I like keeping a bag of Wyman's wild blueberries in the freezer for smoothies e.g.).

I still go to Whole Foods Market for some items I can't find at Costco, but I can at least knock out some of the "core" items while saving some money thanks to the availability of some great gluten-free bulk items at Costco.

Biodiversity, Honeybees, and my Gluten-Free Diet

If you are one of those people that define a "beautiful lawn" as a homogeneous expanse of green grass without "weeds" and without exception, then you will not appreciate my yard. But, if you enjoy eating fresh fruits and vegetables, you may wish to consider some bee-friendly biodiversity action, especially with commercial honeybee populations in steady and alarming decline. Fact is, those important gluten-free diet elements (vegetables / fruits) overwhelmingly require pollination in order to exist on your table.

I personally find it anything but surprising that honeybees and other bees are disappearing in conjunction with America's obsession over their "perfect" lawns, and our practice of single-crop planting over massive geographic regions. What are the bees to feast on when vast areas are stripped clean of any naturally flowering plants to make room for grass and/or commercial farming of non-flowering grains? I won't even address the issue of pesticides.

I prefer to give the wild bees in my area a chance to eat a balanced diet of pollens, from various flowering plants (both wild and cultivated flowers, fruits, and vegetables), since I need bees to get the fruits and vegetables I want in my gluten-free diet.

My yard is not just Green

Our yard is naturally attractive and encouraging to bees of all kinds. We have many honeybees, bumblebees, wood bees, and a host of other pollinators circulating throughout our yard. The yard is the attraction, the garden is the destination I aim to entice the bees to locate and pollinate.

Our yard region surrounding the garden consists of all sorts of organic wild flowers and flowering "creepers" like clover, thyme, yarrow, flowering vinca-vine, and yes, even some dandelion (which our gold finches and groundhogs truly love!) And, this relationship is working quite well, as our garden is producing a superb amount of vegetables thanks to the constantly busy corridor of bees between our bee-friendly yard and our flowering vegetables.

Honeybees on Wild Creeping Thyme (in our yard)

Wild Thyme Spreads Nicely after started...

...and, Wild Yarrow and Clover abound...

All lead to Wonderful Garden Vegetables...

This year's gluten-free garden is shaping up quite well thus far. We have some drip-hose irrigation for efficient watering during the dry days, and a nice tall (8 foot) deer-proof fence to protect the bounty. The veggie selection this year includes:

• Celeriac - which I wrote about in this blog entry about gluten-free baking with Celeriac.
• Tomatoes - a "must" for so many dishes, be it Italian or Indian or American.
• Various Greens - lettuce, mustard greens, kale, turnip
• Zucchini - and here is a gluten-free recipe using zucchini, tomato, and pesto in a way I really enjoy.
• Watermelon - though I don't know if they will mature in time here in Ohio, I sure do love them!
• Cantaloupe - another delicious sweet treat for us gluten-free folks (well, everyone else too I guess)
• Peppers - jalapenos, habaneros, and a few less spicy ones.
• Eggplant - great for a variety of dishes like eggplant Parmesan, Chinese garlic-eggplant, or some varied Mediterranean dishes
• Cucumbers and Pickles
• Radishes
• Basil - an essential component of our various recipes using Pesto
• Potatoes
• plus, a few other things I am sure I am forgetting off the top of my head.

In general, most of my favorite foods require those bees for pollination Sure, I even like the honey the bees produce, but that is just an added bonus.

I encourage biodiversity in your own lawn, and chances are you can find some pleasing additions like the flowering creeping-thyme that make for a beautiful lush carpet-like ground-cover that is green for most of the year (it flowers wonderfully for a few weeks as shown above).

Another wonderful thing about the organic non-grass "grass" (like the thyme), is that it requires very little maintenance and mowing, since it tends not to get very tall, and it forms gentle rolling short waves (few inches) of green and/or flowering pink/purple. And, given the price of gasoline, the less lawn mowing the better!

Oh, did I mention how wonderful all that thyme smells as you take a stroll through it... ahhhhh.

Newtree Gluten-Free Chocolate-Mint Bar

"Refresh", indeed! This Newtree brand chocolate was an excellent bar of refreshingly subtle mint coupled with a smooth high-quality dark chocolate, and clearly labeled "gluten-free" (on the back of the package). I love chocolate. I love dark chocolate even more. And, I really enjoy the combination of dark chocolate and mint, be it in a French Mint or a chocolate bar like this.

The bar cost a bit more than I like to spend on chocolate (it is just under 3 ounces, and it cost me nearly 4 bucks!), but I just could not resist when I saw it at World Market the other day. Call it the splurge for the week, or my temporary insanity as my insatiable overwhelming chocolate urges took control of my mind (and wallet) for a moment. :)

One of the interesting additions to this particular chocolate that got my curiosity piqued was the green tea. And, like the label says:

Get your mind and body in mint condition with REFRESH. Rejuvenating mint and green tea extracts make our REFRESH high in antioxidants, offering protection from life's damaging elements. Tea up for health!

Whether I am in mint condition now or not is debatable, but I do admit I thoroughly enjoyed this refreshing gluten-free treat, and it made me feel wonderful throughout the time spent consuming it! I even managed to exercise enough self restraint to make it last two whole days (a rather unusual thing for me when it comes to chocolate).

I tend to oft enjoy the more affordable "Endangered Species" brand chocolate-mint (which, as of this writing, are on sale for $2.50 per 4.5 ounce "bag") that is also gluten-free, though it has a bit more robust mint flavor (not overwhelming by any means, just more noticeable). Their dark chocolate is rather nice too, and I can easily locate the chocolate at our local Target brand store.

So, in conclusion: even with the rather inflated price of the NewTree Gluten-Free Mint-Chocolate Refresh bar, I am sure I will occasionally succumb to my desire to re-experience the fine dark chocolate/mint with tea and antioxidants again. It was quite delightful and recommended to gluten-free, wheat-free, and dairy-free (vegan) chocolate lovers everywhere.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Gluten-Free Papadums

Delicious Gluten-Free Papadums

If you have not yet tried a Papadum, perhaps it is time to check out these wonderful gluten-free snacks - a crispy and crunchy Indian style snack typically made from bean flours (like lentils, chick peas, gram beans, or fava beans). Not all papadums are gluten-free though, especially due to seasonings, spices, and flavorings that may be added to a particular recipe.

These Baji's brand Papadums (pictured above) were available at Whole Foods Market recently in the snacks and chips aisle. They vary a bit from traditional larger round/flat cracker or flatbread types, but are plenty crispy and delicious. Each little papadum chip is about 2 inches in diameter. After checking the company's website, I found that only *some* of their papadums are gluten-free, so be warned. These Tangy Cilantro ones were gluten-free, as are their Mango Chutney and Traditional Tandoori ones (warning: their Creamy Yogurt Dill variety contains wheat in the flavoring).

I first discovered Papadums when I was in the United Kingdom (UK) last year. The gluten-free ones I found there were a few inches in diameter, and more flat and crunchy, and definitely more of what you would call a traditional Indian Papadum. These Baji's brand gluten-free snacks are crunchy and crispy, just not quite as hard or coarse as what I had in the UK. But, I enjoy both interpretations of what a papadum should be.

I prefer the papadums that have a bit of added spice, like this variety. Chili, Cilantro, Garlic, Coriander, Turmeric, Green Bell Pepper, Onion: all these wonderful flavors come together for a slight "zip" and a lot of flavor. I could have done without the small bit of Sour Cream Powder, which of course turns an otherwise dairy-free snack into one with traces of dairy, though the addition makes the flavor somewhat like a sour-cream-and-onion type accent, but with a bit more robust combination of complementary flavors.

So, the bottom line is that I definitely recommend this product. I welcome anything new, flavorful, crunchy, and easy-to-serve into my snack repertoire. What I should really learn to do next is make my own gluten-free papadums at home, though I would need to first aquire some of the bean flours most commonly used, and make sure they are certified gluten-free. I could always perhaps just grind some lentil beans into flour. One more thing to add to my every-expanding "to-do" list.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Trader Joe's Gluten-Free Brownie Mix

Even though we bake nearly all our own Gluten-Free Desserts and publish a book on the subject, that doesn't mean we don't try new gluten-free dessert products when we find one. This week we came across this new Gluten-Free Brownie Mix at Trader Joe's and decided to bake it up to see what it was like.

The nice thing about this mix is how quickly you can create the brownies - simply add 1 Egg, 1/2Cup Vegetable Oil, and 1/4Cup water to the mixx and bake it. We also added some optional ingredients of our choosing - Walnuts and Chocolate Baking Chips. Then you bake it for 1/2 hour.

The Brownie mix itself simply contains the following ingredients: organic evaporated cane juice (sugar), sweet brown rice flour (which I have never seen before actually - anywhere), cocoa, tapioca flour, arrowroot flour, sea salt, and xanthan gum. The mix is wheat-free, gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and corn-free; all of which will make this a widely acceptable option.

Product Review / Opinion

The results: not too bad. As you can see from the ingredients, the recipe has absolutely no leavening agent. So, this is a dense, moist brownie. It's not really chewy per se, but definitely moist; and the texture is just OK for me, though at least I can report that it is not powdery or gritty, since the sweet brown rice flour and cocoa are fine-ground. It was definitely sweet, and quite rich (with a deep, dark chocolate color to match).

Bottom line is that the brownie tasted fine, and for something that can be thrown together very quickly for when you don't have time to bake your own gluten-free desserts from scratch, it is certainly acceptable. I have a feeling many kids would like it without question, though I didn't have any nearby to test it on. The mix was relatively affordable too - I believe the price was $2.99. So, if you have a Trader Joe's store nearby, it might be worth grabbing a brownie-mix bag for the pantry as a quick-bake gluten-free dessert option.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Gluten-Free Chia Seeds : SuperFood Status

Chia Seeds : Gluten-Free Superfood

Chia Seeds (hydrated)

If I hadn't entitled this blog posting "Gluten-Free Chia Seeds" would you have been able to guess what ingredient was lurking in the above pictured drink? Perhaps they remind you a bit of pearl tapioca? There are some similarities in texture, though tapioca can not even come close to the awesome nutrition Chia Seeds offer to those of us on a gluten-free diet.

The initial picture above shows Chia seeds (aka, Salvia Hispanica seeds) I have in my morning coffee (before adding some gluten-free soymilk; the post-soymilk picture is next). These offer an incredible burst of fiber and healthful Omega-3 Fatty Acids, with a fair dose of protein as well. They are a perfect diet food, and a great gluten-free baking ingredient too since they add nearly zero flavor to a recipe while introducing a "binding capacity"! I'll discuss their nutrition breakdown in more detail below...



And, this is how they arrive, when ordered online from Nuts Online Chia Seeds web page (they have the best price I could find, and I am quite pleased with their fast shipping and nice packaging).


NUTRITION - AWESOME!
Here's a summary from what Wikipedia says, and I can't say it much better. I'll give specifics about the product above immediately after this quote:

Chia seeds are typically small ovals with a diameter of about one millimeter. They are mottle-colored with brown, gray, black and white. Chia seeds typically contain 20% protein, 34% oil, 25% dietary fiber (mostly soluble with high molecular weight), and significant levels of antioxidants (chlorogenic and caffeic acids, myricetin, quercetin, and kaempferol flavonols). The oil from chia seeds contains a very high concentration of omega-3 fatty acid — approximately 64%. Chia seeds contain no gluten and trace levels of sodium. There are no known toxic components of chia.

Wow! Doesn't that just sound like a near-perfect food?

Now, here's the nutrition data for a one ounce serving of these lovely seeds. You'll notice they are incredibly low in calories, and even though a high percentage of calories is from "fat", it's *good* fat (Omega 3's). Notice there are NEARLY ZERO NET CARBS (of 12g carbs, only 1g is not fiber!) Amazing stuff!

Chia Seed Nutritional Values

In addition to "just the numbers", the gluten-free Chia Seeds offer other potential health benefits. I have heard some people claim they have used Chia Seeds as part of a very successful weight-loss strategy (makes sense, given the facts above). Also, there is some discussion about how the Chia Seeds may also slow absorption of other carbohydrates, thus being a good thing for diabetics and people watching their blood-sugar. Certainly an easy thing to try out and see what happens.

USING CHIA SEEDS IN RECIPES
In short: these things are amazing in recipes!! They offer not just nutrition, but an amazing moisture-holding and binding ability. And, it does not take very much of the product to really make a difference in a recipe. They can add much-desired "bounce" or sponginess to recipes like breads and pancakes and the like, as such recipes should have.

In Drinks:
Not that it is much of a "recipe", but I'll start with the simplest gluten-free treat that I like using Chia Seeds in: coffee! (or Tea) I simply add a tablespoon or two of the Chia Seed to my (large - 16oz+) glass of hot coffee, and let them soak for a few minutes before adding soy milk or whatever else. The seeds expand like pearl tapioca, and get that "fish egg" type of feel. I find them enjoyable, and much like tapioca drinks called "boba" or "bubble tea", but unlike pure-carbohydrate tapioca, these Chia Seeds add significant nutrition to a drink.

In Other Recipes:
You will want to start out by pre-hydrating the seeds. Simply place them in a bowl and add water (cold or hot) and allow them to soak for a while (15 minutes perhaps). This pre-soak yields nice results for baking recipes where liquids are used. Vary the liquid-to-chia proportion as needed to create a thicker/thinner "gel" of sorts to add to your recipes where liquids are typically added.

I have made some of the most incredible pancakes ever, by altering my existing pancake formula(s) to include pre-hydrated chia seed. I am rather certain these pancakes could rival any "real" ones. I still need to experiment more with bread and dessert recipes (especially cakes!), though my initial trials are quite promising. I will post variation-instructions on my book-sales site once I get the proportions nailed down, for anyone else that wants to try Chia in such recipes. If you can't wait - just experiment; I don't think it'll be too tough to add a bit of Chia to a recipe and get decent results.

Note: I recommend drinking plenty of fluid with these. The dietary fiber concentration is so incredibly high, the demand for complementary fluids is going to be rather high too. This should be easy enough to achieve, especially if using them in coffee or tea, and should be part of any diet plan with proper hydration.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

New Zealand Pears - Wonderful!

This has to be one of the best pear varieties I have ever tried. As you can see in the picture, it is of New Zealand origin, and appears to be called an Enza "Taylors Gold". I found a few of these on sale recently at Whole Foods Market ($1.99/pound), and a worker there helped me choose the perfectly ripe ones from the pile.

One thing I can always appreciate while living with a gluten-free diet is fruit. I love fruits in general - perhaps because so many are sweet, which satisfies most sugar and carbohydrate cravings.

This particular pear was nothing short of wonderful. It was so sweet, juicy, smooth textured (non-grainy), and had a perfectly pleasing flavor. I couldn't ask for any more from a pear... its mouth-watering succulence was the stuff of legends. :)

Well, you get the idea. I found these pears to be awesome. If you have a chance to try one, look for a pear that is already slightly soft to the touch, and that should be one which is ready to eat immediately. I generally try to buy more locally-sourced (or at least regionally-sourced) items, but I'm glad I gave in and tried these wonderful New Zealand pears.

Though, one thing I still find amazing/frustrating is how they can get pears from somewhere as far away as New Zealand, to the USA, and sell them for $2.00/pound (after paying the grower, shipper, middlemen, and retailer) when I can't even ship a book overseas for less than about $5.00/pound (not even counting the book price in there), and my product can't spoil like fruit or veggies! But, that's another story it seems - chalk it up to volume discounts for shipping tons of produce at once I guess.

Gluten-Free Waffle Extravaganza

I knew I was in for a treat this Memorial Day when I woke to the sounds of the Kitchenaid mixer running. I could clearly discern the unmistakable sound of the whisk attachment spinning away, which surely meant that egg-whites were part of whatever gluten-free recipe was being created. Given the hour of day, it was a fair bet my initial hunch - waffles? - would correctly identify the first course of the day.

I love waffles! Homemade gluten-free waffles especially, since their wonderful texture and taste can not be beat by any store bought varieties (though, I don't know why, since we freeze our "extra" waffles and then reheat them in a toaster at a later date just like a purchased gluten-free waffle would be - and they are perfectly delicious for months this way).

Today's assortment of fresh-baked (or fresh-ironed, in the waffle iron) waffles were all dairy-free in addition to gluten-free, and included a nice range of flavors. My wife has again outdone herself and baked an assortment (for this morning, and for future consumption) including:

• Cocoa, Chocolate-Chip, and Pumpkin variety
  
• Tofu, Flax, Buckwheat, Blueberry, cinnamon
  
• Banana-Walnut

Oh what a treat!
I was able to sample from each type, and had one of the greatest Memorial Day gluten-free / wheat-free breakfasts anyone could ask for. It was the perfect way to start the day!

I'll try to get around to posting the various recipes soon. They are each essentially variations on a theme, originating with the existing waffle recipes we have online already at the Gluten-Free Recipe Library here (though, those original waffle recipes were not dairy-free, so I definitely need to post the extended versions).

Enjoy your Memorial Day... I know I will, especially after starting out with such a great breakfast treat!

Gluten-Free Cake Recipe Variation - Dairy-Free Black Forest Bundt

We are getting around to adapting even more of our Gluten-Free Desserts to be dairy-free (in addition to wheat-free / gluten-free) in hopes that we help as many Celiac sufferers as possible find great dessert recipes they can enjoy. Pictured above is one of the latest variations that my wife has created - a variation on our Gluten-Free Black-Forest Bundt Cake (from pages 36-37 in our book), which has now been modified to no longer contain any dairy products in this latest variation.

You will also notice that we were out of cherries when we baked this particular cake, so we cheated a bit and used Strawberries instead (which you can see inside the cake and one on the surface). The results were still quite delicious!

Hopefully, if you are dairy-free, you can still enjoy soy in your diet. I realize there are a few people that also have gone soy-free out there, and none of our original recipes in our cookbook use any soy. We made a conscious decision to avoid soy in the book since it seemed that a fair number of people considered it an allergen or dietary ingredient to avoid. But, we also realize the benefits that soy protein can offer to the majority of people that still consume soy as a part of their gluten-free diet. So, with this cake recipe variation, we tried for a happy medium: dairy-free, but with soy ingredients.

This particular recipe variation made use of soy-protein, in the form of soft Tofu (the kind that comes in those little 12 ounce "boxes"). The tofu replaced the sour-cream we originally used, thus bringing some additional protein into the mix and lowering the fat content a bit while, of course, removing that dairy / casein containing item. We also replaced the butter with margarine, making the whole cake dairy-free. If you own our cookbook, and want to try baking this dairy-free variation, just see this gluten-free cake recipe-variation link for all the details of the remaining few minor modifications we made.

The soy protein (i.e., tofu) makes for a really nice result: it gives the cake a wonderful texture while also enhancing the "shelf life" of the cake from my experience -- I was eating this cake for a few days and had it just sitting out on the counter with a bit of plastic wrap over the top. The tofu seems to make the gluten-free cake retain moisture well over time, and thus be less susceptible to drying out if left exposed to the elements.

As with any gluten-replacement strategy, using soy-protein to replace the wheat-protein (i.e., gluten / gliaden) is one approach to gluten-free baking that can be helpful. Other (gluten / protein) alternatives that can be helpful include dairy and egg proteins, which in this case we have opted not to use the dairy-protein side of the equation. Along similar lines, my wife created a wonderful soy/tofu waffle variation that is quite nice too! I'll publish that full recipe soon. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the latest gluten-free dessert recipe / variation!

Eat Chocolate for Science : a Dream Come True

I was just reading a Reuters news item about how volunteers were needed for a year-long study that were willing to consume a chocolate bar per day for a year. Oh, gee,... twist my arm! :)

Chocolate is one of my favorite gluten-free treats (i.e., gluten-free when not tainted with gluten-containing ingredients or exposed to gluten in a production facility). And, multiple research studies have previously shown dark chocolate seems to have some ability to lower blood pressure, improve the function of blood vessels and reduce heart attack risk.

So, sign me up for the new study! But, sorry, not so simple... I can't get in on this chocolate study because 1) it is taking place in Britain, and 2) the test-group being recruited is initially just women. Bummer! All I can do is hope some local medical research facility decides to follow suit - perhaps the Cleveland Clinic or University Hospitals (both are rather active in medical research). I'd surely volunteer in a second for a study on the health benefits of chocolate and flavonoids, especially if I have to eat chocolate constantly.

Here's the goal of the chocolate / flavonoid study, and how they will assess the impact of chocolate and other related diet / dietary compounds:

The trial starting in June will explore whether compounds called flavonoids found in chocolate and other foods can reduce the risk of heart disease for menopausal women with type 2 diabetes, the researchers said on Monday.

Half the women in the year-long study will eat a super-charged chocolate bar containing 30 grams of flavonoids found in soy, cocoa and other fruits and vegetables. The others will get chocolate without the active compounds.

It will be interesting to see what the outcome of a longer-term study on chocolate and flavonoids yields. I am always looking for an excuse to consume more chocolate, so I hope the outcome proves that cocoa and/or chocolate are helping me in some way. I found the study quite timely, since I just wrote a gluten-free blog posting about eating raw cocoa beans as a gluten-free treat for serious chocolate addicts (like me!)

Raw Cocoa Beans : only for Serious Chocolate Lovers

Raw Cocoa Beans are another recent gluten-free snack and diet food I found at Whole Foods Market recently. But, before you grab a bag of these to start stacking on, I warn you: eating raw cocoa beans may only be enjoyable if you are a serious chocolate fanatic - they are a bit harsh to say the least.

The flavor is intense, and borders on bitter, since there is no added sugar or cocoa butter (or butter) as you are most likely used to when you consume commercial chocolate products. Basically, eating pure raw cocoa beans is even a step more harsh then consuming unsweetened baking chocolate. But, if you are into such things, give them a try.

Being just cocoa beans, these should certainly be safe for your wheat-free, dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free diet. Because of their flavor intensity, the cocoa beans can make for a great low-calorie chocolate "fix" that packs enough punch to satisfy any cravings. And, I have found that I can just pop a couple of these beans into my mouth and chew on them for as much as a half hour while still getting flavor out of them. The consistency may be a bit like that of roasted coffee beans. So, if you like roasted coffee beans (a popular form being chocolate-covered espresso-beans), you may well enjoy these cacoa beans.

Now, just because I eat them plain does not mean they are not useful in other ways. I love my gluten-free desserts, especially chocolate ones and/or chocolate-accent ones, and these beans can be used as a neat addition or garnish to various gluten-free desserts. You can crack them into small pieces and sprinkle them onto things as cocoa nibs (which I noticed were rather popular on top of chocolate bars in the UK). I like them on ice-cream, and sometimes I'll just eat some with a piece of a dark-chocolate bar for a quick enhanced texture and flavor experience. There are quite a few possibilities for these delicious gluten-free treats... even if you can't tolerate the flavor intensity in their pure form, they make a wonderful accent. Enjoy!

Sorry the Gluten-Free Blog articles have slowed down the past few weeks. My wife and I have been busy creating a vastly expanded vegetable garden for the summer, and that has been taking a lot of time. But, I have more gluten-free recipes coming soon including some Soy/Tofu variations of glutenfree cakes and GF waffles that are quite fabulous. Perhaps when the next rainy day forces me indoors I will have time to post the recipes, but for now, I have to take full advantage of the great Spring weather while it lasts.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Tortilla Chips

[UPDATE: apparently these chocolate tortilla chips were phased out. But, the maker still has a nice lineup of delicious varieties of gluten-free chips... see the link below.]

I can not believe I didn't try these chocolate tortilla chips earlier - they are WONDERFUL! I love chocolate, as any of my readers fully know by now, and the subtle chocolate / cocoa flavor in these certified gluten-free tortilla chips makes for an extra-special snack. They are made by a company called "Foods That Should Taste Good (tm)" in Massachusetts, and my first thoughts upon tasting them include: "wow" that is a great tasting quality product with fantastic texture and mouth appeal.

I found these gluten-free chips at Whole Foods Market earlier today, and I have since tried them plain, and with a bit of Parmigiano-Reggiano I also purchased today as a treat. I enjoyed these considerably both ways. The one problem is the fact I could eat a whole bag of them in one sitting, which probably isn't the best idea for a diet, though it could be enjoyable. They are labeled as a possible dessert item too, and I concur.

In addition to chocolate tortilla chips, they have a few other varieties of wheat-free and gluten-free chips with interesting flavors I am looking forward to also trying: varieties including Jalepeno tortilla chips, olive tortilla chips, and even a gluten-free multigrain tortilla chip. And, here's a quote from their website regarding their gluten-free certification:

Are any of your products gluten-free?
Yes! All of our chips have been tested and certified gluten-free, and all are processed on machinery that that does not process any items with gluten. (If you are concerned about the oat fiber in the multigrain chips, don't be! The fiber is extracted from the oats, and does not contain any gluten.)

I am always pleased to encounter such wonderful gluten-free products, especially novel ones that are especially standouts in the crowd, that I can recommend to others. These definitely get my full "thumbs up" gluten-free product recommendation. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.