Be Free For Me Blog

It’s funny how condiments can make a gluten free or allergen free world that much… well, happier! Condiments can make the sometimes ho-hum world of gluten or allergen free living come to life.

This week’s Friday favorite is another old standby for me. Honeycup Mustard is the sunshine in my gluten-free pantry. Plus, the usefulness of this mustard makes it a staple that I can’t live without.

Honeycup Uniquely Sharp Mustard is gluten free, egg free, sesame free, nut free, dairy free, plus kosher. It is perfect smothered over chicken before baking or used as a dip for gluten-free pretzels.

My favorite though is as a topping for deli meat, cheese and veggies that is wrapped in large leaf lettuce. It gives just enough “zip” to turn it into a satisfying and tasty sandwich alternative.

Who needs the bread when a condiment like this can steal the show?

If you want to find out more about this mustard, or order some for yourself, you can find it at their distributor, World Foods or call the folks at Stone County Specialties at (416) 447-9664.

This week’s Friday Favorite is an old stand-by for me. Hormel Turkey Pepperoni are a staple on my shopping list since they are so versatile, and unlimited when it comes to adding flavor to any recipe or quick snack.

Just the right amount of spiciness and tons of flavor, the Hormel Turkey Pepperoni is gluten free and has 70%  less fat than the Hormel original pepperoni – so dig in!

Some of the ways I like to enjoy the turkey pepperoni is in omelets, topped on a salad or pizza, with cheese and gluten free crackers, and as a quick “there’s nothing to eat in the house” dinner by slicing the pepperoni thin and tossing them with gluten free pasta, fresh veggies,  herbs and olive oil.

Another bonus with the Hormel turkey pepperoni is that they are packaged in a keep-it-fresh 8-ounce “Pillow Pack” – which has a convenient resealable zipper. This makes the pepperoni easy to transport to picnics or the beach.

Hormel Turkey Pepperoni has made me think beyond the pizza crust, and discover many ways of enjoying pepperoni! Mangia!

This week’s Friday Favorite is also a family favorite! My sister (the super-awesome birthday girl!) is the one that actually turned me on to the Against the Grain Baguettes. The flavor I tried was the Fresh Rosemary, and they smelled just as good as they tasted.

This baguette was the way a baguette should be: crusty and flaky on the outside, and soft and airy in the inside. Deliciously yummy. After the first bite I knew why my sister raved about these baguettes.

These baguettes were served by my sister at a dinner to both gluten-free and glutenous family members. They were a huge, huge hit with everyone.

Against The Grain manufactures their products in a 100% gluten-free, peanut and tree-nut free, 7,200 square foot facility located in Brattleboro, Vermont. They also use local eggs and milk from nearby farmers in all their products. Their products also contain no yeast, corn, soy, rice or sugar. As well as the baguettes, they also make bagels, rolls, and pizza shells. They are all sold frozen. 

I haven’t tried the rolls yet, but my sister tells me that turkey burgers are awesome on the rosemary rolls. I can’t wait to try them for myself. Look forward to a recipe coming soon!

Against The Grain also just recently won the Vermont Grilled Cheese Cook-Off. Their winning sandwich called the “South-of-the Border Grilled Flatbread, Vermont Style,” also has Cabot Cheese as an ingredient, which is another one of BeFreeForMe Friday Favorites! The gluten free recipe is as follows:

SOUTH-OF-THE-BORDER GRILLED FLATBREAD, VERMONT STYLE (Serves 4)
A gluten free sandwich

Ingredients:

1 Gluten Free 12-inch, 3-Cheese Pizza Shell (Against The Grain Gourmet)
4 oz Chipotle Cheddar Cheese (Neighborly Farms of Vermont,) grated
2 Tbsp refried black beans
4 Slices bacon (Vermont Smoke and Cure, Thick Sliced,) cooked and crumbled
2-3 Tbsp Cilantro Vinaigrette (1Tbsp fresh chopped cilantro, 2 parts oil, 1 part white balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste)

Directions:

1.) Prepare cilantro vinaigrette ahead of time for optimum flavor.
2.) Cut pizza shell into halves.  Brush the top surface of each half liberally with cilantro vinaigrette.
3.) Spread a thin layer of refried black beans on the bottom surface of one half, and top with grated cheese and bacon crumbles.
4.) Close the flatbread sandwich and place on grill.  Grill for 4-5 minutes until the cheese is melted and the shell is toasted with golden grill marks.
5.) Cut into 4ths with pizza cutter to serve.

My Friday favorite blog feature is all about sharing. But this week I’m really sharin’ the love.

Sauces n’ Love Pesto is amazing. I stumbled upon this little gem at my local BJ’s Warehouse Club store while shopping for staples and basics. Since that day this pesto has been on my standing-order of BJ’s stock-up supplies.

I hate to sound smug but the reason this pesto is one of my all-time favorites is because it is so darn close to my own handmade pesto. I make my pesto with garden fresh basil, which I painstakingly nurture, grow and water, combined with fresh garlic, pine nuts, fresh grated parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper. Not surprisingly, these are the exact same natural, organic, vegetarian, and gluten, sugar and preservative free ingredients used in the Sauces n’ Love pesto.

I love making my pesto in the summer when my basil plant is the size of a small shrub (if I remember to water it) and ready to be harvested. But when time is at an all time premium, I count on my staple tub of love – Sauces n’ Love pesto.

And if you want to make things really easy, buy yourself a small basil plant and put it on your patio. Get some Sauces n’ Love Pesto, act like you made it yourself, and toss it up with your favorite gluten-free pasta. No one will ever tell the difference… and there’s no watering required.

Sometimes gluten-free crackers can be so, well, bland. That is why I love Edward & Sons Purple Rice & Black Sesame Rice Toasts.

Before even biting into one, I knew that this was no boring cracker. How could it be when it’s… purple!

Somehow Edwards & Sons mills colorful Asian rice into these yummy, nutritious, whole grain crackers. They are also vegan, low sodium and have zero grams of trans fat.

They’re crisp, colorful and wholesome… plus they are made of all natural ingredients.
I like mine smeared with roasted red pepper hummus, or as a side with tomato soup.

Another bonus: These crackers came in two individually wrapped trays, a plus to keep them stay fresh and extra crispy.

They also come in two other varieties: Thai Red Rice & Flaxseed and Jasmine Rice & Spring Onion. I haven’t tried these two other varieties yet, but I am looking forward to trying them soon.

Being purple makes these crackers fun. But being so tasty and healthy makes them my pick for this week’s Friday Favorite! Enjoy!

Grilling time is here. It’s quick, easy and convenient. Plus, I can spend my late evenings in my garden or relaxing on my front porch, instead of scrubbing dirty pans!

But sometimes I want something a bit different for dinner. This is when we fire up the grill and brown up some Johnsonville Bratwursts. The Original Bratwursts are gluten free, and most of the other varieties are too (check under nutrition information on the Johnsonville website for more info on allergens).
Although I eat Johnsonville bratwursts without a bun (I truly believe that a bun takes away from the flavor anyway), I love them with mustard and grilled red & green peppers.

Because of the variety, economics and accessibility of the Johnsonville Bratwursts – you can find them at almost any grocer – they get my Friday Favorite pick for this week. If you are looking for something different to cook up on the grill this season give them a try!

I usually like to make my breakfast from “scratch” and try not to rely on pre-made offerings since homemade is usually far more economical. But there are some mornings I need a good “sit down breakfast” yet don’t have the time, or the bother to fuss.

This is when I reach for my Trader Joes Gluten AND Dairy Free Homestyle Pancakes.

Each box has four handy packets each containing three pancakes. The pancakes aren’t huge, but the three pancakes are a satisfying meal. The only tricky thing I have encountered is toasting all sides of the three pancakes when I have a 2-slot toaster (BTW – I know people with a 2-slot and a 4-slot toaster, but never a 3-slot toaster)! I solved the dilemma by buddying up two panckes in one slot, popping the toaster mid-cycle and rearranging the pancakes so that all pancake sides get that “I need butter to melt all over me” toasty glow. But I admit…  I have once or twice eaten a cold sided pancake – maybe I need to pay more attention, but that can be hard some mornings – especially before I’ve eaten.

The package shows them served with berries, syrup and melted butter, but I usually eat mine with either real maple syrup, or if I feel I need to adjust my sugar and calorie count, Maple Grove Farms or Vermont Maid Sugar Free syrup – both of which are clearly marked gluten free on their labels.

I also have spread raspberry preserves on these panckaes and eaten them in-hand and on-the-go on the days when a fork and knife are not an eating option.

All in all, these pancakes have my pick for BeFreeForMe’s  Friday Favorite for this week. Call them what you want… pancakes, flapjacks or hotcakes… they are a really good and quick breakfast, a freezer staple and a must-buy on a Trader Joe’s shopping trip.

One more thing…  Trader Joe’s, if your reading this, you may want to buy some stock in a 3-slot toaster manufacturer.

Basically, I don’t know what I would do without it. I love the stuff. San-J Wheat Free Soy Sauce.

I actually brought a bottle with me to my local Chinese Restaurant when I met a few girlfriends for dinner a few weeks ago. They also gave it a try and decided it tasted just as good as the “regular” soy sauce. So it also has the non-GF seal of approval.

My San-J, as I lovingly call it, turned my steamed broccoli, chicken and white rice into a flavorful Chinese meal, not just a bland, tasteless dish that made me yearn for PuPu platters and potstickers. Before San-J I thought that I would never be able to truly enjoy Chinese food again.

At the end of the evening, I opened my fortune cookie (for the fortune only, not the cookie!) and my fortune was, “Believe it can be done.”

And yes –  Thanks to San-J it can.

Real Food Corn Thins are a favorite for breakfast, lunch and snacks. If you haven’t experienced them yet, you must give them a try!

They’re everything their name says, plus more! They are made of “real food” – all natural ingredients, and have no artificial colors or preservatives. Plus they are “corn” … and “thin”!

But it is the “thinness” that really makes them a stand-out compared to other “regular” rice cakes!

They are also free of gluten, nut and eggs and some flavors are even soy free and dairy free.

I like them as a bread substitute – smeared with honey, nut butter or topped with tuna fish or cold cuts. 

Check them out at: CornThins.com

Oh, and speaking of thin… they are only 22 calories each!

Cheese, Cheese, I LOVE Cabot Cheese!

Like some people love chocolate – my thing is cheese. I love cheese.

I would never even think about eating a plain ‘ole hamburger, especially since a lot of times, I forgo the roll. Plus, to me most foods are meant to be smothered, melted or complemented by cheese.

And if I’m going to eat cheese – I want good stuff, but at a good price.

That is why one of my favorite cheeses is Cabot Cheese. Made right here in the USA, in New England, in the state of Vermont. Local yum. My favorites are the 50% Reduced Fat Pepperjack (great for recipes) and the Seriously Sharp Cheddar (my favorite snacking cheese). 

All Cabot products are lactose and gluten free too. Check out: http://www.cabotcheese.com

That’s a reason to smile. Say “Cheese”!