Sunday

Product Review: Barilla Gluten-Free Pasta

Many thanks to the wonderful folks at Barilla for sending me some gluten-free pasta to try in honour of Celiac Awareness month. How kind is that?!

If you are like me and prefer your pasta on the al dente side, you will be a fan of Barilla's gluten-free line. For those who enjoy their pasta with less bite, there are 2 sets of directions on the box - one for al dente and one for a more done texture. The difference in cooking time is literally one minute, but that can make a world of a difference in the kitchen and I appreciate the instruction!




GlutenFreePasta
Barilla Gluten-Free Pasta

So What's It Like?


I really wanted to get a feeling for what Barilla gluten-free pasta truly is, so I was hesitant to add a lot of extra ingredients or make anything with intense flavours. I made a dish with a light, vegetable-based sauce and some fresh crisp peas. Sometimes simple can be better. And in this case, it really is!

The texture is off the charts incredible. It's very close to "normal" gluten filled pasta in structure and mouth feel. I love the little snapping bite you get from following the directions for an al dente dish. As far as taste goes, I thought it was good as well. There is no overpowering hint of anything flavour wise, which some gluten-free pasta brands are notorious for. Barilla uses simple ingredients - a combination of corn and rice flour.

This pasta even holds up after *gasp* reheating leftovers in the microwave a day later! No falling apart or mushiness. Leftover pasta is always a great thing so this is HUGE!

Have you cooked anything up with Barilla gluten-free pasta lately? Share your favourite dish with me!



Tuesday

Gluten Free Garage 2017


Less than 2 weeks to go until this year's Gluten Free Garage


I went last year for the first time and quickly became a fan. The pop-up gluten-free event feels like a farmers market, hidden away in the city. 


What you can expect from this year's event


  • Discover local bakeries, restaurants, and retailers that cater to their gluten-free needs
  • Sample and purchase gluten-free food, beverages and related lifestyle products from a wide variety of vendors
  • Enjoy delicious gluten-free food prepared onsite by local chefs and caterers
  • Get information about celiac disease, gluten intolerance, and the gluten-free diet
  • Learn more about the gluten-free lifestyle from guest speakers
  • Grab a free tote bag for all their gluten-free goodies
  • Take home coupons for future purchases as well as samples of gluten-free products


Learn more about the history of Gluten Free Garage by reading my interview with founder, Ronnilyn Pustil.




GFG


Hope to see you at this year's event!


Sunday

Review: Pikanik


I was provided with free product for review purposes. As always, all opinions are my own.

Gluten-Free Pancake and Lava Cake Mixes



Meet Pikanik


If you haven't discovered Pikanik, let me introduce you.
 Pikanik is a gluten-free and allergen safe bakery located in South Surrey British Columbia. EVERYTHING is free of gluten, wheat, peanut, tree nut, dairy, soy. Some products are even egg free.


They sell everything from bread, muffins, and cupcakes to pasta, baking mixes, and Vegan caesar salad dressing. For a flat $10.00 rate (on orders $30.00+) Pikanik delivers's from West Vancouver to Abbotsford and some surrounding areas.





Single and Lava'n It Chocolate Lava Cake Desset Mix


Gluten-Free Chocolate Lava Cake


Price: 
$8.95
Makes 6 single servings

Chocolate lava cake is new to me. Well, making it is anyways. Being the avid Food Network viewer that I am, more than a few of these have come across my screen. Watching chefs talk about how fussy and intricate these heavenly cakes are to make was enough for me to leave it to the pros.

So imagine my surprise when a mix for chocolate lava cake shows up at my home. I'll admit that I was a wee bit scared at first. I'd be crazy not to be right? Once I read over the extra ingredients and effort required, I was confidently pleased. All you will need on hand is a little bit of oil, coffee (optional), water and sugar.

The recipe is set up so that you can make individual lava cakes or a big one. I opted to get some use out of my ramekins and make individual ones. Cooking time and temperatures vary from oven to oven so please keep this in mind as you may need to make some adjustments. I had to crank the temperature slightly and leave the lava cake in a little longer. Once you figure out your oven, it's easy peasy. And don't worry, a delicate hand is not required for success.

Taste Test

If you are a chocolate fan, this mix is for you! Lava cake #2 (#1 was taken out too early...whoopsie!) was a wonderland of ooey gooey delicious! As you can see from the above photo, some of it stuck to the ramekin, but hey, it looks super rustic and cute! You can taste a nice sweetness, but you're not left with that overindulgent feeling. Though the cake was slightly dense it was lovely and paired spectacularly with whipped cream and powdered sugar. Next time around, I'm going all out and making an ice cream sundae lava cake! The fun combinations are endless. Especially considering the minimal effort needed to make the lava cakes.



Flippin' Fantastic Flapjacks Pancake Mix


Pancakes

Price: $10.95
Makes 60 pancakes

Silver Dollars, Flapjacks and Hotcakes are just some of the that names pancakes go by. For most people, mornings would not be complete without them. I love to make big batches and freeze them for quick (and sometimes late night) snacks.


Like the lava cake mix, this one doesn't require a whole lot of extra ingredients. All you need on hand is oil, eggs, yoghurt, and milk. I replaced the yoghurt with apple sauce and used Almond Milk for our pancakes.


Taste Test

The pancakes turned out pretty great. They flip flawlessly with a spatula which is really important to avoid a muddled mess in the pan. The addition of applesauce added a gorgeous scent and flavour. The pancakes turned out fluffy but slightly thinner than I'm used to. This could be due to my applesauce swap. I really loved that they were not overly sweet and were quite delicious with maple syrup and just a bit of butter. I'm thinking these pancakes would be great for school/work lunches - just spread your favourite jam or nut butter on a pancake and roll it up. Or go wild with a filling of sliced banana and Nutella.


Some Final Notes


  • The packaging of both mixes is resealable. How brilliant and ah-mazing is that?! 


  • Pikanik has a customer appreciation program that earns you a credit with every purchase!

  • Their product selection can be viewed and ordered online here


You can follow and interact with Pikanik on Facebook and Instagram: @pikanikcreations




Disclosure

This policy is valid from 23 February 2013

This is a personal blog written and edited by me. All opinions are that of my own. I am not a healthcare professional or an expert. All information presented in this blog is purely that of my own experience and or opinion. Please consult a medical professional before making any changes to your diet.

I write this blog as a hobby that I am passionate about. From time to time, I may receive monetary compensation for a sponsored post. I only work with brands that I trust and would use in my own home.

This blog accepts complimentary products for review. The opinions I have of a product will never be swayed by a company sending me an item(s) for free. I take into consideration the opinion of family members who are gluten-free due to Celiac Disease and I also value the opinions of non-gluten free family members. Taste is a matter of personal opinion so please use your own discretion and don't take my opinion as a gold standard.

Any ingredient or gluten-free claims should be verified with the restaurant/manufacturer as things can and do change.

For questions about this blog, please contact: sandra@glutenfreedoll.com

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