Steeliac

Tag: Gluten free product review

  • M&S gluten free products

    M&S gluten free products

    I popped into the Marks & Spencer food store on Ecclesall Road this week. Not somewhere I usually go, but good for a treat, which in this case was a special packed lunch for my older boy for a school trip. All the other kids were getting fish & chips, and of course he couldn’t have any, so a premium lunch was required to make up for that. I have promised we can have family fish & chips on Friday instead, from the lovely Neptune’s at Banner Cross.

    So whilst I was in M&S, I picked up few a few new (to me) products to try. M&S are getting in on the sandwich thins trend with this very soft and generously seeded version. I love their crispy toasts, so I got two kinds to try: apricot and cashew, and date and walnut. I also found a noodle pot, which wasn’t in the free from section, and some interesting looking sweet potato crisps with Harissa. (I quite like harissa – it’s most frequently used in my house to spice up scrambled eggs at the weekend.)

    So yesterday I got to work on the sandwich thins for my packed lunch. These were super soft – a really great texture – and had a pleasing amount of seeds. I really rate thins because they have a great structural integrity, which you don’t tend to get with a sliced loaf. Also, I tend to find gluten free bread rolls too dense and heavy. These were great and at £1.80 they are very competitively priced.

    img_5728.jpgThis evening I tried the Pho noodle pot. These pots make a lovely filling, warm lunch at work, or are also great for a 5:2 tea, which I did today. There’s enough in them to make me feel I’m getting a decent meal for only 265 calories – bargain! And I put it in a bowl to kid myself it was more than just a convenience food. 🙂

    I thought the flavour of the broth was good – quite meaty with the tamarind coming through. There were plenty of vegetables (rehydrated of course) and tonnes of noodles. This was also very reasonably priced at £1.75.

    I doubt the crisps will survive past tomorrow, but I will save the crispy toasts for the weekend to enjoy with a with a bit of cheese…

     

  • Newburn Bakehouse wraps 

    I’ve said previously that I think Newburn Bakehouse (by Warburtons) are shaking up the gluten free bread market with some products that are way superior to what was already on the market. I think the little sandwich thins are excellent as the bread to filling ratio is much better than an inevitably dry textured gluten free bread roll.

    I am also a fan of the wraps, which now also come in mini form. These have a pleasing, slightly sweet taste and roll up fairly well. You can’t generally fold the bottom up without them cracking, but overall, they make a very decent wrap.

    They also have a great secondary use, these wraps. I frequently cut them into small slices and grill them for a few minutes on each side until they go a bit crispy and slightly curled, then they make really good dippers for all sorts of things. You have to be careful not to let them go too brown though, as they burn easily.

    Cut into triangles, they have given boring old egg and beans (one of my super-quick after school teas) a new lease of life as… egg and beans with crispy sails!

    There’s just something about standing food on its end that makes it more fun, and seems to have transformed a meal that used to get a groan into one that gets a cheer, which is nice.

    They’re also great with hummous or other dips and soft pates, particularly when you don’t want something too salty. To be honest, you can dip them in anything. I think we once made really thin ones to be dipped in soft boiled eggs, and I’ve even used them to make quick mini pizzas instead of using a regular base. Very versatile!

     

  • New products: Hobnobs & crumpets

    New products: Hobnobs & crumpets

    There seems to have been a significant leap forward in gluten free products recently. Over the last few months we’ve had Newburn Bakehouse’s crumpets, Pizza Express’ margherita pizza and McVitie’s Hobnobs. And all well timed for me, having a newly gluten free seven year old.

    I have to say, Newburn Bakehouse has really surpassed itself with the new crumpets, which are miles better than any other gluten free crumpets on the market so far. I could tell just from looking at them they would be good. They are so close to the real ones, it’s amazing! The appearance, texture and taste are all great. They will definitely be a staple of my freezer.

    McVitie’s GF Hobnobs are a welcome addition to the gluten free treat range. As you would expect really, the recipe won’t be much different for gluten free hobnobs as they are mostly made of oats – a large part of the production will be about avoiding the cross contamination, so I expected these to be spot on. And indeed they were in flavour, but the appearance was a little different.

    The biscuits are fractionally smaller than the regular Hobnobs, and have smooth instead of ridged chocolate. I’m assuming that’s so they can’t be confused with the regular Hobnobs. There was a disappointing 8 biscuits in the packet instead of the usual 13-14, but we’ve come to expect that, haven’t we?

    Crucially, I can confirm they made excellent dunkers in my cup of tea!

    I’m wondering what will be the next big thing… Exciting times.

  • Pizza Express gluten free margherita: product review

    Pizza Express gluten free margherita: product review

    It’s taken a while, but I’ve finally got my hands on one of the new Pizza Express gluten free margheritas. After repeatedly being unable to find one at our local big Sainsbury’s store on Archer Road, I got in touch with Sainsbury’s via Twitter and found out you can log a product request, which I duly did.

    They also told me that the GF pizzas are available at the Dronfield store. So we dropped by at the first available opportunity with the intention of picking a few up for the freezer, but only found two! Well, it’s enough to be going on with…

    I pimped the topping with some bits and bobs from the fridge and put it in the oven at the recommended 200C. The packet suggested 7-9 minutes but I thought the bottom was still a bit soft, so gave it an extra minute or so. (I realise this is dull information, but there’s not so much to say about the cooking process of a pre-prepared pizza.)

    We were very pleased with the results though. The base is thin and not too doughy, and it tasted really good. Of course, it’s very similar to what you get in the restaurants, so it met my expectations easily.

    It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to have a decent pizza at home. In the pre-coeliac days, we used to make pizza dough ourselves in our bread maker as a family treat, so it’s something I’ve missed. I have had a delivery from Dominos in the past but that’s incredibly expensive, particularly now there are two gluten dodgers in the house. The price for this was £4, so no more expensive than the standard Pizza Express cook at home range, which is nice for once!

    I’ve had some success with Orgran pizza mix which you can actually get on prescription, but sometimes it’s just nice to have the convenience.

    I still keep meaning to try making my own gluten free pizza base, but for now, this one will do nicely.


  • Top 5 products I couldn’t do without

    We all know there are plenty of gluten free products in the shops these days. In the bigger supermarkets, the Free From sections are full to bursting with cakes, biscuits, bread and pasta that are specially made without gluten.

    But there are a few things I buy frequently that aren’t in the free from section. They’re just regular products that happen to be made without gluten. So they’re not twice the price of everything else, although some are premium brands. Most are available all over the place so are very easy to get hold of. They’re my reliables.

    In no particular order, here are my top 5. I would love to hear what yours are.

    Green & Black’s chocolate

    I try not to eat too much sweet stuff, but sometimes you just need a couple of squares of chocolate. Usually in the evening when we’re sitting on the sofa enjoying the quiet time. I’m not particularly an expert on which chocolate bars I can and can’t eat, as it’s less tempting to not know. And when I found out that I could eat Green and Black’s, I didn’t really need to find out about any others anyway.

    Green and Black’s don’t shout about being gluten free because a few of the products do contain gluten and they warn about cross contamination on their website. However many bars are listed as safe on the Coeliac UK website.

    Bars that are ok according to Coeliac UK include the dark chocolate, milk chocolate, mint, orange, burnt toffee, butterscotch, ginger, hazelnut and currant, Maya Gold, sea salt, chilli and more. But there are some that aren’t ok, so it’s worth checking before you buy.

    Magnum

    When I’m out with friends or family and everybody’s having an ice cream, it’s so good to know that I can safely eat a Magnum. If I can’t have a good old fashioned cone, it’s nice to still get a quality ice cream without having to have a long conversation about which products I can and can’t have. And luckily, they’re stocked by most ice cream sellers.

    I think most of their products are gluten free, and they are labelled as such on the packets, which is helpful.

    Some of the flavours approved by Coeliac UK are: Classic, double caramel, double chocolate, Infinity, almond, black espresso, white, dark and mint.

    Tyrrells crisps

    Continuing the unhealthy food theme, my regular crisp purchases are generally the big bags from Tyrrells (which I always share with the family, of course!)

    I think all their flavours, as well as their veggie crisps, are gluten free, and labelled as such on the back of the packets. A quick look at their website didn’t turn up any flavours that we can’t eat – even the quirky favours like coronation chicken and butter & mint(!)

    Tyrrells also make popcorn, or Poshcorn as they call it and they are all gluten free too. Hurrah!

    Spanish potato omelette

    I tend to pick one of these up every time I do a big shop. It’s one of my ultra convenience foods. You don’t even have to heat it up, although it’s nicer if you do.

    The omelette (tortilla) is brilliant for breakfast (on it’s own or with bacon and/or tomatoes and spinach for something a bit heartier). I frequently take a piece to work for lunch when I haven’t got the time or inclination to faff about making a salad.

    It’s also really great as an appetiser, cut into small squares, with a few olives and chorizo. Completely versatile and scrumptious!

    The one in the picture is a brand called Floristan, which I can’t find a website for, but another brand I have seen is Unearthed. Both equally good.

    (The ingredients are egg, potato, onion, olive oil and salt.)

    Merchant Gourmet Puy Lentils

    Last but by no means least, the glorious ready cooked puy lentils by Merchant Gourmet. (We call them poo lentils because we’re very juvenile.) I really like lentils, and always keep an assortment of dried pulses in the store cupboard, but when I discovered these, I was won over. They’re just totally hassle free. You can warm them up in the microwave in the packet for a minute, and then serve.

    I usually warm them through then toss them with some extra virgin olive oil and seasoning in a bowl, and use them as a filling accompaniment to meat or fish. They’re also great in curries, casseroles, as a side dish when we have a BBQ or lobbed in a salad as part of my packed lunch. Delicious.

    There’s a fabulous Ottolenghi recipe which uses puy lentils in root veg mash with maple syrup and shallots braised in red wine. That’s definitely worth a try and you can find it here.

  • Product review: Genius fruit loaf

    Product review: Genius fruit loaf

    This week we had a school inset day on Monday, so months ago we arranged with some friends to make the most of the extra day by taking the kids camping. And for once, we were rewarded with amazing weather! We went to a lovely rural campsite not too far away in the Peak District, where we were able to take the boys bike riding, have BBQs and generally hang out in the sunshine. And it was a pure joy to wake up feeling warm under canvas, instead of a shivering wreck as per my normal camping experiences.

    On the first morning we had bacon butties with tomatoes and beans for breakfast – classic camping fodder. But with a limit to the life of our cool boxes, I chose mostly baked goods for day two’s breakfast, with (non GF) pain au chocolat and crumpets for the kids. I wasn’t particularly looking forward to that breakfast, but I had a rather pleasant surprise in the form of Genius’ sliced fruit loaf.

    I have had a bit of a downer on Genius recently, having had quite a few loaves with massive holes in, the remains of which crumbled upon touching. So I hadn’t been in a rush to try this fruit loaf. But it seemed worth taking camping.

    I toasted a few slices in a pan on our stove then slathered on some butter, and was impressed with the result. The bread even before toasting had a good texture, and didn’t crumble at all. Toasting really brought out the cinnamon flavour and the lovely juicy currants and raisins. Even the non coeliacs were impressed.

    As with all gluten free bread, at £2.50 for a 400g loaf, it’s not the cheapest, but I’d say it’s relatively good value for money, particularly as all the slices were edible!

    I’ll definitely be buying this one again. I might even keep some in the freezer for nice weekend breakfasts.

    Thank you, Genius. A good loaf at last.

  • Product review: M&S gluten free wrap

    Product review: M&S gluten free wrap

    I was in Birmingham for work this week so I took a risk that I would be able to pick up something for lunch from trusty M&S in New Street station.

    They had a choice of two gluten free wraps in the Made Without Wheat range and I chose the Piri Piri chicken one. (I think the other was a bean wrap but for some reason, I can’t track either of these down on their website!)

    Anyway, I thought it was really good. The filing was generous, it had a nice spice to it and a crunch from the coleslaw. And I thought the wrap itself was excellent – I’d go as far as to say it was the best gluten free wrap I’ve had. It was soft and folded at the bottom without tearing, which is unusual for a GF wrap!

    Nice work, M&S

  • Product review: Voakes…free from pies

    Product review: Voakes…free from pies

    I took the opportunity to pick up some of the very well reputed Voakes…free from pies while I was at the Sheffield group AGM last week. I’ve been meaning to try them for a while now, and they are a fairly local company (York), which is great.

    They sell quite a selection, with pasties, sausage rolls and all sorts of pies: pork, steak and ale, chicken, game, spiced lentil and vegetable…

    I went for a pork & black pudding pie and a pork & chilli chutney. I also picked up some of their ready to roll pastry.

     I used the pastry to make this chocolate & pecan pie. Although I think the pastry is probably more suited to savoury pies, it worked out reasonably well. It rolled out well and was very easy to handle, which was unusual for GF pastry. I rolled it out on some cling film and turned it out onto a greased flan dish.

    I trimmed the edges really roughly, intending to trim it properly after blind baking, but by then it had become a bit too crisp to make a good job of it so I ended up leaving it. It also receded slightly. Hence the rather free form shape! But it turned out rather well once it was filled and baked.

    As for the pork pies, we heated the two pies and shared them between four of us as a sort of amuse bouche before our tea. We’re very classy! They really were delicious – well filled with great flavour and excellent pastry.

    Even my pie-loving non-coeliac husband and father both approved. The latter went straight on to the Voakes website to see what could be ordered, with the thinly veiled excuse of convenience for my mother.

     I’d definitely buy the pies again. Great to keep in the freezer for when you want an easy, comforting tea, and proof that gluten free food doesn’t have to be second rate. The delivery cost is a set amount regardless of how much you order, so make some room in your freezer…

  • No G gluten free sausage roll: Product review

    No G gluten free sausage roll: Product review

    They do say (whoever they are) never do the food shopping when you’re hungry. I would add to that never do the food shopping when you’re stressed at work. This, I did, about a fortnight ago, and I was tap happy on the sofa, adding all sorts of gluten free naughtiness to the online basket that I don’t even usually look at when I’m in sensible meal-planning mode.

    One such item was this golden piece of loveliness from No G. It’s been years since I’ve eaten a sausage roll, and whilst it’s not a food I’ve particularly yearned for, there’s something about not being able to eat one that makes me want it.

    It looked a bit pale in the packet, but a few minutes in the oven and it browned up a treat, unlike plenty of gluten free pastry I’ve either cooked or made myself. It was really rather nice – light and flaky pastry, crunchy and crispy on the outer layers, with plenty of filling. Not much more to say really but a very nice, savoury, cheer-you-up treat.

  • Christmas with Magic & Sparkle

    I had a great tip off from my mum this week. She was extremely excited to tell me that she’d been in Marks and Spencer and put in an order for all sorts of gluten free goodies for our pre-Christmas get together.

    Now obviously M&S isn’t the cheapest, and if you like everything home-made, it’s not for you. But it’s nice to have a treat at Christmas, and it’s just great that there are so many gluten free options to choose from.

    I spent quite a while browsing through the sections on the website, where all the items are helpfully labelled with icons for “suitable for freezing”, “table presentable” (love it!) and “gluten free”. They’ve also highlighted items containing nuts. However, only things that might contain gluten are actually labelled GF. You have to use your common sense and look at the ingredients of some of the other things, if you’re not sure. For example, the cheeses and meat platters aren’t labelled GF, and some of the pates but they probably are going off the ingredients.

    So, the most surprising things on there? Well, I wasn’t expecting to find much in the canapes, but there is a 66 piece gluten free party canape selection, which includes BBQ pork belly squares, smoked salmon and prawn appetisers, mini chicken kievs, sticky Asian chicken lollipops and mini toad in the hole with onion chutney. Exactly the sort of thing I can’t normally have, indulgent and lazy, so perfect for Christmas.

    It also looks like all of the stuffed turkeys are gluten free and there are 3 bird roasts, 4 bird roasts, various stuffed joints of meat. Accompaniments include a platter of sausages wrapped in bacon with chestnut stuffing balls!

    There’s not so much in the dessert sections, but happily, they do have a gluten free Christmas pudding and a gluten free Christmas cake, which is great.

    For Christmas food, you need to order by 15th December, and 20th December for New Year.

    Get stuck in!