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I recently had the opportunity to sample quite a few products from Mixes from the Heartland (thanks Teri) out of Amarillo, Texas.  Here’s a list of the items that were included: Bean Soup Mix; Tex-Mex Pasta Soup Mix; Spinach-N-Chives Dip Mix; Beer Cheese Soup Mix; Cream of Mushroom Soup Mix; Apple Cinnamon Coffee Bars; Corn Bread; and Brown Rice Penne.  Now that’s a lot of sampling but, as always, I happily ate my way through each an every product so that you, my readers are well-informed.  Yes, it took a few weeks to work my way through but I am glad to help provide insights about new companies that cater to us Celiacs.  Oh, and Mixes from the Heartland must know that I am all about convenience because there were really minimal steps involved to turn their pre-packaged dry mixes into warm, satisfying meals, cool dips, and fresh bread.

First up was the Cream of Mushroom soup mix.  Now, I have to confess, I had no idea that each mix made so many portions (I have no sense of proportion – you should see my buying furniture, I think everything fits).  For this mix all you need to add is 2 tablespoons butter and 6 cups milk and whisk it until it dissolves.  It really could not be simpler – okay, you do have to stir it while it is heating, but come on – easy peasy.  In a few minutes (literally) I had a piping hot bowl of soup – and here’s the best part – the taste.  It was rich and creamy (and I used Skim Plus), full of flavor and not too salty (which is always a concern of mine with pre-packaged mixes).  In fact, none of their mixes were even remotely salty but still full of flavor.

For the Tex-Mex Pasta Soup there are actually 3 steps, one of which is adding the mix.  This time you simply brown and drain 1 lb. of sausage (they recommend spicy so who am I to argue).  You then bring 7 cups of beef stock to a boil and toss in the beef, crushed tomatoes (I used plain vs. spicy), and simmer for 15 minutes.  What you are left with is a hearty soup that will warm (and fill you) on the coldest of days – and I can personally attest to that.  It is definitely not a soup for sippers because this is a meal and a fully rounded one at that (well, toss a bit of cheese on the top like I did and you’ll be good to go).

The next soup that made its way into my rotation was a savory Italian Bean soup that was ready to go, again, in minutes.  All that is needed is 8 cups of water, 2 cups of crushed tomatoes, and if you like a bit of ham or sausage thrown in at the end.  I opted to keep my version vegetarian.  This mix was wonderfully spicy (but not overbearing) with three different varieties of beans that made for the perfect legume trifecta.  I have to admit I am not a fan of tomato-based soups but the 2 cups in this recipe was just the right amount so as not to be overly acidic.  The folks at Mixes from the Heartland clearly know what they are doing.

The final soup is one that I no longer see on their site but I hope it will soon be featured again because it was different and fabulous.  It was a Beer Cheese soup mix that was really out of the ordinary in a very, very good way.  I mean what is not to like?  You have gluten-free beer and cheese – need I say more?  Well, I will.  This was clearly not for the dieters among us but it made for a decadent, rich, for lack of a better work cheesy bowl of goodness.  Top it with some gluten-free croutons and you essentially have a meal.

Moving on to the dip category for a bit I decided to make these for nibbles over two evenings.  Again, like all of the mixes I sampled, we are talking no-brainer prep here.  You simply add sour cream or a sour cream and cream cheese blend to a bowl, mix-in the dried dip packet, chill, and voila – perfect dip.  I tried both the Spinach-N-Chives and Cucumber mixes and loved them (as did my non-Celiac other half – who actually raved about all of the products).  What makes these dip mixes so different is that absence of a ridiculous amount of sodium that one tends to find in most soup/dip mixes.  These dips had a much more subtle flavor that was every bit as good as traditional dip mixes without a bunch of fillers, flavorings (mostly artificial), and your daily amount of sodium in a spoonful.  I made one batch with the cream cheese/sour cream blend and one with just sour cream and actually preferred the sour cream alone but that’s just me.  Also, having been impatient and not really chilling a bit of the first batch before indulging – I can safely say that the company is indeed correct in advising you to chill it well before serving.  I actually had some of the leftover dip the next morning and it was so thick I spread it on some gluten-free toast – DELISH.

Somewhere in between my soup and dip extravaganza I sampled some of Mixes from the Heartland’s brown rice penne which cooked up nicely and withstood even the cheesiest of sauces I could top it with.  This leads us to the final and quite possibly most surprising item that I sampled – the Apple Cinnamon Coffee Bar mix.  I have to confess, when I first looked at the package I was thinking, cool, coffee cake but you actually put coffee in the mix to give the it a rich, mocha taste that is truly unique.  The bitter bite of the coffee paired with the sweetness of the apples plays perfectly off on another and creates a harmonious balance of sweet decadent goodness.  Also, being, as I like to call it “baking challenged” these are really foolproof…eggs, cold coffee, butter, mix, bake…done!

To round out the sampling was the Corn Bread mix.  Again, if it does not come out of my bread machine I do not even normally attempt it.  Alas, Mixes from the Heartland did not disappoint on the simplicity front.  Separate a few eggs, add you wet ingredients then the dry and pour into the pan.  Maybe I can really bake after all – nah, but at least I feel a bit like a baker – hey I did put it in the oven.  I have long been a fan of cornbread, but it is not something that is readily available as a gluten-free diner.  This mix makes absolutely delicious cornbread that if you put it next to a gluten-filled version I would defy even a non-Celiac to pick out which was gluten-free.  It was just that good. 

I have to be honest and say that I was not sure what to expect with these mixes and was really not holding out much hope – but I was proven completely wrong to judge.  I suppose my previous experiences with store-bought pre-packaged mixes needed to be cast aside (as do yours) because these mixes are unlike anything you will come across sitting next to the Hamburger Helper in the supermarket.  These are wholesome, simple, real ingredient mixes that are fast to whip up and make enough to feed a small army – well, at least a couple of hungry Celiacs.  Do head on over to their site and check out their offerings.  They are currently offering free freight on all orders over $100 and $10 freight on those under $99.  I mean those are some good shipping costs plus they will even throw in a surprise sample with a $25 purchase.  It’s a no-brainer…log-on and give them a try.
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My friends at Health Flavors recently sent me a fantastic box of Orgran and Candy Tree samples so that I could give their products a go (Thanks Josef).  In all honesty, until the package arrived, I had never heard of or tried any of their products so this was a very welcome opportunity.  Orgran is an Australian brand that makes a side-range of gluten-free products and one of their importers/distributors, Health Flavors, is located just north of New York City in Westchester County.

The products I sampled included: (Orgran-branded)Essential Fibre Rice and Corn Pasta; Corn Pasta (Penne); Rice and Corn Pasta; Buckwheat Pasta; Molasses Licorice; Toasted Corn Crispibread; Vanilla Cake Mix; and Multi-Grain O’s with Quinoa.  From the Dutch company Candy Tree came Organic Strawberry Vines.

Needless to say, it took me a bit of time to work my way through all of the products I received but in the end I was beyond pleased with quality and, more importantly the taste of the products.  So onto the reviews…

First up was the Molasses Licorice.  Yes, that’s right you read that correctly an honest to goodness gluten-free licorice.  You are probably thinking that’s all well and good but it can’t possibly taste like the real deal.  Wrong!  I am a self-confessed licorice junkie and I have missed my sweet little dark morsels since being diagnosed with Celiac.  This was the first time in many, many years that licorice has crossed these lips and in one word it was HEAVEN.  First of all, there is no way you could even tell that this was gluten-free.  It was so wonderfully soft in texture and the taste!  It was mildly sweet (as a good licorice should be) but had the wonderful licorice bite to it that exploded onto your palate with just the right amount of spiciness.  Trust me, I know my licorice and this is quite possible the best (gluten-filled or gluten-free) that I have ever come across.  It comes in a great resalable pouch that keeps the candy nice and soft.  The licorice pieces do stick together but isn’t that half the fun – pulling them apart as the anticipation builds?  If you love licorice like I do, do yourself a favor and give this a try.

Next  up was the Toasted Corn Crispibread.  This was quite unexpected indeed.  I suppose I was expecting something similar to a Wasa Crisp flat bread-type cracker but while this had the same shape it was far better tasting.  Think naked cheese doodle because that is exactly what it tasted like.  A large, flat, cheese-doodle without the dreadful orange powder that gets all over your hands.  I really enjoyed these and topped then with everything from cream cheese, to dip, to brie and the held up extremely well.  What is nice about these is because they are plain you can pretty much pile anything on top without having to worry about combating flavors.  I even snacked on these plain as they make for a great tasting treat that is terrifically crunchy.

The next product in my gluten-free tasting frenzy was the Multi-Grain O’s with Quinoa.  Now I was not sure what to make of these at first.  I was thinking, hmmm, these look too healthy to actually taste good.  I have always been a fan of quinoa so was intrigued by these O’s.  They also contain psyllium fiber which is great and not something you see everyday in a breakfast cereal.  So how did they taste?  Well, they are quite plain and actually reminded me of plain Cheerios – and is quite frankly the closest we Celiacs will get to them.  If you are restricting your sugar intake for whatever reason then these would be a perfect option.  What I really liked about their plainness was that I could mix them into other cereals or add a bit of sweetener without ruining the taste and more importantly without overloading it with sugar.  If you are looking for a sugary sweet breakfast option then look elsewhere because that is not what these are about. 

The pastas were enjoyed during a pasta marathon I decided to have.  I prepared a small amount of each of the pastas I received (Essential Fibre Rice and Corn Pasta; Corn (Penne); Rice and Corn Pasta; and Buckwheat).  I topped them all with same sauce to get a feel for how they not only tasted, but more importantly held up when loaded with sauce.  The Essential Fibre and Rice and Corn pasta was very good as was the Corn penne and Rice and corn (mix) pastas.  All cooked perfectly to al dente and tasted like pasta should with a wonderful hint of graininess that really made them taste like the real thing.  Perhaps the biggest stand-out was the Buckwheat variety.  It was one of those things I just never bothered to try – quite frankly because I just didn’t think it would compare to more traditional grains in taste.  Well, I will be the first to admit I was wrong.  The Orgran Buckwheat spirals was quite possibly my favorite out of all the pastas sampled.  It had a great (and delicious) nuttiness to it that really paired well with my sauce of choice (creamy white) and held the sauce perfectly.  It had a truly complex flavor that, while pronounced, did not take away from the sauce – and I can see this being a truly diverse pasta able to compliment any sauce you top it with.

Back to the candy front, I was eager to try the Candy Tree Organic (yes, organic) Strawberry Vines.  These were produced in the Netherlands (on of my all time favorite destinations) and were really very, very good.  These were far more subtle in flavor than the Molasses Licorice I raved about earlier but still full of flavor without being too sweet.  The small vine shapes are like mini-Twizzlers and I really enjoyed these as well.

Finally to the pièce de résistance of the products…the Vanilla Cake Mix.  This was the last item I needed to prepare so that I could give a comprehensive overview of the Orgran products I received.  This past Saturday I finally found some time to bake a cake.  Well, I didn’t really need a large chunk of time as the mix was really simple – just throw in eggs, margarine, water, and mix.  Simple.  While mixing the magnificent aroma of vanilla emerges and I could tell that I was going to be in for a treat.  30-35 minutes later I pulled a perfectly brown, well-risen cake from the oven.  I of course sneaked a slice in the middle of the day and was truly amazed at the amazing taste.  It was truly full of fragrant vanilla but not too sweet so that you could really appreciate the complexity of the flavors all melding together to make a fabulous vanilla cake.  My non-GF other-half raved and raved about how good this cake was and we found ourselves sneaking pieces various times throughout the day.  Ultimately the cake only survived until Sunday evening and I now have to place an order for some additional boxes J. 

Overall I was really impressed with the Orgran products and it was good to see a company that clearly tries to provide healthful, great tasting options to Celiacs.  You can view the complete gluten-free product line on their Web site.  You can find their products at a variety of online retailers that carry gluten-free products.  If you are on Facebook, why not become a fan of Orgran Natural Foods USA?
 
 
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After looking at some Tweets on Twitter yesterday, I noticed that there was quite a lively discussion referencing of all things gluten free bread.  Now, we Celiacs know that, well, to put it mildly, GF bread lacks the wholesomeness of its gluten counterparts.  The breads I have sampled (and we are talking a lot) over the years have left me asking the question Why can’t GF bakeries get it right?  I have walked through many a wonderful bakery both locally and in the travels just to smell the enticing aroma that is real bread.  Oh, how I envy the Gluteners out there that can buy a terrifically fresh baguette from the boulangerie and pile it high with fresh ingredients, ever anticipating the hypnotic crunch as they take their first bite – a whirlwind of culinary sensations.  Blast!

I know that the GF replacement flours used behave differently than those chock-full of gluten but come on already.  I want to eat a sandwich that A) does not rip the insides of my mouth to pieces when toasted; B) does not STICK to my freaking hands; C) is SOFT with the ability to become perfectly toasted when need be, if I want cake I’ll eat dessert – can I get an Amen!

True to my Living Well mantra, I decided to do something about it.  When you are gluten free and fabulous one simply cannot sit around.  So here is GF Mike’s quick fix, not perfect by any stretch of the imagination because I am in no way a baker.

I like to use Bob’s Red Mill Homemade Wonderful Bread Mix which when made following the package instruction is a typical, cakey, GF bread – and by no means bad.  However, through much trial with my trusty bread machine, I found a way to make the crust crustier and combat a bit of the cakeyness. 

Instead of putting 1 egg and the rest of the required egg as whites only (to ¾ of a cup), I put 1 jumbo egg (or two small) and increase the oil from ¼ cup to just under ½ or sometimes more depending on the weather.  Now this serves two purposes: (1) it gives the thick mix a bit more lubrication through the kneading processes and (2) helps the bread create a WONDERFUL crust.  When using a bread machine be sure to set the crust setting to Dark which usually adds 5 minutes or so to the baking process and makes all the difference.

The result is a crusty loaf that mimics more traditional breads.  No, it is not an exact match but I will take what I can get.  This version is PERFECT for garlic bread – see my recipe in the recipe section.