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Tandoor Chef Frozen Meals: Flavorful Gluten-Free Options

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Tandoor Chef

I’ve written a Tandoor Chef frozen meals review on the food blog in the past. They are intensely flavorful and completely unforgettable… in a good way.  While I love to cook, when it comes to lunches, I like them fast and easy. As someone who works from home, I only have a certain number of productive “desk hours” each day, so I prefer a quick lunch that only spends a few of these precious minutes. If I’m the only one having lunch, in fact, I usually bring it to my desk with me and keep on keeping on.

Needless to say, I always have my favorite frozen meals on hand. Along with a small salad (you know how obsessed I am with salads), they make a quick, easy, and downright delicious lunch.

Tandoor Chef has a wide range of frozen meals, including vegetarian and gluten-free options. I’m having trouble finding many of the gluten-free options in my area, unfortunately, but anytime my husband and I visit surrounding cities or states, I always keep my eyes out for ones I haven’t tried.  I hoped to find a new variety to review in this post but it’s much easier said than done!

As it is, I will simply point you to a page listing (with pictures) Tandoor Chef’s Gluten-Free Meals. As soon as I find one I have yet to review, I’ll let you know all about it!

In addition to gluten-free options, Tandoor Chef also has vegetarian and vegan entrees. They also have a recipes section I think you’ll love.

Tandoor Chef can be bought on Amazon… if it comes to that, that’s what I’ll do. I just noticed they carry a lot of the entrees my grocery stores don’t!


CedarLane Cauliflower Pilaf Review

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CedarLane Cauliflower Pilaf Review
I frequently write about CedarLane foods on Get Cooking.

Why?

I frequently eat CedarLane foods in my kitchen.

 

Simple as that – delicious as that. The CedarLane Roasted Chile Relleno and CedarLane Sweet Corn (and vegetable) Tamales are a few of my grocery staples. I buy them each and every week.. to the tune of two at a time.

I spend a lot of money on CedarLane, if we’re being honest – but I can’t help myself, nor would I want to. They’re simply among the most flavorful, delicious, and healthiest frozen foods out there – whether (always, like me) you’re looking for gluten-free food or (sometimes, like me) looking for vegetarian meals. If you’re a gluten-free vegetarian… allow me to introduce you to your new best friend.

CedarLane recently told me about a new product they’ve come up with, Cauliflower Pilaf – and, just as I was about to head off to the store to look for it, they said they’d seen me one to sample.

Even sweeter!

CedarLane Cauliflower Pilaf Review
When the CedarLane Cauliflower Pilaf arrived, I made a huge Chef Salad to go with it for supper. Why wait, right? I was not in the least bit surprised to discover that it was FULL of vegetables and flavor.

A favorite combination, if I ever had one. CedarLane GETS (as well as it’s ever been gotten) that flavor matters. If a vegetarian or gluten-free or ANY meal for that matters is to be taken seriously, it has to taste good. The flavor has to be there. CedarLane packs an unreal amount of flavor into everything they make – including this exciting new Cauliflower Pilaf.

Not only do I strongly appreciate and enjoy the flavors CedarLane provides in every bite, I love that they put vegetables in the center of the stage. We all know that for optimum health, we need to eat an optimum amount of vegetables. When’s the last time a doctor, nurse, or nutritionist said, “Be sure you don’t eat too many vegetables.” or “You might want to cut back on your Cauliflower and carrots.”

The fact that CedarLane allows you to have nutritious, filling, delicious, AND flavorful (seriously, seriously flavorful and delicious) in such a quick and easy manner is nothing short of perfection.  While I, most of the time, enjoy CedarLane’s foods for lunch, I often invite them for supper as well.

For Example…

  • The Cauliflower Pilaf was absolutely delicious served with a salad, but it’d also be a healthy side for grilled chicken, hamburgers, meatloaf, steaks…. absolutely anything that could be accented with a delicious, wholesome, and filling side dish.
  • The Roasted Chile Relleno begs to be served on “Taco Night.” Simply buy two boxes and heat them up – just don’t blame me when they steal the the show from your tacos. They do that. Seriously, these are out of this world – I could drink the sauce, it’s so darn good.
  • The Sweet Corn Tamales (fun to make, funner to eat) and Vegetable Tamales are ridiculously delicious. I top them with mild Salsa Verde (Herdez is my favorite brand) and serve them with salads (yes, I am a salad fiend) or tomato soup when having them for dinner.

I, personally, haven’t seen the CedarLane Cauliflower Pilaf in stores yet, but trust me, I’m looking! It is fantastic – I love the thought of having a side that’s so vegetable-licious. When it comes to veggies, he more, the better, and CedarLane has found a clever way to up the ante.

CedarLane Cauliflower Pilaf Review
Other CedarLane Reviews on Get Cooking!

CedarLane Roasted Chile Relleno (personal obsession #1)

CedarLane Sweet Corn Tamales (personal obsession #2)

CedarLane Breakfast Omelettes  (so easy… so good!)

CedarLane Roasted Chile Relleno

Vegetable Beef Secrets PLUS Explore Cuisine Organic Chickpea Spaghetti

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Best Vegetable Beef Soup with Explore Cuisine Organic Chickpea Spaghetti
Best Vegetable Beef Soup with Explore Cuisine Chickpea Spaghetti – Delicious!
I love soup like very few people love soup. I love to make soup… I love to eat soup. Over the years, I’ve experimented with my favorite soups and have hit upon what may well be the most delicious vegetable beef soup of all time.

Soups like this are kind of tough to give accurate recipes for for a few reasons:

  • Everyone’s favorite veggies differ. Where I add a crazy amount of asparagus, you may choose carrots. I won’t judge.
  • I don’t write anything down when making soup. I just go with makes sense to me whatever seems right at the time. Hmmm, sounds a lot like the way I live my life, but that’s another story.

Vegetable Beef Soup with Pesto
However, I’ll give you the basics, along with a few secrets for making the best Vegetable Beef Soup you ever dove into.

  1. I always start with a large can (or two if I’m making an obscene amount) of tomato juice. I’ve used V8 juice before and it was delicious, I just personally prefer tomato juice. What can I say? I’m simple.
  2. Ground chuck is the most flavorful way to go, in my opinion, but Grass-Fed Ground Beef is also great. When you brown the beef, just be sure to season it with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
  3. While I love onions, when it comes to soup that I know will be warmed-up and enjoyed the next day, I either use shallots, scallions instead of yellow or white onions. They have less of an attitude and don’t try to take center stage. Put another way, they play well with others. Essential in soups…. and salads, for that matter.
  4.  I use either a frozen vegetable mix or cans for the bulk of my veggies. It isn’t about cost and it certainly isn’t about laziness (I live in the kitchen, so a little extra effort doesn’t phase me). It’s all about flavor. When you eat soup that’s composed of huge chunks of vegetables, you get just that in each spoon – a huge chunk of a vegetable and some of the liquid. Maybe some meat if it fits. However, if you use the small pre-cut veggies, many fit onto the spoon at once -giving you layers of flavor in each bite. I dig layers of flavor like Scooby Doo digs Scooby Snacks.
  5. Toward the end of cooking time, tossing in a little torn kale is a boost of both flavor and nutrients. However, be warned that if you toss it in too soon (and for sure if you’ll be eating leftovers), the lovely green kale will not stay lovely or even green.
  6. Also, toward the end of cooking, I love to toss in asparagus. First of all, prepare the asparagus by snapping off the end (opposite the pretty little tip, of course) – take the asparagus in your hands and “feel” where the asparagus wants to naturally bend. It’s at this spot you want to snap… yes, even if it seems like a generous amount is coming off. Better that than bite into tough asparagus. Then, cut each asparagus spear into thirds and pop them all into the soup and stir.
  7. Okay, this is where you’re going to just have to trust me… At the end of the cooking process, stir in a jar of Basil Pesto. O.M.GEE. It takes a delicious soup and makes it otherworldly delicious.  When I first tried it, I did so because I wanted to have a little element of Italian flavor. Since then, I do it simply because the flavor is of the addictive variety.
  8. As for seasonings and flavors, I add salt/pepper/garlic powder/red pepper flakes/parsley to just about everything I make, and soup is no exception. If you add the jar of basil pesto at the end (and you should, you really really really should), you really won’t need much more seasoning than the ones mentioned. Also, although I took a picture before I did the deed this time, shredded Parmesan on top of the production is delicious.
  9. Okra is a necessity if your making the best vegetable beef soup possible. I buy frozen, but I’d imagine fresh would be great, too.
  10. This one isn’t a necessity, it’s just how I (personally) roll: I love to have something in my bowl that I serve my soup over. Why? No idea. It’s just one of my many, many quirks that I have (at this point in life) learned to embrace. Quirks are spouses… you can’t always explain them, but you can surely embrace them. My favorite “beds” for soup are pasta, mashed potatoes (use instant if you darn well feel like it), or rice. More about pasta in a minute, but each of these make the soup even more filling and give you that extra “bite” you might be looking for.

Explore Cuisine Chickpea Spaghetti

Delicious New Gluten-Free Spaghetti I’m Excited About

I was recently sent a couple of boxes of Explore Cuisine Gluten-Free pasta in exchange for telling my food blog readers about them. The first one I tried was the one you see here, Explore Cuisine Chickpea Spaghetti. It was the PERFECT accompaniment to the Vegetable Beef Soup…. especially with the Pesto stirred in.

The first thing I noticed about the Chickpea Spaghetti, after cooking it, was that it is beautifully fat – like my favorite spaghetti noodles of old. Forget that skinny pasta, especially when it comes to serving with chili or soup, it has got to be FAT and this Chickpea Spaghetti is beautifully fat.  I also loved that it didn’t clump together the way a lot of spaghetti noodles do. In fact, there was zero clumping and that floated my boat but good.

The moment of truth, of course, was after tasting the pasta…. it was phenomenal. No strong flavor of chickpea at all, which is what I was initially concerned about. Sure, I love chickpeas but I don’t want them disguising themselves as pasta and trying to trick me. The pasta is just outstanding and I plan to buy it regularly.  It was spot on perfect with this soup and I’m just as anxious to try it with a great marinara sauce, in a cold spaghetti pasta salad, and (before the season gets away) with chili.

Explore Cuisine products are all vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO and made from organic ingredients. Loaded with protein, iron, and fiber, these pastas are the perfect alternative to other glutinous pastas. If you’re gluten-free, vegan, or simply health-conscious, I hope you’ll check out their lines of pasta. I’ll be reviewing another one of their pastas in a few days. I simply cannot say enough great things about Explore Cuisine. I’m beyond excited to try EACH and every one of their products asap.

You can find the Explore Cuisine Chickpea Spaghetti on Amazon. You will be blown away by this gluten-free pasta.

Explore Cuisine Chickpea Spaghetti

How Moore’s Original Marinade Can Take Your Grass Fed Burgers Up a Couple of Notches

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Hamburgers with Moore's Original Marinade and Sauteed Onions
Burgers (Marinated with Moore’s Original Sauce) and Sauteed Onions
If you, like a lot of people, have tried grass-fed beef (or have chosen to only eat grass-fed beef), you already know a few things to be true:

  • It costs more.
  • It looks different.
  • It feels different.
  • It tastes different.

I’ve read a lot of people say that they can’t deal with the taste difference, so they stopped buying it altogether. While it’s your own decision if you decide to buy grass-fed beef or not (see Is Grass-Fed Beef Really Better for You, The Animal, and The Planet?), I do want to tell you that I have zero problem with it. Do I wish it were less expensive? You betcha, but I wish a lot of things were less expensive (I’m looking at you, frozen fruit, shrimp, and salmon). When things cost more than you’d like them to, you have to simply decide if it’s worth it or not. For me, when it comes to grass-fed beef, grass-fed butter, and eggs from cage-free chickens, it is definitely worth it. I figure that, in the long run, I’m still saving money because I rarely eat out.

The reason I don’t have a problem with the taste is I don’t leave it as is. I’ve worked with it over the months that I’ve been buying it and I’ve found there are secret weapons involved.

Moore's Original Marinade and Grass-Fed Ground Beef
My tips for Grass-Fed Burgers:

  • Cast Iron Skillet – yes, it makes a world of difference.
  • Sauteed Onions.
  • Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder.
  • Marinades like Moore’s Original Marinade aren’t just for chicken, steaks, and pork – they add a lot of flavor to ground beef as well. A LOT!
  • Bacon is another delicious way to add flavor to grass-fed ground beef.
  • Never underestimate the deliciousness of an egg sitting on top of a burger.

Sauteed Onions in Butter
Onions, Sauteed in Butter, Make Everything Better. Everything.
If you read my food blog regularly, you know I had to give up gluten/wheat years ago (health reasons), so when I have burgers, they are often either served on gluten-free bread or wrapped in lettuce. Oddly enough, however, I usually simply doll them up and serve them on a plate.

Simply delicious.

I almost always saute (in butter) onions or shallots to serve with my burgers – sometimes even throwing in sliced mushrooms. Adding a slice of your favorite cheese between the burger and sauteed onions is, of course, the way to go.

Grass-Fed Beef with Moore's Original Marinade
Allow the Marinade to Mingle with the Seasonings and Beef at Least 10 Mins.
But I’ve gotten woefully ahead of myself – as is my way. The mind goes 150 miles per hour, the mouth goes 100 miles per hour, and the rest of the body is like, “Where’d they go?!” Before we can top the burgers, we have to make the burgers!

While the onions are sauteing in the iron skillet, I take the grass-fed ground beef out of the package, place it into a bowl and add a little Moore’s Original Marinade. Then I add salt, pepper, and garlic powder and work it all into the beef with my hands.

I allow mine to sit and mingle for at least 10 minutes. I allowed it to sit, once, for 1 hour and the flavor wasn’t any more pronounced than the 10 minute deal.

I’ve been a happy fan of Moore’s Original Marinade for quite a while, but I had no idea it would work as wonderfully with ground beef as it does. I always just associated it with steak, pork and pork. It’s amazing with each of these, by the way.

I also had no idea they’d added to their line of products so extensively.  They have a little bit of everything.

I was sent this bottle of Moore’s Original Marinade in exchange for telling you about it and my original plan was to work it into a grilled steak post. However, the good people at Moore’s would surely wonder where their post was if I waited much longer (I have zero pull with the weather, it seems).

Click through the links above to read more about this flavorful marinade, as well as their other products.

Hamburgers with Moore's Original Marinade and Sauteed Onions

Gluten-Free Sloppy Joes Cornbread Pizza

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Gluten-Free Sloppy Joe Cornbread Pan Pizza
I’m working on a couple of recipes using Krusteaz Gluten-Free breakfast mixes for Hot Breakfast Month (February) – I’ll post them really soon.  In the meantime, I  wanted to tell you about a dinner idea using their wonderful Gluten-Free Honey Cornbread Mix.

Krusteaz Gluten-Free flour and gluten-free mixes are some of my favorite things in the world. I’m THRILLED to see them popping up in grocery stores everywhere. The cornbread mix makes perfect, perfect, perfect cornbread and corn muffins each and every single time. I’ve added jalapenos to the mix many times and it’s always phenomenal.

One day last week, I made Sloppy Joes for supper. If I don’t happen to have gluten free rolls or bread on hand, I’ll often put the Sloppy Joe Sauce in a gluten-free flour tortilla, corn tortilla, or simply place it on a bed of lettuce and top the whole shebang with onions and pickles. We actually had some Sloppy Joe Sauce left the next night and since it’s so darn delicious, I didn’t want to waste it.

Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without!

Krusteaz Gluten Free Cornbread Mix
I didn’t want to do the same-o same-o, though, so I decided to try something different.  While I slowly warmed the sauce up, I made the Krusteaz Gluten-Free Honey Cornbread  mix according to the directions on the box  – throwing in a tablespoon of freshly diced jalapeno for fun. Normally I cook the cornbread in a smaller pan, but I wanted it a little less thick for what I had in mind – so I placed it in my large iron skillet and cooked it for the specified amount of time.

Special Note About the Sloppy Joe Sauce

At the bottom, I’ll give you my favorite Sloppy Joe Sauce Recipe but you could, of course use any Sloppy Joe Sauce you wanted to use. Heck, if time was of the essence, you could even use Manwich or Sloppy Joe Sauce out of a can. I won’t tell a soul.

If you’re a vegetarian like one of my daughters, Brittany, you could use Boca Crumbles instead of ground beef. Still delicious!

Sloppy Joe Cornbread Pan Pizza
While the cornbread cooked and the Sloppy Joe Sauce re-heated, I placed the following into my food processor and gave it a whirr:

  • Roasted Red Pepper
  • Diced Onion
  • Pickle Slices
  • You could also add garlic, tomatoes, mushrooms – whatever combo your heart desires. However, I wanted the prominent flavors to be the cornbread and Sloppy Joes, so I proceeded with a modest attitude.

Sloppy Joe Cornbread Pan Pizza
After I took the cornbread out of the oven (it smelled amazing!), I buttered it a little bit with grass-fed butter. Why? Because butter, that’s why. Then I covered it with the Sloppy Joe Sauce (leaving a little bit of an edge for effect), the processed vegetables, grated sharp cheddar cheese, and freshly minced parsley.

Words can’t tell you how delicious this gluten-free Sloppy Joes Cornbread Pizza was!  Krusteaz Gluten-Free Honey Cornbread Mix is available in most grocery stores and on Amazon.

Perfect 10 Gluten-Free Sloppy Joe Sauce Recipe

2 pounds grass-fed beef or Laura’s Lean Beef
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, diced
1 small red pepper, diced
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1-1/2 cups Heinz Ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2-1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1-1/2 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

  1. Place the butter in a hot skillet (on medium heat), followed by the 2 pounds of ground beef, the onion, and the peppers. After the beef has browned, drain and return to the skillet.
  2. Move the heat to medium low and add the garlic powder, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, tomato paste, soy sauce, and salt and pepper.
  3. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Don’t let it boil – be sure it just simmers.
  4. Taste what you’ve created and (if needed) add a little more salt, pepper, tomato paste… whatever you think it may need more of! At this point, I don’t believe I have ever added anything to the sauce, but you do you.

http://amzn.to/2k4OHbT


CedarLane: Delicious Comfort Food From Box to Microwave to Plate

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CedarLane Roasted Chile Relleno

CedarLane Roasted Chile Relleno

I have a delicious relationship with CedarLane foods. Every now and then they send me a few of their new foods to sample and I love them muchly for this. Ironically, I’ve actually bought 10 times more (at least) than they have sent.  I throw more CedarLane meals into my cart than Aaron Rodgers throws footballs into the end zone.

If I’m not mistaken, my first CedarLane review was one of their products that I buy at least twice a week: CedarLane Sweet Corn Tamales. “Delicious” doesn’t even cut it when it comes to these corn tamales. They’re quick, easy, ridiculously tasty (especially with salsa verde on them), and even fun to make and eat.

One day in the grocery store, I saw CedarLane Roasted Vegetable Tamales and bought a box along with my Sweet Corn Tamales. I didn’t expect to like them as much as the Sweet Corn Tamales, but they were every bit as good. Seriously, the flavors are beyond belief.  I now buy the vegetable tamales weekly as well.

I’ve noticed on CedarLane‘s website that they have Chile & Cheese Tamales also – I haven’t seen these in a grocery store yet, but when I do, I’ll be all over them.

Another CedarLane favorite of mine is the STUPIDLY delicious Roasted Chile Relleno. My freezer always has at least two boxes of these in it. I’ll never forget the first time I tried this obsession – I nuked it, sat down at the table, took a bite… then looked at the box and said, “I can’t even with you.” Slang I picked up from my daughters which basically means my mind has been blown.

Three Layer Enchilada Pie with Salsa Verde
Three Layer Enchilada Pie with Salsa Verde
I branched out not long ago and tried the Three Layer Enchilada Pie and it was fantastic. As I do with many, many, many things in the kitchen, I added a little salsa verde to the top and it was a match made in foodie Heaven.

CedarLane Baked Stacked Eggplant

CedarLane Baked Stacked Eggplant

A recent meal sent to me to review on the food blog is pictured above, the Baked Stacked Eggplant. Unfortunately, it isn’t gluten free, so I couldn’t personally enjoy it. I gave it to a son-in-law and he said it was fantastic AND that it’s something he’d buy. The fact that it’s quick and easy adds to the deliciousness of the meal, itself.

This would be a perfect opportunity to remind you that not all CedarLane meals are gluten free. You have to always be dilligent (especially if you’re gluten-free for health reasons) and check the front of the box. As you can see by looking at the pictures in this review, CedarLane makes it easy to distinguish which are gluten-free and which are not.

I could not possibly recommend CedarLane foods enough. They are consistently delicious, very affordable, and make ideal quick & easy meals. I have them for lunch regularly and have even enjoyed them at suppertime. Paired with soup or a salad, they’re fantastic… and cleanup is a snap!

See CedarLane‘s website for all the wonderful products available, nutrition information, and (most importantly) where to buy CedarLane meals.

More CedarLane Reviews on Get Cooking:

Quinoa and Vegetable Enchiladas

CedarLane Sweet Corn Tamales

Frozen Breakfast Foods

More Gluten-Free Food Reviews!

CedarLane Roasted Chile Relleno
CedarLane Roasted Chile Relleno

Tim’s Cascade Snacks: Big & Bold Buffalo Blue Chips and Hulapeno Chips (Review)

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Tim's Big and Bold Buffalo Blue Chips
Tim’s Big and Bold Buffalo Blue Chips
Are you familiar with Tim’s Cascade Snacks? They have ridiculously delicious chips and popcorn that is, literally, impossible to stay out of. I have had to physically remove myself from being in the same room with their Erin’s White Cheddar Popcorn and that is not an exaggeration.

I was recently sent a delicious little bundle to review on the food blog which included two new snacking obsessions: Tim’s Big & Bold Buffalo Blue and Hawaiian® Hulapeño Kettle Style Potato Chips. I love both of these beyond reason. I also just spied a Vlasic® Dill Pickle variety on their website that has my mouth kind of watering.

Tim's Big and Bold Buffalo Blue Chips
Tim’s Big and Bold Buffalo Blue Chips
I love the flavor of both of these chips, which kind of surprised me. For one thing, if you know anything about me, you know I’m a pepper fiend. Peppers of all kinds make my world go around, so I fully expected to love the Hulapeno chips. They were, however, even more delicious than I’d expected. The beautiful jalapeno flavor is there, but it doesn’t send you running for the nearest glass of iced tea. It’s subtle and perfect.

I honestly didn’t know how I’d feel about the Buffalo Blue Chips. While I love just about all cheeses, blue cheese is actually one of the three I don’t care much for. Somehow these chips are knock-outs though! I tasted the first one with a little trepidation and went after the second one like it was the last chip on earth.

They are both, quite honestly, perfectly delicious.

I also appreciate the clear Gluten Free labeling – it’s always great to see food companies who are considerate like this. Those of us who have to eat this way for health reasons appreciate the extra steps companies take to help us out.  Their website (Tim’s Cascade Snacks) also provides clear information about allergens and ingredients for each of their products.

Hawaiian Hulapeño Kettle Style Potato Chips
Buy these and the other Tim’s Cascade Snacks Online by clicking the link. They are exceptional!

A lot of Tim’s Cascade Snacks are also available on Amazon – meaning it’s easy peasy to simply throw a bag or two in your cart each time you go shopping. You’ll want to do so, too, these make wonderfully delicious gluten free snacks!


Montana Mex: The Most Exciting Sauces and Ketchup Your Kitchen Ever Invited to Dinner

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Montana Mex Tomato Ketchup, BBQ Sauce, and Habanero Sauce
As mentioned in my Montana Mex Avocado Oil Review, I also received a set of delicious Montana Mex sauces to review:

  • Montana Mex Tomato Ketchup
  • Montana Mex Sweet & Spicy Habanero Sauce
  • Montana Mex Sweet & Spicy BBQ Sauce

I’m feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment, because I’m honestly not sure where to begin. My fingers are typing so hard and fast, my cat’s expression is somewhere between fear and awe.  I love each of these condiments so much and am so eager to tell you about them, I’m kind of star struck.

Why don’t we take them as they are in the picture, left to right.  Each one is gluten free and is a perfect 10 on a scale of 1-10.

Montana Mex Tomato Ketchup
Montana Mex Tomato Ketchup

My family is a little odd when it comes to ketchup. We are ketchup picky and proud of it. My husband and youngest daughter (before trying Montana Mex’s Ketchup, that is) have only eaten Heinz ketchup for years.  They simply want nothing to do with any other brand. As for my other daughters and myself, we love Heinz and Hunt’s evenly.  Again, that was before tasting Montana Mex’s Tomato Ketchup.

This stuff is phenomenal.  It tastes like you’d expect homemade ketchup to taste.

It’s… well..  words are failing to show up but let’s put it like this: If ketchup were a supermodel, it’d be Montana Mex Tomato Ketchup.

This FULL and FLAVORFUL ketchup is perfect on fries, hamburgers, corn dogs, tater tots (don’t look at me like that, you know you love them too), onion rings, hash browns… everything. It presents a quandary – the fact that it tastes like a gourmet ketchup makes you want to save it for extra special foods (hash browns from scratch, for example)…. but the fact that it’s so spectacular means it’s your go to for tater tots and hot dogs too.

Just. So. Dang. Good.

Montana Mex Tomato Ketchup and Habanero Sauce
Montana Mex Sweet & Spicy Habanero Sauce

I’m sure I’ve confessed before to being a big wuss when it comes to hot sauce. While peppers (bell peppers, mini sweet peppers, jalapenos..) are a staple in my kitchen and I probably don’t go a day without using them in some form, I cannot handle really hot peppers. I’m pretty famous in my family for this ridiculous weakness. And yet… and yet… here I was putting Montana Mex’s Habanero sauce on anything that didn’t move.

Sure, I squealed each time while reaching for my iced tea, my husband’s ice tea, and the cat’s water bowl… but I couldn’t stop. The flavor is just so ridiculously fantastic. The rest of my family simply enjoyed each drop without the floor show I put on. It’s just delicious.

My taste buds will play truth or dare with this sauce any day of the week.

Montana Mex Tomato Ketchup, BBQ Sauce, and Habanero Sauce
Montana Mex Sweet & Spicy BBQ Sauce

Like ketchup, my family is also a bunch of snobs when it comes to BBQ Sauce. We have our faves and that is that. As the brand did with ketchup, Montana Mex broke down our snobby barriers and introduced us all to a new favorite BBQ Sauce.  This particular delicious BBQ Sauce has a perfect blend of spice and sweetness that makes it mesmerizing.  It’s thick, which is something else I always appreciate about a sauce.

It made one of the best BBQ Chickens I’ve ever had in my life – and I’ve had a life filled with BBQ chicken. With this sauce’s thick deliciousness, the chicken never knew what hit him.

Did I mention it was thick?

And delicious?

Montana Mex Tomato Ketchup and Habanero Sauce
Where Can You Find These Montana Mex Sauces?

Apparently these sauces aren’t on Amazon yet (I’ll come back here and edit the review if they ever show up on Amazon… I’ll be the first to know, as I live on the website). In the meantime, see Where to Find Us on Montana Mex’s website for more information.

Visit Montana Mex‘s Official Website for more information and read more about their delicious sauces here.

You can also follow Montana Mex on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Montana Mex Avocado Oil: Review of a Complete Obsession

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Montana Mex Avocado Oils
A while back on the food blog, I wrote a glowing  Montana Mex Seasoned Salts review.  I still use them daily and love them wildly.  If you aren’t familiar with these world-rocking salts, read the review – then try them for yourself.  They’re found, conveniently, on Amazon.

It turns out Montana Mex has more than just badass seasoned salts. They also bottle their badassery. Because I’m one lucky food blogger, I received a bottle of their  Extra Virgin Olive Oil  to review. I will also be reviewing a few of their other better-than-they-have-a-right-to-be condiments in a follow up post.

But let’s stick with this addictive, smooth and flavorful EVOO for now – as it deserves our full attention.  See the picture above? If you see a photo of something I’ve reviewed, pictured alongside the product I bought on my own, you know it was a huge hit. I ordered my own bottle before my review bottle even ran out!

Montana Mex Avocado Oil is a 100% natural, cold pressed, extra virgin avocado oil with omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids. Not only is it (naturally) gluten free, it’s non-gmo verified and kosher certified to boot. See the words “… with high levels of antioxidants” on the front of the bottle?  Yeah, I’m crazy wild about that.

‘Cold pressed’ simply means that all the goodness is still inside. It has not been treated or heated. The avocados are simply handpicked, mashed and then pressed to give you nutrient rich avocado oil.

Simply delicious and deliciously simple.

Roasted Asparagus and Carrots with Montana Mex Avocado Oil
My Favorite Ways to Use the Montana Mex Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Avocado Oil

  • It is ideal for frying eggs – which I then season with one (or a combo) of the seasoned salts  (Chile Seasoned Sea Salt,  Sweet Seasoned Sea Salt, Picante Seasoned Sea Salt). I have always loved a mixture of butter and EVOO when frying eggs. The butter brings the flavor to the party, while the EVOO keeps the butter from embarrassing itself. This beautiful Avocado Oil doesn’t need any butter, thank you very much, as it has plenty of flavor on its own.
  • I also love this Avocado Oil for sauteing onions and other vegetables. It gives them an extra subtle flavor that brings out their best.
  • One of my favorite ways to cook chicken strips is to marinate them in a mixture of Italian Dressing, honey, and lime juice for a few hours. Then I fry them in an iron skillet with a little olive oil. Montana Mex’s Avocado Oil gives these strips even more flavor. Somehow the lime and honey (two of my personal culinary obsessions) work with the avocado oil in a way they don’t work with any other oil. The flavor combo is like a match made in culinary Heaven.
  • Vinaigrettes – This is a fun and tasty new way to add excitement to your tired old vinaigrette recipe.
  • Drizzled on top of vegetables before roasting, it gives them an extra layer of flavor.
  • When I made a huge taco salad a few weeks ago, I drizzled a little Montana Mex Avocado Oil in a dish and added a little lime zest and fresh black pepper. It made a delicious dip for heated tortillas.

Basically, I use it anywhere I typically use EVOO. The above are just a few that come to mind (because I make them so often).

Why I have this review listed under “Christmas Gift Guide Ideas”

Foodies and cooks get a special kind of excited when we receive gift baskets filled with new ingredients, foods, condiments, etc. Placing something unique and extra cool like Montana Mex Avocado Oil (as well as their salts and condiments) in a bag with colorful dishtowels or a great looking set of salsa bowls is thoughtful… heck, it’d give you hero status. Trust me.


Visit Montana Mex‘s Official Website for more information and read more about their delicious Avocado Oil here.

You can also follow Montana Mex on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Banana Bread Mix (Raving Review)

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Mini Gluten Free Banana Nut Bread Loaves
Gluten Free Banana Nut Bread Mini Loaves
Before I had to give up gluten and wheat, King Arthur Flour was my “go to” flour for making anything and everything. Some say there’s no difference between brands of flour – to which I always reply, “You haven’t used King Arthur Flour or you wouldn’t even think that, let alone say such a thing!”

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that now (on this side of my body deciding it had no intention of handling wheat or gluten), King Arthur Flour is still my “go to” brand for gluten free baking. Their gluten free multi-purpose flour is as good as it gets and their gluten free mixes are nothing short of perfection.

Each and every time.

The most recent King Arthur Gluten Free Mix to rock my world was their Gluten Free Banana Bread Mix, pictured below. It makes banana nut bread (add your own nuts) that tastes every bit as delicious as traditional homemade banana nut bread.

As you can see from the pictures, I used my beloved mini loaves pan for the production. Not only do I think mini bread loaves are impossibly cute, they’re convenient for handing out to daughters, sons-in-law, and – of course – the husband. Anyone who passes through the kitchen gets a loaf of their own.

A couple have been known to pass through more than once while I’m doling them out.

King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Banana Bread Mix
Gluten Free Banana Bread Mix

I’m not sure why, but anything with the name King Arthur Flour on the front exceeds my expectations – and on a consistent basis. They are simply mad geniuses at all things culinary and I am ever so thankful that they are so wonderfully productive in the gluten free arena. Some companies seem to be ignoring us and (I guess) hoping that we either disappear or wake up one day able to eat anything and everything.

I wish!

King Arthur Flour is actually one of the best brands at meeting the gluten free baker’s needs and I couldn’t be more grateful

This Gluten Free Banana Bread Mix is just one of many gluten free mixes the company offers and EACH one is phenomenal. Seriously, I haven’t tried one King Arthur Gluten Free mix that wasn’t a perfect 10.

The Banana Bread Loaves (actually Banana Nut Bread Loaves, since I added walnuts) were moist, flavorful, and no one would even begin to suspect that they were gluten free.

Mini Gluten Free Banana Nut Bread Loaves
You can find this and many other King Arthur Gluten Free Mixes on Amazon.  They can be tricky to find in stores – although I have found several at Meijer’s. The King Arthur Gluten Free Flour is much easier to find… and it, too, is a perfect 10.

King Arthur has a habit of scoring 10s.


King Arthur now has a Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour that I’ll be buying and reviewing asap, if not sooner. I’m thinking this may well be the gluten free flour I need to become the queen of doughnut holes again. A title I kinda miss if we’re being honest.

Summary: If it says King Arthur Flour on the box or bag, snatch it up.