Friday, July 27, 2018

News & Notes: July 27, 2018

Nestle's Lean Cuisine brand has introduced a new line of meatless dishes called Origins. Among the new varieties, the gluten-free Coconut Chickpea Curry is prepared with organic chickpeas, organic tomatoes and long-grain brown rice in a Malaysian-style coconut curry sauce.

Quest Nutrition's new Thin Crust Pizza has a gluten-free crust made with a dairy protein base, resulting in a high protein, low carb meal. The pizzas come in four-cheese, supreme and pepperoni varieties.
Caulipower has introduced the first-ever frozen paleo cauliflower pizza crust. This grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free crust uses cauliflower as the first ingredient.

The makers of thinkThin protein bars launched a new kids' line that gluten free. The bars contain 7 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber and 4 grams of sugar per serving. Flavors include Chocolate Chip, Cookies & Creme, Cinnamon Sugar Cookie, Peanut Butter Cup and Vanilla Cupcake.

Friday, July 13, 2018

News & Notes: July 13, 2018

Made Good Foods has debuted gluten-free, nut-free and vegan soft baked mini cookies in four varieties: Chocolate Banana, Apple Cinnamon, Chocolate Chip and Double Chocolate. You can print a dollar-off coupon good toward any Made Good product (including their crispy rice treats and granola bars) from the company's website.

If you like cheese on your sandwich, then you may be intrigued by the new Folios cheese wraps. Made with 100% cheese, these gluten-free wraps come in Cheddar, Jarlsberg and Parmesan varieties.

Speaking of wraps, General Mills' Old El Paso brand will introduce gluten-free tortillas to the American market later this year. The product is available overseas.

New gluten-free pretzel rods from Snyder's of Hanover will be making their way to supermarket shelves in September.


Based on popular demand, Glutenberg has introduced a non-alcoholic version of its Blonde Ale in its native Canada, with plans to bring it south of the border later this year.

Lucky's Last Chance in Manayunk (4421 Main St., 215-509-6005) has gluten-free burger buns, but does not keep a dedicated fryer for fries.

Pho-ever Yours in Narberth (106 N. Essex Ave., 484-800-1239) notes gluten-free options like grilled shrimp summer rolls, curry chicken and pho bowls on its menu.

In Ocean City, Fusion Plate Asian Cuisine (947 Asbury Ave., 609-938-2476) gluten-free menu options include summer rolls, pho, seafood noodle soup, fried rice, pad Thai and Singapore noodles.

Gluten-free items are noted on the menu at Cardinal Bistro in Ventnor (6525 Ventnor Ave., 609-541-4633), as well as at the nearby Enlightened Cafe (6414 Ventnor Ave., 609-594-5283), where the menu includes pancakes, bread, bowls, juices and smoothies. Request that the pancakes be prepared separately.

Most of the menu at Tierra Mexicali Grill in Wilmington (4710 Limestone Rd., 302-384-6657) is gluten free, including desserts.

Also in Wilmington, Liquid Alchemy Beverages (28 Brookside Dr., 302-438-0252) produces gluten-free hard ciders and meads (honey wines). The tasting room is open Wednesday and Friday evenings and all day Saturday and Sunday. Tours are also available.

Kurant Cider has opened in Fishtown (436 E. Girard Ave., 267-928-3630). In addition to a variety of gluten-free hard ciders, the kitchen serves hot dogs on gluten-free buns.

Have a great weekend!

- Michael

With the updated Gluten Free Philly app for iOS and Android devices, find more than 1,700 area gluten-free-friendly businesses on the go, search by cuisine or neighborhood, make reservations and more!

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Gluten-Free Meals in a Snap

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Snap Kitchen, which has provided me with compensation, and contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own and I was in no way influenced by the sponsorship of this post. [Disclosure policy]

Walk-in selections at Snap Kitchen's Old City location
Despite the popularity of make-it-yourself pre-portioned meals, not everyone (yours truly included) has the time - or, frankly, the skill set - to cook meals all the time. With convenience in mind, Snap Kitchen has set out to make healthy, fresh gluten-free meals and sides available throughout the Philadelphia area. The company laid down roots in Philadelphia in 2016, having expanded here from Texas, and built a commissary in the Kensington section of the city. There, employees prepare all-gluten-free meals for sale at Snap Kitchen's seven area locations: Malvern, Villanova, Wayne and in Philadelphia proper (Bella Vista, Fishtown, Old City and Rittenhouse Square).

Snap Kitchen locations also have snacks, sides and drinks
While a variety of prepared foods are available daily at the stores, Snap Kitchen's new meal plans offer greater variety and flexibility. There are five plans, all entirely gluten free: High Protein, Low Carb, Balance, Whole 30,  Paleo and Camp Gladiator. The subscriptions are three-, five- or seven-day plans that reoccur on a weekly basis. You can build your plan by selecting which day parts – breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and drinks – work best and customizing which meals you want to make up each day of your plan. The plans can be managed through the Snap Kitchen iOS app or through the website and can be cancelled at any time.

Snap Kitchen offers free delivery for meal plan subscribers within a designated distance of each store and meals can also be picked up at a "home" location. First-time meal plan subscribers can use promo code GFPHILLY for $20 off their first order.

The company offered to let us try a three-day meal subscription, so we opted for the Balance plan, which is designed for those trying to eat healthier without eliminating specific foods or focusing on a macronutrient goal. Lunch and dinner options were stronger than those for breakfast that we tried. We heated the meals in the microwave, though oven preparation is an option. Here's what we thought of some of them:

Snap Kitchen's naked salmon entree
Naked salmon: Not fishy for the most part and was nicely complemented by the lemon butter on top. Both the salmon and the broccolini were flavorful and fresh.

Naked beef: Beef was tender with only one small fatty portion. The green beans were garlicky and well-seasoned, while the cauliflower was a little bit spicy and was a nice twist to an otherwise conservative meal.

Chicken Parmesan with spiralized squash: The chicken was tender, but the sauce was a bit underwhelming and dish could have used some more cheese. The squash tasted fresh, though slightly undercooked. Overall, we really enjoyed this dish.

Crispy salmon: It wasn’t crispy, but take the good parts of baked salmon and add shaved almond and that’s what you have. It was really good and the roasted carrots and zucchini were the best sides out of all the dishes we tried.

Chimichurri chicken: The chicken was tender though not very flavorful. The chimichurri sauce was good and though it was a little watery, the squash on the side was delicious. The inclusion of tomatoes seemed out of place.

Shrimp scampi dish from Snap Kitchen
Shrimp scampi: Shrimp were tender and not fishy. The asparagus was tasty, but we wish it was whole and not cut. The pasta was a bit mushy but the scampi sauce was delicious - equal parts lemony and buttery.

Breakfast sandwich: The star of the show was the biscuit: it was moist and didn't crumble. The egg white patty was standard but fit the sandwich well. While we weren't fans at first, the sausage patty grew on us. Cheese would have added a bit more flavor but wasn't an option.

Goat cheese scramble: The goat cheese was a nice touch, though there wasn’t enough of it. The egg whites were a bit watery and the tomatoes and spinach oddly felt out of place. The sweet potatoes were hard and nearly inedible.

Breakfast platter: We didn’t like the cheesy cauliflower at first but came around to it. The pork sausage patties were greasy, but the eggs were tasty though underseasoned and superfluously sprinkled with chives.

There were many options that we didn't try but looked tempting, including banana pancakes and chicken sausage breakfast tacos for breakfast, and chicken butternut macaroni, beef lasagna and dan dan noodles for lunch and dinner.

If we continue the subscription, we'll fiddle with some of the different choices to find the ideal combination. Overall, we applaud Snap Kitchen's food for its quality and freshness.