The best almond butter I have ever tasted. I am big fan of almond butter. This brand is contains 360 mg ALA Omega-3 per serving (or 25% OF The Daily Value for ALA 1.3%)
Nutrition Facts: Serving size 2 tbs, Calories 200, Fat Cals 150. Total Fat 17g, Sat Fat 1.5g, Trans Fat 0g, Cholestrol 0mg, Sodium 80 mg, Total Carb 6g, Fiber 4g, Sugars 1g, Protein 7g.
This almond butter melts in your mouth. The aroma is so yummy you might be tempted to just open the jar to take a quick whiff. However, once that happens you will be compelled to take a spoonful of this delightful, creamy, crunchy butter.
I have had this almond butter for at least a month. It is very filling and satisfying. Two tablespoons will do the job. It gives one an instant burst of energy and no crash afterwards. An amazing snack. I have used in as a spread on toast as well.....but I like it best directly from the jar. My instinct tells me that this butter would be very good in cookies. The toasted flax seeds are a wonderful addition that add Omega 3s and crunch.....but not too much crunch to take away from the smooth creamy butter sensation.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Osem Israeli (Pearl) Couscous--Tri-color
Self description: A unique Mediterranian Toasted Pasta Specialty". Nutrition Facts: 1/3 cup 1.7 oz. (50g dry) Calories: 180, Calories from fat 10. Total Fat 1g, Saturated Fat 0g, Trans fat 0g. Cholesterol 0mg. Sodium 0mg. Total Carbohydrate 39g, Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars less then 1g, Protein 6g.
A quick and easy side dish. I would recommend using this product for a dish that has a lot of sauce. The mini pastas pearls are cute and colorful. However, they really do not have much flavor by themselves. I added a bit of salt and olive oil but I would not eat a lot of this cous cous by itself. It worked out great as a base with my honey glazed chicken wings. Then, it was great. It would also work well with the traditional cous cous stew topping. On the package they have a recipe for a Mediterranean Style dish which has a lot of vegetables such as onion, green and red pepper, spinach, garlic, vegetable stock, black olives and basil. Topped with parmesan cheese. I think this cous cous would work very well in a risotto type dish.
I finished the box after three meals so if you are cooking for more than one person I would say one box for every 2 people even though the box says it has five servings.
The highlights of this product are it's beautiful color scheme. It comes in green, white, and light red. The ingredients are wheat flour, spinach powder, and spices. (It does contain wheat gluten.) The other nice thing about this product is that is does remain al dente so it has a nice firm texture. Very good to use with creamy sauces, or savory sauces. I would definitely recommend this product. It's simple and versatile.
A quick and easy side dish. I would recommend using this product for a dish that has a lot of sauce. The mini pastas pearls are cute and colorful. However, they really do not have much flavor by themselves. I added a bit of salt and olive oil but I would not eat a lot of this cous cous by itself. It worked out great as a base with my honey glazed chicken wings. Then, it was great. It would also work well with the traditional cous cous stew topping. On the package they have a recipe for a Mediterranean Style dish which has a lot of vegetables such as onion, green and red pepper, spinach, garlic, vegetable stock, black olives and basil. Topped with parmesan cheese. I think this cous cous would work very well in a risotto type dish.
I finished the box after three meals so if you are cooking for more than one person I would say one box for every 2 people even though the box says it has five servings.
The highlights of this product are it's beautiful color scheme. It comes in green, white, and light red. The ingredients are wheat flour, spinach powder, and spices. (It does contain wheat gluten.) The other nice thing about this product is that is does remain al dente so it has a nice firm texture. Very good to use with creamy sauces, or savory sauces. I would definitely recommend this product. It's simple and versatile.
Trader Joe's Brown Rice Medley
The product description is "A delicious blend of Long Grain Brown Rice, Black Barley & Dalkon Radish Seeds." Nutrition Info: (1/4 cup dry) Calories: 160, Cals from fat 5, Total Fat o.5%, Saturated Fat 0g, Trans fat 0g. Cholestrol 0mg, Sodium 0mg, Total Carbohydrate 33g, Dietary Fiber 5g, Sugars 0, Protein 6 g.
This product is a taste and texture sensation. Each mouthful has so much flavor and so much crunch it is unbelievable. I wouldn't even think of it as rice. It comes much closer to a grainy type experience like Tabuli or lentils and rice.
I used this product by itself and it was a great satisfying side dish. I also used it as a filling in my famous meatloaf. What I did was put a layer of meat down in the meatloaf pan and then I spread a layer of the long grain rice blend topped with some slivered almonds. I was trying to create a middle eastern type dish where they have rice covered in balls of meat. It came out delicious and added amazing texture. It took the meatloaf to a whole new level.
On another day I tried the rice product with a creamy mushroom soup and green beans striving for a risotto type dish. I didn't think that this worked out so well. This rice is not as absorbant as white or plain brown rice. The thick outer layers make it resistance for flavor to melt in. I think dry seasonings would work better.
I also think this rice medley would be fabulous as the base in a chilled summer salad. Add a few chopped vegetables such as red and green pepper, onion or green onion, and some extra olive virgin oil and a bit of balsamic vinegar, a dash of garlic powder, salt, pepper, and chopped parsley or cilantro. Chill. This would be a perfect grain to use in this kind of grain based salad.
Overall, I thought the product was great as a stand alone side, a wonderful addition to certain types of meat dishes, and as a base in salads. It is an amazing treat for anyone's tastebuds.
This product is a taste and texture sensation. Each mouthful has so much flavor and so much crunch it is unbelievable. I wouldn't even think of it as rice. It comes much closer to a grainy type experience like Tabuli or lentils and rice.
I used this product by itself and it was a great satisfying side dish. I also used it as a filling in my famous meatloaf. What I did was put a layer of meat down in the meatloaf pan and then I spread a layer of the long grain rice blend topped with some slivered almonds. I was trying to create a middle eastern type dish where they have rice covered in balls of meat. It came out delicious and added amazing texture. It took the meatloaf to a whole new level.
On another day I tried the rice product with a creamy mushroom soup and green beans striving for a risotto type dish. I didn't think that this worked out so well. This rice is not as absorbant as white or plain brown rice. The thick outer layers make it resistance for flavor to melt in. I think dry seasonings would work better.
I also think this rice medley would be fabulous as the base in a chilled summer salad. Add a few chopped vegetables such as red and green pepper, onion or green onion, and some extra olive virgin oil and a bit of balsamic vinegar, a dash of garlic powder, salt, pepper, and chopped parsley or cilantro. Chill. This would be a perfect grain to use in this kind of grain based salad.
Overall, I thought the product was great as a stand alone side, a wonderful addition to certain types of meat dishes, and as a base in salads. It is an amazing treat for anyone's tastebuds.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Tofu Shirataki (House Foods) Fettuccine shaped noodle substitute
The things I love about this product: No choloesterol, No sugar, Gluten-Free, Vegan, and certified kosher by the OU.
Another thing I like about this product is it's low calories. The entire 8 oz. package says that it has 2 servings. Total Calories Per serving: 20 (that's right 2-0, that's it. Twenty measly calories!) TOTAL FAT: 0.5 g 1%, Sat. Fat 0, Trans Fat 0, Polysat Fat 0, Monosat Fat 0. Choloesterol 0mg 0%, Sodium 15mg 1%, Total Carb. 3g 9%, Fiber 2g, Sugars 0g. Protein 1 g.
On the package it had a recipe for Tofu Shirataki Fettucine Alfredo.
I took the liberty to make a dish that was more of a creamy red sauce (based on a vodka sauce) to try out the noodles. I made my sauce with almond milk, low fat sour cream, low fat cream cheese, tomato paste, morrocan matbusha, (a tomato salsa) garlic powder, salt, and pepper. I rinsed and then sauteed a few cloves of garlic in olive oil. Once that was going well I dropped in the noodles. They are already a "soft" texture. They only need to be slightly heated. The package recommends to parboil for 2-3 minutes or microwave for 1 minute "to reduce the authentic aroma". (I am not sure exactly what "aroma" they are reffering to. However, I figured if I doused the noodles with enough garlic and olive oil...they would have the aroma of garlic and have to taste good.) I failed to notice that the pacakge says, "to dry very well" after rinsing them. I didn't do this. What I did was pour the sauce over the noodles and then made sure that all noodles were covered in the sauce. It was very good. However, being the food critic I am I would say that the noodles had a sort of odd, chewy texture. They just didn't melt in my mouth like regular pasta. However, after I while I tried to think of all the benefits I was deriving from eating these noodles. Like this is good when one really needs to cut back on carbs and not have pasta....like those post Thanksgiving or holiday days. I found that I ate about 3/4 of the package. So the only thing I was really getting calories was from the low fat sour cream and low fat cream cheese.
I was in a big rush and I had I had more time I would have chopped some frsh vegetables, like onion, scallion, tomato, and peppers to add to the mixture. Also, this can easily become a dairy free item by just making a nice tomato based sauce. Another idea is to use it in soups. I am a pasta lover so I wouldn't always substitute these noodles for the real thing....however, if I short was on time, like I was tonight, or if I couldn't have wheat, or gluten, or if I didn't want to feel really "Full" from real pasta.....this is a great alternative. The BIG BENEFIT: You will not feel "Stuffed". You will feel light and even have room for desert! Which I indulged in....two mini choclate cupcakes.....I had no guilt whatsoever since my main dish was so few calories. It's a fun product and I recommend trying at least once in some type of pasta dish.
Another thing I like about this product is it's low calories. The entire 8 oz. package says that it has 2 servings. Total Calories Per serving: 20 (that's right 2-0, that's it. Twenty measly calories!) TOTAL FAT: 0.5 g 1%, Sat. Fat 0, Trans Fat 0, Polysat Fat 0, Monosat Fat 0. Choloesterol 0mg 0%, Sodium 15mg 1%, Total Carb. 3g 9%, Fiber 2g, Sugars 0g. Protein 1 g.
On the package it had a recipe for Tofu Shirataki Fettucine Alfredo.
I took the liberty to make a dish that was more of a creamy red sauce (based on a vodka sauce) to try out the noodles. I made my sauce with almond milk, low fat sour cream, low fat cream cheese, tomato paste, morrocan matbusha, (a tomato salsa) garlic powder, salt, and pepper. I rinsed and then sauteed a few cloves of garlic in olive oil. Once that was going well I dropped in the noodles. They are already a "soft" texture. They only need to be slightly heated. The package recommends to parboil for 2-3 minutes or microwave for 1 minute "to reduce the authentic aroma". (I am not sure exactly what "aroma" they are reffering to. However, I figured if I doused the noodles with enough garlic and olive oil...they would have the aroma of garlic and have to taste good.) I failed to notice that the pacakge says, "to dry very well" after rinsing them. I didn't do this. What I did was pour the sauce over the noodles and then made sure that all noodles were covered in the sauce. It was very good. However, being the food critic I am I would say that the noodles had a sort of odd, chewy texture. They just didn't melt in my mouth like regular pasta. However, after I while I tried to think of all the benefits I was deriving from eating these noodles. Like this is good when one really needs to cut back on carbs and not have pasta....like those post Thanksgiving or holiday days. I found that I ate about 3/4 of the package. So the only thing I was really getting calories was from the low fat sour cream and low fat cream cheese.
I was in a big rush and I had I had more time I would have chopped some frsh vegetables, like onion, scallion, tomato, and peppers to add to the mixture. Also, this can easily become a dairy free item by just making a nice tomato based sauce. Another idea is to use it in soups. I am a pasta lover so I wouldn't always substitute these noodles for the real thing....however, if I short was on time, like I was tonight, or if I couldn't have wheat, or gluten, or if I didn't want to feel really "Full" from real pasta.....this is a great alternative. The BIG BENEFIT: You will not feel "Stuffed". You will feel light and even have room for desert! Which I indulged in....two mini choclate cupcakes.....I had no guilt whatsoever since my main dish was so few calories. It's a fun product and I recommend trying at least once in some type of pasta dish.
Introduction
I am a Foodie and self proclaimed Chef/Cook. I love it when I discover new food products and have decided to share this news on this blog with my friends and/or family who might like to know about them as well. It's that simple.
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