26Feb

Product review: Van’s launches new gluten-free granola and pasta

Posted by: Jennifer Mansfield Categories: Blog posts Daily Posts Food Gluten Free Products Products we love
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gluten free vans cranberry almond

I’ve posted reviews on Van’s gluten-free products previously, as our son absolutely loves their gluten-free waffles, snack bars and cereals. So when they sent us some new product offerings we were happy to give them a shot. They’ve branched into granola and pre-packaged pastas, which was definitely a bit surprising at first, since most of their other products are snacks and/or sweet breakfast foods. We know they have the sweet area down, but were curious how they handled savory.

Since we’re dairy-free we can only review one of the pastas, but will update this post with friend’s opinions once they share their thoughts on both the mac-n-cheese and creamy herb and garlic. If you want to find them in your local store, check out their store locator on their site. If you’re in Austin, you can find them at most HEBs.

Gluten Free Granolas:

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Van’s gluten-free granola comes in two yummy varieties, Cranberry Almond and Blueberry Walnut.

Both are perfectly balanced sweet and soft bites with 12 grams of nutrient-dense, gluten-free whole grains. We enjoyed them in yogurt, as a cereal with some vanilla almond milk and as a simple grab n go snack option. Our son loved both favors and we ended up mixing both into a snack container for him to take to school. Definitely loving this new granola option, and we found it at our local HEB.

Gluten-free Pastas:

Another new offering from Van’s is their packaged pasta options, which they market as a simple, convenient way to  bring some tasty gluten-free pasta to your dinner routine. We tend to make our own pasta here, and prefer fresh home-made pasta sauces, but if you’re in a pinch these are pretty good options to have on hand.

We love that, as usual with Van’s products, they kept the ingredients list clean and simple, making us feel good about making these for our son.  Since we’re dairy-free we could only try the Rotini, but I can tell you it was much better than expected from a packaged meal, and they’ve done a great job of keeping the ingredients clean without compromising on flavor. If you’re looking for something easy to keep on hand for those short-on-time nights, this is a great option!

Gluten Free Rotini & Red Sauce Pasta

Ingredients: (that we are proud of!)

Gluten Free Penne Pasta (Brown Rice Flour, Red Lentil Flour, Beet Powder, Tomato Powder), Marinara Sauce (Tomatoes [Tomatoes, Tomato Puree, Citric Acid], Water, Tomato Paste, Olive Oil, Onions, Sugar, Basil, Garlic, Salt, Citric Acid, Black Pepper).

Gluten Free Creamy Herb & Garlic Pasta

Ingredients: (that we are proud of!)

Gluten Free Penne Pasta (Brown Rice Flour, Red Lentil Flour, Beet Powder, Tomato Powder), Garlic & Herb Seasoning (Reduced Lactose Whey, Rice Flour, Milk Powder, Parmesan and Romano Cheese [Milk, Salt, Cheese Cultures, Enzymes], Natural Flavors, Salt, Sugar, Spice, Garlic Powder).

Gluten Free Ultimate Cheddar Penne

Ingredients: (that we are proud of!)

Gluten Free Penne Pasta (Brown Rice Flour, White Rice Flour), Aged Cheddar Cheese Seasoning (Cheddar Cheese [Milk, Salt, Cheese Cultures, Enzymes], Nonfat Milk, Salt, Whey, Sugar, Buttermilk, Rice Flour, Natural Flavors, Annatto Extract [For Color]).

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Disclaimer: Van’s sent us their new products to try with a request for a review on the blog. As always, I only share our honest opinions/reviews.

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21Feb

Amazingly simple Roast Beef with Grilled Squash

Posted by: Jennifer Mansfield Categories: Blog posts Daily Posts Dairy Free Dairy Free Recipes Food Gluten Free Gluten Free Recipes Paleo Paleo Recipes Recipes
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We’re big fans of a tender, juicy roast, and love the simplicity of a basic Roast Beef. While there are some more intricate methods which include basting, stews and crock pots, we like to keep ours simple by roasting it with a touch of salt and pepper.

I promise you this is the easiest Roast Beef recipe you will ever make, and you will absolutely love how tender and delicious it is! You’ll need to set aside an hour or so for this one, and make sure you have a meat thermometer handy. The key to not over cooking a roast is to use the thermometer and set it for 125 degrees. Thats the magic number which leaves your roast juicy, tender and perfectly delicious.  This version is naturally gluten-free, and suits the Paleo, Primal Blueprint and GAPS diets just fine. In fact, so long as you’re a meat eater, you’re good with this one!

We like to grill some squash to pair with it, and add some grilled asparagus and toasted pumpkin seeds to a balsamic vinegar and EVOO salad.

So simple. So good.

 

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Amazingly simple Roast Beef with Grilled Squash

Amazingly simple Roast Beef with Grilled Squash

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs Top Round Roast
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Additional roasting pan ingredients include carrots or potatoes

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees
  2. Prep the roast and sprinkle generously with salt & pepper
  3. Place roast in roasting pan and surround with potatoes or carrots
  4. Insert meat thermometer and place pan in oven
  5. Baking times will vary so watch the thermometer (generally 20 minutes per lb is good)
  6. Once the thermometer hits 125 degrees remove the roast from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before carving
  7. Serve with your favorite glass of Cab, grilled veggies and a side salad with balsamic vinegar and EVOO for a great pairing!
http://inspiredeats.net/amazingly-simple-roast-beef-with-grilled-squash/

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