You may know that I am not the world’s best cook, but I am a great eater! I was invited to participate in the Allergen Friendly Tasting Panel at Now We’re Cookin‘ in Evanston through my relationship with Windy City Bloggers Collective. I am fortunate that I do not have food allergies or serious intolerances, but I do limit dairy and gluten because of sensitivities, so I am always looking for great dairy free/gluten free finds. One of the lines tested was Finds’ fave Bearded Brothers (and an awesome new flavor Outrageous Orange Kale). We also tested products from Kitchfix, D-ology and Modern Table Meals.
Susie and I rode up together and took the prerequisite selfie before getting the run down from Natalie of Now We’re Cookin’. Basically, we were asked to taste all of the food items and fill out a brief survey. There were 6 other testers and we were also allowed to “compare notes.”
We met the other bloggers and started with samples and questionnaires from Kitchfix and Bearded Brothers. From Kitchfix, we sampled Cashew Yogurt (Dairy Free) and Paleo Granola (Wheat Free). From Bearded Brothers, we sampled the six original sytle raw, vegan, gluten & soy free, Non-GMO, Certified Organic bars in the following flavors: Bodacious Vanilla Blueberry, Colossal Coconut Mango, Mighty Maca Chocolate, Fabulous Ginger Peach, Radical Raspberry Lemon, and Outrageous Orange Kale.
First, we tasted the Cashew Yogurt parfait and a variety of paleo granolas from Kitchfix. The cashew yogurt is super creamy and delicious. It was the best tasting non-dairy yogurt I have tried – and I have tried them all. The granola is crunchy, nutty and flavorful. We answered questions about taste, quality and value.
We tried all six flavors of Bearded Brothers original style bars and compared notes. We all had different favorites. My previous favorite is the Ginger Peach, but the new Outrageous Orange Kale may have knocked it out of the lead. Many of the questions were on packaging and we had some good chats about the branding and packaging and what appeals to us about Bearded Brothers. I love the quality and variety of flavors of the bars as well as the cool vibe and community mindedness of Bearded Brothers. These are great go-to travel snacks because of their nutrition profile and portability.
Next we split into groups to get cooking. Chrissy and I made pizza with D-Ology gluten free crust and delicious pesto. We made gluten free, vegan pizza crust with vegan (pesto) and mozzarella cheese options. The crust is pre-baked and cooks in 12 – 15 minutes. It has an almond flour base.
The other ladies made wheat free pasta dishes from Modern Table Meals. They made:
- Italian Red Lentil Penne with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce & Parmesan Herb Seasoning (Gluten Free)
- Mediterranean Green Lentil Rotini with Garlic Herb Sauce and Citrus Seasonings (Gluten Free)
- Teriyaki White Bean and Broccoli Noodles with Teriyaki Sauce and Sesame Five Spice Seasoning
- Southwest Red Lentil Rotini with Roasted Tomato Sauce and Chili Lime Seasoning (Gluten Free)
These convenient meals cook in 15 – 20 minutes and can be enhanced with protein and veggies for quick healthy meals. The pastas are made with beans and vegetables for added protein and nutritional value.
Finally, we tasted the pizza and pastas. These are great options for people with Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance. The Modern Table Meals are tasty and are a great option for families for quick, healthy meals. I would definitely add a bunch of veggies and some protein if I were to make these. They seem great to have on hand if you need something quick and healthy and don’t have good options in the house. I liked the taste and texture of the lentil based and white bean based noodles. The pizzas were also tasty and the crust was one of the better gluten free crusts I have tried. D-ology is rebranding (the D was for Diane) – I did not have any great suggestions and thought the ones they offered were just OK. (Any ideas? GF pizza crusts made with almond flower. Go.)
Now We’re Cookin’ hosts these types of tastings, culinary events and rents space in their commercial kitchen for food start ups. Check out their newsletter here and keep up with them on Twitter. I sure will!
What would your “dream” taste tester assignment be?