Gluten Free Sauce: Rosa Mexicana Kitchen Veracruzana Sauce

PRODUCT NAME:                  Veracruzana Sauce

COMPANY NAME:                  Rosa Mexicana Kitchen

COST:                                    $3.99

SIZE:                                     12 fl. oz.

COST PER OZ:                       $0.33      

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:     No

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:      N/A

ORGANIC:                              No

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:      N/A

VEGAN:                                 Yes

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:       No

LOCATION OF FACILITY:       New York, NY

SHELF LIFE:                          Unopened - 18 months

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging.  We cannot verify the accuracy of this information.  For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.               

REVIEW:

Taste:

I admit, I was skeptical of this product. For starters, this “Veracruzana Sauce” looks an awful lot like “salsa”. I have no problem whatsoever with this fact (hey, I love a Mexican flair!) but this particular version was one that you don’t need to refrigerate until you open it and , as a rule, I find this to generally be an indicator that a salsa will be less fresh, and consequently less delicious. In addition to this fact, this salsa hails from New York City, which is not exactly a utopia or mecca for Mexican delights. I had a bias, it’s true. But my bias was wrong.

Vercruzana Sauce is delicious. It is indeed similar to salsa, but is made much more complex by incorporating capers and olives into the tomato/jalapeno/onion fold.  While the tomato paste base has a bit of a “Pace Picante Sauce” mouth feel it lends itself to be a silky background for the rich olive flavor. The capers aren’t exactly texturally identifiable, but there is a bit of a brine-y after taste that is excessively pleasant to my particular mouth, which just so happens to love all foods of a fermented or vinegar-esque nature.

The ingredients list is mostly simple (the only unmentioned addition is a bevy of spices) but the addition of sugar (albeit toward the end of the list) throws me off a bit. The sauce has a tang just from the tomato and it seems unnecessary to toss that little devil sugar into the mix. It seems that a lot of products these days arbitrarily add sugar because (duh) Americans seem to have a taste for it, but when it shows up in a product that has no reason whatsoever to be sweet, I always take pause.

Calorically, this sauce is an excellent condiment. At five calories per Tablespoon, it is just about the same as most non-olive-including salsas with that much more flavor. It is suggested that you pair this sauce with seafood but since I am vegan I simply used it to top a gluten-free veggie burger and it gave my meal a southwestern flair without adding as many calories as ketchup or vegan mayo would.

Labeling:

Labeling of this product is clear and sufficient.

Packaging:

This spread was packaged in a recyclable glass jar. The packaging seemed sufficient for the freshness of the product.

Reader’s Reviews:

Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product…

RATING:

Texture:           4

Taste:               4.5       

Value:              3.5

OVERALL:        4

Reviewed by Lacy D.

Gluten Free Sauces: Shiloh's All Natural Harissa Spicy Sauce

PRODUCT NAME:                     Shiloh’s Harissa Spicy Sauce

COMPANY NAME:                     Shiloh’s All Natural

COST:                                       $7.40

SIZE:                                        11 oz

COST PER OZ:                         $0.67            

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:       YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:        GFCO

ORGANIC:                                NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:        N/A

VEGAN:                                   YES

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:         NO

LOCATION OF FACILITY:         N/A

SHELF LIFE:                            1 Year +

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging.  We cannot verify the accuracy of this information.  For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.               

REVIEW:

Taste:

Upon my arrival to our wonderful headquarters , I was asked perhaps my favorite question of this job: “What are you in the mood to try today?”

Upon considering such a wonderful question I knew I wanted something savory. I have been really on top of reviewing snacks and energy bars, and had certainly enjoyed the task. Despite this fact, I was coming to a point where these meal substitutes were leaving me craving just a touch more to dig my teeth into and I knew the quickest way to get to that was to steer away from the sweet and the crunchy/salty and head straight into products designed to accent meals. Enter Shiloh’s Harissa Spicy Sauce.

First let us discuss Harissa in general: What is that?! Before my review opportunity I had never heard of Harissa and all I knew was that I was presented with a jar of fire red oily sauce and I was intrigued. After some research I found out that Harissa is described as a Tunisian hot chili sauce commonly eaten in North African cuisine. Its main ingredients are chili and serrano peppers and spices such as garlic paste, coriander, red chili powder, caraway and vegetable or olive oil. It can be used as a compliment to stir fries or (less commonly) added to creamier products (sour cream or cream cheese) to make dips.

I decided to use this bombastic little sauce in a simply stir fry, so that I may understand the complexity of the flavor sans other influences. I steamed up some broccoli and tempeh, added some wheat-free tamari and about a teaspoon of Harissa and was on my way to North African influenced veggie heaven. The first note of flavor was the spice, of course. Shiloh’s takes care to use very simple, yet impactful flavors that deliver the biggest bang possible, for just a few ingredients. The very small amount I used delivered a delectable sting of spice that hit the tongue immediately and set my mouth ablaze in the finest way possible. If you, like me, like complex and spicy tastes (that may or may not make your eyes water, depending on how much you use) then you’ll love this. The other spices present in this sauce were merely subtle aftereffects to the depth of the chilies and although they added a pleasant bit of nuance, I couldn’t exactly identify them in the context of my stir fry. Essentially, all other spices aside from the chilies took a real back seat.

Aside from the spice, the fantastic oiliness of Harissa adds a great mouth feel to the product. The thick streams of oil present serve as a conduit to deliver the spice and soothe the burn immediately upon contact.  Although this is a delicious addition to any meal, it adds calories that quickly turned my stir fry into a more decadent-than-normal treat. One teaspoon of this stuff packs in 80 extra calories- roughly 50% MORE calories than olive oil!. Although adding one teaspoon to a broccoli - tempeh stir fry is not big deal calorically, adding ¼ cup of it to some pork chops (something I imagine somebody could easily do if they weren’t paying attention) could turn your meal into an immediate calorie bomb. This is definitely something to be aware of!

Labeling:

Labeling of this product was clear and concise. I deem it to be very sufficient.

Packaging:

This sauce was packaged in a glass recyclable jar. The packaging seemed sufficient for the freshness of the product.

Reader’s Reviews:

Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product…

RATING:

Texture:           4

Taste:               4         

Value:              3

OVERALL:        3.7

Reviewed by Lacy D. 

Gluten Free Sauces: 1849 BBQ Sauce

PRODUCT NAME:                       1849 All Natural BBQ Sauce

COMPANY NAME:                       Golden West Specialty Foods

COST:                                         $5.00

SIZE:                                           14 oz.

COST PER OZ:                            $0.36/oz                     

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:         Unknown

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:           N/A

ORGANIC:                                   No

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:           N/A

VEGAN:                                       Yes

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:             No

LOCATION OF FACILITY:             N/A

SHELF LIFE:                                1 Year +

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging.  We cannot verify the accuracy of this information.  For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.              

REVIEW:

Taste:

First and foremost, this company titles their BBQ sauce “1849 BBQ Sauce” and there is a pretty funny reason for this fact. In 1849, the average man supposedly ate about six pounds of meat a day, and I assume the company is alluding that good meat needs good sauce. Although I am not carnivorous enough to comment, I know the same is true today for a young lady with a plate full of vegetables. Sauce changes everything.

I love Sauce. As a gluten free, low soy, sugar shirking vegan I often rely on sauces to make my tofu and veggies palatable.  It takes a special sauce to be free of all the ingredients that I avoid, and once I find one, I am an advocate for life. From fancy mustards to salsas, to this very BBQ sauce, I am a lover of thick liquids that lend flavor and I’m not afraid to say it.

1849 BBQ Sauce sticks to a short list of identifiable ingredients, which I fully appreciate. The list simply reads “tomato paste, cider vinegar, brown sugar, water, molasses, smoke flavor, garlic, onion, lemon juice, salt, chili pepper, and spices”. Every single ingredient is a food I can identify and feel okay about consuming. Despite the fact that this sauce does contain some sugar, none of the common high fructose corn syrups or sneaky gluten-y invaders sneak into it and so one can indulge without feeling like they are essentially pickling their insides. Sometimes it is worthwhile to make small exceptions.

Nutrition Facts and Ingredients

The most notable aspect of this sauce is its undeniable thickness. It took me a solid sixty seconds to get this deliciousness to drip out of the bottle and onto my kale and when it did, drops landed in big plops instead of thin streams. Although the thickness of this sauce would probably be desirable in a meatier context, I found it a bit tough to spread around without watering down slightly. Luckily, the deep and rich flavor made this a moot point, because once I tasted it I couldn’t remember having any textural complaints at all. If anything, the thickness added to the velvety quality that graced my palate and lent a richness that truly satisfied. The strongest flavor note in this sauce is the melding of molasses with liquid smoke but the true nuance comes from the dash of brown sugar and the lemon juice. It is sweet, tangy, and deep with complexity in each bite. I would love to add a dash of cayenne to spice it up a bit but other than that, the taste is pretty perfect.

There are about 40 calories per two tablespoon serving of this sauce, which certainly is not terrible. I must mention that because of the thickness of the sauce, one needs to use a fair amount to actually have it cover the food. It is worth noting that this could pack calories into a meal quickly.

Labeling:

Labeling of this product was clear and concise. I deem it to be very sufficient.

Packaging:

This product is packaged in a glass bottle. Although I find glass to be exponentially more satisfying then plastic, it would probably be easier to access this thick sauce in something squeezable.

Reader’s Reviews:

Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product…

RATING:

Texture:           4

Taste:               4         

Value:              4

OVERALL:        4

Reviewed by Lacy D. 

Gluten Free Sauce: Whitson's Spicy Honey Mustard Salad Dressing & Marinade - Product Review #102

Whitson's Spicy Honey Mustard

PRODUCT NAME:                Spicy Honey Mustard Salad Dressing & Marinade

BRAND:                               Whitson Chile Products

COST:                                  $6.95

SIZE:                                   12oz      

COST PER OZ:                     $0.58/oz             

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:   NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:    NA

ORGANIC:                            NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:    NA

VEGAN:                               YES 

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:     UNKNOWN

LOCATION OF FACILITY:     Texas

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging.  We cannot verify the accuracy of this information.  For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.            

REVIEW:

Mustard is a very popular condiment to put on burgers and hot dogs and, with a little honey added, can even be used in salad dressings and marinades.  Mustard has a very bold spicy and tangy flavor, but with the addition of honey, it gets mellowed out.  I am personally a big fan of honey mustard so I was especially excited when Whitson’s Chili Products out of Texas sent us their Bee Stings Spicy Honey Mustard Salad Dressing and Marinade to try.

With the name Bee Stings: Spicy Honey Mustard Salad Dressing and Marinade and a bee with a chili as its body, I was bit scared of how spicy this honey mustard was going to be.  You can rest assured because this spicy honey mustard was not as spicy as I had anticipated.  My first impression was that it had a very nice mustard aroma.  The flavor was also very nice; tangy with a little hint of sweet and a kick at the end.

Nutrition Facts

This sauce is meant to be uses as a salad dressing or marinade and the consistency of it is perfect.  It is thin enough that it pours easily and it is thick enough so that it will stick to the food you are using it on.  We decided to use this dressing over some fresh greens from our garden.  The flavor of the dressing is very strong so I decided to go a little light with it.  You may want to taste it before using it to see if you want to thin it out a little.  The first time around, I decided to just use it as is and we thought it was a little too strong of a flavor for our salad.  The second time around, I thinned it out a little with some olive oil and to mellow out the flavor, I added some agave sweetener.  We have not tried this sauce as a marinade yet, but with such a strong flavor, I think it is better suited as a marinade. 

Overall, we liked this dressing a lot.  It is a good base to start with.  If you’re using it as a marinade, just use it as is, but if you’re using it as a salad dressing, I recommend thinning it out a little and maybe adding a little sweetener to it.  For more information about Whitson’s Spicy Honey Mustard Salad Dressing and Marinade, visit their website at: www.whitsonschile.com

Taste: The flavor of this sauce can be best described as tangy with a hint of sweet and a little spiciness at the end.  The consistency of the sauce is perfect for a salad dressing and marinade. 

Labeling:  The labeling is very simple.  The logo leads you to believe it is a little spicier than it really is. 

Packaging:  Glass bottle

Reader’s Reviews: Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product…

RATING:

Texture:                 5             

Taste:                     4             

Value:                    3

OVERALL:              4

Reviewed 4/5/11 by Calvin C.

Gluten Free Sauces: Shiloh's All Natural Bearnaise - Product Review #58

Gluten Free Sauce: Shiloh's All Natural Bearnaise

PRODUCT NAME:                          Béarnaise Sauce

BRAND:                                         Shiloh’s All Natural

COST:                                           $7.40

SIZE:                                             11fl oz

COST PER OZ:                              $0.67/oz

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:            YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:             GFCO

ORGANIC:                                     NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:             N/A

VEGAN:                                         NO

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:              UNKNOWN

LOCATION OF FACILITY:              California

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging. We cannot verify the accuracy of this information. For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.

REVIEW:
The other day, we got some arctic char (a mix between a trout and a salmon) to cook up for lunch. As the resident chef here at the studio, I was looking for something to flavor it with. I had thought about flavoring it with some gluten free teriyaki sauce, but then I remembered that I had gotten some Béarnaise sauce from the nice people at Shiloh’s All Natural sauces at the Fancy Food Show. Béarnaise sauce is a French sauce that kind of looks like tartar sauce, but is flavored with lemon juice, tarragon, and shallots.

It all started when Shiloh’s Steakhouse, owned by Fabrice and Geoffrey Ghanem, opened up in Los Angeles, California. With a successful restaurant up and running, demand for their sauces and marinades grew. That’s when they decided to team up with their executive chef Katsuji Tanabe to create sauces they can bottle up to sell. They’ve gone to great length to ensure that these sauces are of the highest quality. You might be pleased to see that the entire line of sauces is certified parve as well as certified gluten free by GFCO.

Arctic Char with Shiloh's Gluten Free Bearnaise Sauce

Let me say that I was blown away by this sauce; it was the perfect complement to the fish. I pan fried the fish and at the last minute spread the sauce over it so that the sauce would melt into the fish. It added a nice buttery taste to the fish with just the right amount of herbs. At 190 calories and 21g of fat per 2 tablespoons of sauce it is more on the indulgent side of things, but you don’t really need to add too much of this sauce to infuse the fish with flavor. I think I only used about half a table spoon on each of the fillets of fish. On the plus side, the sodium is relatively low for such a flavorful sauce at 125mg per 2 tablespoon servings. My suggestion is to hold off on adding salt when using this sauce because you probably won’t even need it.

Overall, we loved this sauce and can’t wait to try it on some chicken and steak. At $0.67/oz, it’s not a bad value either for such a delicious sauce. The fact that it is has a parve certification and is certified gluten free is just the cherry on top. If you are interested in purchasing some Shiloh’s delicious sauces, right around now they should be available at your local Whole Foods or you can always find them on their website at: www.shilohsauces.com.

Taste: Delicious sauce that is the perfect flavor addition to your favorite fish, but seeing how much we enjoyed it, I’m sure it’ll go great on chicken or steak as well.

Labeling: This sauce is certified gluten free and parve and it’s nice to see those certification seals on this bottle. The nutrition facts are a little difficult to read. Due to the size of the bottle, it is in paragraph form rather than the traditional nutrition facts table.

Packaging: A very attractive glass jar that you can probably find another use for.

Reader’s Reviews: Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product…

RATING:
Texture:            5
Taste:                5
Value:               3
OVERALL:         4.3

Reviewed 012711 by Calvin C.

Gluten Free Sauces: Premier Japan Teriyaki Sauce - Product Review #56

Gluten Free Sauce: Premier Japan Teriyaki Sauce

PRODUCT NAME:                         Gluten Free Teriyaki Sauce

BRAND:                                        Premier Japan

COST:                                           $4.69

SIZE:                                             8.5oz

COST PER OZ:                              $0.55/oz

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:            NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:             N/A

ORGANIC:                                     YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:             QAI

VEGAN:                                         YES

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:               UNKNOWN

LOCATION OF FACILITY:               USA

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging. We cannot verify the accuracy of this information. For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.

REVIEW:
When I asked Rody, who is the gluten intolerant one in our studio, what he missed most since finding out he was gluten intolerant, he mentioned teriyaki sauce. Most teriyaki sauces are made with regular soy sauce, which as you probably know, has gluten in it. While I was at the 2011 Fancy Food Show at the San Francisco Moscone Center last week, I was happy to see that someone had made gluten free teriyaki sauce. That someone is Premier Japan has made a gluten free version of soy sauce using gluten free tamari soy sauce instead of regular soy sauce. The brand might sound familiar because it is the same company that makes the wheat-free hoisin sauce I reviewed last week.

Teriyaki sauce is used a lot in Asian cooking, especially Japanese. It is used in stir fry, it is used to glaze when barbequing, and it is also used over barbecued meat and fish. Teriyaki sauce is traditionally sweet. Premier Japan’s version of the sauce is pretty good. It is sweet like your traditional teriyaki sauce, but there is a kick of tanginess and spiciness as well. I think the tanginess comes from the use of apple cider vinegar and the spiciness comes from the black pepper used in the sauce. It’s not your traditional sweet teriyaki sauce, but it is definitely a good one.

Like I said with the hoisin sauce from this brand, you are going to want to watch the amount you use. This sauce actually has more sodium than the hoisin sauce we reviewed last week. Each tablespoon of this sauce has 15 calories and 250mg of sodium. That’s 10% of your recommended daily sodium intake. Just think about…if you were to have 10 table spoons of this sauce, you’d have hit your sodium limit for the day.
We used this sauce to flavor our vegetable stir fry and it added just the right amount of flavor. A tip though, the sauce is pretty concentrated with flavor so add a little water when you cook with it. This will help you keep your portions under control. Overall, we think this sauce tastes pretty good despite the fact that it isn’t your traditional teriyaki sauce. If you’re looking for something that will add a little sweetness and kick, this is the sauce for you.

Taste: Good tangy taste with a hint of spiciness from the black pepper. It isn’t your traditional sweet teriyaki sauce, but with the addition of the tanginess and spiciness, it is still a great sauce.

Labeling: Identical labeling to the hoisin sauce we reviewed last week. This sauce is also wheat-free, gluten free, vegan, and organic.

Packaging: Regular twist top bottle filled with 8.5 fl. Oz of sauce.

Reader’s Reviews: Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product…

RATING:
Texture:         4
Taste:             4
Value:            3
OVERALL:      3.7

Reviewed 012511 by Calvin C.

Gluten Free Sauces: Premier Japan Wheat-Free Hoisin Sauce - Product Review #54

Gluten Free Sauces: Premier Japan Wheat-Free Hoisin Sauce

PRODUCT NAME:                       Wheat-Free Hoisin Sauce

BRAND:                                      Premier Japan

COST:                                        $4.69

SIZE:                                          8.5oz

COST PER OZ:                           $0.55/oz

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:         NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:          N/A

ORGANIC:                                  YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:          QAI

VEGAN:                                      YES

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:           UNKNOWN

LOCATION OF FACILITY:            USA

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging. We cannot verify the accuracy of this information. For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.

REVIEW:
Asian food is known for their sauces, but most of them use soy sauce as an ingredient. As we know, soy sauce contains gluten. So what alternatives are out there when you just can’t use regular sauces anymore? Premier Japan has the answer with their line of gluten free sauces. Today, we are reviewing Premier Japan’s Wheat-Free Hoisin Sauce. It is a sweet sauce that is often used in grilling and barbecuing. Many people also like to use it as a dipping sauce as you will often see in Vietnamese Pho restaurants.

So the big question is, how does it compare to regular hoisin sauce? Let me first make it clear that I tasted the sauce by itself and this review is based on the sauce alone. The first thing I noticed is that this sauce is really thin. The hoisin sauces that I am accustomed to are really dark and thick, much like a paste. This might actually be a good thing. With regular hoisin sauce, it is so thick that sometimes you end up with way too much sauce on your meat. With a thinner sauce like this, you end up getting just the right amount of sauce on there. The taste of this sauce is also tangier, probably because of the vinegar used in the sauce. It’s not to say that it is horrible, but it is definitely different than what I was expecting.

When using this sauce and many sauces like it, you have to remember to look at the nutrition facts and pay close attention to the serving size. For this sauce, the serving size is 1 tablespoon. That might not seem like a lot, but when you see that it contains 160mg of sodium for every serving size, you might want to think twice when you go in for that double dip. I know that the sauce makes everything taste better, but you don’t want to kill your daily sodium intake in one sitting.

Taste: Good tangy taste. Not exactly what I was expecting as a hoisin sauce, but good in it’s on right. The sauce is also a little thinner than regular hoisin sauce which is nicer because it sticks to your food better.

Labeling: Very nice and simple labeling. This sauce is wheat-free, gluten free, vegan, and organic. All of which are makings for a great sauce.

Packaging: Regular twist top bottle filled with 8.5 fl. Oz of sauce.

Reader’s Reviews: Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product…

RATING:
Texture:             4
Taste:                 3
Value:                3
OVERALL:          3.3

Reviewed 012111 by Calvin C.

Gluten Free Sauces: San J Organic Gluten Free Tamari Soy Sauce - Product Review #1

Gluten Free Soy Sauce

You probably wouldn’t have guessed it, but most soy sauces actually have gluten in them.  We do a lot of Asian style cooking here in our studio and when we started cooking gluten free, we missed our salty friend.  When we discovered this Gluten Free Soy Sauce, we were thrilled to say the least.

At first, we were afraid that gluten free soy sauce might taste different, but in fact we actually like it better.  Pour a little you will see right away that this soy sauce, although it looks very dark, actually has a very light consistency.  We were originally using Pearl River brand soy sauce, which was very dark and thick.  It overpowered the food, making a lot of it salty.  This soy sauce has a much nicer flavor it is light and slightly sweet.  This soy sauce gets a 5 in our books.

• Brand: San J
• Name: Organic Gluten Free Tamari Soy Sauce
• Price: $7.15
• Rating: 5

Reviewed by CC