Product Faceoff! Amy’s Soy Cheese vs. Regular Cheese Pizza

This week I compared Amy’s products. After the experience I had last week with the Trader Joe’s soy creamer, I was pretty nervous to try the soy cheese pizza. Below are the results!

Price
$5.99 for both kinds

Winner of Price category: It’s a tie

Taste
Amy’s soy – I was pleasantly surprised. I thought the soy pizza tasted very similar to the regular version. I couldn’t even tell the cheese was dairy-free.

Amy’s regular – This was delicious - everything about it was great, from the cheese to the sauce to the crust

Winner of Taste category: Both pizzas had the same crust and sauce, just the cheese was different. I’m going to give Taste to the dairy-free version simply because it was so close to the real thing, I was extremely impressed.

Nutrition Info
Amy’s soy – 290 calories, 10.9 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 590mg sodium, 37 grams carbs, 2 grams fiber, 3 grams sugar, 12.1 grams protein

Amy’s regular – 310 calories, 12.1 grams fat, 4.1 grams saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 590 mg sodium, 38 grams carbs, 2 grams fiber, 4.1 grams sugar, 12.1 grams protein

Winner of Nutrition info: Soy pizza is the winner here since it doesn’t contain saturated fat or cholesterol. Calories, fat, fiber, sugar, and carbs were all pretty similar.

Accessibility
Both were from the neighborhood grocery store – most sell Amy’s products

Winner of Accessibility category: It’s a tie

Texture
Amy’s soy – Although the soy pizza rocked in the taste category, the texture will still slightly off from the regular version. The soy cheese didn’t melt as well as the regular version. The sauce and crust were still just as good as the regular stuff. The end result was still a tasty pizza, but it was very easy to decipher which pizza was soy and which was the regular version.

Amy’s regular – The cheese melted perfectly in the regular version. The crust was delicious too.

Winner of Texture category: Due to the soy cheese melting (or lack thereof), the regular version wins out here

Final Results: I was pleasantly surprised with the soy cheese pizza and it wins this week’s product faceoff. Even though the cheese didn’t melt like regular cheese would have, Amy’s still managed to make a tasty dairy-free pizza that rivals the original. Sometimes you just need to eat some pizza, and if you are lactose-intolerant, Amy’s should be your go-to brand.

Tips for Enjoying Asian Food Restaurants

Want lactose free foods? Think East Asian: Thai, Chinese, Korean, Japanese.  Why you ask?  The answer is simple, because lactose intolerance is common amongst people of Asian descent, the ethnic foods of the area typically don’t contain dairy.  The key term there however is “typically” .  Some Asian restaurants in the US have adapted to the audience and have developed some foods with dairy in them – they’re not plentiful but they’re out there.  As such here are some tips when dining out…

… Stay clear of the cream cheese filled Crab Rangoon; instead get your crunch from an egg roll or spring roll.

….When ordering sushi, avoid anything labeled “Philadelphia” style or “Cream cheese.” If you want something extra added to your roll, go for a little spicy sauce which is mayonnaise based.

….In Thai foods, coconut cream and coconut milk are common ingredients – these are dairy free, so feel free to enjoy. 

….Desserts are always problematic and that is true even in Asian restuarnts.  Be on the lookout for dairy filled desserts including ice cream and baked items that could have milk. Your best bet if you’re looking for dessert is sorbet and/or consulting with the chef on your options.

….The ginger salad dressing commonly found in Japanese and Korean restaurants may look creamy, but it’s dairy free –

…and as always, use common sense and consult with the chef on any questions or concerns you have.

Now go ahead a share…what’s your favorite Asian food and dish? Do you love all the dairy free options?

Product Faceoff! Trader Joe’s Soy Milk Creamer vs. Trader Joe’s half & half

This week I compared coffee creamers. As an avid coffee drinker (and the sole lactose-tolerant writer of this blog), I was very interested to find out if soy milk creamer tastes similar to my usual staple, half & half. Below are the results!

Price
Soy creamer - $1.49 – 1 pint, 16 oz

Half & half - $1.29 – 1 pint, 16 oz

Winner of Price category: Although the regular half & half is 20 cents less, I feel the 20 cent markup on soy creamer is worth the price to pay for a dairy-free alternative.

Taste
Soy creamer – unfortunately I was not happy with the taste of soy creamer. It took over the taste of my usually delightful caramel vanilla coffee. Even with the coffee cup sitting on a table far away from me, all I could smell was the creamer. It was very obvious this was a dairy-free substitute.

Half & half – the regular stuff didn’t disappoint in this category. It blended in perfectly with my caramel vanilla and didn’t overpower the coffee taste. It was a perfect compliment to my freshly brewed caramel vanilla coffee.

Winner of Taste category: This was not a close call – regular half & half wins the taste category

Nutrition Info
Soy creamer - 15 calories for a 1 tbsp serving
1.5 grams fat, 1 gram carbs, 0 for every other nutritional category

Half & half - 40 calories for a 2 tbsp serving
3 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 15 mg sodium, 1 gram carbs, 1 gram sugar, 2% Vitamin A, 4% Calcium

Winner of Nutrition info: Soy creamer appears to be the winner here since it doesn’t contain saturated fat or cholesterol. It is worth mentioning that I needed to use more soy creamer to get my coffee as “light” as I normally take it. I had to use 2 servings to get there, so the calories between the two were practically the same for me.

Accessibility
Both were from Trader Joe’s - Available at any Trader Joe’s location. As of July 2011, Trader Joe’s has 361 stores in 29 states and Washington, D.C.

Winner of Accessibility category: It’s a tie

Texture
Soy creamer – slightly thicker than the regular stuff, also left a slight film in my coffee cup. It also took more soy creamer to make my coffee as “light” as I normally like it.

Half & half – it took less half & half to get my coffee “light”. Thinner than its soy counterpart & doesn’t leave a film in my cup.

Winner of Texture category: Half & half all the way

Final Results: This is no surprise – I couldn’t get past the taste and smell of soy creamer, so half & half is clearly the winner. Although the price is practically the same, I could not overlook soy creamer’s disappointment in the taste and texture categories. Maybe I picked the wrong dairy-free substitute for my Product Faceoff. What dairy-free coffee creamers do you swear by? We would love to hear about them. Leave your comments below!

The Quiche, Dairy Free and Delicious!

Hello my lactose intolerant peeps!  I’m Erin and  today I'm delivering to you one of my new favorites - quiche! Since I've been lactose intolerant my entire life, I've never quite understood the love people have for quiche, but this recipe changed all that.  Quiche is not only quick and easy - it is delicious and there are endless varieties you can make. Below is my favorite (adapted from Paula Deen from FoodNetwork.com) - the western quiche - all the goodness of a western omelet baked into a hash brown crust. This recipe (and my bonus recipe below) both pass the test for company ... in other words, dairy lovers too will enjoy them. 

Crust Ingredients:

3 cups of shredded hash browns, defrosted and moisture removed

4 Tablespoons of melted Smart Balance (light or regular), Lactose free butter substitute

1t each of onion powder and garlic powder

Western Quiche Ingredients:

½ yellow onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 cup mushrooms, stems removed, sliced thinly

1 cup of ham or Canadian bacon

5 sprigs of thyme

5 eggs, beaten

½ cup of Silk Soy Creamer

1 cup of Shredded Veggie Cheese, Cheddar

EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Hash brown Crust Directions:

1)      Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2)      Drain hash browns, squeeze to get as much moisture out as possible

    
      3)      Mix hash browns with the melted Smart Balance along with the onion and garlic powder.

4)      Mold mixture into a nine inch pie dish forming a crust

5)      Bake for about 30-40 minutes- you want to see the crust nicely brown

6)      When browned, remove from oven and let cool.  Reduce oven temperature to 325



Tip: Get  as much the moisture as you can -
this is the key for browning



Western Quiche Directions:



1)    Complete the hash brown crust.      

2)      Heat a few turns of EVOO in a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat, add onions and let cook until slightly translucent (3-5 minutes)

Tip: Make sure the onions are translucent -
you don't want them burnt -
cook low and slow to get the best taste

3)      Add red pepper and cook an additional 2 minutes until pepper is slightly softened then

4)      Add mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms have given off their moisture  and have softened

5)      Add ham, thyme and mix together. Cook an additional 5 minutes to meld flavors



Tip: Make sure all the ingredients are are mixed together.
If the pan is looking dry, add an extra 1/2 Tablespoon of Smart Balance
or a few turns of EVOO

 

6)      Mix five eggs and Silk Soy Creamer together. 

7)      Add vegetable and ham mixture along with the ¾ cup shredded veggie cheese.

8)      Pour mixture into cooled crust and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. 

Tip: Check your quiche often starting around 40 minutes - use a tooth pick to make
sure the egg in the middle is fully baked before removing.

9)      Add ¼ cup of cheese to the top and green onion and cook an additional 5 minutes. 

Tip: If you're making this a head of time,
wait to complete step 9 until right before serving.

10)   Cool and serve. 

Tip: Omit the ham and you have a delicious vegetarian option!

Bonus Recipe - Smoked Salmon Quiche

I love quiche so much - here's a second recipe to experiment with (adapted from Emeril's recipe on FoodNetwork.com):

Ingredients:

Hash brown crust ingredients (above)

2 cups of red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup of smoked salmon chopped

¾ cup of Tofutti Cream Cheese

2 Tablespoons of lemon juice

5 eggs

½ cup of Silk Soy Creamer

1 Tablespoon of Smart Balance

EVOO

Directions: 

1)      Complete the hash brown crust.

2)      In a large non stick skillet add 1T of Smart Balance and a few turns of EVOO and add onions allowing them to slowly caramelize over low heat.  This is time consuming but worth it – make sure they don’t burn though

3)      In a mixing bowl combine cream cheese and lemon juice and add one egg in at a time and mix together completely. 

4)      Add Silk Soy Creamer and combine

5)      Add onions and smoked salmon, mix to combine completely

6)      Pour mixture into cooled hash brown crush and bake at 350 for approximately 45 minutes. 

7)      Add green onion to the top and cook another 5 minutes

8) Cool, serve and enjoy!

Product Faceoff! Trader Joe’s Gluten & Dairy Free Pancakes vs. Aunt Jemima Homestyle Pancakes

Hello! My name is Alyssa. As the sole lactose-tolerant contributor to this blog, I am excited to perform the weekly product faceoff. Each week, I will taste-test a food product and compare it to a lactose-free substitute. The first face-off is Trader Joe’s Gluten & Dairy Free Pancakes vs. Aunt Jemima Homestyle Pancakes. I am a huge fan of Trader Joe’s and was delighted to see the great selection they offer of lactose-free products.

Here is how the two products stacked up (pun intended):
Price
Trader Joe’s - $2.99 - 12 pancakes per box, wrapped in 4 packages of 3 each.
Aunt Jemima - $2.50 – also 12 pancakes per box, wrapped in 1 larger package

Winner of Price category: Although Aunt Jemima was 49 cents less, it is worth noting that their box contained 14.8 oz of pancakes while Trader Joe’s packed a full 16 oz into theirs.

Taste
Trader Joe’s Gluten & Dairy Free – these tasted just like a “regular” pancake. If it was a blind taste-test, I doubt I would ever know the difference! These were delicious.
Aunt Jemima – slightly sweeter than its dairy-free counterpart but also a great tasting pancake.

Winner of Taste category: While this was a close call, I preferred the taste of Trader Joe’s product over Aunt Jemima.

Nutrition
Trader Joe’s Gluten & Dairy Free - 240 calories for a 3 pancake serving (116g)
5 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 50 mg cholesterol, 430 mg sodium, 42 grams carbs, 3 grams fiber, 5 grams protein, 11 grams sugar
Aunt Jemima - 250 calories for a 3 pancake serving (105g)
6 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 450 mg sodium, 41 grams carbs, 1 gram fiber, 7 grams protein, 8 grams sugar

Winner of Nutrition: The differences between the two are negligible. Trader Joe’s has 3 grams of fiber compared to Jemima’s 1 gram, so that is the deciding factor in Trader Joe’s taking this category.

Accessibility
Trader Joe’s Gluten & Dairy Free - Available at any Trader Joe’s location. As of July 2011, Trader Joe’s has 361 stores in 29 states and Washington, D.C.
Aunt Jemima Homestyle - Available at any grocery store

Winner of Accessibility category: Aunt Jemima has the upper hand in the accessibility category because my local Stop & Shop is much closer than the nearest Trader Joe’s.

Texture
Trader Joe’s Gluten & Dairy Free – They cooked up better in the toaster oven than Jemima. They had a delicious “cakey” texture yet slightly crispy on the outside (I cooked them in a toaster oven).
Aunt Jemima Homestyle: Thicker and chewier than the cake-like TJ’s, these also had tasty, crispy outer edges.

Winner of Texture category: Trader Joe’s!

Final Results: Trader Joe’s takes 3 out of the 5 categories. Aunt Jemima was very good as well, so this goes to show just how great Trader Joe’s gluten & dairy-free pancakes are. As a lactose-eating person, I have no reservations about keeping these pancakes in my freezer. They will definitely be finished up very soon!