lolfoodie

Today’s gluten-free Tzatziki recipe and product review is in celebration  of May, Celiac Awareness Month. For anyone who is unaware, Celiac Disease is a disease that affects the digestive system. The consumption of glutens, most commonly found in wheats, ryes, and barley, aggravates the condition to such an extent that disease sufferers are required to eliminate 100% of glutens from their diet. Wheat products are a rather pervasive ingredient in many of the foods available in Western cultures, and gluten-free products have only recently begun to appear on store shelves. This is why I am happy to introduce to you the product I am reviewing, Crunchmaster gluten-free multi-grain and multi-seed crackers!

To test even further, I employed my husband’s “help” in tasting each cracker. We tried each flavor plain and dipped in the Tzatziki I made for the occasion.

First of all, I will say that the brand “Crunchmaster” is extraordinarily appropriate, because these are the crunchiest crackers I’ve ever eaten. I love the texture – they are very strong and would stand up to dipping in a heavier dip or spread. Perhaps if we were in Soviet Russia, cracker would eat you.

Anyway… the main ingredients in these crackers include brown rice flour, sesame seeds, potato starch, and quinoa seeds. They are relatively low in fat, containing only 3-5 grams per serving of 14 crackers. They are also low in sodium and saturated fat, and are free of cholesterol. It’s worth noting that all of the multi-seed varieties I tried boast that they are 100% whole grain, which I can appreciate, because I am always annoyed to buy a product that appears to be whole-grain only to later realize it contains a smaller percentage (a rant for another day). The multi-grain variety I tried, the Sea Salt flavor,  still contains 22g or more of whole grains per serving, which is certainly nothing to sneeze at.

Onward to the flavor analysis.

I want to start out by saying that I am munching on the Toasted Onion variety right now. This was my favorite flavor of the lot. My husband said that he liked them “a lot,” which is a triumph, because he does not generally like the flavor of onion by itself. The Toasted Onion crackers are dusted with a light coating of toasted onion seasoning, which seems to largely include a yummy mix of onion powder and salt. The Toasted Onion flavor was certainly my pick for eating plain.

My husband’s favorite flavor, on the other hand, was the Sea Salt multi-grain crackers. I chose these as my second-favorite overall, and favorite for dipping with the Tzatziki, and I think they are a good neutral all-purpose cracker. They are pleasantly salty.

My third overall favorite was a tie between the Rosemary & Olive Oil flavor and the Roasted Garlic flavor. I really wanted to love the Rosemary crackers more, because rosemary is probably my favorite herb. Unfortunately the Rosemary crackers did not have the intense rosemary flavor that I expected; it was much more understated. Tasty nonetheless, just not what I was expecting.

The Roasted Garlic crackers were also good, but the seasoning was not as intense as the Toasted Onion variety, so they did not rank as high for me. However, the Roasted Garlic flavor was fantastic with the Tzatziki! Nearly as good as the Sea Salt crackers.

The only variety out of the five that I would not find myself eating regularly was the Original flavor. If you love the flavor of sesame seeds, you will love these. Unfortunately, I was not a big fan. I was expecting a more neutral “Original” flavor, but the sesame flavor was just too much for me.

Overall, I will say that Crunchmaster crackers are worth giving a try, especially if you are on a gluten-free diet! These crackers would be great for serving with a variety of dips or spreads. For some inspiration, check out my cheese ball recipe or check out the Tzatziki recipe I am about to share with you!

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First, peel the cucumber. Remove the seeds by halving it lengthwise and running a spoon down the middle to scoop out the seeds…

Like so. Miss a few seeds? It’s alright. The Tzatziki police are off on Sundays.

Slice each cucumber half in half lengthwise again, then…

Dice into 1/4-inch cubes. Place the chopped cucumber in a dish lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Place in the refrigerator to drain a bit while you prepare the rest of the Tzatziki.

(Chop your mint, parsley, and garlic at this point if you haven’t already.)

I love you, Greek yogurt! I use this brand, because it has the least sugar of all the brands available at my local grocery store. Also, because it’s yummy.

Combine the remaining ingredients (yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, black pepper, parsley, and mint) in a bowl. Stir.

Remove the cucumbers from the fridge. Use additional paper towels to squeeze moisture from the cucumbers. Repeat the process a couple of times until a reasonable amount of moisture has been removed from the cucumbers. What’s reasonable? That’s up to you, my OCD friends.

Add the chopped cucumber to the yogurt mixture, and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for an hour before serving to allow the flavors to fully develop.

Cool and refreshing!

This Tzatziki can be stored in an air-tight container for 4-5 days. Enjoy! 🙂