My name is Samantha Stein and I’ll be joining the Can I Eat It? Team as the go-to girl for anything gluten-free. You’ll see me referred to on the site and app as “Gluten-free Sam”. I was diagnosed with coeliac disease just over two years ago now, and I know just how overwhelming it can be adjusting to a gluten-free diet when EVERYTHING seems to contain gluten!

I started my blog, “The Happy Coeliac“, a few months after diagnosis, as a way of documenting my successes and struggles, and I have since published a book, ”Gluten-free Baking at Christmas”, after my first gluten-free Christmas was decidedly lacklustre in the treats department. I’m currently working on an eBook called “How to go Gluten-Free”, to help guide beginners through what can be a daunting process.

Things have changed greatly over the last two years, with more and more brands recognising the demand for better quality gluten-free food. Products can still be hit and miss, which is why I was so excited to join the team here at Can I Eat It?, and give gluten-free consumers more information and choice. With the average loaf of gluten-free bread costing around £3, it’s important to know whether the product is worth it before parting with our hard-earned cash.

One of my top tips for getting good bread each time is to be aware that while the regular supermarket bakery gets fresh products several times a day, the gluten-free aisle tends to be refilled around once a week. Even the best gluten-free bread won’t stand up to sitting on the shelf for long periods of time. Therefore, always look at the expiration date, and pick the loaf that expires the furthest into the future. It’s also worth giving each loaf a squeeze to make sure you don’t get the dreaded “holey” loaf!

If you do get a dud loaf, keep the receipt and get in contact with the producer. Many have excellent customer service teams. Other options are to toast it, make a bread pudding, or blend it into breadcrumbs and keep them in the freezer.

Necessity is the mother of invention and the gluten-free people I know are the most creative in the kitchen. Good luck on your gluten-free path!

The Can I Eat It? Team are continually updating and adding more Gluten-free products to the App’s database. If you have the Can I Eat It? App, you can put the Gluten-free products tasted on your iPhone by scanning or entering any of the barcodes below. You don’t have it yet! Download the app now.

Waiting for Gluten-free Sam:

Barcode: 5011579450726
Roberts Bakery Yes! You Can Sliced White Bread
You’ve scanned one of Roberts Bakery’s product that’s waiting for Gluten-free Sam to review. Thank you for your patience.

Barcode: 5010044003979
Warburtons Newburn Bakehouse Gluten Free Sliced White Bread
You have scanned one of Warburtons’ Gluten-free products that’s waiting for Gluten-free Sam to review. Thank you for your patience.

Barcode: 5060195900276
Genius Gluten Free Sliced Fresh White Bread
You have scanned one of Genius’ Gluten-free products that’s waiting for Gluten-free Sam to review. Thank you for your patience.

Barcode: 5032722306448
Biona Organic Rice & Sunflower Wholegrain Gluten Free Bread
You have scanned one of Biona’s Gluten-free products that’s waiting for Gluten-free Sam to review. Thank you for your patience.

Barcode: 5052449528350
ASDA Free From Brown Sliced Bread
You have scanned one of Asda’s Free From products that’s waiting for Gluten-free Sam to review. Thank you for your patience.

Barcode: 5052910640123
Tesco Free From Fresh Seeded Bread
You’ve scanned a product that’s waiting for Gluten-free Sam to review. Thank you for your patience.

Barcode: 01351712
Sainsbury’s Freefrom Sliced White Bread
You have scanned one of Sainsbury’s  products that’s waiting for Gluten-free Sam to review. Thank you for your patience.
Competing Brands: Dietary Specials, Genius & No Wheat

I’m shopping for Risotto Rice – so what’s the difference? There are three main types: Arborio, Carnaroli and Vialone Nano Risotto Rice each presenting differing attributes that make them more suitable for different types of recipes.

Arborio rice has a plumb stubby grain and a high starch content that gives it the ability to absorb sauces and condiments which in turn produces a creamy risotto with an ‘al dente’ bite.  Works well for traditional vegetable risottos.

Carnaroli is often labelled as long grain risotto rice, but it’s still classified as short grain rice.  The preferred choice by many chefs as it has a low stickiness which helps the rice hold its shape while still having the ability to absorb flavours.  Delivers the best presentation and works well for both vegetable and meat risottos.

Vialone Nano is a short plump rice that has the ability to soak up two to three times its weight in liquid and like the Arborio rice it still presents that desirable  ‘al dente’ bite when cooked. Works well for light creamy fish based risottos.

If you have the right type of rice in your kitchen cupboard that recipe will work even better. Enjoy.

The Can I Eat It? Team are continually updating and adding more rice products to the App’s database. If you have the Can I Eat It? App, you can put the  Risotto rice product tasted on your iPhone by scanning or entering any of the barcodes below.  You don’t have it yet! Download the app now.

Not forgetting:
Barcode: 5051140193911
Tesco Ingredient Carnaroli Risotto Rice
Want Risotto Rice that delivers the best ‘on the plate’ presentation? If the price and size fits put a pack of Carnaroli in the trolley.
Competing Brand: Riso Gallo

Barcode: 8001420002072
Riso Gallo Vialone Nano Risotto Rice
Want short plump rice that has the ability to soak up two to three times it weight in liquid and still presents ‘al dente’ bite when cooked? Put a pack of Vialone Nano in the trolley.

Barcode: 5000169056332
Waitrose Arborio Risotto Rice
Arborio is the classic risotto rice, not as plump as Carnaroli risotto rice when cooked, but if you want to make a traditional vegetable risotto – it is the one to use. Put it in the trolley
Competing Brand: Riso Gallo

Barcode: 21157080
ASDA Carnaroli Risotto Rice
Want Carnaroli Risotto Rice? If the price and size fits put a pack in the trolley.
Competing Brand: Riso Gallo

I like risotto.

It’s just as well, because I’ve eaten a lot of it. Beetroot risotto, tomato risotto, butternut squash risotto, pea and asparagus risotto, mushroom risotto, wild mushroom risotto, wild mushroom risotto with herbs….

I’ve been reviewing restaurants in and around the Yorkshire town of Harrogate for a few years. As a place which has made its money from leisure, tourism and conferences, it’s absolutely riddled with places to eat. TripAdvisor shows 237 at the time of writing. But are any of them veggie? Nope.

Pluck a random menu from any of those 237 and chances are you’ll find anything from six to 15 main courses, two of which will be veggie. One will be risotto – and the smart money says the other one will be pasta.

Chefs like proteins. Their very worth is calculated by the magic they can weave with meat and fish. Remove those and what’s left? Carbohydrates, apparently. Great big heaps of starch. Perhaps some chefs worry that providing vegetarian customers with anything below the recommended daily allowance of starch will cause them to wither and die, and therefore be unable to pay. It is a crying shame, because there’s so much more out there. I’ve eaten cheese dishes (like paneer and halloumi) that inspire envy in all who haven’t ordered them, bean and lentil concoctions which touched my soul, and tofu treated so beautifully that I wondered how I had ever lived without it.Carbs have plenty more to offer, too. Strike risotto rice and pasta from the menu and you’re left with potatoes, corn, couscous, quinoa, bulgar, amaranth, barley, buckwheat noodles, red rice, wild rice… surely there’s something to work with there? But the real oversight is glaring these restaurants in the face.

There’s a category of food that is generally quite popular among vegetarians. Something which comes in hundreds of shapes, sizes and flavours, which can be cooked in every way imaginable, and which just happens to be abundantly available in all professional kitchens.

Vegetables. You’ve probably heard of them.

For all that, I still have a soft spot for risotto. And if you don’t fancy spending 20 minutes stirring a pan full of the stuff, there are a few easier options. Waitrose Frozen Pea and Asparagus Risotto is among them, and even though though it still requires eight minutes of stirring in a pan (net saving: 12 minutes) it saves you having to chop anything. Peas are a good choice because they freeze so well, but the asparagus loses some of its character – and the rice, the most important bit, hasn’t got a lot of bite. It’s an easy dinner for sure, but no classic.

The Can I Eat It? Team are continually updating and adding more vegetarian products to the App’s database. If you have the Can I Eat It? App, you can put the Waitrose products tasted on your iPhone by scanning or entering any of the barcodes below.  You don’t have it yet! Download the app now.

Not Forgetting:
Barcode: 00459068
Sainsbury’s Arborio Risotto Rice
Arborio is the classic risotto rice, not as plump as Carnaroli risotto rice when cooked, but if you want to make a traditional vegetable risotto – it is the one to use. Put it in the trolley
Competing Brand: Riso Gallo

Barcode: 8001420 002072
Riso Gallo Vialone Nano Risotto Rice
Want short plump rice that has the ability to soak up two to three times it weight in liquid and still presents ‘al dente’ bite when cooked? Put a pack of Vialone Nano in the trolley.

Barcode: 5051140193911
Tesco Ingredient Carnaroli Risotto Rice
Want Risotto Rice that delivers the best ‘on the plate’ presentation? If the price and size fits put a pack of Carnaroli in the trolley.
Competing Brand: Riso Gallo

Waitrose Spinach & Feta Bourekia blurb reads:  Crisp and tangy – spinach, cream cheese and greek feta wrapped in pastry.

OK: Waitrose does a nice line in oven-bake bites, like falafels, koftas, corn fritters and stuffed vine leaves. They’re not cheap, but they’re great fodder for snack, grazing and parties. So how do these pastry parcels shape up?

The tasting note: Gorgeous. The cream cheese and spinach keep things moist while the feta and lemon juice and plenty of tang. You could eat them cold, but it’s really worth sticking them in the oven.

The full ingredient list: Wheat flour, spinach (23%), full fat cream cheese (15%), rapeseed oil, feta cheese (6%), medium fat hard cheese, onions, water, lemon juice from concentrate, mint, parsley, salt, cornflour, ground black pepper, maize starch

Bourekia? These deep-fried, half-moon-shaped pastry parcels can be found in Greece, Cyprus and all over the Middle East. They can be savoury (see the classic Cypriot version made with halloumi cheese) but they also work with a sweet filling – ricotta or a similarly mild, fresh cheese is mixed with sugar and the finished bourekia are dusted with icing sugar.

Can you eat it? It’s veggie-friendly, but thanks to the cheese, it isn’t vegan friendly.

Should you put it in the trolley? Delicious – crisp when cooked, wonderfully savoury inside, and the shape adds a certain something too. You don’t get many in a pack, though, so make sure the price is right for you.

The Can I Eat It? Team are continually updating and adding more vegetarian products to the App’s database. If you have the Can I Eat It? App, you can put the Waitrose products tasted on your iPhone by scanning or entering any of the barcodes below.  You don’t have it yet! Download the app now.

Not forgetting:

Barcode: 5000169227237

Waitrose Fire Roasted Vegetable & Pesto Pizza

Tasty little puddles of pesto are dotted on top of nicely flavoured veg on this good quality pizza. Tasted by Veggie Tom.

Barcode: 5000169225127

Waitrose Wild Rice Salad

There are some lovely textures and a noticeably herby flavour in this filling rice salad. Plump sultanas add a nice dimension, but won’t be loved by all. Tasted by Veggie Tom.

Barcode: 5000169162927

Waitrose Corn Fritters

Fairly moreish little treats which bake to a nice crunch in the oven even if they aren’t brimming with flavour. The sweetcorn has quite a bit of chewy bite, too. Tasted by Veggie Tom.

Barcode: 5000169205976

Waitrose Sweet Potato Laksa Soup

There’s a lovely balance of sweet, spicy, creamy and citrus here – think Thai curry, but soupier. Tasted by Veggie Tom.

Barcode: 5000169225004

Waitrose Gazpacho Salad

Greek salad without the cheese. It’s good quality, but it would struggle to fill you up at lunchtime. The dressing is a little sharp and the tomatoes could do with more punch. Tasted by Veggie Tom.

Barcode: 5000169225011

Waitrose Couscous & Olive Salad

Couscous salads can be bland and claggy, but the grains in this salad are beautifully separated, and the slightly tart dressing works really well. This is top notch. Tasted by Veggie Tom.

Barcode: 5000169125182

Waitrose Sweet Potato Falafels

These are pretty tasty falafels, generously sized, and the sweet potato is a nice extra – lending a little moisture and a touch of mild sweetness to the centre. Tasted by Veggie Tom.

Barcode: 5000169138977

Waitrose Frozen Pea and Asparagus Risotto

Frozen risotto? It works – pretty much. Peas are a good choice (they freeze well), but asparagus loses some of its character and the rice hasn’t much bite. An easy dinner, but no classic. Tasted by Veggie Tom.

Barcode: 5000169173862
Waitrose Rigatoni and Aubergine
Surprisingly good – a nice, spicy sauce and decent rigatoni. Microwave pasta’s usually mushy, but this is better than most. Tasted by Veggie Tom

Barcode: 5000169173916
Waitrose Vegetable Casserole
It’s not glamorous, but winter veg, beans and barley make this filling, chunky and pretty tasty. Oven cook, don’t microwave. Tasted by Veggie Tom

Barcode: 5000169226100
Waitrose Apple, Stilton & Fig Pie
The breadcrumb topping may come a bit loose in the pack, but this is a very tasty and comforting veggie pie. Tasted by Veggie Tom

Barcode: 5000169098073
Waitrose Vegetarian Quarter Pounders
Is it just me or do these need salt? The thick coating is kind of heavy-going, too. They’re certainly not bad, but they’re not great either. Tasted by Veggie Tom.

Barcode: 5000169098127
Waitrose Mushroom & Chestnut Grills
Porcini, shitake, oyster mushrooms and lovage… these sound like the business! And as frozen veggie burger alternatives go, they taste pretty good too,  Tasted by Veggie Tom.

Barcode: 5000169150603
Waitrose Three Bean Enchiladas
Ready meal enchiladas are a mixed bag, but these are pretty good if you oven cook them. Crispy edged, soft-in-the-middle tortillas and filling beans. Tasted by Veggie Tom.

Sainsbury’s Tomberries blurb? As yet… there is no blurb on Sainsbury’s website about their Tomberries.

OK:  Tomberries? They are Dutch berry-like tomatoes that have been cultivated from a wild tomato plant.

Are they a clever marketing gimmick?  No –  they deliver a completely different eating experience to the ever-popular cherry tomato or any of the other tomatoes on the shelves. .

The tasting note: Want a healthy snack for the lunchbox that has that ‘I must have another one’ quality? These berry-like tomatoes with their moreish sweet and sour twist do it in ‘tomberries’!

Can you eat them? Provided you’re not allergic to tomatoes.

Should you put them in the trolley? Absolutely, they are perfect for lunchboxes (both children & adults), nibbles and salads.

The Can I Eat It? Team are continually updating and adding more fruit and veg.  products to the App’s database. If you have the Can I Eat It? App, you can put the Tomberries   tasted on your iPhone by scanning or entering any of the barcodes below.  You don’t have it yet! Download the app now.

Not forgetting:

Barcode:  0000023010796
ASDA Cherry tomatoesWant cherry tomatoes for a salad or loaded sandwiches? If the size and price fits – put a pack in the trolley.

Barcode: 5000169058008
Essential Waitrose Plum Tomatoes
Waitrose’s fresh fruit & veg is as good as you’ll find anywhere. If the style, size and  price fits -  put a pack in the trolley.

Barcode: 0000010060568
Tesco Beef Tomatoes
Want a flavoursome big tomato for salads, sandwiches or cooking? If the price fits – put a pack in the trolley.

Apart from that, though, is there any difference between the production of Jack Daniel’s and its whiskey neighbours to the north? Well, only JD is charcoal filtered, which is supposed to alter both the aroma and flavour spectrum. Judging from this tasting and many others, there is more difference in smell and taste between two bourbons like Woodford Reserve and Maker’s Mark than between Jack Daniel’s and your average bourbon. As is the case with Scotland’s whiskies, the style of the distillery has a much more important influence on the eventual flavour.

After 30 years of prohibition in Kentucky, the booze industry had all but collapsed. Before, there had been around 2,000 distilleries; today there are just 11. After prohibition, to kick-start the barrel-making industry, a law was passed that all whiskey had to be matured in new American oak barrels. This imparts to the spirit the full force of new oak, those assertive coconut and creamy vanilla flavours that explain why so many of today’s drinkers prefer it mellowed with a mixer.

The law also meant there was a superfluity of second-hand barrels, which our own whisky industry was very happy to make use of. The bourbon distillers like to claim it’s the flavour from their whiskey that makes ours so good.

The Can I Eat It? Team are continually updating and adding more whiskies to the App’s database. If you have the Can I Eat It? App, you can put the Bourbons tasted on your iPhone by scanning or entering any of the barcodes below.  You don’t have it yet! Download the app now.

Not forgetting:

Barcode: 3606504916181
Maker’s Mark Bourbon Kentucky Whiskey
A palate warmer which charms the tastebuds with a sweeter style of bourbon that, once swallowed, dispatches real heat to the palate, throat and beyond. If the style, size and price fits – put a bottle in the trolley.

Barcode: 5099873025871
Woodford Reserve Bourbon Kentucky Whiskey
This is the Macallan of bourbon whiskeys – rich and smooth, with sweet red and yellow fruits blending with delicate coconut and new oak to perfection. If the price fits – put a bottle in the trolley.

Barcode: 5000281019116
Bulleit Bourbon Whiskey Kentucky
Not as flavoursome as Wild Turkey or as elegant as Woodford Reserve, but it will hit the spot if you are looking for a silky smooth sipping dram.

Barcode: 0721059797009
Wild Turkey Rare Breed Bourbon Whiskey Kentucky
A high octane, palate warmer that charms the tastebuds with honey, coconut, peel fruit and American oak notes from sip to swallow. Want a top notch bourbon? If the price fits – put a bottle in the trolley.

Barcode: 8712436102655
Old Samuel Blended Bourbon Whiskey Kentucky
Old Samuel is one of the blended bourbon brands   on the shelves. Typically, these blends deliver red fruit, vanilla, spice, coconut and new American oaky notes.

Barcode: 22111647
ALDI Clarke’s Old Kentucky Straight Sour Mash Whiskey Bourbon
This smooth Bourbon delivers notes of spice, red fruits, coconut, vanilla and American oak. At this price, it’s a steal – put a bottle in the trolley.
Competing Brand: Makers Mark, Jim Beam, Wild Turkey & Woodford Reserve.

Barcode: 0080244002015
Blantons Straight from the Barrel Bourbon Whiskey
Blantons bourbon typically delivers notes of cereals, peel fruits, vanilla, spice, coconut and American oak. Too good for mixing with cola.

Barcode: 5000299101209
Four Roses Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Four Roses is bourbon from Kentucky that typically delivers notes of cereals, peel fruits, spice that are complemented with vanilla, coconut and an American oak lick. The older the whiskey the more melded the notes are on the nose, palate and the swallow.

Barcode: 5060045580184
Knob Creek 9 Year Old Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey
Knob Creek is a high octane premium bourbon whiskey produced by Jim Beam brands.  Want a flavoursome fiery bourbon whiskey with a charred coconut oak lick for sipping or mixing? If the size and price fits – put a bottle in the trolley.

I’ve tasted Pudology’s dairy and gluten-free puds… should you put one in the trolley or leave them on the shelf?

Pudology Chocolate Pud blurb reads: This is where it all started, desperate for a tasty indulgent treat after a whole year of avoiding dairy, Lucy concocted this recipe for the first time in her kitchen at home. It was love at first taste and started a whirlwind of ideas for other gorgeous desserts that were dairy free and totally moreish. The incredible combination of creamy coconut and dark decadent chocolate create this incredibly satisfying and a little bit naughty treat.

OK: Indulgent chocolate puddings often rely on cream and eggs for their richness – and those dairy products are an important structural part of the recipe. So how do you make a dairy-free (and gluten-free) version that doesn’t taste like an also-ran?

The tasting note: The answer is coconut milk. It’s a seriously smart move to use this rich, creamy, tasty stuff to provide the body, and the fact it makes up more than half of the pud shows just how useful it is. The result is really indulgent and delicious, and the coconut flavour that comes through is lovely. It’s not just a great vegan dessert – it’s a great dessert, full stop.

The full ingredient list: Coconut Milk (52%), Dark Chocolate (38%) (sugar, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, emulsifier: soya lecithin, natural vanilla flavouring) Water, Sugar, Madagascan Vanilla Extract (0.6%)

Coconut milk? Coconut milk is made by soaking, squeezing and straining grated coconut. It’s high in fat, which gives it a rich taste and makes it a versatile ingredient in cooking.

Can you eat it? Suitable for veggies, vegans and people on a gluten-free and dairy free diet.

Should you put it in the trolley? No dairy, no gluten – how? The answer is coconut milk, and by God it’s good. Rich, dark, coconutty and very clever.

The Can I Eat It? Team are continually updating and adding more vegetarian products to the App’s database. If you have the Can I Eat It? App, you can put the Pudology products tasted on your iPhone by scanning or entering any of the barcodes below.  You don’t have it yet! Download the app now.

Not forgetting:

Barcode: 5060323960023
Pudology Banoffee Puds
Chocolate, toffee and biscuit – that should be a vegan’s nightmare. But this delicious, ingenious pud is dairy and gluten free. Not that you’d know it.  Tasted by Veggie Tom.

Barcode: 5060323960011
Pudology Strawberry Puds
Coconut milk lends the strawberry topping its richness, and the biscuit base is good. A lovely pud (though try the chocolate variety first if you can). Tasted by Veggie Tom.

In most cases the raw ingredients for Irish whiskey and Scotch malt whisky are the same, but their journey from ingredient to the bottle will often follow a different path.  Therefore the taste will differ depending on which route is taken by each distiller.  Not that dissimilar to the brewing of the many different beers and stouts that sit on the supermarket shelves or behind bar of the local pub.

Is there a benchmark production method and taste spectrum for Irish and Scotch malt whiskies?  In the main – yes! Most Scotch malt whiskies are distilled only twice whereas the majority of Irish whiskies are triple distilled. As with vodka, each distillation increases the purity and smoothness of the finished spirit! Therefore the triple distilled Irish whiskies are the smoothest drinkers.

For example, the silky smooth triple distilled Bushmills whiskey and the assertive angular double distilled Laphroaig whisky are  two excellent Irish and Scotch whiskies that demonstrate the two very different taste spectrums. Both are top notch drams, but poles apart tastewise.

Just to confuse the pick it off the shelf and put it in the trolley shopper.  The Connemara whiskey from Ireland’s Cooley distillery is double distilled with a taste that veers more towards a whisky from Scotland. Likewise the Auchentoshan, a whisky from the Scottish Lowlands is triple distilled and its flavour is more akin to a whiskey from Ireland.

The Can I Eat It? Team are continually updating and adding more whiskies to the App’s database. If you have the Can I Eat It? App, you can put the whiskies tasted on your iPhone by scanning or entering any of the barcodes below.  You don’t have it yet! Download the app now.

Bushmills Original Irish Whiskey

Not forgetting:

Barcode: 4250068204049
Midleton Irish Whiskey
Enjoy a glass of Jameson whiskey? Then the silky-smooth Midleton is a must try! The older the blend the more melded the notes are on the nose, palate and the swallow.

Barcode: 5099357002305
Connemara  Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Not an alternative for the silky smooth triple distilled whiskey drinker, but if you relish the peaty, honey and heather notes from the Scottish Islands – then this double distilled Irish whiskey is one to put in the trolley.

Barcode: 5010103917292
Bushmills Black Bush Irish Whiskey
Want a top-notch silky smooth triple distilled deep amber Irish whiskey? This well-crafted dram delivers those qualities with an added sweet sherried lick. If the price and size fits – put a bottle of Black Bush in the trolley.

Barcode: 5010103917803
Bushmills 10 year Old Irish Malt Whiskey
Want a silky-smooth well-crafted dram with a rich sherry lick? If the style, size and price fits – put a bottle or two in the trolley.

Barcode: 5011007003005
Jameson Irish Whiskey
Jameson is one of the leading Irish whiskey brands on the shelves. This triple distilled Co Cork whiskey is an easy drinking, silky smooth dram that ‘has that I must have another glass’ quality.

Barcode: 00619561
Sainsbury’s Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Want a cheaper alternative to the brands without trading down in quality? If the size and price fits – put a bottle in the trolley.

Linda McCartney Chilli Non Carne with Rice blurb reads: Vegemince™ in a gently warmed chilli sauce with adzuki beans, organic kidney beans, rice and a hint of dark chocolate. Makes a great vegetarian option for lunch, or serve with nachos, salsa, sour cream and guacamole for a Mexican feast!

OK: Linda McCartney is a premium veggie brand, and it has recently added a host of chilled products to its range. I’ve tasted several of its one-pot meals, whose ingredients lists all suggest something a cut above your average microwave meal. But do they deliver? Read for Chilli Non Carne and scroll down for the others.

The tasting note: This is a lightly warming chilli with good depth of flavour – there’s even a spot of dark chocolate, as used in top notch chilli recipes. It’s filling too, thanks to plenty of beans, rice and Vegemince. You’ll be happy with this.

The full ingredient list: Tomatoes (30%),Water ,Onions ,Adzuki Beans (7%) ,Organic Red Kidney Beans (7%) ,Long Grain Rice (5%) ,Vegemince (4.5%) ,Tomato Puree ,Vegetable Oil ,Mushroom Bouillon ,Coriander Leaf ,Dark Chocolate (0.7%) ,Demerara Sugar ,Garlic ,Salt ,Cumin ,Smoked Paprika ,Cornflour ,Ground Coriander ,Chilli Powder ,Mushroom Bouillon contains: Mushroom Juice, Cornstarch, Vegetable Oil, Salt ,Vegemince contains: Water, Soya Protein (40%), Vegetable Oil, Seasoning (Yeast Extract, Salt, Barley Malt Extract, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Dextrose, Pepper) Malt Extract, Onion Powder ,Dark Chocolate contains: Cocoa Mass, Sugar, Cocoa Powder, Soya Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavouring.

Adzuki beans? Popular in East Asia and India, these small red beans are also known as aduki or azuki. They’re often sweetened, as in the Chinese red bean paste, and in Japan they have lent their flavour to ice cream and even an adzuki-flavoured Pepsi.

Can you eat it? Linda-McCartney is an all-veggie brand, but this isn’t suitable for people avoiding soya, barley and gluten. It may also contain traces of milk (chocolate), nuts and/or seeds.

Should you put it in the trolley? Non carne, eh? Very clever. The taste of this microwave pot meal is good, too – rice, beans, Vegemince and good flavour depth in the sauce make this hearty and filling.

The Can I Eat It? Team are continually updating and adding more vegetarian products to the App’s database. If you have the Can I Eat It? App, you can put the Linda McCartney products tasted on your iPhone by scanning or entering any of the barcodes below.  You don’t have it yet! Download the app now.

Not forgetting:

Barcode: 5060045385017
Linda McCartney Lentil & Vegetable Cottage Pie
This feels good for you, and it’s a good quality microwave pot. The taste of super-healthy mixed sprouts permeates the dish, so make sure you’re a fan of those before buying.  Tasted by Veggie Tom.

Barcode: 5060045384997
Linda McCartney Vegetarian Sausage & Bean Stew
The best veggie sausages in the business get a little waterlogged in this soupy stew – but the slightly smoky tomato sauce tastes good all the same. Tasted by Veggie Tom.

Asda’s Extra Special Islay 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky blurb reads: ‘12 years old. Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Islay malts are different to all other whiskies. This single Islay malt is distinctively smokey on the nose, deliciously fruity to tasty & glides to a smooth peppery, smokey, lingering finish. Islay (“eye-luh”) is a wind-swept island off the west coast of Scotland. The malts from this region are particularly distinctive. The smokey character inherent in Islay malts is tantalisingly different from all other malts & combined with their fascinating, dry, lingering finish, these malts are truly great whiskies’.

OK: Asda’s Islay Whisky used to be labelled ‘Pure Islay Whisky’.  The word ‘Pure’ then indicated that it was a blend of Islay malt whiskies.  Today it has changed to ‘Islay Single Malt Whisky’.  This subtle label change from ‘Pure’ to ‘Single’ means that it now comes from just one distillery.  Of course Asda can’t put the name of the distillery on the label, but, do we know which of the Islay’s 8 distilleries this 12 year old malt comes from? NO – but it delivers a similar to taste profile to Islay’s Bowmore or possibly Bruichladdich. Why? Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Caol Ila typically display more pronounced peaty notes than this malt. Port Ellen is mothballed and their malts are difficult to find in sufficient quantity for a big retailer like Asda – and Bunnahabhain is almost peat free. But things could change a few weeks down the shelves!  Why? Asda could of course change to one of Islay’s other distilleries without changing the label. That’s the risk or the advantage you take when you’re buying an own brand single malt whisky. Sláinte.

The tasting note: Want a competitively priced honeyed, peaty smoky Own Brand Islay whisky that competes with the distillery brands? Asda’s Islay delivers it in single malt.

Can you drink it? Made from barley malt, but the distillery process dictates that it is suitable for people avoiding gluten.

Should you put it in the trolley? Relish the taste of honeyed smoky peaty malt whiskies? Then this is a bargain on all fronts – put as many in the trolley as you can afford.  

The Can I Eat It? Team are continually updating and adding more whiskies to the App’s database. If you have the Can I Eat It? App, you can put the whiskies tasted on your iPhone by scanning or entering any of the barcodes below.  You don’t have it yet! Download the app now.

Not forgetting:

Barcode: 3606509839744
Ardbeg Corryracken Single Islay Malt Whisky
Ardbeg malts deliver pungent peaty notes with a real salty medicinal lick. A must try if you relish the taste of smoky malt whiskies. The older the malt the more concentrated the flavours are on the palate and the finish.

Barcode: 5010496010815
Bowmore Darkest Single Islay  Malt Whisky Islay
Bowmore Darkest is a high octane, peaty and a honeyed Islay single malt whisky with a sherried lick on the swallow. If the style and price fits – put a bottle in the trolley

Barcode: 5029704111480
Bunnahabhain  12 Year Old Single Islay Malt Whisky
The Bunnahabhain house style is not peaty or  smoky like the rest of Islay’s malts, for example, Laphroaig & Ardbeg, but it’s still a well-crafted top-notch Islay whisky. Enjoy flavours of toffee, peel fruits, honey and oak? If the style, size and price fits – put a bottle in the trolley.

Barcode: 0618105701830
Bruichladdich Islay Single Malt Whisky Islay
The Bruichladdich house style is not as peaty or as smoky as an Ardbeg or Laphroaig, but it’s still a well-crafted top-notch Islay whisky. If the style, size and price fits – put a bottle in the trolley.

Barcode: 5000281021652
Caol Ila Single Islay Malt Whisky
Caol Ila is one of the benchmark brands for smoky peaty whisky. Not as assertive as an Ardbeg, but it still delivers barrels of pungent peaty flavour! If the style, size and price fits – put a bottle in the trolley

Barcode: 5000281005409
Lagavulin 16 Year Old Malt Whisky
Lagavulin is one of the benchmark brands for smoky peaty whisky. Not as assertive as Ardbeg or Laphroaig, but it still delivers a real peaty smoky sniff, sip and lick.  If the style price and size fits – Put a bottle in the trolley.

Barcode: 5010019640161
Laphroaig Quarter Cask Islay Malt Whisky
Laphroaig is one of the benchmark brands for smoky peaty whisky. This Quarter Cask Laphroaig has some of its maturation in the smaller wooden barrels to give the whisky an extra oaky lick. Don’t panic -  it still delivers barrels of pungent peaty flavour! If the style, size and price fits – put a bottle in the trolley

Barcode: 3606509469903
Port Ellen 1978 Single Islay Malt Whisky
Not as assertive as an Ardbeg, but it still delivers barrels of pungent peaty,seaweedy and peppery flavour! The older the malt the more melded the notes are on the nose, palate and the finish. Competing Brands: Bowmore, Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Laphroaig & Bruichladdich.