Recipe: Vegan Tofu Picatta

Ingredients:

• 1 pound tofu: drained, pressed, and sliced into 1/4″ thick pieces

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• All-purpose flour, for dredging
• 6 tablespoons unsalted vegan butter
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup white cooking wine
• 1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed

Directions:

After the tofu is drained and pressed, season it with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour and shake off excess.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add tofu and cook for 3 minutes. When tofu is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Remove pan from heat.

Into the pan add the lemon juice, cooking wine and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the tofu to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove tofu to a platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over tofu.

Serve with angel hair pasta or mashed potatoes, and asparagus.

Product Review: ADORAtherapy Mood Boost sprays

 

 

        

        

So I’ll just start off by saying I suffer from allergies. BAD ones. Cats, dogs, flowers, candles, air fresheners, the list goes on. I’ve tried shots, balloon sinuplasty for frequent sinus infections, nasal sprays, pills, etc. So when I came across this product on Facebook, I was skeptical. It’s vegan and made with essential oils and “pure plant aromas”, so I decided to give it a try.

I received the Mood Boost “Inspired” and “Balanced” scents. I tried the Inspired first because it contained lemon, peppermint and spearmint; my favorite scents. I sprayed a little and it smelled great! The mist was light, not heavy like store bought perfumes. And, unlike store bought perfumes, I didn’t immediately start sneezing.

The Balanced scent was a little more floral, but still a light mist. Floral perfumes always make me have a sneezing attack, but this one didn’t. I can’t say that the Mood Boosts are perfect for all allergy sufferers, but for me, it was a sigh of relief to be able to smell scents that didn’t leave my head foggy all day.

I loved the Inspired scent the most and even used (and continue to use) it as a room deodorizer, car freshener and even bring it with me wherever I go.

Coming from a graphic design/package design background, the other thing I loved about these products is the packaging they came in! Travel-sized bottles in premium boxes make them seem luxurious. They are a little pricey at $30 for the 10mL and $12 for the 3mL, but well worth it. They’re vegan, natural, sleek and smell wonderful! Also, they seem like they’d last a long time. I’ve had my bottles for a couple of weeks now and still have plenty more sprays left!

If you’re unsure, try the smaller bottle first. They even offer sample kits with a small amount of every scent so you can find your perfect match!

 

About Adoratherapy:

It’s all about the team…

Even though Adora’s name is the company’s name, it’s not all about her. We believe in the new paradigm of business where every individual is related to as a whole person. We embody this in the products we formulate and design and in our team culture which allows every member to feel and express the true value of their worth. This elevates the concept of “best business practices” to “best life practices”.

About The Mood Boost Collection:

The Mood Boost Revolution is Born

Boost Your Mood. Anytime. Anywhere.

BE AND FEEL EVERY MOOD YOU DESIRE

These expertly blended essential oils are the next big thing in natural fragrance.

Life is exciting and challenging. Be more of what you want to be. Feel more of what you want to feel.

ADORAtherapy Mood Boosts™ lets you try on many personas and explore your unique qualities. Transform your Mood in the moment by setting your intention through breath and connection to the limbic system. Anchor new thoughts and see your moods transform you and your life.

For more information or to purchase products visit:

https://adoratherapy.com

Product Review: Huel

I was looking for an easy to make breakfast/meal replacement, that would provide all of my daily vitamins and minerals at an affordable price. Then I came across Huel.

According to the Huel website:

“Huel is super convenient complete food, it provides an optimum balance of proteins, carbs, essential fats, fiber, and all 27 essential vitamins and minerals. Huel is high in protein and fiber, very low in sugar, is made from sustainable ingredients (oats, pea protein, brown rice protein, flaxseed, sunflower, coconut, plus a bespoke vitamin and mineral blend), 100% vegan (better for the environment and animals), requires minimal packaging, has a shelf-life of 12 months (so zero food waste), has a low of GI of 27, is filling, and costs as little as $1.95 for a 500 calorie meal.”

It had everything I was looking for! Unfortunately I am a bit picky and had a few other requirements. I cannot eat artificial sweeteners because they give me a migraine and all of the flavors had sucralose in them. Lucky for me, they do make an unsweetened flavor, which can be enhanced with the strawberry flavor boost (which also does not have sweetener). Another thing I am big on is reducing the use of plastic in my house. My order came with a free plastic bottle, (which I refused and accepted a metal bottle in its place) and with plastic scoops (no replacement for these).

So I tried the powder as a meal replacement for a few days. It tastes like liquid oatmeal, or even cream of wheat. To me, this is a good thing. The directions say to use water, but after trying that once, I decided to use soy milk instead. Adding a banana (and a little agave sweetener) to the mix really made it a complete meal, in my opinion. The metal bottle they sell has a narrow opening and is pretty useless when making the shake, but works great as a water bottle.

Overall, this is a pretty decent, all-in-one shake that can be used as a meal replacement or as a snack. I don’t eat it every day, but when I’m in a rush and looking for a quick meal to keep me full at least till lunch, I go for my Huel.

About Huel:

Huel’s mission:
To make nutritionally complete, convenient, affordable food, with minimum impact on the environment and animals.

For more information:
https://huel.com/

Product Review: JJ’s Sweets Cocomels

Cocomels are coconut milk caramels that are non GMO, gluten free, soy free, corn syrup free and made without dairy! They come in sea salt and vanilla flavors and are so good! They come chocolate covered or “naked”.  Before becoming vegan I loved caramels and now I have Cocomels to satisfy my cravings. I think I might even say that I love these more than I loved caramels before. I store mine in the fridge and grab a few for a snack while I’m cooking, watching TV, folding laundry…anytime is really a good time to eat these.

Their website has a product locator and so far they are only sold at a few specialty shops near me. All of their products are sold on Amazon, though, and can be purchased with Prime shipping. $6 bucks a bag is a little steep when you compare them to cheapo regular caramels, but it’s well worth it! They’re delicious and they’re vegan!

 

About JJ’s Sweets:

Inspired by the dream, JJ began experimenting with making delicious, natural sweets made from sustainably sourced, organic, healthier ingredients. Having been a scientist, musician and long time foodie, he soon found that the art of candy making was a perfect combination of his passions: science + art + food = candy making! JJ’s Sweets was born.

What started as a candy stand at Boulder’s local farmer’s market has since grown into a thriving natural candy brand, with Cocomels occupying shelf space in more than 2,000 retailers around the country. In 2014, JJ’s Sweets further expanded our reach in the natural candy market with a line of Chocolate Covered Cocomels^®.

 

For more information:

https://jjssweets.com/

Product Review: Pipcorn Mini Popcorn

So today I tried Pipcorn Mini Popcorn. It’s vegan and comes in 4 different flavors at my local WholeFoods: Cheddar, Truffle, Sea Salt & Sea Salt and Vinegar. Though their website advertises kettle and rosemary as additional flavors. I chose the cheddar. I saw the truffle flavor and it has a picture of a pig on the front. While I know pigs are used to find truffles, I found it a little odd to pick out vegan food with a pig on the bag.  So, back to the cheddar. The bag was full, not half air like most popcorn. The popcorn itself was tiny! Just barely popped beyond the seed it seems. I’m not sure how they did it, but they did! The taste was just ok and the little corn kernels got stuck in my teeth. Some good things are they are gluten free, non GMO, vegan and whole grain. But, for $4.99 a bag I think I can make my own vegan popcorn at home and for much less.

About Pipcorn:

Pipcorn is Delicious Mini Popcorn, of course! But wait, there’s more! Pipcorn is also:

• Gluten Free
• Non-GMO
• Vegan
• Whole Grain

Pipcorn was founded by brother and sister team, Jeff & Jen Martin, and Jeff’s wife, Teresa Tsou. The Pipcorn seed was planted when Jeff was helping Jen move apartments in the spring of 2010. In desperate need of a snack, Jen remembered these special little kernels that she had gotten a few days earlier. Five minutes later, they were snacking on the best popcorn they had ever had. Together with Jeff’s wife Teresa, Pipsnacks was started!

For more information visit their website:

https://www.pipsnacks.com/

Recipes: Curried Spaghetti with Kale and Buffalo Chickpea Pizza

I saw these 2 recipes on Facebook and just wanted to share with everyone. They both look so delicious! Thanks to veganricha.com and holycowvegan.net

Comment below if you’ve tried these recipes.

BUFFALO CHICKPEA PIZZA WITH WHITE GARLIC SAUCE AND CELERY RANCH DRESSING

http://www.veganricha.com/2014/09/buffalo-chickpea-pizza-white-garlic-sauce-celery-ranch-vegan-recipe.html

 

ONE POT CURRIED SPAGHETTI WITH KALE

https://holycowvegan.net/one-pot-curried-spaghetti-kale/

Product Review: Libre Naturals

Breakfast is always a hard meal for me. Being vegan, traditional foods like eggs or bacon, cheesy omelettes and more are off the table. So I am always looking for new products that can satisfy my vegan needs, while still appealing to my family (which is almost all vegan). I came across the Libre Naturals Products online and it was advertised as gluten-free and allergy friendly and decided to give it a try.

My family and I tried Libre Naturals instant oatmeal, granola bars and granola mix. Their products are mostly advertised as allergen-friendly, but they are also vegan! With simple, plant based ingredients, everyone in your family can eat them and will WANT to eat them. The oatmeal was easy to make, comforting and filling. Each cup had 7g protein and 7g fiber to keep you full until lunch (at least). My favorite flavor was the Pumpkin Seeds, Raisins and Spices, which actually has 8 grams of protein. The Blueberry Maple granola was my favorite snack overall, and my dog’s too! I was eating some granola on the couch as my dog sat eagerly by me wanting a treat. After looking up the ingredients to make sure they were dog friendly, I gave him a scoop. He loved it and now chooses it over rawhide for an afternoon treat!

Even though oatmeal is not my favorite food, I found Libre Naturals products tasty, filling and satisfying as a snack. The granola is definitely my favorite (and my dog’s). If your family is vegan or suffers from any food allergies, give these products a try.

About Libre Naturals:
Libre Naturals is family-owned and was created by a mother of a food allergic child. Their website states the following allergen declarations.

No dairy : No ingredients containing dairy are used in the Libre Naturals facility. This includes all derivatives such as casein or whey. Cocoa butter is not dairy but is the fat of the cocoa bean.

No egg : No ingredients containing egg are used in the Libre Naturals facility.

No fish : No ingredients containing fish are used in the Libre Naturals facility.

No gluten : No ingredients containing gluten are used in the Libre Naturals facility. All of our products are certified Gluten Free by the Gluten Free Certification Organization (GFCO) which has a standard of 10 parts per million (ppm), more stringent than the national standard of 20 ppm.

No mustard : No ingredients containing mustard are used in the Libre Naturals facility.

No peanuts : No ingredients containing peanut are used in the Libre Naturals facility.

No sesame : No ingredients containing sesame are used in the Libre Naturals facility.

No shellfish : No ingredients containing shellfish (including crustaceans) are used in the Libre Naturals facility.

No soy or derivatives : No ingredients containing soy or its derivatives (i.e. soy lecithin) are used in the Libre Naturals facility.

No sulfitesNo ingredients containing sulfite preservatives are used in the Libre Naturals facility.

No tree nuts : No ingredients containing tree nuts i.e. almonds, cashews, pecans)are used in the Libre Naturals facility. Canada, where our manufacturing facility is located, does not list coconut as a tree nut but the USA does. In any case, we treat coconut as a tree nut declaration with all of our suppliers.

No wheat : No ingredients containing wheat are used in the Libre Naturals facility.

No latex : No latex gloves are used on any Libre Naturals production line. We use only medical grade, powder-free nitrile gloves.

For more information and to find where to buy their products:
http://librenaturals.com/

Product Review: Legendary Foods

I tried 3 of Legendary Food’s nut butters and loved them all! The apple pie raw almond and cashew butter with real apple pieces had to be my favorite. It was sweet and salty and had real apple in it. It brought me back to the days when I’d make apple pie with my grandmother. My second favorite was the peanut butter chocolate chip. It tasted like Reese’s peanut butter cups, had a super smooth texture and even had real mini chocolate chips inside. While I loved all of the flavors, my least favorite was the blueberry cinnamon bun raw cashew butter with blueberries. To me, it could’ve been a little sweeter and the blueberries were way too tiny.

All 3 flavors are gluten free and advertised as having “no sugar added, no cane juice, no agave and no honey”. I do want to add, though, that they did add erythritol and stevia for sweetness. Typically these sweeteners give me a headache, but luckily my head was feeling fine after eating these butters.

They are a bit pricey at $10.99 – $17.99 for 16oz jars, but considering they are made from cashews and ingredients from nature, I’d say they’re worth a binge purchase every now and then. Also, if you buy a multi-pack you end up saving a few dollars!

About Legendary Foods:

Legendary Foods combines science and nature to make delicious snacks and follows these basic snack principles:

Basic snack principles

We handcuffed ourselves to a few major principles in creating our products:

• It had to be delicious and fun to eat. Life’s too short to eat bland food even if it’s healthy.
• It had to be good for you. Not easy in nutritional science, as even basic nutritional concepts cause major disagreements.
• It had to be made from ingredients that are found in nature. Not because everything that’s natural is good for you but because it’s a good place to start.
• It had to satisfy hunger. Unlike sugary, carb-rich foods that increase hunger and keep you craving more.
• It had to be the opposite of most other snack foods nutritionally. We were tired of trying something that looked delicious only to see that it was loaded with junk ingredients.
• It had to be based in science – something that people who cared about health, mitochondrial function and telomere length would appreciate. Who wants to damage their health just to be able to eat something delicious?
• It had to be convenient. Being able to eat well when you can’t sit down for a meal is important. Our nut mixes and nut butters will help keep you fueled on the go.

For more information on how to buy these butters visit their website: http://www.legendaryfoodsonline.com/

Product Review: Olivado Oils

This past weekend I put together an oil tasting dinner. We had 3 different oils from Olivado. We tried them with bread, on a salad, in cooking beans and to deep fry fritters on another occasion. Avocados in general are not a favorite of mine, (I know, vegan blasphemy) so eating oil made of avocados made me feel a little apprehensive. The omega plus oil and macadamia oils were my favorite. They had mild flavors and went well with everything. The virgin avocado oil went over well with my family, but the avocado flavor was too strong for me. Olivado also offers virgin coconut oil. I fried fritters with it and it worked very well. It melted quickly and easily without burning, and didn’t leave an aftertaste. You can find them at the usual locations, Publix, Whole Foods, etc. and prices are comparable to other brands of olive oil. I still think that plain extra virgin olive oil is the choice for me when cooking and on salads, but if you’re looking for something different to add to your salads or cook your vegetables in, then these are worth a try.

       

About Olivado Oils:

Olivado’s Cold Pressed Extra Virgin oils retain all of their natural goodness and taste with minimal processing.  Grown in New Zealand, or sourced from the best international ingredients, the Extra Virgin range provides oils of exceptional quality and nutritional value.

Olivado’s philosophy is Natural Nutrition: that a balanced everyday diet combining a variety of foods should give a person all the nutrition they need.

Current research suggests that many food supplements are not an effective way of obtaining nutrients; that Nature’s bundle of nutrients in vegetables and fruits works best, rather than extracting what we think is the important ingredient and taking this in a tablet.

For example, a 10ml (2 tsp) serving of Olivado’s extra virgin cold pressed avocado oil provides 20% of the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin E.

Extra virgin avocado oil has been proven to be one of the healthiest and most versatile of culinary oils.

The rich smooth taste enhances the flavours of delicate foods, and its high burn point makes it the best choice for healthy pan frying and high heat cooking. And of course it’s perfect with salads, vegetables, in smoothies, even baking. Add to that an extraordinary list of health benefits, including high levels of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, Vitamin E, Omegas 6 and 9, lutein, alpha and beta carotene, and many more.

For more information or to buy your own Olivado products:

http://www.olivado.com/

Or visit this page to find where you can buy them locally:

http://www.olivado.com/where-to-buy-usa