Artisana Nut Butters

Artisana Nut Butters
www.premierorganics.com

Why this product rocks

If you’re nutty for nuts, then you will love the nut butter offerings from Artisana.

This forward-thinking company is grinding up cashews, almonds, pecans, and walnuts to produce almost shockingly flavorful alternatives to peanut butter.

Here’s the best news: each jar contains only nuts. No sugars or salt. Go figure! In fact, the nut butters are 100% raw and organic. Each is guaranteed to up the ante on great bread.

They also have some really great coconut butter products.

Body Benefits

Nutritionally speaking, nut butters are a treasure trove – loaded with vitamins, minerals and heart-chummy unsaturated fat. But, they have heaps of calories, so practice moderation. A big challenge when these taste so damn good.

Who will dig them

Those who appreciate simplicity when it comes to consumables

Who will toss them
Skippy

Find them at

Health food shops or online at www.premierorganics.com

Purple Cauliflower - Who Knew?

I have to admit that I find white cauliflower unbearably boring. But purple cauliflower? Now were talking. I just could not resist snatching it up.

Much more flavorful than its ghostly brethren, you might find this luminous cruciferous veggie at your local farmers’ market. The purple hue is caused by the presence of a group of antioxidants called anthocyanins, which makes it that much more of a disease-fighter compared to the ho-hum white variety.

A caveat though: Anthocyanins are water-soluble, so too much cooking (especially in water) will cause some of the antioxidants and eye-popping color to leach out. Sliced raw and plunged into homemade dip is the way to go.

Also available from forward thinking farmers is orange cauliflower. This version is a mix of the traditional white variety and an orange-tinted one dredged up from a Canadian swamp. On top of stoking your taste buds with a creamier and sweeter experience, value-added orange cauliflower has about 25 times more beta-carotene than its white counterpart. The body can convert beta-carotene into vitamin A which functions to support bone and nerve development, and the maintenance of healthy eyes and skin.













Want more good news? Cauliflower, in any of its guises, and other cruciferous vegetables are lauded for their impressive concentrations of cancer-fighting chemicals calls glucosinolates. These help eliminate cancer-causing substances by regulating your body’s detoxification enzymes.

The take home message is that you should not be afraid to try something that is a little different than the norm. Not all produce needs to be made with a cookie cutter and adorned with a sticker.

Wholemato Ketchup (and a killer recipe)

Wholemato Organic Agave Ketchup
www.wholemato.com

Spread the word, there is a new condiment worth slathering on your hot dogs this summer.

Sweetened with low glycemic agave syrup, family owned and produced Wholemato ketchup is pleasantly sweet and tangy without the ubiquitous heavily processed corn syrup that makes it way into mass produced ketchup varieties.

This fresh update of a stalwart classic uses only organic ingredients. There is a spattering of studies which indicate organically grown tomatoes (and ketchup) contain more of the powerful antioxidant lycopene than those reared conventionally.

What’s more, the delicious tomato-rich and thick topping is packed in glass bottles, alleviating the concerns about chemicals leaching from the plastic containers as a result of the acidic ketchup. But what I really appreciate is that I can recognize every single ingredient. Go figure??

Slather it on your fries and burgers or try it in this Chinese inspired sweet and sour dish.

Sweet and Sour Tofu












Serves 3 to 4

This recipe is adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks: The Breath of a Wok by Grace Young
Another vegetable very much suited to this recipe is tender broccoli stalks. Generously peel the stalks with a knife and slice. A perk is that they are an excellent source of vitamin C and using them helps cut down on food waste.

1 package firm tofu, sliced (preferably organic to avoid GMO soy),
2 garlic cloves, minced (I used garlic scapes because they were in season and dirt cheap)
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice wine
3 teaspoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon sugar
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup broth or water
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
4 teaspoons oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced

In a medium bowl, combine tofu, garlic, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, rice wine, 1.5 teaspoons cornstarch, ½ teaspoon sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine broth, sesame oil, rice vinegar, ketchup and remaining soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar and a dash of salt.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium heat and add 2 teaspoons of oil. Add tofu and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned – about 5 minutes. Remove tofu from skillet and add remaining oil. Add vegetables to skillet and cook for about 5 minutes or until they are slightly tender but not overcooked. Stir in sauce and tofu and simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until sauce has slightly thickened.

Hemp Milk

Manitoba Harvest Hemp Milk
www.manitobaharvest.com

Why this product rocks

Once consumed only by shaggy utopian types, hemp food thankfully has become more mainstream.

Rich and creamy with an unmistakable nutty flavor, hemp milk is a welcomed addition to the line of hemp foods and non-dairy beverages.

C’est chic and refreshing, this nut milk goes anywhere cow’s milk goes such as cereal, coffee or smoothies.

The hempseeds used by forward-thinking Manitoba Harvest are organically grown by small-scale Canadian farmers who practice sustainable agriculture. Because hemp is such a sturdy crop it does not require chemical inputs to thrive.

Three flavors are available: chocolate, vanilla, and, for those watching their sugar intake, unsweetened original. Of note, the cocoa used in the chocolate version is certified fair trade.

Make sure to give it a good shake before pouring.

Body Benefits

Made from shelled hempseeds, hemp milk has a high naturally occurring omega fat content (much more than humbled soy). Good fats that help maintain a healthy heart, strong bones and sharp mind. It’s also one of the few dietary sources of a fat called gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). GLA may play a role in helping ward off inflammatory diseases such as Alzheimer’s, arthritis and heart disease.

This far-out milk is also free of any tummy disturbers such as lactose, gluten and oligosaccarhides and dishes out a respectable amount of high-quality protein, iron (not found in cow’s milk), magnesium, phosphorous and vitamin E.

Who will dig it

Anyone who shuns cow’s milk and finds soy milk leaves them yearning.

Who will toss it

Monsanto – they prefer you guzzle genetically modified soy

Find it at

Most natural food stores and some larger supermarkets.