Pereg Gourmet Grain Blends
The most challenging part of adding grains to a diet is learning how to enhance the flavor with herbs, spices, vegetables and dried fruits. Pereg Gourmet takes the guesswork out by combining grains (farro and couscous) with just the right amount of all natural ingredients so that all you have to do is add water. In 15-20 minutes, a perfectly spiced side dish is ready to enjoy. Read more 
Tolerant Foods Organic Pastas
Looking for a great source of organic and gluten-free plant-based protein? Consider pasta made by Tolerant Foods, a company crazy about the health benefits and taste of legumes (beans, lentils, peas, and garbanzos). With three different types of pasta – penne, rotini, and mini fettucine – made from either organic black beans or organic red lentils, there is a noodle for everyone. Read more
Paul’s Grains
Paul’s Grains is a hidden gem in a land of few jewels. Most farmers in Iowa grown genetically modified corn and soybeans but Paul’s Grains has been growing a variety of grains (spelt, barley, buckwheat, oats, corn, soybeans, millet, flax seed,quinoa, and more) without chemical fertilizers since 1964.
Going against the grain, Wayne and Betty Paul purchased 160 acres of land in a small town in central Iowa called Laurel. After graduating from Iowa State University with a degree in agriculture, Wayne was introduced to chemical-free farming using healthy, natural fertilizers for weed and insect control, which is how it’s been done for 51 years. Read more
The Peanut Shop of Williamsburg
Anybody want a peanut? ~Fezzik
There are thousands of types of peanuts but only four major groups: Runner, Spanish, Valencia, and Virginia. These nuts (actually legumes, but that’s another story) differ in flavor, size, shape, and oil content and are therefore used differently. Most peanut butters are made with either the disease-resistant Runner or the Spanish (higher oil content) peanut while the Valencia is preferred for a southern favorite – boiled peanuts. Virginia peanuts – known for their large size and exquisite flavor – are generally sold in shell or roasted and salted. Read more
Pinto Bean Tostadas
A little lemon juice makes everything taste better. ~Virginia Sanborn Burleigh
Whole grain corn tostadas piled high with mashed and spiced pinto beans, chopped sweet tomatoes, chunky avocado pieces seasoned with tangy fresh lemon juice and salt, red onion, and a sprinkling of diced fresh aromatic green cilantro make for an easy and delicious meal. From start to finish, the tostadas take about 15-20 minutes to make. Serve as a lunch or dinner entrée or with extra toppings on the side, with a cup of soup, or with rice.
The recipe below makes 6 tostadas which is enough for 2-3 people but can easily be doubled to feed a larger crowd. Read more
Joe’s Oat Patties
There is something deeply satisfying about eating a veggie burger on a whole grain spelt potato bun with a slice of crispy green lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado, and ketchup with a side of cole slaw.
Until recently, I relied on frozen veggie burgers but now use Joe’s Oat Patties Mix to make my own veggie burgers. Made primarily of five organic ingredients: oats, quinoa, dehydrated vegetables, sunflower seeds, herbs and spices, Joe’s Oat Patties Mix makes a wicked veggie burger high in protein, fiber, and taste but low in sugar, sodium, fat, and calories. Read more
Des Moines’ Downtown Farmers’ Market
Many people start thinking about Farmers Markets during the early days of summer but Iowans living in the central part of the state have been patronizing the Des Moines Downtown Farmers Market since early May. They haven’t forgotten about meat and potatoes (the market has plenty of these items) but instead celebrate the fresh local harvest of fruits and vegetables every Saturday from May thru October in the capital city on the west bank of the Des Moines River. Read more
Maya Kaimal Chickpea Chips
Chickpeas – also known as garbanzo beans – are loaded with protein and fiber. Easily made into a flour, chickpeas can be used to make a variety of products including chips that are crispy and savory. Maya Kaimal Fine Indian Foods combines flour made from chickpeas with rice flour, sunflower and canola oil, dehydrated potatoes, rice starch, sesame seeds and spices to make a flavorful and delicious chip. Similar to murukku – savory and crunchy twists made from rice and bean flour in India – Maya Kaimal Chickpea Chips are a great alternative to traditional chips. Read more
Jade Pearl Rice
Jade Pearl Rice is the trademarked name for an organic pearled short-grain rice infused with a bamboo extract. Grown in the forests of South Central Chin, Jade Pearl Rice has a pale jade color, an aroma of a bamboo forest, and a very faint vanilla taste.
Moist and delicious, Jade Pearl Rice by Lotus Foods cooks in less than 20 minutes and makes an especially pretty presentation on the table. Although the rice is touted as the perfect rice for a dessert pudding (and it is ideal for rice pudding), Jade Pearl Rice is also excellent as part of a main course for lunch or dinner. Read more
Vega Savi Seed
The Savi Seed is the trademarked name of the Sacha Inchi Seed – the richest, plant-based source of Omega 3 on the planet (17 times more per ounce than Sockeye salmon). Grown in the Amazon Rainforest in Peru, the Sacha Inchi plant bears a star-shaped inedible fruit (as illustrated below) that darkens from green to brown, with an edible seed (once roasted) within a dark brown shell.
Light brown and oval in shape, the Sacha Inchi Seeds look similar to a marcona almond, and are known for their high protein, essential fatty acids (Omega 3 and 6), Omega 9, and iodine. A complete protein, Sacha Inchi Seeds have 9 grams of protein per ounce – more than most nuts and seeds – and 5 grams of fiber. Read more
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