The Vegan S’More
July 4th is right around the corner and for most people the celebration will include a barbecue, fireworks, and hopefully, a campfire. Traditionally, we sit around the campfire, roast marshmallows and either eat the gooey mess au natural or pile the partially burned white blobs on graham crackers with chocolate bars to make the classic campfire treat: the S’More. But, when you have a vegan in the family, making a S’More is a challenge. Read more 
FoMu Alternative Ice Cream
FoMu is not an alternative to ice cream – but instead, an alternative ice cream or what the company describes as “a new take on a traditional favorite.” Dairy-free and vegan certified, FoMu is a hard ice cream made from either a coconut or nut blend base. The coconut base flavors are made with coconut milk – a creamy, natural and nutritious base that is sweetened with agave and unrefined cane sugar along with a trace amount of plant-based stabilizers (guar and xantham gum) whereas the nut blend base is made with almonds and cashews. Read more
Vegan Risotto with Asparagus and Mushrooms
Risotto is usually thought of as a wintertime dish because of its hearty nature but during the summertime, a light risotto with asparagus and mushrooms can be a refreshing change. Skip the butter and parmesan cheese; instead rely on a bit of olive oil, dry white wine, vegetables, a small amount of mild elephant garlic and broth to give the risotto body, flavor and texture. Tender and creamy but not heavy, Vegan Risotto with Asparagus and Mushrooms is especially delicious with chopped fresh parsley and a sprinkle of Himalayan sea salt added just before serving. Read more
Living the Sweetgreen Life
Last month, I took my daughter to Washington, DC for college visits and we discovered Sweetgreen: a restaurant known for sourcing local and organic ingredients from farmers they know to create wholesome made to order salads and wraps. With 17 current locations (10 in DC, 2 in Maryland, 3 in Virginia, and 2 in Pennsylvania) and 3 to open soon (1 in Boston at 659 Boylston Street this summer and 2 in New York City at 413 Greenwich Street in Tribeca and 1170 Broadway at 28th Street adjacent to the NoMad Hotel), there is no better place to go for a casual, healthy lunch when visiting these cities. Read more
Mom’s Organic Munchies
Mom’s Organic Munchies – Krunch Bars, Choco Fit Bars, On The Go Bars, and the Cookies – will make you stop in your tracks, pause, and grin with delight because Mom’s Organic Munchies are the best tasting new snack bars on the market – not an easy award to achieve in a society where everyone seems to be packing a bar. I don’t just like these bars; I love them. And, I’m a bit ashamed to admit that I hide them in the refrigerator so no one else finds them. Gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and refined sugar-free, Mom’s Organic Munchies are a healthy but decadent snack bar. Read more
Zucchini Noodles with Olive Oil, Pine Nuts and Basil
With summer fast approaching, zucchini will be overflowing in the garden and at the grocery store. My family doesn’t normally get too excited about sautéed zucchini because this green vegetable gets soggy very quickly. So, instead of slicing or dicing the zucchini, consider using a Turning Slicer (which is sometimes called a Spiralizer because it spirals the vegetable) to turn zucchini (and almost every other firm vegetable or fruit) into noodles in seconds. Light, refreshing and full of flavor – with the fresh basil and toasted pine nuts – Zucchini Noodles with Olive Oil, Pine Nuts and Basil is a summer salad that should delight even the most reluctant. We devour this salad by the bowl full in our home. Read more
The Happy Herbivore
When my daughter set upon being a vegan, I was often perplexed at how to make flavorful, healthy meals that the whole family – carnivore man, vegetarian me, and vegan daughter – would enjoy. I initially consulted Forks Over Knives – both the original book and the cookbook – but often found the recipes time-consuming. I wanted quick, easy recipes with a lot of flavor which I found in The Happy Herbivore Abroad followed by The Happy Herbivore by Lindsay Nixon. Nixon, a lawyer by education who switched careers to follow her passion for food and her love for animals. When someone asks her why she is a vegan, she replies “for my health, the animals, the environment, my pocketbook…and for you.” Read more
NuttZo
Nut and seed butters are gaining in popularity across the country with consumers looking to these spreads as a healthy alternative to both butter and high protein animal based foods. Fresh peanut and almond butter are relatively easy to find these days but most grocery stores and markets don’t offer an abundance of other choices because until recently, there haven’t been many blended nut and seed butters on the market that don’t also contain oils, sugars, and other additives. Enter NuttZo – a delicious blend of nuts and seeds that doesn’t contain sweeteners or additives so all you taste is pure deliciousness. Read more
Sunspire Coconut Bars
Sunspire is one of the few companies with a reputation for making rich and delicious chocolate products that contain no refined sugars or artificial additives of any kind. A collection of chocolate confections – chips, powders, chocolate covered fruit and nuts, and bars – are organic, free-trade certified, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, and/or vegan. Two of my favorite products are the Coconut Bar and the Coconut Almond Bar – the health conscious consumer’s answer to the Mounds and Almond Joy bars – only better. Read more
Sprouted Adzuki Bean and Rice Salad
Sprouted Adzuki Bean and Rice Salad is a hearty dish full of vegetables, beans, and a trio of rice: wild and germinated red and brown rice. The nutty flavor of the rice combined with the slightly sweet red Adzuki beans and the earthy vegetables – mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, and zucchini – and fresh chopped cilantro along with Zatar (a popular middle eastern spice) – makes for a flavorful salad that is both filling and nutritious. Easy and quick to make, the Sprouted Adzuki Bean and Rice Salad is a terrific alternative to traditional rice or bean salad. Read more
Paddock Post 