Fruit Compote
Whenever I find myself with a lot of extra ripe fruit, I do one of three things: I try to eat more (but this strategy doesn’t always work because after the fifth plum, I’m plummed out); I make a fruit pie (my husband’s favorite option); or I make a fruit compote (my favorite option).
Compote is one of those words that congers up distant memories or questions (did I see that word on a menu in Paris? Is compote related to Peach Melba?) Compote is just a fancy word for a thick, chunky fruit sauce made with fruit cooked in water and spices (similar to homemade cranberry sauce). Naturally sweet, fruit compote is only as good as the fruit you use so the quality of the fruit really matters. Read more 
Bean Salad
Beans are one of the foods I try to eat every single day and to ensure I do, I often make a bean salad. Although the recipe below is my go-to favorite, I often change the types of beans or seasoning depending on what I have on hand. The one ingredient always included is a crisp apple because the sweetness and crunchy texture go so well with beans that have a soft texture and mild flavor. But, it’s the avocado and walnuts that really make this salad special. Try the recipe and then be creative and mix it up based on what you have in the refrigerator and pantry. Read more
Pressed By KIND®
Pressed By KIND® is a new snack bar that provides a “convenient and tasty way to add fruit” to your diet. Made primarily of fruit – mangos, apples, strawberries, bananas, pineapples, and cherries, Pressed By KIND® bars are unique in their simplicity (the name of the bar includes the ingredients).
Dairy-free, gluten-free, low-sodium, and vegan, these six bars contain no preservatives, artificial flavors or colors, and no added sugar (except for 1 gram in the two bars that contain dark chocolate). But, best of all, the bars are nutritious, chewy and delicious: Read more
The Quintessential Arepa
When my daughter was little, my friend from Columbia taught her a Spanish pattycake-like song which went something like this:
a-re-peat-a, ma ma ma
a-re-peat-a, pa pa pa
While they sang the song, they would pretend they were shaping cornmeal batter into an arepa – a round, thick corn cake (think of shaping play doh into a thick round disk and you get the idea) that is very popular in South America and particularly Columbia and Venezuela. Read more
Mailorder Fruit: Where to Find the Best Fruit
Grocery stores are filled with fresh fruit – peaches, plums, apples, and more – that looks great on the outside but is often mealy, flavorless, or dark on the inside (indicating the fruit was picked too early and put in cold storage).
I can’t tell you how many peaches, nectarines, and apples I’ve thrown out over the past few months. And, it’s not just from ordinary grocery stores; I’ve purchased awful peaches and nectarines from Whole Foods and Fresh Market on numerous occasions. Often times, this is because the fruit is technically out of season – grown in a faraway place, cooled, and transported – but in the summer and early fall, there is no excuse. We should be able to buy peaches, nectarines, and apples that are juicy, flavorful, and delicious during the summer and fall.
Farmers Markets are often reliable sources of high quality, locally grown fruit but if these are not an option, consider ordering fresh fruit from Frog Hollow Farms – a certified organic farm that grows peaches, nectarines, apricots, pears, pluots, cherries, avocados, and more. Read more
Crispy Black Bean Tacos
Crispy Black Bean Tacos are a refreshing take on traditional tacos. With seasoned refried black beans piled high with crispy green lettuce and an avocado mango salsa on a corn tortilla crisped on the stove, Crispy Black Bean Tacos are a quick, easy, and delicious mealtime favorite in our home.
Most of the ingredients are probably in your cabinets or pantry. If not, a trip to Trader Joe’s or your favorite local grocery store will ensure you have all the ingredients on hand when you need a meal that looks and tastes incredible but doesn’t require a lot of effort. Read more
Maker™ Overnight Oats
September is the month when our lives speed up, especially in the morning when we all seem to be racing out the door. Breakfast – still considered the most important meal of the day – is often on the go because who has time to turn on the stove, cook, and clean dirty dishes in the morning? And, yet we all need a super nutritious and delicious breakfast to start the day.
Overnight oats were invented with convenience in mind. Everything is done the night before but in order to make great overnight oats, you have to think ahead and have the ingredients on hand. For those times when the pantry doesn’t have a wide selection of ingredients (i.e. oats, flaxseed meal, chia seeds, dried fruits, and spices), consider Maker Oats™ – easy, delicious, and nutritious options in individual pouches and glass jars that make it easy to make overnight oats in less than a minute. Read more
By Any Greens Necessary
Tracye Lynn McQuirter wrote “By Any Greens Necessary – a revolutionary guide for black women who want to eat great, get healthy, lose weight, and look phat” – after realizing the link between race and nutrition.
McQuirter heard Dick Gregory speak at Amherst College in 1986 about the “plate of black Americans ” (and as the author duly notes, not the “state of black Americans,” and she realized that so much of what we eat is tied to the economical and political factors that influence our choices. Read more
Qi’a™ Superfood Cinnamon Pumpkin Seed Oatmeal
Oatmeal is not one of those sexy breakfast foods that most people get excited about. Some devotees, like my husband, add fresh fruit, maple syrup, dried fruit, and nuts to make it palatable (he’s not a big oatmeal fan) while others simply sprinkle a bit of cinnamon or brown sugar and a spoonful of walnuts or pecans to add some crunchy texture to a breakfast staple.
But, there is a third option: Qi’a™ (pronounced Kee-ah) Superfood Cinnamon Pumpkin Seed Oatmeal (gluten-free): a blend of seven organic ingredients: rolled oats, buckwheat groats, pumpkin seeds, inulin (a natural fiber and sweetener derived from the root of plants, often chicory), chia seeds, hemp seeds, and cinnamon. That’s it. No added refined sugars, flavors, preservatives, and no artificial colors or flavors. Read more
Who is Jeremy Dixon?
You may not have heard of Jeremy Dixon but you will. Dixon, a native New Zealander is the founder of Revive Cafe – restaurants serving delicious, fresh whole grain plant-based food in Auckland, the man behind Cook:30 – the 30 minute television series (www.3abn.org) in which he makes a complete meal using fresh, wholesome plant-based ingredients, and the author of eight cookbooks (The Revive Cookbooks 1-6, and the Cook:30 Cookbooks 1 and 2). The guy is busy (it’s gotta be all that plant-based fuel)! Read more
Paddock Post 