The Green Veggie Burrito
A Green Veggie Burrito is comfort food at its best: broccoli, zucchini and onions all bound together by sweet mashed potatoes within a sprouted grain tortilla. The Japanese Sweet Potato – a large potato with dark pink skin and a white exterior that turns a pale shade of green when cooked – is the key ingredient in this recipe. Sweet and creamy, the Japanese Sweet Potato is available at most Whole Foods Markets or large farmer’s markets this time of year. 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
Asparagus and Mushrooms with Teriyaki Tofu
Spring is the perfect time to enjoy fresh asparagus (although available year-round, the largest asparagus crop is harvested from late February to June). Stem thickness indicates the age of the plant with the young, thin stalks the most desirable and tasty. The thicker stems indicate the plant is older and can be tough and woody although a peeler can eliminate the rough outer skin. The tips are the most tender and flavorful so look for firm stalks with dry tips. Read more
Chick Pea Salad with Avocado and Apples
Chick peas are chock full of protein ( 7 grams per half a cup of cooked peas) and although they can taste a bit bland on their own, a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkling of salt brings out the flavor of the beans. Add chunks of creamy avocado, crispy apple and celery pieces along with sweet red onion and dill, and a delicious chick pea salad emerges. For those who prefer a less sweet salad, leave out the apple pieces.
Super easy to make, Chick Pea Salad with Avocado and Apples can be scooped onto a bed of lettuce and served with fresh tomato slices with a sprinkle of chives on top or piled in between two pieces of whole grain toast with lettuce, tomato and sprouts for a delicious crunchy sandwich. Read more
Fullei Fresh Spicy Sprouts
Fullei Fresh Spicy Sprouts will liven up any sandwich, wrap, or salad on your menu. Grown hydroponically indoors in a controlled, sanitary environment without the use of any pesticides, additives, or preservatives in Miami, Florida, Fullei Fresh Spicy Sprouts are made of three super fresh ingredients: alfalfa, clover, and radish. Read more
Christopher’s Kitchen
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida is known for sunshine, beaches, golf courses, and Christopher’s Kitchen (“CK”) – a restaurant, juice bar, and market offering the highest quality certified organic plant-based food. Christopher Slawson is the culinary genius behind the CK brand and the bold flavors of the soups, sandwiches, burgers, wraps, noodle and grain bowls, pasta dishes, rolls, pizzas, desserts, juices, and more. That an organic plant-based chef has the word “slaw” in his name is a metaphoric coincidence. Read more
Veggie-Go’s
Most fruit leathers are made from fruit puree concentrate (usually apple) combined with juice concentrate but not Veggie-Go’s by Naked Edge Snacks of Boulder, Colorado. Made with whole organic fruits and vegetables, spices, and organic flax seeds, Veggie-Go’s are delicious snack leathers with no added sugar and only 2-4 grams of naturally occurring sugar in each serving (most fruit leathers have 8-12 grams of sugar per serving). Gluten-free, non-GMO verified, kosher, vegetarian, and vegan, Veggie-Go’s are a delicious snack for both kids and adults. Read more
Mexican Chopped Salad
She doesn’t always follow the recipe….
Several weeks ago, my daughter suggested we try a recipe called Mexican Chopped Salad with Green Goddess Dressing by Gwyneth Paltrow. My recollection of Green Goddess Dressing is from the 1970’s when a company called Seven Seas made a shelf-stable bottled version of a salad dressing that typically contains a lot of mayonnaise and sour cream: not something that would appeal to my family. Read more
Capers and Sun-Ripened Dried Tomatoes
Jeff’s Naturals, a California-based company specializing in jarred Mediterranean products free of preservatives, stabilizers, artificial colors, flavors and sulfites, offers two shelf-stable pantry products – Imported Non-Pareil Capers and Sun-Ripened Dried Tomatoes – that most cooks find very helpful to have on hand because both products can be used in so many recipes. Read more
The Joy of Jeff’s Peppers
Central Valley, California is a 450 mile long, 50-mile wide flat valley known for growing some of the best peppers in the United States. At Jeff’s Naturals – a Napa Valley-based company specializing in jarred Mediterranean food products – red peppers grown in the Central Valley are roasted, sliced, and packed within 24 hours of harvest to ensure a pepper with a light, smoky flavor and a smooth yet crisp texture. Read more
Paddock Post 