Portland VegFest! My Faves From The Conference

Hi friends!
I had the most amazing weekend, and I give full credit to Portland VegFest 2011!

For those of you who missed out, wow, I'm sorry, because it was amazing. It completely rejuvinated me and reinforced my decision to go vegan. It was exactly what I needed. My biggest regret was only making it for one day, if I'd known what to expect I would have spent the entire weekend there.

Since I missed most of the speakers and demos (ughhhh bummer), I spent my time at VegFest checking out all the booths in the exhibit hall! A lot of the products I'd tried before, because lets be honest, I've devoted an entire blog to finding new products i can eat. But there were a few that were new to me that I'm really excited about!

First of all, my boyfriend Joe bought a Vitamix, which means my smoothies and soups are about to reach a whole new level of awesome. Stay tuned for recipes!!

Oregon Ice Works - I'd seen their food cart before, but never had a chance to try their stuff, so VegFest gave me the opportunity. Wowza. They make vegan Italian Ice in all sorts of flavors. I got to try the marionberry and the vanilla which were both out of this world. The only drawback is that their products are sweetened with cane sugar (although it is fair trade which is nice!). But other than that its just water and fruit! Pretty great, right? You can get more info at their website: http://oregonice.com/.

It's Alive - So this is one I've tried before, I'm actually a regular buyer of their raw dill sauerkraut, but they have some new flavors and products that I feel deserve attention! Like....their seaweed kimchi! I know it sounds weird, but if you are a fermented foods junkie like myself, you'd LOVE this stuff. It would take a pretty great flavor to pull me away from my beloved dill sauerkraut, but this one did it. Because its new, it isnt available everywhere yet, but they do have it in bulk at Peoples Coop which is awesome! The other product that's amazing is their dehydated snack mix, which is a mix of seeds and spices that was absolutely to die for. My favorite was the Wasasbi Nori. For products and locations, check out http://www.itsalivefood.com/index.htm

Foods Alive - Ok, this is a bit random, but I've never had oil as tasty as their flax oil. Oh my god. I would eat that stuff straight out of the bottle. And its full of vegan omega 3s, which is an added bonus! They also make salad dressings that use the oil as a base as well as flax crackers that are pretty dang good! Unfortunately, they can't be found locally, but its totally worth buying online: http://www.foodsalive.com/

Al Amir -  Al Amir is a lebanese restaurant here in Portland, but they make some of their dips and sell them through grocery stores. We tried their garlic sauce, and WOW was it good. We kept going back for seconds and thirds and fourths, and if we'd had the cash both my friend Ilan and I would have bought it on the spot. This stuff is amazing, and its available at a bunch of places apparently, even Fred Meyer! Also a plus, their restaurant serves gluten free falafel, so heyyy, that's a win!

But of all the vendors, I did have a favorite...drumroll please

And the winner is....Solstice Snacks!

Oh my stars. They make these goji snack bars that are like rice crispies and fruit and all sorts of yummy goodness and I think I probably had at least two samples of every flavor (unfortunately some of them have peanut butter). Of all the flavors, my favorite is a toss up between Chocolate Mint and Thai Spice. I noticed the thai one isn't on their website, so it must be fairly new. These little snackies are sooo delicious! I can't wait to go buy some once I'm off my cleanse! More info can be found at http://store.solsticebars.com/


So I did kinda lie, I actually had a product I liked as much as the Solstice Bars; Sorta Sausage Hemp Burgers. I was all ready to write them this glowing review, when I checked their website and found out they contain corn! I'm so bummed! I was dumb for not asking ahead of time, especially because I had enough samples to equal a whole burger. I like want to cry. It was one of the best things I've ever tasted. I'm hoping to write to them and comment that they should make a corn free version. However, if you aren't allergic to corn, you HAVE to try these. Find out more here: http://sortasausage.com/

At the end of the day, Ilan, Joe and I stuck around for a screening of the film Forks Over Knives, which was the final straw in convincing me to go vegan 7 months ago. If you haven't seen it, I HIGHLY recommend it. It's out on video now and its also available on Netflix. What gets me every time about this movie is how well researched it is. With so much conflicting info out there about nutrition's part in health, its easy to get confused. I still do, after all this time. But this movie really reminded me that I am doing the right thing. I think the thing that makes this movie so awesome is that it presents the information from a health standpoint, rather than being a slasher film full of clips of animal cruelty or an intimidating and annoying liberal protest-fest. This movie focuses solely on the research that proves eating animal protein can lead to the growth of cancer cells, as well as cause diabetes and heart disease. It appeals to such a wide audience, which is really what I'm trying to accomplish as well. So seriously, SEE IT! It will change your life.

I can't even express how perfect VegFest was for me this weekend. After being run down from my cleanse, it was exactly the boost I needed to remind me why I live the way I do. It got me excited about veganism again. I was seriously glowing after I left, my whole being was filled with energy. I definitely plan on attending more NWVeg events, and I'll keep you all posted on each one! And be on the lookout for more VegFest related reviews, I have a couple new restaurants to try and tell you about!

Kelp Noodles...

...are my latest obsession.

If you're a health freak like me, you know how beneficial adding sea vegetables to your diet is. If you aren't, get this: sea veggies like kelp, nori, wakame, and arame are high in iodine (which can also come from salt but beware: most iodized salt has dextrose, a corn sweetener, added in), iron and vitamin C, and are highly alkalizing in the body. Adding sea veggies to your dishes also reduces the need for excess salt, which is pretty awful for you if you weren't aware!

I've been a big fan of nori (the seaweed used in sushi) for awhile now; I mean shoot, I literally eat it in sheets right out of the bag. My boyfriend called me out on it yesterday ("I don't think normal people eat it like that..." to which I respond "when have I ever been considered normal?"), and my friend Jennifer calls it my sloth food. But my world has been shifted with the addition of another sea vegetable, kelp, in the form of noodles!

The noodles, made by Sea Tangle Noodle Company are made of kelp and sodium alginate (which is extracted from brown seaweed) and water. I've found them at multiple Portland Whole Foods as well as Chuck's Produce here in Vancouver (Vancouver Whole Foods doesn't appear to carry them yet). They are really jiggly and kind of translucent; I'd compare them to like a cooked rice noodle (those ones you find in salad rolls and stuff). But they are so much more nutritious than rice noodles with much fewer calories! I haven't experimented much with cooking them (they are recommended in stir fries and such), but hot damn are they good in salad!

Here's my favorite recipe so far:

Kelp Noodle Salad with Almond Butter/Miso Dressing

1/3 pkg kelp noodles
2 c. fresh spinach, or 1 c spinach and 1 c. romaine lettuce
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
handful of snap peas, chopped

Dressing:

1 tbsp. Almond Butter
1 tsp. unpasteurized brown rice miso paste
1/2 tsp. maple syrup

Whisk dressing ingredients together, adding water until it reaches a salad dressing consistency. Toss veggies and kelp noodles in dressing and enjoy!

Serves 1.

Top 10 products I'm obsessed with at the moment

I'm so lucky that I work in a gluten free store and have a role in the ordering of new products because I'm always finding new delicious stuff I can actually have. I have cut back on my consumption of even allergy-friendly processed food, but I have to let myself indulge every once in a while! Here's what I'm loving right now:

1. Earth Cafe Vegan Cheesecake

I looooove these. And it's just icing on the (cheese)-cake that they are sweetened with agave nectar instead of sugar. It has everything I could possibly want in a dessert. They remind me of their more expensive but equally delicious counterpart at Blossoming Lotus in Portland, but they are more readily available now that I can buy them at Lingonberries! It's got all the flavor and decadence of normal cheesecake, without the dairy and sugar overload that you get afterwords. Hey, I'll take feel-good dessert any day of the week!

2. Beanitos Black Bean Chips

Finally, a corn-free tortilla chip! I honestly thought I was never going to eat tortilla chips again. I'm so glad I was wrong! And honestly, these are better than your average corn chip. Not only do they taste amazing, they have legit protein and fiber in every serving. All in all, they are still chips, but as chips go they are one of the healthiest. However, be warned, it will be very hard to resist eating the whole bag. Side note: these taste amazing paired with #3 on this list...

3. King Harvest Jalapeno Hummus

Boo, I couldn't figure out how to rotate this picture. I'm computer illiterate. Anyway, this stuff is to die for. I'm not kidding. I don't know anyone who's tried it that isn't completely addicted. My favorite, obviously, is the Jalapeno. Its got the perfect flavor of jalapeno without being to spicy for those with senstive taste buds. I am not one of those people, I've actually been known to add my own hot sauce... King Harvest is a local company out of Portland and they deliver their products fresh, plus there are like 12 flavors to choose from so there truly is something for everybody. I'm also super into the lemo hummus cause they don't add any oil and I've been trying to stay away from oil lately.

4. Sea Snax Toasted Onion

I know you probably think I'm weird for eating seaweed and liking it, but I can almost guarentee that you'd like it if you tried it. Especially because this isn't just plain old seaweed, it's roasted in olive oil and sprinkled with dehydrated onion. And, one little package is a mere 16 calories, yet somehow it's quite the appetite supressant. Its the perfect snack to tie you over at work or if you have to postpone a meal for any reason. They also come in a plain flavor that's got olive oil and a little salt. Yummmm....

5. Jungle Treats Maple Coconut Kale Krisps

Kale has become one of my best friends since I went vegan. I still have yet to perfect the perfect at home kale chip recipe, but in the meantime, these make an excellent substitute. They also come in a Cheezy and a Creamy Garlic flavor, but the Maple Coconut is hands down my favorite. Whoever decided that kale would taste good sweet was a freaking genius. I couldn't be more thrilled with these. Unfortunately, they are kind of hard to find, but you can purchase them directly from their website.

6. Amande Almond Milk Yogurt

As I'm sure you are aware, its very difficult to find vegan yogurt that is also sugar free and, in this case, soy free. Leave to me to discover what seems like the only one that exists. It's definitely a thicker yogurt, and it has the distinctive taste of almond milk (i guess that probably goes without saying). My favorite flavor is peach but it also comes in cherry, blueberry, strawberry and coconut. Now if they'd only make a vanilla I'd be a happy camper!

7. Taste Nirvana Coco Aloe Water

Although I hate drinking my calories (unless they're the liquid calories that raise my BAC), I do occassionally break that rule for one of these guys. One bottle of this aloe-chunk-infused coconut water packs all sorts of electrolytes, including magnesium and more potassium than a banana. The little buggers are perfect post-workout, and are even better for nursing hangovers. Its like reaching for a Gatorade, only its all natural and doesn't have added sugar. The plain coconut water by the same company is awesome for while you are working out, especially hot yoga. (The aloe one doesnt really work thanks to the pulp). My boyfriend comes into the store and buys cases of them, and all the employees are addicted as well.

8. The Better Bean Company Refried Beans

Since becoming vegan I'm a freaking bean fanatic. Love em. They are so good for you and so tasty! And yet, someone found a way to make them even yummier. Also a local company, Better Bean makes three different types of refried beans including red, black and cuban-style black. They are ALL good. I'm obsessed. I make recipes with them but most of the time I can't resist eating them right out of the container. Plus, I met the guy who I believe started the company last summer at a demo at New Season's market and he's suuuch a nice guy. I love knowing that my food comes from good people, it makes me feel secure that I'm not being poisoned by preservatives and other crap. I can't help but believe that food made by good hearted people make food nourishes not only the body but the soul. So buy some.

9. Organ Falafel Mix

I fell in love with falafel on my trip to Hawaii last fall...I know, kinda random place to be introduced to falafel. There was this little mom and pop falafel stand outside one of the clubs we went to a lot and we ate there drunk almost every night. I'm sure it wasn't gluten free or anything, but I wasn't about to live without it. Luckily, Orgran makes a gluten free falafel mix that is also corn and potato free. All it is is chickpea flour and spices, and all you have to do is add water to the mix and bake or fry them in little balls. The best way to eat them is in a wrap with hummus, cucumbers, red peppers, and sprouts, but they are also delicious eaten plain or dipped in hummus (King Harvest anyone?)

10. Lucini Cinque e' Cinque Chickpea Frittata Mix

Another delicious chickpea flour concoction...this one is a little harder to explain. It's a bit like fritatta but its bean based instead of egg based. Just add oil and water and you can make it into a thick frittata or into thinner chickpea flatbreads that taste great with basil, olives, and anything else with an italian flair. I can't tell you enough how bomb this stuff is, you'll just have to try it for yourself! The best part is a serving contains 9 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, and an extremely short ingredient list that is vegan and gluten free!

So my friends, you have a lot of products to get out there and try. Happy eating! And if anyone has found a completely tomato, sugar and dairy free pasta/pizza sauce, PLEASE let me know! I'm making pizza tonight and sometimes I get sick of making my own.

All Things Thai

Lately I've been absolutely obsessed with Thai food. I've been eating curry multiple times a week, both homemade and out at restaurants. I told my boyfriend the other day that I could eat Thai food every day and not get sick of it, and so far that has held true. If you are a Thai fan like I am, then get excited. I've got restaurants, products AND a recipe, all in one post!

If you are a regular reader, you know that I love Ginger Pop, a Thai restaurant that has been nothing but accommodating to my needs (not to mention that the food is out of this world). But I'm always trying new places, and I think I may have found a place that tops the ol' GP. Enter Siam Society. Located on Alberta, this restaurant has everything I want in a dining establishment. Think vegan, vegetarian, AND gluten free menus, a cocktail list that I promise will blow your mind (although more than two of those and you won't remember dinner), and an extremely friendly and knowledgeable wait staff that will make you feel right at home, even if you are the pickiest customer EVER.

I remember a while back my parents mentioned they ate at Siam Society...They said it was good, but they didn't mention it was Thai food. Basically, they've been holding out on me. Thankfully, Groupon seemed to have my best interests in mind when it offered a deal for the restaurant. After using one, Joe and I ended up buying three more, cause we know we'll be going back. So let me paint the picture for you. The restaurant was classy without being stuffy, and hey, it's Alberta street, so no one is going to be dressed to the nines anyway. Our waitress was super goofy and amicable, I liked her right away. She brought out both the vegan and gluten free menus, and when I asked if certain dishes could be made both vegan and gluten free she didn't even hesitate when telling me yes. She also knew off the top of her head that the curries don't have sugar in them, and offered to swap the potatoes in my yellow curry out for kombocha squash , which was way better. Joe had the Pad Kee Mow and loved it, he even mentioned it might be the best he's tried yet. As for my food, well, I ate all of it. And had two Hibiscus Mojitos. Moderation be damned.

It doesn't stop there...another place I'm growing to love is Vege Thai, a completely vegetarian thai restaurant that makes all its dishes without fish or oyster sauce, and has a bunch of different faux meats to add to your meal. You can view my whole review here.

Now if I ate out as often as I had thai food cravings, I'd be 300 pounds. I knew I was going to have to teach myself to make curry at home. And while you just can't replicate that perfect restaurant curry without being a chef, Thai, or both, I think I do a pretty decent job. Although I do have the help of a pretty awesome product: Thai and True curry pastes. Thai and True is a local company that makes vegan, non-GMO and gluten free curry pastes, as well as sarachee and peanut sauce. And they are so easy to use. Throw a tablespoon into a saucepan with about a cup of coconut milk, heat until blended, and voila, you have a blank canvas to create curry masterpieces of your own! My favorite concoction is below.

Easy Curry

Serves 2

1 c. brown or black rice
1 tbsp. Thai and True red curry paste
1 c. coconut milk
1/2 tsp. Thai and True hot chili oil
1/2 block of tofu, cubed
1/2 large onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 c. mushrooms
1 bunch kale, chopped.

Prepare rice according to directions. Heat curry paste in large saucepan with coconut milk over medium heat until blended. Add onions and peppers and cook until soft, or 3-5 minutes. Add remaining vegetables and cook about 5 more minutes or until ideal tenderness has been reached. Add chili oil and mix well. Serve over rice.

An Allergy Friendly Easter (and raw frosting recipe!)

First and foremost, exciting news! The Vancouver Voice just put out a Clark County dining guide and it features an article about my blog! While the dining guide itself doesn't exactly do a great job of outlining which Vancouver restaurants are gluten free, the article has a few suggestions that Christina, the Lingonberries owner, and I made (obviously Ginger Pop and Chutneys). I'm so flattered and excited to finally have some publicity! Hopefully it just gets better from this point!!

Alright, I get excited about holidays because it means I get to experiment with new twists on old recipes. This year, I didn't help at all in the preparation of dinner since we dined at my grandma's house, but I wasn't showing up at Easter dinner without at least one dessert I could eat!

I ended up making two desserts, in addition to my grandma's famous "bunny cake" that she made with Bob's Red Mill's gluten free vanilla cake mix this year (which I still had to stay away from because of the corn and sugar). The first was a cake mix Lingonberries just started carrying called 1, 2, 3 Gluten Free Devil's Food Cake (shown below). When we got this mix in, I noticed the list of allergens on the front of the box that the mix didn't contain. I turn the box over only to find that it's also free of potato! Amazing! So obviously I had to try it.

The inside of the box has recipes to make the cake either sugar free or egg free, but unfortunately not both. I went for the sugar free version since I get a lot worse symptoms from sugar than eggs these days. The first thing I noticed was that the batter was to DIE for. I could have easily eaten the whole thing right out of the mixing bowl. It's very thick and fudgy, as opposed to most cake mixes that are generally runnier.

The cake came out great for the most part. My only complaint is that it was a bit dry, but we ate it after it had spent a weekend in the fridge so that could have had something to do with it. Flax gel as an egg replacer generally makes baked goods moister, so if I made this again I'd definitely make it egg and sugar free. What was really awesome though was the raw cashew cream frosting I made to go on top...

Vanilla Cashew Frosting:

• 1 1/2 CUP cashews
• 1/2 CUP water
• 2 TBS agave syrup
• 3 TBS coconut oil
• 1 TBS vanilla
• 1/4 TSP salt

Soak cashews in water for 2-4 hours. Drain, rinse and place the nuts onto a kitchen towel to gently roll them dry. Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until creamy and smooth. Place in a container and refrigerate for a few hours to thicken up. Keep the icing and cake separate until serving.

I can't even tell you how excited I was to perfect a dairy and sugar free frosting recipe, I'll be using that for all my sweet treats from now on. The cake and frosting definitely got the family approval too, which is an added bonus. (or else I probably would have eaten the whole cake).

Mad props to 1, 2, 3 Gluten Free for being the first to realize that you don't have to add refined sugar to mixes to make them delicious! I've been waiting forever for a product like this to come out! Now if they'd find a way to make their other mixes potato free... Oh well, little victories :-) Until next time, live free!

Gluten Free Christmas Cookies

Sorry it's been so long since I've written! I must say its been crazy around here. But I couldn't hold out on you during Christmas...I am so excited to share my Christmas cookie recipes with you!


My family is all about tradition during the holidays. We've done everything the same way since I was little, including the recipes we make for Christmas. Last year, my mom and I decided to suck it up and eat wheat, dairy, etc. because we didn't want to bother adapting our old recipes. This year, however, I didn't feel like being sick all through the holidays and decided to change our old cookie recipes to become dairy and gluten free. I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but let me say my family and I are thrilled with the results!


For all the recipes, I used Bavaria Mills' All Purpose Flour Blend. This flour blend is incredible. The xanthan gum is in the mix, so there is no extra work needed! This flour can be used cup for cup in place of regular flour in almost any recipe. It can be found exclusively at Lingonberries Market.

Clockwise from top left we have Almond Crescents, Peanut-free Peanut Butter Blossoms, Cherry Jewels, Sugar Cookies, and Kolackys (not pictured).


Almond Crescents


These are my dad's absolute favorite. They are originally from the Martha Stewart Christmas Cookbook. Enjoy!


2 cups All Purpose gluten free flour
1 cup unsalted butter or butter substitute
1 cup finely chopped almonds or nut of your choice
1/2 cup corn-free powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract


In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the dusting sugar. Mix well with your hands. Wrap the dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Form dough into 1-inch balls, then roll each ball into a 2-inch roll. Each should be narrow and the center slightly flattened to create a crescent moon when curved. Set 1 to 2 inches apart on baking sheets. 
Bake 12 to 15 minutes until set but not browned. Allow cookies to cool slightly then dusting with powdered sugar.




Peanut-free Peanut Butter Blossoms


Unfortunately, because Hershey doesn't make a Kiss that's entirely dairy free, this recipes can't be made officially dairy free.


½ cup butter or butter substitute, softened
½ cup nut butter (I used almond butter)
1 cup coconut sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract 
¼ tsp salt
1 ¾ cup GF All Purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
Hershey Kisses candy (45 or so – depending on how large you make the cookie balls)

In a large mixing bowl, use a mixer and blend the softened butter, nut butter, coconut sugar, egg, vanilla, and salt until nice and creamy. Add the flour and baking soda and mix until even. Roll dough into balls. The size is around the size of ping-pong balls. Try to keep all the cookie balls close in size. You may have more or less than 45 especially the first time when you’re learning to make these cookies. 

 Place cookie balls on baking sheet. Leave space – about two inches all around. They spread a bit. Bake 8 to 10 minutes at 375 degrees F in a preheated oven until the cookies are done. 

As soon as you take the cookies out of the oven, press a Hershey Kiss in the center of each. Press firmly until the Hershey Kiss is nestled in the middle of the hot cookie. Do this before removing the cookies from the baking pan. Once you’ve put Hershey Kisses in the middle of all the cookies on the pan, remove cookies and let cool.

Cherry Jewels

Usually, we put halved maraschino cherries in the center of these babies. Since those are the most disgusting things on earth, I decided to go with sugar free strawberry jam this year.

1/2 c. butter or substitute

1/4 c. coconut sugar

1 egg yolk

1 1/4 c. GF All purpose flour

1 tsp. grated lemon rind

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. orange juice

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 c. finely chopped pecans

Strawberry jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients except nuts and jam. Chill dough for at least an hour. Roll into balls and roll in chopped nuts. Place on cookie sheet and make a thumbprint indent in each cookie. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Spoon jam into thumbprints.

Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups corn-free powdered sugar

1 cup butter or substitute

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

2 1/2 cups GF All Purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cream of tartar

Icing:

1 pkg. Tofutti cream cheese

1 pkg. Ricemellow creme

Food coloring

Mix powdered sugar, butter, egg, vanilla and almond extract. Mix in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Divide dough in two halves. Roll each half 3/16 inch thick onto heavily floured surface and cut out shapes. Place on cookie sheet. Bake 7 to 8 minutes. 

For icing, beat together cream cheese and ricemellow creme. separate into containers and add food coloring of choice. Frost cookies when cool.

Kolackys

Pronounced "koh-latch-kees", these are a Polish favorite. We do a lot of traditional Polish recipes on Christmas Eve so these are a perfect compliment to the meal!

1 c. butter or substitute

1 pkg. Tofutti cream cheese

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups GF All Purpose Flour

1/2 tsp. salt

Thick jam or canned fruit filling, corn free

Cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in vanilla extract. Combine flour and salt, add in fourths to butter mixture, blending well after each addition. Chill dough until easy to handle. Roll dough to 3/8 inch thick on a floured surface. Cut 2 inch circles or other shapes. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Make a thumbprint in each cookie and fill with jam. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.

Rhythm Superfoods Kale Chips

I have a new obsession.

I was wandering around Whole Foods the other day, looking for new stuff to try, and I spotted these little buggers hidden away on a top shelf in the chip aisle. I've tried, unsuccessfully, to make kale chips before but they really don't turn out that well unless you have a dehydrator so I was eager to try these. I was definitely not disappointed! They come in 3 flavors, Kool Ranch, Zesty Nacho (channeling Doritos possibly?) and Bombay Curry. I've tried the ranch and the nacho. The nacho is spicy, just a warning :)

So the coolest part about these chips is that they are raw, vegan and gluten free, and they are made entirely from vegetables, spices, vegan nutritional yeast and vinegar. And since they are raw, they contain more than your daily value of Vitamins A and C, not to mention one bag has 10g of protein and only 200 calories. What's not to love?

Rhythm Superfoods also makes a bar that I'm hoping to try, I'll have to see if Whole Foods carries it. I'll definitely keep you all posted!

Nut-tritious Pumpkin Seed Butter Blend (Includes Pesto Pizza Recipe)

One thing I love about working at Lingonberries is trying new products. This product isn't new to the store, but I had yet to try it, so I bought some last week.

Backtracking a little, I LOVE nut butters. Almond butter is an addiction for me, but I truly love it all. Nut-tritious is a local company that makes healthy nut butter blends. They make almond, cashew, and macadamia among others.

So the other day I picked up some pumpkin seed butter to eat with one of my indian lentil crepes (recipe can be found on the blog), and it was pretty awesome. Then, Christina mentioned it is good on pizza as a substitute for pesto. Since I can't eat tomato sauce, I'm always looking for new pizza recipes. Last night, we had a little girl's night at Jamie's, which included us making homemade pizza. I brought all my ingredients with me and decided to try out the pumpkin butter-as-pesto idea since I didn't feel like going through the trouble of making red pepper sauce.

I can't even begin to tell you how good this was! I never in a million years thought pumpkin seed butter would taste like pesto, but it really does! It's my new favorite pizza topper!

So here it is, my girls night "pesto" pizza recipe - even if you don't have food allergies, its one to try!

Nut-tritious Pesto Personal Pizza

Crust: Any pizza crust or crust mix of your choice

Topping:
2 tbsp. Nut-tritious pumpkin seed butter blend
1/2 c. diced cooked chicken
1/4 c. chopped spinach
1/4 c. artichoke hearts
1/4 c. daiya cheese substitute

Spread the nut butter as best you can over warm crust (helps it melt a little). Add toppings, cheese going on the very top. Cook at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes. Serve warm. Serves 1-2.

6 Products I'm Loving Right Now

1. Frank's Hot Sauce

I'm obsessed with this stuff. Since being back from L.A., for some reason I have a heightened taste for spicy food. I like everything spicer now than I did a few months ago. I honestly have no idea why that is. When I was at school, my roommates kept Frank's Hot Sauce around but never really used it, so one day I mixed it into a can of tuna and I've never looked back. Its the perfect balance of spice and flavor, and there are only a few ingredients, which I am always a fan of. I put it on stir fry, any kind of meat, dip veggies in it, etc. If you like spice, you'll love this stuff!

2. Namaste Pizza Crust mix

I finally found a pizza crust mix that I can truly eat without any adaptations. Let me tell you, this absolutely makes my day. Most crust mixes are ridden with potato flour, potato starch or cornstarch, making them off limits for me. This mix is not only free of those things but it also doesn't call for eggs, so I can make it just as directed and still feel fine after eating it. Not to mention it has a delicious blend of spices that make it totally craveable. And Namaste makes a bunch of other mixes as well, including brownies and cake!

3. Bear Naked Granola

Because I'm allergic to not only wheat but sugar, corn, amaranth, spelt, and barley, eating cereal is pretty much out of the question at breakfast. I usually live happily off oatmeal, but every once in a while, I'll treat myself to Bear Naked granola. Not all of the flavors are safe for my allergies, but there are a

few flavors I can eat. They contain no wheat or sugar, and are free of nasty additives and preservatives including high fructose corn syrup. They are pretty heavy in calories, but you only need a little to satisfy a morning sweet tooth!

4.Daiya cheese substitute

This stuff is amazing. I first tried it at Pizza Fusion, a pizza place on Sunset Blvd that serves gluten free vegan pizza. Ever since trying it there and loving it, I've been searching for it and they finally carry it at Whole Foods! This cheese melts well, tastes great, and is dairy, casein, soy and GMO free. Its made with like tapioca flour and canola oil. I have no idea how it works but it does and I love it. Thank goodness I can finally eat pizza, quesadillas and other mexican dishes I've missed so much.

5. Bob's Red Mill ground flaxseed

Lately, I've been adding this stuff to everything. Flax is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, and it's nutty flavor makes it a great addition to oatmeal, smoothies, ice cream, you name it! I make sure to eat at least a tablespoon every day, usually at breakfast time. Plus, it makes a great egg replac

er. Just add a tablespoon to 3 tablespoons warm water, let sit for 10 minutes, and voila, you have a substance that has the consistency of an egg with a flavor that is to die for in baked goods.

6. Luna and Larry's Coconut Bliss ice cream

I've covered So Delicious's line of fruit juice sweetened soy ice cream, but I've recently discovered coconut ice cream, which is safe for people with soy allergies. Luna and Larry use all natural organic ingredients, leaving out sugar and all the common allergens. There are multiple flavors to choose from including cherry amaretto, chocolate peanut butter and pineapple coconut (which used to be my favorite Haagen Daas flavor). Best of all, I can usually find at least a few different flavors at my regular grocery store!

I usually always have these products on hand because they are amazing. I'll probably be doing a similar product review every month because I just got a job at a family owned gluten free grocery store and I'll be testing out new products all the time! Great job right?

Anyways, if you haven't tried some of these products, please do, then leave me a comment and let me know how you liked it!

Looking forward to hearing your feedback :)

PatisseRaw

The other day at the 3rd and Fairfax Whole Foods I discovered PatisseRaw desserts. The adorable little things looked like cheesecake, but all the ingredients are raw, sugar free and gluten free! So I took down the address and the number and decided to get in touch with the owner.

I was fortunate enough to meet with Christina this morning, and let me tell you, it was the best part of my day! She was so inspirational! She basically followed her heart and it lead her to start PatisseRaw, and now shes distributing her goodies to markets all over Los Angeles! All because she had a passion for the raw food diet and educating people about eating better. She talked a lot about following her intuition and how that has single-handedly contributed to her success. It was so motivating for me because I'm trying to do something similar. Because my passion for this is so strong, I know it will work out. Now I just need to be in tune with my intuition so I won't miss any opportunity that comes my way.

Also, the desserts are truly delicious. I got to try the strawberry flavor, the chocolate eclipse (fudge), and the carrot cupcakes. WOW! I was shocked to find out how simple the ingredients were. They are seriously amazing, and I highly recommend them. Plus, the business is eco-friendly! They either recycle or compost all of their waste, and they deliver their treats by bicycle if you live in Venice! Plus, they are made with love by a genuinely awesome person.

Until next time, Live Free :)

My First Veggie Burger Experience

Happy Easter Everyone!!

I hope you all had awesome allergy friendly Easter dinners. I got to spend Easter with my aunt and uncle in Riverside, and they were nice enough to make tons of variations of vegetables for my Easter dinner, which I so appreciated. But since they were having ham, I picked up these little babies at Trader Joe's as my Easter "meat":

I've never had a veggie or boca burger before, so I was obviously a little skeptical. I mean, I remember the days when homemade cheeseburgers & OreIda fries were my favorite meal. I had them every year on my birthday because that's all I'd ever want. So for me, replacing burgers was going to be quite a task.

I'm so happy to report that I was pleasantly surprised. Ok, so its no hamburger exactly, but the taste was phenomenal! I couldn't believe my taste buds! Thankfully, there were two in the package so I brought one home to cook up for this week. I have a feeling this is going to be one of my new staple items, along with almond butter and hummus :)

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday! Live Free, and have a tofu burger!!

Six Products I'm Loving Right Now

Sorry I haven't written in a while! I've been too insanely busy to try any new recipes and too broke to try any new restaurants so ergo, no new posts. But I came up with this idea this morning, so hopefully you all can stay interested.

For those of us with food allergies, we know its tough to find products we can trust. And while anything not made with our own two hands is never completely trustworthy, these products have never caused problems for me.

1. MaraNatha Organic Raw Almond Butter

For some strange reason, I've been having a hell of a time finding almond butter at the grocery store. Ralphs, the primary grocer in L.A. only carries almond butter that has added sugar in it, so clearly, I don't buy it. I noticed that even the Whole Foods I regularly visit doesn't carry the almond butter I used to eat (which usually contained added salt), so I picked up this stuff, hoping it would do the trick. Turns out, I like it better than anything else I've tried. The best part is, it tastes amazing and the only ingredient is organic almonds! yummmm....

2. Trader Joe's Mediterranean Hummus

This hummus is seriously incredible. My mom got it for us for the first time last summer and I've been hooked ever since. I don't know exactly what makes it so good, between the roasted garlic you can taste or the delicious decoration on top, but it blows every other hummus I've tried out of the water. The only thing is, I tend to finish the whole thing in less than a week, so I'm always going back for more.

3. Endangered Species Dark Chocolate with Raspberry

I've been searching all over for a chocolate that magically contained no dairy and no sugar. My friends laugh in my face when I tell them that's what I'm looking for, but now I finally get to say "I told you so". Endangered species dark chocolate is made with cocoa (in fact, the cocoa percentage is clearly marked on the front of the label), soy, and in this case, unsweetened dried raspberry pieces. The best part, though, is that if you buy this chocolate (and it is not cheap, let me tell you) they donate 10% of the proceeds to help support species, habitat, and humanity. And you all know how much I love animals. Needless to say, I'm a big fan of this situation.

4. Rice Expressions Organic Brown Rice

These are the epitome of easy allergy free eating (provided you aren't allergic to rice). They are located in the frozen foods section, most likely at Whole Foods. Each box contains 3 portioned packets of frozen rice that you pop in the microwave for 3 minutes and voila, you have rice. I always add different stuff to it, like my mushroom rice recipe below, or edamame (which I had for dinner last night). It's perfect if you don't have time to cook or are simply just lazy when it comes to cooking, like me.

5. Terra Chips

Since I can't eat potato or tortilla chips anymore, I assumed chips were just out for me for good. Thankfully, these little puppies exist. They are a baked blend of a number of root veggies including sweet potatoes, beets, and taro. They are incredible but beware, they are also extremely addicting. It's truly impossible to have just one. They honestly make me question why I ever ate potato chips in the first place.

6. Lara Bars

These bars make my life. I can't eat any other energy or granola bar, not to mention that most of them taste like crushed up vitamin supplements anyways. Whoever invented these is a genius. There are a bunch of different flavors, and the only ingredients are nuts, dates and sometimes coconut and fruit juice, depending on the flavor. My personal favorite is Lemon Bar, because, I kid you not, it tastes like an actual lemon bar. They are the perfect mid afternoon or post-workout snack.

Those are just a few products I swear by at the moment. There are plenty more, but I'm currently cleaning out my kitchen to go raw for Holy Week/spring detoxing (I'll be documenting that feat on my blog starting next week), so I can't think of any more off the top of my head.

Hope you all are having a wonderful day!

Live Free