Healthy Snacks. Parsnip & Brussel Invite Kale To Step Into The Ring - Who Won?!

Kale is king.  It has reigned for a few years now as the supreme raw food chip.  Of course, other vegetables were going to want a slice of the action. So kale got competition!

I love brussel sprouts.  I love parsnips. I heard they were being 'chipped'. I had to sample them. 

Wonderfully Raw chips were developed by a chef named Sequoia, a graduate of the Living Light Institute who began making raw foods after healing herself of Type 11 Diabetes through diet. 

New Product Review

Generally, they were good. But, honestly, not all of the flavours rocked my world, but some defiantly generated a tremor! All of the line up contain raw coconut among their ingredients.  Coconut is not only delicious but a metabolism boosting super food. Guilt free healthy snacking.  Each pack is only approximately 120 calories and 8g of fat (but it is easily digested, healthy MCLA - medium chain fatty acids). According to Dr Oz coconut improves thyroid function, too. Vegan. Gluten free. Soy Free. Sugar Free.

Brussel Bites - Chili Pumpkin Seed Crunch 
The chipotle heat is so good mingling with the slightly bitter brussel and the toasty flavour of the coconut. Loved!

Brussel Bites - Tamarind Apple Crunch 
I could not detect the tang of the tamarind but the ginger and coconut were a divine mix. Loved!

Snip Chips    - Cheezy Herb Truffle 
I was excited about this flavour combination. However, I didn't love this one.  Too 'parsnippy' for my liking and not enough truffle and cheeze flavours.

Snip Chips    - Chipotle Lime Cilantro 
More chipotle flavour, please!  If you don't like heat then you may enjoy the subtlety of it. Otherwise, a good flavour.

Snip Chips    - Dill Pickle 
a lovely buttery taste with a gentle dill flavour. Loved!


So..the clear winner..does King Kale need to be nervous?? No. Competition is good.  I think the healthy snack market has room for them all!  I will definitely be buying these again.

Wonderfully Raw sell their Snips and Bites in many natural food markets, Whole Food and grocery store locations in North America.

Jerky! A Tasty Low Fat Snack. VEGAN! Review AND GIVEAWAY

I've been sampling some soy jerky for you, from Morels The Vegan Butcher.   They were a great jaw work-out.  I think you'll love them!   

Read on and find out how you can get some in your hot little hands for FREE!

Made with non-GMO soy beans. Vegan. Gluten Free.
They are great for a virtually guilt-free snack.  They are low fat, low calorie, low carb and high protein.  
Serving size: 28g  Servings 2.5
Amount per serving: Calories 50.  Fat 2g.  Sat Fat. 0g.  Total Carb. 4g.  Fiber 2g. Protein 5g.

Currently, they have two flavours: Ned's Spicy Chipotle & Judas' Original.  The zip up bag, encourages you to have several little snackette and reseal.  Tremendously chewy and flavour rammed.  Judas' has a BBQ-black pepper flavouring and Ned's strips taste smokey and have a nice kick from chipotle and ancho chillies.  
They would be a great snack for people transitioning to a plant-based diet, or those supporting Meatless Monday   If your doctor is telling you to cut or quit the meat, it can be a little scary.  These would be great for you!

The other night I made a black bean chill and cut up the strips into smaller pieces and threw them on top, adding a great texture and heat to my chili feast.  I have also popped them into a taco, along with some juicy toms and cashew cream, and poured over lashings of my thick mole sauce.  Next up, I am going to try Judas' Jerky strips in a brown rice wrap with stir-fried greens in garlic, several large dollops of vegan horseradish or wasabi mayo.

I wanted to know more about Stanley, the founder and genius behind Morels The Vegan Butcher.  I contacted him and asked a few questions to placate my curiosity.  He was happy to oblige.

Morels the Vegan Butcher is quite the newbie to the food game.  They launched in 2011, funding by the aid of pledgers on Kickstarter.com.  They hit the streets of Louisville Kentucky with a big shiny food truck.  At the same time they began to sell retail sandwiches in local grocery stores and coffee shops.  The demand grew really quickly in the stores and eventually they were forced to give up the food truck to keep up with demand from their retail customers.  It seems vegan food was what the people (vegans, non-vegans and veg-curious alike) of Louisville wanted in their stores.   If you live in Louisville, you are lucky and get to buy their in Rainbow Blossoms & Heine Brothers Coffee shops all over Louisville!.  For those of use who don't.  You can get the flavour of Morels The Vegan Butcher in a foil zip-lock bag, online and at these locations.  They ship internationally.  

Meet Stanley…..

Morel TVB: quote "Ever since meat was taken out of my diet, I've thought often about jerky.  Texture, taste and a sore jaw have been a dream of mine for years.  Finally, here we are.  A real jerky that you can pull out at a party and make real, lasting friends.  So pop open a bag.  Tap a stranger on the shoulder and say, "jerky?'.  No one will ask any questions".



So Stanley, what came first?  The Jerky or your wraps?  (the wraps so amazing!  Wish I could try them!) 


We started the wraps about 2 years ago.  The jerky came out almost exactly a year ago.  After only 6 months Jerky was flying off the 'shelves'.

How long did it take you to perfect the Jerky recipes?

Couple of months to get to the flavors and texture we wanted, but once we hit these flavors, we just ran with it.  The thing that took the longest was getting packaging, package design, nutritional info, and getting into a cycle of making as much as we can a week.  Some of the flavors and seasoning are getting an upgrade this summer.

I've recently Jerky chopped into a black bean chili (wow!).  Do you have any creative ways of eating it?

I just recently had some people telling me they're using the jerky in dishes they're making.  I honestly never thought of doing that, but it totally makes sense.  May have to try it in like a beef and broccoli dish or on a pizza.

Do you have any new products/flavours in the pipeline?

Sriracha Maple this July

Is Louisville a vegan-friendly town?

Yeah it is.  There's a lot of restaurants that will accommodate vegans, and they're are a lot that already have plenty of options on their menus.  Several places even sell stuff like seitan wings.  Food in Louisville is pretty intense, there's a lot of neat places to eat.

You had a campaign to get Jerky in all the US States by April 8th with Adoptaturkey.com, was your target reached? 

No :( But we're still going and still sending money to save our turkey friends for each new state we get in.  There are some big changes coming up this summer that will hopefully get us in a bunch of new places, as well as some new flavours.

Do you follow a vegan diet?

I've been vegan off and on over the last 7 years or so, but vegetarian for the whole time.  There's not really any thing that I can't live without, I just haven't drawn the line that I'm vegan.  I don't really talk much about it with anyone though as I think people are all at their own spots in life.  Be it food, spirituality or whatever, even if you feel you've connected all the dots, we all see the world in our own special ways.  That being said, I really like vegan cheeses and products like vegenaise and earth balance are always in my fridge.  I really love dr. Cows cashew cheese [AVO: 'ooh, want to try that now'!]

Thanks Stanley!

I am loving the fact the old concept of 'business' is turning, and more and more AWESOME people like our friend Stanley are changing the face of entrepreneurism. Ethical businesses rock!

Here is your chance to win 2 packs of Jerky for FREE!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sage Organic Vegan Bistro - Part 1

So, finally, I'm unpacked.  Back in my own kitchen.  Coveting my Magimix, stroking my spiralizer, polishing my pans and gazing lovingly at my hand blender.  As soon as the jetlag wears off, and I can stay awake long enough to broil, bake, stir fry, chop, dice and read a few steamy cook books.... I'll be back in the game.  Meanwhile, as promised, I want to talk Sage.

I'd planned two days stay in Silverlake, my favourite neighbourhood of LA, on my way out of LAX. I had two places to visit..... SAGE ORGANIC VEGAN BISTRO and NATURE MART bulk bin in Los Feliz (apparently owned by one and the same).  I wanted to stock up on American goodies to stash at my house in the UK.....an attempt to appease my pining for California and stuff myself silly with good vegan fayre for the journey home... just because I could. 

My friend Stan, more colourful than a paint catalogue, and I hot footed it down to super hip and trendy ECHO PARK and arrived just as they were opening at 5pm (I was too impatient to wait any longer).  I have to say the staff were exceptionally attentive, sweet and fun.  Stan is an unrestrained flirt and he got to work on the staff, simultaneously shocking and charming them...meanwhile,  I was floating in my own little piece of heaven, deliciously agonizing over the menu.

I asked the waitress's advice and she suggested buffalo croquettes or jalapeno and  DAIYA CHEEZ wontons to start.  We ordered both.  Stan decided on the falafel bowl entree and I plumped for the Jamaican jerk burger.  The restaurant was light, bright and airy, good for people watching (if you are able to take your eyes off the food and menu... unlike me).  The place was full of the most amazing smells and I was wriggling in my chair in anticipation.  Just as well Stan was conducting a dazzling performance teasing the staff, to avert my attention, or I may have gone a little bit doolaly with hunger.

The chefs knocked up the food super quick; the wontons and croquettes arrived, looking 'prom night' gorgeous, and I was ready to plunge right in.  The wontons were perfectly crisp, the cheez was deliciously tangy and rich, the jalapeno delivered a playful kick.  They were so damn tasty, the horseradish dip with fennel tops added a fun layer of flavour.  The heat made our noses tingle.  Wooohoo!  Fabulous.  Food to make you giggle.





The buffalo croquettes were so good too.  Interesting...akin to a falafel with a luscious buffalo sauce and a sour 'cream'.  At this point my face was a picture, I looked like I'd won the Lotto...

Once Stan had restrained me from licking the plate, I finally released my grip and let the waitress take our empty dishes back to the kitchen.  In no time the mains were hot footing it over to our table.  What followed, for me, was a food equivalent to a religious experience.  Jesus...the Jamaican Jerk burger was, in Stan's words, 'TO LIVE FOR'! 

Like an eye popping country scene or the vast expanse of the grand canyon, I just couldn't get the photo's to do it justice.  Believe me...this is the BEST burger I've tasted.  Black bean and walnut patty, jerked portobella mushrooms and on top luscious caramelized onions and leeks.  Cavorting alongside was a glamorous mango saffron aoli. The burger was so flavoursome, so rich....the texture....I'm lost for words.  Some people weep with joy at the sight of a Venus de Milo, or when they hear the orchestra play Bach, or watch a ballet..me, I could of wept with joy at the taste, the unami of this entree. BRAVO, BRAVO! The kale and potato chips were icing on the cake..so to speak.  I didn't even want to sully my mouth with any other flavours, so refused Stan's offer to try his falafel bowl.  He did report that the flavours were good, especially the red pepper hummus, but the falafel a little dry.  He did tell our waiter so perhaps this may have been addressed. 

For dessert I couldn't resist the ice cream.  All vegan, made by KINDKREME.  Once I'd had a tiny sample of all of them I decided to have a scoop of the one with oats and raisins in (can't quite remember the name), made glossy and delectable with a drizzle of raw salted caramel topping.  Lovely. Lovely, lovely!

I LOVE SAGE ORGANIC VEGAN BISTRO SO MUCH I WANT TO MARRY IT!  Before we'd even got out the door to head home I'd decided to return the next day.....  .  Watch out for Sage Vegan Part Deux!