Rhythm Superfoods - Kale Chips

I've tried a lot of kale chips in my life, but somehow never got my hands on the Rhythm Superfoods ones until now. Rhythm Superfoods kale chips were conceived in the kitchen of The Daily Juice, a little juice bar in Austin, Texas. Their products were so popular, they took them to the shelves and the rest is history.

What makes a delicious kale chip? Crunch and flavor. Kale chips are usually made from dehydrating kale at under 118-degrees. These are no different. They say that their chips are air-crisped under low heat to maintain their natural enzymes and maximize their raw nutritional potency. The art really lies in coating them with lots of flavor then dehydrating them until they are crunchy and crisp. I must say that Rhythm does both of these things well.

They sent me three flavors of their kale chips to try. My favorite was the Kool Ranch. Somehow they hand-crafted a dressing made with sunflower seeds, tahini, carrots, cane sugar, apple cider vinegar, onions, sea salt, lemon juice, dill weed, garlic, and white pepper that tastes very ranch-y. They are super crisp with the crunch you are looking for in a fantastic snack.

I loved the Original too as it had less seasoning, but still a great crunch.

Lastly, I tried the Mango Habanero. Mango with kale? Who would've thunk it? Mango and kale actually works though I tasted very little hot habanero spice. If you are going to call a chip "mango habanero" flavor, it better have a habanero kick!

I love that all of their kale chips are certified organic, certified gluten-free, and Non-GMO Project Verified. Clearly they care about using high-quality ingredients. And what better way to get your vitamins A and K than from healthy kale chips?! To try some on your own, you can find them at Yes! Organic Market in DC or on Amazon here.

Full Disclosure: Although the products were provided to me for free to review, that in no way influenced my veracious opinion.

Multi-Bean Chili

The cold weather makes me crave chili and a Multi-Bean Chili was just what I needed. While reviewing YumUniverse by Heather Crosby, this seemed like a great gluten-free recipe to try. With black beans, red kidney beans, chickpeas, and green lentils along with bell peppers, it sounded pretty hearty. I will say that in the end, it wasn't quite as tasty as I had hoped. It is a good base, but it needs more spice and more veggies. Later on, during the week, I added fresh avocado and more spice to it to give the oomph that it needed. Try it for yourself and let me know what you added to spice it up!

Multi-Bean Chili
Serves 8+

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tsp coconut oil
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, diced
• 1/2 orange bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, diced
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed, diced (I like to keep the seeds for extra hotness)
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground chipotle powder
• 2 cups black beans, cooked
• 1 1/2 cups red kidney beans cooked
• 1 cup chickpeas, cooked
• 1/2 cup green lentils, cooked
• 8 medium tomatoes, blanched and chopped
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 Tbsp cilantro leaves, chopped

Instructions
Heat a large stockpot to medium, add coconut oil, peppers, and onion, and saute for 5 minutes. Then add garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Add spices (cocoa powder, cumin, chili powder, paprika, coriander, and chipotle powder) and stir into veggies for about 2 minutes.

Add all remaining ingredients to pot except cilantro and salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Now season with salt and pepper.

If your chili is too thick, add some optional veggie stock or water until you reach a desired consistency. Often, thanks to the juicy tomatoes, it doesn't need extra liquid. It's up to you.

Top the chili with cilantro and serve!

Creamy Broccoli and Red Pepper Macaroni

For the first recipe I made out of YumUniverse by Heather Crosby, I tried her Creamy Broccoli and Red Pepper Macaroni. I'm not a huge fan of gluten-free noodles, but her deliciously creamy cashew-based sauce was a hit with those noodles and with red peppers and broccoli -- they added the right amount of crunch in this delicious pasta dish. I added some hot sauce for some oomph! This is a great gluten-free potluck dish!

Creamy Broccoli and Red Pepper Macaroni
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups gluten-free macaroni noodles
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, diced
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1-2 Tbsp water
• Sea salt, to taste
• Black pepper to taste

Ingredients for sauce

• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 cup cashews, soaked
• 1 clove garlic
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 2-3 drops liquid smoke

Instructions
Bring large pot of water to a boil. Add noddles and cook according to manufacturer's instructions.
Blend together all sauce ingredients until smooth and set aside. While noodles cook, place coconut oil in a skillet heated to medium and add diced red bell pepper. Stir often for 5-7 minutes. Add broccoli and water to skillet, stir, cover, and steam for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Return to the noodles. If they've finished cooking, drain and rinse and return them to the pot. Mix together cooked and rinsed noodles, veggies, and sauce over medium heat. Season with more salt and black pepper to taste if necessary.

JJ's Sweets - Cocomels

In the years between when I went vegetarian and vegan, one of the only things holding me back were caramels. There is nothing quite like the sweetness of caramel flavor in your hot chocolate, on your ice cream, or, even better, just straight out of the package -- hard and soft caramels.  It was really the moment I discovered JJ's Sweets Cocomels that I realized that vegan wasn't going to be so difficult after all.

When they started back in 2009, JJ's Cocomels were a game changer. At a time when caramels were made by mixing butter, heavy cream, corn syrup, and white sugar together, JJ's changed everything by not only veganizing caramels, but making them as healthy as they possibly could be.  They are everything you ever remembered in a caramel, but even better. Yeah, I actually think they are better than the typical non-vegan caramels made with milk.

JJ's makes both soft caramels and hard chocolate-covered caramels. They are all so good, I really couldn't say that I like one more than the other. I guess if I had to pick a favorite, it would be the chocolate-covered ones with sea salt. You bite into this semi-hard caramel and you get the sea salt followed by creamy chocolate followed by chewy coconut-inspired caramel. It's truly amazing. It's not too sweet and is just the right balance of chocolate and caramel. These would satisfy the most discerning caramel lover.

Other flavors include vanilla and espresso and how I love that the espresso has an coffee bean on top of it!  So what is a chocolate-covered Cocomel made of? The ingredients are coconut cream, brown rice syrup, evaporated cane juice, chocolate, vanilla extract, sea salt, and xantham gum. The icing on the cake is that they are organic and, therefore, non-GMO as well. How many chocolate candies do you know of that are certified organic? Not many. So they've really gone the extra mile.

Then there are the soft, chewy, naked caramels. By not coating these with chocolate, you really get the full coconut cream taste melting in your mouth. These are also truly amazing. They are made with the same ingredients of coconut cream, brown rice syrup, evaporated cane juice, sea salt, and xantham gum. That's it. I gave some to some non-vegans and they were floored by how good they were.

The naked Cocomels come in original, java, sea salt, and vanilla. I loved the java flavor as you can actually taste the java bits inside.

These decadent, melt-in-your-mouth caramels will transport you to a caramel wonderland from which you may never want to return. To get there, you'll have to buy some of these caramels, which you can find at Amazon here. While you are doing that, I'm going to bathe my body in a sea of Cocomels...one can dream, can't she?!

POP! Gourmet Popcorn

Popcorn -- it's been around since the beginning of time. And even though it is timeless, it isn't the kind of thing I hear people say they are craving. But, after trying POP! Gourmet Popcorn, I can truly say that I am a convert. Now I'm craving popcorn and eating it too.

POP! makes a bunch of flavors of gourmet popcorn, three of which are vegan. I must say that the best one is the Fire Corn Jalapeno Popcorn. The look and feel of the brand is different because it represents a partnership between Greg B.A. Anders and POP! Greg was a fighter pilot who prepared his Fire Corn for the pilots as they gathered after their training flights to unwind and debrief. It's a spicy mix of fiery popcorn and real jalapeno slices that are slow-fired to a satisfying crisp. It is the only popcorn that I've ever felt is truly out of this world!

The other flavors are incredibly good too...especially the White Truffle Bliss. Made with just popcorn, olive oil, Spanish white truffle olive oil, and truffle salt, you get a light airy popcorn with just a perfect hint of truffle. It also comes in a "lite" version that is just 40 calories per serving.

Another delicious flavor is the Sunflower Oil & Sea Salt, another "lite" one that comes in a small single serving bag. It is a bit salty, but still has great flavor.

Best of all, their flavors are gluten-free, non-GMO, and devoid of trans fat. POP! gourmet is sold at gourmet stores across the country including Dean & Deluca in DC for $5.99 per bag. You can find store locations here. I'm just happy to have found yet another healthy, light snack.

Full Disclosure: Although the products were provided to me for free to review, that in no way influenced my veracious opinion.

2Armadillos -- Crispy Roasted Chickpeas

Crispy, crunchy, deliciously flavored chickpeas -- that is the best way to describe 2Armadillos' new product.  Quite simply, they make roasted chickpeas. It isn't a novel idea as others have done it before, but I was impressed with the fresh and abundant flavor that bursted out of these chickpeas at first bite.

Currently, there are four flavors available. I tried two of them. My favorite of the two was the Red Cayenne chickpeas as they are covered with a perfect mix of garlic powder, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and salt. This snack is incredibly satisfying and quite spicy.

The other flavor, Rosemary, had tons of dried rosemary covering the chickpeas.  I was surprised to see the dried rosemary in the bag as it just seemed so much fresher than most other snacks I see in the stores. Yum!

The other two flavors that are available are Tomato & Basil and Cinnamon Toast.

Besides the flavor, another reason I wanted to review them is that they are locally based right here in DC. They are made in the Union Kitchen by hand as they toss the chickpeas in olive oil then coat them with spices and seasonings. The founders, Jimmy and Greg, created the company because they wanted more options for healthy on-the-go snacks and they found that healthy snacks often weren't tasty. So if that was their only goal, I'd say them met and exceeded their goal! Jimmy is a businessman who is also a certified personal trainer and nutritional consultant while Greg spent four years working as a personal trainer prior to heading off to med school -- what a great combo.

I also love that all of the flavors are gluten-free, vegan, organic, non-GMO (though not Non-GMO Project Verified), packed with protein, and high in fiber. The 8-ounce bag sells for $11.95 and the 2.5-ounce bag sells for $3.95. When I asked them about the higher than average prices, they stated, "We use high-quality ingredients and organic chickpeas to produce our hand-made product that is packaged with high recycled content in an urban environment. Scale will lower our costs and therefore our prices, but currently we are boot-strapping our growth." The snacks can be found in several markets in DC as well as others in Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia. For more information and to buy products online, click here. And with that, I leave you with yet another snack option to tempt your palate.

Full Disclosure: Although the products were provided to me for free to review, that in no way influenced my veracious opinion. 

Amella Caramels - Coconut Almond

Amella has done it again. First, they blew me away with their vegan gray salt caramels and now they've come out with vegan coconut almond caramels! What next?

Each caramel is made by hand by stirring organic coconut flakes into the caramel base adding a coconutty texture to each morsel. Then they top each caramel with a lightly roasted organic California almond before enrobing it in 66% cocoa dark chocolate creating a deliciously satisfying chocolate coconut almond morsel.

As always, Amella uses no refined sugar and sources organic products when possible. And they are Non-GMO Project Verified, gluten-free, and Kosher. I have to say that I still like the vegan gray salt caramels better, but these are a great addition to their growing line of vegan caramels. Keep them coming!

They sell two packs of six for $25. To order some for yourself, click here.

Full Disclosure: Although the products were provided to me for free to review, that in no way influenced my veracious opinion.

Among Friends - Trish the Dish Crisp

Among Friends is a new company making baking mixes that are not only vegan, but also gluten-free. With such a big emphasis on good quality gluten-free baking nowadays, Among Friends is sure to be a hit. They sent me a few samples of their products and the first one that I tried was the Trish the Dish Crisp Mix.

In honor of their friend, Trish, they created a delectable mix made of gluten-free oats, natural brown sugar, gluten-free oat flour, ground flax seed, almond meal, and spices to use to make a fruit crisp. In the spirit of buying seasonal, local produce, I decided to make this dish with apples and pears. So, I started by chopping up 8 cups of apples and pears as per the directions. Then I mixed the baking mix with 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 5 tablespoons of Earth Balance buttery spread.   It stated to add 5-8 tablespoons of the buttery spread and I soon found that 5 tablespoons was not enough. I also found that 8 cups of chopped fruit wasn't enough fruit, but by the time I put the crumble on top, I just decided to see how it would turn out as I prepared it.

After baking for 40 minutes, it was done and I was ready to try it. As someone who just a year ago didn't like gluten-free oats, I have to say that I am now a big fan. The crunchy oat mix with its cinnamon, orange peel, and nutmeg spices complemented the warm apples and pears well and made a fantastic fruit crisp.  I would just recommend that if you are using bigger fruit like apples and pears, to use like 10 cups instead of 8. And I hate to admit it, but 5 tablespoons of buttery spread wasn't enough -- you probably need 8 tablespoons.

So this one was a big hit and I'm excited to try the rest of the samples -- stay tuned! In the meantime, you can find Among Friends baking mixes at Yes! Organic Market in DC or you can order them online here.

Full Disclosure: Although the products were provided to me for free to review, that in no way influenced my veracious opinion. 

Alive & Radiant - Veggie Krunch

Alive & Radiant, founded by Peggy Ann Horowytz, better known as Blessing, makes raw, organic, gluten-free, healthy snacks. After falling in love with their kale chips, I thought I'd give their new Veggie Krunch a try.  Veggie Krunch is a raw, dehydrated snack made with just veggies, fruits, nuts, and spices so they are super healthy.

First I tried the Arugula Cabbage. Made with just cabbage, arugula, sesame seeds, lemon juice, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, nutritional yeast, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, Himalayan salt, apple cider vinegar, caraway seeds, and dill, there ain't nothin' but good-for-you ingredients in this snack. The name didn't really sound that appetizing. I mean who reaches for arugula and cabbage when they want a snack?  But, these really grew on me. The sesame, dill, and garlic gave it a great flavor. They really just tasted like kale chips made with arugula and cabbage instead.

Next up was the Sweet Onion. Again, not exactly what I think about when I want a snack. Surprisingly, this one was my favorite. Made with layers upon layers of onions dehydrated flat and seasoned with tamari, smoked salt, and cumin, they really won me over.

Lastly, I tried the Teriyaki Greens. I wasn't a big fan of this one. I just didn't like the overwhelming coconut taste as it was really overbearing. Made with collard greens, kale, coconut, sesame seeds, tamari, carrots, coconut palm sugar, chia seeds, apple cider vinegar, ginger, lemon juice, and garlic, again it is all good stuff. I'm just not a huge fan of the overbearing coconut flavor.

What I really liked about these snacks was all the nutritional information on the back. Each bag shows why the ingredients inside are healthy and which vitamins they naturally contain. It makes you feel good about snacking. These would also make great toppings for salads or soups. I could imagine putting the dried sweet onions in a variety of dishes.

Each two-ounce bag sells for $5.99 on Amazon here.  I'd be willing to bet that if you decide to try these veggies, you will look more Alive & Radiant.  How's that for cheesy?!

Full Disclosure: Although the products were provided to me for free to review, that in no way influenced my veracious opinion. 

Treeline Soft French-Style Nut Cheese

Umami -- it is that pleasant savory taste that people have struggled to describe for thousands of years. The fifth taste, as it is known, is often present in fermented foods and it is what makes Treeline cheese so amazing. You will know it as soon as you taste this new cashew-based vegan cheese.

Treeline cheese is being produced by The Gardener Cheese Company in Kingston, NY and is the first soft vegan French-style nut cheese to hit the market. In the same way that Daiya changed the definition of vegan shredded cheese and Dr. Cow redefined hard vegan cheese, Treeline will go down in history for producing the first amazingly delicious soft vegan cheese.

Treeline soft cheese comes in two flavors -- Herb-Garlic and Scallion. Although the manufacturing process is proprietary, I can share that the cheese is made by culturing cashews in the same way that dairy cheese is made. It is produced in a dedicated, all vegan facility in a blighted but recovering part of downtown Kingston, NY.  And so far, everyone working for the company is vegan.

Who is behind this?  That's what I was wondering.  His name is Michael Schwarz and he is a former intellectual property lawyer. He started Treeline because he feels that providing alternatives to dairy products is an essential element of the animal rights cause. He feels it isn't enough to tell people they shouldn't consume dairy. The animal rights movement has to provide them with an alternative that tastes good. His animal rights views have their origin in South Africa.  He grew up in the apartheid era.  His parents were active in anti-apartheid politics and instilled in him the belief that he didn't have to go along with things that were wrong.  When you see an injustice, you have to do something about it. The way that animal-based foods are produced is unjust, just as apartheid was unjust.

And so Treeline cheese was born. I first tried the Herb-Garlic flavor on a baguette. It's soft texture coupled with the umami flavor just explodes in your mouth and makes you want more. This is the perfect cheese to pair with a glass of wine.

Then I tried the Scallion flavor on Carr's crackers. The herbs are subtle, but tasty, and again, the texture is absolutely perfect. The Carr's crackers are great with this cheese because they really let the flavor shine through.

I also tried it on a baguette topped with strawberry rhubarb jam. Magnifique!

But, by far, the best way I tried the cheese was on toasted sprouted wheat bread with heirloom tomatoes. The cheese and tomatoes complemented each other so well. It was scrumptious. I'll post that recipe soon.

But, the most fun I had this week was bringing that cheese to a potluck full of non-vegans and watching their reaction to eating cashew cheese. They loved it! One guy said that dairy cheese doesn't really taste like anything, but this -- with it's subtle herb taste is great. He wanted to know where he could get some for himself. Win!

So what is in the cheese? The Herb-Garlic is made of cashew nuts, filtered water, acidophilus, dried scallions, sea salt, lemon juice, white pepper, garlic and onion powders, dried parsley, basil, and oregano. The Scallion flavor is made of cashew nuts, filtered water, acidophilus, dried scallions, sea salt, onion powder, and lemon juice. So they are quite similar.

Treeline is working hard on their distribution and will be in stores near you soon. In Maryland, they will be carried at all MOM's markets. In DC, they can be found at Rodman's. They retail for around $7.99 per package.

In other news, their hard cheeses in cracked pepper and classic smoky flavors will be in stores later this year as well. I had the pleasure of trying the hard cheeses too and let's just say that they were darned good. Look for a review of those cheeses in the near future.

For now, get ready to try one of the finest vegan cheeses yet. For those who say they can't go vegan because they like cheese too much, well, now you can because you'll love this cheese even more and with no cholesterol, it'll be the solution for people who want to have their cheese and eat it too.

Full Disclosure: Although the products were provided to me for free to review, that in no way influenced my veracious opinion. 

Mary's Gone Crackers - New Flavors

If there is one universal truth in the natural foods world, it is that Mary's Gone Crackers are delicious. In the years that I have been blogging, I have yet to find anyone who doesn't like Mary's crackers. The funny thing is that most of the people I know aren't even strictly gluten-free -- they just like good crackers.

Mary's Gone Crackers has been going strong for so long that I feel like they need no introduction, but for those of you who have never heard of them, they are a gluten-free, wheat free, vegan company who makes cookies, crackers, pretzels, and crumbs (like bread crumbs, but made of crackers). Their crackers are crispy and full of flavor and now they've come out with two new flavors -- Hot 'n Spicy Jalapeno and Super Seed.

I don't know if it is just because they are new, but I like these two flavors better than all their others. The Jalapeno flavor has a little spicy kick that goes awesome with a neutral spread like a classic hummus.

The Super Seed though is where Mary's really shines. In each thin, crispy cracker you can see the layers of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds.  It is seed-alicious!  Other ingredients include short grain brown rice, quinoa, salt, seaweed, pepper, and herbs. That's it! They are so good for you that it makes it hard to believe they can taste so great!

Another thing I love about Mary's is that they are certified Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified. Their motto is "conscious eating" and they even go farther to state "to heal humanity and the planet by inspiring conscious eating." Mary's - we love you.

To try them for yourself, look for them in a Whole Foods near you or order them here. For $4.99  per box, they aren't cheap, but definitely worth it. I'm happy to say that I'm crackers for Mary's Gone Crackers.

Full Disclosure: Although the products were provided to me for free to review, that in no way influenced my veracious opinion. 

Amella - Vegan Caramels

One of my favorite things in this world are caramels. But not just caramel sauce -- my favorite is the chocolate-covered caramel. So far, only a few vegan versions of this confection have satisfied my tastebuds and now I'll add Amella Caramels to that list.

Amella is not your typical all-vegan caramel company. They are a company specializing in caramels and have just come out with a vegan caramel, which is all the better as I know they truly know their caramels.  Take a bite into one of these caramels and your tastebuds will light up from pure enjoyment.  Made with organic coconut milk and organic raw blue agave nectar, this caramel is as buttery as any great caramel you've ever had.

But they didn't stop there -- they enrobed it in organic dark 66% chocolate and topped it with sel gris, a sea salt from France, to make one of the most decadent caramels ever satisfying both your sweet and salty cravings. The caramel is soft, yet buttery and the chocolate is smooth, yet oh so rich. They say the secret ingredient is the pure cocoa butter. No matter what it is, they truly have perfected this caramel.

And with no refined sugars or preservatives, it is as good-for-you as a chocolate-covered caramel could be. These caramels are certified vegan, gluten-free, and Kosher as well as Non-GMO Project Verified. They are sold in 2-piece grab & go packs or 6-piece boxes. Online, two 6-piece boxes sell for $25 with no shipping charges. Trust me, you'll want to get your hands (or your mouth) on one of these caramels soon. Yum!

Full Disclosure: Although the products were provided to me for free to review, that in no way influenced my veracious opinion. 

Hilary's Eat Well - New Hemp & Greens Burger

When Hilary's Eat Well first went to market, I was one of the first ones to receive samples of their veggie and adzuki bean burgers.  I wrote about them here as I was so excited that such healthy, great-tasting burgers were soon-to-be widely available.  So when they told me they had a new burger on the market made with hemp and greens, I nearly rejoiced.

Made with pure ingredients including millet, dark leafy greens like arugula and dandelion greens, hemp seeds, parsley, and thyme, this burger has the same great taste as the other flavors with greens and hemp mixed in. The Hilary's burgers all have a crusty outside and a chewy inside, which makes for a great texture.  And they don't taste like meat -- they taste like veggies made into a veggie burger and those are my favorite veggie burgers of all.

I also like that you can prepare them many different ways including in a toaster!  They offer instructions on grilling, oven, and pan preparation as well. I prepared each patty in my grill pan on the stovetop and served it on a whole wheat bun with vegan mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and jalapenos.

All of Hilary's burgers are certified gluten-free and vegan and Non-GMO Project Verified. The new Hemp & Greens burger is available in health food stores nationwide as well as Whole Foods.  They come in packages of two and retail for $3.99.  Now, I'm going to have another burger paired with a fresh gazpacho. Yum!

Full Disclosure: Although the products were provided to me for free to review, that in no way influences my veracious opinion.