Monday, January 7, 2019

Healthy Snacks Are Possible with Plant-Based Junk Food

best vegan snacks and plant-based junk food

Vegans are sometimes stereotyped as health-obsessed weirdos eating salads that look as appetizing as grass. However, that is far from the reality. Giving up junk food isn’t possible for some vegans, and others just don’t want to! Luckily, plant-based junk foods are more widely available and in-demand than ever. And it’s not just vegans who are enjoying the tasty snacks. Munching on plant-based junk food can take a little of the guilt out of your favorite guilty pleasures. From “cheese puffs” made of beets to gummies made with fruit juices, vegan junk food can be healthier, and it’s often every bit as delicious.

Beanfields Cheesy Nacho Chips, 24 bags for $27.70 on Amazon

vegan gluten-free chips, Beanfields nacho

Beanfields/Amazon

If you love Doritos nacho cheese tortilla chips, you’ll love Beanfields cheesy nacho chips. They’re the perfect plant-based replacement with a similar taste, shape, and texture! They have the cheesy taste you may crave, yet these chips are dairy-free. Beanfields chips also have four grams of protein and fiber per serving, giving them a healthy punch while satiating the need for a tasty, crunchy snack.See It

Go Max Go Candy Bars, $2.49 each at Vegan Essentials

If you are trying to go vegan but have a weakness for grabbing a candy bar every time you check out at the grocery store, you are going to love Go Max Go candy bars. Go Max Go Foods has a full line of candy bars that were created to replace the most popular non-vegan candy bars. They’re also made without corn syrup, artificial ingredients, or hydrogenated oils. Since they don’t have any animal byproducts, they’re naturally free of cholesterol, too. The whole line is delectable. If you like Butterfingers, try their Thumbs Up candy bar. If you like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, try Cleo’s for a satisfying replacement. (It’s even available in white chocolate if you prefer that variety.) I can’t tell the difference between Nestle’s Crunch bars and Go Max Go’s Snap! bars. Jokerz candy bars easily replace Snickers, and their Mahalo is a great replacement for Almond Joy. 2-Fer replaces Twix, while Buccaneer is a great alternative to Three Musketeers candy bars.See It

No Whey! Choco No No’s, 3 packs for $9.95 on Amazon

No Whey Choco No Nos allergy friendly vegan candy

No Whey!/Facebook

No Whey! Foods is another brand that is leading the way in vegan milk chocolate. Their Choco No No’s are the perfect replacement for the M&M’s of your childhood. These little candies are great for a quick snack. The non-dairy chocolate of each bite-sized piece is covered in a colorful, crunchy candy shell. They are also all-natural and are free of several common allergens. They’re nut-free, gluten-free, and wheat-free.See It

Vegan Rob’s Beet Puffs, 12 bags for $23.75 on Amazon

vegan snacks: Vegan Rob's Beet Puffs

Vegan Rob’s/Amazon

We need to talk about Vegan Rob’s Beet Puffs. If you’re like many people, beets don’t exactly come to mind first when you think of a mouthwatering food, but you may want to think again when you try these. They have the crunch and consistency of traditional cheese puffs. Vegan Rob’s also makes the “puffs” in other flavors, including Dairy-Free Cheddar Puffs, Brussel Sprout Puffs, Jackfruit Puffs, and Moringa Puffs.See It

Earth Balance Vegan Cheddar Squares, 2 boxes for $13.59 on Amazon

vegan snacks: Earth Balance cheesy crackers

Earth Balance/Facebook

Cheez-It baked snack crackers are often missed by vegans, but they don’t have to pine for them any longer. Earth Balance Vegan Cheddar Squares are not only shaped just liked Cheez-It snack crackers, but they are even tastier. Their cheesy flavor is meant to be savored, and they are free of trans fats, dairy, and GMOs.See It

Dandies Marshmallows, $3.99 at Thrive Market

Dandies Marshmallows vegan marshmallows

Dandies Marshmallows/Facebook

Vegan marshmallows! They’re a must for any plant-based junk food lover. One of the pioneers of vegan marshmallow-making was Sara Sohn, who brought delicious vegan marshmallows to the world for fourteen years with Sweet & Sara. The shop sadly closed in 2017, but vegan marshmallows are still in high demand. A few options are available. Chicago Vegan Foods are the makers of Dandies All Natural Marshmallows. These delicious vegan marshmallows have an identical taste and texture to traditional marshmallows. If you want to throw some in your hot chocolate, they offer mini marshmallows, too.See It

Sjaak’s Organic Bite Size Chocolates, $0.75/piece at Sjaak’s Organic Chocolates

Sjaak's organic vegan chocolates

Sjaak’s Organic Chocolates

Sjaak’s has a delicious vegan “melk” chocolate that is dairy-free and every bit as yummy as the kind made with milk. Their bite-size treats are great for those who love having just a small fix of chocolate. Their caramel melk chocolate bites will replace a former love of milk chocolate kisses. Their hearts of cherry bites, almond butter bites, and hazelnut bliss bites are all terrific too.See It

Accidentally Vegan Snacks

Finally, plant-based junk food can also be found in any grocery store. For example, Oreo cookies are surprisingly vegan. Some Duncan Hines cake mixes and premade icings are vegan. Ritz Crackers, Krispy Kreme fruit pies, Lay’s barbecue potato chips, and Nutter Butters are all vegan. If you want to hit the drive-thru for a snack, Taco Bell’s cinnamon twists are vegan, and many of their menu items can be veganized.

The Good Grocer Healthy Vegan Snacks Care Package, $37.95 on Amazon

This box is bursting with plant-based, non-GMO snacks both sweet and savory, and is a great taste of all that's out there.
See It

Related Video: 4 Easy Ways to Start Going More Plant-Based

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Oooh, yes! This Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is the best of all possible worlds! This riff on classic Banana Bread is so good, the whole loaf will be gone before you know it.

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Sunday, January 6, 2019

How to Cook with Gold Leaf

Seeing as everything else this time of year is all glistening and sparkly—the ornaments on the tree, the lights lining the homes outside, the party outfits—why shouldn’t what’s coming out of your kitchen be equally blinged out? Your go-to tool for this task is clear: edible gold.

For the uninitiated, let’s go through the FAQs real quick. Yes, edible gold is actually made out of real gold, and yes, you can really eat it. (Gold is a non-digestible metal, so it simply passes through our digestive system when consumed.) That being said, seeing as you’re going to literally be putting it into your body, this is not time to mess with the cheap, low-karat stuff that still contains some impurities. Quality leaf in the 20 to 24-karat range is what you’re looking for, and can easily be found in specialty cooking and baking shops (as well as online, obviously, like just about anything else you could possibly want).

24-Karat Edible Gold Leaf, 10 sheets for $18 on Etsy

Bring a little bling to your plate.
See It

As far as form and function are concerned, the popular dessert decoration is most commonly available as either pre-fab flakes or in sheet leaf format. The latter is ideal for larger projects requiring a lot of coverage (aka cakes), or, generally speaking, anytime you want more control over the shape and size of the gold design. Just remember you’ll need a paintbrush handy for application purposes, as well as all the patience you can muster. Expect ripping, wrinkling, general unruliness, and likely unavoidability of settling on a “rustic” free-form look. And whatever you do, avoid directly touching the stuff as much as possible for obvious reasons.

Now, if you’re still up for the challenge, go for the gold with these inspired gold leaf-decorated recipes.

Chocolate, Earl Grey, and Raspberry Macarons

A Parisian Journey

Didn’t think the classic French macaron could get any more precious? Take a look at this gold leaf-flecked rendition filled with raspberry compote and Earl Grey ganache. (Or, you could take the semi-homemade, shortcut route—no judgement—and head-to-toe trim the ones you bought from the boutique bakery in the glitzy gold stuff.) Get the Chocolate, Earl Grey, and Raspberry Macarons recipe.

24-Karat Saffron Poached Pears

Sprinkle Bakes

Spiced wine-poached pears are lovely; a classic, even. But vanilla-saffron syrup poached pears drizzled with chocolate sauce and garnished with gold leaf? That’s the stuff of epic dinner party legend. Get the 24-Karat Saffron Poached Pears recipe.

Gilded Chocolate Truffles

Bibby’s Kitchen at 36

If you’ve ever made chocolate truffles before, you know that the best thing about them (aside from getting to gobble them up with abandon, of course) is how easy they are to make compared to how impressive they look and taste. Still, if you want to up the ante for this year’s holiday party, consider making this variation that is not only gilded with gold leaf but also spiked with a decadent South African cream liqueur. Get the Gilded Chocolate Truffles recipe.

Chocolate Truffle Tart

Sugar and Soul Co.

That being said, if you prefer your your gold-bedazzled chocolate truffle in full plated dessert format, there’s always this elegant tart to fall back on. And you can thank the pre-made tart shell for keeping this decadent, glittering looker low-maintenance. Get the Chocolate Truffle Tart recipe.

Gold Leaf Marshmallows

Make and Tell

Those mini marshmallows you can buy at the store are cute, but if you really want to crush the holiday season, you’ll whip up a batch of these gold-flecked mallows to accompany your hot cocoa. Get the Gold Leaf Marshmallows recipe.

Saffron Risotto with Gold Leaf

Leave it to the Milanese to turn the volume on the way up on a simple, classic rice dish. The signature creation of Italian chef Gualtiero Marchesi, the opulent entree goes for gold on gold by garnishing saffron risotto with a sheet of gold leaf. Get the Saffron Risotto with Gold Leaf recipe.

Champagne Jello Shots

Sugar and Cloth

Well, would you look at that: The Jell-O shot has gone and graduated from the college party scene. Inspired by the flavors of a French 75 cocktail, this version of the the frat house favorite keeps it extra classy with a dusted gold leaf garnish. But don’t let the makeover fool you, these sparkly shots will get you into just as much trouble as they used to back in the day. Get the Champagne Jello Shots recipe.

The Golden Ladder

SF Girl by the Bay

The stiff, frothy cap of this bourbon-and-fig egg white cocktail is the perfect vessel for a dazzling gold leaf dust garnish. Get the The Golden Ladder recipe.

Note: This post was originally published on December 24, 2017 and was updated on January 6, 2019 with new links, text, and images.

Related Video: Here’s What the Stars Are Eating at the Golden Globes This Year

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Pressure Cooker Pot Roast with Balsamic and Rosemary

Pressure Cooker Pot Roast shaves some time off oven-cooked and slow cooker methods. You can also cook the veggies right in the pot, making it an easy one-pot meal.

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Saturday, January 5, 2019

Is Low-Dosage, Low-Sugar Wine the Answer to Your Diet Dreams?

Cincinnati Chili

Authentic Cincinnati Chili is a meaty, rich, and uniquely spiced chili from (you guessed it!) Cincinnati, Ohio. It's served over hot spaghetti with your choice of toppings. Don’t forget the cheese and oyster crackers!

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Simply Recipes 2019 Meal Plan: January Week 2

Here's your meal plan for the second week of January! Here's what we have lined up this week: Sheet Pan Harissa Chicken, Hungarian Goulash, Mediterranean Chickpea Bowls, and more great recipes!

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