WOOF WATER…
From the “now we’ve seen it all” file, comes bottled water for…wait for it…your dog. Now, we’re all for pampering your precious pooch, but this is just sick. Pouring more plastic bottles into the landfills to make a buck off this kind of a gimmick? Seriously?! The idea is that some dogs don’t like chlorinated water, but, come on, can a dog really tell the difference between spring and tap water…and then refuse tap water? My dog drinks out of puddles in the street when I’m not looking! Now, maybe if the water came out of the toilet…
SAUCED…
We don’t typically write about food, but for some reason, we recently got to sample some amazing, natural, unusual sauces that have us all fired up! So we’re sharing. Check these out, especially with Labor Day BBQ’s coming up! These sauces from Vivi’s Original Sauce and Wholemato will work perfectly atop those buffalo burgers, vege burgers and tofu hot dogs (or traditional meats), as well as in dips and side dishes. Plus, we’ve got some delicious recipes for you!
VIVI-LICIOUS!
How often do you hear stories about a family recipe passed down from generation to generation… Sometimes it’s good…sometimes not so much. But Vivi’s Original Sauce family of Carnival Mustards, passed down from her grandmother and enhanced by Vivi, doesn’t taste like your garden variety mustard. Hard to describe, but suffice it to say that it’s just so much better! This sauce made its name back in the day, traveling to fairs and carnivals all over the heartland of America and drew a crowd everywhere it went.
Available in three flavors, Classic, Roasted Grandstand Garlic and Sizzlin’ Chipotle (so spicy!), it’s all natural with no preservatives or additives, fat free, dairy free, wheat gluten free and only 15 calories per tablespoon! Lovin’ it! We used it as a dip, condiment on vege burgers and a marinade for fish. So yummy! And, by all means, check out Vivi’s recipes. Below is one of our favorites. Get it at Whole Foods Market or go for the sampler to try all three for $15 at www.vivisoriginalsauce.com.
VIVI’S HOT CREAM CHEESE & GARLIC CRAB DIP
1 – 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 – 8 oz. container sour cream
2 – 6 oz. cans crabmeat drained (chunk style is best) or 12 oz. fresh chunk
crabmeat
2 Tbsp. “Vivi’s Roasted Grandstand Garlic” (we added more!)
1 bag baked tortilla chips
(optional: ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese)
Directions:
1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, and
Vivi’s Garlic sauce. Mix well.
2. Add crabmeat and fold into mixture.
3. Smooth mixture into a small baking pan (sprinkle with cheese if
desired).
4. Bake at 400 F for about 20 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and serve with chips and enjoy!
Note: We also loved this dip unbaked without the cheese.
WHOLEY-MATO!
When we first heard about this ketchup, our reaction was… Seriously?!. But, after trying Wholemato’s Organic Agave Ketchups, we changed our tune. The ketchups are sweetened with organic agave nectar, rather than corn syrup used in most ketchups. As a result, it has an incredibly low glycemic index of only 7, making it suitable for diabetics. And, did we mention it’s really good…nice and thick. It comes in two flavors, original and spicy. We’re partial to the spicy version, which packs a good punch! Available for about $5 at Whole Foods Markets. To learn more, visit www.wholemato.com.
WHOLEMATO CHILI
8 oz. Tempeh or 16 oz. of a ground protein of your choice
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Half of a large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 – 8 oz. can organic tomato sauce
½ Cup Wholemato™ Organic Agave ketchup
½ Cup water
½ Cup vegetable broth (you can use all water if you prefer)
1 tsp. smoked paprika
½ tsp. ground cumin
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (or to taste)
Sea salt to taste
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
1 can black beans (or any other bean preferred) drained and rinsed
In a deep sided braising skillet or 2 ½ quart saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add Protein and sauté over medium high heat until it begins to brown nicely. Add diced onions and cook for 5 minutes (being careful not to let brown). Next add the garlic and stir together for a few minutes. Add the next 10 ingredients, bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Add more broth or water if needed. Finally, add the drained and rinsed beans and cook another 10 minutes to allow all the flavors to mix.
If desired, garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and/or hot peppers.
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