Trader Joe's

The first Trader Joe's in Florida opened here a little while back. Until yesterday, I had only stopped in very quickly for a specific item, checked out, and left. Yesterday, I finally took the time to wander up and down the aisles and check things out.

A few things I was happy to find:

Raw cashew pieces, $3.49 each (8 oz). That makes them $7/lb, which is less than what I have been purchasing them for in the bulk food bins at my local health food store- usually between $7.50-$8.50/lb.

I buy the pieces because I'm just going to soak and/or blend them, anyway. To compare- whole raw cashews are $15/lb in the bulk food bins at Whole Foods right now. Probably similar at the other health food stores. Why pay twice the price for something you are going to chop up anyway?

I also bought some roasted cashews, just for snacking. I thought it was great that the TJ's brand uses rice bran oil, rather than peanut, or sunflower/safflower, which is what one usually finds in roasted nuts.

My other exciting find is powdered sugar- with tapioca starch instead of corn starch! Yeah! This was $2.99/lb. I cannot recall the price of organic powdered sugar at Whole Foods, which is the only other place I've ever found powdered sugar without cornstarch. Good thing 16oz of powdered sugar lasts me a year : )

I noticed some good deals on organic produce- I purchased 5lbs of oranges for $3.49, but did not purchase any other produce, since I hope to make it to the Farmer's Market tomorrow.

Also worth mentioning- there were quite a few all-natural dog treats- chicken strips, etc- MADE IN THE USA for a very reasonable price. Bailey is pretty well stocked from Christmas, but I will try to remember Trader Joe's for doggie treats in the future.

Trader Joe's is coming!

Sad news:
Our local Border's Books & Music went out of business earlier this year

Good news: 
Trader Joe's is moving in to that spot!

I've been watching the progress since I first spotted the "Coming Soon: Trader Joe's" sign in front of the building.

Now look:

I peeked in the window; there are still a bunch of boxes and equipment inside of what is otherwise a big empty building- but it's moving right along. The parking lot is full of work trucks every time I drive by. I heard a rumor the store is to open early 2012- but no official news yet.

This will be the first Trader Joe's in Florida. Pretty cool! I was first introduced to Trader Joe's in Maryland, and loved it. I happened to be living in Atlanta when the first one came to that area, which was fun to anticipate (I think it was the first in Georgia). Now the Atlanta Metro area has four or five, I believe.

Maybe TJ's is following me? I know all the cool places to live, haha ; )

I would expect that if Trader Joe's does well in Naples, they would open stores in Sarasota, Tampa, Miami, etc., once they figure out their distribution system for Florida.

I actually think they'd do very well in Gainesville. Great food, low prices, fun vibe; I can totally see a TJ's in a college town. But I guess they would probably start with larger cities first.

More:
Trader Joe’s grocery store coming to Naples
Trader Joe's Florida Facebook page (unofficial)

Eat Real Food

I love this poster.

Allergy-friendly Candy Apples

This recipe is linked to Wellness Weekends and Allergy-Friendly Fridays. 

Be sure to visit those pages for more yummy Halloween treats!

Hi everyone! I meant to post this recipe last week. I was traveling, and I thought I'd done well in planning ahead to write this post on the road. I made the apples early, took photos, loaded all of the photos onto my laptop, and edited photos while on the plane. Perfect! Now I just had to add the recipes and upload to the blog...

Guess what I forgot at home???

Yup. The recipes.

Oops!

But now I'm back, and here you go...

Here are recipes for THREE versions of candy apples. No gluten, corn, soy, dairy, or refined sugar. Bonus: they are RAW vegan! Yes, raw vegan treats for Fall : ) Who needs Halloween candy? These taste MUCH better- and they are better for you.

As I was thinking about writing this post, I came across some pre-made candy apples in Publix (our local grocery store).

Here are the ingredients: 

Obviously these are not an option for anyone with a corn allergy, or kids who may be sensitive to artificial flavors or dyes.

There were also caramel apples: 

Ingredients: 

Corn syrup, refined sugar, dairy PLUS sugar, soy, more dairy (can you really call dipotassium phosphate "milk"?), more soy, even MORE soy, something unpronounceable, imitation vanilla- really, there is not any FOOD in here, except for the apples. And it contains three of the eight major allergens.

How about the chocolate turtle apples?

Ingredients:

Yeah. More of the same. 

So, now that you are convinced you probably do not want to feed this commercial, pre-packaged "food-like substance" to your family... here is an easy & healthy alternative.

I started with the biggest, prettiest Fuji apples I could find. You can use any variety of apple you like.

Note: next time I would choose the smallest apples I can find, not the largest. I was dazzled by the beautiful large apples in the store. But as I was making the apples, they were really too big and heavy, and they were much too big to eat. Each of these apples was enough for 2-4 people. Too big. But they were pretty : ) 

A smaller apple would be easier to handle (especially for kids) and it would also give you a better candy-coating-to-apple ratio.

OK, on to the recipes. I experimented with caramel, chocolate, and white chocolate apples. 

I used the "I Am the Best" Caramel Sauce recipe from Cafe Gratitude's I am Grateful (un)cookbook

Raw Vegan Caramel Apples

Ingredients

Apples

Lollipop or popsicle sticks

Caramel

1 cup macadamia nuts

1/2 teaspoon himalayan salt

1/4 cup raw almond milk

1/2 cup raw agave nectar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla powder

1/2-1 teaspoon yacon syrup

Method

Place all ingredients apart from the yacon syrup in high speed blender. Pulse or start on low and gradually increase the speed until you have achieved a smooth texture (you may need to add a little more almond milk).

Now blend in 1/2 teaspoon yacon syrup, slowly. Taste and add a little more yacon syrup if you like. Note: if you add too much yacon syrup, the color will change from golden to green!

Note: I added about 2 Tbsp melted raw cacao butter to this recipe in the hope that it would harden on the apple once it cooled. It did not harden as I'd hoped, and I also thought it changed the taste (it was still good, but it was much better without). I did not try it, but I think adding 1 Tbsp coconut butter to the recipe might have the "hardening" effect I was going for. So you might try that if you are feeling adventuresome. If you try it, I'd love to hear how it works out.

Insert a popsicle or lollipop stick and dip apples in caramel:

Sit on plate or bowl. This is where I'd hoped it would harden, but it never did (it was still yummy though)

Some of the caramel slid off, and I wound up with a thin coating of caramel, something like this:

Roll apple in topping of your choice, if desired. I used a coconut and pecan mixture left over from another recipe:

Next up: Chocolate apples. The chocolate part of this recipe is from Sarma's Living Raw Food (un)cookbook.

Raw Vegan Chocolate Apples

Ingredients
Apples
Lollipop or popsicle sticks

Chocolate coating
1 1/4 cups coconut oil, warmed to liquify
3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons raw cacao powder
3 1/2 Tablespoons maple syrup
Pinch of sea salt

Blend all chocolate ingredients until smooth and fully emulsified.

Dip apples in chocolate. Roll in topping, if desired. I used chopped almonds. This topping will harden even faster if you put it in the fridge.

Last one: White chocolate apples!

White Chocolate Candy Apples

Ingredients

Apples

Lollipop or popsicle sticks

White Chocolate (recipe from Lisa at Vegan Culinary Crusade)

1/2 cup melted raw cacao butter (place it in a bowl of hot water until it becomes liquid)
1 tsp vanilla bean (extract or powder)
1/4 cup raw agave syrup (if you keep it in the fridge give it some time on the counter to warm up so it won't cause the cacao butter to solidify too quickly).

Method
Stir everything together in a bowl.
Dip apples in white chocolate coating. Let cool to harden. It is OK to put in fridge, but do not put in freezer. The white chocolate coating is ok in the freezer, but frozen apples thaw out to be mush.
Note: I did not try it, but I think adding 1Tbsp coconut oil to this recipe would make a nice smooth coating that hardens. Let me know if you try that and how it turns out!

Enjoy your healthy, allergy-friendly candy apples! 

I'd love to hear which one you choose, and how it turns out.

Gluten Free Vegan Carrot Cake Pancakes

This recipe is linked to Wellness Weekends and Allergy Friendly Friday- be sure to check those sites to find more healthy & allergy-friendly recipes!

Gluten Free Vegan Carrot Cake Pancakes

Makes approximately 12 small pancakes

Ingredients

1 cup gluten free flour mix

1/2 tsp guar gum

1 tsp allergy-safe baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp vanilla powder

3 T grapeseed oil (I think you could get away with 2T)

3 T organic brown sugar*

Enough liquid to make a batter (approximately 1- 1 1/2 cup)

Approximately 1/8 tsp fresh grated ginger
Approximately 1 1/2 cups grated carrot
Approximately 1/4 cup zante currants

Method
Optional: Preheat oven to 200F to keep pancakes warm while making the rest of the pancakes
Mix flour, guar gum, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, sea salt and vanilla powder.
Add brown sugar, oil, and your chosen liquid. I used seltzer water. I like to use seltzer water because the bubbles add extra lift and lightness- but any liquid will do. You can use non-dairy milk or fruit juice.
Fold carrots, ginger, and currants into batter. Batter will be thick.
Ladle 1/4 cup batter onto hot griddle. When bubbles start to form, flip pancake.
Keep pancakes warm in a 200 degree F oven while making the rest of the pancakes.

*Sugar-free option: if you use fruit juice as your liquid (apple or white grape would work nicely) you probably won't need any additional sweetener. If you use water as your liquid, you could still try omitting the sugar, or you might use agave nectar, or stevia. You might also experiment with palm sugar, coconut sugar, date sugar, or maple syrup- although those are still sugars. <-- Those options are alternatives to cane sugar, not sugar-free or candida-friendly options.

I topped mine with the following- it was on a whim, and I didn't measure anything, so adjust to your taste.

Raw Vegan Cream Cheese Topping

Ingredients
Soaked raw cashews (Ideally soak 4 hours, but I just put some cashews in a bowl to soak while I was making the pancakes)
Raw agave nectar
Splash of lemon juice
Pinch of sea salt

Method
Blend in high speed blender. Adjust to taste.

Enjoy!

How to make your own gluten free onion rings

I know how it feels. The doctor says... no gluten. No gluten??? You mean I have to give up everything I've ever known and every food I've ever loved? That's how the diagnosis feels at first. But, take heart. I'm convinced there is not a traditional food you can't make gluten free.

One of my favorite foods used to be onion rings. I didn't eat them often, but it was a treat to get them once or twice a year at a place like the Varsity, or a local festival. When I was diagnosed with multiple food allergies, I thought I'd never eat an onion ring again. Until, one day, I decided to make them myself. I've tried a couple of methods now, and the recipe below is a true winner. You will not know the difference between these onion rings and their traditional counterparts.

This recipe is not complicated, but it is labor-intensive, so make these on a day when you have a lot of energy and stamina. It's also good to make them on a day when you can open the doors and windows, because the process will make your kitchen smell like frying oil and onion rings. Tip: I use the fryer under the range hood with the exhaust fan on high to help the smell factor. Also, the stove top is heat-resistant, so it is a good place to put the fryer. The smooth stovetop is also easy to clean up after frying (some spatter is inevitable).

Finally, I would highly recommend watching Alton Brown's Good Eats episode on onion rings. He uses leeks (I can't wait to try that) and his how-to demonstration of the whole process is very useful.

The best gluten free onion rings

Ingredients

• Sweet onion, such as Vidalia
• White rice flour
• Your favorite gluten free flour mix (I used this one)
• Sea salt
• Ground black pepper
• Eggs, beaten
• Any high-temperature cooking oil that you tolerate

*there is no exact amount for any of these ingredients. Use as many onions as you want. Use as much flour & egg as you need to coat your onion rings. Use as much salt and pepper as you like for your taste. Use enough oil to fry your onion rings. That's it. Super easy!

Method
To prepare:
Slice onions using a knife or mandolin. You can make them as thick or as thin as you like, but it helps to keep them a consistent size, so they cook evenly.

Set up your onion ring assembly line:
     Step one: plain white rice flour (just put some on a plate)
     Step two: egg wash (just stir a couple of eggs in a bowl)
     Step three: GF flour blend + sea salt and black pepper to taste (again, just put some flour on a plate, add some salt and pepper, and mix it all up with a fork)

Coat your sliced onions in each of the above coatings (in order). Repeat until all onions are coated. (Watch Alton Brown's video mentioned above for the perfect way to do this)

To cook:
Next, set up your frying station:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
Preheat oil in fryer to 400 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with a paper towel to absorb any oil from the onion rings. You can also put a cooling rack in your baking sheet to keep the onion rings up above the paper towel and not get soggy from sitting on the paper towel.

 

*Note: if you are frying at the correct temperature, you shouldn't wind up with greasy food. The temperature of the oil needs to be hot enough to quickly cook the outside and steam the inside before the oil is absorbed by the food. It is a bit of an art to get the temperature and timing just right. A thermometer is very helpful. You will be amazed how much your oil temperature changes as you cook food. This is all very new to me, but totally fascinating. Click here for more information about why frying at the right temperature won't cause your food to be greasy.

Place coated onion rings in fry basket. Do not overload your fry basket. Fry small batches at a time for the best results. If you put too many in there, it will take too long for them to cook. They will stay in the oil longer than necessary, and you will get greasy onion rings. Or they might stick to each other, or cook unevenly. You will get the best results with small batches, about like this:

before frying

The time it takes to fry your onion rings will vary, depending on how thick they are cut, how much coating, etc. Mine took 2-3 minutes to fry, then 1 minute in the basket (but out of the oil) to drain. Then empty the basket onto the cooling rack/cookie sheet.

frying

draining

cookie sheet

Put the entire cookie sheet with the onion rings in the 200 degree oven to keep onion rings crisp and warm while frying the rest of the batch.

Repeat until all rings are cooked, and enjoy right away! They are best right out of the fryer & oven. If you have extra, you can freeze, and reheat in the oven or toaster oven to make them crispy again.

Final note: Do NOT pour used cooking oil down the drain. You will ruin your drain. Click here for how to dispose of used cooking oil. Click here for more information on recycling cooking oil.

Enjoy!