It’s been a long time since I created a favorites list, but there are so many new things in my kitchen, that it seemed appropriate to start this fun blog tradition again!
To be honest, only a few of these items are the list are really ‘new’ to me, but I’ve been a little bit obsessed with all of them lately, and here’s why I think you should be too! Also, I need to get this list out since I’m going to be at the San Francisco Green Festival later this week, so there will be so many new favorites to write about!
1. Cacao Nibs
Cacao nibs, the broken up bits of whole cacao beans, are what chocolate is before it becomes chocolate chips or chocolate bars. The cacao seed/bean is dried, fermented, then roasted, and then the whole beans are crushed, resulting in a small, nutty, and mega yummy topping for ice cream, granola, or used in baked goods. I have made a habit of these on my daily chia seed pudding breakfast bowl, using fruits and coconut for extra fatty, wholesome awesomeness. Nibs contain theobromine, the buzz-worthy component of chocolate, so don’t eat too many before bedtime! Cacao is also really high in magnesium, along with iron and fiber, so it’s officially, like a health food.
2. Miyoko’s Vegan Cheeses
My friend Alyona introduced me to these vegan cheese alternative, and I swear, it was love at first bite. Miyoko makes her cheeses from a few simple ingredients (mostly cashews and chickpea miso), then ferments them for weeks in her California facility. The resulting taste and texture would convince any omnivore to ditch the dairy. I like the Chive flavor and the Smoked Farmhouse, but they are all amazing.
3. Bright Earth Raw Chocolate Bar
These chocolates are so insanely good. Rich chocolate flavor, sweetened only with honey. They contain a range of other awesome ingredients like maca, lucuma, vanilla and cordyceps mushrooms.
4. Sir Kensingtons’s Chipotle Fabinaise
My friend Becky (our fabulous food editor at Eat Drink Better) outed me for my love of this awesome vegan mayonnaise, even though I am an avowed mayo-hater. Aquafaba, the water leftover from cooking chickpeas or other beans, is a magic egg replacer, and Sir Kensington’s partnered with a hummus production company to use their water for this incredible product. I do wish it was certified organic, but it is Non-GMO verified, which is awesome.
5. Vegan Bulletproof Coffee
I’m not much of a coffee drinker, since it tends to make me crazy, but I do love this recipe that my boyfriend and I developed together to take advantage of the benefits of bulletproof coffee without butter. We use coconut butter and coconut milk, along with my favorite superfood maca, to make a creamy, divine drink. I often make mine with decaf and enjoy after lunch.
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