Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss

This is probably the best ice cream I have ever had, which is impressive because it isn't actually 'ice cream'! All their products are coconut milk based; it's a revelation! The Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss Naked Coconut flavor is what coconut heaven must be like, and it is remarkably creamy while remaining much lighter than any other frozen dessert I have ever tried. It also doesn't coat your mouth the same way dairy ice cream or frozen yogurt does. It is naturally sweet without any artificial flavoring, and it is sweetened with agave syrup. I have made it my personal mission in life to try all their flavors. There are also other coconut milk based brands available, like So Delicious. Guess what I am trying next.

It is as healthy as it is delicious. Per 1/2 cup there are 220 calories, 16g of of fat (14g saturated, no trans fat), no cholesterol, 10mg of sodium, 3g of fiber, 12g of sugar and 2g of protein. Just look how short the ingredients list is!

Ingredients: Organic coconut milk (organic coconut, water, guar gum). organic agave syrup, organic dried coconut, organic coconut extract, organic fair trade vanilla extract.

Apologies, this entry is unedited. It's been a rough week. Next time: tastiest store bought vegan cake ever, thanks to my wonderful supportive aunt.

A Chip Substitute Comparison: Rice Works vs Popchips

So now that I have cookies covered for the most part, I was thinking (possibly out loud) that it would be great to have a good chip option for when I am in a salty savory mood (I am known to get those every now and then, especially on Friday nights). Since then, my amazing husband has managed to find me not one, but two amazing options, and they both taste great. Since there is a "vs" in the title, I have turned it into a bit of a competition. There can be only one, so let's review the facts.

Let's begin with Riceworks, it was the first one that I tried. If a bag of Doritos had a baby with a bag of rice crackers, I imagine something very similar might emerge. They are very crunchy, and they have the tendency to stick in your teeth the same way rice cakes or rice crackers do. They have two flavors that I have seen here, Salsa Fresco and Sea Salt, but their site boasts more. A big plus is that they seem to be everywhere overnight. They are in the snack stall in the lobby at my work! In the pharmacy checkout line! The corner store! Not that I don't love my health food stores, but it's not always convenient for me to drop everything and run to Kensington Market when I have a craving. This means that it is easily accessible. Everyone can have healthy chips! And they are very, very healthy. Their packaging reads: Wheat and gluten free, vegan* and Celiac friendly, low in saturated fat, natural brown rice (18g whole grain per 40g serving), no artificial flavors, no cholesterol, no trans fat. Per 15 chips (although I know no one is counting while snarfing) there are 190 calories, 9g of fat (only 1g is saturated fat, no trans fat), no cholesterol, 260mg sodium, 26g carbs, 2g of fiber, 1g of sugar and 3g of protein.

Ingredients: Whole grain brown rice, rice flour, masa corn flour, safflower oil and/or sunflower oil and/or canola oil, sesame seeds, rice starch, dehydrated vegetables (tomato, green bell pepper, onion, garlic, parsely, cilantro), salt, maltodextrin, spices, sodium diacetate, sugar, autolyzed yeast extract, jalapeno, citric acid, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate, natural flavour, lactic acid, extractives of paprika, natural caramel colour, silicon dioxide and calcium stearate (anti-caking agents).

* I see a 'Parmesan Cheese' flavor on their website, so I am not sure if it is a simulated cheese flavor or if it actually contains cheese. If you are a vegan, please check the ingredients list before you start snacking!

Popchips came to me a week later, so needless to say I feel completely spoiled with chips. I've been jamming these in my face the whole time I've been writing (for research purposes, of course) and they are like eating BBQ flavored air. Delicious, delicious air. However, as yummy as they are, the packaging warns that people who are allergic to soy and to milk should avoid, and it has also been made on equipment shared with wheat. Now, because I am very dense, at first I couldn't figure out why milk allergies would be triggered, but I have since figured out that, taking a hint from little miss Muffet, it's the Whey, aka Milk Plasma, the liquid that remains after they made cheese, that they use in the BBQ seasoning (this might not be the case for all of the flavors) I have not seen these in any stores yet, we ordered them online through Grocery Gateway (they may sell them at the Longos chain stores, because that is where GG gets their food from). These are also self-proclaimed healthy snack. The package reads: Natural ingredients, no preservatives, no artificial flavours or colours, no cholesterol, no trans fat, "We don't fry (unhealthy). We don't bake it (undelicious). We start with the finest ingredients, apply heat and pressure, and pop!". Per 27 chips (40g serving) there are 180 calories, 6g of fat (o.5g saturated fat, no trans fat), no cholesterol, 360mg sodium (ouch!), 29g carbs, 2g of fiber, 3g of sugar, and 1g of protein.

Ingredients: potato ingredients (potato flour, potato starch), safflower oil and/or sunflower oil, barbeque seasoning (sugar, whey, onion and garlic powder, salt, torula yeast, brown sugar, tomato powder, yeast extract, spices, natural flavours, natural smoke flavour, citric acid* [acidulant], paprika extract* [color]), rice flour, salt, soy lecithin* (processing aid).

*naturally sourced

ALLERGEN: Milk, Soy

MADE ON EQUIPMENT SHARED WITH WHEAT

The verdicts are in! Both these chips are winners in my books, but for different reasons. The healthiest I believe is the Riceworks, and they don't compromise on flavor either, which is really important to me. I don't believe that healthier products should have to taste less yummy, and luckily, neither do they! Riceworks chips would also be able to stand up to a dip or salsa, their texture is more suited to it. Popchips, on the other hand, is the tastier of the two (if crack were a chip) in my humble opinion. The texture is light and fluffy and their BBQ flavor is outrageously good. However, not as many dietary minorities can enjoy them, and that chagrins my enjoyment just a tiny bit too. I also can't eat as many of these at a time because of some of the ingredients. Although they are delish all by themselves I don't think they could stand up to a dip because of their more delicate texture.

Drumrolls please! The winner is.... Riceworks! They have it all. Everyone should go out and buy a bag for their local corner store to show that there is a definite demand for these products in regular stores not just in specialty ones!

Vegan, Gluten-Free Ranch Dressing

To kick the Canada Day long weekend off with a bang our supervisors organized a staff potluck lunch, which is fairly rare, decently yummy (and surprisingly vegetarian) and a wonderful time suck. One of the receptionists brought in this jewel, and there I was leaping around, tweeting about it, text messaging other foodie friends, and everyone must have thought I was out of my mind to get so excited about a salad dressing they probably wouldn't even try given the regular options still available to them. I made such a fuss she let me keep what was left of it.

If they only understood how much I miss the simple pleasure of my old favorite salad dressing my actions wouldn't seem so strange. When I was growing up it wasn't unusual for us to buy ranch dressing in bulk, and my parents used to joke that not only did I use it on everything I ate but also as a facial scrub and shampoo (which I didn't actually do, just for the record).

After the initial excitement wore off, I was worried I had set myself up for a let down. A lot of these products promise wonderful things! Being vegan and gluten-free and healthy, which are all good things, however, anyone who is forced for whatever reason to try similar products will know that they often compromise on taste. It's just not how you remember. I am pleased to say that it actually tastes a whole lot like ranch! Texturally it is a little bit thin, but the taste is spot on, and like all other ranch dressings it goes especially well on raw cauliflower (to me that it is the true litmus test). The only other salad dressing I buy now is the no-name zero fat Italian dressing, and it is only for when I make a large batch of my signature bean salad, otherwise my husbands makes it from scratch (his salad dressings are very, very good by the way, just so everyone knows, and he makes them vegan for me, bless him). What I like about this one is that it's made with agave nectar, so on top of being low/no fat there is also only 1g of sugar per 30ml. There is a decent amount of salt, but it's not unreasonable. The Organicville line of products (I believe there are a handful of other flavors) are available locally at Longos. Unfortunately, products sold there tend to be on the pricey side, so don't be surprised to pay between four and five dollars for a bottle. Even so, I am already excited to try their other flavors. It would be nice to make a legitimate Caesar salad again. I am also excited to try and make a vegan version of my old cream cheese vegetable dip, using this dressing and Tofutti's Better Than Cream Cheese. Wish me luck! If it works, you know the recipe will end up here anyway.

Ingredients: Filtered water, expeller pressed organic soybean oil, organic soy milk (organic soybeans), organic agave nectar, salt, organic brown rice syrup, organic apple cider vinegar, organic soy protein, organic white vinegar, organic garlic powder, organic onion powder, organic mustard flour, concentrated organic lemon juice, organic parsley flakes, organic black pepper, xanthan gum.