These posts are quickly becoming one of my favourite to put together. I love sharing new-to-me foods as well as old favourites that have returned to my life.
So far we’ve seen:
- 7 Foods I’m loving right now – March
- 14 Foods I’m loving lately – April
- 12 things I’m loving lately – July
Don’t forget to tell me about your current food obsessions in the comments below!
Note: I purposely left all forms of squash, pumpkin butter, and apple butter off my list because that all goes without saying for this girl.
Ready….set….go!
1. Pomegranates
This is the time of the year when I mourn summer berries being out of season. To console myself, I like to think of pomegranates as off-season berries because they are so rich in antioxidants. Yes, I know they aren’t berries, but let’s pretend. Toss these little guys on salads to add a fun crunch and burst of antioxidant power. Just don’t try blending them in a smoothie without straining….that little experiment of mine, was…grainy to say the least. Apparently there are some things a Vitamix cannot pulverize!
2. Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage Vegan Sausage
There are simply no words for how much I adore this Field Roast grain and veggie based sausage. I finally tracked it down at Organic Garage and sampled all three flavours this summer. The apple sage flavour is by far my favourite. I like to pan fry it and throw it into quinoa salads or just stuff it in a bun with a little BBQ sauce and apple butter. Eric is a huge fan and even said he would eat this over a meat sausage any day. Each sausage has 26 grams of protein, zero trans fat and cholesterol, and just 1 gram of sat. fat.
3. Freshly Grated Nutmeg
Pre-ground nutmeg doesn’t hold a candle to freshly grated nutmeg; I’ve known this all along. Then why has it been so long since I grated the fresh stuff? Have you ever compared the two? It’s unreal. I sometimes forget this little fact and when I do go back to the fresh stuff I’m quickly reminded just how amazing the fresh stuff is (this is true for all spices really!). Plus, grating nutmeg take seconds and the aroma that fills the air is so comforting. If you’re like me you get a free nail filing at the same time.
4. Adzuki Bean Tabbouleh
I’m so over rainy fall weather. Give me sunshine in the fall and I’m a happy camper. Give me rain, doom, and gloom and I suddenly wish fall never existed. My relationship with fall is complicated. Anyway, this salad brings me a small dose of summer and sunshine back to my life, which is why I made it over the rainy weekend. You can’t help but feel happy when you eat quinoa tabbouleh served on top of kale!
5. Coconut Jam by Cocovie
Umm, say what? I know. Have you ever heard of coconut jam? This world keeps getting crazier. When I spotted this in Organic Garage a couple months ago, it was thrown into my cart so fast your head would spin. It’s made with just coconut milk and raw coconut sugar. Much like coconut oil, when it’s chilled it firms up and when it’s at room temp or warmed, it softens. You can use it as a spread or topping on all kinds of foods. Perhaps with a few tweaks to my coconut milk condensed milk, I might be able to make this jam at home. Hrrrmm…the wheels are spinning.
6. Edamame
Looking for a fun high-protein snack to throw into packed lunches? Meet edamame. I love to top salads with edamame or enjoy some for an afternoon snack. I could seriously eat an entire bag of this stuff in one sitting. It has a strange power over me. Don’t even tell me to remove the skins either…I love it all.
7. Whole Grain Mustard
For a long time, I only bought regular mustard and Dijon mustard. Yawn. Well recently, my wild child came out and I gave whole grain mustard a try. Whoa. How did I not try this before? It’s amazing in dressings and sauces and I just love the hearty, crunchy texture of the seeds. New kitchen staple, hello!
8. Sunwarrior Warrior Blend Raw Protein
I tried a sample of this protein powder a month ago and loved it so much I bought a bag of it. This Warrior Blend is a non-rice protein powder featuring a mix of easy-to-digest pea, cranberry, and hemp proteins. It’s easily the best protein powder I’ve tried to date and isn’t chalky like some protein powders can be. The downside is that it’s priced like gold, so try to buy it on sale to get the biggest bang for your buck. I justified my purchase because I go through protein powder very, very slowly – a bag will easily last me 3-4 months. They also have a chocolate flavour which I will be sampling soon!
9. Acetaia La Bonissima Balsamic Vinegar
It’s really sad to think how long I stared at this bottle in the grocery store to make sure it was actually balsamic vinegar. Darn you, label. Thankfully, it was worth it. This stuff is the real deal. I use it for salad dressings, roasting veggies, balsamic reductions, etc.
10. Allegro Ready, Set, Go! Tea
I purchased this tea on our trip in B.C. when I was running on about 4 hours sleep many nights (as you can see it got a bit busted in my suitcase!). This tea brought me back to life in the morning. It’s described as “assertive, yet balanced, with a hint of cinnamon”. I’ll take 743 please. I’d like to think it rubbed off on me too. Next time someone asks you what your personality traits are, you can end your description saying, “with a hint of cinnamon”.
Now my favourite part – let me know below what foods you can’t get enough of right now!
Fresh vs pre-grated nutmeg is like the difference between fresh thyme vs dried thyme – it’s like two completely different things!
I’m loving cranberries lately.
Yes I totally agree with you on that one. I’ve been splurging on fresh thyme lately and it’s soooo good
Those field roast sausages are so good. I’ll have to try that coconut jam.
Celestial Seasonings Decaf Chai Tea Sweet Coconut Thai with a splash of soy creamer and sugar. So delicious and curbs my sweet cravings.
I adore the Field Roast. So delicious. Need to figure out how to make them myself…
You can try “kaya” (another form of coconut jam)… it’s not as “healthy” but is really tasty!!
I am running low on Sunwarrior but am hesitant to switch over to the newer blend…
Coconut Jam?!? Yeah-that’s going on my shopping list! It looks like peanut butter :)
I am also obsessed with field roast!!!! Haven’t tried the apple sage. I love the Italian too much to venture away….. Maybe I will soon! Wasn’t a huge fan of the chipotle.
My biggest fall obsession has to be chai tea. I’m going through it like you wouldn’t believe! It’s perfect for cool mornings especially with a splash of almond milk.
I love these lists! Whole grain mustard is wonderful–in our town we have a local brand called “Lusty Monk” which has whole grain mustard and a hint of chipotle peppers= perfection. It adds a flavor pop to everything! I would highly suggest making some of your own, it’s the best.
Just finished lunch of your Canadian Baked Beans–so good! And yes, the Lusty Monk went into them :)
Wow that does sound like a good combo. I’ll have to try making some soon. Glad you enjoyed the maple baked beans!
Mmm, all looks so good! In my head, coconut jam was literally a mixture of jam and coconut oil in a jar. I then read on to read what it actually was ;) You go through protein powder wayyy slower than me! I have prob 2 TBSP/day. My wallet is NOT pleased. BUT. I need the protein, so I justify it. :P I guess right now, I would have to say I’m loving butternut squash, goat’s cheese, dark chocolate and greek yogurt mixed with nut butter, ground flax seeds and cinnamon! Oh! And my homemade pumpkin spice latte ;)
Coconut Jam!!! I am so there…have to find me some or….better still…make some???
But you really had me at Coconut Condensed Milk…I mean come on….I just died and went to heaven….. How did I miss that post…I have been following you a long time…
So happy you enjoyed your trip to BC ( I live in Vancouver).
Hey Lea, Glad you saw the recpe. Let me know what you think if you try it. It’s pretty darn amazing if I do say so myself! ;)
Angela.
I am at university in the states trying to study for a genetics exam, and have instead been spending the last half hour fully engaged in researching these foods/ foods i’ve discovered while looking for these. Not only that, but when I was studying for Tuesday’s exam, you did the same thing. In my brain what I put into my body > what I put into my brain (lets be real, am I really going to be thinking of chromosomes in ten years.. eh..). THUS I keep managing to rationalize this procrastination. Between you and @chocolatecoveredkatie, I may need to switch majors to Delicious Vegan Culinary Studies. Just saying. But THANK YOU for feeding so well. My roommates also say thanks. In that way that non-veg folks tend to do by stealing bites and mumbling “this is pretty good. (next bite) what IS this anyways?” back to the books now…
Glad to hear you and your friends are enjoying the blog Shannon. Goodluck with your exams!
I’m back on the Sunwarrior gravy train! Loving it in my oats for extra staying power, also a huge grainy mustard fan! Delicious with roasted cauliflower!
Completely with you on the pomegranates and nutmeg — there’s almost nothing better!
I discovered that apple sage sausage about a year ago and man, it is soooo tasty! I have this amazing vegetarian cassoulet recipe that I love to put it in, among other things! I have also been enjoying roasted cauliflower, your lentil squash and curry stew and veggie pirates booty… So addicting!!
I recently started buying that type of Sunwarrior too! I agree that it’s one of the best out there, the chocolate is good as well. Vitamart.ca offers the best price I’ve seen (and it’s Canadian), with free shipping too.
Thanks for the tip, I will check out Vitamart!
I’m loving Larabars lately; Organic Garage sells them for less than half of what they cost at Loblaws or Fortinos. I may or may not have bought the entire store’s quantity. :)
Don’t you love OG’s prices?
Here is how I feel sometimes about that store:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C7oqXewyCE
hah yup
Cumin. Roasted. Ground. Homemade. I always had fillings for this spice but recently discovered that cumin seeds, skillet-roasted and then ground, is fantastic spice, totally different from store bought, ready-to-go ground cumin.
BTW, Angela, these “lately loved foods” of yours are my absolute favorite on my reading list!
Thank you! Glad to hear that.
I’ll have to try that with cumin seeds sometime…sounds lovely.
I recently tried Tofurkey italian style sausage and loved it. So did my meat eating boyfriend!
Great list of October Food Loves! Many of the items on your list are already on my shelves and items I use daily! The sweet potatoes on your salad plate are so cute with the star-shape they’ve taken on! Too funny! Have you ever tried dry roasted edamame? It’s a favorite mid-morning snack of mine and a great protein source! The Seapoint Farms brand is non GMO and a great price at $1.50/bag! YUM!
I dont think I have, but I’ve heard it’s good. I might try and make my own sometime.
where can you purchase those delicious looking sausages? I’m near whole foods downtown Toronto, so I’m hoping there perhaps… Also, I have been following your website for months now and love it. I have been meaning to tell you that for a while. You bring such passion and joy into cooking.
Thanks Anita :) I would check their website to see if they have a store locator or send them a quick email if they dont.
I love the apple sage field roast sausages too! I like to slice one up, brown it in a pan with a little olive oil, and put it on top of a baked sweet potato with a little cinnamon. This is one of my favorite quick meals. I’d love to try that tea. It sounds like a perfect alternative to my usual coffee. The coconut jam looks delicious too. I’ll have to see if I can track it down.