Hanukkah’s best-known food—the beloved potato latke (a.k.a. fried potato pancake)—is also a relatively recent addition to the festival-of-light festivities. Potatoes actually became part of the recipe in the mid-19th century, replacing pancakes made of cheese (usually from goats or sheep). We’ve included a cheese latke recipe here, along with other tempting latke varieties (some are vegan-friendly and some are just plain fun). HAPPY HANUKKAH!
Best Traditional Latkes
5 Vegan Latkes
21 NY Times Latkes
Best Sweet Potato Latkes
Healthier Latkes
Cheese Latkes
Vegans often get the short end of the Thanksgiving stick. Their hosts may forget that chicken stock and eggs aren’t vegan, and they’re almost always left without dessert, save some fruit.
This year, if we have our say, no vegan will be left behind! Follow a few simple swaps to create an amazing Thanksgiving that will please every one of your guests, no matter their eating style.
By the way…don’t feel like you need to make the entire menu vegan for a single guest. Most vegans will be happy to have a few options. For guests with dietary restrictions, it’s nice to make sure they have at least one salad and two side dish options. And if you’re still confused about serving a vegan at your Thanksgiving, just ask. Most will be happy to answer any questions, and even point you in the right direction with recipes.
Vegan Thanksgiving Ideas
Starters
Kick the festivities off right with a few options for your vegan friends. It doesn’t have to be fancy, or in the case of an easy-to-assemble vegan cheese plate…it can be!
* Vegan cheese plate: Bring together some Miyoko’s Creamery or Treeline tree nut cheeses, crackers from Simple Mills, a nice fig jam, a few grapes, and mixed organic nuts from our bulk department for a beautiful cheese plate. This is all about the presentation…look here for inspiration.
* Dips: We’ve got a whole selection of vegan spreads and dips: Ithaca Hummus, Cedars Organic Hummus, Hope Hummus, or any of the fresh dips from our Deli case. Or try this vegan spinach & kale dip, a gorgeous, green, cheesy, melty dip that’s a real crowd pleaser.
Side Dishes
Many sides can be made vegan without missing a beat (and your guests won’t miss the eggs/dairy!). Check out our Catering Menu for a nice selection (Lemon Cranberry Wild Rice Salad, Quinoa Walnut Butternut Squash Salad, Vegan Herb Stuffing/Vegan Gravy, to name just a few), and let us do the work. Or consider cooking these crowd-pleasing vegan sides:
Harvest-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Mark Bittman’s Green Mashed Potatoes
Maple Glazed Sweet Potatoes
Vegan Stuffing
Entrees
Now that the side dishes are covered, let’s make sure none of your vegan friends are left out when it comes to the entree. You can opt for alternative entrees like stuffed squash, stuffed mushrooms, and vegan loaves (Chef John’s Mushroom Walnut Loaf, for example, is is one of the many delicious Thanksgiving options available on our Catering Menu. Or try this Vegan Mushroom Gravy Pie). Get close to the real deal with this array of festive meat alternatives (available in our freezer section) that will make every vegan feel part of the holiday. Choose from:
Desserts
This is one area where you can definitely please all your guests simultaneously…no one even needs to know the care you’ve taken to make your desserts vegan. One bite of any of these treats and they will be beyond satisfied.
If you the have time/desire to prepare dessert yourself, check out the simple recipe for Chocolate Cranberry Nut Bark recipe in our Celebrate the Season Thanksgiving Brochure, available here or in the store. Or any of these vegan goodies will not let you down:
If you want to grab something quick and sweet for your own or someone else’s Thanksgiving feast, we’ve got some amazing sweets right here in the store:
Wishing you and all your friends and family an amazing Thanksgiving. With or without the turkey!
You want to give your children Halloween treats they’ll love, but without all the ghoulish stuff—GMOs, artificial flavors and colors, high fructose corn syrup—you avoid all other times of year. While healthier packaged treats are more readily available than ever (come into the store for a great selection of Rising Tide-approved Halloween treats), don’t underestimate the fun (and ease!) of creating homemade treats made with wholesome, organic/non-GMO ingredients. Whether you’re hosting a party, bringing snacks into a child’s classroom, or simply want to control a fraction of your child’s Halloween booty, get some inspiration for healthy Halloween recipes here.
Sweet
Raw Almond Butter Cups
Black Widow Spider Cupcakes
DIY Almond Joys
Chocolate Almond Butter Crunch Bars
Gummy Bears
Savory
Maple Chili Popcorn
Taco Lime Pumpkin Seeds
Haunted Pizza
Fruit & Veggie treats
Halloween Apple Bites
Caramel Apples Six Ways
Veggie Skeleton
DIY PROBIOTIC-RICH FERMENTED FOODS AT HOME
Nourish your gut—naturally. Brimming with probiotics, tangy lacto-fermented veggies are a delicious way to maintain a balanced microbiome and healthy digestive system. Plus, they’re surprisingly easy to make at home. Follow these simple recommendations for the best results.
1. Get the right gear.
No need to buy a fancy fermentation set. All you need to get started is a wide-mouth mason jar, wooden spoon and some sort of weight to keep the veggies submerged in brine (a cabbage or apple core or even a smaller mason jar resting on top of your ferments will do the trick). Run your jars through the dishwasher before using.
2. Choose organic.
Starting with clean, pesticide-free produce will guarantee a better outcome. Select high-quality organic veggies from your garden, or shop for them in Rising Tide’s 100 percent organic produce department! Not convinced? (In honor of September being Organic Month, here are some more reasons why it’s more important than ever to buy organic.)
3. Wash veggies well.
Wash produce carefully under cold water and make sure to remove all dirt and debris before fermentation, as this could affect the taste of the final product. After washing, slice your produce in uniform pieces for even ripening.
4. Use purified water.
Always use distilled or purified water for your brine. Tap water contains chlorine, and often fluoride, which can disturb the growth of good bacteria.
5. Don’t skimp on the salt.
Along with adding flavor and creating a crispier texture to your veggies, salt kills harmful bacteria and prevents mold during the fermentation process. Be sure to use the exact amount that the recipe calls for. Opt for high-quality Himalayan or sea salt instead of table salt.
6. Give veggies time to ripen.
Cover your jar with an airtight lid, and give the fermentation process at least a week on your kitchen counter before checking. You’ll know they’re ready when you see bubbles forming in the brine and the mixture omits a sour, though not unpleasant, odor. If you see mold on top, simply scrape it off with a wooden spoon and discard. Shaking the mixture once a day; this helps inhibit mold growth. It’s a good idea to taste the product to determine if it could use a few more days to culture. If your veggies smell rotten, toss them and try again.
7. Store your finished product in the fridge.
Finally, it’s time to move your veggies to a refrigerator or cellar. Cold temperatures slow the growth of healthy bacteria, so the flavor of ferment will continue to deepen and evolve. Your veggies will keep in cold storage for up to a year.
Start your own fermentation adventure. Check out a bunch of make-at-home fermentation recipes here.
Fermented foods—resurging in popularity because of their ability to improve digestive health, boost immunity and fight inflammation—contain beneficial bacteria created through a process called lacto-fermentation. You can make your own fermented foods at home in a few simple steps—and enjoy them in a multitude of dishes all year long.
(Note: If you don’t have time to DIY, we stock a diverse and exciting variety of the best fermented products on the market right here at Rising Tide. Check the refrigerated case at the back of the store for some of our favorites, or ask a staff member for guidance.)
Anti-inflammatory Turmeric Kraut
Purple Sauerkraut with Caraway
Fermented Rainbow Chard Stems and Carrots
Traditional Napa Kimchi
Coconut Water Kefir with Berries
Homemade Yogurt
Instant Pot Yogurt
Chocolate Sauerkraut Cake
Post a pic—and tag us—-if this inspires you to ferment at home!
Yes, the season is winding down, but summer still has some juicy secrets up her sleeve. Stone fruits—namely plums, pluots and apricots—will be abundant in August. Ripe and luscious, in a salad or in a pastry, let these sweet-and-sour gems top off a sultry summer.
Salads/Sides
Summer Salad with Apricots, Pistachios and Almond Soft-Fried Eggs
Pluot Tabbouleh
Cornmeal Plum Scones
Soba and Herb Salad with Roasted Eggplant and Pluots
Entrees
Pork, Apricot and Red Onion Kabobs
Pressure Cooker Short Ribs in Plum Sauce
Desserts
NY Times Original Plum Torte
Summer Fruit Pouches
Basil Plum Granita
The first written mention of s’mores dates back to a Girl Scout wilderness handbook in 1927. That means we’ve been enjoying these delicious chocolatey-graham crackery- marshmallowy treats for more than 90 years and if you’ve ever had one…you know why. These nighttime campfire treats are fun to make, feature all non-perishable ingredients, and boast a crunchy, gooey flavor combo that’s next to none. Plus, s’mores are a seasonal staple; if you’re eating one, chances are it’s just one part of a great summer night.
From the traditional to the intoxicating, we’ve got recipes to help you get your s’mores on this summer:
No Bake S’more Granola Bars
S’mores Pie
Vegan S’mores
Vegan S’mores Brownies
Vegan S’mores Pancakes
Toasted S’mores Cocktail
***DON’T MISS OUR SALE ON S’MORES FIXINS…DISCOUNTED THRU 7/11***
Those of you who are true connoisseurs already know that July is National Ice Cream Month (yay!), and July 15 is National Ice Cream Day (double yay!). We have President Reagan to thank for this most creamy of holidays, as it was during his tenure that Congress passed a joint resolution inaugurating the day and the month, and signed it into law on July 2, 1984.
At Rising Tide, we love our ice cream, especially when it’s organic and made from minimal ingredients (like grandma used to make!). Two of our favorites are ON SALE for the occasion. If you’re not going to make your own, you cannot lose with one of these:
Alden’s Organic Ice Cream: Classic American ice cream made with hormone-free cream and milk, organic fruit and no ingredients you need a science degree to decipher. Clean and amazing and one of our all-time faves. (Available in: vanilla bean, mint chip, vanilla chocolate swirl and chocolate chocolate chip). Reg. $8.99, ON SALE $7.49/48 oz
Slim Twin Organic Ice Cream: With 24g of protein and just 240-320 calories/pint, organic Slim Twin ice cream is a cleaner, greener answer to those other low-cal, high-protein frozen desserts. (Available in: vanilla, mint chip, chocolate, mint chip, cookies and cream). Reg. $5.79, ON SALE $3.99/pint
We’ve been loving on this line of 100% grass-fed, organic dairy products for a few years now. It’s not just the taste of their milks and yogurts (which is exceptional) that drew us in, but also the philosophy (use the best possible farming practices and you’ll benefit both children and the planet) that backs everything they do. We were tickled to be able to chat with Maple Hill about where they’ve been, what new products they’re excited about, and what is the best use of their new blended yogurts (Hint: it’s incredibly delicious and fun to make with your kids!).
RT: Who is behind the creation of Maple Hill?
MH: Today, Maple Hill has over 150 small family farms from which we source our milk. But back at the very beginning, there was only one family and one farm—Stone Creek Farm—a 250-acre dairy farm that Tim and Laura Joseph purchased in 2003. Tim and Laura had no farming experience — they had never milked a cow — but received a fast education when sixty-four cows stepped off the trailers in 2004. The Josephs began as conventional dairy farmers, but quickly became enamored with organic practices.
RT: What sets Maple Hill apart from other organic dairy products on the market?
MH: Maple Hill is rooted in our desire to provide the best nutrition for our own kids and that idea is still the “heartbeat” of our company—we believe that 100% grass-fed organic dairy farming done right is the pinnacle of organic, creates the best nutrition for all kids, and leaves the soil better than we found it. It doesn’t get any better than that! Our products are made from our own strictly managed 100% grass-fed organic farms – the milk they produce makes all the difference.
RT: How important is it for you to source local, NY State ingredients?
MH: Our milkshed is the heart of our business. We have over 150 small family farms, all of which are in NY and run by NY families.
RT: What’s the latest from Maple Hill?
MH: We just released our new Blended Yogurt – we think it’s the highest quality blended yogurt on the market, and the only 100% grass-fed organic one!
RT: How would you describe the role dairy plays for those pursuing a clean, healthy lifestyle?
MH: Dairy is a wonderful health food when it’s from 100% grass-fed organic sources – it is better for the land, the farmers, the cows and in the end, better for you. It has a higher nutritional profile than conventional milk and we use very little sugar, and no additives.
RT: When you’re not noshing on wholesome, grass-fed dairy products… What are you loving to eat right now? What are your go-to’s?
MH: We love Perky Jerky and Teton Waters Ranch sausages – both grass-fed products themselves! We’re also huge fans of Vital Farms eggs and butter.
RT: What’s your favorite recipe to make using a Maple Hill product?
MH: Definitely our Frozen Yogurt Bark.
RT: What’s one FUN thing most people don’t know about Maple Hill?
MH: None of the founders had a background in farming when they started this journey.
RT: So many in this community dream of starting their own business. What’s your best piece of advice for launching a successful local biz?
MH: Surround yourself with people that have passion and are great at what they do.
Summer’s here, and outside is the best place to cook (flipping burgs with a cocktail by your side is surely one of life’s great joys). Grilling can be a delicious, healthy way to prepare all kinds of foods; you get loads of flavor in a short period of time (without the ubiquitous batter coating you find in so many summer foods). Nutrients also stay intact when grilling when compared to other forms of cooking. Plus, grill lines look pretty on just about anything you toss on those flames and just about scream summer.
While grilling is healthier than frying, etc., there are certainly some grill techniques and food choices that are healthier than others. Research indicates that some grilled foods (particularly meat) can be linked to certain types of cancer. There are two components in play here. First, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been linked to colon cancer and are found in well-done foods, most specifically in the charred or “crispy” portions of the food that turn black from the grill. Then there are heterocyclic amines, or HCAs, formed from intense and concentrated high heat.
The good news, these nasty PAHs and HCAs can be avoided without giving up grilling. Here are some super easy hacks for making this grill season your healthiest one yet.
Shorter is better. Try to not eat overcooked food from the grill (well-done meat has 3.5 times more HCAs than medium-rare meat).
Keep it clean! Make sure your grates are clean of any leftover burnt food particles.
Marinate. Marinating your meat with herbs, specifically thyme and/or rosemary, can cut back on HCA’s by up to 99%. Black pepper, allspice, and/or chives can also provide powerful protection against carcinogens. Avoid sugary marinades (which actually make things worse); go for lemon or vinegar and herb-based ones, instead.
No flare-ups. This can help with both kinds of carcinogens. Keep a spray bottle of water with you to put them out (without putting out your coals).
Seafood says summer. Fish and shrimp produce much fewer HCAs from high heat exposure than meat, and their lower fat content minimizes fat drippings to reduce PAHs from smoke.
Grill fruits & vegetables. PAH’s and HCA’s don’t form on produce, so create a rainbow this summer by grilling healthy fruits and veggies. Even when grilling meat, mix in some grilled veggies as well; the antioxidants from (hopefully organic) produce can help counteract the carcinogens formed as a bi-product of the grilling. (Remember: Rising Tide Natural Market boasts a 100% organic produce department, guaranteeing our customers the healthiest, most carefully curated produce at every visit.)
Some fruits and veggies that are awesome on the grill:
- tomatoes
- onions
- bell peppers
- zucchini
- eggplant
- endive
- fennel
- pineapple
- mango
- apple
- pear
- peach
- banana
Grill lean cuts of meat. The leaner the meats, the less fat dripping on the grill, and the fewer PAHs and HCAs formed. Also pick smaller cuts of meat, which cuts down on grill time.
Flip your burgs. Like we said above, there’s something to that flip. Turns out it also reduces the amount of HCAs that form. Use a spatula so you don’t pierce the burgers, causing fat to drip and HCAs to form.
Recipes for Healthier Grilling
Grilled Carrots with Cumin-Serrano Yogurt
Grilled Broccoli with Avocado and Sesame
Grilled Halibut and Bok Choy with Coconut-Lime Dressing
Charred Cabbage with Goat Cheese Raita and Cucumbers
Chili Lime Clams with Tomatoes and Grilled Bread
Grilled Cauliflower Steaks with Scallions
Grilled Citrus Shrimp Lettuce Cups
Teriyaki Portobello Mushroom Burger with Garlic Mayo
Stuffed Peaches
Grilled Pineapple Sundae
Grilled Watermelon Salad with Arugula and Feta
Lastly, here are some general tips for successful grilling this summer!
We’re so excited to bring you this fun profile of one of our favorite local vendors: Steiner’s Coffee Cake of New York. Since 2016, Steiner’s has been delighting Long Islanders and others with its homegrown recipe for sensational gluten-free coffee cake and delectable brownies. Whether you need to avoid gluten or not, you do NOT want to miss Steiner’s desserts. True to their mission, they sacrifice nothing in the way of taste, mouthfeel, etc. Look for them in the Rising Tide freezer section. Jennifer Pool (AKA the Granddaughter) fills us in on the history and goings-on at Steiner’s in the interview below. Say hi to her the next time she’s here demo-ing Steiner’s amazing treats.
RT: Who are the people behind Steiner’s Coffee Cake of New York?
SCCONY: In 1963, Malcolm Steiner (A.K.A Grandpa) set out to conquer another hobby: cooking & baking. At that time, he was already a painter, an Orchidist (a person who raises orchids), a volunteer at Long Island Jewish Hospital (delivering said orchids to patients’ rooms), and in his spare time, he ran Steiner Plastics which became Universal Sign Company. The company was situated in the stables of Pratt Oval Estates in Glen Cove founded by his mother, Cyrille Steiner. Grandpa Malcolm quickly became a commander of the kitchen. If he wasn’t in his greenhouse, he was walking around the kitchen in his apron with a dish towel hanging out of his back pocket. He was tall, bald, skinny and loved butter. If it didn’t taste right he was famous for saying, “Just add butter.” He worked at Universal Sign Corporation alongside his son until his passing at 90. He was a man of very few words, however we have a treasure trove of memories filled with his very best recipes. Fortunately, he took his daughter in-law Nanci (A.K.A mom) under his wing and taught her everything he knew.
Nanci Steiner (born in NYC, raised in Port Washington) was diagnosed a Celiac over 30 years ago. Over the past three decades she worked tirelessly to develop a gluten-free all-purpose flour that baked for the masses. Many a cake met their demise in her kitchen. She has tested every product on the market. Her one goal was to bake something so good, so delicious, so perfectly moist that the unsuspecting consumer would never know it was gluten free. In 2010 Jeffrey (A.K.A my brother) and I realized she was very close. We went ahead and developed the brand: Steiner’s Coffee Cake of New York. In May of 2016, Nanci nailed it. On the precipice of her 70th year, she was ready to launch her company.
RT: What was the inspiration for the creation of the company? In other words…why coffee cake?
SCCONY: Well everyone LOVES coffee. And everyone LOVES cake. Grandpa made a fabulous coffee cake. Naturally we picked one of the most labor-intensive recipes possible. Each cake is made with lots of love. Four layers in all.
RT: What makes Steiner’s different from other local bakers?
SCCONY: All of our baked goods are gluten and nut free WITHOUT sacrificing taste, texture or moisture. @nycoffeecake always #easytoeat and #funtoshare.
RT: How important is it for you to source ingredients locally? Why/why not?
SCCONY: We love local. If we can integrate ingredients, marketing materials, packaging or other items from local providers we absolutely do so. We owe our success to this community; all of our firsts happened right here.
Our first criteria in our business decision tree is avoiding a negative impact on the environment. Our belief that less is more has resulted in small serving sizes, using the places people already shop (i.e. Rising Tide Market) to deliver our products, and streamlined packaging solutions. In addition, we ALWAYS look back at what we’re leaving behind, a philosophy that has led to the use of plant-based and biodegradable packaging solutions; one-box to ship, and zero-waste manufacturing.
RT: What’s one fun thing most people don’t know about Steiner’s Coffee Cake of New York?
SCCONY: I’ll give you two. The first is that we actually have all of Grandpa Malcolm’s recipe cards. Some are illegible and others were typed up by his secretary. The second is that Nanci NEVER writes down any of her baking notes. NEVER. It drives us crazy.
RT: What’s the latest from Steiner’s? Anything new in the pipeline?
SCCONY: It’s a long pipeline. Here’s a small taste: Our ginger snaps and banana bread are not to be missed. Our goal is to have them retail ready by Summer 2018. Currently in R&D: pumpkin spice cake and chocolate chip biscotti.
RT: When you’re not noshing on coffee cake and brownies… What are you loving to eat right now? What are your top go-to’s (snacks, drinks, wellness products or other)?
SCCONY: I am currently LOVING celery with Justin’s Peanut Butter. My two favorites that really haven’t changed in years are Siggi’s 0% plain yogurt now topped with Purely Elizabeth Granola, and Garden of Eatin’ Red Hot Blues.
RT: What’s the right occasion to serve Steiner’s coffee cake? What do you serve it with?
SCCONY: Easy. Any time is the right time. Clearly if a cup of coffee is in hand then so to should be a coffee cake. Our coffee cake is a fabulous addition to any brunch. It also tops off a dessert menu with or without some fabulous vanilla ice cream. Our preference is Talenti.
RT: What’s your favorite recipe to make using Steiner’s Coffee Cake?
SCCONY: The secret ingredient in all of our baked goods is Steiner’s Coffee Cake of New York All-Purpose Flour. Our favorite thing to bake is Grandpa Malcolm’s signature dessert: Betty’s Birthday Cake. Everyone in our family has this cake on their birthday. It’s a six-layer cake with mocha filling between each layer of delicious chocolate cake topped off with homemade vanilla whipped icing.
RT: What’s the strangest way you’ve heard someone use a Steiner’s coffee cake (or brownie, etc.)?
SCCONY: Another easy one. I have a friend who eats our coffee cake with bacon. He loves it.
RT: So many in this community dream of starting their own business. What’s your best piece of advice for launching a successful local biz?
SCCONY: It’s never the right time, it won’t be easy, you’ll be exhausted, it’s not a sure thing, someone down the street is doing the same thing…GO FOR IT! In all seriousness…be prepared to listen, filter, listen some more, and make decisions. You won’t always make the right decision— that’s ok. The only mistake is not moving forward.
Whether you’re a vegan yourself, are friends with one, or, like a lot of us, trying to eat more plant-based foods to support your health and the health of the planet, this may be the year to re-think the traditional Memorial Day BBQ. Let’s be clear— this is not about sacrifice, but about choosing to serve fresh, mainly organic foods that taste amazing and leave you feeling light (and virtuous!).
At Rising Tide Market, we carry a great selection of vegan-friendly BBQ items, including Beast Burgers and Beyond Burgers from Beyond Meat and frankfurters and sausage from Field Roast. Or let us do the cooking…our Deli features an assortment of vegan salads, burgers, and desserts, including our not-to-be-missed Vegan Blackout Cake. Check out the Freezer section for vegan ice creams crafted by Van Leeuwen, Luna and Larry’s Coconut Bliss and more.
If entertaining your way means it has to be homemade, our 100% organic Produce Department is chock full of every veggie & fruit you need to whip up a vegan holiday bbq that every kind of eater will love. These recipes will put you on the right (green) path…
Main Dishes
Smoky Carrot Dog
Sesame Tofu Skewers with Peanut Butter Dip
Portobello Mushroom Sliders
Vegan Lentil Burgers
Sides
Herby Picnic Potato Salad
Grilled Napa Cabbage with Chinese Mustard Glaze and Scallions
Watermelon, Cucumber andAvocado Ceviche
Vegan Biscuits
Desserts
Chewy Coconut Oatmeal Cookies
Grain-Free Mixed Berry Crisp
Vegan Chocolate Cake with Avocado Frosting
There are lots of reasons to anxiously await the coming of spring. For us there’s no better reason than the bounty of gorgeous fruits and veggies Mother Nature bestows on us at this time of year. Delicate ramps, tender and vibrant asparagus, seemingly impenetrable (but then magically melt-in-your-mouth!) artichokes…peas, beets, strawberries…they’re all colorful reminders that the Earth is in renewal mode. Add some of these beautiful specimens to your routine in the next month for the full spring experience.
Note: Be sure to check the weekly flyer for produce specials when you come in to shop…you might be in for a great deal on your favorite springtime produce.
One Skillet Steak and Spring Veg with Spicy Mustard
Springtime Barley Pilaf with Spring Peas, Artichokes and Asparagus with a Mint Pesto
Egg Noodles with Asparagus and Grated Egg Yolks
Asparagus and Ramp Soup with Yogurt
Rustic Beet Tart and Wilted Greens
Strawberry Salsa
A foolproof way to trim an artichoke
You have a slow cooker; do you really need an Instant Pot? The answer is…maybe. Depending on how you plan to use it, and for what. We are Instant Pot newbies, but have already had great success with a few dishes.
What Instant Pots do REALLY well:
- Make legumes: They are magic at cooking beans of all kinds, no pre-soaking necessary.
- Saute: Unlike a slow cooker, you can saute in the Instant Pot. This is ideal when you want to brown meat or caramelize veggies before cooking the rest of your dish.
- Make broths, soups and stews: Use the saute function to get some real flavor going on your meat or veggies before adding your liquid. You can adapt most every soup or stew recipe for the Instant Pot.
- Hard boiled eggs: Finally you can make them perfect—and a cinch to peel—every time.
You can also use your Instant Pot to make beautiful rice and other grains, desserts, and even yogurt.
Before you run out and purchase one, It’s important to note that the Instant Pot is NOT for everything. While it makes magic of some meats, and is sublime for soups and stews (and risotto, etc.), it does not, as this NY Times article notes, do crispy or crunchy very well. It’s not all that Instant either; it takes a full 20 minutes to heat up and then release steam. Make sure to build that into your cooking plans.
For everything you ever wanted to know about your Instant Pot (but were afraid to ask!), Melissa Clark of the NY Times has got you covered with this in-depth Instant Pot cooking guide.
**SPECIAL INSTANT POT EVENT**
Join Chefs Christine Sanchez and Maggie Odell for an evening of Instant Pot magic at the Glenwood Life Center on Tuesday, March 20. These creative chef/moms will school you in the art of the Instant Pot, taking all the mystery out of pressure cooking. Learn 4-5 recipes including a dessert.
RECIPES: Fire Up Your Instant Pot
Here are some Instant Pot recipes we’ve experimented with already (can you say Boef Bourguignon in 90 minutes?!) and some we are dying to try:
Garlicky Beans with Broccoli Rabe
Coconut Curry Chicken
Classic Boef Bourguignon*
Spaghetti Squash and Turkey Meatballs
Instant Pot Bone Broth*
Indian Chickpeas with Tomatoes and Onions (Chana Masala)
Melissa Clark, Dinner in An Instant
Yields: 6 servings
1 lb dried chickpeas
2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
3 onions: halved, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
3 TBS grapeseed, safflower or peanut oil
4 garlic cloves, grated on a Micriplane or minced
1 1 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 jalapeño or other green chile, seeded if desired, minced, plus more for serving
1 TBS tomato paste
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 tsp garam masala
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
This very classic Indian dish features soft chickpeas simmered in a spicy tomato gravy. Here, the dish is made entirely in the pressure cooker, beginning with the dried chickpeas and ending with the bubbling sauce. However, if it’s more convenient, you can just cook the chickpeas in the pressure cooker, preparing the sauce and finishing the dish in a skillet. That will leave your pressure cooker free for rice which is just perfect to serve underneath a pile of these fragrant, ruddy chickpeas.
1. In the pressure cooker, combine the chickpeas, 7 cups of water, 2 tsps of the salt, the onion halves, and the bay leaf. Cover and cook on high pressure for 40 mins. Allow the pressure to release naturally. if the chickpeas aren’t done, cook at high pressure for another 5 minutes, then manually release the pressure. Drain the chickpeas, reserving the broth, and return the empty pot to the pressure cooker.
2. Using the sauce function (or do this in a skillet over heat), heat the oil in the pressure cooker. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring frequently until golden brown, 10-15 minutes.
3. Stir in the garlic, ginger, jalapeño and tomato paste, and cook until fragrant, another minute. Then stir in the tomatoes, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and cook until the sauce has thickened, 1-3 minutes.
4. Stir in the garam masala, cumin, chili powder, turmeric, and remaining 1/2 tsp salt, and cook until fragrant, 1 minute; then stir in the chickpeas. If the mixture looks too thick, add a few tsps of the reserved chickpea cooking broth. Simmer for another 5 mins to let the flavors meld. Then taste, adjust the seasonings if necessary, and serve with more jalapeño on top if you like. Extra reserved chickpea broth can be frozen for up to 3 months and is an excellent substitute for chicken stock.
*For the Beef Bourguignon and the Bone Broth, pre-order the beef/bones from Rising Tide Market; ask for Ashley.
We are pleased to introduce you to our March Charity of the Month:
Glen Cove Youth Bureau.
Since 1981, the Bureau has been dedicated to providing a safe and welcoming environment to allow all youth, all families, and the entire community to achieve its potential. Each year, approximately 1,800 young people in grades K-12 participate in the year-round activities and services offered by the City of Glen Cove Youth Bureau, among them: Glen Cove After 3, an after-school and summer enrichment program for grades K–8; a Drop In Center, open to grades 1–5 every day after school and on Saturdays, and to teens in the evenings; a full-day, six-week Summer Camp; a robust Youth Employment Program and more.
There is also a Family Services Program, which provides nutritional assistance and more to 4,426 Glen Cove residents. and a Youth Council, which gives voice to the middle and high school students in the area. So much amazing programming under one roof! We are so grateful to have learned of them and to be able to bring them to you through our Charity of the Month program.
Following is a recipe from the Glen Cove Youth Bureau’s Chef’s Corner cookbook, a compilation of recipes prepared in the last year by students in the Glen Cove After 3 program:
Easy Paleo Shepard’s Pie
INGREDIENTS
Serves 4, www.paleogrubs.com
For the Bottom Layer
1 TBS coconut oil
½ large onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 TBS tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp dry mustard
¼ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground clove
For the Top Layer
1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
2 TBS ghee, melted
1 tsp spicy Paleo mustard
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Fresh parsley, to garnish
- Place a couple inches of water in a large pot. Once the water is boiling, place steamer insert and then cauliflower florets into the pot and cover. Steam for 12-14 minutes, until tender. Drain and return cauliflower to the pot.
- Add the ghee, mustard, salt and pepper to the cauliflower. Using an immersion blender or food processor, combine the ingredients until smooth. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and saute for 5 minutes. Add in the ground beef and cook until browned.
- Stir in the tomato paste, chicken broth and remaining spices into the meat mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Distribute the meat mixture evenly among four ramekins and spread the pureed cauliflower on top. Use a fork to create texture in the cauliflower and drizzle with olive oil. Place under the broiler for 5-7 minutes until the top turns golden. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.
If you’ve been trying to cut down on added sugars (yet you have a serious sweet tooth, like us!), you might wonder how you’ll get through Valentine’s Day. There are chocolates, and restaurant desserts, and the artificially colored-and-flavored-and high fructose corn syrup-heart-shaped treats your kids bring home from school. Even recipes for most homemade desserts contain plenty of added sugars.
We don’t think Valentine’s Day has to leave you with a sugar hangover for the rest of the week. This year, treat those you love to naturally-sweetened, truly delicious desserts without any refined sugar (many rely on alternative sugars such as dates and maple syrup, which contain assorted nutrients and won’t spike your blood sugar like refined white sugar, or stevia, which doesn’t spike your blood sugar at all). It’s a healthy(er) kind of love!
Raw Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake Bars
Paleo Brownies with Almond Butter
Strawberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Fudgy Chocolate Tarts
Healthier Cookie Butter
Vegan Peanut Butter and Jelly Cups
Inside Out Peanut Butter Cups
Vegan Raw Salted Caramel Slices
For years, the news on heart disease was all about saturated fat. Now, thanks in part to a 2014 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the focus has shifted off fat and onto another culprit: sugar.
(As a side note, a recent report published in JAMA Internal Medicine revealed a systematic coverup of studies that indicated sugar’s role in heart disease—a cover up that affected food policy and understanding even until today.)
According to the 2014 study, higher intake of all kinds of added sugars is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, when taking into account such variables as education level, smoking status, alcohol consumption, antihypertensive medication use, physical activity, and family history of CVD.
Exactly how excess sugar might harm the heart isn’t clear. According to Harvard Medical School, earlier research indicating that drinking sugar-sweetened beverages can raise blood pressure may be in play here. Also, a high-sugar diet may also stimulate the liver to dump more harmful fats into the bloodstream. Both are factors known to contribute to risk of heart disease. Added sugars also contribute no nutrients but many added calories that can lead to extra pounds or even obesity, another contributor to heart disease.
How Much Sugar is Okay?
Today, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends limiting the amount of added sugars you consume to no more than HALF of your daily discretionary calories allowance. For most American women, that’s no more than 100 calories per day, or about 6 teaspoons of sugar. For men, it’s 150 calories per day, or about 9 teaspoons. The AHA recommendations focus on all added sugars, without singling out any particular types such as high-fructose corn syrup.
Sneaky, Sneaky Sugar
Even when you’re being diligent, it can be difficult to avoid added sugars, especially in processed foods. In fact, there is added sugar in 74% of packaged foods (including seemingly healthy foods like salad dressing and pasta sauce.) Sugar can be called by over 50 other names, any of which will impact the body in ways similar to conventional table sugar. (Another drawback… you can safely assume that most sugar in the U.S. is genetically modified, unless it specifically says it is made from cane sugar OR it is in a product labeled non-GMO.) Here is a list of the many, many names for sugar you might run across in foods you eat every day.
RECIPE: Heart Friendly Juice
With all this talk about sugar, you might think it’s all doom and gloom. You ought to know us better than that! With just a tiny bit of planning, you can fill your life with completely delicious foods that have zero added sugar. We’ll start you off with this recipe for an amazing heart-healthy juice which we’ll be sampling at the store on Valentine’s Day! And don’t miss our story on Valentine’s Day desserts with zero refined sugar.
January is National Soup Month!
When it’s cold outside, we tend to gravitate toward warm, comforting foods like pasta, stews, and the star of the show this month: soup! Low-calorie, high-fiber soups—especially those packed with vegetables and/or beans—are super healthy, super satisfying, and can be a great tool for shedding unwanted pounds.
Following are 4 tips for making soup your best weight-loss friend this winter:
1. Homemade soups are by far the healthiest choice. The canned varieties are usually packed with sodium (can you say water retention?!) and other undesirables.
2. Broth-based soups are the way to go. Steer clear of all the cheesy and cream-based soups (bisques, chowders, etc.)…delicious but loaded with extra calories.
3. When making your own soup, don’t be afraid to load it up with veggies and lean, high-quality protein. Soup is really hard to screw up. Add lots of what you like and you can’t go wrong.
4. Start your meal with a vegetable soup. Research shows eating a low-calorie veggie soup prior to your entree can result in you consuming 20 percent fewer calories over the course of the meal. In other words, you’ll feel a little full right out of the gate, leaving less room for the foods you want to eat in moderation.
5. Use a bowl of warm, comforting soup to thwart other cravings. Choose a broth-based bean soup instead of a dense bowl of chili, or sip some bone broth instead of a sugar-filled coffee drink. You’ll scratch the same itch, with a fraction of the calories.
Bone Broth…Like a Super Soup!
You might have heard of the many health benefits of Bone broth, including reduction of inflammation and joint pain, increased bone strength, and healing leaky gut and other digestive issues, just to name a few. What you may not know is that, thanks to a healthy dose of gelatin in each serving, bone broth is REALLY filling. Sip it in the morning instead of coffee, or as an afternoon pick-me-up. And use it as the base for your favorite soups and stews. Trust us…it will keep you from craving empty-calorie snacks.
You can make your own bone broth at home; it’s really pretty easy. Or…both antibiotic- and hormone-free chicken bone broth and grass-fed beef bone broth are available every day at the Rising Tide Market Broth Bar. Lastly, EPIC Bone Broth is on sale at Rising Tide all month long: $4.79/each (reg. $6.99).
Now…Make One of Rising Tide’s Most Popular Soups at Home
Turkey Lasagna Soup
Recipe by Chef John Hill
Yield: 4 quarts
INGREDIENTS
5 lbs Roma tomatoes
2 large Spanish onions
10 cloves garlic
1 bunch basil ·(fresh)
2 TBS oregano (dry)
2 lbs turkey meat
4 oz safflower oil
1 tsp crushed red pepper
6 oz parmesan cheese
4 TBS sea salt
8 oz pasta (we use Rombi pasta)
Salt & pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Bring a large pot with 4 quarts and 4 tablespoons of sea salt to a boil.
2. Prepare the tomatoes by putting an “X” in the bottom with a knife and trimming the stem end.
3. Plunge the tomatoes into the boiling water for approximately 1 minute until the skin peels away easily. Shock in an ice water bath.
4. Once cool, peel tomatoes, skin them, and squeeze out the seeds. Rough chop tomatoes.
5. Save tomato blanching water and cook pasta until al dente. Cool.
6. Rough chop onion and garlic.
7. Add tomatoes, garlic, onion and safflower oil to a large pot. Season with salt and pepper, crushed red pepper and oregano. Cook for about 30 minutes until tomatoes break down.
8. In a separate pot, cook turkey meat, and drain excess liquid. Set aside.
9. Add tomatoes to a blender or use a stick blender. Puree until smooth, then add basil and parmesan cheese.
10. Fold in turkey meat and pasta to serve.
You’re working hard to right the diet wrongs of 2017…why throw it all away with a game day menu packed with less-than ingredients that would never make the cut any other day? Here are a bunch of healthier, but equally delicious, options to share with friends and family during the big game. Vegan noshes, too!
Chili
Ellie Krieger’s Three Been and Beef Chili
NY Times Turkey Chili
Rachael Ray Green and White Lightening Chicken Chili
Mole Chicken Chili
Snacks
Cajun Shrimp Guacamole Bites
Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Skins
Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries
Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings
Healthy Seven-Layer Dip
Vegan Goodies
Cauliflower Buffalo Wings
Pineapple Serrano Pico de Gallo
Roasted Carrot Hummus
Twice Baked Potato Bites
Sriracha Roasted Chickpeas
Dessert Bites
Chocolate Dipped Apricots
Apple Nachos
No-Bake Brownies with Chocolate Ganache
With such a carefully curated meat department, we need to be super selective about which vendors we bring in to the store, and which products we feel will best serve our customers. The Piggery, based just a few hours north in Ithaca, NY, meets every single one of our requirements for a local, artisanal vendor—and then some! And while you’re falling in love with their Nitrate Free, Pasture Raised Uncured Pig Dogs or like us, their Rosemary Thyme Rubbed Pastured Pork Chops (see recipe below!), you should know that people behind the pigs are as lovely as their meat is delicious. We were lucky enough to chat with Brad Marshall and Heather Sandford—husband-and-wife owners of The Piggery—to get their take on how their business became what it is today, and to learn the mission behind the meat.
RT: Who IS The Piggery?
TP: The Piggery is a regionally recognized whole animal butchery located in Ithaca, NY that has been featured in Edible Brooklyn, Time Out NY, The New York Daily News, Bon Apettit and more. We’re also farmers! The Piggery Farm in Trumansburg, NY and JD Farms in Eaton, NY graze heritage pigs and turkeys on certified organic pastures and woodlots and finished on non-GMO feeds. We operate one of the smallest USDA butcher shops in the country where we handcraft meats for awesome customers like Rising Tide.
RT: What is The Piggery’s Origin Story?
TP: It’s been a long and winding journey! We’re not exactly sure how it happened either! We (Brad and Heather) moved back to Upstate NY (outside of Ithaca) in 2004 to homestead and develop our 70-acre farm. We were very interested in local/small scale farming and noticed that there was very little meat at the farmers’ market. Only frozen, poorly processed/unfamiliar cuts (like rump roasts) seemed to be available from local farms. We were already raising pigs for ourselves and thought it’d be an interesting idea to slaughter weekly, process the meat on farm under a NYS Ag & Markets license, and bring fresh meat and cured items to market. Within 6 weeks, we had a line 40 people deep at the opening bell and it hasn’t slowed since. We’ve always felt that The Piggery is a community driven project that has grown and evolved to meet the needs of our community, even though that community has grown a little geographically.
RT: What makes The Piggery stand out from other local farms/butchers/artisanal meat purveyors?
TP: We’re unique in that we’re truly a farmer-owned and operated pasture-raised/non-GMO fed farm and whole animal butchery. Not many farms have a model of following their herd from birth through final processing for the customer. We’re very focused on raising well cared for animals for over a year and producing meat that’s clean—just meat and spices—for our customer.
RT: What’s something about The Piggery that most people don’t know?
TP: Hmmmmm… I would say they probably don’t know how many hours we spend doodling on notepads trying to figure out how to use the whole animal every single week…. It’s a tricky, yet stimulating puzzle. It’s very important to us to use as much of every animal harvested from our farms as possible.
RT: What’s the latest news from The Piggery? Anything new in the pipeline we should know about?
TP: All sorts of things are happening in The Piggery-verse these days! Although we’ve always raised our animals on Certified Organic pastures with non-GMO feeds, we’re in the home stretch of being Project Non-GMO Verified which is soooooo exciting! It’s been a mountain of paperwork, but we’re so proud to support this project. We’re also updating our package with more details like Nutritional Info, Gluten Free. Antibiotic Free, Non-GMO Project Verified. We really are just a group of small farmers and didn’t realize how much customers depend on those labels. It’s taken us a little while to save up the funds for a redesign:) We’re also improving our on-farm feed mill operation which feels pretty great!
RT: When you’re not noshing on your delicious meats, what are you loving to eat right now? What are your go-to snacks on the farm?
TP: Heather’s pretty paleo these days and loves sipping on bone broth and hacking recipes with almond flour. The Thai restaurant down the street gets an awful lot of her business on cheat days:) Brad is the biggest carnivore you’ll ever meet. You’ll regularly find him wandering around the butcher shop break room gnawing on a smoked hock.
RT: Like you, so many people dream of leaving behind their urban/suburban lives for life on the farm. What advice do you have for those interested in pursuing this kind of dream?
TP: It’s as equally painful, hard, expensive, joyful, fulfilling and magical as it looks. 🙂
RT: Okay last question…at Rising Tide, our customers love your Rosemary Thyme Rubbed Pork Chops, made from The Piggery’s pasture raised heritage hogs. Any tips on preparing them to bring out their innate deliciousness?
TP: I LOVE the Rosemary Thyme chops. If the weather gods are kind to us, they’re great on a grill. But around the holidays, when most people are cooking inside, here’s my cooking recommendation:
Put a bit of lard, grassfed butter or olive oil in your favorite cast iron skillet and warm over medium low/medium heat. Place chops in skillet for 5-10 minutes. Flip and cook other side for about 5 minutes. Use a digital meat thermometer to check temperature near the bone. When the temp is 147 degrees F, remove from heat and rest chops for 5-10 minutes.
If you have a little extra time…. sautee some onions in lard, butter or olive oil until translucent. Add some fresh or re-hydrated mushroom slices, a bit of heavy cream, and fresh or dried rosemary to make a luscious sauce to top your chops. Enjoy!
For many bakers, food coloring plays an important role in making holidays prettier, more festive and a lot more fun. If you hesitate to use commercial food coloring filled with artificial food dyes, you’re in good company; consumer watchdog CSPI says artificial food dye can cause everything from hyperactivity and allergic reactions to cancer. (The group is actually calling for the government to ban three of the most common dyes. See how Europe took steps back in 2010 to rid its food supply of the toxic dyes.)
This year, choose food coloring you can feel great about. We’re so excited about the beautiful Holiday Tree Sprinkle Set from Color Kitchen Foods, along with their toxin-free icing in green, yellow, blue, orange and pink. All Color Kitchen products are made with simple ingredients, including pigments from vibrant plant sources like turmeric, spirulina, beet, radish, cabbage, and annatto. Plus, they’re vegan, gluten free, non-GMO and contain no hydrogenated oils. Just good, clean colors to magically transform all your holiday baking.
Here are some treats you can make this holiday season with your Color Kitchen Foods icing and sprinkles. YUM!
Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies (recipe from the photo on this post)
Candy Cane Mousse
Hanukkah Cutout Cookies
Gingerbread Cookies with Royal Icing
Red Velvet Cheesecake
The holiday season is a magical time of the year—but can also be a wasteful one. The time period from Thanksgiving-New Year’s has a huge environmental impact in terms of water use, greenhouse gases and land disturbance caused by the production of some of our favorite holiday treats and staples. The good news? If we take even tiny steps toward reducing our footprint this holiday season, the results an go a very long way. (FUN FACT: If every family reused just two feet of holiday ribbon, the 28,000 miles of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the Earth!).
Here are some easy ‘green’ shifts to consider this year:
DIY Gifts. If you’ve been given a homemade gift lately, you know how special it feels to receive such a treat. Keep it simple, keep it healthy, and keep it from the heart this holiday season.
Gifts in a Jar
Edible Food Gifts
Gifts Kids Can Make
Or…buy eco-friendly gifts. Resist buying gifts that will end up in a landfill. Purchase Earth-forward gifts that will improve the life of the recipient without harming the planet. Some of our favorites:
Use recycled wrapping paper. Did you know traditional gift wrap is not always recyclable? Reusing and recycling materials you find around the house (paper grocery bags, magazines, newspapers, old bits of fabric) is a better (and free!) way to go—at least your wrap served a purpose at one time. Or purchase reusable wrap like this.
Make your own decorations. Most of these DIY decoration ideas—based on recycling and upcycling what you have at home and foraging for what you don’t—cost next to nothing to make and are fun family activities (with a subtle environmental message attached!).
Use LED holiday lights. A household with an extravagant Christmas light display will spend enough money to heat and power an average house for six weeks, and produce 882 pounds of carbon dioxide. Save energy and reduce harmful CO2 emissions by purchasing LED (light emitting diode) lights this holiday season. LED lights are pricier, but they last longer and use 80 percent less energy than conventional lights. Solar lights—charged on a sunny winter day and glowing by night—are also a better bet, and require no electricity source.
Buy an organic tree. Like conventionally grown produce, the pesticides used on conventionally grown Christmas trees have been associated with a range of health issues including cancer, birth defects, asthma and more. Find an organic Christmas tree farm on Long Island/NY State, then make sure you dispose of it the right way.
Don’t waste food. Americans throw away roughly $165 billion in uneaten food every year, according to government data. To help combat all this waste, the NRDC’s Save the Food Campaign has come up with a dinner party food calculator…just in time for the holidays. Make what you need, eat what you make.
Enjoy your holidays! And if you start a new holiday habit with an eye on the environment, post it on Instagram, and tag Rising Tide Market. We’d love to see what you’re up to! Little changes can go a long way…
You pick your own, you carve it, you clean out the goo and roast the yummy seeds. But what else can your pumpkin do? Turns out pumpkin is one of the healthier things you’ll eat this fall. Packed with antioxidants, Vitamins A and C, fiber, and omega-3s, pumpkin is much more than just its gorgeous orange flesh. And what feels more like fall than eating pumpkin (or drinking it, as in the case of the pumpkin spice latte from vegan heavyweight Oh She Glows)?
Make this fall the pumpkiny-est ever with this awesome collection of recipes (note: fresh pumpkin is not required for most of these recipes. A high-quality canned pumpkin puree like the one from Farmer’s Market is more than adequate in almost every case.)
Don’t have time to whip up your own pumpkin-coctions? Rosie’s homemade Pumpkin Spice Pudding and Brian’s Pumpkin Protein Smoothie are right here at Rising Tide Market, in the grab and go case by the Deli.
BREADS & MUFFINS
Savory Pumpkin-Sage Muffins
Alton Brown’s Pumpkin Bread
ENTREES
Chipotle Pumpkin Veggie Burger
Pumpkin Chickpea Hot Pot
BREAKFAST
Pumpkin Spice Latte Quinoa Breakfast Casserole
Pumpkin Spice Pancakes (vegan)
Pumpkin Waffles (dairy)
VEGAN
Pumpkin Pie Tarts
Pumpkin Spice Latte with Salted Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Pumpkin Spice Latte Chocolate Pudding Cake
Everyone who makes lunches—for themselves or their kids—knows what a hassle it is to make meals (every day!) that are well-rounded, healthy and most elusive of all…enjoyable to eat. Try as we may, time and creativity can be hard to come by in the midst of work, carpools, homework and other obligations.
Yet…the facts are in. School lunch is not something to be overlooked or undervalued. Among the many, many studies about school lunch, a recent paper out of U.C. Berkeley demonstrated that school districts serving healthier lunches had higher test scores. A direct correlation. If these districts can improve test scores by jacking up nutrition content, imagine what you can accomplish from your kitchen at home?
It All Starts With an Idea
As with most things in life, the first step is inspiration. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has put together some great tips for cleaning up your school lunches in terms of ingredients and sustainability (zero-waste lunch, anyone?). Pinterest is a well-spring of innovative lunch items, as is this article on bento-box lunches, and this one from Bon Appetit. 100 Days of Real Food has loads of ideas for real healthy lunches, made with real clean ingredients. Peruse the articles, then come in to Rising Tide to stock up for the first few weeks of school. We’ve got a whole lot of back to school snacks and more on sale in August; you may find your child’s favorite new treat amongst them.
Not yet sold? This article from the NY Times does a great job illustrating how far a few solid, healthy school meals can go in the life of an impoverished child.
Here are a few more back-to-school recipes to get you started:
Carrot Applesauce Muffins
Hummus Wrap
Creamy (Vegan) Tomato Rice Soup (Thermos lunches are the bomb! Or try our Lifefactory glass storage containers…on sale this month!)
Peanut Butter Stuffed No-Bake Cookie Bites
**Post and WIN!**
What’s YOUR favorite lunch to pack for work or school? Post it on our Instagram and you’ll WIN 2, 8oz reusable round storage containers from Preserve—perfect for all your on-the-go snacks. Just come in and show us your post…the containers are yours!
For omnivores, a traditional July 4th BBQ means burgers, hot dogs, and other meaty treats. Think out of the (butcher’s) box this summer, and you’ll be healthier for it.
You might have heard: grilling meat at high temps can cause nasty, carcinogenic heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to form. That char you love so much on your grilled chicken? Once your meat reaches that level of blackness, the protein has literally transformed into a whole different, cancer-causing chemical.
All You Need Is a Few Good Marinades
If meat IS on your summer grilling menu, there are ways to reduce its harmful byproducts. The simple act of marinating can reduce the concentration of HCAs by up to 99%! The trick is to choose a marinade without added sugars (store-bought commercial barbecue sauces are the worst), preferably one that’s thin and vinegar-based (beer and olive oil can also cut down on carcinogens). As an added bonus, add some herbs from the mint family (basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savory, marjoram, oregano and thyme); they’re rich in antioxidants that can counteract any carcinogens created by grilling. Check this out for more on safer meat grilling.
Or better still…go veggie this 4th! Grilling provides a smoky twist to seasonal produce (and man, is this season’s produce amazing).
And we’re not just talking veggies…grilling fruits is healthy way to soften, sweeten and bring out all their lovely juices. Having friends over? Provide a whole bunch of fruits (peaches, plums, pineapple, bananas and more) and let each person kabob and grill their own picks.
When deciding which fruits and veggies to throw on the grill, keep in mind the Dirty Dozen—those items plagued with the greatest amount of harmful pesticides.
NY Times Grilling Essentials
Tips for Grilling Veggies
How to Avoid Mistakes When Grilling Veggies
Best Fruits to Grill
Amazing Grilled Fruit Recipes
Whether it’s at the beach or a park or your own backyard, there’s nothing better than dining outdoors.
Here are some of the best places to lay your blanket on Long Island, along with some excellent tips for staging a terrific event.
DO’s and DON’Ts for the Perfect Picnic
DO’S
DO choose a good location. If it’s a romantic picnic, select a spot with significance to the two of you, or a spot with a pretty view. For a family picnic, make sure there’s lots of room for kids to run around (preferably on a playground, field, etc.).
DO pick a theme. It will give both you and your guests a chance to get deliciously creative.
DO pack cheese, fruit, bread, crackers, salad, cold chicken, sweets, and other foods that will be easy to pack and serve.
DO organize a potluck picnic. Be sure to delegate so you don’t have five pasta salads or cut-up watermelons.
DO devise a meal plan ahead of time so you aren’t digging in your refrigerator at the last minute.
DON’TS
DON’T bring ice cream or foods that can easily spoil.
DON’T make it complicated, or bring anything with too many moving parts (i.e. nothing you have to cut with a knife!). Simple is best.
DON’T feel like you have to spend a ton of money to make a great picnic. Homemade dishes are your best bet for keeping costs down. Check out the ton of great picnic recipes below.
DON’T worry about having a fancy picnic basket. A cardboard box works fine, as does any insulated bag.
DON’T forget the vino! Rising Tide carries a 64oz HydroFlask growler that can hold two full bottles of rosé. Toast to summer with the taste of summer.
3 Themed Picnics from Mark Bittman
101 Picnic Ideas from the New York Times
Great Picnic Salads
Simple, Rustic Picnic from Ina Garten
More Easy Picnic Ideas
Margaritas, nachos, sombreros…here in the U.S. we make a big party out of this May holiday most of us know very little about.
Contrary to what a lot of us think, Cinco de Mayo does NOT celebrate Mexico’s independence from Spain, but instead, Mexico’s unlikely victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla, 1862. Mexico’s actual Independence Day is on Sept. 16th and that IS a big party in Mexico. In fact, Mexico’s partying on May the 5th doesn’t hold a candle to the one in L.A., which hosts the biggest Cinco de Mayo bash on the globe. (If we’ve piqued your interest, click here for more facts about Cinco de Mayo.)
Taste of Mexico
History aside, we DO like an excuse to serve up great-tasting goodies, Mexican-style. Here at Rising Tide we’ll have all the organic avocados you’ll need to make a truly superb guacamole, along with tortilla chips on sale from Late July, Way Better Snacks, Lundberg Family Farms and more. If you don’t want to make your own guac, just pick up some from the Deli, along with homemade pico de gallo and more. And grab some of our freshly squeezed, organic Strawberry Lemonade; nothing is tastier when mixed with some good tequila!
The egg-heavy holiday of Passover (not to mention that pesky lamb shank!) is an opportunity for Vegans to get creative. If you’re also avoiding rice, beans and corn, you have to improvise even more, but that shouldn’t stop you from having a deliciously festive holiday.
First, let’s get straight what’s allowed and not allowed, according to Jewish law. During their escape from Egypt, the Jews didn’t have time to let their bread rise and instead ate unleavened bread or matzoh, so leavened foods (chametz) are off the menu. These include bread, pasta, and any foods made with yeast, wheat, rye, barley, spelt and oats.
In addition to these restrictions, Ashkenazi Jews also stay away from other foods known as kitniyot. As mentioned above, this includes rice, corn, millet, peas, beans, legumes (including soybeans), peanuts and sesame, poppy and mustard seeds.
Even with all of these no-no’s, there are lots of ways for Vegans to go when preparing a Passover menu. Quinoa, for example, is not considered a grain (it’s actually a very versatile berry!), and can make a wonderful pilaf. Traditional pasta is no good, but veggie noodles are; get that spiralizer out for a delicious “noodle” dish everyone will love. Do without chopped liver? Never, when you can improvise with this savory mushroom cashew dip.
Check out these Vegan Passover primers from the NY Times and onegreenplanet.com, and a whole bunch of other recipes we think you’ll love. A Zissen Pesach (Happy Passover!) to you and yours. (Don’t forget your Passover staples! While you’re shopping for the ingredients to make your fabulous Vegan seder, pick up your organic Manischewitz Matzo and organic Kedem grape juice.)
Mushroom Cashew Dip (faux chopped liver)
Quinoa Veggie Pilaf
Noodles with Avocado Herb Pesto
Spinach Potato Matzah Gratin
No-Bake Chocolate Macaroons
Sweet Potato Kugel
To gift an Easter basket to someone who loves you is one of the holiday’s simple pleasures. And it doesn’t need to be stacked with all kinds of avoidables—high fructose corn syrup, food dye, sugar, sugar, sugar—to be something special. We’ve got everything you need to create a thoughtful Easter basket that’s plenty sweet, but with a healthy twist.
Chocolate
Start with the main event. When it comes to Easter chocolate, don’t settle for less than the best. We’ve got organic Lake Champlain Chocolates in every shape and form: chocolate bunnies, chocolate, peanut butter and caramel Easter eggs, chocolate carrots, and milk and dark chocolate truffles and more. Everything is beautifully wrapped and ready for its Easter close up.
Candies & Other Treats
Equally delicious (and still made without any preservatives or chemical food dyes) are organic lollipops and gummies from Yum Earth, and organic jelly beans from Surf Sweets. Mint and Red Velvet Snowballs (in the case near the Deli) by local baker Pleasant Petites are colorful (and tasty!) enough to grace the prettiest Easter basket, and are Vegan, gluten free and organic. Colorful candy coated chocolate peanut candies by Sunspire can be found in our Bulk section, as can organic trail mix—the crunchy nuts and seeds cut nicely through all the sweet treats. Go a little crazy and add a few pieces of fruit—oranges or small containers of organic pomegranate arils are bright and fresh and packed with disease-fighting antioxidants.
Colored Eggs
Add a rainbow of colors with hardboiled eggs decorated with a non-toxic dye kit by Color Kitchen; then get creative serving up the leftover eggs. We’ve also got colored frosting and rainbow sprinkle kits for beautiful Easter cakes cupcakes.
Surprise Items
Lastly, personalize the basket with some fun, non-edible items. For small children, stickers, erasers, stuffed bunnies, watercolor paints and coloring books, small puzzles and Play Doh (comes in an egg!) are always a hit. Treat tweens and teens to chemical-free Pogo Lip Balm from Eco Lips in fun, bright colors; colorful stainless steel water bottles from Hydro Flask and Life Factory, spring-themed candles from Big Dipper Wax Works, and our favorite Easter basket add-in: our top-selling flossing toothbrush from SoFresh.
Once you’ve assembled your healthier Easter basket, gift it to someone you love…and have a wonderful Easter!
As St. Paddy’s Day approaches, you might be thinking about how you can get festive, bright green foods on your table (and in the kids’ lunchboxes, etc.) without toxic food dyes (linked to hyperactivity, allergic reactions and tumor growth—and banned in Europe). Here are some fun St. Paddy’s Day alternative snacks, desserts and entrees, using naturally green goodies like spinach, avocado, kale and more (your kids don’t need to know what’s in them!), plus a DIY food dye that can be used in a million creative ways.
Green Muffins
Avocado Frosting
Kale Chips with Chile and Lime
Great, Green Potato Skins Appetizer
Vegan Basil-Walnut Pesto
DIY Green food coloring
Traditional soda bread contains just flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk. Depending on the baker, you’ll find loads of variations on that theme including brown breads, dessert breads, and the classic Irish-American version with raisins and caraway seeds—the one you’ll find in most U.S. bakeries. If you’re a DIY bread maker (and this one is easy…no kneading!), play around with different recipes this St. Paddy’s Day, and see which one you like best. Or come into Rising Tide St. Paddy’s Day week and try ours (we make Irish Soda Bread scones, and they are FANTASTIC).
NY Times Skillet Soda Bread
Irish Brown Bread
Soda Bread with Dark Chocolate and Candied Orange Peel
Gluten-free Irish Soda bread
It’s almost spring…time to RENEW, to dig out from the piles of dirt and clutter we accumulated over the winter and get everything glowing again.
Are your cleaning products as healthy as your diet? According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit environmental research organization, 53 percent of cleaning products they reviewed contained lung-harming ingredients; 22 percent have been shown to cause asthma. In addition, carcinogens like formaldehyde and chloroform were found in several cleaners.
DIY Cleaning
In an effort to minimize the negative effects of chemical cleaners in your own home, common household items can be great substitutes. Here are some must-haves to keep in your DIY cleaning supplies arsenal. Stock up on the basics, then use these simple recipes to create everything you need to make your house sparkle, naturally.
Lemon: Super effective against household bacteria (and smells fresh and lovely!)
Olive Oil: Makes a great base for leather furniture cleaner and more
White Vinegar: Safely cuts through grease, and removes mildew, odors and stains
Baking Soda: The ultimate green cleaning weapon—cleans, deodorizes and scours
Tea Tree Oil: An excellent natural disinfectant and natural mold fighter
Make These Products Extinct
Once you’ve greened up all your necessary products, let’s dump the ones the EWG says we don’t need anymore, EVER. These include:
- Air fresheners (open windows instead, or diffuse your favorite essential oils)
- Anti-bacterial products, which can spur the rise of antibiotic resistant superbugs. Good old soap and H2O does the trick every time!
- Fabric softener or dryer sheets. Instead, use wool dryer balls or add a little vinegar to the rinse cycle.
- Drain cleaners (use a plunger or snake instead) and oven cleaners (make an inexpensive paste of baking soda and water).
What is better on a cold winter day than a steaming, comforting, filling hot bowl of SOUP? The only thing better is a soup made from scratch, and being around to enjoy the warm, savory aromas while it cooks.
Let’s clear one thing up from the start: making soup is NOT difficult. Aside from some chopping and stirring, it virtually cooks itself, makes a large quantity, and freezes like a charm.
Start off a meal with a helping of soup and studies show you’ll feel fuller, longer. Make your own stock (so easy!) or bone broth (great for digestion and immunity) and you up the nutrition ante on any recipe you use. (If you don’t have time to make your own, there are some great bone broths at the store, located in the refrigerator case across from the Deli.)
We’ve got a bunch of recipes here for you, but don’t feel like you have to follow them to the letter. The nature of soup is that it is very forgiving. Change nearly all the ingredients and it will still taste wonderful!
A NY Times Guide to Making Soup
10 Bloggers Share Their Favorite Soup Recipes
17 Soups to Make and Eat All Week Long
Jamie Oliver’s Gorgeous Winter Soups
Recipe: Beef Bone Broth
Bon Appetit: Homemade Veggie Stock
Snacks. You love ‘em and you hate ‘em. But either way, you’re most likely having them. According to one study, some 90 % of adults surveyed admitted to snacking at least once daily; 50% nosh 2-3x/day. But what, exactly, are we noshing on? And are we serving our bodies in a way that helps us to stay healthy, strong and satiated? If your snack is too carb heavy, the answer is no—all you’ll get from that is the inevitable sugar crash an hour down the line.
We’ve all been there, and we get it. That’s why when we’re really on our game, we opt for snacks that meet a few key criteria: a) convenience (it’s got to be grab and go for us!), b) a healthy mix of fat, protein and carbs for satiety, strength and blood sugar regulation, and c) it’s got to be tasty.
Make this the year of the no-bake protein bite. A breeze to whip up (most take 15 minutes or less), made from only whole foods, and unlike some other healthy snacks really delicious, they’re the answer to our snack prayers. Plus there are so many different kinds, you’ll never get bored. We’ve included a few recipes here, but there are hundreds of others online (do a search for “protein balls” or energy bites”). Have one or two when you’re in a slump, and they’ll keep you full until your next meal. With zero guilt.
Coconut Lime Energy Bites
Superseed Protein Chocolate Bites
Bluberry Muffin Energy Balls
Raw Protein Energy Balls
It’s common knowledge…the amount of holiday cheer you’ll enjoy is directly related to the quality of your TREATS! Whatever you celebrate in December, you’ll want to get your hands on some holiday-specific goodies that’ll really make your season bright. You really want your stuff to sparkle? Make them yourself.
Cookies
Take a cue from Martha herself and keep it simple with this assortment of kitchen-tested recipes. Come into Rising Tide for all your baking staples, including a ton we’ll have on sale this month for the occasion.
Hanukkah Love
It’s Jewish tradition to eat fried foods in commemoration of the miracle of the Temple oil. Two must-haves on the Festival of Lights: Potato Latkes and Jelly Donuts (sufganiyot).
Warming Cocktails
Ensure your guests are nice and toasty; round out your holiday nosh with a festive hot drink (preferably with a fairly serious hit of booze!). Here are some stylishly delicious options from the folks at Saveur.
Whatever you do, and whatever you serve…we hope all your holiday festivities are healthy, safe, and filled with joy!
For all our vegan friends out there, we’ve got your back this holiday season! We checked in with Alyson, our Assistant Store Manager (and one of Rising Tide’s resident vegans) to see what ingredients she uses to make all the magic happen for her family on Christmas.
Here are some vegan MUST-HAVES…from Alyson’s holiday table to yours:
If you have any questions about how to “veganize” your traditional holiday favorites, just ask! We have all kinds of ideas for simple swaps that’ll make your holiday meet YOUR needs.
