As my diet has became more restrictive over the years due to food intolerances, dark chocolate has continued to be my sweet treat of choice because it is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free. This makes it a dessert my taste buds and belly can enjoy. Chocolate is also not too sweet and is packed with antioxidants to boot. I am sharing three of my favorite chocolate shops I love to order from online and hope you can try them too! 

Fine & Raw

Daniel Sklaar started making small chocolate batches out of a Brooklyn loft and delivering them on his bicycle to local purveyors. Everything is ethically sourced and plant-based, including their truffles!

I was ecstatic to be able to indulge in eating a dairy-free truffle after many years of sadly turning down offerings of them at chocolate shops and holidays. They are packaged beautifully with a handwritten note, describing their monthly flavors. They also have a 1-3 month subscription option where you can receive a 15% discount.

My favorite of their handmade bars is their 70% sea salt bar. Their ingredients are always very clean. For example, this bar contains: organic cacao, organic coconut sugar, organic cacao butter, and sea salt. They also make a great hazelnut chocolate butter spread! 

Dandelion Chocolate Company 

This San Franciscan company makes exquisite single-origin bean-to-bar chocolates. Their bars only contain cocoa beans and organic cane sugar. They sort, roast, crack, winnow, grind, conch and temper small batches of beans. With this minimal approach, these small batches aim at highlighting the individual nuances of each cocoa bean. 

Dandelion work with a variety of cocoa farmers and producers so there are frequently new bars to taste from different parts of the world. There are also descriptions of the farm and the tasting notes are on each bar. For example, on the bar from Semuliki, Uganda, the tasting notes described are cacao fruit nectar, banana and cream cheese. 

I have moments of mindfulness with these bars by as I allow each square to melt in my mouth and appreciate the bean’s unique qualities. They’re also very rich and a little goes along way.

Inuru

I absolutely love Inaru’s seasonal flavors, such as the 66% vanilla and chamomile bar, which has flavors infused by hand. Their bars are made by pure and minimal ingredients with a base of cacao beans, cane sugar, and cocoa butter. Inaru has an equally great origin story. Inaru was created by two passionate sisters, Janett and Erika Liriano, who moved from New York to their father’s cacao farm in Santa Domingo. 

Their mission is to transform the finest organic cacao into the finest chocolate. They want to help ensure the rich Argo-forests of their heritage land, where the majority of organic cacao in grown in the world, will stay for generations to come. Inaru funds regenerative farming, expansion and tools. They also rightfully share its profits with farmers who grow the bean. You can feel guilt-free about the chocolate you’re enjoying, knowing the Inaru team is following good practices and you’re consuming quality ingredients.

Jcoo

I love the delightful flavors this company offers, which are always wrapped with whimsical colors. Two selections I’ve ordered on repeat include boharat spice and orange blossom espresso. This company also has an inspiring origin story. Jean Thompson courageously opened Jcoco in after an earthquake that destroyed  Seattle Chocolate Company’s original factory, with a goal of feeding hungry families with their bars. With each Jcoco purchase, they donate fresh servings of food to those in need through partnerships with food banks in Washington, California, and New York.

The post 4 Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Producers You Want to Know appeared first on Feeling Yum.

OT Feeding Therapy Tips:

Ages 9 months-1.5 years: Both dips are purees that you could share with your little ones. When mixing the ingredients for the guacamole dip, reserve a portion to the side for your baby that does not include added salt or Serrano peppers. When blending the salsa, reserve a portion without the added salt, Anaheim and Serrano pepper. Serve a very small portion (i.e. ⅛ teaspoon) if introducing peppers for the first time. If you are serving the jicama to a child under the age of two, you could steam them until the strips are soft and serve them mashed or in wedge pieces.

Ages 2 years+: If you have any picky eaters at home, get them involved in the cooking process, such as having your child help mash and mix the avocado. When preparing the salsa, your child could use a and add chopped ingredients to the blender. When the child is old enough, they could help prepare the ingredients by helping chop them with a child-safe knife.

Products Used in This Video

Nuvo Olive Oil: The Early Harvest-Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Jacobsen Sea Salt: Pure Kosher Sea Salt

Tortilla Chips: Siete Maiz Sea Salt Totopos Corn Tortilla Chips

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Stores Visited

Antojitos Latinos Market:

25381 Alicia Parkway Laguna Hills, CA 92653

Whole Foods Market:

23932 Aliso Creek Road Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

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Recipes

Yummy Guacamole

Serving Size:

4-6

Time:

10 min.

Difficulty:

Easy

Ingredients

• 3 ripe avocados
• ¼ red onion (depending on size)
• 1 serrano pepper (optional)
• 1 handful of cilantro
• 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (to taste)
• A drizzle of olive oil

Directions

1. Slice the avocados in half, slice the avocado in chunks, and then scoop the flesh into a bowl. Mash the avocado with a large fork until you reach a desired consistency (we showed a chunky consistency in the video).
2. Dice the red onion, thinly slice the Serrano pepper (deseeded optional), and roughly chop a handful of cilantro. Mix these ingredients into the bowl with the avocado.
3. Add 1 teaspoon of sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil to taste.

The Best Green Salsa

Serving Size:

10-12

Time:

30 min.

Difficulty:

Easy

Ingredients

• 1 pasilla pepper
• 1 Anaheim pepper
• 1 Serrano pepper (optional)
• 2 large tomatoes
• 4 tomatillos
• ½ white onion
• 1 zucchini
• 1 handful of cilantro
• 1 lime
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• A drizzle of olive oil

Directions

1. Bring water in a sauté or sauce pan to a boil. Roughly chop tomatoes, tomatillos, white onion, and zucchini. Add them to the lightly salted boiled water and cook until softened (about 8 minutes).
2. Heat an oven to 400 degrees. Deseed and slice the pasilla, Anaheim and Serrano peppers and drizzle them with olive oil and salt. Roast them for 12 min. or until lightly blistered.
3. Blend the boiled and roasted ingredients until pureed. Add 1 handful of cilantro, a drizzle or and sea salt to taste.

Jicama Strips

Serving Size:

4-6

Time:

5 min.

Difficulty:

Easy

Ingredients

• 1 medium jicama

Directions

1. Slice off the top and bottom end of the jicama root.
2. Remove the outer skin using a knife.
3. Slice the peeled jicama in half lengthwise. Cut each half in ¼ inch sticks.

The post Delicious Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Dips for Gatherings appeared first on Feeling Yum.

1. Melted butter —> for extra-virgin olive oil:

For cooking and baking, I will add. I used to use coconut oil but after seeing my cholesterol levels spike to borderline high, I swapped to a fresh light olive oil and never looked back. Avocado oil is my second choice, but I prefer filling up a jug of fresh pressed olive oil at the market with high polyphenol count, and using that wherever I can. Myself or anyone I have served ‘sweet’ foods to have never detected a vegetable taste. 

2. Browned butter or baking with butter —-> for Myokos Cultured Butter (unsalted)

You can also swap it for butter when baking or when a recipe calls for browned butter. 

3. Hard butter —> for Myokos Cultured Butter (salted)

Slather this goodness on toasted breads, griddled pancakes or waffles or desserts from the oven. 

4. Greek Yogurt —->  for Culina coconut yogurt

It’s so thick and creamy I love it for sweet and savory dishes. I scoop some in smoothies, top it off on a dessert masked as a whipped cream, use it as an icing topping. For savory uses I mix some with aleppo chili oil on turkish eggs, as a labneh substitute or a tzatziki. 

5. Soy milk with 1 tablespoon of vinegar —> for buttermilk

I’ve used this to make Irish soda bread multiple times and have had great success!

6. Frothed milk —> for oatmilk

Makes great lattes!

7. Cashew milk —-> for iced lattes

Makes the lattes extra creamy

8. Dairy Milk —-> Almond Milk 

This is what I used in my most day-to-day for cereal, oatmeal, etc. 

9. Mozzarella or Melted cheese —-> for Trader Joe’s Mozzarella Cashew Cheese d cheese

Don’t let mozzarella fool you, you can use it in quesadillas on baked italian dishes, pizzas

10. Fresh Cheese—-> for Kite Hill Ricotta

This is great for topping on on salads, in shakshuka, in vegan lasagna, etc. I also love eating it on it’s own with crackers!

11. Crême fraiche—> coconut milk

12. Aged Cheese —> Treeline cashew cheese (I like the garlic herb flavor)

13. Creamy dressings (vegan ranch, Caesar salad dressing)—> silken tofu or tahini

14. Creamy smoothies or chocolate mouse—> avocado

15. Sour cream—> cashew sour cream

The post No Dairy? No Problem! 15 Easy Swaps appeared first on Feeling Yum.