Friday Finds: December 8, 2017

Take a look at what's new at the Co-op. 

Treeline Dairy Free Cheese

Treeline Cheese is totally dairy-free. It is made of pure, wholesome cashew nuts, acidophilus culture, salt and pepper. No animals are harmed, or even touched in its production.

Blackbird Seitan

Created by award winning chef Mark Mebus of Philadelphia based Blackbird Pizzeria,  Blackbird Foods seitan is a plant based, high protein, low fat and cholesterol-free alternative to meat. 

Primo Naturale

Just in time for the holidays, create the perfect charcuterie plate with cured Italian and Spanish meats. 

Philly Co-op Coffee

Philly Fair Trade Roasters roasted this special coffee blend just for Philly co-ops! $1 of every pound will be donated to the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance. Find Philly Co-op coffee in our bulk aisle. 

Really Reel Ginger Drinks

Locally made and delicious! Really Reel Ginger drinks are gluten-free and vegan. 

9 Vegan & Vegetarian Fall Dishes That Aren’t Salad

Vegans and vegetarians rejoice. We've compiled a list of some of our favorite vegan and vegetarian dishes to serve during the holidays. 

Cranberry Pecan Skillet Stuffing

This delightful stuffing is delicious for any Thanksgiving meal. Serve it with tofu steak and mushroom gravy for vegans. Add a pan-fried tofu steak and mushroom gravy to this vegan stuffing for your favorite vegetarian Thanksgiving guest.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

These easy sweet potatoes are sure to bring compliments as a holiday side dish. The coconut milk makes them extra flavorful – and dairy-free.

Savory Stuffed Pumpkin

Celebrate fall with a savory mix of sautéed apples, garlic and sausage stuffed in pie pumpkin.

Sweet Potato and Parsnip Latkes

This tasty latke variation can be enjoyed with applesauce, chipotle sour cream, and horseradish sauce.

Parsnip Apple Soup

The tangy and sweet qualities of both parsnips and apples combine in this delicious and hearty fall soup.

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Chard & White Beans

Acorn squash is perfect for stuffing. This filling has Mediterranean flair: olives, white beans and Parmesan cheese.

Mushroom & Wild Rice Frittata

Packed with a flavorful medley of chewy wild rice and three kinds of mushrooms, this frittata is great any time of day.

Sweet Potato and Greens Gratin

This savory, vitamin-rich casserole makes a hearty accompaniment to roasted poultry or ham, or atop baked polenta.

Sweet Potato, Red Onion & Fontina Tart

Try this roasted-vegetable free-form tart as an appetizer or side for a special dinner or as a vegetarian main dish.

Meet our producers: Crust Vegan Bakery

Women-owned and operated, Crust is a vegan bakery and Mariposa favorite! Bakers Shannon and Meagan - the vegan baking queens of Philly - have been baking out of a local commissary kitchen since August 2015. Crust baked goods are free of artificial colors, flavors and preservatives. Everything is hand-made with all natural ingredients and 100% vegan.

Pre-order local Crust Vegan Bakery pies by November 19th. Remember, set your pickup location as Mariposa Food Co-op. Learn more about our holiday offerings. 

Spicy Pumpkin Jalapeño Soup

Creamy pumpkin soup is spiced up with jalapeño and a refreshing dollop of chipotle sour cream.

Ingredients

Soup

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced jalapeño, seeds removed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 cups pumpkin purée (canned or fresh cooked)
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups milk (or vegan substitute such as coconut milk)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Chipotle Sour Cream

• 8 tablespoons sour cream or vegan substitute 
• 1 teaspoon finely minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (see note)
• 1 tablespoon minced cilantro

Preparation

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion, celery, carrots and jalapeño peppers, stirring frequently, for about 10-15 minutes. Add the cumin, garlic powder, pumpkin purée, broth and milk. Bring to a simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. While the soup is cooking, blend the sour cream ingredients together in a small bowl. Place a dollop of the sour cream on each soup serving.

Serving Suggestion

Served with mulled apple cider and hearty bread, this soup goes equally well with roast pork or a spinach salad.

Tips & Notes

Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are smoked jalapeño in a tangy, slightly sweet sauce. Look for them in a small can with other Mexican condiments. They can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 6 months.

Reprinted with permission by strongertogether.coop

Apple Raspberry Nachos

Whip up these fun apple nachos for dessert or a sweet afternoon snack and don't be afraid to get creative. Toast the nuts and coconut, replace the nuts with granola or crushed graham crackers, drizzle the apples with honey or caramel sauce, top with ice cream, sprinkle with cinnamon. If you have extra raspberry sauce, swirl it into the yogurt dip.

Ingredients

• 1 cup frozen or fresh raspberries

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

• 2 large Honeycrisp apples, halved, cored and sliced thin

• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped

• 2 tablespoons shredded coconut

• 2 tablespoons plain or vanilla yogurt

Preparation

In a small pot, simmer the raspberries and maple syrup for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the raspberry sauce from the heat and pour into a small container through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds. (Tip: Use the back of a heavy spoon to push the raspberry sauce through the strainer.) Set aside the finished sauce. Melt the chocolate chips either in a double boiler or by microwaving for about 3 minutes on low, in a microwave-safe bowl. To build the nachos, spread out or overlap the apple slices on a platter or large plate. Lightly drizzle the apple slices with the melted chocolate and raspberry sauce, sprinkle pecans and coconut over the top, and serve with yogurt as a dipping sauce.

3 Reasons Why We Love Alaffia

We're excited to introduce Alaffia's new face care!

Alaffia's body care is not only an amazing product, but their mission is more than skin deep. Find three reasons why we love Alaffia below.

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Coconut Reishi products use nutrient rich herbs to replenish the skin's moisture barrier for all skin types.

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Neem Tumeric face care blends active herbs to sooth and clarify oily/acne prone skin.

1. Alaffia is a cooperative.

Alaffia works with Togolese women’s cooperatives that celebrate their members’ unique skills, traditions and knowledge.

2. Fair wages are a priority.

Employees receive fair wages and are able to support their families, while maintaining traditions and managing a sustainable resource: shea butter. Fair for Life: Social & Fair Trade Certification confirms Alaffia meets standards concerning fair working conditions, environmental performance and community relations.

3. Empowerment is valued over profit.

Alaffia’s success is not simply measured by profit, but rather empowerment. Their goal is to alleviate poverty and encourage gender equality, through empowerment projects focusing on education, improving health and reforestation.

3 ways to detox using activated charcoal

Activated charcoal, sometimes referred to as activated carbon, has a long history of use throughout the world. Dating as far back as 400 BCE to purify water, research suggests activated charcoal may support total body cleansing due to its highly absorptive properties. 

Derived from non GMO coconut shells, our new activated charcoal powder makes a great base for these 3 easy detox tips. 

1. Create a skin mask

Add water or apple cider vinegar to create a paste. 

2. Create a toothpaste

Add water or apple cider vinegar to create a paste. This paste will also brighten your teeth!

3. Add to a glass of water

Your water may turn black, but it's tasteless.  

Activated charcoal is highly absorbent and may reduce the effectiveness of some medications or nutritional supplements. Use product as directed on the product label. 

Friday Finds: August 11, 2017

Take a look at what's new at Mariposa Food Co-op. 

Vegan Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Pints

Vegans rejoice! Ben & Jerry's vegan pints are here. 

Conebella Farms Cheese Curds

Produced locally in Elverson, PA with milk from Ayrshire cows, these curds are great in the kitchen for frying or melting but also fresh out the container with some salami and crusty bread in the shade of your favorite tree on a West Philly summer's day.

Sunbeam 'Bug Me Not' Candles

Keep the bugs away with these candle tins and votives. Try citronella cedar wood and eucalyptus, lemongrass, cedar. 

Heritage Store Black Castor Oil

100% natural and unrefined. Nourishes dry skin and hair. Warm it up as a massage oil for joints, muscles and skin.

Solaray Activated Coconut Charcoal Powder

We're happy to introduce charcoal powder to our shelves! Derived non-GMO, food-grade, coconut shell, Solaray coconut charcoal powder is great for a digestive detox, skin care and oral care. 

DIY Quick Pickles

Pickling can be just that—a pickle. True pickling is an ancient miracle for food preservation, but involves a drawn-out fermentation process requiring canning equipment, sterilization procedures and a whole lotta waiting around.

But, did you know that there’s a fast and easy way to preserve and chill your fresh garden veggies? Follow these quick pickling steps for those of you not ready to go all in. 

1. Pick your pickle

Although cucumbers are the most common for pickling, you can pickle almost any vegetable such as baby carrots (not the bitty mature carrots which you find in packages, but miniature immature ones with the skin still on), shallots, onion, asparagus, cauliflower, green beans, zucchini, okra, and beyond. The fresher and crispier the produce, the better the final product.

2. Prep the potion

The main ingredient in pickle brine is vinegar. White vinegar is most common, but you can also use cider vinegar or wine vinegar. Balsamic is not recommended as it’s too syrupy. Combine 1 cup vinegar with 1/2 cup water in a saucepan. Instead of diluting the vinegar with water, try including a 1/2 cup of white or brown sugar with a dash of cinnamon.

Add a few pinches of salt. Salt draws moisture out of the vegetables and encourages the growth of useful bacteria. 

5. Spice it up 

This is where it gets fun. Many "pickling spice" blends are available and work beautifully, but consider a visit to the bulk aisle at your local food co-op to customize your blend. Mustard seed, dill seed, dry coriander seed, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, black peppercorns and garlic are all great places to start.

Combine all the ingredients in the saucepan, stir to dissolve, and bring to a boil.

3. Prep your veggies

Trim off any inedible pieces of your vegetable (e.g., the ends of green beans or root ends of onions). If you're cutting your vegetables into pieces, make sure they're all about the same size for pickling consistency.

Leeks and carrots make great pickled veggies.

4. Submerge and chill

Place your vegetables in a clean, dry container. Glass jars are the best because they won’t absorb any odors from the pickles.

Pour the boiling brine into the jar and submerge the veggies completely (you can add water to bring up the level if needed). Refrigerate for at least one hour and let the brine work its charms. The longer you brine, the tastier the pickle.

Depending on your veggie, quick pickles will keep in the fridge for weeks to a few months. 

Reprinted by permission from StrongerTogether.coop. Find articles about your food and where it comes from, recipes and a whole lot more at www.strongertogether.coop.
 

Pineapple Green Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 4 cups spinach leaves, washed
• 1 cup pineapple chunks, drained
• 1 medium frozen banana, sliced

Preparation

Place ingredients in a blender in the following order: milk, yogurt, spinach, pineapple and banana, and secure the lid. Blend on high until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve immediately.

Serving Suggestion

For a thicker smoothie, use frozen pineapple chunks as well as the sliced, frozen banana. Make your own frozen fruit for smoothies by cutting up fresh pineapple and bananas and freezing the pieces on a baking sheet; then transfer to a zip-close bag for storage. Drained canned pineapple freezes just as well as fresh.

Reprinted by permission from StrongerTogether.coop. Find articles about your food and where it comes from, recipes and a whole lot more at www.strongertogether.coop