Author: Hannah (BitterSweet)
Author of My Sweet Vegan, Vegan Desserts, Vegan a la Mode, and Easy as Vegan Pie.
Flourish Of Trumpets
Valentine’s Day draws near, which means that love is in the air- Or is that just the aroma of a luxurious meal for two coming from the kitchen? There’s no better way to show you care than with a thoughtfully crafted dinner, if you ask me. It doesn’t even have to be about romantic love either.
Let’s not forget there’s…
- Familial love
- Platonic (friendship) love
- And perhaps most importantly, self love
…Just for starters. That’s why it’s especially important to take the day to lavish someone, anyone, with a bit of extra attention. Yes, you can totally make this gourmet plate of plant-based scallops all for yourself, and even eat it in bed, for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, too.
Trumpet mushroom scallops are an uncanny substitute for seafood, bearing a similar meaty yet delicate texture, subtle umami flavor, and equivalent rarity that make them a treat for special occasions. Forget about fussy preparation though; this vegan version comes together with minimal effort. You don’t even need to worry about them sticking to the pan while attempting that perfect high-heat sear. After marinating them in a simple, savory broth, just pop them into the air fryer, and dinner is served in no time!
Beautifully golden brown on the outside and buttery all the way through, each mock mollusk is further accentuated by a bright beet puree at the base, spiked with a touch of peppery horseradish. Green peas and pistachios lend both a gorgeous color and textural contrast to create the perfect bite.
Love Is Love
All love is valid, full stop, no excuses. Go forth and love what you eat, too.
Great GATSBY
Dark chocolate is indisputably in the running for the single most perfect food. When done right, it’s sweet but not sugary, bitter but not harsh, snappy yet creamy, intense but not overwhelming. Simply put, it’s everything good and nothing bad. How could anyone possibly improve on perfection? Try slashing the calories by over 50% so you can eat even more of it.
How Is Low Calorie Dark Chocolate Made?
Dark chocolate is already the healthiest version of this indulgent treat, containing the highest percentage of antioxidant and flavonoid-filled cacao beans.
Sugar is the primary culprit that turns this virtuous food into a diet destroyer, spiking blood sugar and wreaking havoc on your heart, nerves, mood, and more. In GATSBY chocolate, allulose replaces the bulk of the granulated sweetener for an experience that provides the same balance and body, without all the downsides to the indulgence.
Fat is the other source of contention. This one is more troubling to replace; cocoa butter is arguably the core component that makes chocolate, chocolate. Somehow, through magic and science, a combination of plant-based oil, palm oil, and corn fiber coalesce into a convincing dupe. Bringing the rich cocoa powder flavor to the fore, you get the added benefit of a considerable serving of fiber, too.
What Does GATSBY Chocolate Taste Like?
Impressive nutritional stats are one thing, but tasting is believing. GATSBY offers two dark chocolate bars: Sea Salt Extra Dark and Almond Dark. Also available for vegans and dairy-free eaters, you can choose from Oat Milk Salted Almond and Oat Milk Crunch Bars, in case your cravings skew a bit lighter and more milky. After one bite of the Almond Dark chocolate, I knew I’d have to hunt down the rest.
Imagine a thick slab of chocolate bark, riddled with tiny chopped almond pieces all the way through. Crisp, toasted nuts fill every mouthful with a comforting sort of warmth, as the cloak of cacao enshrouding them melts away. The initial bite is softer than conventional chocolate, a bit fudgy rather than snappy, but I wouldn’t call that a flaw. Rather, it’s primed to liquefy almost on impact with your tongue. If you’ve ever stolen a spoonful of solidified ganache from the cooled double boiler, this is it in bar format.
Dark chocolate of all forms will forever be an essential staple of my diet. It’s certainly nice to have an innovative option that allows for healthier hedonism.
This post was made possible as a collaboration with Moms Meet and GATSBY Chocolate. My opinions can not be bought and all content is original. This page may contain affiliate links; thank you for supporting my blog!
Wordless Wednesday: Growing Community
Well-Seasoned
While sixteen was culturally significant, seventeen is personally significant. Having just celebrated my 34th birthday last month, that means I’ve officially been blogging for half of my life.
That’s longer than most people hold down a single job. It’s longer than it takes to start and finish compulsory education. In many states, BitterSweet could have its own driver’s license by now. Time has always felt like an ambiguous, fleeting concept, but this milestone is truly mind-boggling.
Arriving at this considerable age in blogging years feels like an incredible accomplishment, but at the same time, nothing at all. There isn’t any specific way to celebrate the 17th year of life, nor the 17th year of marriage, were this an anniversary. There are no specific foods associated with the number 17 that I could find… Except for one.
Salt-free seasoning may seem like an odd way to commemorate this milestone, which is actually quite fitting given the unconventional path that brought us here. Lawry’s Salt Free 17 Seasoning was the only thing that even remotely fit the theme after tireless Googling for inspiration.
What Is Salt Free 17 Seasoning?
Leaning on a broad array of herbs and spices, along with whole vegetables, this distinctive blend was designed as a salt-substitute, boosting flavors rather than sodium. Technically, there are more than 17 ingredients all told, with a tiny sprinkle of cornstarch added to keep things dry and a pinch of citric acid for prolonged preservation. For the sake of simplicity, those don’t count in the final tally.
How Do You Use Salt Free 17 Seasoning?
How DON’T you use this incredibly versatile flavoring? I have yet to find a bad use across all savory applications. Sprinkle it on to your heart’s content, starting with a few of my favorite suggestions:
- Soups or stews
- Vegetable sides of all sorts; steamed, roasted, or sauteed
- Dips and dressings
- Popcorn
- Avocado toast
- Eggless scrambles
How To Make Dried Vegetables
You could easily toss together this whole mixture in a minute if you buy dehydrated carrots and peppers that are ready to go. Otherwise, it’s a snap to dry your own at home, albeit more time-consuming.
- Dice a red bell pepper and one or two carrots finely, keeping the cuts as consistent as possible for even drying.
- Spread them out evenly on separate sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Make sure none of the pieces are overlapping.
- Bake in the center of your oven at the lowest heat setting possible. For me, that’s 170 degrees, but your oven may be different.
- Stir every hour until the vegetables are greatly reduced in size and dry to the touch. It could take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours, depending on the size of your cuts and temperature of your oven.
- Let cool completely before using.
Ultimately, I think this seasoning blend turned out to be the perfect way to kick off the 17th year of life for my darling BitterSweet blog; they both make everything taste just a little bit better.
Nourishing Community
Hungry For A Change
Hunger is something everyone can relate to. Some are fortunate to experience it as a fleeting sensation, a gentle reminder, but others feel it deeply, relentlessly, oppressively. While hunger is a huge issue worldwide, it’s a pressing issue here at home, too. In such a food-obsessed culture, it’s easy to focus more on the haves than have-nots and miss such glaring problems affecting our friends, neighbors, and family.
1 in 7 Central Texans are at risk, only 7% of which are unhoused, while food waste is rampant at every level of production and distribution. That old model doesn’t stand a chance, especially if The Central Texas Food Bank has anything to say about it.
The Fight Against Hunger
Serving over 60,000 people every week across 21 counties equivalent to the size of Massachusetts, I was lucky enough to get an inside view of the operations. Headquartered a short drive from downtown Austin, this hub of activity thrums with a whole different sort of energy. At any given time, a half dozen forklifts are buzzing through the immense maze of the warehouse, stacked from floor to ceiling with pantry staples, while semitrailers unload directly into the walk-in fridge and freezer, each bigger than the average gymnasium. You could easily get lost in the 135,000 square foot facility without a guide or a map.
A Fresh Approach To Food Assistance
It’s not all dry beans and pasta, though. Contrary to the common misconception, there’s a selection of fresh produce here that could put a mid-tier grocery store to shame. In fact, over a quarter of the food items moving through this building are fresh fruit and vegetables. Much of that is rescued, prevented from going into landfills for petty reasons like blemishes, odd sizes, or simply oversupply. Over 28 million pounds of produce was saved from that fate, putting into the hands of those who need it most.
From Field To Fork
That alone makes a huge impact, but that’s not enough. The Central Texas Food Bank is committed to uprooting the old system from the ground up, quite literally. Just beyond the loading docks lay two extensive gardens: One for teaching, one for larger production.
They’ve truly though of everything, including wheel chair-accessible raised beds, examples of container gardens for those without yards, and a classic “pizza garden” to appeal to kids. It feels like such a rare and beautiful opportunity to connecting with nature, providing both education and inspiration to grow your own food, no matter the circumstances.
Culinary Inspiration And Innovation
Let’s not overlook the commercial kitchen, preparing meals for the community while providing culinary training for job placement at the same time. It becomes a self-sustaining system, but only with the proper support. Volunteers are the heartbeat of the operation, sorting donations in the warehouse, distributing it through mobile pantries, delivering it to those without transportation, and more. There are plenty of hands on deck during the holidays, but there’s a continuous need throughout the year. There’s never a bad time to help, no matter how much or how little, because time is an incredibly precious resource too.
The Central Texas Food Bank gives me a profound sense of hope. There’s such unwarranted shame and stigma that remains surrounding the issue of hunger at large which is detrimental to absolutely everyone. Who wins when so many suffer? This operation is proof that it doesn’t have to be that way. Anyone that needs help, gets help. With this revolutionary approach, it is possible to stop hunger in its tracks and nourish the community.
