Store of the Week: Swarthmore Co-op!

Hey Sol-Searchers and Sol-Mates, the time has come to announce our Store of the Week; today, we would like to acknowledge Swarthmore Co-op, in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Swarthmore Co-op stands out, not only for being a Sol Cuisine retail location, but as a grocery store that is committed to delivering local, organic and sustainable foods while also developing community outreach programs like The Real Food Festival. During this festival, the co-op joins forces with local farmers and food enthusiasts to discuss industry topics such as farming and the state of our environment and economy.

Swarthmore Co-op will be celebrating their 75^th year of business this October, having pushed through challenging economic times only to re-emerge as an establishment with deep roots that will be a long-standing neighbourhood marketplace. Over the years, the co-op’s membership has vastly grown to over 1000 owners and with such an enormous supportive foundation, Swarthmore Co-op has a bright future ahead – complete with enriched minds and bellies!

Swarthmore Co-op is open to both members and non-members alike and is located at 341 Dartmouth Ave. There you can find Sol Cuisine’s Almond Grain Burger, Mushroom Rice Burger, Spicy Black Bean Burger, Original Burger, Veggie Breakfast Patties, Organic BBQ Tofu Ribs and Organic Veggie Crumbles.

Mother’s Day Veggie Breakfast Platter

Tomorrow is mom’s big day but spoiling her doesn’t have to be complicated! While you could round up the family and drive to your local eatery, cooking a wholesome homemade meal is much more special and allows you to avoid those dreadful lineups in the morning! Yes, lineups… because you probably forgot to make reservations, now didn’t you? Well, worry not, we have a breakfast Sol-ution that will certainly make mom proud – so go ahead and breathe a sigh of relief! We have you covered with this gluten-free creation that provides all the comforts of food in the comforts of home. So, thank us later, you have a dish to prepare! (Score extra brownie points if you can surprise mom with breakfast in bed!).

To serve 4, you’ll need:

• 8 Sol Cuisine Veggie Breakfast Patties (American product here)
• 2 McIntosh apples, sliced
• Cilantro to garnish
• Dash of salt and pepper to taste

For the Gluten-Free Hash Browns:

• 2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, grated
• 3 tbsp. of chickpea flour
• ½ cup of grapeseed oil

Roasted Tomatoes:

• 2 large tomatoes, halved
• 2 gloves of garlic, minced
• A drizzle of olive oil

Roasted Red Pepper & Mustard Dip:

• 2 red bell peppers
• ½ cup of whole grain mustard

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375°F.
2. Place halved tomatoes (face up) and red peppers (face down) on a baking tray, then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic, salt and pepper.
3. Roast tomatoes for approximately 25-35 minutes, checking frequently.
4. Begin preparing the gluten-free hash browns by pressing grated potatoes in a cloth to absorb all the moisture. Mix the dried out potatoes with chickpea flour and grapeseed oil – the potatoes should be very lightly coated.
5. Pack potatoes into palm sized patties and begin frying when tomatoes have 10-15 minutes to go. To fry, add grapeseed oil in a deep pan, wait until sizzling and then dump in potato patties until cooked and golden (about 3 min. a side).
6. Cook your Sol Cuisine Veggie Breakfast Patties in a separate pan lightly drizzled with grapeseed oil for approximately 3 minutes a side, following package directions.
7. When veggies are roasted, remove peppers from tray and place into blender (skin on) along with mustard and blend until smooth – leave tomatoes in oven (off) to remain hot.
8. Place dip in a saucer with cilantro garnish.
9. Slice apples last to avoid browning.
10. Plate your dish and serve!

Sol Cuisine’s Marvelous Meatless Hash

Using our Sol Cuisine Almond Grain Burgers that are Non-GMO Project Verified, we’ve created a meatless masterpiece that makes a magical side dish for any meal! Mm-mmm-mmm… just marvelous!

To make our meatless hash (serves 4), you’ll need:

•  2 Sol Cuisine Almond Grain Burgers (American product here)
• 10-20 mini potatoes, cut into 6 or 8 small pieces
• 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• Salt, pepper, paprika and chili powder to taste
• Optional: chopped red peppers, chopped jalapeno peppers, other chopped veggies as desired…

 Directions:

1. Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a non-stick pan, add garlic, onions and cook on medium heat until translucent.
2. Add potatoes and stir-fry until cooked. (If potatoes aren’t cooking, try adding a few drops of water to your pan and putting a lid on to steam them).
3. Take potato mixture out of the pan and place in a bowl.
4. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in the pan and add your two Almond Grain burgers, coating both sides in the olive oil. Cook about 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden brown and slightly crispy. Be careful not to overcook!
5. Transfer Almond Grain burgers to a cutting board and chop them up!
6. Combine potato mixture and chopped Almond Grain burgers in the pan and season to taste.
7. Enjoy. We recommend a nice, big bowl!

Store(s) of the Week: Tons of New Whole Foods Market Locations!

Usually, we at Sol Cuisine nominate one Store of the Week but hooray for May because today we have several!

Our Store(s) of the Week are the four new Whole Foods Market regions launching our products in May. Now you can buy Sol Cuisine in most Whole Foods  locations across the States and all of them in Canada! In our books, that’s reason to celebrate (well, that the weekend has come is exciting, too)!

WE WELCOME:

The Rocky Mountain Region, where you can find our Almond Grain Burger, Mushroom Rice Burger, Original Burger and Veggie Breakfast Patties.

The Southern Region, where you can find our Almond Grain Burger, Original Burger, Spicy Black Bean Burger and Veggie Breakfast Patties.

The Mid-Atlantic Region, where you can find our Veggie Breakfast Patties.

&

The Pacific Northwest Region, where you can find our Veggie Breakfast Patties.

Specializing in high quality, organic and natural foods, Whole Foods’ many locations are great places to find our delicious, non-GMO, gluten-free and vegan options. If you need further information on where to find Sol Cuisine, send us an email at info (at) solcuisine (dot)(com) or visit the store finder on our website.

Sol Cuisine’s Blogger of the Month: Cadry from Cadry’s Kitchen!

Cadry hails from Iowa, where farmland is plentiful and vegans… a rare find. Parting ways from the “Standard American Diet”, as she puts it, Cadry not only stands out in her native hometown with her animal-protein-free diet but also in the world-wide blogosphere as an exceptionally talented cook! Visiting her blog will captivate you – the recipes are irresistible, the colours are vibrant and her voice is undeniably positive and relatable. Cadry provides useful tips for going vegan, tackles and debunks commonly held misconceptions about veganism but best of all, her focus is not on advocacy but having her vegan creations speak for themselves. And they do. Her strategic combinations are easy to re-create, offer well-balanced solutions for mealtimes and impressively explode with both flavour and colour! She truly provides something for everyone!

We have to acknowledge Cadry for her remarkable site, her collection of whimsical and instructional videos she creates with her husband and driving an hour and a half to pick up Sol Cuisine items for review! For her candid evaluation, and inspiration on how to top your Sol burger, click here (we love the way our Almond Grain Burger is featured).

For an elegant spin on tofu, try her Grilled Lemon Rosemary Tofu recipe (she even has a how-to video for this one!):

You’ll need:

• 1 package of Sol Cuisine Organic Tofu, pressed and sliced into 3 wide slices (or 6 short slices)

Marinade:

• Juice of 1 large lemon (about ¼ cup)
• 1 tbsp. tamari soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil or canola oil
• 2 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced (or 1 tsp dried)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• A few shakes (or grinds) black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a shallow pie dish or small baking dish.
2. Soak the tofu slices in marinade for 1 hour, flipping once halfway through.
3. Set the grill to a medium heat and grill slices for about ten minutes on each side or until they have nice, brown grill marks.
4. Serve with a salad, grilled vegetable skewers, barley, or on a sandwich.
5. Enjoy!