Citrus is just what we need to shake off the heavy, dark days of winter. Lately we’ve been tucking juicy segments of orange here, squeezing limes there, and scattering lemon zest — well — everywhere. These fruits provide the Spring cleaning we need after months of hearty, warm, stick to your-ribs fare. True, not everyone is seeing the brisker months melt away like us Californians, but no matter where you are, Spring is just around the corner, and the recipes below will help usher it in.

On the nutrition front, while we are in full support of your apple-a-day habit, you might want to think about adding a piece of citrus fruit to your regimen as well. A range of powerful antioxidant phytochemicals, like polyphenols, lycopene, and flavonoids make these sprightly fruits great for cancer prevention. Rich in fiber, vitamin C, beta-carotene, folic acid, and potassium you’ll get serious bang for your bite, weather you want to fight the common cold, reduce inflammation or your risk for heart disease, or just pack your kids lunch.

Are you over the everyday orange? Lemons lost their luster? Then check out this great list of the many citrus fruit varieties there are to choose from.

Citrus:
- butternut squash kasha salad with citrus vinaigrette and spicy almonds
- new ambrosia
- citrus curry lentil soup
- arugala salad with whole citrus vinaigrette

Lemons:
- whole-wheat spaghetti with fresh ricotta and lemon zest
- meyer lemon risotto
- gremolata
- lemon verbena & honey granita

Oranges:
- orange pine nut buckwheat pancakes
- peanut, orange and carrot salad
- pan-grilled polenta with blood orange and basil relish
- orange & date bars
- bergamot orange salmon

Tangelos, tangerines, clementines, & kumquats:
- tangelo-coriander brown rice pilaf
- tangerine salt
- honey tangerines and kumquats with walnuts and shaved celery
- clementine yogurt compote
- kiwi kumquat salad with key lime syrup

Pomelos & grapefruits:
- gingered pineapple and grapefruit salsa
- pomelo salad
- fennel, olive & pink grapefruit salad

Limes
- snap pea salad with radish, & lime
- cilantro lime brown rice
- watermelon with lime juice & zest
- miso-lime pesto

Zesty products:
- orange blossom honey flute
- blood orange chocolate truffles
- Elizabeth W citrus vervain room fragrance
- o olive oil citrus oils
- Microplane premium zester
- oma lemon squeezer
- organic dwarf meyer lemon tree

Comments (0) | December 1 - 9:28 PM

category: Lists, Recipes

With temperatures dropping, hearty soup and stew season is at the door. There are a lot of fantastic soup and stew recipes making use of delicious (and nutritious) whole grains like barley, amaranth, and farro, as well as brown and colored rices. Here's a starter list of five...

- Sheila Lukins' Home-Style Mushroom Barley Soup (link)

Nancy Harmon Jenkins' Farro, Bean and Chickpea Soup (link)

- Lorna Sass' Amaranth, Quinoa, and Corn Chowder (link)

- Runner's World Lentil Brown Rice Soup (link)

- Beet, Barley, and Black Soybean Soup with Pumpernickel Croutons (Post Punk Kitchen via CHOW)

Comments (0) | November 27 - 7:48 AM

category: Recipes, Vegan / Veg, Whole Grains

We love pomegranates for their looks, a rustic red leather bulb encasing a treasure of hundreds of edible jewel-like seeds. Lucky for us all, in this instance beauty is more than skin deep.

Pomegranates have been nutritional darlings for thousands of years. Right now Westerners are fixated on the juice of the pomegranate - it has anti-oxidant properties nearly three time that of green tea or red wine. But throughout history all parts of the tree have been used as medicine to treat everything from digestive disorders and kidney stones to fevers and heart ailments. Roots, bark, flowers, rind, and seeds - nothing went to waste.

When you are buying pomegranates look for fruits that are heavy and free of blemishes. You are shooting for pomegranates that are at the peak of ripeness. This is a fruit that ripens on the vine, so keep in mind they won't sweeten more once picked. Fruit that is starting to crack is fine as long as it doesn't look dried out. Feel for heaviness, a weighty fruit means more tangy, sweet juice.

Want to work more pomegranate into your life? Here are a few ideas:

- How to cut open a pomegranate
- Diana Kennedy's Guacamole Chamacuero
- Homemade Pomegranate Liqueur
- Ensalada de Noche Buena
- Drunken Figs with Roquefort and Marsala Wine in Pomegranate Syrup
- Pomegranate Chutney

Comments (2) | October 24 - 4:11 PM

category: Lists, Recipes, Superfoods, Vegan / Veg

A list of hearty soup recipes that are on deck to try this winter.

- David Ansel's Yellow Split Pea Soup with Crispy Garlic (recipe)
- Cranberry Bean and Pumpkin Stew (recipe)
- Artichoke and Celery Root Soup (recipe)
- Deborah Madison's Lentil Minestrone (recipe)
- Real Food Daily's Country Miso Soup (recipe)
- Indian Spiced Carrot Soup (recipe)

There's nothing quite as comforting as a big pot of fragrant soup simmering away on a weekend stove (or not, in the case of the uncooked Indian Spiced Carrot Soup). In either case you'll have a big pot of delicious ingredients combining to offer the promise of a full week of tasty lunches.

Comments (1) | October 8 - 3:04 PM

category: Lists, Recipes

Whether they are rosy-skinned and small, flecked with mottled shades of yellow and pink, or deep red and brooding, apples of all shapes, shades, and sizes are filling baskets and boxes at farmer's markets this time of year. In the spirit of the season we offer up a handful of apple-centric recipes that caught our attention. But before you dive in read what fruit detective David Karp had to say in an interview 10 years back about an apple tasting in which he sampled 44 varieties.

- Ferran Adria's Apple Caviar technique (link)
and his corresponding Apple Caviar recipe (link)

- Carol Peck's Green Tomato and Apple Chutney (link)

- Honey Roasted Applesauce on Napastyle (link)

- The Girl and the Fig's Butternut Squash Soup with Apple Compote Soup (link)

- Apple Chestnut Stuffing (link)

- Millennium's Apple Quince Cherry Strudel (link)

- Alice Water's Apple Tart (link)

Comments (1) | October 6 - 10:44 PM

category: Lists, Recipes

Quite a few natural foods products come across our table - some better than others. We thought we'd share a few recent finds that garnered our mighty seal of approval.

Morning Glory
Way Back Pistachio Granola
Solay Gourmet Peanut Butter or Carob Granola
Fiona's Orange Crunch & Strawberry Mango Quinoa Crunch Granola
Fiddler's Green Farm Izzie's Irish Oats Hot Cereal (steelcut oats, millet, & almonds)
Dorset Cereals

Bread 'n' Butter
Dr. Kracker's Krispy Grahams & Seeded Spelt Snack Chips
Futter's Pistachio Butter
Tea-N-Crumpet's Organic Whole Wheat Crumpet

Gilding the Lily

High Desert Food's Spiced Tomato Sauce
Wholemato Ketchup
Arora Creations Spice Mixes

Sans Gluten
Mary’s Gone Crackers Crackers
Crave Bakery’s Brownies & Artisan Bread
Jake's Unbaked (good enough to mention twice)

Better than Gorp
Crispy Green's Apricot
Peeled’s Plu-What?
Crunchies Pineapple

Cacao Crazy
Nirvana Blueberry-Acai Chocolate Bar
Cocoa Vino Fig Caramel Bon Bons
Yachana Jungle Chocolates
Grocer’s Daughter Wally or Blue Bar
Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss Dark Chocolate or Naked Coconut "Ice Cream"

While we're not about to abandon our favorite recipes, we can't deny that more than a few of these have re-energized our breakfast routines, put a little spark into our lunch boxes, and given us a new sweet treat to nibble on.

Comments (0) | August 29 - 4:10 PM

category: New Products

Lisa Averbuch and Sabrina Moreno-Dolan are the ladies behind LOFT liqueurs, the producers behind the first certified organic liqueur in the United States. Their story is interesting and inspirational, particularly for those of you who have tinkered with the idea of turning a passion into a small business.

When and why did you start making LOFT Liqueurs?

Lisa: I started making liqueurs for fun about 2 years ago. I came across a recipe for limoncello and at the time I didn't even know you could make it at home! After trying that recipe, using lemons from my boyfriend's backyard lemon tree, I was hooked! I tried to make cello everything: apple cello, banana cello, tangerine cello- you get the idea. After about six months of experimenting I let my friends try it and they were really excited! They said it tasted a lot better than much of what was available in the marketplace and wanted to buy it for themselves and their friends. So I thought, "well you are my friends� I'll make this for you." So many flavored vodkas and other liqueurs have a synthesized taste and obvious artificial color (don't even get me started on the traditional neon-green apple-tini). I wanted to give people the opportunity to go to a bar or restaurant and order a drink that they can feel good about - something that tastes like the real thing and isn't filled with chemicals. And once I learned that alcoholic beverages could be certified organic, it was a no-brainer. Whenever possible I buy biodynamically grown ingredients as well.

Sabrina: The first time I tried LOFT I went into fiendish plan mode. I thought "this is so amazing. There must be a way to share it with people (and save the planet through good-will established with flavor)."

What is your favorite way to serve LOFT Liqueurs? Do you like to pair anything with them?

L: They can be chilled and sipped on their own or mixed with a variety of other spirits, such as vodka or rum. They're great in Champagne, lemonade or even just a splash of sparkling water. We have about thirty cocktail recipes on our website too. My favorite drink is the Lavender Daiquiri. It's a basic daiquiri recipe substituting the usual sugar with LOFT Lavender Cello. I also really like to pair them with dark chocolate or pour over ice cream. One person I know had great results using the Spicy Ginger Cello to marinade a pork chop!

S: With friends. I love people and I love when they are happy. It's cool when people are able to honestly say "I love it" and be happy and proud of you and really want your product. I've brought it to parties for friends and had more than one person approach me and say, "are you the liqueur lady? I really want to taste it. I've heard amazing things." I suggest you try it any and every way.

What makes LOFT Liqueurs great?

L: First and foremost, they taste incredible. We are the first certified organic liqueur in the U.S. We sweeten them with low-glycemic agave nectar. We use only fresh fruit or botanicals from small independent farms. We handcraft in small batches. The flavors are unique (and delicious): lemongrass, spicy ginger and lavender. We use no additives, preservatives, artificial flavors or colors. And we use tree-free bamboo paper labels, biodegradable inks and boxes made from recycled materials.

What would most surprise people about LOFT Liqueurs?

L: I posed this question to a couple of friends and they said they were surprised as to how smooth our drink is compared to, say, most limoncellos. There are a couple of reasons for that. One, we brought the alcohol down a few points to let the flavor of the fruit or botanical shine through. Second, we're the first in the U.S. to use a new technology called Evolution. It's been used for a few years in Japan with sake and shochu but we've had it approved for use here. Basically it rearranges the water molecules to smooth the bite of the alcohol and enhance the flavor.

S: The mouth-watering good taste. No, really, it tastes so good. Up until now I thought organic and that translated into "healthy" but that didn't conjure up images of farm fresh produce or just picked botanicals. In my old way of thinking an organic orange tasted the same as a regular orange but it didn't have the chemicals that hurt the earth and it cost more. So my reason to buy the organic orange (even though it was more expensive) wasn't taste-motivated but planet-motivated. With LOFT you get great tasting, earth-friendly, exotic flavors and you support one of the only female-owned spirit businesses in the U.S. We're a small company, we caringly handcraft every batch, we're fun.

What other natural food producer(s) do you really admire?

L: I love Cowgirl Creamery. If I could make a cheese liqueur I would - I know it sounds weird and crazy, but just maybe� I've seen squid ink used in cocktails, so you never know. Also in my liqueur quest I discovered Equator Coffees in San Rafael, California. They do incredible organic and fair trade coffees and teas.

S: Yummy - Ben and Jerry's Organic Ice Creams. Dreamy - Cowgirl Creamery cheese. Yeah to anyone who makes products thinking about great taste, the consumer, the environment and a good time.

What's your favorite natural food product other than your own?

L: It's really hard to pick one product. I'll just say that I have a renewed respect for any company willing to go through the difficulty and expense of the organic certification process. We only use four ingredients and our application was over 100 pages. So my hat's off to anyone who's done it! It really shows a commitment to wanting to make a good natural product.

What's next on the horizon for you and LOFT Liqueurs?

L: Our first three flavors available are Lavender, Lemongrass and Spicy Ginger. However to date I have tried making liqueurs with over 40 different fruits and botanicals including some herbs such as basil and lemon verbena. I have 15 or so viable flavors and would love to produce them all, but in the meantime we hope to do some seasonal flavors such as tangerine later in the winter and perhaps blueberry in the summer.

S: An endorsement from George Clooney (or at least drinks). No, really- I do want to have drinks with Clooney with my husband- and I believe, more importantly, that people (including George) will love LOFT because it really tastes great and it's chemical free. I hope that LOFT will be a big hit and we can launch exciting seasonal flavors like tangerine. I look forward to people being excited that I am sharing LOFT (the truth) and not fearing that I am trying to sell them anything.

Where can people find LOFT Liqueurs?

L: Full bottles can be purchased online at from Mondo Liquor or at Ledger's Liquors in Berkeley, California. We just launched so we're still working on getting wider distribution, but for the moment any bar, restaurant or liquor store in California or New York can buy from me directly. Consumers can find us in a few restaurants in San Francisco including Jardiniere, Americano, and Kuleto's (who, by the way, has a separate all-organic drink menu). A list of where to buy can be found on our website and will be updated often.

www.loftliquors.com

Comments (4) | May 25 - 6:16 PM

category: Gift Ideas, Interviews/Profiles, New Products, Organic Wine / Beer

We are smack in the heart of asparagus season. Whether you like your asparagus spears thick or thin, there are infinite ways to prepare these springtime icons. These recipes look like some of the best:

• Asparagus Soup with Curry & Crème Fraîche (Mourad Lahlou of Aziza Restaurant)
• Asparagus Flan (Orangette)
• Lemony Risotto Croquettes with Slivered Snow Peas, Asparagus, and Leeks (Splendid Table)
• Asparagus Frittata (Simply Recipes)
• Asparagus Chili Tortilla (delicious:days)
• Spring Vegetables in a Herb Nage (Nordjus)
• Spring Panzanella (Napastyle)
• Roast Asparagus Parmesan with Steamed Morels Recipe (Sylvain Portay)

Comments (11) | April 9 - 1:34 PM

category: Lists, Recipes

Celebrating Earth Day typically involves cleaning up a neighborhood park, planting a tree, or, if you're more creative, maybe taking yourself on a shopping spree for fashionable reusable shopping bags. How about marking the holiday this year with an Earth Dinner? Marking Earth Day with an Earth Dinner is a wonderful way of acknowledging the role our food choices have on the health of the planet.

Need inspiration? We found some great ideas, tips, recipes, and resources on the Earth Dinner website. The inspiring (and affordable) Earth Dinner Cards recently provided us with an evening of wonderful conversation over a locally-sourced meal. Bounce around the site a bit for more inspiration.

Earth Dinners are a great way of raising awareness and exploring complex issues without having to get on your soapbox. Instead, food and fun party activities set the table for a delicious meal with the potential for real and meaningful exchanges about eating sustainably.

Comments (3) | April 8 - 4:13 PM

category:

It seems that edible wild plants are all the rage right now. Martha Stewart even has a feature on the joys of these overlooked weeds in the April 2008 issue of her namesake magazine. We couldn’t agree more and spring is a perfect time to reap the rewards of wild harvesting.

This is why we are so excited to share with you our new favorite find – Wild Leek Vinegar from Food for Thought in Honor, Michigan. This tiny gem of company specializes in tasty products made from wild harvested, local, and seasonal plants. We got our hands on a bottle of this small-batch elixir and have been slurping it up in vinaigrettes over roasted asparagus and spring lettuces. For a twist (because we like vinegar on potato chips and french fries), we sprinkled some over a batch of salty oven fries and found the delicate, almost garlicky tang to be a great match. The bottle itself is so beautiful that we also pair it alongside our favorite olive oil for an unexpected and welcome hostess gift.

Comments (3) | March 30 - 11:11 AM

category: Gift Ideas, New Products

Make a pledge to try a new carrot recipe each week this spring, they're healthy, vibrant, and deliciously filling. We'll leave you with one shopping tip (look for spring carrots with their bushy green tops still attached) and a list of carrot inspiration to get things kicked off...

- There's a stockpile of inspired carrot recipes at the Mariquita Farm website. You'll find Glazed Carrots With Pistachios and Thyme, Carrot Yogurt Soup, Carrot Milkshake, Cardamom Carrots, and Carrots in Beer.

- Orangette serves up a simple French-style Carrot Salad

- Vibrant Carrot Dip at Cook & Eat

- Spring Salad with Arborio Rice Cakes, Roasted Baby Carrots, White Asparagus & Fava Beans from Amy Murray of Venus Restaurant

- Carrot Apricot Muffins via Culinate

- Dipping into the Nordjus archives we discover Summer Vegetables in a Herb Nage - the name says summer, but the ingredients are oh-so-springy.

Mollie Katzen's Carrot-Cashew Curry

- Brussels Sprouts with Carrots via Whole Foods

- Napa Cabbage & Carrots with Rice Wine-Oyster Sauce via Eating Well

- Young Carrot Salad with Shaved Sheep’s Milk Cheese via Vegetarian Times

- Carrot And Leek Ragout With Green Peas And Mint via CookThink

- Carrot-Wheat Berry Salad with Cumin and Raisins

- Bashed Neeps and Carrots via Delia. See if you can figure out what a neep or a swede is.

Comments (1) | March 25 - 10:51 PM

category: Lists, Recipes

Dove Vivi is a cozy Portland-based pizzeria that has been called "a breath of fresh air," "scintillating," and able to deliver a crust with "acres of crunch." Their no sog, anti-flop pies focus on fresh ingredients (often seasonal) with a rotating cast of specials. Below are a few of their deep dish, cornmeal-crusted highlights. Or click here to see the menu in its entirety.

Cornmeal Crust Pizzas:

- Della Salute (vegan) - roasted eggplant, marinated green peppers, caramelized onions, mushrooms, tomato sauce, herbed tofu ricotta available upon request

- Quatro Fromaggio - mozzarella, fontina, ricotta, house-made spinach pesto, basil, fresh tomatoes

- Corn Cashew (vegan) - vegan roasted red pepper & cashew cheese, fresh sweet corn, caramelized onions, chives

- Butternut - mozzarella, smoked mozzarella, sauteed kale, butternut squash, cranberry reduction

- Golden Chantrelle - mozzarella, fontina, caramelized onions, golden chantrelle mushrooms in a brandy shallot jalapeno sauce

- Eggplant - mozzarella, blue cheese, roasted eggplant, basil, fresh tomatoes

Greens:

- Broccoli Salad - broccoli, black beans, mushrooms on a bed of greens with dijon balsamic vinaigrette

- Beet Salad - beets, roasted walnuts, blue cheese, served on a bed of greens with shallot balsamic vinaigrette

Dove Vivi
2727 Ne Glisan St
Portland, OR 97232
Phone: (503) 239-4444
www.dovevivipizza.com

Comments (2) | March 22 - 11:37 PM

category:

The landscape of American fast food is looking up. Dotted across the country at roadside exits and on bustling city street corners the classic grub-on-the-go is getting a mighty makeover. Here are a few drive-thrus we’re digging –

Burgerville – Fresh. Local. Sustainable.

You can't help but appreciate that this pacific-northwest chain aims to “serve with love.” Plus, Burgerville has partnered with local farmers and producers to source their ingredients in an environmentally responsible way that results in fresh, seasonal food.

A local-centric menu sticks to mainly to the classics, but has a few items that caught our eye, including the Tillamook cheeseburger, north pacific halibut fish sandwich, wild smoked salmon and hazelnut salad, Yukon Gold waffle fries, Walla Walla sweet onion rings, and Oregon hazelnut milkshakes made with real ice cream. Also, for vegetarians the tasty Rogue River smoky blue cheese salad is sure to hit the spot.

Where? Many locations throughout Oregon and Washington.

Zen Burger — Good for You. Good for the Planet.

For busy Manhattanites, a quick stop at Zen Burger means filling up on “wholesome natural vegetarian foods that have the look, feel, texture, and taste of meats.” They stuff their buns with faux-beef, -chicken and -tuna, all made without any animal products and for $1 more you can add organic American cheese. You’ll find the usual breakfast egg sandwich, French fries, and milkshakes all with an organic twist. Organic soup, chili, and salads are followed up with warm whole-wheat chocolate chip, granola, or peanut butter cookies. We also love that 90% of their take-out containers are biodegradable and/or compostable and that the store is built from mostly recycled materials with energy-saving lights.

Where? 465 Lexington Avenue. New York, NY 10017

(World’s Most) Local Burger

Lawrence, Kansas is home to Local Burger, a healthy fast-food restaurant that Bon Appetit named one of the top ten eco-friendly restaurants in the country. They cater to everyone from the committed carnivore to the vigilant vegetarian and even those needing gluten-free options. With a selection of both updated classics and innovative dishes they have a sparkling fresh take on what it means to eat on the run. Passionately dedicated to sourcing their foods locally, organically, and sustainably, care is taken in every dish, like the grass-fed beef, elk, or house made veggie burgers. Sides include the “progressive potato” fries, quinoa-millet pilaf, and the hijiki studded “We’re Not in Kansas Anymore" salad. Shakes have been replaced with refreshing smoothies and for a sweet ending you’ll find honey-peanut butter balls and allergy-friendly brownies. We also love that a local library card gets you 10% off on Saturdays.

Where? 714 Vermont Street. Lawrence, Kansas 66044

Still hungry? Check out the many other quick bites that caught our eye –

VG Burgers
Mixt Greens
O’Naturals
Lettuce Eatery
Pizza Fusion
Organic To Go
Pret a Manger
Chix
Native Foods
Veggie Bite

Comments (3) | March 20 - 8:26 PM

category: Lists, Menus, Studies + Trends

Just in time for St. Patrick's day we've put together a collection of some fantastic green recipes - dark leafy green to be exact. It seems we can't be reminded often enough about the powerful role that these veggies play in a healthy diet. Packed with calcium, folic acid, iron, potassium, vitamins A, C, and K - they are one of nature's multivitamins. And we love them all, from spinach to kale to chard, but sometimes it takes an inspirational recipe to get us back in the kitchen eating our greens and more than a few of those we've listed below do the trick.

- mess o’ greens
- simple collard greens
- greek kale salad
- braised greens tacos
- spicy black eyed peas with collard greens
- dal with collard greens
- greek-style chickpeas with greens and tomatoes
- Deborah Madison’s chard and saffron tart
- braised winter greens with chickpeas, onions, and garlic
- middle eastern greens soup
- sauteed turnip greens with chile flakes and mustard
- kale 101 (video)
- tuscan kale and beans on toasted bread
- beautiful bulgar and spinach pilaf
- simplest spinach with nutmeg butter
- winter greens with goat cheese on pain poilâne
- cashew chard “burrito”
- edamame salad with baby beets and greens
- artichoke heart & spinach gratin

This year, instead of your favorite leprechaun sweatshirt or four-leaf clover necktie, how about simply celebrating the luck of the Irish with a great green leafy meal?

Comments (3) | March 16 - 9:23 PM

category: Lists, Vegan / Veg

I've experienced distrustful, quizzical looks my whole life by those who simply cannot comprehend why I don't go weak in the knees for chocolate. I have matured though, from outright disliking it as a child, to today where I enjoy it on occasion. Chocolate
cravings however have been an urban legend to me, widely recounted, shrouded in mystery, and not ever experienced first hand — until a few weeks ago. For reasons unknown (maybe the months of cold weather?) I felt compelled to bake up a batch of deep chocolate brownies - all-American in appearances, but a bit more au natural in the mix.

A warm, moist, nut-studded goody that was both sweet and slightly salty is what I craved. Sure a carob, oat-bran, flax-fest could have satisfied my whole foods interests, but the brownie I was dreaming of called for more of a middle ground that was a slightly less refined but no less satisfying. With a few simple tweaks to a classic brownie approach - for example, using white whole flour instead of all-purpose and brown rice syrup in place of more standard fare, I baked up a marvel of brownie-goodness.

Brown Rice Syrup Brownie Recipe

In place of or combined with the nuts, you can mix in toasted coconut, cacao nibs, chocolate chips, toasted sunflower seeds, or dried cherries. For mocha brownies, add 1 teaspoon of finely ground espresso beans when melting the chocolate and butter.

2 oz bittersweet chocolate (I used 70%)
4 tablespoon non-alkalized cocoa powder
4 tablespoon unsalted butter
¾ cups brown rice syrup
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup white whole-wheat flour or whole-wheat pastry flour
¾ cup toasted, coarsely chopped nuts (almond, walnuts, or pecans are good)
¼ teaspoon fleur de sel or other large flaked sea salt (I used vanilla salt)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and position rack in the center. Grease an 8”x8” square cake pan.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan over very low heat, combine the chocolate, cocoa powder, and butter. Stir constantly until melted and smooth. Add the brown rice syrup and vanilla. Allow the mixture to cool completely.

Once cool, add the eggs and stir until well combined. Add the flour and nuts and stir until almost combined. If adding the salt, do so now and gently stir until just combined, being careful not to over mix the batter.

Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan and spread to the edges. Place in the oven on the center rack.

Bake, rotating the pan mid-way through, until the kitchen smells of chocolate, the center is firm to touch, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Allow to cool in the pan for a full 10 minutes, then gently separate the brownies from the edges of the pan with a knife and invert onto a cooling rack.

Makes 9 brownies.

This recipe quenched my cravings so well that I haven’t wanted anything chocolate since — though if I ever do I know just where to go.

Related Links

We love Suzanne's line of organic rice nectars and the original version would be perfect for this recipe. She also makes some other exotic rice nectar flavors, including organic maple and all natural blueberry, strawberry, and chocolate!

For another great way to use brown rice syrup try Heidi's Big Sur Power Bars - they're simply delicious.

Comments (2) | March 14 - 3:43 PM

category: Recipes