Farmers' Market Favorite
The Most Delicious Vegan Sauce
This month, the spotlight is on Bitchin' Sauce... "loaded with fancy, fancy almonds." That is actually a quote from their website! First of all, these guys are definitely some of the most entertaining at the market. No matter who is at their table, they are always friendly and even more funny! So, stop by their table next time you are at the market, even if just for a sample and a smile.
This sauce works well on just about everything:
A condiment on your favorite veggie burger
Sauce Quinoa Lentil Power Bowl or really any pasta or rice dish
Dip for fresh veggies or gluten free crackers
An Alternative to Hummus?
You can use this sauce similar to hummus, but with even more dishes. With flavors like Cilantro Chili (my current fav), Pesto, Bombay, and Chipotle the options really are endless. Be aware though, there are slightly more calories in Bitchin' Sauce than the average hummus prepared at home: about 90 verses about 54. Not a huge difference, but still something to note.
The base of Bitchin' Sauce has only 9 ingredients. All of which I can pronounce and are at my local health food store. That is always a good sign. Almonds are known to be a good source for more beneficial fats, fiber, riboflavin (B2), magnesium, potassium, and some antioxidants. Almonds, like most nuts, pack a really hard punch of nutrients. And calories so watch overdoing them. A serving size is a small handful, like the size of your palm.
Please remember that many brands of almonds will add extra processing, oils, salt, and sugar to enhance the taste. Make sure to read the ingredients. Also, many sites talk about the benefits of soaking almonds in filtered water for 12-24 hours to aide digestion. Almonds that have soaked overnight are especially sweet and easy to chew, maybe you'll try it and see if you agree. And, it does seem as though the skins of almonds are particularly high in antioxidants. So best to leave the skins on, unless you have a condition that makes this harmful.
What's So Great About Almonds?
Evidence suggest that almond and other nut consumption can improve cholesterol and heart health, aide sugar metabolism and weight loss, along with providing possible benefit to gut bacteria. These benefits definitely don't beat the risks if you have an allergy/intolerance to almonds or other condition that might make consuming them harmful. As with every dietary change, best to check with your team of medical professionals before beginning.
Oh, and just for the record, Bitchin' Sauce didn't pay me anything for this endorsement. I just like their sauces and wanted to give you an excuse to give them a try! Hope you will check them out at a Farmers' Market or store near you!
