Product Review: Wild Friends Nut Butter

Howdy Friends!

I hope everyone had a great weekend spending time with family and celebrating dads. One of the things my dad and I have in common is our love for the ABC show Shark Tank. It's a show about start-up entrepreneurs who pitch their products to successful businessmen and women (like Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban) in the hopes of obtaining investments to advance their companies. Some of the products these people come up with are totally wacko (see the Arkeg); but others are truly genius, like Wild Friends Nut Butters.

Wild Friends was started by a pair of roommates at the University of Oregon who had a shortage of peanut butter, but a surplus of creativity and tenacity. The two girls started making their own peanut butter right out of their dorm room and the results were impressive. They took their idea for homemade, organic and additive-free spreads to the Shark Tank board room and earned a hefty investment for a large scale launch of their product. Now Wild Friends Nut Butters can be found in over 150 grocery stores and counting across the country; and after tasting it for myself, it's not hard to see why. 

I was elated to discover the line of Wild Friends spreads had come to my local grocery store; and even better: THEY WERE ON SALE. I opted to try the Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter, because who doesn't love chocolate and coconut together?! YUM! I couldn't wait to get home to sample this delicious concoction and...oh my...it sure is heavenly.

The peanut butter is sinfully thick and rich. Though smooth, this spread has little bits of ground peanut and coconut throughout giving it a nice, natural texture. It's the perfect consistency for both creamy and chunky lovers. The dark chocolate adds a delicious cocoa flavor without being over powering.

This peanut butter is like an Almond Joy and a Reese's cup got married and had a baby. HALLELUJAH THANK YA JESUS, what a match made in heaven. I have yet to put this on something I haven't liked: pretzels, breads, chips, crackers, cake, cookies, celery, apples, mmm. But wait, IT GETS EVEN BETTER. All of their products are made sans preservatives and additives. This particular variety is made with peanuts, chocolate, coconut, oil and sea salt. That's it. Not only is this peanut butter good, but it's good for you. I can't wait to try their other varieties.

Another great thing I love about Wild Friends is their blog, in which founders Erika and Keeley share their passion for food, recipes and life in general. It's a great read with some great tips.

I hope you get to try Wild Friends Nut Butters, too. Let me know what you think of their products and be sure to follow them on all the social networks!

Bon Appetit,

KK

Indian Comfort Food: Curry Lime Scallops

Namasté friends!

When I lived in Paris, my friends and I used to frequent this little Indian café and hookah bar in the Latin Quarter called Safran. We went there almost weekly to indulge in creamy mango lassis, fresh naan, and delectable curry dishes. We went there so often that the staff members began to recognize us!

So it is to my fellow French foodies that I pay tribute to with this week's dish: Curry Lime Scallops. This dish is warm, inviting, mild, and incredibly flavorful; without being too heavy on the stomach. I like to serve it with a mixed greens salad and steaming bowl of basmati or jasmine rice.

This recipe takes less than 20 minutes to pepare and is great if you're on a tight budget. Here is how you make it:

 

Curry Lime Scallops

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

1 lb of sea scallops
3 small limes, juiced (save the rind for garnish)
2 tsp dried ground ginger
1.5 tbsp dry curry powder
1 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
salt and pepper, to taste

 

Directions:

 Rinse the scallops in cool water then pat dry with a paper towel. In a medium bowl, toss the scallops with lime juice, salt and pepper. Next, add the curry and ginger powders. Mix until the scallops are well coated.

In a medium skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium to medium high heat. Add the scallops to the pan. Sauté the scallops until the flesh is no longer opaque and the curry is no longer raw (5-10 minutes).

Yields 4 servings.

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I hope you enjoy this recipe! Please feel free to share your comments, critiques, revisions and questions below.

 

Bon Appetit,

 

KK