FreshDirect Names Top Trends for 2019

CBD-infused foods, tech-enabled local organic offerings, and better-for-you beverages are among the top trends for 2019, according to FreshDirect. CBD oil-infused products will first surge in the drinks category, with CBD-infused drinks driving the functional-wellness drink category. CBD will also be prominently featured on more menus next year and as the star of new food products, such as salad dressings, according to the list.

Other forecasted trends on the list include bringing fresh into shelf-stable, high-quality canned fish, oats, premium spice packets, cauliflower, evolution of kids' snacks, and the expansion of local foods. It claims this coming year will bring more innovative, fresh, and sustainable takes on shelf-stable staples — some becoming so fresh that they need to be refrigerated.

Related: Consumers Interested in Cannabis-Infused Food, Drink; FreshDirect Founder Steps Down.

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Easy Calzone Recipe

Chicken Salad Tartine Toasts

Our all time favorite chicken salad comes together in a flash using shredded rotisserie chicken and a bit of mayo for the perfect creamy consistency.

While this versatile chicken salad recipe can be enjoyed on its own or in a tasty sandwich, we’ve opted to serve it open faced on grilled sourdough bread with microgreens and crispy chicken skins.

In a lunch rut? Tired of tuna? Sick of sandwiches? Mix it up a bit with this ultra flavorful chicken salad tartine, topped with fresh microgreens and crispy chicken skins made from the skin of the rotisserie chicken.

Tartine literally means a slice of bread in French, but most often refers to an open faced sandwich (I know, it sounds like it should be a little tart, but that’s actually tartlet, not tartine, which is a different thing entirely).

Tartines feel fancier than toast, more special than sandwiches, even though they are no more difficult to prepare.

Here we’ve taken slices of crusty sourdough bread, brush it with olive oil and grill it to perfection in a cast iron skillet (but if you have a grill grill you could use that too for an added smoky flavor). The prepared chicken salad is then piled on top (go ahead, pile it on) and then sprinkled with crispy chicken skin crumbles and fresh microgreens (although some fresh baby arugula would be lovely here too).

The chicken salad recipe itself is actually quite similar to Taylor’s famous tuna salad, with the main flavoring elements being sweet relish, capers and fresh parsley. A touch of mayo brings it all together into creamy perfection, but not overwhelmingly so.

You could certainly enjoy this chicken salad on its own or as a two-sliced sandwich, but we love serving it as an open faced tartine on a slice of grilled crusty bread (preferably homemade sourdough if you happen to have a loaf handy!)

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Has the Poke Trend Peaked?

Starting in the winter of 2015, the Hawaiian dish poke began reaching the continental U.S., signaling the start of a craze for the fish food favorite. However, recent closures indicate the trend may have peaked, reports Eater. Los Angeles-based Spinfish Poke House serves as an indicator for the trend, garnering glowing reviews from the Los Angeles Times in spring 2016. But by October 2018, all of the company's locations, except for one Indonesian outpost, have closed for good. Spinfish is not the only restaurant closure providing evidence for the fading trend. Chicago-based FinFin Poke closed in the fall of 2017, while New York City-based Sweetcatch Poke filed for bankruptcy in September 2018. However, it is important to note restaurants like Red Lobster and the Cheesecake Factory have added poke to their menus, indicating that although the trend for hot poke restaurants is floundering, the dish itself is moving towards more mainstream appeal. Full Story

Related: Poke Businesses on the Rise in the U.S.; Report: Jackfruit, Cauliflower In; Poke, Fermented Foods Out.

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Holiday Punch Pomegranate Iced Tea

Gifts for Vegetarians

Use this gifts for vegetarians list for the veggie lovers in your life, featuring the best vegetarian cookbooks, kitchen knives, gear, and quirky postcards.

Have a special vegetarian in your life? Here are our top gifts for vegetarians that work for any time of year. And remember, vegetarians are people too! As two people who eat “mostly” vegetarian on the regular, Alex and I are more into stylish blue Dutch ovens and trendy plants than veggie celebrity cards…but those were too silly not to include in this eclectic list! Keep reading for our favorite gifts for vegetarians.

Vegetarian cookbooks

Pretty Simple Cooking cookbook

Shameless plug: our cookbook Pretty Simple Cooking features 100 vegetarian recipes we think everyone should know how to make! And they’re all customized to be delicious and pretty simple to put together. From darn good vegan chili to our famous chocolate peanut butter bliss bites, there’s something for everyone here! 75% vegan and 90% gluten free recipes too. Amazon, $18

The First Mess cookbook

Laura Wright transforms vegetables into things of beauty in The First Mess cookbook. Her photography is vibrant and her recipes are some of the most delicious vegan food we’ve tasted. She brings an elegance to everything she touches. We recommend this book time and time again for delicious, plant-filled recipes. Amazon, $20

The Forest Feast cookbook

This vegetarian cookbook is a feast for the eyes! Erin Gleeson’s lushly illustrated cookbook is a timeless favorite featuring beautiful watercolors for each veggie-centric recipe. Amazon, $25

Herb saver

Good vegetarian food features lots of fresh herbs, but they’re often dead in days without proper care! Placing your herbs in water in this herb saver keeps them good for weeks. The gift for vegetarians that keeps on giving! Amazon, $23

Kick ass kitchen knife

The best thing you can do for your kitchen is get a kick ass kitchen knife! Alex and my Shun knives have been by our sides for 10 years and counting. Here’s Alex’s knife and here’s mine. Amazon, $149 and $94

Dutch oven

What’s better than a sexy looking pot that also cooks great food? We use our Dutch oven for making everything from stews and chili to sourdough bread. Dutch ovens are the perfect gifts for vegetarians who cook: and they look beautiful too. Amazon, $60

Beginners baking kit

Here’s a way to support a good cause and learn to bake! NYC-based Hot Bread Kitchen brings together women from over 40 different countries as they launch new culinary careers. Their new Beginners Baking Kit as all the essentials the aspiring baker in your life needs–a copy of the Hot Bread Kitchen cookbook, digital scale, bench scraper, classic proofing basket, and a bread bag. Hot Bread Kitchen, $76

Veggie celebrity postcards

No gifts for vegetarians list is complete without veggie celebrity postcards, right? Okra Winfrey, Macauliflower Culkin…you’ve got to see these! Etsy, $16

Reusable produce bags

For your Earth saving vegetarian, here are eco-friendly produce bags to avoid those plastic bags at the grocery! Amazon, $12

Avocado Love t-shirt

Why not represent your veggie pride by wearing favorite veggies? This avocado logo is handpainted by Nutrition Stripped founder McKel Hill. Nutrition Stripped, $40

Meal planner

From Jeanine Donofrio, bestselling author of The Love & Lemons Cookbook comes this beautifully designed grocery list and meal planner that’s perfect for busy parents, budget-conscious cooks, and organized eaters. A perfect gift for vegetarians. Amazon, $13

Monstera plant

Vegetarians love plants, so why not gift a plant? Monstera are super trendy (proof here), and they’re pretty simple to care for, too. Etsy, price varies

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links.

A Couple Cooks - Recipes for Healthy & Whole Living

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Pumpkin Custard Tart

If pumpkin pie and creme brûlée had a baby, this is what it’d grow up to be. Delightfully creamy, almost luxuriously so, with a lightly spiced pumpkin flavor baked in a flaky pastry crust.

If you’re looking for a something a little bit different this Thanksgiving, but not SO different that your family will revolt (I’ve also been working on a purple sweet potato pie recipe so you’ll understand what I mean here)… look no further than this Pumpkin Custard Tart.

Whereas pumpkin pie is what I’d call a custardy pumpkin filling, this tart is a pumpkiny custard, light and ultra creamy with just a hint of pumpkin flavor and spice.

If you’re the type that finds pumpkin pie too dense and squashy, this recipe might be right up your alley. It’s got the essence of pumpkin, without the weight of it.

The recipe is based on a French custard tart or Parisian flan: a silky baked custard in a pastry crust. With the exception of the crust (a standard shortcrust vs a flakier pastry), it’s also quite similar to Portugese egg tarts, especially with regards to that final broil that leaves the top delightfully singed.

All it needs is a generous dollop of freshly whipped cream (bonus points if it’s spiked with bourbon or brandy) and you’re golden.

It’d be the perfect way to end your Thanksgiving feast (go out with a bang, I say!)

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