BeKind Butters. Peanut Butter Packed with...Chia?

I'm an occasional Opensky shopper. When I spotted a chia-infused peanut butter sampler pack on sale, called BeKind Butter from Chia Charger, I ordered it without even thinking. Two of my favorite pantry ingredients, joining forces to become the ultimate power couple?  I know you're thinking, I could have accidentally spilled some chia seeds into my nut butter and continued on brilliantly from there...so why does a company need to sell me on this idea?

1) It's pretty good and has lots of chia packed into each bite

2) Sales benefit charity

3) The varieties are intriguing

4) I was out of nut butter. This rarely happens.

The BeKind Butter Taste Test...

The sampler pack included 3 flavors.

Gator Grit: Super chunky peanut butter with 2x the chia seeds (also available in smooth)
Manhattan Mud: Smooth Peanut butter blended with vegan dark chocolate
Buffalo Dirt: Smooth peanut butter made with real coffee

From left:  Gator Grit, Manhattan Mud,  Buffalo Dirt

The chia butters are much thicker and chunkier than most butters. The texture actually benefits from the chia, and I liked the satisfying crunch of the seeds in each bite.  These butters are not sweetened (there is a flavor available with agave nectar but I like my nut butter unsweetened). Expect a roasted, savory flavor, even from the chocolate variety.

Gator Grit was the winner for me. Chunky with bits of peanuts, it tasted fresh and "refreshingly plain". Yes, sometimes you just want peanut butter to taste like peanut butter.

Manhattan Mud has a subtle cocoa flavor, but I would have gone darker. I expected it to be a blend of peanuts and almonds like it shows on Opensky, but the ingredient list had peanuts only. Very similar to the Gator Grit, just not as chunky.  And not sweet at all, which is rare for a chocolate nut butter.

The Buffalo Dirt is certainly the most interesting of the three, with that familiar coffee flavor tucked in, slightly bitter, but pleasant. I could see this working really well for a tiramisu-style stuffed french toast or dessert.

Nutritionally, the nut butters fall in the same calorie/fat range as most others, but of course, you get powerful chia seed Omega-3s and fiber. You can order all 3 for $26 at Opensky. 

As for me, I prefer my nut butter raw rather than roasted, but I'm looking forward to baking with these butters. If you're a chia lover and normally buy roasted, then you'll likely be a big fan.

Cacao-Covered Peanut Butter & Jelly Shake

Doesn't it sound devastating?

I assure you, it does a body good.

Energy in a glass. Sandwich in a straw. Cacao in an instant.

This makes 1 large shake (1.5 tall Collins glasses) and is incredibly filling - undoubtedly my most satisfying smoothie/shake yet. I almost couldn't finish. But I persevered.

Cacao-Covered Peanut Butter & Jelly Shake

1.5 cups almond milk

1 cup frozen berries (organic blueberry & organic raspberry here)

1/2 frozen banana

1.5 tbsp cacao powder

1 tbsp creamy peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

couple drops of stevia extract

Blend, baby, blend. Top with a dollop of PB.

Cold. Creamy. Fruity. Choco-fied. 

South Carolina Barbecue Tofu Sandwich: A Recipe from Spork Foods!

My cravings tend to sway more towards green juice than barbecue sauce, but let me tell you: I am all about the finger-lickin' good right now. That's because I've found a sauce recipe that is worth its salt. This craveable South Carolina-style sauce recipe comes from the Spork-Fed cookbook. We made the oh-so-soulful sandwich last week and then we added leftover sauce to mini tofu tacos over the weekend. Well, I will be making a bigger batch of sauce next time around, because it went FAST.

Lucky day. The Spork Foods sisters were kind enough to give me permission to share the recipe with you.

I highly recommend the book (other fave recipes of mine include the quinoa fennel white bean salad and the glazed tempeh) but if you need more convincing? Give this a whirl...

South Carolina Barbecue Tofu Sandwich

Barbecue Sauce Ingredients:


1 tbsp neutral tasting high-heat oil, plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic
1 1/2 small cans (about 3/4 cup) tomato paste
1/2 cup unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup evaporated brown sugar
1/4 cup brown rice syrup
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp sea salt, plus dash
1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper, plus dash
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp celery seed
1 tbsp dry mustard powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, plus to taste
1/2 cup water


1 14 oz block extra-firm tofu
4-6 whole grain burger buns or dinner rolls

To make barbecue sauce, put a large (6-quart) pot over medium heat and add 1 tbsp oil, onion and garlic, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.

Add tomato paste, vinegar, brown sugar, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, sea salt, black pepper, allspice, celery seed, mustard powder and cayenne. Add water. Cook for 5-10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. The longer the sauce is cooked, the better the flavor.

Preheat a large saute pan or grill pan and add remaining oil. Cut tofu into 1/4-inch slices. Place tofu in pan and sprinkle with a dash of sea salt and black pepper. Cook for about 4 minutes on first side until well browned. Flip and coat tofu with barbecue sauce. Cook for additional 5-7 minutes, flipping tofu over gently, until it looks well coated and is heated through.

Serve warm on a toasted whole grain bun or roll with all of the fixin's!

(Posted with permission from Spork Foods)

Spork Foods is a Los Angeles-based gourmet vegan food company owned and operated by sisters Jenny Engel and Heather Goldberg. They offer live cooking classes in Los Angeles at Spork Foods, online vegan cooking classes at www.sporkonline.com, one-on-one in-home healthy pantry makeovers, and recipe development/trainings for chefs, food companies and colleges. Their cookbook, Spork-Fed, is currently in stores, with a foreword by fellow fans and sisters, Emily and Zooey Deschanel.