Ryan Smith sells Bitchin Sauce in San Diego

Here’s how you stop a Recipe Renovator in her tracks at the Farmer’s Market:
Would you like to try our gluten-free vegan sauce?
Sold! He had me at hello. After tasting, I wanted to chat with Ryan Smith about his new company, which features regular and chipotle versions of a dip/sauce that’s just amazing. It’s rich, creamy, and you’d never know it wasn’t made from full-fat sour cream! They use almonds as the base, and include Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, spices, and nutritional yeast. Bitchin’ Sauce is available at farmer’s markets around San Diego County and Seaside Market in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA.

 

So I have to ask, how did you get your name?
My sister Starr Edwards and I have been making the sauce for a few years now and when we decided to take it to the streets we knew it needed a sweet name. It took a bit of brainstorming, but then it finally came to us. When you eat the sauce there is only one word that encapsulates every great character it has: creaminess, unique addictive taste, and health benefits. All of a sudden it hit us: Bitchin’ Sauce!

 

What was your motivation for starting the company?
Starr and I have always had an entrepreneurial bug. We have known that in order for us serve, bless, and give to people as we really would like, it’s going to take more than a 9-to-5 job to accomplish it. Bitchin’ Sauce in a excellent product that we always have been excited about, and we are excited that it has turned into a vehicle to help us give in bigger ways than we even imagined. Not only are we able to give money to non-profits we are excited about, we are able to give and promote a healthier lifestyle to our customers. Eventually we’ll be able to give jobs to people and give in other ways that I haven’t even thought about yet. It’s pretty bitchin’.
 
What is your background?
Starr and I grew up in a very health-conscious family. Our mom Bernie Smith raised us to be aware of the foods we are putting in our bodies and taught us that in order for our bodies to be as vital as possible we need to feed them with living foods. She used to teach college classes on health and nutrition in the Midwest. Growing up in that environment helped both Starr and I care about healthy foods and keeping our bodies as vital as possible.
 
Why a gluten-free vegan sauce?
When developing the sauce, the main things we focused on was making it vegan and healthy. Both Starr and I were completely vegan for a period of time and it was great to have a product that was creamy like a non-vegan sauce and was super-healthy for us. It made being vegan very easy. Gluten-free is an added bonus. While we didn”t set out to make a gluten-free sauce, we are stoked that it is gluten-free and so are all of our gluten-free customers.
 
Ryan’s Recipe Suggestion: Bitchin’ Bowl
Slather the sauce over warm brown rice or quinoa and black beans. Then top it with avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, and jalapenos. Enjoy!
 
This is an excellent meal. You can top it with salsa, light sour cream, or your favorite vegan alternative if you don’t have access to Bitchin’ Sauce. But, given Ryan’s positive attitude and how tasty this sauce is, I won’t be surprised when the sauce is offered by a national retailer. I have come up with my own version, inspired by their sauce.

Healthy recipe for brown rice, black beans

A hearty lunch or dinner bowl for vegans, it was a hit with The Husband.