Saffron Road New Vegan Frozen Entrees

Saffron Road contacted me about their new line of Vegan frozen entrees and offered to send me a few to sample. Uh, heck yeah, send them all! They sent Bibimbop with Tofu & Brown Rice, Thai Basil Chili Tofu with Basmati Rice and Manchurian Dumplings with Basmati Rice. Let's microwave these bad boys and chow.

Bibimbop with Tofu was easily my favorite of the three. The tofu is some of the best I've had in a frozen dinner. The sweet and sour flavor is perfect, not too far one way or the other. I would have liked to have more food in the bowl, but that's a good thing. I'll buy two. If you've never had bibimbob and can't get to a Korean restaurant, this would be a good introduction.

The Thai Basil Chili Tofu was a nice stir-fry meal. Nothing too amazing but it's a solid meal. Love the little baby corns. One thing I'd like to point out is how spicy it is. Or I should really say I'm not a spice fan. If you like a little kick with you food, then this meal is PERFECT.

Manchurian Dumplings was probably my least favorite of the meals. I wasn't really feeling the consistency and taste of the dumplings. A little too mushy and the flavor (ginger?) just wasn't my cup of tea. Hope you have better luck than me.

All in all I'm happy to see these new frozen dinners on the market. The Tofu Bibimbop is a must, the other two are so-so depending on your personal preference. Hope to see them in the store soon!

Gardein Golden Fishless Filet

The first time I had a Gardein Golden Fishless Filet was at Expo West in Anaheim over the Spring. It was my favorite product of the show, and I've been eagerly waiting its arrival in Omaha. Well it's finally here! I found it at my local Natural Grocers of all places. I was delightfully surprised and super excited to relive the delicious experience. So the question is, were they as good as the ones I had at Expo West? The answer is YES, YES, YES!

To me, the filets taste like Long John Silver's fish filets. Tons of batter, a little greasy and very filling. I've had food like this in a Vegan restaurant, but never from the frozen food aisle at the grocery store. It's really game-changing (to me anyway) that you can have a frozen Vegan fish filet that is decadent and better that the real thing. I have a feeling that meat eaters (or fish eaters, whatever) will really take to what Gardein has done here. The filets are not revamped Crispy Tenders, they really look and taste like battered fish!

The batter is divine, nice and crispy. The toaster oven or regular oven is recommended for cooking and I totally agree. Don't even mess with the microwave on this one. The inside is juicy and tangy, it will really take you back. How they got the texture and flavors down, I have no idea, but I'm happy they did!

As you can see, I made up my little version of Vegan Long John Silver's. It's got balsamic vinegar, ketchup, fries and the filets. I died! It was soooo good. Now let's be honest, this isn't low fat food. It's greasy, but that's what makes it so wonderful. Sometimes I wanna' splurge and this is the perfect food to do so.

Gardein has become the king of Veganizing food experiences from my non-Vegan past. Chicken Fingers? Check. Beef Cutlet? Check. Chicken Patties? Check. So far, this is my favorite new product of the year and I don't know what could possible top it, but I'd sure love to see someone try.
   

Amy's Vegan Veggie Loaf

Ok, let's go back to the year 2000. I was on the verge of going Vegetarian, I was trying new foods like meat-analogs and dairy-free milks and I was getting tempeh and hummus mixed up (I'm from Nebraska, cut me some slack.) Tofu seemed like this wonderful protein that I had no idea what to do with. Organic produce had more flavor and I consumed more veggies than I ever had before.

But one thing I really appreciated was Amy's frozen dinners. They were on the natural side of things, with great ingredients, but the food didn't seem super alien to me. I could relate to a frozen dinner, it wasn't intimidating. Anyway, my first Amy's frozen dinner was the Veggie Loaf. I was blown away by the flavor and the texture and I knew I was on the right path. It was my favorite frozen dinner up until I went Vegan in 2003. You see, the Veggie Loaf had honey and all these years I've been upset that honey was the only thing keeping me from eating it. Like, change the one ingredient and so many more people can enjoy the dinner. Well, to my surprise, Amy's finally got rid of the honey and now I can once again enjoy some delicious Veggie Loaf!

So after all these years, I finally have a Vegan Amy's Veggie Loaf in front my face. I'm trying to remember what the old Veggie Loaf was like. As I recall, the loaf itself was denser and the tray had separate compartments for the sides. I kinda remember a dessert of some type? Also, I'm pretty sure the original wasn't gluten-free. Anyway, this is a totally different meal and I'm ok with that.

The new loaf is tasty, something that would be an excellent gateway food for a veg interested person. It's familiar enough while still having some of the characteristics of meat. The veggies, mashed potatoes and gravy were good as well. Everything cooked evenly in the microwave and was delicious. My only complaint would be that it seems like less food than it used to be. I know it's not the year 2000 anymore, so that's just wishful thinking. But you know me, I could easily eat two of these dinners.

I'm happy Amy's finally made their Veggie Loaf Vegan, and it's definitely back on my list of favorites. Thinking about the old Veggie Loaf made me nostalgic and it really got me to think about my long and windy road to Veganism. I'm glad Amy's was there at that transitional time in my life and it's exciting to relive that again.  

Veestro Vegan Frozen Dinners

Veestro is a company that delivers frozen Vegan meals to you home. I didn't realize there was such a service until Mark, the co-owner, contacted me about reviewing some of Veestro's products. Of course I said yes! About a week later I got this huge box full of goodies. There was quite a variety, with all kinds of Vegan goodness. Everything from soups, entrees, salads and even cookies. Best yet, every meal is Organic and GMO-free!     

Savory Croquettes with Veggie Hash. Probably my favorite meal of the bunch! Yummy tofu croquettes, veggies and sauce.  

Mediterranean Skillet. Loved the bacon tempeh on this one. And plenty of veggies to keep you feeling healthy.

Red Curry with Tofu and Vegetables. I'm not a big fan of curry, but I was loving this tofu curry! I also dug the rounds of brown rice.

Enchilada Casserole. Not the prettiest frozen dinner I've ever seen, but the great flavor makes up for it.

Risotto with Butternut Squash and Kale. You don't typically see risotto in a frozen dinner. Not bad!

Roasted Beet & Kale Salad. The yummy dressing came on the side, not pictured here. A well rounded salad.

Soba Noodles with Peanut Sauce. This was pretty gingery. All I had to do was microwave the noodles, sauce and throw it all together.

Tortilla Soup. This soup came in a packet that you microwave, and poof, Spicy Tortilla Soup!

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies. I was loving these cookies! And I didn't have to do anything, just had to thaw them out.

Overall, I was very impressed with the quality and the flavors or Veestro's food. Looking at their prices, they do cost more than your typical frozen dinner. But with that said, the premium is more than worth it. The meals are chef-created using the highest quality Organic non-GMO ingredients. Give 'em a try and let me know what you think! You can buy any of these items individually, by pack or build your own pack. Bon appetit!

Amy's Light & Lean Spaghetti Italiano Dinner

I've always thought that Amy's had the best Vegan frozen dinners overall. Do I need to list them? From the Black Bean Enchilada Dinner, to the Dairy Free Rice Macaroni & Cheeze, the Roasted Vegetable Tamale and last but not least, the Tofu Scramble. Now comes their new line of  Light & Lean frozen dinners, and I started my taste test with the Spaghetti Italiano Dinner. I love spaghetti, so I'm all about it. My only concern is the "Light & Lean" tag. Would the reduced fat/calories be a taste killer? Would I turn into a new-age health foodie? Good questions!    

Well, not shockingly, the Light & Lean Spaghetti Italiano Dinner is excellent. Maybe I'm drinking the Amy's Kool-Aid, but I can barely notice that the dinner is low fat/reduced calorie. Everything is tasty and satisfying. The "meatballs" were especially a surprise. Made out of lentils, tofu and quinoa, the meatless meatball were very filling. The sauce was tangy and the pasta was nice and firm. Even the broccoli was good for a frozen dinner. I think it's fair to add the Spaghetti Italiano Dinner to the exclusive list of Amy's best frozen dinners. What is your favorite Amy's dinner?  

Chipotle Fiesta Vegan Pockets

I love it when Vegan products are obvious about it! Lately I've noticed a rise of products that actually say "Vegan" on them. When Trader Joe's started putting "V" on all eligible items in the store, it felt like a big step. Some companies were hiding the fact they were Vegan to not dissuaded non-Vegans from buying their stuff. Well, you can't get any more blatant than calling your product Vegan Pockets. I came upon these at out Akin's Natural Foods Market and I had to have one. Best name ever!

You get two 5 ounce Vegan Pockets in a box. I got the Chipotle Fiesta flavor, but there is also Orient Express, Back to Our Roots and Taste of Italy. They're pretty easy to make, throw one in the microwave for 2 minutes and you're done. I thought it tasted pretty healthy due to the whole wheat flour crust, which isn't a bad thing.  I had one for lunch today and it filled me up. Being stuffed with potatoes, black beans, tomatoes, corn, onions, brown rice and bell pepper makes Vegan Pockets very hearty. There was a bit of spice but nothing crazy hot. I like that they are not huge, and the size is totally portable. The whole point of a pocket is to be able to eat one on the run and Vegan Pockets are perfect in that regard. Love the name and I can't wait to try the other flavors!  

Whole Foods 365 Breaded Chickenless Nuggets

Recently, Whole Foods has introduced quite a few new 365 Vegan frozen items. One of them that really caught my eye was the 365 Breaded Chickenless Nuggets. I really loved chicken nuggets growing up and I have been sampling different Vegan chicken nuggets for the last 13 years. These ended up being some of the best nuggets I've ever had! I'm willing to bet most meat eaters won't know the difference.   

As you can see, I like a little fry action with my nuggets. The 365 Nuggets are nice and crisp out of the oven. In the past, I've had nuggets that were just a soggy mess and that isn't the case here. Taste-wise, they reminded me of my elementary school chicken nuggets. That's not a diss by any means! If you liked chicken nuggets at any point in your life, I think you'll love these 365 Breaded Chickenless Nuggets.

Ethnic Gourmet Pad Thai With Tofu

I get a kick when someone really loves a product and they implore me to try it. In this case, my girlfriend's mom, knowing that I have a blog about Vegan convenience food, wanted me to try the Ethnic Gourmet Pad Thai with Tofu entree. For some reason I've skipped over the Ethnic Gourmet dinners in the past, but Marlene was very enthusiastic, so I had to give it a shot.

I have to say, it was pretty darn good, with the right balance of sweet and spicy and tofu that mixed in really nicely. Also, the peanuts and rice noodles provided some great textures. My only warning is to make sure you don't overcook it, or you'll end up with some burnt rice noodles at the bottom of the bowl. But if you're looking for a nice backup meal or a quick lunch, I totally vouch for the Pad Thai with Tofu. Thanks Marlene!

Frozen Foodie

Remember back in the late 80's when microwave pizza was all the rage? Well I think this new pizza from Ian's will take you back! My newest find is French Bread Pizza with Soy Cheese that's not only Vegan but is also gluten free! But how does it taste? I love it! Great pizza to listen to the Rocky IV soundtrack to while playing Rad Racer. My only complaint is that the individual pizzas are pretty small, so buy a lot.

Amy's has a new line of Vegan Tamales. I picked up the Roasted Vegetable and the Black Bean dinners. Taste wise I thought they were delicious and flavorful. It's great to see Amy's innovate and not rest only on their classics. But you'll have to pry Amy's Enchilada dinner from my cold dead hands.

Fairly new to the Vegan frozen food game is Kashi. I've been eating their Black Bean Mango dinner for a while now and I have to say I love it. The mango is a really great touch, nice and tangy.

The Tuscan Veggie Bake is one of their newest Vegan offerings. It was hearty and filling. Unfortunately, the dinners aren't organic, but I really appreciate that it says Vegan on the front of the box.