Gardein Ultimate Beefless Sliders

I've never been to White Castle (although I used to see the commercials on WWOR as a kid), so the idea of a slider was pretty alien to me. And being Vegan for the last decade only added to my indifference if it was ever uttered in public. For those who haven't caught on yet, a slider is basically a small hamburger. So why does that matter to us Vegans? Well, Gardein has come up with one of the most interesting products I've seen in a while, The Ultimate Beefless Slider.

I find the Beefless Slider fascinating because it already comes with a bun. Also, a  pack of sliders take only one minute in microwave (plus a minute wait time). It doesn't get any easier or lazier than that. But the kicker is that they taste amazing! In my experience, any product where a bun is included has been gross and barely edible, but these are genuinely delicious. The bun is soft and the burger part is moist. And for those of you who just turned Vegetarian or Vegan, the Meatless Slider tastes a bit like real hamburger. I don't miss that meat taste at all, but I think it's a nice option for people who are trying to go meatless (Go Meatless Mondays!) So wrapping up, if you are looking for a QUICK little meal that is unique to Vegan frozen food, The Ultimate Beefless Slider is the one!

Sol Cuisine Organic BBQ Tofu Ribs

Organic BBQ Tofu Ribs. With those four words I decided to grab the box out of the Whole Foods freezer and take it home. I'm new to Sol Cuisine stuff, but having an Organic, Non-GMO product is a great introduction. And who doesn't love tofu ribs? I sure as heck do.   

So I fired up the microwave, and bam, BBQ Tofu Ribs. Texture-wise they were a little spongy. If you've ever had frozen and thawed tofu before, you know what I mean. Taste-wise, I felt like the BBQ didn't have enough kick. To me it had a marinara flavor, which wasn't bad, but I would have liked a little bit more tang and smokiness. The portions were good, so you'll have more than enough to share (if you want to). Even with some of my misgivings, I think they are worth a try. 

Field Roast Smoked Tomato Deli Slices

Field Roast has been one of my favorite "Vegan Meat" companies for quite awhile now. Whether it's the Smoked Apple Sage Sausages or the Frankfurters, I really dig 'em. Last week I saw their Smoked Tomato Deli Slices at the store and didn't think twice about adding them to my cart as I'm always down for a kick ass sandwich. For my version, I used Grapeseed Vegenaise, mustard, tomato and lettuce on sourdough bread. 

My first impression was, "holy crap, that's good!" The texture and consistency of the slices are heavenly. They're thick but seemed to fall apart in your mouth. The taste is outstanding, with a smoked hearty flavor. I like how it stands on its own and isn't trying to replicate salami or ham. It's creating a new genre of Vegan deli meat! You could totally ditch the bread and eat the slices by themselves. So if you are in the mood for some truly kick ass sandwiches, Field Roast Smoked Tomato Deli Slices get a thumbs up from me!

Lightlife Organic Tempeh

As you may have gathered by now, I don't like to cook. Wait, hold up -- I like to cook for certain people and I like to cook when I have all of the ingredients and cooking instructions ready to go. But as far as daily cooking goes, I'm just not the one. What does this have to do with Lightlife Tempeh? I'm getting to that part.

Back when I first went Vegetarian I was trying all of the crazy non-meats like tofu, seitan and of course, tempeh. Lightlife Garden Veggie Tempeh was the first tempeh I ever had, and to this day, still my favorite. The two ways I like to eat it are either in a stir-fry with veggies or in a T.L.T. -- both ways rule. Not knowing this, Lightlife send me a TON of tempeh late last year to try out and review. Why did it take me 10 months to blog it? I have no idea, I must REALLY be lazy.
  

So here we have the Lightlife Three Grain, Soy and Wild Rice Tempeh. All three are great for sure, with only subtle differences. All of them soak up marinade really well. Wild Rice has whole pieces of rice, while Three Grain has (obviously) grains throughout. The Soy seems to be Isa's favorite, so that's usually the one that  gets bought. 

Next is the Lightlife Garden Veggie, Fakin' Bacon and Flax Tempeh. So you already know of my love for the Garden Veggie, try it if you never have. The Fakin' Bacon is, as the title suggest, flavored smoky tempeh strips. Pretty awesome and perfect for TLT's. I hope to individually review it at some point.

In closing, I'm sure all of you have purchased Lightlife Tempeh at some point or another. If not, I'd highly advise you to because it's organic, cheap and tasty. If I can cook this stuff up, you can too!

Nutty Cow Nut Cheese Spread

Nutty Cow recently sent me some of their new Nut Cheeses to try out. As I always say, the more Vegan cheeses the better! These are more of the spread variety, for sandwiches, chips and crackers. Dare I say the consistency is almost hummus like. The main ingredients in these spreads is soy beans and cashews, plus they are gluten free.

There are three flavors, Maple Pecan Spread, Ricotta Style and Garlic Herb Spread. The Maple Pecan was my favorite of the three. I really enjoyed the desserty aspect of the spread. It was sweet and perfect for a toasted bagel. Ricotta was nice and creamy. I've never had dairy ricotta but imagine it must be something similar to this. I bet it would be good in a sandwich or lasagna. The Garlic Herb has some nice flavor going on. It would be great on some crackers or chips.

So be on the lookout for these three new Nut Cheeses, three more cheeses closer to Vegan cheese domination!

Soyatoo Extra Creamy Whip

The great thing about being Vegan is that almost anything can be replicated animal-free. I feel like you should be able to have all of the decadent goodies that non-Vegans have. One such instance is the Soyatoo Extra Creamy Whip. Some of you have probably seen me complain about Soyatoo cans before. In the past I've had trouble getting the normal Soy Whip out of the can (as I'm sure you have, too). So  I gave up on the can and started buying it in the box. Well a month or so ago, I noticed this Extra Creamy can and decided to try again. Shockingly, it worked and actually tasted better than the old stuff.  

As you can see, my strawberries got creamed. Honestly, most of the whip went directly in my mouth as it should. It's thick, creamy and fluffy goodness. So, if you see the Extra Creamy Whip in the stores, give it a chance. And if you want to be non-lazy, you can follow the 7 step process to ensure your whip works correctly. I didn't, of course.

Zen Almond Milk Chocolate Pudding...And Introducing Gloopie®

I loved pudding growing up. Whether it was homemade or out of a lunch box, I had an appetite for all of it. My newest favorite pudding is the Zen Chocolate Almond Milk Pudding. It's chocolaty, rich, smooth and creamy. I really love it! Let's just say I have almost enough UPCs to get the free t-shirt. So now you know that I love it right out of the cup, but I'm going to let you in on my little secret: one day I was eating vanilla ice cream and I wanted some kind of topping. For some reason I thought of putting the pudding on top of the ice cream, and.... Gloopie® was born.

I know what you're thinking, "John, this is madness, it can not be done!" Yes, it was no small feat to think outside the box and combine two of the world's most loved desserts. The ice cream I currently have on hand is the new So Delicious Vanilla Almond Milk. It was kinda nice to taste almond on almond, but I've also tried the Soy Creamy Vanilla and it's equally as good.

Here is Gloopie® in all its glory. The chilly ice cream covered in rich chocolaty goodness. It's pretty decadent if I do say so myself. I know it's a bold step and some of you are not ready to take the leap. If and when the time comes, I just want you to know that I'm here for you. Gloopie® forever!