Qrunch Spicy Italian Quinoa Burgers

I love quinoa, as I'm sure you do, too. Is there someone out there that hates quinoa? I hope not! If anything, I wish there was more readily available pre-packaged quinoa based meals. So with that said, I was eagerly anticipating these Spicy Italian Quinoa burgers from Qrunch. Everything about these burgers sound delicious to me. And since they are made with quinoa, they are gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free and dairy-free. Perfect for almost anyone!    

The flavor is spicy without being too hot. I love topping it with Vegenaise, lettuce (or kale) and tomato to compliment the spice. The patty is pretty dense and very filling. I would describe it as breaded "chick'n"-like, crispy on the outside and soft inside. Their preferred method is an oven or skillet but I prefer a minute and a half in the microwave, even though they tell you not to. My only complaint would be the price ($7.50 or so for 4) but to me it's worth it. If you're ready to spice things up a bit, and want to try a different kind of veggie burger I think the Qrunch Spicy Italian Quinoa Burger is an awesome choice.

So Delicious Cashew Milk

More and more people are switching to non-dairy milks for a variety of reasons: health, taste, allergies and/or ethics. As a kid of the 80's, I was pummeled over the head with information about how "good" dairy milk was for you. Well, the jingles, advertisements and commercials didn't work; the truth is milk doesn't do a body good. Over the years I've tried soy, coconut, almond, hemp, oat, rice and probably more kinds that I can't even remember. And now, So Delicious has graciously sent me their newest beverages, So Delicious Unsweetened Cashew Milk and Unsweetened Vanilla Cashew Milk.

If you know me, then you know all about my cashew obsession. I keep cashews in my car for a snack after work or the gym. So the idea of having a cashew milk is beyond exciting. Unsweetened is usually my favorite, so I tested it first. It has a nice nutty flavor that can be poured into cereal with no regrets. I imagine it would be a good choice for baking, also. The Unsweetened Vanilla has a little Vanilla flavor if you like to straight-up drink it. It would also be nice in coffee or milkshakes. Overall, I was very satisfied with both of the milks, with Unsweetened being my favorite. In fact, I'm eating it with my Panda Puffs as I type. Can't wait till I see the cashew milks in the stores!

As So Delicious is one of the most awesome Vegan company out there, they have sent me two free product coupons to giveaway! All you have to do is put in the comments below your favorite So Delicious product and a way for me to contact you. I'll pick two winners at random! The giveaway ends Wednesday at 5pm CST.

Upton's Naturals Bacon Seitan

I know it's only July, but I think I've found my favorite product of the year. In fact, I've put off blogging about it for a couple months because I wanted to make sure I liked it as much as I thought I did. That product is Upton's Naturals Bacon Seitan and it has been life changing. So, two months and seven packages of Seitan Bacon later, I'm ready to review it!

I'm not going to lie: I liked bacon when I was a meat eater. But for some reason, pork was the first thing I gave up when I started going Vegetarian. I soon became accustomed to making tempeh bacon so I could still have my B.L.T.'s (or if you will, T.L.T.'s.) But as much as I liked tempeh bacon, it wasn't close texture-wise. I missed the flat, chewy, crunchiness of bacon. As time went on, I just got used to the fact that I would never have bacon again and that tempeh bacon was the best cruelty-free option.

Well, fast-forward a decade later and I'm holding a box of Upton's Natural Seitan Bacon in my hand. Is this the product I've been waiting 13 years for? For the most part, yes! Upton's Bacon is thin-cut, smoky and when cooked properly, crunchy. These are lean and tasty. The only significant fat you are going to get is from the oil you use to cook the Seitan Bacon with. You can overcook it a bit to get that "bacon crunch" you miss or cook it normal to a chewy seitan consistency. When done perfectly, it even gets that crisp at the edges, chewy in the center thing going on. So far I've had the bacon with pancakes, as part of a salad and of course, in B.L.T.'s.

It has a deep hickory taste with a definite bacon flavor going on. I can fry some up and eat it by itself (the true test of how good something is.) And when it really comes down to it, it's satisfying to know I didn't inflict harm on a pig to have a delicious B.L.T.  It comes already sliced up like tradition bacon, which is a nice touch. And I was happy to see Upton Natural's donates 5% of profits from Bacon Seitan to pigs at Farm Sanctuary!

Thank you to Upton's Naturals for this amazing Seitan Bacon, you made this former bacon lover very, very happy.

London 2013

I've always wanted to go to England. Part of my being owes a debt to a place I've never been. So many of my favorite bands originated here (Pet Shop Boys, Iron Maiden, Carcass, Talk Talk, Pulp....I could go on forever) and my favorite TV show The Prisoner starts and ends in London. Also, the original Star Wars Trilogy was filmed at Elstree Studios. And most obvious, Veganism has its roots in England; the word was coined there in 1944. So in short, I've been waiting a long time to visit. Isa and I didn't get to do half of what we wanted to, but we'll have to come back soon. Here's a tiny recap of what we did get around to. If you've never been to England, hopefully this blog post encourages you to go. We were in London mostly, but I hear there are other Vegan-friendly cities in traveling distance.    

More than likely, you're gonna have to fly to England. Well, if you called ahead (and call again right before the flight) you should be able to get Vegan food on the plane. We took British Airways and got first class treatment. The food was better than expected and the attendants were super helpful. We received 2 square Vegan meals on the 8 hour flight. Off to a good start! 

We ended up staying in Camden, but we were all over London. I think I hit up every major Whole Foods and obviously I saw tons of new stuff. You gotta love it!

One thing that I have seen before is Isa's beloved Vegusto cheese from Paris. Who can forget? It's not my cup of tea, but I seem to be in the minority.

Another reason I was stoked about the trip is that Quarrygirl moved to London and was going to hang with us. To finally put a face to the infamous Vegan Beer & Pizza blogging Queen was exciting. Well, I'm happy to report that she is one of the nicest people I've ever met. The trip wouldn't have been the same without her tips and company. Nevermind that she gave me this bundle of Vegan goodies....that's besides the point! She's rad and I can't wait to hang again.

You know, if you're going to England, you have to eat Fish n' Chips. Well in this case, Vegan Fish n' Chips! There were a couple places that had it, but we ended up at a Loving Hut. Basically, it was breaded fried tofu and fries. It was pretty good! So I got that out of the way. I also had a lot of inSpiral Cafe because our hotel was close. Manna was delicious too. Oh, and I finally got to meet Jojo aka Vegan in Brighton at Mildreds! Both Manna and Mildreds offered Great Britain's signature Bangers & Mash. There's no shortage of Vegan eats in London, but my favorite of the favorites was...

Amico Bio! I don't know if it's because I never get good Italian food (minus Portobella and Isa, of course) but I tore both locations UP! We ate there three times and I loved it. My favorite was the John Lennon Pizza and the onion rings. And putting the onion rings on the John Lennon Pizza. I can't recommend it enough.

One of the most exciting parts of the trip was Isa's book signing at Ms. Cupcake. If you're seen my Laziest Vegans Top Ten blog post with Mellissa or seen Quarrygirl's YouTube video, you can probably tell Mellissa is a kind, genuine person and a riot to hang out with. The Ms. Cupcake staff was super cool and the shop was so cute, plus it's a good reason to visit Brixton. A MUST SEE.

Really close to our hotel in Camden Lock was this little shop, Cookies and Scream. They had some outstanding baked goods including donuts! But their claim to fame is the Wookiee, which is a bar with double choc-chip and thick chocolate. There's even a chalk board to keep track who can eat it the fastest!

So that's the trip in a nut shell! Bottom line is if you're Vegan you have to visit England in your lifetime, especially London. Lots or history, art, culture, music and of course food!

The Laziest Vegans Top Ten Asks Ms. Cupcake

Earlier this year, Isa and I fulfilled our life long dreams of traveling to London, England. We painted the town Vegan and met some really cool people! One of the coolest people we met across the pond was Mellissa Morgan, aka Ms. Cupcake. Mellissa is the creator of the Ms. Cupcake Vegan cupcake shop, which is London's first entirely Vegan bakery!

Ever since I saw Quarrygirl's YouTube video spotlighting Ms. Cupcake, I knew I had to meet her. If you won't be making your way to London anytime soon, check out the recently released Ms. Cupcake: The Naughtiest Cupcakes in Town! Cookbook. It's a gorgeous big hardcover book with tons of scrumptious cupcakes. Mellissa was born in Canada, so she knows what's good on both sides of the Atlantic. Obviously, Ms. Cupcake is gaga over cupcakes, but what is her favorite candy?  

What is your favorite veggie burger?
In the UK we have a brand called ‘Redwood Foods’ and their Quarter Pounder burgers are brilliant!

What is your favorite frozen dinner?
I adore Amy’s Dairy Free Rice Macaroni & Cheeze. It reminds me of childhood when I would beg my Mom for Mac and Cheese. I’m proud to say that I always slather it with ketchup for a proper trip down memory lane!

What is your favorite ice cream? Purely Decadent PEANUT BUTTER ZIG ZAG from the So Delicious brand. We can’t get it in the UK, but it’s the first thing I pick up when I go and visit my family in Toronto!

What is your favorite chip or cracker?
I’m a pretzel girl – LOVE pretzels. And Pringles. In the UK they mark the flavours that are vegan as ‘vegan’ which I love.

What is your favorite cereal?
I love the Dorset Cereal range of mueslis – the nuttier the better!

What is your favorite candy?
Summer Peaches from the Goody Good Stuff range. I could eat bag after bag. I’m also a big Go Max Go bars fan.

What is your favorite cookie?
I’m seriously jealous of the Trader Joe’s range you guys have in the USA – some pretty awesome cookies to be found there! I’m a huge fan of Speculoos cookies – we have a brand called Lotus over here which are awesome (I think they are called Biscoff in the US?)

What three pre-packaged food items would you take to a desert island?
Vegusto Piquant Cheese (best vegan cheese – EVER), Jokerz bars, and Fry’s Family Chicken Style Strips – very versatile.

Name a product you would like Veganized?
Twix bars and Kit Kats.

What are your favorite local and/or online stores for Vegan products?
My shop is a great place to shop :) We have a few Whole Foods markets in London which are great to pick up supper. For online we use VeganStore.co.uk and GoodnessDirect.co.uk.

And that concludes The Laziest Vegans Top Ten. Thanks Ms. Cupcake!

Beyond Meat Chicken-Free Strips at Tropical Smoothie Cafe!

Last month, at the Vida Vegan Conference in Portland, Oregon, I was introduced to Kedar, a representative for Beyond Meat. He happened to mention to me that there was a Tropical Smoothie Cafe in the Omaha area and that they carried Beyond Meat Chicken-Free Strips for sandwiches, wraps or salads! I've heard rumblings of Vegan options at Tropical Smoothie Cafes across the country, but I had no idea Omaha had one (technically it's in Papillion, but whatever.) Kedar provided me with a Vegan cheat sheet that really comes in handy once you're ready to order. It goes like this:

Vegan Breads:
Flour Tortilla
Garlic Tortilla
Ciabatta Flatbread

Vegan Sauces/Toppings:
Jerk Sauce
Thai Peanut Dressing
Buffalo Sauce
Guacamole
Hummus
Salsa
Southwest Rice
Wontons

Suggested Vegan items with Beyond Meat:

Wraps:
Buffalo Chicken Wrap (without cheese)
Thai Chicken
Southwest Chicken (without ranch)
Hummus Veggie (without pepper jack, doesn’t normally have meat, so add Beyond Meat)

Sandwiches:
Turkey Guacamole (With Ciabatta bread instead of 9-Grain)
Build your own? (Chicken, Hummus, Guac with Lettuce & Tomato on Ciabatta)

Flatbreads:
Baja Chicken (without cheese and ranch)
Caribbean Luau (without cheese)

It also turns out that many of the smoothies are Vegan, too. They use Turbinado sugar, which is completely Vegan, plus tons of fruits and veggies. So now you can get some great food and a smoothie. My kind of fast food joint! Everything was pretty easy to order. Just remember that most things come with cheese, so just ask for no cheese and Beyond Meat Chicken-Free Strips in place of the chicken. Here's what I tried:

Looking at the cheat sheet, I knew I wanted the Buffalo Wrap. I love that buffalo tang and I knew it would taste great with the Chicken-Free Strips. Boy was I right, these are dynamite! Probably my favorite of the three food items I tried. For real, I could eat these everyday.

Next is the Caribbean Luau Flatbread. A very flavorful, sweet, hearty creation that's a little different than your typical sandwich fare. I have to add that the Chicken-Free Strips taste great! I believe they serve the Grilled Chicken-Free Strips. I'm not sure of their cooking method, but they are warm and delicious.

And finally we have the Hummus Veggie Wrap. Now, this wrap is normally Vegan (minus the cheese) but I tried it with and without Chicken-Free Strips (yes, I'm pretty thorough.) I loved it both ways! The strips add a lot of sustenance to the wrap, but it was also excellent without.

Unfortunately, there was only one bag of chips that were Vegan. They were Miss Vickie's Simply Salt Chips. I liked them but I would love to see more Vegan options. Hopefully Tropical Smoothie Cafe can rectify that in the future.

I also want to mention how impressed I was by the smoothies. If you follow me on twitter or know me in real life, you know I'm a sucker for shakes and smoothies. The two I tried were simply amazing: Island Green and Caribbean Carrot. They were refreshing AND came in very handy during this hot Nebraska month of June. Can't wait to try some of the other varieties!

It's always been a dream of mine for fast food restaurants to offer Vegan options. I know it happens on the coasts with Chipotle and Subway, but nothing like that ever happens in Omaha. I'm really excited and I hope people come (I'm talking to the whole city of Omaha) and try all of the different varieties of Vegan eats.

Special thanks to Kedar from Beyond Meat for telling me all about this. I was half drunk when he told me (we were at party, I'm not always drunk) and I didn't believe him. I'm so happy he was right! Find a Tropical Smoothie Cafe location near you here.

Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet Mozzarella Cheese Shreds

I don't know about you, but Follow Your Heart Cheese was the first Vegan cheese that I really liked. Before that, there were numerous blocks of orange-ish clay that called themselves "cheese" but tasted like salted play-doh. Vegans at the time just accepted that Vegan cheese would taste a little funky. Follow Your Heart cheese really changed that (it melted!) and I'm forever thankful. In the last five years though, brands like Daiya and Teese have taken away some of Follow Your Heart's shine. So for me, it's exciting that Follow Your Heart has introduced three new shredded cheese products. For this review, I'm only sampling the Mozzarella, but the other two flavors are Cheddar and Fiesta Blend. And the best test for mozzarella is pizza, right? I think so!        

I've got the cheese all ready to go, but now I need a couple toppings. One of my favorite faux meats is Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage Sausages. If you've never had it, you're missing out big time 'cause it's tasty as heck. As for a veggie topping, I'm gonna be lazy and throw some black olives on this thing. I love my black olives. In a perfect world I would have had green pepper on hand, but alas...

As you can see the cheese melted nicely. I used the broiler for a couple minutes after the pizza was done to melt whatever cheese hadn't already melted. Texture-wise, I liked it more than the recently reviewed Trader Joe's Mozzarella Style Shreds. This was thicker and more cheese-like. It doesn't have the elasticity that Daiya does, which  I don't mind, but some of you might. Taste-wise, it was richer than I thought it would be. Not as rich as Daiya, but not as mild as the Trader Joe's. It has nice mozzarella flavor, maybe a hair salty, but still good. I liked that the flavor didn't overpower the pizza, kinda like Daiya sometimes does. But even though it was a dream melted on the pizza, eaten straight out of the bag it was a little blah. And I know you might be curious, yes it does have palm oil, but thankfully it has been sustainably sourced and bears the Rainforest Alliance certified logo on the packaging.

Overall, I was very satisfied with the mozzarella and I'm excited that Follow Your Heart finally has a shredded cheese on the market. It's a nice alternative to the other Vegan shredded cheeses out there.