Tofurky Vegetarian Feast

I've finally come to the end of my faux turkey/roast taste test. So far I've tried the Gardein Holiday Roast and the Field Roast Hazelnut Cranberry Roast. So that leaves the one and only legend: The Tofurky Vegetarian Feast. It's been around since 1995 (respect goes out to all you Vegans who were around back then) and almost everyone knows about Tofurky. 

So let's get down to brass tacks. The Tofurky roast is stout, compact and pleasantly plump, but big enough to feed six. One difference between the roasts is that the Tofurky Roast requires basting, which wasn't hard, but necessary.  The taste of the roast is good and smoky, reminiscent of Tofurky lunch slices. The middle part with the stuffing was also delicious. Unfortunately, I wasn't as enthusiastic about the texture. It was a little rubbery and should definitely be sliced thin. The gravy was smoky and flavorful, I can see why they sell it separate.    

As an added bonus, Tofurky put an Amy's Chocolate Cake in the package. It's simple to serve, all you have to do is thaw it out. I've reviewed it in the past and while I'm not "Mr. Chocolate Lover", it is a solid dessert.   

So you've already ate the Tofurky Roast and the Amy's Chocolate Cake, but there's still more! You get two Tofuky Wishstix (make a wish and eat), a nifty Tofurky Land postcard that you can send to your favorite meat eater and a coupon book full of your favorite veg companies.

In the end, Tofurky puts together one heck of a feast. A meal for six, dessert and extra treats/bonuses make this the package to beat. My only concern is the texture and elasticity of the roast, but overall if you've never had a Tofurky Roast you should definitely get one. It's been around for 17 years so they must be doing something right!

Field Roast Hazelnut Cranberry Roast

Next up on my faux turkey conquest, is the Field Roast Hazelnut Cranberry Roast. I've seen these in the store for the last couple years and I've been dying to try them. One thing that sets this roast apart from the others is the fact that there's no soy. Perfect for you soy sensitive people. Ok, I'm starving! Let's warm up the oven and make dinner.     

While taking the roast out of the box, I noticed there was no gravy. It's not the biggest deal in the world but the other two brands of roasts do come with gravy. I popped the roast in the oven and went about my business. The cranberries, hazelnuts and whatever else in the roast made the kitchen smell good! A little over a hour in the oven and the roast is ready to eat.

My favorite aspect of the roast was the flaky crusty pastry outside (I guess that's what "en croute" means.) It reminded me a little bit of a pot pie. The meaty part was also a winner, typical Field Roast gourmet wheat meat with a hazelnut twist. The inside is a mix of cranberry, ginger, apple and sausage. Overall I enjoyed it, but after my second and third piece, I felt the cranberry flavor was a little too overpowering. Good news for you cranberry lovers, cause you will be in heaven. I guess I'm just not a huge cranberry fan.

For the most part I was happy with the Field Roast Hazelnut Cranberry Roast. Minor things like the lack of gravy (Tofurky does sell an individual gravy if you are as lazy as me) and the overpowering cranberry flavor couldn't hinder the fact that this roast is a high quality product and an excellent option in the wide world of Vegan holiday centerpieces.

Gardein Holiday Roast

As crazy as it sounds, I've never had a faux turkey. Thanksgiving is one of my least liked holidays, so I usually rock some tacos or something non-traditional that day. But while shopping yesterday, I came upon all three of the major faux turkeys: Tofurky, Field Roast and Gardein. So I decided right then and there that I was going to try all three in one season. My first attempt is with the most recent addition, the Gardein Holiday Roast!

Right out of the box, you get the faux turkey and a couple packs of gravy. I added some broccoli and roasted potatoes to round out the meal. To prepare, you roast it in a casserole, covered with tin foil, for an hour. The gravy is thawed and microwaved. It was pretty easy!

The Holiday Roast is a decent size, I'd say it could feed three or four very easily. The flavor of the "turkey" part of the roast was a bit bland, but some pepper livened it up. The inside of the roast was very flavorful, stuffing with cranberries tucked in the center. I enjoyed the gravy too, and it seems like they give you enough because I used a ton and still had some left over. Also to its credit, it was the cheapest of the three brands.

Without having the other two faux turkeys, it's hard for me to say how it compares. But I will say that if you like Gardein, you'll love this loaf. The blandness was kind of a bummer but is easily correctable with a little seasoning. The center is delicious, the gravy is plentiful and the price is right. Enjoy!