Field Roast Vegan Chao Cheese Slices

Chao is the new Vegan cheese from Field Roast. It was announced out of the blue a couple months ago and I have been anxiously awaiting its arrival. One of the cool things about Chao is that they are pre-sliced and sandwich ready. The three flavors are Creamy Original, Tomato Cayenne and Coconut Herb. The cheese is called Chao because that is the name of the fermented tofu used in the making of the cheese. So now that I have all three flavors of Chao in my possession, it's time to chow!

I really enjoyed all three cheeses, but I think Creamy Original was my favorite. It's the string cheese of the bunch. You can nibble on this stuff all day. A nice mellow flavor that has a butteriness to it. You just eat it. And eat it.

Tomato Cayenne is similar to a cheddar with some kick that would spice up any sandwich. Nice little bits of red and cayenne pepper inside the cheese.  Of course my thoughts turn to dicing the cheese up and putting it on nachos, but that's just me. It melts, just like the other two cheeses but be careful not to overdo it. Melting takes only a couple seconds.

Coconut Herb is an interesting mix -- coconut flavor infused with herbs and black pepper. I feel like yellow mustard would be a good accompaniment on a sandwich. Definitely the weirdo of the three, but in a good way.

Field Roast is pretty ingenious in general and Chao Slices are no exception. Artisan Vegan food continues! Go seek it out and as always, let me know what you think.

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!

Mori-Nu Vanilla Pudding Mix

I've seen this Mori-Nu Vanilla Pudding Mix in the stores for years. A part of me has always wanted to try it, but I've honestly been afraid. You see, the main ingredient is a block of silken tofu. While I love tofu, I wasn't sure a dessert made mostly from a block of tofu would be very exciting. But I placed this on my bucket list of pre-package Vegan eats, so bombs away!

Surprisingly, I dig it! Now don't get me wrong, you're going to know you're eating a block of tofu. But there's ways to lighten the tofu taste. One way is to use almond milk (or whatever alternative milk you want) instead of the suggested water. Another tip is to add a little fruit. Also, make sure to chill it once blended, the warm tofu pudding isn't happening. If you wanna' see what it was like to be Vegan in the 90's, here's your chance! Tastier than it sounds, everyone should eat this at least once in their life. Enjoy!

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.