Before going any further, I have to address the elephant in the room.  Some of you probably know that POM used to test on animals, but most of you are probably unaware.  I happened to know that they did and I would only accept their product if they could guarantee that they do not test on animals for any of their products, not just for the pomegranate juice that they were offering to send me.  I was told that they have stopped their animal testing and have not resumed.  If you’re interested in learning about some of the cruel tests they used to perform on animals so that they could assert certain claims about their product (pomegranate juice… not like a cure for cancer or anything), you can read about that here, here and here.  And, for the record, I won’t support a company that tests on animals, but I also won’t necessarily continue my boycott of that company once it has stopped.  This doesn’t mean that I go out of my way to buy their products, though.

Back to the juice.  We received several bottles of it (an entire case). The ingredients list is pretty simple:  100% pomegranate juice from concentrate.  No sugar or other additives, but the “from concentrate” part threw me for a loop.  When a juice concentrate is made, it’s basically cooked to death into a syrup before being reconstituted back into a juice.  And then the bottle is pasteurized (more heat).  How this retains any nutritive properties of the pomegranate is anybody’s guess.

Emma enjoyed hers mixed with apple juice.  In fact, she now requests it that way since we have a few bottles of it leftover in the fridge.  We also used a bottle to make a refreshing smoothie of POM juice, banana, cherries and strawberries.  This was Emma’s concoction and it turned out pretty good.  She made it by herself with some supervision from me.  I think it would also make a good spritzer if mixed with some soda water or sparking wine.

The million dollar question:  would I buy this?  Sorry, POM Wonderful, but probably not.  I checked it out and the small, 8 oz. bottle of this at the store is $5.  No joke.  $5!!  I understand that it takes A LOT of pomegranates to fill that little 8 oz. bottle with juice, but $5 is more than I’m willing and/or able to spend on 8 oz of juice on a regular basis.  Also, I’m not sure that I buy all of their claims of the health benefits of concentrated/reconsituted/pastuerized juice.  If I really want the health benefits of pomegranate, I’m probably going to spend that $5 on whole, fresh pomegranates.

Like I said above, while I won’t continue my boycott of a company that previously tested on animals, I won’t necessarily go out of my way to buy their products either.  I’m not trying to bash their product or their company, but I do have to give my honest opinion here.  The juice was good, but I didn’t do back flips for it and the fact that they used to torture animals just doesn’t sit well with me, even if they don’t do it anymore.  They boast that they’ve spent $34 million on “medical research” and it is a big selling point for this product, so in a way, they are still benefiting from their previous animal experiments, right?

I was sent a coupon to try the new line of Tofurky frozen pizzas.  The problem– it’s not that widely available in stores and I was growing impatient waiting for it to show up locally, so I had to make a trip up to Rainbow Grocery in SF to snag one (review of that store coming soon… oh how I miss SF!).  Yesterday was my day.  I loaded up my kiddo and we drove the 25 miles to SF to get our pizza and some other things.

I headed for the frozen food section and scoped things out.  They were well stocked on all three flavors:  Cheese, Pepperoni and Sausage.  Now, I only had one coupon, so I ended up buying a second pizza.  One pizza is a good amount to feed two people if you are also having a side salad or something, otherwise one hungry person might be able to eat a whole one.  One pizza definitely wasn’t going to be enough to feed all three of us and besides that, I couldn’t resist trying out two flavors.  I got the pepperoni for Matt and I and the plain cheese for Emma.

Like any other frozen pizza, these stay in the freezer until ready to cook.  You simply preheat your oven and slide it on in.  Cooking time according to the box is 10-12 minutes, but I think mine took about 20.  I’ve noticed that the Daiya cheese (which tops these guys) doesn’t melt very well when you try to use it frozen, so don’t expect the cheese to get super melty.  It melts somewhat, but not like the picture on the box.  That’s not super important or anything, but definitely worth mentioning since that’s the sign some people look for to judge whether or not the pizza is done.  If you waited for that to happen, your crust would be black.

Emma ate almost the entire cheese pizza by herself.  I’m not kidding… and this kid is only lukewarm for vegan cheese.  She digs Daiya more than any other brand, but I have never seen her chow down on something like she did last night (and she also ate a green salad and some pasta salad with it– it’s not like the pizza was the only thing on her plate).  Truly unbelievable!  I did get one taste of the cheese pizza and it was really good– no funky vegan cheese taste at all.  Some vegan cheese is pretty funky, but this Daiya is good stuff and it’s delicious on these pizzas.

The pepperoni pizza was also really good.  The pepperoni pieces themselves tasted exactly how I remember pepperoni tasting (but I haven’t had it in probably 10 years) and they are really plentiful on top of the pizza.  All in all, I found both pizzas to be the right combination of crust, sauce, cheese and toppings where one didn’t overwhelm the other.  If given the choice, I would choose the Tofuky frozen pizza over an Amici’s pizza any day; although, my husband disagrees with me on that point.  And, the leftovers were really good today just heated a few seconds in the microwave.

One thing that I haven’t mentioned is the price.  Yes, these are a little expensive at almost $8 each, but still cheaper than take-out pizza, especially at any restaurant that offers vegan cheese. I really can’t wait for them to become available in more stores.  Hello, Whole Foods… you need to start stocking these ASAP!

And, hey Tofurky… thanks for the pizza.  If you want anything else taste tested, I’m your gal!

We are the producer of a variety of convenient frozen products including Tofu Steaks (GardenSteak™ and Vegetarian Chicken) and a line of Frozen Meals featuring Helen’s Tofu Steaks: Mexican Cheese Enchiladas, Indian Curry, Thai Yellow Curry and an Italian Farfalle with Basil Pesto. A complete meal experience that is delicious, organic & gourmet.

My Whole Foods has the Helen’s Kitchen products scattered around the freezer section– some are with the faux meat products, while others are located within the section for their respective cuisines.  I was slightly disappointed at the lack of selection at Whole Foods (which is likely the fault of Whole Foods and not Helen’s Kitchen).  The only products available at my Whole Foods were: Thai Yellow Curry, Farfalle & Basil Pesto with Tofu Steaks, Mac & Cheese, and Cheese Enchiladas.  Whole Foods also had two varieties of the Tofu Steaks as well as the Vegetarian Ground Beef.  Of the prepared meals, only one of the selections was vegan (the Thai Yellow Curry), so I settled on that and on the GardenSteak Tofu Steaks.  It should be noted that Helen’s Kitchen makes several vegan meals, but WF only had the ones mentioned above.

The Thai Yellow Curry meal is a mix of the Helen’s Kitchen signature Tofu Steak and vegetables (broccoli and red bell pepper) in a sweet and spicy yellow curry over rice.  I liked that the curry and rice come side by side in the container and not curry on top of the rice because I sometimes like bites of plain rice when I eat Thai or Indian food.   The curry sauce is really thick and deliciously coats each vegetable or piece of tofu and is the perfect blend of sweet and spice.  It does have a little bite to it, but isn’t overly spicy.  The tofu steaks are also the perfect texture– sort of meaty, in fact.  I often find when I purchase these types of meals that have frozen tofu in them that the tofu turns sort of soggy and watery once the meal has been heated, but that’s not the case with the tofu steaks in these.

My final verdict is that this one is AWESOME and I would totally buy it to have in my freezer for those times when I can’t/don’t want to cook anything.  It is ready to be eaten in 3-5 minutes, so it’s perfect for people to keep on hand at work to heat up for lunch too.  I also really like that the food comes in a cardboard dish for microwaving, instead of plastic like some of these meals tend to be packaged in.

For dinner last night, I prepared the Tofu Steaks to go with our steamed artichokes and baked potatoes.  I wasn’t quite sure what to do with them because, as you can see on the box, it looks like they should be made into a sandwich and I didn’t have any sandwich fixin’s on hand.  I decided to give them a go plain and served from organic BBQ sauce on the side.

These are simple to prepare– just take ‘em out of the freezer and throw them into a hot skillet that has a little bit of oil in it.  These steaks seem to have been marinated in some yummy seasonings and have some sort of a crispy coating on them.  Just like the tofu in the curry dish, this tofu had a really pleasant, meaty texture.  They come 4 to a box and within the box, the steaks are wrapped in packages of two (which is great if you are only cooking two because then you aren’t left with an open pack that is going to get freezer burn).

Both my hubby and I really enjoyed these.  I have to say first that we are a tofu-loving household, so any kind of tofu usually goes over well with us.  Since these are marinated, though, there’s isn’t much of a tofu-taste to them and I would highly recommend these to people who are (1) just trying tofu for the first time or (2) find something about tofu to be unpleasant (the taste or texture).  If you are transitioning to a vegetarian or vegan diet, or if you just want to eat more plant-based proteins, I would highly recommend these.  For us, we really like tofu on it’s own, and I’m not sure I personally would spend $4.25 on a box of 4 when I could get a big pack of plain tofu for the same price.  Having said that, these are really tasty and I would recommend that you all try them.  I am curious to try the other flavor of these steaks now.

Please pardon the crummy iPhone pic– it’s all I had handy at the time and I really wanted to capture the moment.  Daiya… at my local Whole Foods… FINALLY!!!  I’ve had the mozzarella at our local pizza place and, for vegan cheese, it’s pretty good.  I really, really like that it’s vegan and allergen-free (no nuts, soy, dairy of any kind, gluten, etc.).  What is in it, you’re asking yourself… well, some starches, oils, random stuff.

I bought a bag of each and could hardly wait to get home to try it.  Since I’ve had the mozzarella and know what that tastes like, I dove right into the cheddar.  I toasted an English muffin, topped it with an Yves brand sausage patty, then topped it with the cheese.  A quick pop under the broiler and my breakfast was done!

Close up of melti-ness

After tasting it, I have to say that the cheddar doesn’t taste much different from the mozzarella.  It was good and I would definitely buy and eat it again, but my favorite vegan cheese is still Cheezly.  I’m sad that I can’t buy Cheezly at any store around here and, until I can, I’ll be perfectly happy and fine with Daiya.  There is one thing that I don’t like about Daiya and it has to do with their packaging.  I don’t like that it doesn’t come in a resealable bag.  Once you cut it open, you have to put it in another bag that does close or some other container, which either creates more waste or more dishes for me.  It’s a minor complaint, but I do hope the company decides to integrate a zipper into the top of the pouch of cheese.

For dinner tonight, I made my Emma a quesadilla with the cheddar variety.  Her verdict:  “Mommy, the cheese doesn’t taste very good.”  Ah… you can’t please everyone, can you.  She is completely unaccustomed to vegan cheese and her reaction does not surprise me.  Vegan cheese is nothing like dairy cheese, which she does have on occasion.  Now that we have easy access to Daiya, I’m hoping to transition her to it instead of dairy cheese.  She sometimes gets an itchy rash on her arms and legs and I’m pretty sure it happens when she’s eaten too much dairy.  In our everyday life, she only has real dairy very seldom– usually when we eat out and there isn’t any other kid-friendly, vegetarian option on the menu.  Anyway, it does take some getting used to when you quit eating dairy cheese and transition to a vegan cheese, so I just have to give her some time.

If you happen to see some at your local grocery store, I do recommend picking some up and trying it in place of regular cheese.  You just might be surprised!

EDIT: Daiya even melts nicely in the microwave!

UPDATE: What a weird coincidence!  I was catching up on my blog reader when I saw that Bianca over at Vegan Crunk posted a review of Primal Strips yesterday.  She liked them and describes each flavor much better than I did, so I’d suggest heading over to her blog to check out what she’s got to say.

A while back, I was contacted by the makers of Primal Strips about trying some free samples.  The product was described to me as being “delicious vegan jerky snacks made from soy, seitan and shiitake mushrooms.”  They are also all natural and non-GMO.  I took them up on their offer and received 2 sets of all of the flavors they come in: Hickory Smoked, Thai Peanut, Hot & Spicy, Teriyaki, Texas BBQ, and Mesquite Lime.

Upon opening the box when it arrived in the mail, I was surprised to see the product packaging.  The image that I had in my mind of jerky didn’t match what was in the package.  These strips come in a package similar to– and this is a horrible description given that this is a vegan blog– sorry!!– string cheese.  And they look sorta moist, not dry like I remember jerky being.  In my mind, I was expecting small bits of chewy dried stuff.  You know, like jerky.

Since I had so many of these things I didn’t want to hog them all for myself.  To spread the goodness, I tested them out on some friends.  One friend who tried it (Mesquite Lime) didn’t mind the taste and texture, but it wasn’t something that he’d do cartwheels over.  Another friend tried the Hot & Spicy and didn’t mind the texture so much, but had an issue with the flavor.  There was a bit of sweetness to it and she didn’t care for, but all in all, seemed to enjoy the product.  It should be mentioned that both sets of guinea pig friends are meat-eaters.

I wondered how my experience with them would compare… I haven’t eaten meat in over 8 years and I don’t particularly care for seitan or other faux meats:

Smell: The smell of Hickory Smoked flavor and possibly the Texas BBQ too permeates the package and will singe your nose hairs.  I’m not a super huge fan of smoky foods and I found this smell to be overwhelming (like I could smell it without even getting close to the package) and somewhat offensive.  If I’m going to be completely honest, some of these things smell like dog treats and I couldn’t get past this smell to try some of the flavors.

Texture:  I thought that the teriyaki would be my best bet at finding a flavor that would appeal to me, given that it’s not a smoky, BBQ flavor.  When I opened the package and cut a small piece off, I was surprised to see that it is stringy like meat (imagine shredded chicken).  The texture in my mouth was firm, like a seitan-based faux meat.  It was just ok– didn’t knock my socks off, but I didn’t need to spit it out either.

Taste:  The taste was pretty mild.  There was nothing really overpowering about it.  Again, it was just ok.

Verdict:  Not bad.  I don’t think that I would purchase these things for myself, but someone who enjoys vegan meats may really enjoy them.  You can eat them straight out of the package or cook them in a variety of dishes– burritos, stir fry-type things, etc.  They’re super versatile and shelf-stable and would be a really great addition to any vegan or vegetarian emergency kit.  Since I was only lukewarm about the one I tried, I wasn’t brave enough to attempt a cooked dish with it.

Wanna try some yourself? I’ll share!  Post a comment here with a valid email address and I’ll contact you to get your mailing address.  Just because I’m not crazy for them doesn’t mean you won’t like them.  Again, if you are a fan of meaty things, I bet you’ll like these.  My remaining samples will be given out on a first come, first served basis.  This is not a giveaway– just me sharing what I have left.  If I don’t get any takers, they’ll end up in my earthquake kit.

When making smoothies, I like to add in a couple superfoods.  To expand my knowledge, I decided to read Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future by David Wolfe.  His book is very informative, but also easy to read and it contains several recipes for each superfood.  I highly recommend it and it’s only $10 on Amazon (or check your library to see if they have it).  For this post, I will focus on the superfoods that I use most (there are 10 outlined in the book).  If you want more information on superfoods, I guess you’ll just have to read the book.  Here are a couple of videos I was able to find where he is discussing superfoods and how awesome they are (I couldn’t find Part 3):

Part I

Part II

Superfoods are something that you should try to eat a little of every day (thus adding them to a daily smoothie is a great way to make sure that you do).

Goji Berries

Goji berries look like fiery red raisins.  To me, they taste sort of like a dried apricot, but are much smaller.  Goji berries can be eaten straight up, but I prefer to add a handful to my smoothies.  My blender is not fancy and it is able to blend them just fine.  When buying goji berries, or any superfood for that matter, go for the organic and Raw option.  They are superior in quality and nutrition.  Goji berries are a complete protein source, containing 19 different amino acids and all 8 essential amino acids.  They typically contain 2-4 times the amount of antioxidants found in blueberries.  Goji berries also boost the immune system, support adrenal glands, improve eyesight and deliver anti-aging compounds.

Cacao (Raw Chocolate)

When you hear about the antioxidant properties of chocolate, this is what they’re talking about!  Not Hershey or Ghirardelli or some other chocolate that has been roasted and combined with tons of sugar and sometimes dairy.  Just so we’re clear that processed chocolate really has no nutritional benefit.

Raw chocolate, cacao, on the other hand does!  It contains the highest concentrations of antioxidants of any food in the world.  It’s also high in minerals and contains Omega-6 fatty acids.  Be sure to buy cacao that is Fair Trade or that is labeled as not being harvested by slave labor.  Nibble on a handful, or add some to a smoothie.

Hemp Seeds

I add at least 2 TB to a quart of smoothie.  Sometimes I add a little more if I’m planning to share the smoothie with someone else.  Hempseeds are one of the best sources of plant protein and fat.  They contain significant amounts of Omega 3 (ALA) and Omega 6 fatty acids, as well as a variety of vitamins and minerals.  If you’re currently using flax seeds in your smoothies, I suggest switching to hemp; likewise if you are using flax oil.

Coconuts

Most pe0ple avoid coconut products because they are high in saturated fat.  Yes, they are, but their kind of saturated fat is good for you.  Unlike saturated fat from animals, coconuts are comprised primarily of medium chain fatty acids which help to protect against heart disease.  Medium-chain fatty acids=good.  Saturated fats from animals=very, very bad.  According to the American Heart Association, saturated fat is the main dietary cause of high blood cholesterol.

Interestingly, coconut water is nearly identical to blood plasma. During World War II, it was used as a substitute for intravenous plasma.

In smoothie making, you can crack open a young coconut (pictured above; the ones you can purchase at the store generally shaved down like the white one on the bottom right) and add the water to your smoothie.  You can also add the flesh, if you want.  Blending the flesh together with the water to produce a “milk” would be tasty and would produce a creamier smoothie.  Please note that I am not referring to any kind of canned or otherwise preserved and pasteurized coconut product.  Something that is processed and canned does not have the same nutritional benefits of fresh, living foods.  The brown mature coconuts are good too, but the flesh is tougher and not as digestible.  The many benefits of coconuts are listed here.

And here is an easy way to open coconuts:

The most interesting part of this book, for me, is that several of these superfoods support and help restore thyroid function.  I have been on thyroid medication for almost half of my life to treat my hypothyroidism.  (Interesting tidbit:  fluoride is thought to impair thyroid function, which is why I really want a water filter that removes fluoride from my drinking water.)  I have thought many times of trying to get off of the medication (seriously, who wants to take medication for something that can be fixed through a natural means… okay, nearly all Americans do, but that’s not the point).  For the remainder of 2010, I’m going to thoroughly research this topic and talk to my doctor about it.  I may even seek the advice of a naturopathic doctor.  Then next year, if I feel that I can successfully do it and if my doctor is behind me, I’m going to attempt to come off my medication.  I do not recommend this for everyone and I’m not a doctor or nutritionist, but I do firmly believe that most medical conditions can be improved or cured through a plant-based diet.  If you are tired of taking medications for all that ails you, start researching.  I was thinking the other day that I don’t know anyone in my parents generation or older who is not medicated for something.  When Emma is my age, I hope that my husband and I are two people she knows who don’t need medication for everything under the sun.  I guess that would be another blog topic for another day, though.

Here are some tips for yummy smoothies:

• If you are new to smoothie making, try using juice as a base (or half juice, half water) since it does produce a sweeter smoothie.  I only use fresh squeezed and find this to be a good tactic to getting Emma to drink the smoothie too.  When I’m making a smoothie just for me, I generally just use water.
• Add the liquid first, then add the goji berries on top of that while you are preparing or adding the other ingredients.  This gives your goji berries some time to soften up a bit, making it easier for your blender to blend them smooth.
• Use frozen fruit and/or add ice.  Cold smoothies always taste better.
• Bananas are the best fruit I’ve found to use in green smoothies.  Their sweetness masks the bitter “green” taste from the leafy greens.  If you make a smoothie and find that it is too “green” tasting or not sweet enough, add some ripe banana.

While everyone else is probably sick of Thanksgiving leftovers, I felt like we didn’t get our fair share.  All 3 of us were sick on Thanksgiving, which meant (for me, anyway) no appetite.  Any Thanksgiving dishes that were suitable for us just didn’t taste right, or I only ate a little bit.  Anyway, last Monday when I asked Emma what we should have for dinner, she said we should have “Friendsgiving.”  I had to go to the store anyway, so I picked up a pack of organic stuffing mix (basically some croutons and spices), a field roast, some cranberry sauce and some potatoes.  Normally, I would be more inclined to make everything from scratch, but sometimes there’s nothing wrong with taking a little help from the store (especially since I was still getting over my cold).

The only interesting topic of conversation from our Friendsgiving meal was the field roast.  I’ve never had one before, but the size of it seemed more suitable for 3 people than an entire Tofurky.  I’ve never had Tofurky (aside from the lunch “meat” which I like), but I didn’t want anything that big or that expensive– even on sale it was $20!  Anyway, I opted for the lentil sage flavor of the field roast.  It has a very chewy texture and I’m not sure I would buy it again.  It just didn’t appeal to me, but don’t let my opinion keep you from trying it.  It was only around $5.

Whenever I find Dandies marshmallows, I like to stock up.  At $6 a bag, they are pretty pricey, but they are probably the best vegetarian marshmallows I’ve tried.  They are pretty close to the real thing.  Anyway, if you live in or near San Francisco, you can find Dandies at Rainbow Grocery and if you live in or near Sacramento, you can find them at the Natural Foods Co-op.  The problem with Dandies is that once you open the package and there’s no air to pad the marshmallows, they tend to squish into each other forming a gigantic blob.  Once they are in this blob form, it is impossible to pull them apart, which makes them perfect for treat making.  I picked up a box of Brown Rice Krispies (they taste the same as the other ones, but are a little bit healthier).

Vegan Rice Krispies Treats

10 oz. vegetarian marshmallows (1 bag of Dandies)

3 TB Earth Balance margarine

6 cups rice cereal (a 10 oz. box is 6 cups)

In a large pot, melt the marshmallows with the Earth Balance.  When completely melted, stir in the cereal.  Pour into a greased baking sheet and press the treats evenly into the sheet.  When cool, cut into squares.

Lastly, I made some Mexican quinoa (like Mexican rice,but with quinoa instead).  I have to thank my friend Jen for this cooking method because I can’t cook rice to save my life and have tried to make Mexican rice several times but usually end up with a goopy mess.  Once she explained to me how to do it properly, I figured I could do it, but use quinoa instead of rice.  It turned out pretty good!

Mexican Quinoa

1 cup quinoa, dry

1 TB canola oil

1 small onion, diced

1- 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock, or water

Pinch of S&P

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, toast the quinoa in the oil until golden brown.  Add the onion and saute until the onion is tender.  Pour in the tomato sauce and stock and add the S&P and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer, put a lid on it and cook 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and remove lid and let stand for 5 minutes.  Fluff with fork and serve!

So delicious came out with a line of coconut milks.  I’ve seen them blogged about here and there and the consensus was that they were pretty tasty.  This is the maker of my beloved coconut milk yogurts, so I thought I couldn’t go wrong with the milks.  At the store, I picked up a container of vanilla and original thinking that I’d be all over the vanilla.  As it turns out, I’m more a fan of the original!  If you currently are drinking cows milk but are interested in not having that anymore or are curious to try a tasty non-soy non-dairy milk, give it a try.  The flavor is very neutral– as in it doesn’t taste like anything!  I thought for sure that it would have a coconut taste to it, but it really has no taste at all.  The vanilla, on the other hand, is very vanilla-y and also very sweet.  I don’t think I’d buy the vanilla again, but I’m totally hooked on the original flavor.  I so love it, in fact, that this will be my non-dairy milk of choice from now on.  I’ve used it in cereal and baked goods and it is perfect every time!

But wait, there’s more!  Coconut is actually very good for you.  Check out this website which lists all the benefits of coconut, including the science behind why the saturated fat found in coconuts is so healthy (as compared to other saturated fats).

Pick some up today!  You won’t be disappointed.

Recently, I also picked up a container of the So Delicious vanilla kefir.  I don’t know that I’ve ever had Kefir before and really the only thing I know about it is that it’s kind of like a runny yogurt.  I tried to drink the kefir several times and found it to be too sour for my tastes.  It wasn’t unpleasant or gross, just not something that I would waste the calories consuming.  I would rather use the calories on the vanilla coconut milk yogurt which is so ridiculously good.  If you want a treat, have a carton of that!  Just don’t look at the price. 

EDIT:  Thanks to Katrina, here is a link for a $1 off coupon for Turtle Mountain products (the people behind the coconut milk beverages, yogurts and ice creams).

6 Layer Bean Dip from Disposable Aardvarks Inc.

Dippers were hemp and veggie tortilla chips with flax seeds (hey, you gotta get in those Omega-3s!), and some veggie crudite.  This was good, but I put on way too much sour cream.  I think we all would have liked it better if I’d not been so heavy handed with the sour cream, especially since it has the same consistency of the beans and it was pretty impossible to scrape off.

While on the topic of sour creams, I tried a new brand that I’m not sure I’ve blogged about before:  Vegan Gourmet Sour Cream Alternative.  It was good and I would use it again, but I think I still prefer Tofutti.

Next up are Mini Samosa Wraps from The Veggie Guy.

I left out the crushed red pepper.  Even with that, these still had a little kick to them (good for me because I like spicy).  Emma even tried a few bites and, while she wasn’t wild about them, she didn’t spit it out.  These were good, but it was too much of the same texture for me.  Mushy potato inside and soft tortilla outside.  I was really missing the deep-fried crispy texture of a traditional samosa.  Flavor-wise, these were spot on.

Sloppy Joses over Polenta from One Frugal Foodie.

The original recipe calls for ground turkey, so I substituted a vegan ground “beef.”  Also, I couldn’t find polenta in a tube for some reason, so I had to make my own and it actually turned out really good.  To make the polenta, I used 2 cups of veggie stock and 2 cups of plain, unsweetened soy milk and 1 cup of polenta.  Yum!

This recipe was really tasty (and made excellent taco filling for a leftover night), but my hubby had the brilliant idea of just using corn bread in place of the polenta next time.  So much easier and a better texture.

Chili from Vegannifer.

I didn’t follow the recipe exactly, but I think it still turned out pretty close to the original.  Changes I made to the original recipe:

1. I omitted the cubanelle pepper and tomato.  I just used 1 onion and 2 green bell peppers and added some chopped celery because I had some that needed eating.
2. In place of water, I used veg stock.
3. In place of pineapple juice, I used a tropical carrot juice.
4. I don’t know what Vegebase is and I didn’t have any, so I didn’t use it.
5. I didn’t have red beans, but substituted one 15 oz. can of black beans and one 15 oz. can of garbanzo beans.
6. I omitted the rice.
7. I didn’t have cilantro flakes or chipotle powder and omitted those as well.
8. I had leftover Sloppy Joses and threw that in the pot too (just the beefy part, not the polenta).

After all those substitutions and omissions, this chili recipe was pretty good.  Next time, I won’t add the seitan chicken.  It’s good with it, but we’ve been indulging a little too heavily in the fake meats lately and I feel off.  I’d rather not eat those as often as we have been.  Later this month, I think I’m due for a fast/cleanse of some sort.

Spicy Jalapeno Pizza from Tofu N Sprouts.

I prefer a veggie heavy pizza as opposed to a cheese heavy pizza.  I think this pizza is a good blend of the original recipe and my personal pizza preference.  Please do read through the original recipe as there are LOTS of great vegan pizza making tips.  One such tip: prebaking the pizza dough and then broiling the cheese.  From now on, I will prebake my dough then broil the cheese to melt it, then put the veggies on, then broil some more.  When you try to make a pizza with lots of veggies and vegan cheese, the water in the veggies makes the cheese too wet and it’s not the most pleasant thing to eat.  But, if you broil it first to melt the cheese, then add the veggies, it makes a perfect pizza.

It’s probably also worth mentioning that I just used the Pepper Jack rice cheese and jalapenos.  I didn’t add any of the other stuff to the dough… as I mentioned previously, I am lazy.

I’ve never had hemp milk before and was kinda excited to try it.  I gave it a little taste test before I gave Emma her cup and thought it was okay.  It’s not disgusting, but there is something a little strange about it that I just can’t quite pinpoint.  The milk itself is not super sweet and the chocolate flavor is pretty subtle.  And as the package says, it is really creamy and thick.  I bet it would make a delicious shake or smoothie.

So how does the kiddo like it?  Do you even need to ask!  She loves it, of course.  Since we do eat tofu and edamame pretty regularly, I like to limit the amount of other soy products we include in our diet, including soy milk.  As far as chocolate “milk” goes, I think we’ve found a winner.  For all other “milk,” we’ll stick with rice.