"Gardein" of Eden

           I've been hearing about Gardein products for awhile now. I'm sure you have too. They're all vegan (unlike Quorn or some Morningstar and Boca brands that contain egg) and made by the Garden Protein International Company based in Canada, eh.

The ingredients are a mixture of wheat gluten, soy and pea protein, and natural flavors.

There are a few different kinds on the market, including a "beef,"  "chicken" and "pork". I bought the BBQ Pulled Shreds and the Veggie Chick'n Bites in a Provencale Marinade.

            I have to admit, I was a little trepadacious when I bought them. I typically try to stick to a whole foods diet. I'd rather eat beans and veggies and bread and fruit then eat complicated replications of animal-based foods. That said, there is one huge benefit for this product. Many people transitioning to whole- or part-time vegetarianism need transition foods. It's a lot easier to cook up some Gimme Lean soy sausage for in the morning than to make a hippy-dippy lentil loaf. Vegetarian and Vegan diets take time, and ease of transition. Companies like Gardein do a huge deal of good in easing the casual meat eater into an animal-free diet. 

            Especially with the bloooming-in-popularity Meatless Mondays, having great tasting options for meat-free meals is pretty  neccessary. 

             So, how did they taste?

I tried the chick'n bites first. 

VEGGIE CHICK'N BITES

       I'm definitely a carbohydrate-lovin' girl, so naturally I had to try it first with some pasta.

         I simply cooked up some capativi noodles, steamed some broccoli, then sauteed them together with the chick'n bites.

          It was remarkably easy. I threw in a sprinkling of nutritional yeast (of course) and a few cranks of fresh-ground pepper. 

This is what it looked like: 

 

  

Close up:

            Yep. That's right. My lunch yesterday was DELICIOUS. The chick'n heated up in about 4 minutes. There's 2 servings per package, which was perfect. I ate my leftovers for dinner.

          I haven't eaten any part of chickens in over 20 years, so I don't remember what they taste like, but I don't think this was too similar. It just tasted like nice herbs and spices and had a good chewy texture. 

BBQ SHRED SANDWICH 

 

            Today I stopped by Whole Foods to pick up some buns for my BBQ pulled shreds experiment. I found a pack of four Delphina's panini rolls. Which, I just want to say right here, are amazing. I love them. I want to eat them all the time. Sooooo good. Delphina is a Portland-based bakery. I've never tried their baked goods before, but these rolls are seriously serious. Seriously super. Since I only needed one, I put the other 3 in the freezer to use later. I don't want these to get moldy!

 

         So simple to make. Can you read the writing? It says, "Heat and load up on a bun..." Easy-peasy. 

           I toasted my Delphina's bun while heating the bbq shreds up on the stove. After the bun was toasted, I spread some Earth Balance on one side (and nutritional yeast, of course) and some Wildwood Garlic Aioli on the other. I had to ask my roommate, "People eat mayo with pork sandwiches, right?" (He answered, "Some people eat mayo with everything." Ha!)

Threw some spinach on that bad boy, and watch out: 

         That first picture is a little blurry, sorry. I think my hand was shaking from hunger. 

            The texture was super similar to the chick'n bites. I'm not sure if they use the same ingredients and ratio for the protein part and just change the sauce, but that's what it seemed like to me.

       The bbq sauce was definitely of  the sweeter variety. I think I'm personally fond of more of a smokey or spicy taste, but the sweet flavor worked pretty well. 

This sandwich was super. Simply delicious. It was moist and toasty and filling and pretty much perfect.

          Both these Gardein products are super easy to make, taste amazing, and are enough to serve two. The only drawback is they are rather expensive--it's about $4 for one packet. That's too much for me to buy very often, but when I have an animal-eater friend come over for a meal, these will perfect meal-helpers. 

         Have you tried any Gardein products? Leave a comment and let me know what you think about them.

The Higher Taste (or... the Daiya Cheese post!)

      Well, we've all heard the hype about daiya cheese, right? Soy-free. Plant based. Melts like dairy cheese. Shreds like dairy cheese. The only problem until recently was where to find it. Only available in bulk to certain companies when they first came out, now Daiya is seeping into everything. It's a good sort of insidious though, trust me.

        Though I was lucky enough to try it a few months ago with the Back to Eden boys on a BBQ chick'n, fresh pineapple, red onion, and balsamic roasted potato pizza (Yeah, you read that right. HOLY YUM.), I've been wanting to try it again.

       I really like The Higher Taste because they're a Portland-based vegetarian and vegan company that's been around for over 20 years. Every single sandwich or burrito I've had from them is delicious. They can be a little spendy, but they're made with whole foods and love. That's right. Love is the last ingredient on all their items. Adorable.

       Lucky for me, I just found out that The Higher Taste now includes daiya cheese in their Vegan Supreme burrito. A wrap with pinto beans, green chilies, rice, and melty cheese? Yes, please!

Look at the little sombrero! Cute.

And in case you can't see the beautiful fine print:

I microwaved it for 2 minutes, then threw it in the oven on broil for another minute or two.  

 

Easy-peasy.

Yum, right? And here's some close-ups, cuz I know you want them:

It's true: It melts! So how is it?

        Well, the burrito itself was delicious. The daiya cheese had the melty thing down for sure. Which is awesome. The taste--hmmm. I think it's about on par, maybe a little better, than Follow Your Heart cheese. But it does melt a little more, which means when it's available at more places, I'll definitely look to incorporate it in a few recipes.

       You can find The Higher Taste at Fred Meyer, New Seasons, and Whole Foods. Just in case you want to get a Daiya fix in.

Zucchini and Chick'n Pizza

I got some real gems on my grocery shopping trip yesterday. Look for reviews all week long.

Last night's dinner featured Lightlife Chick'n Strips and The Bread Stop Rosemary Pizza Dough.
I think I heard that Lightlife just got bought out by some big conglomoration--has anyone else heard anything? Regardless, their products sure taste good*.


Pizza is one of the easiest meals to make--you grab whatever ingredients you have on hand, throw it on some dough, and stick it in the oven for 20 or 30 minutes. My problem lies in the actual making of the dough. My dough always gets tacky and weird and chewy and stupid. I wasn't sure if I could justify spending $2.49 on a a lump of pizza dough, when I have flour, yeast, salt, and sugar at my house already, but I'm glad I did.
Once I get better at making crust, I may not have a need for pre-made refrigerated dough, but until I get there, I think I'm in love with this rosemary loveliness.

Janessa's Zucchini and Chick'n Pizza

1 ball Bread Stop Rosemary Pizza Dough

BASE
3 T olive oil
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 cups spinach

TOPPINGS
about 8 cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 summer zucchini, sliced
1/2 package Lightlife Chick'n Strips
lemon zest

Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes. Slice. Have a mouth-gasm.

Notes:

* You don't have to cook the chick'n strips--they're pre-seasoned and cooked--you can just throw 'em on.

* My friend Ashley is the genius who told me that olive oil and yeast gives that nice cheesy-ish taste to homemade pizza.

* The lemon zest adds a really nice zing to the flavor.

* 4 servings with a small appetite, probably 2 for those of you with larger stomachs.

Here's the pizza, all ready to go into the oven:

Sorry! I don't have a post-oven pictures, but it looked pretty much like this, only cooked.


* I looked it up--Lightlife is now owned by ConAgra foods. A big fat BOO to that. ConAgra owns everything from Chef Boyardee to Jiffy Pop to Marie Callender to Slim Jim.

Crazy Rumors

No, not the illicit juicy sexy kind of crazy rumors.


The completely legal juicy sexy chapstick kind.

I know, I know, you may not think it's as titillating as the former, but I promise you, this is even better.

Yes, that's right. This is a PRODUCT REVIEW.





Here's a little bit about Crazy Rumors, from their website:

Who says Natural can’t be Fun!?

We certainly believe it can be and we’re here to prove that this is not just another Crazy Rumor!

Crazy Rumors gives your lips a healthy dose of super vitamin enriched kissability, blended with your favorite and delicious, naturally derived flavors and fabulous packaging, all while changing your view on how simply natural can be sensational for both you and the environment!

Peruse our parade of all natural and vegan, beneficial ingredients and you’ll be sure to find only the best and most desirable make their way in! Vitamin Enriched and Moisturizing Organic Shea Butter, Silky Smooth and Soothing Jojoba Oil, perfectly blended together with Organic Natural Flavors and Pure Essential Oils. Best of all, we slightly sweeten everything with a hint of Natural Stevia - an amazingly awesome combination that will leave your kiss in bliss!

Available in 5 fantastic lines:

For the Coffee Lover:
Perk available in 6 Captivating Coffee Flavors

For the Tea Lover
Brew available in 6 Rejuvenating Tea Flavors

Still screaming for Ice Cream?
A La Mode available in 6 Indulgent Ice Cream Flavors

Chew on this!
Gumball available in 3 Bubble Gum Inspired Flavors

I love them. I went on a spree a few months ago--1/2 off all flavors. They're usually pretty reasonably priced at $4 a pop, but when you throw 1/2 off into the deal, it's silly to stay away. They just added another line: fresh-squeezed. Um, yum?!
There's also a Hibiskiss; a softly-tinted lip balm that runs for $6 each.

Why I love them:
* They are an all-natural vegan company. No testing on animals here. Though this is cute: "Occasionally one of our cats will get hold of one and use it as a hockey puck :) besides that we absolutely do not test our products on any animals, just ourselves, friends, family."

* No extra waste here! They use only recycled boxes and packing peanuts for their shipping orders.

* All their ingredients are pronounceable. Thank goodness. Ingredients: Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Shea Butter, Candelilla Wax, Soy Wax, Natural & Organic Flavors, Vitamin E, Organic Carnauba Wax & Natural Stevia

* The flavors are AMAZING. My all-time favorite is peppermint lemongrass from the Brew line. With a sweet yet tart flavor, I find it hard not to eat the whole stick in one go.

Others that I've tried so far:

Orange Bergamot (Brew)
One of my faves. This one was definitely an acquired taste though. So strong and tea-like, at first, it was almost too powerful. I soldiered on though, and now have to struggle not to lick it off as soon as I apply.

Ginger Peach (Brew)
Good. The ginger flavor comes out a little stronger than the peach. This one is like a nice herbal tea that's been steeping awhile.

Amaretto (Perk)
Sweet and almond-y. Yum.

HibisKiss Pearl ~ HibisKiss Coral


Both these are slightly floral tasting and super enjoyable. The Pearl is a lighter color, and probably my personal favorite. The coral tint shows up a little darker.
~~~

If you sign up for the mailing list, you'll get semi-regular offers for special deals when ordering; I say TAKE THEM. They're worth every penny.