Food Review: Pure Genius Brownies and Blondies

Pure Genius Provisions kindly sent me some of their brownie and blondie bars to try, and I'm pretty much blown away by how delicious these are! They come in cute little individually wrapped squares and are made mostly with garbanzo beans, making them surprisingly healthy! Don't worry though, they don't taste like beans - just pure indulgent goodness!

These desserts are not only vegan, but they are also gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, and kosher. Pure Genius is also in process of becoming non-GMO certified, so you can soon add organic ingredients to their long list of positive attributes! Additionally, they are only made with natural, good-for-you ingredients like the previously mentioned garbanzo beans, maple syrup, flax, oats, cane syrup, chocolate, and so on - no weird, unpronounceable ingredients here!

Food Review: Gardein Pizza Pockets

Gardein Meatless Pepperoni Pizza Pockets

Helloooooo tasty convenience...these new Meatless Pepperoni Pizza Pockets from the lovely folks at Gardein hit stores in the last few months. I tried them at Expo West in March, and had picked up a box in a grocery store soon after that, but somehow these Pizza Pockets got buried in my freezer (behind the wall of other Gardein products, haha). I chanced upon them in the depths of my freezer a few days ago and it was quite a nice surprise, especially since it was one of those days where I was looking for something quick and easy to eat.

These beauties are shaped like buns, about 2 inches in diameter, and are stuffed full of yummy goodness, including pepperoni and mozzarella. Like all other Gardein products, they are vegan and contain non-GMO ingredients. I was curious to try them, since they seem so similar to Tofurky's Pepperoni Pizza Pockets that came out a few years ago (my review) as well as Gardein's own Pocket Meals that I had tried last year (my review). I enjoy most vegan foods that are fast, convenient, delicious, and come encased in a bun, so I hoped to add these Pizza Pockets to my arsenal of go-to on-the-go vegan products!

New Vegan Bowls at Flame Broiler

You know it is definitely the year of the vegan when a chain restaurant makes a menu change for the first time in 21 years and it is to add a vegan item to their menu! The Flame Broiler, a fast-casual restaurant chain with locations in California, Nevada, Arizona, Florida and Oklahoma, made its first menu change since its founding (!!!) to include a brand new vegan option for its customers. The demand for plant-based entrees has sky-rocketed, and The Flame Broiler has wisely met this need with a healthy, vegan charbroiled tofu bowl that everyone, vegan or not, can enjoy.

Recipe: Vegan BBQ Chick'n Pizza

Pizza is my fave food group and I'll pretty much demolish any vegan pizza put in front of me. Recently I was craving a BBQ chick'n pizza, and realized I hadn't enjoyed one in quite some time! I drool over a zesty BBQ chick'n pizza, and once I whipped up this quick and easy recipe it made me question why I don't make this type of pizza more often!

This pizza is super simple, and with the help of of few pre-prepared ingredients it comes together in less than 20 minutes - that's prep and cooking time combined! This pizza doesn't require too many ingredients and is very tasty! It's so easy to throw together that I kinda feel silly sharing it here, but I thought, what the heck, everyone needs more vegan BBQ chick'n pizza in their life!

Creepy Crawly Bug Bite Appetizers

Bug Bites plus Spiderweb Dipping Sauce

These plump little critters are perfect for your next Halloween get-together! They are so easy to make, require few ingredients, and even the kiddos (and kids-at-heart) find them fun to assemble!

I found the recipe in the Betty Crocker Halloween Cookbook, though it obviously wasn't vegan-friendly. Well, a few quick swaps of ingredients and it was easily veganized! You can find the cruelty-free, dairy-free, veganized recipe below:

Food Review: Neat Meat Replacement Mixes

Neat booth at Expo West 2015

While covering the Natural Products Expo West last month (read my recap here!), I was lucky enough to stop by the Neat booth, where I sampled their breakfast mix and was blown away at the how good it tasted! I knew that I needed to try ALL of their mix flavors and the kind folks at the family-owned Neat were kind enough to send me all their products for review.

Neat offers meat replacements that come in a dry mix, and you just need to add water and an egg replacer (like their Neat Egg, made from chia seeds and garbanzo beans) to make them! They offer a variety of flavors to suit any occasion! They have an Italian Mix, perfect for pastas and lasagna, a Mexican Mix, great for tacos and nachos, an Original Mix, awesome for burgers and chili, and a Breakfast Mix, ideal for sausages and quiches.

Food Review: Gardein Pocket Meals

Gardein Pocket Meals in Italian Meatless Sausage

 with Roasted Red Peppers and Spinach

The Gardein Pocket Meals debuted recently, and I picked some up at Whole Foods in early February. They are shaped like little buns (or dinner rolls, as described on the package) and stuffed full of delicious vegan ingredients. The varieties I picked up were the Italian Meatless Sausage with Roasted Red Peppers and Spinach and the BBQ Pulled Porkless Shreds. These are convenience meals, so don't expect them to be too healthy, however they pack between 6 to 10 grams of protein, and do not contain genetically modified soy, wheat, or canola.

Baked Vegan Almond Feta Cheese

I was over at a friend's house a few months ago, and she made the most mouth-watering vegan feta cheese that I have been dying to have again! Unlike some vegan cheeses, this one was super-simple to make, and when I was over at her house I think it was done in less than an hour. It also uses easy-to-find ingredients, doesn't have any crazy cultures, and there is no long prep, so you could enjoy it tonight if you wanted! I was really stunned how easy it was to make, so I vowed to make it myself!

DIY: Apple Cider Vinegar Conditioning Hair Rinse

Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar 

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

I know that using apple cider vinegar on your hair might seem odd, but trust me, this stuff is incredibly effective at conditioning your hair and balancing the pH levels of your scalp, resulting in shiny, smooth, well-conditioned hair and a healthy scalp!

I have been using this treatment about once or twice a week for over a year now, and have gotten multiple requests to share this easy, cost-effective method, so here goes!

Food Review: Earth Balance Vegan Mac n Cheese

The vegan holy grail! Mac n cheese!

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

By now, most of you know that the wonderful Earth Balance has begun making vegan mac n cheese, sold in boxes just like the Kraft stuff most of us were familiar with in our pre-vegan days! I don’t know about you, but those boxes of mac n cheese hold so many nostalgic memories for me, so in my opinion I think it is fantastic that this comfort food has finally been veganized!

Earth Balance has made two flavors – the classic orange-colored cheddar flavor, plus a white cheddar flavor. Both flavors should be on store shelves this month (some are already hitting the shelves of local health food stores and Whole Foods), but I got impatient and just ordered mine online from the fine folks at Rabbit Food Grocery.

Food Review: Luce's Gluten-Free Artisan Bread Mixes

My baked Luce's Gluten-Free Artisan Bread Mix in Classic Sourdough

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

I was recently sent some samples of Luce's Gluten-Free Artisan Bread Mixes in Classic Sourdough and New Italian flavors. Though I am not gluten-free, I was still interested in trying these mixes since they are vegan and I love homemade bread but don't like all the work that goes along with making it from scratch, though I grew up in an Italian family where breadmaking was the norm (but I guess didn't catch with me)! When I received the cute little packets of bread mix, I was pretty ecstatic to see "just add water" on them! How much easier can you get? And let's face it, I am such a lazy vegan that if I can make homemade bread by just adding water to a mix, I'm totally gonna do it (sorry mom and dad!)!

Food Review: Tofurky Pockets

Tofurky Pockets

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

I totally remember being a teen and enjoying Hot Pockets on occasion...I loved the convenience of popping them in the microwave and enjoying a hot, gooey snack (though definitely NOT a healthy one). So when Tofurky came out with their vegan version, I was ecstatic (as were many other vegans)!

I found the Tofurky Pockets on sale (score!) at my local Whole Foods and had to try each flavor, which include BBQ Chick'n, Turk'y Broccoli and Cheddar, and Pepperoni Pizza. Each box holds two Pockets and they come in microwavable pouches.

Food Review: Trader Joe's Chicken-less Salad

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

I love Trader Joe's and always love how they have neat new vegan options! Last month, I noticed they had a new Chicken-less Salad and I just had to try it!

Trader Joe's Chicken-less Salad

The "chicken" salad is made from vegan chicken, carrots, celery, currants in a light, mayo-like (vegan) sauce (sorry I don't have a more comprehensive ingredient list - I didn't photograph the ingredients and I can't seem to find an ingredient list online). Upon opening the package, it looked pretty good. The only thing I wasn't too enthused about was that the sauce seemed to be a bit runny. Nevertheless, I felt like I was ready for a picnic with this Chicken-less Salad!

End of Summer Pasta with Basil and Lemon Sauce

As one last summer hurrah, I decided to make a bright and vibrant pasta dish I like to call End of Summer Pasta. The sunny notes of lemon and the bright hues of the basil make this a cheery dish perfect as summer's last send off. Plus, it's a super-easy recipe that can be put together in less than 15 minutes!

End of Summer Pasta with Basil and Lemon Sauce
1 lb. pasta (I used penne)
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
1/2 cup olive oil
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped basil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Boil pasta as directed.

In a small bowl, mix together all of the ingredients. Once the pasta has been cooked and drained, toss with the basil and lemon sauce. Can be served hot or cold.

Gardein Vegan BBQ Pulled Shreds

I recently picked up my first Gardein product, their Meat-Free BBQ Pulled Shreds! I've been dying to try a Gardein product and while on vacation I decided to try these tasty looking "shreds".

The shreds are super easy to prepare - just pierce the bag they come in, pop them in the microwave for 2 minutes and they are ready to go! I piled mine on slices of bread and made a tasty sandwich. I didn't even need any other condiments because the BBQ marinate on the shreds was so hearty.

I took my first bite and found the shreds to be really flavorful! I don't know how Gardein did it, but even the texture mimicked that of pulled pork. Kinda disturbing, to tell the truth. Still, it was very good and surprisingly filling. I was stuffed after one sandwich.

Gardein makes many different kinds of meat-free "mock meats", from Buffalo Wings to Chick'n Scallopini, and I can't wait to try more of their products!! Not only are they good for you, but they are also good for the planet! Read all about it on Gardein's site.

These Meat-Free BBQ Pulled Shreds are so close to the real thing that I'm surprised people still insist on murdering animals to satisfy their flesh cravings instead of sticking to these meat-free alternatives. Hopefully people will begin to see the health, environmental and ethical benefits in switching to plant-based alternatives like Gardein products and will leave the flesh-eating to the zombies!!

For more info and a complete list of products and where to find them, visit Gardein's site!

Spicy Tofu Tacos

My boyfriend made the yummiest spicy tofu tacos the other night and I just couldn't wait to share the recipe with you all!

Doesn't this just make you salivate:

The picture doesn't really do it justice!

Ingredients:

1 package extra firm tofu
1 small can Mexican hot style tomato sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 white onion, diced
1 green jalapeño, chopped
1/2 cup cooked black beans

Drain tofu and press it for a few hours. We usually wrap drained tofu in paper towels, place it on a plate and stack a heavy bookend on it to expel as much water as possible out of it.

When you are done pressing the tofu, crumble it into chunks and marinate it in the hot tomato sauce for as long as possible (up to 24 hours) to give the tofu a chance to absorb all the flavors.

 We use El Pato Mexican Hot Style Tomato Sauce

Bonus: It's only about 50 cents a can!

Heat the olive oil in a pan, then lightly saute the diced onion and chopped up jalapeño until slightly cooked (do not brown). Toss in black beans and tofu, including any leftover marinade; cook until heated through, about 8 - 10 minutes.

Serve on a bed of romaine lettuce on corn tortillas and top with fresh tomatoes and salsa or hot sauce, if desired.

Gratuitous close up:

Purple Monster Acai Shake

Summer has finally hit SoCal and it's been hot, hot, HOT these past few days. Luckily, I've been keeping cool with a shake I've dubbed the "Purple Monster". This cool, re-energizing shake boasts a healthy mix of acai (I love saying this word..."ah-SIGH-eeeee"!), banana, strawberry and a splash of rice milk.

Lately I've been obsessive over acai and I found these handy smoothie packets to conveniently make my own shakes! I found mine at Henry's, but you can probably find them in the freezer section of your local health food/grocery store.

For this smoothie I took one packet of the acai, one banana, a handful of chopped up strawberries, a few splashes of Rice Dream, some ice cubes and threw everything in a blender. Sometimes I like to top it with some granola and fresh fruit (as shown above) to make it a meal. Easy-peasy, just the way I like it!

The result is a yummy, acai-strawberry-banana shake that is chock full of antioxidants and vitamins! This shake is a sure-fire way to perk me up any time of day, and the acai smoothie packets make it that much more convenient!

Easy Orange Flavored Tofu

I have a confession to make: I'm a lazy cook. I hate spending hours slaving away in the kitchen on a meal that will be gone within minutes, especially when I've been working all day and just want to relax during the evening.

So, my meals tend to skew towards the easy-peasy approach. And when I stumble upon a recipe that uses 5 or less ingredients, I'm totally stoked! This particular recipe (I found it somewhere online, though I can't remember the source - apologies!) calls for only 3 ingredients, which had my lazy bum leaping for joy (at least on the inside...it's entirely too much effort to physically leap for joy)!

And check out the results, with a nice base of brown jasmine rice and edamame:

Easy Orange Flavored Tofu