Review: Trader Joe's Protein Patties (Plant-Based Burgers)

I love that plant-based burgers are so trendy right now and so many companies are making their own version.

Trader Joe's has a lot of great vegan products so I had to try their plant-based burger patties. The packaging and ingredients are similar to Beyond Burgers, but unfortunately the taste and texture weren't on the same level.

These were oddly hard when uncooked and then too soft when cooked. They stuck to the pan and fell apart during cooking. I don't know if these would work on a grill because they fell apart so much.

Another difference is these are sold in the refrigerated section and say not suitable for freezing, so they don't last as long as the frozen plant-based burgers.

Trader Joe's Protein Patties Plant Based Burgers ingredients:

Hydrated pea protein blen (water, pea protein, pea fiber), sunflower oil, beets, natural flavors, methyl cellulose, oat fiber, fruit juice (color), onion powder, sea salt, vegetable juice (color). 

Review: Trader Joe's Protein Patties Plant Based Burgers

First impressions: Harder than I expected when uncooked

Taste: Close to Beyond Burger but a little bland

Texture: Fell apart, kind of soft and mushy

Can you tell it's vegan? Yes

Better than other vegan options? No

Worth buying again? Probably not

Overall: 3/5

Review: Trader Joe's Vegan Kale, Cashew & Basil Pesto

As usual, Trader Joe's does not disappoint with their vegan options. This vegan pesto sauce might be new. I love that that it's right next to the non-vegan pesto along with the other sauces, and not in a separate vegan section. It also happens to be next to the Zhoug Sauce that I love. 

Traditional pesto has parmesan cheese, and this has cashew butter instead. It changes the texture a bit and makes it more creamy. It's also not as oily as other pestos. 

Trader Joe's Vegan Kale, Cashew & Basil Pesto ingredients: 

Kale, olive oil blend (olive oil, extra virgin olive oil), water, basil, cashew butter (dry roasted cashews, safflower oil or sunflower oil), garlic, lemon juice, sea salt, black pepper.

I made this with pasta and like how it turned out. It smelled so good when I stirred it into the pasta. 

You could also use it as a dip or as a spread on sandwiches or pizza. 

I thought it was not quite as good as traditional pesto, but that could be because of the kale. It's good enough that I would eat it again, but not my new favorite.  I'd like to try another vegan pesto with more basil (or try making my own).

Review: Trader Joe's Vegan Kale, Cashew & Basil Pesto

First impressions: Looks creamier than I expected. Lighter in color and less oily than other pestos. 

Taste: A slightly blander version of traditional pesto. 

Texture: Thick and creamy. 

Can you tell it's vegan? Maybe

Worth buying again? Yes, but I want to try other kinds of vegan pesto too. 

Overall: 4/5

Review: Rising Moon Vegan Ravioli

I love ravioli (all pasta, really). But usually ravioli contains eggs and cheese. I was pleasantly surprised to find not just one but TWO vegan raviolis from Rising Moon at Sprouts: butternut squash and roasted garlic & veggie.

I liked both, but the roasted veggie was my favorite. The butternut squash was a little sweet for me. The roasted veggie had a hint of sweetness but it wasn't overpowering. 

I didn't miss having cheese. The filling was creamy and not dry. It also held together fine without using egg wash to hold the sides together. I actually had less of these fall apart than some vegetarian versions I've had before. 

I like having some ravioli on hand in the freezer for nights when I don't feel like cooking. Now that I've found this vegan ravioli, I won't need to get the vegetarian ravioli with cheese that I used to eat. 

I'm all about finding vegan replacements for my favorite foods that are just as satisfying and delicious. I can check another food off my list with this one!

Rising Moon Vegan Garlic & Roasted Veggie Ravioli ingredients:

Pasta: Organic wheat flour, water, organic turmeric oil. Filling: Organic soy milk (filtered water, organic whole soybeans, calcium carbonate, organic fair trade vanilla flavor, salt, vitamin a palmitate, gellan gum, riboflavin [b2], vitamin d2, vitamin b12), organic butternut squash, organic spinach, organic garlic, organic carrots, organic potato flakes, water, sea salt, organic onion powder, organic tomato, organic black pepper. 

Rising Moon Vegan Butternut Squash Ravioli ingredients:

Pasta: Organic wheat flour, water, organic turmeric oil. Filling: Organic butternut squash puree, organic potato flakes, organic evaporated cane juice, sea salt, organic garlic, organic onion powder, organic black pepper, organic nutmeg powder. 

Review Rising Moon Vegan Ravioli:

First impressions: Oooh this is good.

Taste: Good balance of flavors, savory with a hint of sweetness

Texture: No difference from non-vegan ravioli, smooth filling but not mushy

Can you tell it's vegan? No

Worth buying again? Yes, I'll probably always have some in my freezer

Overall: 5/5

How to Make Vegan BBQ "Pulled Pork" Style Jackfruit

Have you tried jackfruit yet? It's the ultimate vegan substitute for shredded pork. I was so surprised by how similar the texture is to pork. And even though it's a fruit, it doesn't have a strong flavor by itself and will take on the flavor of the sauce or seasoning you use.

I love finding fruits or vegetables like this that make perfect vegan alternatives for meat. (Oyster mushrooms is another example worth checking out.) While I love the Beyond Burger and how popular faux meats are becoming, it's nice to have less processed options too.

I'll walk you through how to make bbq "pulled pork" style jackfruit. It's also great in tacos or other recipes that would use shredded pork or chicken. I want to try tamales or enchiladas next.

You can buy the whole fruit at some grocery stores, but it's easier to buy it canned. You can find it at Trader Joe's. One can made four sandwiches for me.

Drain and rinse the jackfruit and pat it dry with a towel. It will look like triangles.

Shred the jackfruit pieces. It's easiest to use your hands. You can also use a fork or knife. Now it should look more like shredded pork.

Saute the jackfruit with a little bit of oil, salt, and pepper. You can also add garlic and onions or other seasoning at this stage if you want. Cook it on medium-high heat until it starts to brown a little bit, about 10 minutes.

Add your favorite barbecue sauce. If you're cooking for other people who are vegan, check that the barbecue sauce is vegan because not all of them are. Lower the heat and cover. Simmer for about 20 minutes (15 is ok if you're really hungry).

Now it's time to build your sandwich. This is good by itself or you can also top with vegan coleslaw.
It's good leftover too, just reheat in the microwave.

Review: Gardein Seven-Grain Crispy Tenders

Gardein has a ton of vegan products, so I tried these seven-grain crispy tenders next. Similar to the Gardein fishless filets, I probably would have liked these more if I was blindfolded. They tasted good, but the seeing the squishy texture of faux meat was too distracting for me. 

These were much smaller than I expected, about half the size of their fishless filets. But this is a good thing in my opinion, because it helps the texture. I prefer most faux meat to be small and thin in order to have a higher breading to meat ratio and keep the texture as crispy as possible. I think that's why the Boca chick'n patties are still my favorite plant-based chicken alternative.

Speaking of the breading, I didn't realize these where seven grain when I bought them. It surprised me at first, and you can see some oats and seeds in the breading. It reminded me of seven-grain bread with the seeds pressed into the top. But it still tasted like regular breading, and I didn't notice a difference in the breading texture. It was still crispy and crunchy. 

Gardein Seven-Grain Crispy Tenders ingredients: Water, Enriched Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid). Soy Protein Isolate, Canola Oil, Vital Wheat Gluten, Rice Flour, Ancient Grain Flour (Khorasan Wheat, Amaranth, Millet, Quinoa), Methylcellulose, Oat Bran, Oats, Yeast Extract, Salt, Organic Yeast Extract, Sea Salt, Potato Starch, Organic Distilled Vinegar, Organic Cane Sugar, Sugar, Natural Flavors, Soybean Oil, Spices, Yeast, Color Added. Leavening (Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream Of Tartar). Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Organic Soy Sauce Powder, Extractive of Paprika (Color). Pea Protein, Turmeric Extractives

Review: Gardein Seven Grain Crispy Tenders
Taste: These tasted pretty good. I would give them a 5 for flavor but 3 for texture. 
Texture: The outside is crunchy but the inside is a little too mushy for me. It helps that they're smaller pieces though, compared to the Gardein fishless filets which were too big in my opinion. 
Can you tell it's vegan? Yes, like most faux meat, the texture gives it away. 
Better than other vegan versions? I liked the Boca chick'n nuggets more. 
Worth buying again? I would eat them again if someone else was serving them, but probably wouldn't buy them again on my own.
Overall: 4 out of 5

Review: Beyond Sausage

I love the Beyond Burger, so I was excited when I heard that Beyond Meat came out with Beyond Sausage.

You can find this plant-based sausage at Whole Foods and it's also served at some restaurants. Beyond Sausage is available in 3 varieties: Brat, Sweet Italian, and Hot Italian. I tried the Sweet Italian.

Like the Beyond Burger, it's soy and gluten-free. The main ingredient is pea protein and the casing is made from algae.

I didn't like these quite as much as the Beyond Burger. They are really big, and that draws more attention to anything that gives away that they're vegan. The texture is a little soft, so I grilled them and then cut them in half and grilled the insides too. That helped to keep the texture crispy. I don't know if I would like it hot-dog style though.

Review: Beyond Sausage - Sweet Italian
Taste: It tastes like pork sausage but is missing something I can't put my finger on. 
Texture: It was nice and crispy on the outside when I grilled it. But I think the inside would be too soft if I hadn't cut it in half. I don't know if I would like it whole in a bun. 
Can you tell it's vegan? Yes, but I might be tricked if it was prepared differently. It would be good to try with a sauce. 
Better than other vegan versions? I haven't tried any others. 
Worth buying again? I'm not a big sausage eater, but if I was craving sausage I would buy this again. 
Overall: 4 out of 5.

Review: Impossible Burger vs Beyond Burger

Impossible Burger

Beyond Burger

You might have heard a lot of buzz about the latest wave of veggie burgers - the Beyond Burger and the Impossible Burger. But do they live up to the hype? 

Absolutely. 

These aren't your average veggie burgers. They manage to go beyond that and somehow impossibly taste like real beef. (Has that already been done by every blogger who's written about this?)

I've seen both of these popping up all over at different restaurants lately. Find locations for the Impossible Burger here, and Beyond Burger here. You can also get the Beyond Burger at Whole Foods. The Impossible Burger is not currently available by retail. 

So what are these actually made out of? 

The main ingredients of the Impossible Burger are textured wheat protein, coconut oil, potato protein, and heme. The heme is made from soy and is the secret ingredient to making this burger taste like real beef. Heme is a molecule found in animals (hemoglobin) and plants (leghemoglobin). It naturally occurs in much higher concentrations in animals than plants, and is what makes meat taste like meat. 

[UPDATE: The new version of the Impossible Burger, Impossible 2.0,  does not contain gluten]

The protein source in the Beyond Burger is pea protein. Unlike the Impossible Burger, the Beyond Burger is gluten free. It also has beet juice which give it a red color that looks like beef. It's made by Beyond Meat, a company that makes a variety of vegan meat products available in stores. But in my opinion the Beyond Burger tastes much better than their Beyond Meat Crumbles.

Impossible Burger Cut in Half

Beyond Burger Cut in Half

If I had to choose, I would say the Impossible Burger has a better flavor and the Beyond Burger has a better texture. But they're both delicious and I would eat them both again. In fact, I haven't had or craved a beef burger since I first tried the Impossible Burger (although it helps that I have easy access to both). These even beat my previous favorite meat substitute, Boka Spicy Chik'n Patties.

Also worth noting is that how the burger is cooked makes a difference. If it's overcooked it can be too dry. But it also needs to be cooked enough to give it the caramelized grill flavors. If you try it once and don't like it, that could be why. 

Have you tried either or both of these? Which is your favorite? 

Impossible Burger Review

First impressions: "Woah it looks like a real burger and not a veggie burger!"
Taste: To me, the Impossible burger does a better job tasting like actual meat because of the heme. It has a fuller umami flavor. 
Texture: When you look closely it doesn't look as much like real meat compared to the Beyond Burger. It also falls a part a little bit when you eat it. 
Can you tell it's vegan? Yes, but only when you look closely. I was surprised how much it tastes like beef. 
Worth buying again? Definitely! I'm going to try it at other restaurants and see who prepares it the best. (Photo above at Bruski Burgers & Brew)
Overall: 5 out of 5

Beyond Burger Review

First impressions: "Is this the Beyond Burger or did I accidentally get a beef patty?"
Taste: It does taste more like beef than I expected, but when comparing directly to the Impossible Burger, it's missing that extra flavor from the heme. 
Texture: Before you cut it open, it looks just like a beef burger. The beet juice makes it look red like beef. The texture is also closer to beef than the Impossible burger. 
Can you tell it's vegan? Like the Impossible burger, I was surprised that it really does taste and look like beef. 
Worth buying again? Yes, I've been getting this for lunch about once a week. (Photo above at my work's cafeteria)
Overall: 5 out of 5

Making Pasta Sauce in Bulk

I love making pasta sauce from scratch, but it can be so time consuming! There is an easy solution - making large amounts of sauce in advance and canning them. I do this with my spaghetti sauce and red pepper sauce. This makes for an incredibly easy meal down the road, all you have to do is cook the pasta and add sauce. 

For this batch, I added more vegetables to the spaghetti sauce to add more nutrients and natural sweetness (a red pepper has more vitamin C than an orange!) 

I do not have a canner so I froze my jars. There are guides on how to can without a canner, but just to be safe I froze mine. To defrost, I move one jar to the fridge at least a day before I want to make pasta. 

I used the giant cans of crushed tomatoes from Costco. I used one 106 oz can for each recipe, and each recipe made 5 batches of about 24 ounces each. 

Vegetable Marinara

Ingredients

• 4 onions (I bought a 3 pound bag of yellow onions and used half in each recipe)
• 2 red peppers
• 4 carrots (or half of a 1 pound bag)
• A whole head of garlic (ok to skip some of the smaller cloves)
• About 1 cup of red wine, I used 1/3 of a bottle of Cabernet (optional)
• 106 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• About 1 tablespoon each, or enough to sprinkle over the entire top of the sauce
• salt
• pepper
• garlic powder
• oregano

Directions

1. Chop the onions, red pepper, and carrots. 
2. Add oil to a very large sauce pot, enough to coat the bottom.
3. Add the vegetables and salt. Saute until the onions are clear and the peppers are soft ~15 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and simmer for ~5 minutes.
5. Add the wine, simmer for ~5 minutes.
6. Add the tomatoes and other seasonings and stir to combine.
7. If you are blending do that here.
8. Simmer for at least 45 minutes, I did for about an hour and a half. 
9. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
10. Let cool until no longer steaming before you start canning to avoid hurting yourself (speaking from experience).

Red Pepper Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 onions (I bought a 3 pound bag of yellow onions and used half in each recipe)
• 4 red peppers
• 2 jars of roasted red peppers
• A whole head of garlic (ok to skip some of the smaller cloves)
• About 1 cup of red wine, I used 1/3 of a bottle of Cabernet (optional)
• 106 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• About 1 tablespoon each, or enough to sprinkle over the entire top of the sauce
• salt
• pepper
• garlic powder
• oregano
• cayenne pepper (I used 1 tablespoon for 5 batches of sauce, the overall spiciness was about a 3 on a scale of 1-10)
• red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions

1. Chop the onions and raw red peppers. If you will be blending the sauce like me, you can use a rustic approach when chopping. They do not need to be the same size. If you will not be blending, I think thin, julienne strips would look best. 
2. Add oil to a very large sauce pot, enough to coat the bottom.
3. Add the onions, red peppers, and salt. Saute until the onions are clear and the peppers are soft ~15 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and roasted red peppers, simmer for ~5 minutes.
5. Add the wine, simmer for another 5 or so minutes
6. Add the tomatoes and other seasonings and stir to combine.
7. If you are blending do that here.
8. Simmer for at least 45 minutes, I did for an hour and a half. 
9. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Easy Linguini with Cherry Tomatoes

This is a quick pasta dish you can throw together when you have minimal ingredients on hand. I made this when I had just bought fresh cherry tomatoes from the farmers market, but hadn't gone grocery shopping yet.

When cherry tomatoes cook the flavor becomes more complex. As they heat up, the juice inside expands and they explode. This turns the tomatoes into a light sauce. I use the same method with my tomato and asparagus pasta.

Easy Linguini with Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients

• 1/2 pound linguini
• Olive oil
• Garlic
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Cook the pasta separately and set aside.
2. Saute the cherry tomatoes until some of them pop open from the heat. Gently "pop" the rest with the back of your spoon or spatula. 
3. Add the garlic to the sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes. 
4. Add the cooked linguini and stir with tongs. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Product Review: Boca Original Chik'n Nuggets

Because of how much I liked Boca's Spicy Chik'n Patties, I tried their vegan chicken nuggets next. They were very similar to the patties, but the original breading is a little boring compared to the spicy. 

Just like the patties, these are ridiculously easy to prepare. They would be great for a quick snack or meal. 

Review: Boca Original Chik'n Veggie Nuggets

First impressions: "This is good."

Taste: Like the Boca Spicy Chik'n Patties, but a little boring without the spice. 

Texture: The inside texture reminds me of McDonald's chicken nuggets. 

Does it look like the picture on the box? Yes.

Can you tell it's vegan? No.

Worth buying again? Yes, I will probably always have these or the patties on hand for when I don't feel like cooking. 

Overall: 4.5 out of 5

Vegan Tacos with Beyond Meat Beef-Free Crumbles

The vegan beef crumbles made by Beyond Meat are better in recipes where they can be complimented by other flavors and textures. Of course I thought of tacos first. 

This is an easy taco recipe my boyfriend uses for regular beef. Use the measurements as a guideline, not a rule, and adjust to your taste. 

Vegan Tacos with Beyond Meat Beef Crumbles

Ingredients:

• 1 package of Beyond Meat Beef-Free Crumbles (or another faux beef)
• 1/4 cup of your favorite salsa
• 1/2 packet of your favorite taco seasoning
• Juice from 1 lime
• Tortillas
• Avocado
• Tomato
• Lettuce

Directions:

1. Saute the crumbles until warm. Add salsa, taco seasoning, and lime juice. Stir and cook until heated through. 
2. Add to tortillas and assemble tacos with your favorite taco veggies and toppings. I used iceberg lettuce, tomato, avocado, and a taco sauce packet I stole from taco bell. You could also try rice, beans, bell peppers, onions, or vegan sour cream. 

Product Review: Boca Spicy Chik'n Patties

Updated 9/6/2020

This was the first plant-based meat I ever tried - ahh, scary! Right?!

Well, maybe my fear was unwarranted. These were delicious. My picky-eater boyfriend liked them so much we are adding them to our rotation. I'm more optimistic about trying the other varieties now too. 

These are great with vegan ranch, bbq sauce, or sriracha if you want more spice. They are a little bit spicy. Maybe a 4 on a scale of 1 to 10. 

 

If you're skeptical about trying faux meat, I suggest starting with these or another vegan chicken patty. I guess it makes sense, "real" chicken patties and nuggets are already mostly made from soy. If anything, the vegan version is better tasting and probably less processed. 

This was my favorite plant-based meat for a while until I tried the Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger. Those would also be good to start with if you're new to plant-based foods and craving a burger. 

Boca Spicy Chik'n Veggie Patties ingredients:

Water, wheat flour, soy protein concentrate, soy protein isolate, corn oil, contains less than 2% of salt, yeast extract, wheat gluten, methylcellulose, spices and herbs, sugar, onion powder, yeast, vinegar powder, paprika extract (color), dried garlic, natural flavor (non-meat), corn, malted barley, rye, succinic acid. 

Review: Boca Spicy Chik'n Veggie Patties

First impressions: "Wow. This is much better than I expected." "I am so pleasantly surprised."

Taste: Like a Spicy Chicken Sandwich from Wendy's. 

Texture: Like the inside of a chicken nugget. Obviously there will be no "grain" like a real chicken breast, but you don't get that from any chicken nugget or patty.  

Does it look like the picture on the box? Yes.

Can you tell it's vegan? No

Worth buying again? Definitely. We have them on a regular basis because they are a quick, simple meal. They bake in about 12 minutes. It's so easy to throw them in the oven with some fries or another side. 

Overall: 5 out of 5

Mushroom Goulash

Goulash is a Hungarian tomato and meat stew served over pasta. I used mushrooms instead to make a vegan goulash. This can also be made into a more soup-like consistency by thinning it out with vegetable broth. 

I'm still learning how to make the most out of my spice rack. For this recipe I used paprika, cumin, and oregano. I would say the paprika is really important here. But if you are out of cumin or oregano, you don't need to run to the store just for those. You could also use garlic powder if you don't have any fresh garlic.

 

 

Mushroom Goulash

Ingredients:

• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 2-3 cups of baby bello or white button mushrooms, quartered
• 1 can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional)
• red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/2 pound of pasta such as elbow macaroni or shells
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter such as Earth Balance (or olive oil)

Directions:

1. Boil water for pasta 
2. Saute vegetables and garlic until soft
3. Add tomatoes and seasonings, cover and simmer until pasta is ready
4. Drain pasta and add butter to keep noodles from sticking
5. Serve goulash over pasta

Easy Spaghetti Sauce

Spaghetti is a classic comfort food, it's always been one of my favorite meals. It was the first dinner I ever made when I first started cooking in middle school. For a while, I used pre-made sauce. My old roommate and unofficial big sister, Maria encouraged me to try making my own. This is her recipe, and it's been a stand by in my repertoire ever since. 

Before I made my own sauce, I wasn't sure if it was worth the time. Let me tell you, it definitely is. Like most food made from scratch, making your own sauce tastes better than store bought. Plus, you have control over what goes in it. 

It takes at least an hour to make, but you can make it ahead of time and freeze or can it. Sometimes I buy the giant can of tomatoes at Costco to make a big batch. Then I freeze it and have sauce for months! 

This is a versatile recipe, feel free to adjust the spices or add different vegetables. If you're a mushroom fan, those would work well here. I use this recipe as a base for other sauces like my red pepper sauce. You can also use it to hide vegetables from picky eaters. Carrots are a great addition, especially if you are blending the sauce. 

Ingredients

• medium yellow or sweet onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
• salt, pepper, italian seasoning (or fresh herbs like basil if you have them)
• 1 tbsp sugar to taste (optional)
• 1 pound of spaghetti

Directions

1. Saute the onions and garlic with salt in olive oil until the onions are clear, about 10 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes and seasoning. If you are blending for a smoother sauce, this is a good time to do that.
3. Simmer for at least 30 minutes, stir occasionally. Be careful because the sauce will splatter.
4. Taste test and add more seasoning or sugar if necessary. When adding sugar use 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stir thoroughly, and taste again before adding more. 
5. Serve over spaghetti or your favorite pasta. 
6. Great leftover!