Review: NUGGS Spicy Plant-Based Nuggets

If you're new to plant-based protein, vegan chicken nuggets are a less-intimidating option to start with. It seems like nuggets are easier to replicate because chicken nuggets are so processed anyway.

I tried Boca's chik'n nuggets a few years and they were pretty good. I heard some buzz about NUGGS and wondered how they would stack up.

The NUGGS website calls their plant-based nuggets, "The Tesla of Chicken" that are "engineered with the world's most advanced nugget technology." (It must be fun to work on their marketing team!)

I have to say these were even better than other vegan nuggets I've tried. They really nailed the outside crispy coating. I also love that the spicy version is actually spicy. About twice as spicy as Boca's spicy chik'n patties.

I went in skeptical and ended up craving these. The same thing happened to me with Tofurky plant-based deli slices.

Another unique thing about NUGGS is they're always improving the recipe and post the updates like a tech product's release notes. It's kind of cool to read through the releases and see what changes they've made over time. This review is for NUGGS 2.0.

NUGGS Spicy Plant-Based Nuggets ingredients: 

Water, Soybean Oil, Textured Wheat Protein, Soy Protein Concentrate, Breadcrumbs, Wheat Flour, Corn Flour, Wheat Protein Isolate, Yeast Extract, 2% or less of: Modified Food Starch, Corn Starch, Tapioca Dextrin, Sunflower Oil, Potato Starch, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Methylcellulose, Sea Salt, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Baking Soda, Calcium Chloride, Black Pepper, Red Pepper, Paprika, Dextrose, Natural Flavors

Review: NUGGS Spicy Plant-Based Nuggets

First impressions: Smells good

Taste: Spicy, chicken-y flavor. Reminds me of Wendy's spicy chicken nuggets, although I haven't had those in a long time. 

Texture: Very crispy

Can you tell it's vegan? Maybe
Better than other vegan options? Yes

Worth buying again? Yes

Overall: 5/5

Review: Tofurky Oven Roasted Deli Slices

I tried Tofurky's hickory-smoked deli slices earlier this year and ended up craving it more than I expected. I tried their oven roasted deli slices next.

These were very similar to the hickory-smoked slices. I'd have to try them side-by-side to notice a difference.

Tofurky makes other flavors of vegan deli slices, but the oven roasted and hickory smoked are the ones I usually see in stores.

I've been eating these Tofurky slices the same way I used to make turkey sandwiches. I lightly cook them in a frying pan to warm them up, add mustard, and eat on a toasted hoagie roll. These would probably taste great on your favorite sandwich too!

Tofurky Oven Roasted Plant-Based Deli Slices ingredients:

Water, vital wheat gluten, organic tofu (water, organic soybeans,magnesium chloride, calcium chloride), soy sauce (water, soybeans, wheat, salt), expeller pressed canola oil, natural flavors, sea salt, contains less than 2% of onion, carrot, celery, garlic, leek, lemon juice concentrate, cornstarch, garbanzo bean flour, white bean flour, rosemary extract, calcium lactate, potassium chloride.

Review: Tofurky Oven Roasted Plant-Based Deli Slices

Taste: Similar to turkey

Texture: Similar to processed turkey deli meat

Can you tell it's vegan? Maybe
Better than other vegan options? Yes

Worth buying again? Yes

Overall: 5/5

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

Vegan Meal Prep for Beginners

Even though I'm at home more because of the pandemic, I still like to meal prep because it makes things easier throughout the week. Sometimes by the time I'm hungry, I'm really hungry and don't want to spend a lot of time cooking. If I have food already prepared, I'm less likely to stuff my face with chips or cookies.

These 4 beginner vegan meal prep recipes are easy to:

• customize 
• make in bulk
• store in the fridge and reheat

I've been making these plant-based meals a lot during quarantine because they're easy to customize based on whatever ingredients I have. They're more like non-recipes that are a guide to follow and don't need to be exact. Some can be made entirely with pantry ingredients, which has been handy so I don't have to go to the store as often. 

1. Rice with Beans/Lentils

I usually make some type of beans or lentils and rice every week. It's easy to mix it up by using different types of beans, veggies, and spices. I love that I can usually make this almost entirely with pantry ingredients.

This is also one of my lowest cost meals at around $2 per serving. You could probably make it for less using dried beans. I usually use canned because it's more convenient.

One way I eat beans and rice is this easy Cajun-inspired dish that's sort of like dirty rice:

1. I cook onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic until soft
2. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper, or your favorite spices
3. Add a can of diced tomatoes and and a can of red beans
4. Add rice and water to the same pot and cook until the rice is done (or use pre-cooked rice)

My other go-to combination is black beans with onion, jalapeño, and chili powder. I mix everything together, or you can also serve the beans on top of the rice like in this video.

A similar recipe I like that uses green lentils and caramelized red onion is a Middle Eastern dish called mujaddara.

2. Curry

Curry is super versatile. Between Thai and Indian curries, I could eat a different curry every week and it would take a long time for me to get bored. I'm still learning about the different types of curry as it is one of the most popular dishes throughout the world.

Another reason I like making curry is it's forgiving for beginners. If you don't use the right blend of spices it might not be as authentic, but it should still taste good.

Lately my favorite is aloo gobi (potatoes and cauliflower). I use this recipe and bake the cauliflower and potatoes separately and add them at the end. It takes some of the stress out of coordinating the cook times of the different ingredients, and roasting the cauliflower gives it a better texture.

I eat this with rice and/or naan bread, and store it separately from the rice. I like to leave some room in the container to add the rice later. This also helps keep the lid from staining.

A simple curry recipe you can make entirely with pantry ingredients is chana masala, an Indian curry with chickpeas. I usually use Thai Kitchen red curry paste with potatoes, mushrooms, red bell peppers, green beans, and snap peas.

Thai curry is even easier to make if you buy a jar of curry paste:

1. Combine 2 tablespoons of curry paste, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, and 1 can of coconut milk in a pan
2. Cook your favorite veggies directly in the sauce

I usually use Thai Kitchen red curry paste with potatoes, mushrooms, red bell peppers, green beans, and snap peas.

3. Pasta with Veggies

Pasta is another non-recipe that you cannot mess up. Take any veggies you like and mix with your favorite pasta shape. I use mushrooms and red bell peppers a lot because I usually have some left over from another recipe.

One combination I like that uses almost all pantry ingredients is bow-tie pasta with artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and pesto. I use Trader Joe's vegan pesto or you could also make your own.

4. Soup

When it's not too hot outside I love making soup because it's a great way to use up extra veggies I have in the fridge.

Last winter it rained a lot in San Diego and I made this red lentil soup almost every time. This is another recipe that uses mostly pantry ingredients that have a long shelf life.

Chili is another soup that's easy to make vegan. You can't go wrong with soup!

Review: Tofurky Hickory Smoked Deli Slices

I was reluctant to try vegan deli meat because it seems so processed. But I thought about how a lot of lunch meat is already heavily processed, like bologna or olive loaf, and then plant-based processed meat didn't seem so bad.

I went with Tofurky for my first try because I think of them as the original for plant-based turkey. Their hickory smoked plant-based deli slices are available at most grocery stores.

If you still eat turkey and love it, this might not be close enough to replace it for you. But if you're already plant based and craving a sandwich, this should do the trick. I think it's definitely better than bologna.

The texture was spot on of how I remember thinly-sliced deli turkey. It doesn't have a strong taste, but tastes savory and a little bit smokey. I think it would work well for most sandwiches.

I quickly fried it in a pan so it didn't have a wet texture. I tried it on a sandwich with mustard and in a vegan egg sandwich with JUST Egg. They were so good I ended up making both again later in the week.

Tofurky Hickory Smoked Plant-Based Deli Slices ingredients:

Water, vital wheat gluten, organic tofu (water, organic soybeans, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride), soy sauce (water, soybeans, wheat, salt), expeller pressed canola oil, natural flavors, sea salt, contains less than 2% of onion, carrot, celery, garlic, leek, lemon juice concentrate, cornstarch, garbanzo bean flour, white bean flour, rosemary extract, natural smoke flavor, calcium lactate, potassium chloride. 

Review: Tofurky Hickory Smoked Plant-Based Deli Slices

First impressions: Better than I expected

Taste: It tastes good and has a savory taste, but it's missing something to taste like turkey

Texture: Very close to traditional sliced deli meats

Can you tell it's vegan? Maybe

Worth buying again? Yes

Overall: 5/5

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: Annie's Organic Vegan Mac - Pumpkin and Sweet Potato

I was skeptical about the pumpkin and sweet potato, but had heard good things about Annie's Vegan Mac. Note that it doesn't say "mac and cheese." So it's not necessarily trying to imitate cheese, just providing a vegan comfort food alternative.

This is one of the first vegan products I've tried where the texture was spot on but the flavor was not for me. Usually texture is the more difficult part so this was surprising.

The taste was not bad, but would take some getting used to. If you're vegan and craving mac and cheese, this would do the trick. And it was better than some restaurant vegan macs I've tried. But for people who still eat cheese, this will probably not be good enough to replace your favorite cheesy mac.

I also liked that the ingredient list is pretty simple and recognizable, especially considering it's a processed food that comes in a box.

Annie's Vegan Mac Pumpkin and Sweet Potato ingredients: Organic Pasta (Organic Wheat Flower), Organic Pumpkin Powder (Organic Pumpkin, [Organic Maltodextrin, Organic Sunflower Oil, Sunflower Lecithin]), Organic Sweet Potato Powder (Organic Sweet Potato, [Organic Maltodextrin, Organic Corn Starch, Organic Sunflower Oil, Sunflower Lecithin]), Organic Corn Starch, Organic Tapioca Starch, Sea Salt, Natural Flavor, Organic Paprika, Organic Onion Powder, Organic Garlic Powder.

Review: Annie's Vegan Mac - Pumpkin and Sweet Potato
First impressions: When I was making it, it seemed identical to non-vegan boxed mac and cheese. Kids would have fun making this. 
Taste: Not too sweet or pumpkin-y. It had a surprisingly cheesy flavor, especially given that there's no nutritional yeast. But after eating several bites, it felt like something was missing and wasn't quite as satisfying as cheese. 
Texture: Creamy and very similar to traditional boxed mac and cheese. 
Can you tell it's vegan? Yes
Better than other vegan versions? Yes, better than some vegan macs I've tried at restaurants. 
Worth buying again? I probably won't buy this again but some people might like to eat it regularly. 
Overall: 3/5

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