Hi, I'm jazzhands, and welcome to vegetablog. Here you will find reviews of vegetarian and vegan foods, a recipe or two, and maybe some occasional on- or off-topic discussion about other things I hope my readers might find interesting or useful. All posts are tagged for easier browsing. Please feel free to comment on any post (even the old ones) and/or take a poll. Thanks for visiting! :)

Showing posts with label Gardenburger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gardenburger. Show all posts

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Gardenburger Black Bean Chipotle Burgers


My first thought when trying this new veggie burger was, "Mmm, this would be really good in a taco!" The tasty chipotle peppers and spices give it a Mexican sort of flavor. I immediately wished I had bought some lettuce along with these burgers so I could try out a Black Bean Chipotle taco!

I was worried that it would be too spicy, but it's really pretty mild. The texture is similar to other vegetable-y veggie burgers, like Gardenburger's Veggie Medley patties (another one of my favorites). Color-wise, it doesn't look much like the burger on the package -- it's a lighter, more orangey brown. Cooking it on the stove (or a grill, I assume) darkens it a bit, but not as much as on the package. It's not that the color bothers me, just that the photo is sort of misleading...

Another funny thought I had while trying this product: As I was enjoying the aromas filling the kitchen as the burger cooked on the stove, I started thinking about all the yummy nutritious things so many meat-eaters are missing out on! There are really only so many things you can do with a ground beef burger. I mean, look at the menu at a fast food restaurant. For the most part, all their "different" hamburgers aren't -- they're just different combinations of the same old meat, cheese, lettuce, onions, pickles, tomatoes, ketchup/mayo/mustard/sauce. But think of how much more variety you can get when you throw in a completely different kind of protein! And sadly, most meat-eaters will never give meat alternatives a chance, and will never know what they are missing. And restaurants won't, either. But that's another rant for another day.

So... overall, I really enjoyed this product and would recommend it if you like Mexican-type flavors. I can see it being another type of versatile veggie burger/meat replacement.

Protein source: Soy
Allergens: Soy, wheat
Vegan

Friday, February 13, 2009

Gardenburger BBQ Riblets


I have never eaten real ribs, so I can't really compare this product to the real thing, but...

I've been a fan of this product for a while now -- pretty much ever since I discovered that I love barbecue sauce about a year or two ago.

Unlike many other veg*n convenience foods, you only get two servings per package. Each veggie riblet comes in a plastic pouch, which is microwaveable. Be very, very careful when you microwave this product! It is very easy to overcook, especially if you have a powerful microwave oven. I only have to cook mine for about half the recommended time for it to be heated through. If it is overcooked, it will chewy and tough to the point of being inedible... which is very sad when it smells so good!

The sauce is delicious -- sweet (but not too sweet) and spicy (but not too spicy). I think they should bottle it and make it available separately. The riblets are tasty too, and have a sort of chunky texture. I have eaten the riblets as a sandwich on a long roll or toasted bread with swiss cheese, or as-is with mashed potatoes and corn on the cob. Yum.

And yes, it's even vegan! Yay!

On my last shopping trip, I noticed a suspiciously similar product from Morningstar Farms. I purchased it, not realizing that I already had a box of Gardenburger riblets at home. I compared the list of ingredients on the two boxes, and sure enough, they were identical. I wonder what this means..? Did MSF purchase Gardenburger? Hmm...

Protein source: Soy, wheat
Allergens: Soy, wheat
100% vegan