Gardein Chick'n Scallopini: My new favorite "chick'n"!

As you may already know, when I'm in any grocery store for any reason, I can't help peeking at their vegetarian frozen food section to see if there's anything new and interesting. A couple weeks ago I was doing just that, and stumbled upon a brand that was completely new to me: Gardein (= garden + protein). They only had 3 products on the shelf -- buffalo wings, beefless tips, and chick'n scallopini. I don't really know what "scallopini" is, but the picture on the package appealed to me the most at the time, and I was not about to leave the store without any Gardein to try!




















I followed the preparation recommendation on the package -- just saute in olive oil over med/med high heat until lightly browned (2-3 minutes each side). I don't remember what I ate along with it -- perhaps Annie's Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese (very yummy, by the way)? But I do remember my first impressions of the Chick'n Scallopini -- Mmmmm! :D So tender, so juicy! Two things that most other chick'n products lack. And the flavor? Delicious! It is a tiny bit wheaty, but that's something I've grown to like quite a bit.

There are four cutlets per resealable plastic package, and I just ate the third one for dinner. The second one was with a veggie and noodle stir fry, and it went perfectly with the Chinese-style flavors. The other I ate with cheese ravioli and tomato sauce, and it was great with that too! Definitely a very versatile product, and I can't wait to find other dishes to use it in. I think it would be amazing in Chick'n Alfredo! I also can't wait to try the other varieties I found. :)

Protein source: Soy, wheat gluten
Allergens: Soy, wheat, gluten, amaranth, quinoa, millet, Kamut, pea, yeast, beetroot, carrot
Vegan

Marshmallows! Real, delicious, vegetarian marshmallows!

For me, I think the saddest realization about going vegetarian was that marshmallows, containing gelatin, were now off-limits. I could deal with never eating lime Jell-o again, but marshmallow Peeps? S'mores? So sad.

I'd heard about people making their own squishy, sugary puffs of yumminess at home, but the recipes always contained gelatin. I found some vegan marshmallows you could order online or buy in select grocery stores, but they were expensive. I did find some vegan marshmallow recipes, but the reviews were disheartening. Finally, on the verge of giving up, I stumbled across a blog which referenced the marshmallow recipe in this cookbook (page 65). It uses xanthan gum rather than gelatin -- but vegans beware: it also uses egg whites to give it the firm, fluffy texture.

Upon seeing the picture of the homemade vegetarian "Peep", I felt renewed hope. But excited as I was, I also felt intimidated, as chocolate fudge was the whole of my previous candy-making experience. Plus, xanthan gum is expensive. And I don't have a stand mixer. Basically, I made a lot of excuses. But months later, as Christmas approached, I knew I had to try it. Assuming I succeeded, homemade vegetarian marshmallows would make the ultimate addition to the holiday treat line-up.

With the help of a friend (and her stand mixer), we set about making marshmallows. Turns out that it wasn't so hard after all! It was, however, extremely messy! By the end of the night, I was covered in marshmallow, corn starch, and sugar.

But...















...it was totally worth it!

They're not exact "Peep" clones, but according to a few taste-testers, they were even better! They have a wonderful soft texture and sweet, lightly vanilla taste.

A few notes for anyone who wants to make some of their own:

1. The ingredients in the recipe are measured by weight. While this is more precise (important for delicate recipes such as this), most casual cooks and bakers probably don't have a kitchen scale. I went to the trouble of looking up conversions for all the ingredients listed into cups, tablespoons, fluid ounces, etc. If you need this information, let me know and I can email you my notes. There is also this nifty website I wish I'd known about before. Either way, my marshmallows turned out well by my conversions.
   
2. MARSHMALLOW IS STICKY! Use more corn starch or powdered sugar than you think you will need to control the stickiness, then use some more. Cover the pan with it, the cutting board, the utensils, your hands, the newly cut marshmallows, your face, your dog, your kids...
   
3. If you want to try shaping with cookie cutters, use simple shapes. If the cutter has a lot of points or details, they'll get distorted as you try to push the sticky mass out of the little corners.
   
4. I've found that the best way to store them is spread apart on covered plates or storage container in the refrigerator. I had put some of them in a plastic bag, and within a couple days they had kind of melded together into one giant, gooey blob that was difficult to remove from the bag. :(

These squishy sweets have passed the taste and texture tests, but they have yet to be subjected to two other important marshmallow tests: the Hot Cocoa Test, and the Fire Toasting Test.

Allergens: Egg, corn
Vegetarian

Cranberry Sauce Recipe

Here is a really simple recipe for cranberry sauce that I've been making for several Thanksgivings now. It's the only cranberry sauce recipe I've tried, because it was so easy and well-received that I didn't need to try any others. :) It's one of those traditional dishes that is enjoyed by vegans and omnivores alike -- so much better than the stuff out of the can. I recommend making this a little ahead of time -- though it cooks up really fast, it can take a while to cool and thicken.

It's a slightly altered version of a recipe I found somewhere on the internet... I wish I could remember where so I could give credit!

Yummy Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:
1 12-ounce package of whole cranberries, rinsed
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup orange juice
1 cinnamon stick

Directions:
Combine sugar and orange juice in a sauce pan over medium heat. When sugar is dissolved, add cranberries and cinnamon stick. Stirring frequently, cook until cranberries pop, then remove from heat and remove cinnamon stick. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

It's November again!

It has been one year since I went vegetarian full-time! I am as happy about my choice as ever, and really can't imagine ever going back.

And you know what else this means -- my second vegetarian Thanksgiving is approaching! Time to start planning the menu!

Many new vegetarians (and non-vegetarian guests at a meatless holiday table) may feel like they will miss having a turkey, that it just won't be Thanksgiving without one. I say, what's so special about it, anyway? Most of my memories of Thanksgiving turkey weren't so great -- it was usually really dry and chewy, no matter how it was cooked (sorry, Mom!). I suspect lots of other people secretly feel that way about their experiences of Thanksgiving turkey, too -- but it's such a deeply ingrained American tradition that it's hard to let go of. But just think of all the poor turkeys! :(

Well, there are other options! Of course, there are various turkey substitutes available from Quorn (their meatless turkey roast -- a log-shaped, very tasty substitute which has a firm, meat-like bite -- I highly recommend it), Tofurkey (a meatless roast complete with stuffing -- not bad, but a little rubbery in texture), and Field Roast Grain Meat Co. (I have yet to try their stuffed Celebration Roast). Or you can decide to move away from the turkey tradition altogether and make another main dish -- my meatless "meatloaves" have been a big hit at the past two Thanksgiving dinners! Or take it a step further and have a completely untraditional meal -- whatever you want! Try a new hearty vegetable soup recipe with garlic toast or sandwiches, make a smorgasbord of your favorite breakfast foods, barbecue up some veggie burgers and tofu dogs, bake a vegetable lasagna or some meatless burritos with all the fixin's... or just get some take-out! Don't be afraid to think outside the box. The world will not come to an end if you don't have turkey and green bean casserole on the fourth Thursday in November. ;)

Over the next two weeks, I intend to share a few recipes and review a few Thanksgiving-related veggie foods. Stay tuned!

<3 jazzhands

Living Harvest/Tempt Hempmilk, Chocolate flavor

I first tried Living Harvest Hempmilk about a year ago. It was the sweetened vanilla flavor, and I really wanted to like it. It tasted sweet and creamy and good at first, but left an unpleasant bitter aftertaste that I just couldn't look past.

Since then, Living Harvest Hempseed products got a makeover when they merged with the Tempt brand. While the new packaging looks very boring and generic (they call it "modern"), the taste does seem to have improved. They claim it now has more omega fatty acids, less sugar, and a smoother taste.

Of course, I can't really compare apples to apples here. I hadn't tried the chocolate flavor before, and I haven't tried the new, improved vanilla -- but there does seem to be a difference in texture between the old vanilla and new chocolate and, most importantly, there is no detectable bitter aftertaste!

It has a sweet, cocoa-y, nutty flavor, and the creamy texture you'd expect from chocolate milk. It's dairy- and soy-free and has lots of omega fatty acids, but is higher in calories and fat than other milk substitutes while only having 1g of protein per serving. It is also a bit pricier than other milk alternatives.

While it doesn't rate quite as high for me as chocolate Almond Breeze for flavor, it is a close second. It makes another great alternative to dairy and soy. The company also makes other hempseed food products, including a frozen dessert (which comes in several flavors), hemp protein powder, and hemp oil.

Oh, and one last thing: Sorry to break it to you, but this is HEMPMILK, not POTMILK. It has no THC and won't get you high. ;)

Living Harvest/Tempt Official website

Protein Source: Hemp seed
Allergens: Cocoa?
Vegan

Hello again, interwebs

That's right, I just couldn't stay away from you, my fellow food adventurers. :) I keep finding myself trying new foods and wanting to blog about them!

I don't expect that I will update as often as I once did, but I would like to at least update once in a while. I'm not sure what that means yet, but we'll figure it out.

Your friend,
jazzhands

TTFN

It's been 6 months since I started this blog. Since interest seems to have tapered off (assuming there was some to begin with) and I have a lot of other things going on, I'm putting Vegetablog on hold indefinitely. Perhaps someday if the mood strikes me or if I receive a petition full of signatures, I will come back to it. If not, hopefully the posts in the archive will be of use to somebody, somewhere.

your friend in food,
jazzhands