This is Good Stuff

Gardein marinara chik'n good stuff. Another one of my vegan finds while I was down in the States. Ive been back for well over a month but these babies have been hibernating in the back of my freezer.

Not anymore!!


(I started to dig in before I could even take the picture!)

The first bite actually disappointed me. It may have been just my personally preferences with certain herbs and spices but something was not agreeing with my palate. Then I took the second bite, and the third and fourth. And hey! It was delicious! Apparently my taste buds just needed to get acquainted with this different flavour.

I was pretty hungry tonight so I ignored the baking instructions opting instead to dethaw in the microwave for about 2 minutes and then proceeding to put it in the toaster oven at 425F for 10 minutes. I really dont think it wouldve made a difference in the product if I followed the suggested preparation. It had a crispy breading that browned to perfection and the chik'n had a really nice texture without being dry. Cutting into it the marinara sauce and Daiya cheese (you all know how I love Daiya) oozed out from inside and was warm, cheezy, and yum.

Overall, Im impressed. Im most certainly going to enjoy this all over again very soon. (There are two per pack.) And it paired very well with sauteed zucchini. Perfectly satisfying.


**This is my OWN personal opinion that Im sharing with the world. In no way have I been paid or otherwise compensated for this product review.

Vegenaise and Fried Rice with Tempeh

Today I bought Vegenaise for the first time. Ive had a jar of Nayonaise in the fridge for months but found it disgusting. Vegenaise, Im impressed with. And since I was planning to have Gardein's buffalo wings for dinner, ranch dressing seemed like the logical accompaniment. I went on a hunt and found this recipe. Only 40 calories per tablespoon. Overall, it was delicious. I did add a few drop of lemon juice but I feel like it still needed a little bit of something else. Vinegar perhaps? Anyways, I definitely needed it tonight because those wings were hot!

Right before I went to purchase the Vegenaise, it was lunch time. I needed to use up some left over rice and settled on a veggie stir fry type dish with a side of tempeh. Ive tried other brands of tempeh before and I actually thought for a while that I just didnt care for it anymore. When I got around to buying my usual brand though (Lightlife), I realized it wasnt my taste buds that changed at all! I had just been buying a less than average product. And Im glad that tempeh is back on my plate.

Tempeh and Veggie Fried Rice



For the tempeh:

2 oz. Lightlife tempeh ( I used 3 grain )
1 tbsp. soy sauce
3/4 tsp. nutritional yeast

In a pan over medium high heat, cook all ingredients until the tempeh is golden brown. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

For the rice:

4 asparagus spears, cut into 1" pieces
3 button mushrooms, quartered
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup cooked brown rice
1 tbsp. cashews, chopped roughly
1/2 tsp. nutritional yeast
salt and pepper

First, in a pan over medium heat cook asparagus for about 5 minutes and then add the other veggies. Cook 5 minutes more until asparagus is tender.
Add in the the rice, yeast and salt and pepper. Stir and cook about a minute more.
Meanwhile, toast the cashew pieces under the broiler for 2 minutes or until golden.
Serve rice topped with cashews with the tempeh.

**260 calories