~*~*Reviews of Prepackaged Vegetarian and Vegan Foods*~*~

[classy broad]

Trader Joe's  meatless meatballs
-under $3 at TJ's
-vegetarian
-3.75/5 stars

These are pretty good. They dont have the weird aftertaste that fauxmeat can have a lot of the time. The flavor is nice, not too herby. Their texture (quite mushy) is the only thing that differentiates them from the real thing.

i love these "meat"balls!
i know what you mean about the texture, though. i usually microwave mine, and then fry them in a little oil, to get a bit of crunch.
i love these in a meatball sub, with tomato sauce & mozzarella, or with spaghetti. yum! 

*xo...
 

[missmuffcake]

Helen's Kitchen 'chili and tofu steaks' - The chili part was so-so but the steaks had a nice texture if you like chewy tofu.

[saranethx]

I just wanted to add my two cents about the Quorn products mentioned earlier in the thread:

 Quorn, a brand name, is made from mycoprotien. Mycoprotien is a fungus that contains all 9 essential amino acids. However it is an ALLERGEN and can cause dangerous reactions. The Center for Science in the Public Interest has a couple of web pages dedicated to the ill effects quorn has had in consumers. For more information check out: http://www.cspinet.org/quorn/
 
Personally, I have eaten quorn and enjoyed it without any reactions. But, I believe in being an informed consumer and wanted to pass on the information to my fellow craftsters.

[missmuffcake]

I tried the meatless strips by TJ's in 'taco truck' tacos yesterday and it was a hit!

[crescentfresh]

Another common search for the perfect substitute is with milks!  Soy milk makes me feel gross and the thought of drinking a class of milk straight up makes me gag, and I have a strong stomach.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v331/itsaliger/32-ozBlissChocolateWeb.jpg
-Manitoba Harvest's Hemp Bliss (chocolate)
-Vegan and Canadian (whoo)
-about 3 or 4 bux
-0/5 NO DICE!!!  other people I have discussed faux milk with have agreed, something is just not right, some things should not be milked though I'm sure it's good for you and all that jazz.  Couldn't even finish off a glass of it.

but there is hope!
*insert backlit shining beam of light here*

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v331/itsaliger/AlmondBreezegroupshot.gif
-Blue Diamond's Almond Breeze, I prefer the unsweetened variety as it boasts only 40 calories a cup as per sweetened soy milk which can get up to 160
-Vegan Heaven
-$2 at the local grocers, $4 at Safeway(boo!)
-5/5 It doesn't have the suspect hormones of soy or the watery thinness of rice milk, it's something you can drink the plain unsweetened variety of and not spit it out and want your money back.  I have yet to find the unsweetened chocolate but oh my, the sweetened variety is fake milk at its glory with no chalky aftertaste.  Won't drink coffee without it. 

....
..it's awesome.

I totally agree with you that HEMP BLISS is crap. However, its a crappy brand of the AMAZING product that is Hemp-milk. Hempmilk has amino acids, omega-3's, protein, vitamins, iron, calcium, etc..and is way better for you than soy, dairy, or other substitutes. Although new on the market and a little pricey, I highly reccommend the Living Harvest brand of Hempmilk. Especially Vanilla. AMAZING in everything, especially with granola. holy cow, when it goes on sale at my co-op again I'm going to buy a whole case.




Vegan - Living harvest hempmilk
5/5 , so damn tasty.


and, Almond and hazelnut and Oat milk are just as yummy! Some people are put off by what they are made from, but who thought of drinking another species breast milk in the first place? That seems hella weird to me. happy munchin crafters!

[nofury]

I dunno much about this thread, but I felt the need in say that the chocolate Almond Breeze is BANGIN'!!!

[vegebrarian]

I dunno much about this thread, but I felt the need in say that the chocolate Almond Breeze is BANGIN'!!!

Oooh! I know, it's like liquid candy!

[BattleAxe]

I tried PC World's Best Meatless ... breaded chicken somethings... recently.  They are quite good.  Cook them in the oven for 20 and use your fav dipping sauce. 

I enjoy Zolo line products as well.

I miss Morningstar farms   Had that when I was in the States years ago and their stuff was great.  Don't have it in Canada.

[time_warp]

Morningstar has these (new, I think?) rice & veggie "cakes", or patties, and they rule. They're pretty small (and they're not a burger substitute, so no bun), so you could eat two and a small side and have a very filling meal. We ate the ginger teriyaki flavor tonight, and it tasted like a fried rice patty, only more flavorful and with big chunks of edamame and bell peppers and carrots. Very, very tasty. They're expensive, of course ($5 for 4), but it seems like that's the reality for any truly tasty vegetarian entree. And no processed soy. Don't get me wrong -- I eat tofu and fake meat all the time, but it's nice to find something that tastes good without any meat flavors at all.

[snappity-snap]

Wow, my thread has grown!   I'm glad.
I haven't been on craftster in a while due to the crazy school schedule, but it is summer now! Yay!

So, I've got a review!
http://srslyvegan.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/masala-burger-box.jpg



-Trader Joes' Vegetable Masala Burger
-VEGAN!!!!
-5/5 stars


I really really love this burger. They are made with only veggies and no soy. Ingredients: Potatoes, carrots, green beans, corn, bell peppers, and indian spices. I just throw them on a hot pan until browned and I've got a yummy potato-ey patty!