Tag: new blogger

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My Favorite Meat Alternative Brands

tlkitchen

When I became a vegetarian years ago, my eyes were opened to a whole new world of food that I didn’t even know existed. One of those worlds being meat alternatives. Back when I was a baby veggie, there were not as many brands out as there is today but that vegetarian world is growing and so are our options.

Full disclosure, you do not have to eat these to be vegetarian! At the end of the day, it is processed food and I would not recommend making them a primary part of your diet. However, they are delicious, creative and very fun to cook with! Also, I do not eat these things because I secretly crave burgers or chicken…the simple answer to why I chose to try meat alternatives is: because I want to.

I thought it would be cool to put together a small list of my favorite brands and at the end of the post I’ll show you guys a few pictures of some dishes I have made in the past using these products. So without further due first up on the list, my favorite brand:

Morning Star

I love love love Morning star and this is the brand I eat the most! My favorite product would have to be the buffalo wings! I am not a fan or the original chik’n nuggets or patties though. The best thing about Morning Star is that they are evolving so much! They have changed some of their recipes to offer vegan options (eliminating the egg whites), and now use all natural colors and flavoring. Aside from chicken or chik’n as they like to spell it. Morning Star also has burgers, hot dogs, corn dogs, maple sausage (that is amazing!!), bacon and crumble (which is like a ground beef). If you are new to the meal alternative world, I would 100% recommend Morning Star as a first option!

Gardein

Gardein is an easy second for me and normally can be found right next to the morning star products in the grocery store. The thing I love the most about Gardein is the brands creativity. They go beyond veggie chicken and veggie burgers (which the original veggie burger is my favorite meat alternative burger of all time! ), they have things like pork-less pork bites, meatless meat loaf and crab-less crab cakes. This brand does not shy away from variety at all! There are still a ton of things I have not tried yet and they keep adding on new things every time I check. I will say, I am not a fan of their chicken, it’s not horrible but it’s not great. Of course that does not mean for you not to try it, our taste buds are all different, so you guys may love it!

Beyond Meat

Of course I can not do a favorite meat alternative post without including Beyond Meat! Beyond Meat to me is still considered the new kid on the block but has made a huge statement! Funny story about my first time trying their burgers: I bought a pack from the store, which I am now assuming was a bad pack but at the time I thought the brand was horrible. I smelled like chemicals and it tasted like chemicals. I couldn’t even eat it it was so bad. For almost 2 years I wanted nothing to do with this brand until I went to a restaurant one day, ordered a veggie burger, it was amazing, turns out it was a Beyond meat burger. I gave it another try at home and it was amazing! Now I love them and they have good chicken too. I love Beyond Meat’s creativity with how they package their foods and if you ever watch a documentary on how they create their food, there is an attention to detail that is truly appreciated.

I am only going to list these three brands because these are my go-to’s but I have tried many others. Some I have loved and some..not so much. I find it amazing that people have found ways to take grains and vegetables and turn them into products like this. Again, I wouldn’t eat these everyday or make them the main part of your diet but live your life and enjoy yourself because this products are amazing! As promised, below are just a few pictures of some of the food I have made using meat alternatives. Happy eating foodies!

food blogger, recipes

General Tso Tofu

tlkitchen

Tofu is definitely one of my favorite things to cook with. For the most part it is tasteless, which makes it a blank canvass and gives you the opportunity to create whatever flavor profile you want. A lot of people hate tofu because of the texture but over the years, I have learned that it doesn’t take much to get a good (enough) texture on tofu to make it more enjoyable. This recipe is one of my favorite ways to enjoy tofu and hopefully you all will love it too. Try it out and let me know what you think!

What you need:

  • 1 Pack of your favorite brand of extra firm tofu (recommended brands: Nayosa, House Foods or Trader Joe’s organic sprouted tofu).
  • 1 Jar of General Tso Sauce
  • 1 Cup all purpose flour
  • 1 TBS garlic powder
  • 1 TBS black powder
  • 1 TBS Paprika
  • 1 TPS Ground Ginger
  • 1 TPS Crushed red pepper
  • 1 Green onion stalk, chopped
  • Olive oil

Method:

  • Pour water off of tofu and wrap in a few paper towels. Gently squeeze water out of the tofu and let sit in the the paper towels for a few minutes to drain.
  • Once drained, cut tofu in 1 inch thick cubes.
  • In a small bowl, mix together flour and all the seasonings minus the crushed red peppers
  • A few pieces at a time, cover each cube of tofu with flour and place on a baking sheet. Make sure to have your oven per heating at 375 degrees by this time as well.
  • Now that all the cubes of tofu are floured. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the top and place in the oven.
  • After 10 minutes, flip the tofu and allow to back for another 10-15 minutes or until the tofu is golden brown and has a crispy texture.
  • In a pan on medium heat add general tso sauce and crushed red pepper flakes. After the sauce starts to warm up add in the tofu and mix until all the tofu is covered in sauce.
  • Chopped 1 green onion stalk and add to the top of tofu
  • Enjoy!
Optional to add broccoli!
food blogger, recipes

Breakfast Egg Muffin

tlkitchen

Breakfast is hands down my favorite meal of the day! Who can resist potatoes and pancakes, french toast, veggie sausage, carrot bacon..oh yeah and these egg muffins! Egg muffins are perfect for a quick grab and go breakfast. They don’t take a lot of time to make and they taste amazing! This recipe features Morningstar veggie bacon to add a little uh-huh to our uh! (Whatever that means) I invite all breakfast loving foodies to try this recipe out and let me know what you think!

What you need:

  • 6 Large eggs (1 egg per muffin)
  • 4 Strips of Morningstar veggie bacon, chopped
  • 1/2 Yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 Large Jalapeno, chopped
  • 1/2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/3 Cup plain almond milk
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs with milk. once mixed well, add in chopped onions, jalapeno and veggie bacon and whisk.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste
  • Add shredded cheese and whisk.
  • In a non-stick muffin tin add in your egg mixture. Fill each muffin leaving about 1/2 inch of space on the top, allowing the egg to expand.
  • Bake on 350 for 10-15 minutes
  • Rest for 3 minutes before serving
  • Enjoy!