Foods I’ve tried-Foods I Use – Page 3 – Vegan with a Side of Beef

Something New

Here in Michigan, we’ve recently come out of a heat wave. 2 ½ months of 80-90 degree heat and me without central air, means Brenda wasn’t too creative when it came to cooking this summer. That’s good news for all of you, because while I was busy avoiding the kitchen, I found some pretty good food that required little, to no prep and minimal stove or oven time.

In short posts, I’m going to pass these tasty little morsels, on to you. I will call these little posts, “Gettin’ Hot in the Kitchen”! Grabs your attention, doesn’t it? (I believe this is way better than my initial idea for a title, which was: “50+ year old woman, experiencing occasional hot flashes; living in an old farmhouse without central air, gives you some great foods she discovered while avoiding the kitchen.” All these years later and my college marketing classes are still paying off!) This series will be sporadic. I’ll do a few, come up with a recipe or some other wonderful thing to pass on to you, do a few more…

So here it is, the first post in my series:

Gettin’ Hot in the Kitchen! #1

(Bradley told me about this one.) “Modern Table Vegan Mac” Classic Cheddar Style, gluten free, dairy free. (Link below.)

Pasta made from lentils, rice and peas, with a yummy, vegan “cheesy” sauce. Easy to prepare, just like the boxed brands we’ve all had at least once. Comfort food for a girl that just wants a bowl of a simple mac & cheese every now and then.

I served it with grilled burgers and a hot veggie. The pasta had a great flavor and consistency. Kevin, our grandson Duke and I, all enjoyed this and I will definitely be buying it again!

I found this at Target and Whole Foods.

{Word of caution: Modern Table not only makes vegan, gluten free mac and cheese; they also have a gluten free version made with dairy products. Read the box carefully when shopping and again at home. I was actually at home when I discovered I had purchased a dairy version as well as a couple of non-dairy.}

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping!

Brenda

https://moderntable.com/group/vegan-mac/

Disclaimer:

These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know?) Just read your labels! Do your research!

Game Changer!

Last week, I posted this on my Facebook page, but because it’s really good information and good news, I wanted to post about it here on my blog. In my FB post I mentioned I absolutely love s’mores and that I’d found a total GAME CHANGER. Gluten free graham crackers – iced with chocolate on one side. No more trying to balance my Enjoy Life dairy free mini chips on a gluten free graham cracker as I try to load up a roasted marshmallow or two to make a s’more – all in the dark by a campfire. Yay!

What a great idea! Why didn’t I think of that?!?

Not the greatest pic, but I think you get the idea. (Special thanks to my great niece, Lily-cat for providing her lantern to shed a little light on the subject.)

On my Facebook page, I tend to write short snippets of wonderful information, post pics and tell you about sales on allergy friendly foods. I also use it to let everyone know I’ve published a new post on my blog. My friend Julie told me this is helpful to her and all of my FB friends that are not subscribers, but still like to read my blog. (Just point and click on the link in my FB post.) But…I also have subscribers (some of my sisters) that are not on Facebook and that means they then miss my “short snippets of wonderful information”. (And they never tire of hearing my little pearls of wisdom.) So occasionally, on this blog, you may find a little bit of repeat information, but I really feel like there are times that everyone may benefit from some of the things I post on my FB page.

If you’re not my friend on Facebook, but would like to be; look me up at Vegan with a Side of Beef and “Like” my page. It’s that simple.

Remember to read your labels before trying any new foods.

Links below for the crackers and the chocolate chips. (I have the link for the chocolate chips twice. I couldn’t figure out how to delete one of them.)

https://www.schaer.com/en-us/products/chocolate-honeygrams

Semi-Sweet Chocolate | Mini Chips

Thanks for stopping!

Brenda

Disclaimer:

The Crave Shack

Checked out the Crave Shack, in St. John’s, last night. What a great experience! Their chef took the time to come out and talk with me about my food allergies, pointing out everything I could safely eat. I was able to choose from the majority of their options.

I got a bowl and Kevin got a burrito. Everything was very tasty and very fresh. I took a pic of my food and the empty box. (Cause, yes it was THAT good.) But I was so busy eating, I forgot to take a pic of Kevin’s burrito. lol Kevin also got a piece of chocolate cheesecake.

Finally, a quick takeout or eat-in option for me in St. Johns! Yay! This is a win for me!

1103 N. Clinton Ave. in St. Johns, MI.
https://thecraveshack.square.site/

Thanks for stopping!

Enjoy.

Brenda

Disclaimer:

JUST Egg

I’ve mentioned JUST brand products in previous posts. They produce a plant based egg product, as well as vegan salad dressings and mayonnaise. (Although the latter two, have been impossible to find in-store or online for the past year.) On the other hand, the JUST Egg is easily found. (Kroger, Better Health and Fresh Thyme are just a few of the places I’ve gotten it.)

My first experience cooking JUST Egg was, just easy. I scrambled it up the same as I would a couple of eggs, in a lightly oiled frying pan on low-medium heat. (If heat is too high, they tend to stick to the bottom of the pan.) I heated the oiled pan and sautéed some diced sweet peppers and onion, then added approximately 1/3 cup JUST Egg, chunks of ham and daiya Cheddar Style Shreds. That’s it. Kevin, Bradley and I all agreed they looked and tasted like “real” scrambled eggs. We scrambled them again the next day with the same results.

Scrambled JUST Egg in my iron pan, that looks a little tough, but works wonderfully. The eggs look great, don’t they?

Breakfast with scrambled JUST Egg, bacon and toast with peach preserves. (Check out my blog for the peach preservers recipe http://veganwithasideofbeef.com/index.php/2018/08/15/are-you-ready-to-jam/ )

Since then, we’ve discovered multiple ways to cook JUST Egg. One of those ways is breakfast burritos. Again, scramble ¼ to 1/3 cup JUST Egg with whatever else you like in your breakfast burrito. When they’re done, place them on a tortilla shell, smother the eggs with chunky salsa and roll it up! (My most recent tortilla of choice has been the “Mission Gluten Free Spinach Herb Tortilla Wraps” – at Kroger). Great breakfast on the go!

I’ve also made crepes and French toast and I even baked with it, but… here’s the bait: I can’t tell you anything more until my next post. This post is getting lengthy, or it will be, once I give you a few of my thoughts on this product overall.

My thoughts regarding JUST Egg:

Serving Size: They list their 24 ounce bottle as containing 8 servings, showing one serving is 3 tablespoons. The first time we made them, we started with the 3 tablespoons and decided that would never be enough. We added 1 more tablespoon (4 tablespoons = ¼ cup). After cooking, there wasn’t a lot of egg there. So, on our next pan we cooked up 1/3 cup – which is a little more than 5 tablespoons. That looked equivalent to one egg after cooking. Using ¼ to 1/3 cup of JUST Egg would get you approximately 5 servings (not 8) from the 12 ounce bottle. *Side note: When using applesauce as an egg replacer, you will see it says ¼ cup is equivalent to one egg. So, maybe ¼ cup JUST Egg is plenty for most people. I know we tend to be big eaters at our house.)

The Price: The $7.99 price tag means this stuff doesn’t come cheap. But if you really want a plate of scrambled eggs, it’s worth it; with one caveat: The “after opening” suggestion is to “use within 7 days”. That means you better, really, be in the mood for eggs if you’re the only one eating the JUST Egg. The short refrigerator life, to me, is its’ biggest downfall. Spending $7.99 for the equivalent of 5-8 eggs, that I have to eat within 5-7 days is kind of pricey; but it’s worth it to me once or twice a month. That’s why it’s also helpful having several ways to prepare the JUST Egg.

Come back for my crepe and French toast recipes! And thanks for stopping!

Enjoy!

Oh man! I should’ve mentioned that making the JUST Egg (without the ham or bacon) has just opened up a whole lot more options for those of us who can’t eat eggs for “meatless” Fridays during Lent.

Brenda

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Martha, You Had Me at Dark Chocolate Covered Cashews!!

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Have you got a Valentine who’s had a hankering for some really GOOD, dairy free chocolate? Maybe you just need a chocolate fix? Well, I’ve got the answer for you – Martha Stewart.

Seriously, have you tried Martha Stewarts Dark Chocolate Covered Cashews? How about the Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds? To die for…

As a HUGE chocolate fan, I just hadn’t found anything that comes close in my dairy free, egg free, wheat free world. That is, until this past December. That’s when I found Martha’s dark chocolate treats at Marshall’s. Either packs a heck of a chocolate punch. Eating just eating three or four pieces, of either, will take care of your chocolate craving. (Thank. You. Martha. Stewart.)

So, do yourself, or your Valentine, a favor and pick up a bag of Martha’s Dark Chocolate Covered Cashews or Almonds. Or pick up one of each – I did!

Have a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Thanks for stopping!

Brenda

(p.s. Haven’t checked out Marshall’s food section before? Do it. You’ll be amazed at the variety of foods they carry. Many of them cater to food allergies and specialty diets. But – Buyer Beware! Read your labels!! Not everything is going to work for you if you have food(s) you have to avoid. Also, it’s always a hit or miss as far as whether or not they’ll have what you’re looking for on hand, that day.)

Disclaimer:

Odds and Ends

Just a couple of tidbits.

First, some good news that Bradley recently found and forwarded on to me. Tim Horton’s is testing JUST’s plant based eggs in their Canadian stores! This is exciting, because while I don’t expect restaurants to eliminate chicken eggs, knowing I have a vegan option available means Kevin and I could go out to breakfast occasionally. I don’t know if, or when, they’ll start serving them in the U.S., but I’ll keep an eye out for more information and I’ll keep you posted.

Now, I have to come clean. I’ve never tried JUST plant based eggs. I’ve seen them in both Whole Foods and Fresh Thyme but have never had the courage to buy a bottle. I have read multiple reviews on them and they’re all favorable. So… the next time I’m in a store where they sell the JUST plant based eggs, I’m going to buy them. That’ll be another post….

Check out the story at the link below.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/25/plant-based-eggs-land-their-first-major-fast-food-deal.html

Second, something we can all sink our teeth into; just a little snack Abby and I found at T.J. Maxx. (They sell a lot of specialty foods, many of which cater to individuals with food allergies. (READ your labels!) Some are good, some not so good and then some are ‘heavenly hunks’.

They’re just that, a heavenly little treat, LOADED with flavor. These, seriously, have to be the best tasting store bought vegan “chocolate” treat I’ve ever had. I know this judgement comes from someone who has not had real chocolate since October of 2011 (not that I’m keeping track), so I know my tastes have definitely changed; but, I have to tell you, Abby agreed with me wholeheartedly. She said they made her mouth water and the only way they could taste even better would be to enjoy them with an ice cold Coke. Specifically, an ice cold fountain Coke, preferably, from McDonalds. Agreed. On our way home, we each ate two of these heavenly vegan ‘hunks’ with our McDonald’s fountain Cokes. I put the remaining ‘hunks’ in the cupboard to have another day. Bad idea, they don’t store well in room temperature. Next time I’ll store them in the refrigerator or freezer. Pick some up if you see them, they will not disappoint!

Thanks for stopping!

Brenda

Disclaimer:

For Crepe Sake

Last weekend we checked out ‘For Crepe Sake’ – a restaurant in downtown Lansing. They serve crepes – lots of them; stuffed with all kinds of deliciousness. The good news for me? They offer gluten free-vegan batter and fillings. (Thank you Leslie, for finding this place and for sending me the link to their website.) I was able to contact them to inquire about what they could do for both Bradley and I regarding our food allergies. They got back with me within a couple days and answered all my questions.

Five of us went to the restaurant; two with food allergies, the other three with no food issues. When we arrived, we were told we could sit down to take a look at the menu and when ready, go to the counter to place our order. As we were checking out the menu, we saw they would actually be cooking our food near the dining area. Before ordering, Bradley and I were able to go over and talk to the two women that would be preparing our food. As we told them what we were allergic to, they did a quick inventory to be sure they had the necessary substitutions on hand; showing us the items they would be using. (The items: Gluten Free-Vegan buckwheat batter, Earth Balance Buttery Spread, almond milk, diaya products and So Delicious CoCo Whip.)

Then we went over to the order counter. The girl taking our orders didn’t seem to know much about their gluten free and vegan offerings – other than the fact that they did offer them. But, I can say, she was extremely thorough when taking our orders; being sure to write down all of our allergies. She made me a bit nervous, but because we’d been able to talk to the women that would be preparing our food, I had no qualms about eating there.

We all ordered the ‘sweet and savory combo’. Two smaller crepes, which together, are comparable in size to one large crepe. I got the Chicken Cordon Bleu (stuffed with chicken, ham, daiya cheese and Dijon mustard) and the Strawberry (loaded with strawberries, pecans and vegan cream cheese, topped with a dollop of So Delicious CoCo Whip and drizzled with dairy free chocolate). The food did not disappoint. It was delicious, every single bite.

Sweet and Savory: Strawberry and Chicken Cordon Bleu

Not the prettiest picture, but I wanted you to see how they just load these crepes up!

This was such a fun experience. Bradley was home and Kevin, Brent, Jamie and I were all able to go out for brunch – to a new restaurant! Not only was the food (and the company) great, I was actually able to eat brunch out – something I haven’t done in a long time, because breakfast foods at restaurants just aren’t conducive to my diet. Everyone enjoyed their food and walked away satisfied. We will definitely be going back. (I’m hoping we can get Abby and Brad out there soon.)

Check out their website for their hours and their menu. https://www.forcrepesake.com/

Thanks for stopping!

Brenda

Disclaimer:

JUST…..My Imagination???

Is it just my imagination? Is anybody else having a hard time finding the JUST brand products? (I use the Just May, Ranch and Thousand salad dressings.) I’m no longer able to find them at Kroger or Walmart. When I’ve asked employees or even a manager if they knew what was going on, no one could tell me a thing. In fact, they weren’t even aware that they’d carried those items. On a recent April trip to Illinois, I looked and again, I couldn’t find the JUST products there. So this isn’t only happening in Michigan.

Fabulous Ranch dressing! I really miss this, not only for salads, but also for veggies, chicken strips and sometimes drizzling a little on my daiya pizza.

Once I started using the Thousand on my burger, I no longer needed ketchup or mustard.

My friend Sarah was recently at Horrock’s Farm Market, looking for the JUST Mayo and she couldn’t find it. She asked a manager about it. He knew what she was talking about and told her they’d recently been having a hard time getting the JUST brand products from their distributor. Finally, at least someone was aware of the products and the fact that they were no longer available. Although, he knew nothing else.

I took to the internet and checked out their website www.ju.st/en-us . I saw nothing out of the usual, no mention of a shortage in the brick and mortar stores that carry their products. Their “Find Us” link still listed both my local Kroger and Walmart. But neither has their products, and no one knows why. I sent the JUST company a message, using their “Contact Us” link and never received a response.

I checked on Amazon and while they show the JUST products, they are listed as ‘unavailable’. Now, ebay was a different story. Sellers had some of the JUST products for sale, but were selling them at exorbitant prices. Aaah, democracy – supply and demand at its’ finest; ‘Merica.

I will continue searching, but in the meantime I’ve stocked up on Hellman’s Vegan in anticipation of upcoming summer parties and cookouts. I also have to admit; I want a few on hand in case stores stop carrying the Hellman’s.

Thanks for stopping.

Brenda

Disclaimer:

A New Soup

I picked up a new soup at Kroger, Amy’s Hearty Organic Soups “Rustic Italian Vegetable”. It’s loaded with all kinds of healthy stuff, like zucchini, kale, garbanzo beans and mushrooms; just to name a few. This soup may be a little out of my league. I’m more of a traditional vegetable soup kind of gal, but I’m trying to be more adventurous – in the name of research; for this blog. So I will try the healthy soup with the kale, which I don’t like and the garbanzo beans which are just, kind of yucky. I can do this!

I took it to work on Friday, for lunch. Opening the pull top can, I immediately could see it was definitely a hearty soup. (Just like the can says.) Much thicker than the Healthy Choice Country Vegetable soup. I popped it in the microwave for two minutes. It didn’t smell the greatest. I scooped up a spoonful. Hmmm…. ? I tried another. What is…?? I couldn’t put my finger on it. There was something that I was tasting. It had kind of a dusty or dirt-like taste. Could it be the kale? Does kale taste like dirt? I ate a saltine before going in for more. Another spoonful and then another. I was hungry and kept scooping it up, kind of choking it down; following up with more saltines. Lots. Of. Saltines. I tried, I really did. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t eat anymore of it. I dumped it out and ate a So Delicious yogurt.

Pic not the greatest, I was at work and took a quick pic before eating.

I’m disappointed. I was hoping this soup would be good. I’m sure some of you will enjoy this soup. It just didn’t work for me – at all. I do have another of her vegetable soups that I will try. I have to be honest, I’m not looking forward to it. I’ll bring extra yogurt.

Thanks for stopping!

Brenda

Disclaimer:

Friday Night Fish Frys

Fish Frys are hugely popular during lent. If you’re like me, you may not feel you can safely eat at one; so, have your own at home. I’ll give you a couple different breadings you can try.

Check out Nona Belles Genuine Golden Fry Fish Breading, a corn meal based product, for deep frying. Our friends, Brad and Julie use it all the time. Back in August, Brad cooked us up some awesome walleye with it. Yes, I actually ate it. It had great flavor. They gave us a bag of the Nona Belles to use at home. While I’ve not specifically looked for it at the grocery store, I’ve googled it and it says it is sold in most grocery stores and fish & seafood markets in Michigan. We’ve used it not only for fish, but onion rings and mushrooms too. Go to their site to see if they sell it in stores,in your state. You can also order it online. http://www.nonabelles.com/

Nona Belle’s, good stuff! I’ve been told that most of the breading used in many southern states is actually corn based, not wheat..

“Zatarain’s New Orleans Style Fish Fri Crispy Southern” breading. (I told you about this breading on April 10, 2018 in my post entitled: “Everyone Eats TOGETHER”. http://veganwithasideofbeef.com/index.php/2018/04/10/everyone-eats-together/) Its’ great; not only for fish, but also when deep frying onion rings and mushrooms. This is sold in many grocery stores.
https://www.mccormick.com/zatarains/products/breadings-and-frying-mixes/breading-mixes/crispy-southern-fish-fri

We all liked this! (Photo credit: Abby Becker)

If you prefer baked fish, Ian’s Gluten Free Panko Bread Crumbs works well. The panko comes in several flavors. I’ve found this in Meijer, Kroger and Walmart – although, not all locations carry it.
http://iansnaturalfoods.com/products/gluten-free-original-panko-breadcrumbs/

I use this for breading chicken, as well as fish.

While I’m not a huge fish fan, I have found that each of these breading mixes definitely help the cause. Still find you just can’t eat fish? That’s alright, you can still use the breading for onion rings and deep fried mushrooms? Who can resist them? I can’t! Yum!!

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping.

Brenda

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