Product Reviews – Page 2

Sainsbury’s Vegan Cheese

March 16, 2017 by Tofu Temptress 2 Comments

The full range (minus the pre-grated cheddar)

Everyone had a bit of a laugh some time ago when vegans got all excited about Sainsbury’s stocking vegan cheese. A now infamous post on Facebook went viral when a cheese lover suggested in the strongest terms that vegans should not call it cheese, but ‘Gary or something’. Henceforth, Sainsbury’s vegan cheese was casually and affectionately known in vegan circles as ‘Gary.’

Made by Bute Island Foods (who make ‘Sheese’) from coconut milk, I can highly recommend them all. There are a few different varieties in Sainsbury’s, something for most occasions.

My favourite's the caramilsed onion flavour... — My favourite’s the caramilsed onion flavour…

There’s a cheddar style, which comes as a block, or as a bag of pre-grated cheese, which I’ve found brilliant on pizzas. It melts really well and the block is good for toasties.

The cheddar also comes in a block of caramelised onion flavour, which is my favourite of the solid cheeses. It’s crumbly to slice, but goes well in toasties too, or in a salad sandwich.

...it can be a bit crumbly when sliced though. — …it can be a bit crumbly when sliced though.

The other two solid cheeses are a Wensleydale-stye one with cranberries which is lovely on crackers. It’s quite creamy tasting too, so perhaps a good one for converting the cheese lover in your life.

The last solid cheese is the Greek-style, which is great in a bowl of salad or anywhere else you’d normally use Feta.

My favourite soft cheese is the garlic and herb flavour

There are also two cream cheeses, original and garlic and herb flavour. I love both, but I must admit that for me, the garlic and herb one has the edge on bagels. There’s nothing like a freshly toasted bagel smothered in this stuff – just heaven.

So there you have it. I must admit to being a bit disappointed in vegan cheese when I first went vegan, but it just shows you what progress can be made in just a few years. I’d happily give all these cheeses to non-vegan friends, especially the Wensleydale and cream cheeses. Innovation in this area is improving all the time, so expect to see more varieties hit the mainstream shops soon. This particular range exceeded Sainsbury’s projected sales figures by three hundred percent, so even if profit is the only driver, things are looking good for vegan cheese.

Tofuture Tofu Press

February 23, 2017 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

I never thought I’d invest in a tofu press to be honest with you. It just seemed a bit posh and seriously, what could it achieve that a pile of books and a couple of tea towels couldn’t? Well, quite a lot, as it turns out.

The logo gets pressed into the tofu

I picked up my Tofuture tofu press at a recent vegan festival as I’m always in a buying mood at these events. There’s just something about everything surrounding you being suitable for vegans (SFV) that makes me open my wallet and, well, keep it open all day. The nice lady at the stall said that she’d recommend pressing the tofu for about four hours in the fridge for the best results. After I took it home, one morning I got up, put the tofu in for the morning and was impressed how much liquid had come out. It was kind of funny seeing the logo pressed into the top, but I can’t deny the effectiveness.

The bands on the side seem really strong

Also, when you’re pressing tofu the old fashioned way, you have to make room on the counter for it and then after you’ve wrapped it in tea towels you precariously balance heavy books and cans of beans on top of it. It’s also advisable to turn it over halfway through and maybe change the towels. I always managed to get my tofu block all lopsided using this method, which made it more difficult to slice afterwards.

So, with this handy little gadget, you basically just pop the tofu block in the tray, pull down the lid with the super-strong elastic bands and stick it in the fridge and forget about it. It really couldn’t be easier.

Once I’d pressed the tofu, I cleaned out the main bottom part of the try that catches the water. I thought it would make a great wee marinating dish. See, most of the time when I’ve marinated tofu before, it can be a bit tricky to find a container that is the right shape. I was glad to discover that popping the cubed tofu into the tray worked really well. And because the press had been so efficient at squeezing out the water, I reckon the tofu absorbed even more flavour from the marinade than usual.

Baked, marinated tofu can make a great ‘meat replacement’ on a plate full of veggies. It’s also good to pop in wraps with some salad or have at a buffet table. Tofu is mega versatile (see my article here) and the Tofuture tofu press makes preparing and marinating your own just that bit easier.

Gold Crème Brulee Liqueur by Marks and Spencer

January 21, 2017 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

If you’re after something a bit special for a celebration or even just something fancy to sip in front of the telly of an evening, you could do far worse than this yummy liqueur from M&S.

It’s not sparkling in the traditional sense, as in it doesn’t have bubbles, but it does have something altogether different. If you invert the bottle before pouring (make sure the top is still on!) when you pour it out you’ll notice little edible gold sparkles!

It tastes lovely and smooth and has vanilla and caramel flavourings as advertised. The bottle, unusually, is opaque gold and has an attractive, classic design.

I’ve seen it for sale as an individual bottle in the store, but online it seems you can only buy it in cases of six. It would make a nice gift, but if you’re not planning on buying six, try going into the shop itself.

I’m noticing more and more vegan friendly alcohol on the market these days and it’s nice to see Marks and Spencer getting in on the act. If liqueurs are your thing, do give it a try and let me know what you think.

Pitxu’s Cakes and Bakes

November 18, 2016 by Tofu Temptress 3 Comments

When there’s a special occasion, the centrepiece of many parties is the cake. Whether it’s a birthday, anniversary or just having friends round for some cupcakes, everyone loves a sweet treat. When you’re vegan though, cakes can often be off the menu, which is disappointing to put it mildly.

However, help is at hand. The great news is that vegan bakeries are springing up all over the country, so if there’s not one near you, I’m sure there will be soon. See, it turns out that vegan bakeries are dedicated to making the most scrumptious, beautiful cakes so that non-vegans won’t ever notice the difference. There are so many people who are lactose intolerant (you know, those troublesome people who don’t think they’re baby cows) that it’s not just the vegans celebrating the arrival of this new wave of baking delights.

I discovered Pitxu’s Cakes and Bakes at the Scottish Vegan Festival earlier this year. The sight of the stall was enough to make my mouth water. I had a chat and discovered that this trip to the Edinburgh Corn Exchange was their first foray into the world of vegan festivals. They were really friendly and I sampled some of their wares (it would be rude not to) and found them to be super yummy.

Some weeks later I was having some friends round and thought they should sample the divine joy that is vegan baking, so I ordered some cupcakes. We got a fair few different flavours: Oreo; Double chocolate; Coconut bounty; Red velvet; Peanut butter; Biscoff; Vanilla & raspberry; Cinnamon & nutella. Now, the nutella of course is not the commercial kind, but a vegan version thereof.

Because we ordered over £25 worth we got them delivered for free (only available in the Edinburgh area). They came beautifully and practically packaged and were dropped off with a smile and a friendly word.

Peanut butter - double yum! — Peanut butter – double yum!

I can’t even describe how superb the cupcakes were. Full of flavour they not only tasted delicious but looked so attractive that it was almost a shame to bite into them (almost). Pitxu’s don’t describe themselves as vegan bakers particularly, as there seems to be some sad reputation attached to the term (no idea why). Instead they see themselves as the standard, but I must disagree. They are far, far superior to the standard bakery.

A family member got a beautiful birthday cake made for her three year old daughter by Pitxu’s recently and everyone was thrilled, as the little girl can’t tolerate dairy and is not used to having such wonderful baked delights. All the guests were very impressed and I think a few minds have been changed regarding vegan baking.

Beautifully decorated Vanilla & Raspberry

If you’re in the Edinburgh area this service comes highly recommended and if you’re not, check out your local vegan baker. They might be closer than you think.

Cinnamon & 'nutella' — Cinnamon & ‘nutella’

Perfect cupcakes for an indulgent evening

Sainsbury’s Deliciously Free From Vegetable Lasagne

November 18, 2016 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

I don’t think I know anyone who doesn’t like lasagne. As a vegan though, unless you go to some super cool vegan Italian restaurant or have the time and patience to make one for yourself, lasagne can be a bit thin on the ground. There are recipes out there, some good ones too, but the list of ingredients tends to be long and the time required to prepare also tends to be, well, long. There are some lovely vegan cheese sauces that can be used or you can make your own. Most traditional lasagne recipes can be easily veganised, using soy mince as a substitute for beef, or perhaps lentils or maybe even veggies. But again we come down to the time element. It’s all very well if you have ages to lovingly assemble a homemade Italian classic, but if you don’t, Sainsbury’s have come up with the answer.

My Mum is always asking what she can have in the fridge or freezer that’s just ready to go if I come over and decide to stay for dinner. Sainsbury’s new vegan lasagne has been added to the list of possibilities that includes vegan sausages, pasta and dairy free pesto amongst other things. The lasagne is in the fridge section of the supermarket and it looks just like a normal ready meal-style lasagne, except of course, it’s cruelty free.

I must admit to being quite thrilled when I saw it in my local Sainsbury’s. It just seems to be one of the many little signs I’ve noticed recently that veganism is becoming more mainstream. I normally have it with a few vegetables on the side and it makes for a satisfying meal.

Each pack is one portion and it only takes 35 minutes to cook in the oven and you can also do it in the microwave. Priced at £3 it’s much the same as any other ready meal and it tastes really nice. It’s a vegetable lasagne, so no mince or anything, but the pasta’s good, the flavour’s good and it’s super easy to make. You have to peel the film off part way though cooking and it comes off easily, like a dream! There’s many a ready meal where the film is so stubborn I’ve been hacking away at it with a knife and still end up with some in my dinner. No such problems here. It’s the little things that please me you know…

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