Salads

Dips, Plant Based, Salads, Vegan, Vegan Food Products

New Vegan Food Product – Vegan Egg Salad (Filgud brand)

Posted on May. 2023May. 2023 by writinstuff

There’s no better time to indulge in a little bit of vegan junk food than you’re too busy to focus on good and healthy food. Luckily there are so many new vegan food products that aren’t junk food, per se.

Filgud is a Romanian brand that has been making some pretty good vegan food products so whenever I see something new on the shelf, I have to at least try it. Right???

Of course!

To be honest this vegan egg salad was my husband’s find because even before becoming vegan, egg salad just wasn’t my jam. And the good news? This was much better than egg salad.

Much. Better.

It didn’t taste–or smell–eggy which I’m glad about because so many vegan products try to recreate that egg smell and honestly, it ends up smelling like farts. There, I said it.

This was creamy and delicious with a vaguely egg taste. It was the perfect vegan snack on a cracker or with your favorite veggie sticks.

Would I try it again?

I would, actually. I mean I would seek it out but if (when) he buys it again, I’ll definitely enjoy a cracker or two…or three. It was price friendly coming out to about 5 dollars/euros per container. I could make it myself cheaper but if you’re a DIY vegan this is an option.

International vegan cuisine, oil free vegan recipes, Plant Based, Salads, Vegan

Vegan Feta & Tomato Salad

Posted on May. 2023May. 2023 by writinstuff

You all know how much I love my vegan salad recipes so it was about time that I gave a vegan caprese salad another shot, right? I hadn’t planned on it because you might remember that I am no longer a big fan of cheese but there were these gorgeous Monterosa tomatoes at the market, fat and bright red and juicy. Usually they are too soft and too pale so I skip them but they were irresistible this day.

I love a good heirloom tomato and not just because they are so pretty. I find they are usually juicier and have a lot more flavor than Roma tomatoes or the ones that come on the vine.

The moment I weighed them I knew they were going to be the star of their own vegan salad and when I got to the vegan section in the refrigerator aisle I thanked the stock person for making sure the vegan feta cheese was newly restocked.

This is a very easy vegan salad recipe that goes great beside a bowl of soup, a sandwich or even on a big ol’ bed of lettuce. If you’re looking for a way to add more fresh veggies to your diet or you’re simply in need of some extra beta carotene, this vegan feta & tomato salad is a great—and tasty—way to do it.

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Asian Food, International vegan cuisine, oil free vegan recipes, Plant Based, Salads, Vegan

Easy Vegan Quick Pickled Wood Ear Mushrooms

Posted on February. 2023February. 2023 by writinstuff

Today’s recipe is one that I have grown totally obsessed with over the past two years and now whenever I find wood ear mushrooms, I have to get at least one package.

Have you ever had these or even heard of them? They are delicious and earthy with this beautiful deep brown color that makes them seem like they’re from another planet. I have had them at an Asian restaurant here or there but most of what I learned about how to prepare these came from good ol’ YouTube University.

If you’re looking for a quick and easy vegan salad, look no further than this pickled wood ear mushroom salad. It’s super refreshing and incredibly flavorful, and best of all? It goes on the side of pretty much anything and especially Asian style dishes.

The good thing about todays’ quick pickled vegan salad is that it is pretty dang easy and only requires a wee bit of patience. And other than the mushrooms, shouldn’t require you to venture outside of pantry and fridge staples.

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Asian Food, Bowls, International vegan cuisine, oil free vegan recipes, Plant Based, Salads, Vegan

Easy Vegan Lunch Recipes ~ Vegan Cowboy Sushi Salad Bowl

Posted on January. 2023January. 2023 by writinstuff

Many of you have seen my Sushi Salad Bowl Recipe, or the Vegan Sushi Salad and it’s been a pretty big hit, which I’m super stoked about so thank you. But recently I wanted the same salad but…with a twist.

Know what I mean?

I have this problem often. I’ll create a recipe that I LOVE and then I’ll have it a few times, and after that it kind of loses its luster and I’m ready to improve on it, move on and turn it into something else. And that’s how today’s vegan lunch recipe got started.

Vegan Cowboy Sushi Salad Bowl wasn’t necessarily a spark of an idea from me out of thin air, but I wanted pickled ginger and soy sauce and wasabi but I also wanted something warm. So here we are.

Tell me below, what’s your favorite vegan salad to remix?

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Asian Food, International vegan cuisine, Noodles, Plant Based, Salads, Vegan

New Vegan Product + Vegan Fish Filets & Noodle Salad Recipe

Posted on November. 2022November. 2022 by writinstuff

Hello folks out there in vegan recipe land! How are you?

Today I’m doing a combo post featuring a new vegan food product find and a recipe with said food. Usually my new products are vegan snacks or random vegan ingredients, but today we’ve got the best of both worlds.

As you might recall, I’ve used the vegan brand Unfished a few times here and there, in my Vegan Tuna Orecchiette with Lemon & Capers recipe or my Mediterranean Vegan Tuna & Potato Cakes w/ Oven Roasted Asparagus. You can find more tuna recipes here on the blog. So, imagine my surprise when I’m pushing my cart through my local Kaufland and I spot a refrigerated shelf featuring non-canned Unfished vegan products. If ever given the choice between vegan fish filets and vegan fish fingers/sticks, I will never choose vegan fish sticks.

Not ever.

Never!

So what’s a vegan girl to do when she’s got a package of vegan fish steaks and no idea what to do with them?

Something? Anything?

I decided to do something off the beaten path but it turned out super delicious and healthy-ish, so let’s see what we can do with vegan fish filets!

What is your favorite vegan fish alternative?

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Plant Based, Salads, Vegan

Vegan Snacks for Grownups!

Posted on October. 2022October. 2022 by writinstuff

Happy Friday, folks!

Let’s consider this a bonus post which means it will be short and sweet, well actually short and savory would be more accurate I suppose.

I’ve talked a lot on this vegan blog about my weight loss journey and my quest for better health, which is an ongoing journey but one I am happy with. So far. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t snack, it just means that I indulge rarely.

I’m more of a savory girl compared to my husband with the biggest sweet tooth in the world, which means I like chips. Full stop. No but seriously, my favorite is salt & vinegar chips but holy moly are those things packed with calories and I still lack the willpower to make a bag last a week.

So those are also a rare treat.

But just for you guys, when I find a savory vegan snack I know that I have to check it out for you part-time snackers because that’s just the kind of woman I am.

Awww.

Seriously, totally sweet. Right?

Chips are my jam so when I spotted that big blue Vemondo sign in the chips and snacks aisle at Lidl, I stopped immediately. Turning slowly I saw quinoa chips and you know I grabbed the bag and since they’re marked vegan I did two things;

Double check the ingredients list
Check the nutrition information

The first was all clear and the second was more of a compromise, that I’m happy to say I passed. It took a full week to eat the entire bag!

But it wasn’t just the chips because you can’t have a salty snack without something to wash it down with, right?

Duh.

So when I stopped at the local artisanal beer shop and saw a that beacon, the yellow and green sign with the huge V on the inside, I nearly swooned and scooped up two bottles right away.

This place is fun and wonderful! They bottle the beer for you right inside the store and you can choose between 330ml or 500ml, but they also have a fridge of other Romanian craft beers which is where I found the Zaganu Imperial Stout, which I love.

Did I mention how much I love it?

Anyway that’s all for today my vegan friends, have a fabulous weekend!

Asian Food, Bowls, International vegan cuisine, Noodles, oil free vegan recipes, Salads, Sides, Vegan

Vegan Banana Blossom “Meat” & Hong Kong Style Noodles w/ Crunchy Vegan Side Salad

Posted on October. 2022October. 2022 by writinstuff

Yep, here we are again back in my vegan kitchen with noodles on the menu. I know what you’re thinking, does this chick eat anything other than noodles? The answer is yes, I do eat plenty of other grains but Asian cuisine is my favorite and I love to experiment with it.

And I love to eat noodles.

It’s somewhat of a comfort food for me in that it is the perfect backup when I’m testing out a new recipe because noodles make everything better. If I screw it up, at least we’re having noodles, right?

So there are noodles but there are also banana blossoms. Don’t judge because I know what you’re thinking, here we go with another of those specialty ingredients that are impossible for normal vegans to find. I would have said the same thing, except I was just browsing the Asian section of Kaufland and happened up these canned banana blossoms in water. Of course I grabbed them, because all these vegan chefs have been making everything out of it from vegan fish to vegan chicken and I was curious to try it out.

But deep frying? Not for me, please and thank you. I decided to keep it simple and go with a sauteed version that does still serve as a vegan meat alternative, but subtly so.

And this dish is the end result.

Delicious vegan noodles with banana blossoms

This vegan dish is easy to make and it feels as if it takes a lot more time than it does, which means its a great way to impress vegans and non-vegans alike!

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Bowls, Grains, Herbs, International vegan cuisine, Salads, Vegan

Quick & Easy Vegan Lunch Ideas ~ Vegan Rainbow Bowl

Posted on September. 2022September. 2022 by writinstuff

For those of you vegans who work outside the home, lunchtime usually means a break from the office, time away from annoying and chatty coworkers, bosses looking to get a few extra minutes of free work and endless tasks. To escape that, we usually head out of the office for lunch–at least I know I used to and often–which usually means eating out.

Whether it’s fast food or restaurant food, we choose it because it’s convenient and consistent. Mostly. But what if I told you that you could make a vegan lunch bowl that’s just as convenient and consistent?

With a little bit of prep work and forethought, of course.

This Vegan Rainbow Bowl recipe ticks all the boxes:

It’s quick
It’s colorful & nutritious
You can switch up ingredients for different flavor profiles so it’s like you’re always eating someplace new.

Grab your favorite kitchen tools and ingredients and let’s do this!

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Beans, Mexican Dishes, Plant Based, Salads, Vegan

Vegan Taco Salads ~ Black Bean & Corn Taco Salad

Posted on August. 2022August. 2022 by writinstuff

The thing I love about salad is that that you can do so much with it. You can toss together a quickie salad that looks pretty much what people think vegans eat, or you can go all out and make a proper salad that fills you up with food and nutrients.

Guess which one I enjoy?

If you guess a big ass salad, you are correct, my friend.

Sometimes I enjoy what call it a hot & cold salad because I like to mix fresh raw ingredients with cooked ingredients, especially when it comes to burrito bowls, taco salads and Buddha bowls. Grab your favorite raw veggies, any kind of vegan protein you want and cooked veggies if you’re feeling spunky.

Check out my Sushi Salad Bowl or the Chickpea Rainbow Salad or Buffalo Chicken Salad or this Summer BBQ Salad recipe.

Sometimes I prefer something a little more traditional like potato salad, or a mostly raw vegan salad.

Today’s vegan taco salad is similar to dozens of vegan salad recipes I’ve made over the years but the difference is that I jumped out of my comfort zone and made something that I have yet to have a good experience with: peach & cucumber salsa.

It’s always been a hate-hate relationship with non-tomato salsa because I just don’t find the combination of peaches or nectarines with cucumbers all that pleasant to my taste buds. Today I decided to do it again just to see if my mind or my palate has changed.

So let’s dig into this black bean and corn taco salad.

Gather your ingredients and let’s get started!

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Asian Food, International vegan cuisine, Plant Based, Salads, Vegan

Quick & Easy Vegan Salads ~ Cucumber & Wakame Salad w/Ponzu Dressing

Posted on August. 2022August. 2022 by writinstuff

For today’s recipe I’m going to get back to one of my favorite vegan recipes. Salads.

I don’t know about you but everyone in my life who isn’t vegan–which is most of the people in my life–loves to make jokes about salad being the only thing my husband and I eat. They think they’re hilarious but any good vegan knows just how delicious a properly made vegan salad can be. I’m not talking about a few tomato wedges or three slices of cucumber with some heavy creamy salad dressing.

Oh no.

If you’re interested in some delicious vegan salad recipes that are a meal on their own, check out these recipes:

(Mostly) Raw Vegan Cabbage Salad
Vegan Sushi Salad
Crispy Chickpea Rainbow Salad
Vegan Buffalo Chicken Salad
Vegan Potato Salad

Today’s vegan salad recipe is a side salad and it goes great with just about anything. In fact, this salad was a nice little addition to a pizza bread recipe, which you can find here.