VEGGIE BITS

Jaipur in a Jar

I've always found Indian cooking to be an intimidating project. Maya Kaimal's simmer sauces have taken out the guesswork when it comes to spices, as well as making an Indian meal for dinner as easy as sautéing veggies and opening a jar. There are four vegan flavors: Madras Curry, Kashmiri Curry, Goan Coconut, and Jalfrezi Curry. While I enjoyed them all, I particularly enjoyed the Goan Coconut and brought the coconut flavor out even more by adding some coconut milk and shredded coconut to top my dish. The flavors listed on the back of each shelf-stable jar will give you an idea of what veggies will be good to toss in, though I found that cauliflower, carrots, onions, chickpeas, and tofu went well with all of them. Once your veggies are cooked through and heated with the sauce, an exotic-tasting dinner is served just like that! Find Maya Kaimal's sauces at a store near you by using the store locator on www.mayakaimal.com.

Written by Samantha Gendler.

Jawea Ice Cream

When I went vegan, I thought certain flavors would be in the past, including dulce de leche. This was before I came across Jawea's divine selection of vegan ice creams. Their Salty Dulce flavor had me checking the back of the container several times because I had never had such a creamy vegan ice cream before. In fact, it is made from coconut cream, tapioca, organic cane sugar, and other plant ingredients. So far, Jawea has created 5 mouth-watering flavors of coconut-based ice cream. In addition to Salty Dulce, they offer Horchata, Chocolate Horchata, Mango Chili, and Spiced Coffee. While coffee ice cream isn't typically my thing, this one tasted like a delicious frozen chai latte to me, rather than a traditional coffee flavor.

At the time of printing, Jawea products were available mostly on the East Coast, but they can be ordered online at www.eatjawea.com. You can also request that your local grocery store carry Jawea's ice creams.

Written by Alicia Hückmann, VRG Intern.

Tasty Tofu by Hodo Soy

Hodo Soy specializes in organic and non-GMO tofu, yuba (tofu skins), and soymilk products. Their tofu products are generally higher in protein than most on the market. I tried six different ready-made products from Hodo Soy - Curry Thai Tofu Nuggets, Five-Spice Tofu Nuggets, Sichuan Mapo Tofu, Tofu Veggie Burger, Sesame Yuba Noodles, and Spicy Yuba Noodles.

My two favorite products are easily the Curry Thai Tofu Nuggets and the Five-Spice Tofu Nuggets. I really enjoy the dense, chewy texture of the soy nuggets. Both products have a relatively mild flavor that goes well with starchy foods such as rice or noodles. The Tofu Veggie Burger patties, which are blended with carrots, cabbage, and onion, are very 'meaty' in texture and have a slight taste of shiitake mushrooms. I also liked the Sichuan Mapo Tofu stir-fry, which was perfectly marinated tofu in a miso, shiitake mushroom, and chili broth. Visit hodosoy.com for more information.

Written by Julia Mathew, VRG intern.

Munk Pack

These small vegan squeeze packs are great as a quick snack or for outdoor activities such as hiking. I sampled all five flavors of the Oatmeal Fruit Squeeze packs: Apple Quinoa Cinnamon, Blueberry Acai Flax, Maple Pear Quinoa, Peach Chia Vanilla, and Raspberry Coconut. All five flavors contain whole grain oats, apple juice, and flax seeds, providing a dense texture with an undertone of slight sweetness. Each flavor is nutritious and unique from one another, varying in flavor from sweet to tart.

Although all of the flavors were energizing and delightful, Blueberry Acai Flax and Raspberry Coconut were my favorites. The sweetness of the blueberries blended with acai was very refreshing. I also really enjoyed the tartness of the raspberries coupled with the texture of the shredded coconut. Because the packs contain oatmeal, they are filling and thick in consistency. For more information and to find them near you, visit munkpack.com or follow them on Instagram and Facebook @munkpack.

Written by Julia Mathew, VRG intern.