Chow Vegan

Super Easy Peppermint Bark

December 24, 2013 By chow 13 Comments

Need something fun and festive to do while waiting for Santa? Peppermint bark is super easy, even small children can do it. And you probably have everything you need already. Who doesn’t have a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips hanging out in the cupboard? or candy canes coming out of your ears?

You can make as much or as little as you like. Just melt some of the chocolate chips in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time until smooth and melted (small children should not do this part). Crush a few candy canes, use a hammer if you like (small children can and will gleefully do this part).

Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Pour the melted chocolate onto the baking tray and spread out to your desired thickness with a spatula. Sprinkle with the crushed candy canes and gently press down.

Refrigerate or freeze for at least 1 hour until the chocolate has completely hardened. Break into pieces.

Don’t be sad, the peppermint bark is suppose to be broken into pieces. It makes it easier to share. Store any extra in an airtight container in the fridge. Happy Holidays!

Pot Pie Paradise

December 18, 2013 By chow 7 Comments

Somehow I always end up trying something new for my holiday meal. It’s kind of a tradition now, the trying-something-new. This year, I skipped the mock meaties, the un-this, roast-that and went with a humble pot pie. But not any ol’ pie, vegan ones from Pot Pie Paradise in Hayward, CA.

Tucked away in an industrial park, this no-frills deli isn’t just a slice of paradise but the whole pie. Focusing on healthy ingredients and creative fillings, they have a selection of homemade pot pies that changes daily, including a nice variety of vegan and vegetarian ones. I got three to try out:

Jerk Tempeh Vegan (pictured above)
Sometimes I’m a little wary of getting tempeh in restaurants (it can be bitter if not prepared properly) but the pie was delicious. Great jerk flavor, plenty of tempeh and veggies, nicely spiced.

Piccata Mushroom Vegan (not pictured)
Even though the directions say it can be microwaved. Don’t. It leaves the crust soggy. Reheating in the oven is way better, resulting in a beautiful crust, flaky and buttery as it’s meant to be. No photo as there’s no point in taking one of a soggy crust (or maybe I should have as an example of what not to do). The filling is a mushroom lover’s dream – shiitake, oyster, portobello, along with orzo and fresh herbs.

Sweet Potato Thai Curry Vegan (pictured above, fresh out of the oven)
Filled with vegetables and Thai curry flavor but it seemed a bit drier than the other two. I would have liked more sauce. It’s the only quibble really. Overall, it’s pretty good.

But there’s still other vegan flavors to try such as Tikka Masala or Tuscan Delight and there’s dessert pies too. Besides the buttery crust, I really liked their range of atypical fillings. I can see why they were on the pot pie episode of Travel Channel’s Food Paradise. If you’re ever in the area, it’s definitely a must try.

Posts of Christmas Past
A Very Crabby Holiday
Gardein Savory Stuffed Turk’y
Smoked Vegetarian Goose for the Holidays

Amella Vegan Caramels

December 12, 2013 By chow 7 Comments

Many seasons have come and gone since I last had a piece of chocolate covered candy. But childhood memories of past holidays are still vivid – having the chocolate gift box passed to me when it was my turn, doing my best to discreetly push down on each one trying in vain to figure out the filling inside.

The chocolate covered nut clusters were always gone first, they were easy to spot and everyone’s favorite. Somehow I would pick wrong and end up with the caramel. Never my favorite, I remember it as being rather hard and extremely chewy to eat.

The Amella vegan caramels are the exact opposite. So smooth and buttery, soft and chewy, they’re a real joy to eat. The secret ingredient is pure cocoa butter.

From Amella’s many caramels, I received the two vegan options to review. Handmade with organic and fair trade ingredients, no refined sugars, non GMO, gluten free, preservative free and kosher.

Pictured above is the Vegan Coconut Almond Caramels in 66% Dark Chocolate. It has a nice crunch from the lightly roasted California almond on top and a hint of coconut flavor.

The other is Vegan Gray Salt Caramels in 66% Dark Chocolate. Softer and smoother than the almond coconut caramel, the butteriness really stands out. That and the salty-sweet flavor combo.

Either flavor is a solid choice which I’m positive will pass the family’s smell and taste test. Packaged in a box of 6 or a pack of 2, they’re the perfect stocking stuffer. Available from Amella’s online store or Amazon.

Disclosure: I received the products free of charge from the company to review. The opinions and experience with the product expressed herein are my own. There was no pay to say.

This post also contains an Amazon link, I get a few coins tossed my way if you click on the link and make a purchase of anything.