Q's Nuts

I am always looking for good vegan snacks that are tasty, not to bad for you, and easy to pack for day trips, hikes, and road trips. One would think that nuts (if you don't have an allergy) would be optimal. And, often they are. I honestly like all kinds of nuts and I like them plain, salted, or seasoned in some fun ways. Mostly they are candy coated or honey roasted. Neither are great vegan options as the candy coating is often not even vegetarian. So, I was most pleasantly surprised by a care package from CurleyKate while I'm away from home for several months. CurleyKate is trying to lure me to New England and she is tempting me with ALL kinds of vegan finds. She found these at a local weekend market and sent me a big box to sample and share with my friends at work. All flavors are vegan. All are tasty. None are boring. 

Serving size in an ounce and there are 3 ounces per small package. The small packages aren't resealable, so you know what that means ... I eat all three servings at once. And, nuts are not low calorie themselves. For the sweet varieties, I'm looking at about 150 calories per serving. The savory flavors are not coated, but dusted with amazing combinations, lemongrass, sage, etc. They are probably my favorites. The sweet flavors are all coated and the combinations are incredible ...unique. The chocolate flavors do taste like hot cocoa. And who doesn't like bananas? Winter solstice has ginger and also seems to have a little orange or cranberry. The ginger almost makes it seem piney. The almonds seem to be Marconi almonds so they are smooth and have a perfect crunch.

Much to the chagrin of CurleyKate, I can order these on-line at www.qsnuts.com so I can get them without living in New England. When I visit and if I move there, I can also shop to my heart (and tummy's) delight at their new store on Hanover Street in Boston. My biggest problem will be decision making. They are all soooo good.

Primal Strips Vegan Jerky

I had not started a quest looking for vegan jerky options until I discovered Primal Strips at a restaurant. I remember liking the chewy texture and the flavors. Individually wrapped, they are actually rather (can I say it?) ... moist. So, on my search for jerky, I discovered they have 6 flavors and I tried a sample pack. These pack pretty small and conveniently into a day pack or handbag. But, once opened, you have to eat the entire package. No slow graze snacking. 

 There are 6 flavor varieties of 3 types of protein. The calorie content ranges from about 60 to about 100 and the protein content ranges form 6 to 11. The higher calorie and lower protein varieties are made of Shitake mushrooms.

Flavors include:

Shitake Mushroom Hot & Spicy, which has the most uniform appearance. The texture is most "meaty" in my opinion and the flavor and texture remind me of a Slim Jim

Seitan Teriyaki, Thai  Peanut, and Mesquite Lime.  All of these are good. The Teriyaki is probably the sweetest. The others are also flavorful. I don't notice a lot of peanut flavor in the Thai Peanut and not a lot of smokey flavor that I would expect in Mesquite Lime.

Soy Texas Barbecue and Hickory Smoked. The Texas Barbecue is probably the sweetest flavor of all of the strips. I don't really notice a smokey flavor in Hickory Smoked either. But, I don't have the most sensitive palate.

The textures of the Seitan and the Soy seems very similar to me. It's chewy, tough, stringy. I don't mind tough and chewy, because that's what I like about jerky. The moistness of the strips makes them seem less "jerky-like" to me.

Honestly, when grabbing one for a pack, I'm not picky ... I just reach blindly because I know I will be satisfied with any of them. They are a bit simpler to think about putting in a pack than my favorite vegan jerky because they are small and compact. But, I can't nibble a little here and there to have tiny bites throughout the day because the packaging is such that open is open. My overall take, these are convenient and handy to have around. I don't have any real negatives and I will buy again, but they wouldn't necessarily be my first choice of vegan jerky.

Stonewalls' Vegan Jerquee

I like Jerky. I like it for hikes. So, since choosing a plant-based lifestyle I haven't had much in the way of jerky options. I've been on a hunt for good jerky for carrying with me for hikes or road trips. I have found some good ones. And, I have found some I didn't really care for. This is one of them. I don't like to be negative, so I'll be brief. I ordered Stonewall's Vegan Jerkquee sampler packet of 9 flavors. Each packet was 1.5 ounces, single serving. The base of all the Jerquee is defatted soy flour. I admit, it doesn't sound yummy, but what the heck. Packets ranged from 150-165 calories and 12-14 grams of protein. Not too shabby.  

 When I opened the packages, the Jerquee looked like this. The first thought that comes to my mind was dog treats. Depending on the flavor, the color was darker or lighter. "Beefy" flavors were dark brown and "chicken" flavors were beige. The problem when I took a bite, is that the texture and the flavor also reminded me of dog treats. The flavors were minimally different among the ones I tried ... a little spicier, a little tangier, a little saltier ... but mostly the same.

And, then the texture. Just felt like a dried kitchen sponge to me. Chewy, spongey. I am not a foodie. I do not have a sophisticated palate. I just know what I like and what I don't like. Texture is a rare thing for me to have issue with, so it's hard for me to describe. But, if dog treat isn't what comes to mind, sort of sour kitchen sponge would be my next descriptor. 

I honestly tried to give each flavor a shot, but eventually, I just found myself throwing away several packages. I just couldn't do it. I won't buy these again.

Vegan Night Aviano Inn April 2016

I think that Aviano Inn Vegan night is one of my very favorite things about Italy. Well, there is travel and wine and friends and and and ... but this is maybe one of my favorite things about Aviano. Once a month, for 25 euros, they have prix fixe menu of fresh, mostly organic, mostly locally sourced, vegan menu. Service starts precisely at 8 PM and is served family style. Last month, I convinced Mama and Papa Gooch and BIFL to try it with me. This month we convinced the Navigator to join us along with Boss Lady and her littles and Sarge and his wife. The Midwife is in town from Alaska for a conference. Sure, the time difference is tough and she's tired, but she has to eat, right? So, I dragged her along. We arrived early and had an apperitivo that was a great start to the evening. We were seated just before 8 PM and took this blurry pic to commemorate our evening.

Before service started, we were brought some popcorn to snack on. We were told not to fill up. But, it was not like normal popcorn. It was kind of savory, but didn't seem to have anything on it. Some of us might have filled up more than others.

 The menu theme this month is Il Profumo dei Prati--Aroma of meadows. Perfect for spring. We started out with an aperitivo sopresa. The surprise was amazing sweet fresh strawberries. You can tell these were just picked. No transport across the country. Just like when I picked my grandfather's strawberries in his yard as a kid.












Course 1: Crostoni con cerma di asparagi e zenzero--Cream of aparagus crostini with ginger. I swear this greeen aparagus cream tastes like super creamy and rich butter. But, when the ginger was added, the flavors just exploded in my mouth. Bites with and without ginger were like two entirely different foods.

Course 2: Bouquet ai colori dell'orto crepes--Crepes with bouquet of colors of the orchard. Everything on all the plates tonight was edible. The herb tying the crepes, the flowers on later plated. These crepes were filled with multiple vegetables...sweet carrots, zucchini. Not just pretty, but super tasty. I wish I knew how to make vegan crepes.



Course 3: Patate al pesto di erbe--Potatoes with herb pesto. I already knew what to expect on how full I would be, so I started slowing down here. The potatoes were amazing. The herbs were so flavorful and I could pick out fresh dill. This was the start of my take-away plate for tomorrow's lunch.




Course 4: Tramezzini con frittata e fantasia verde--Frittata sandwiches with green fantasia. So, this was not actually the best item on the menu. The fritatta was good. The green fantasia dressing/mayo/or whatever it was is amazing. I think it's the same asparagus cream as the crostini that was amazing and rich like butter. The bread was a bit dry. I took a bite. I took off the top piece of bread and partially deconstructed my sandwich and placed it in my container for lunch. The flowers were edible, but I've never gotten into the edible flower thing.

Course 5: Insalata Primavera con legumi--Spring salad with beans. This was a surprisingly simple but really amazing salad. All kinds of greens including rocket and watercress. Lots of beans including garbanzo, black, kidney, and mung. Few carrots and green onions. It was tossed in simple olive oil with salt and pepper. The flavors of the vegetables were allowed to speak for themselves. There was enough here for me to keep loading my plate. No one else was taking home leftovers. Maybe that's not an Italian thing. But, my belly is getting quite full and I want to really enjoy every bite of this amazing goodness.

Course 6: Muffin alle ortiche--Nettles muffin. Who would have thought? This was not a sweet muffin, but a savory muffin. It was also absolutely beautiful. The flowers were edible. The creamy dressing on top seemed to be the same asparagus cream we have had a few times tonight. It amazes me, though, how tastes can change when combined with other flavors. When I tasted it alone, very buttery. With a bite of muffin, there was an herby flavor.

Course 7: Risotto in technicolor--I kind of like the name of this. Technicolored risotto. Risotto dishes in Italy are creamy and contain cream or milk in them which makes me sad because I could really enjoy a mushroom or asparagus risotto, but my guts might not like me afterwards. This was a really pleasant surprise because I got to enjoy a creamy asparagus and spinach risotto. It was everything I hoped it would be. Flavorful, creamy, herby. I wanted to keep eating, but I knew dessert was coming. And, it is gonna be awesome for lunch.

Course 8: Tiramisu alle fragole--Strawberry tiramisu. I think of tiramisu as coffee soaked lady fingers layered with mascarpone. This was a little different, so I wonder if tiramisu in Italy is layered dessert with some form of cream. There was a little layer of something cake-like in here. The cream was the amazing cream we had on the tart last month. And the strawberries were sweet and fresh and perfect. So glad I saved room.

What an amazing meal with amazing friends. I am making it a point to get to every vegan night while I'm in town. I would give my right arm for something like this back home.

My leftover tray. That's a lot of food. And it was amazing the next day as the first

Vegan Night at Aviano Inn March 2016

When I arrived in Italy, I wondered how I was going to find vegan options for dining. Well, besides pasta with tomato sauce. I mean, how many times do I want to eat the same thing over and over and over. I discovered I was in luck. There is quite the vegan-friendly community in Aviano. And, mere blocks from the hospital is Aviano Inn. They have daily vegan specials, but what's really special, is that the 4th Tuesday of every  month they have a vegan night menu. This Prix Fixe menu is 8 courses of locally sourced, mostly organic seasonal produce combined in the most miraculous way. Cost is a mere 25 euros.

So, I gathered a few friends and we made a date. Mama Gooch is vegan. Papa Gooch is pescetarian, but mostly plant-based. BIFL is Mama Gooch's best Italian friend for life. He is a carnivore, but enjoys all food and is willing to join us for vegan night and understands the accomodations. Service is family style and begins at 8 PM. Plan on a late evening, but it's oh, so worth it. March theme was Primavera--Spring.

The menu started with an aperitivo of spring ... this drink had an orange color and flavor with a hint of bitters. I forgot to get a picture I was so busy getting excited about the rest of the menu.

Course 1: Sandwich con frittata di asperagi--Asparagus frittata sandwich. On a fantastic crusty roll, this was amazing. The frittata tasted like it was made of egg. I have know idea how they did it.  

Course 2: Insalata russa su foglie di belga--Russian salad with Endive. This was absolutely fantastic. Endive leaf boats filled with an amazing salad of fresh vegetables in a creamy dressing. I wish I had more. 

Course 3: Paccheri a sopresa--Surprise packets. These delightful little fritters were filled with vegetables and a creamy sauce. Another item that I wish I had more of. Really really tasty and popping with flavor. 

Course 4: Crocchette di miglio, fagioli alla erbe con salsa alla noce moscata--Millet croquettes with beans and nutmeg sauce. OK, I admit, the appearance of these was not amazing. But the flavor was. The texture was a bit reminiscent of mashed potatos. By this time people were getting full and not everyone loved these. That was OK by me. I started a "take-away" platter and added these to it. Folks who didn't want theirs, well that meant more for me for lunch the next day. And, they were better the next day. I don't know if my tastebuds were saturated the evening before or if the flavors were allowed to really peak by waiting another day, but they had so many flavors when I had them for lunch.

Course 5: Peperoni con cous-cous allo zenzero--Peppers stuffed with ginger cous-cous. Wow. Perfectly roasted peppers. This wasn't necessarily the most exciting thing on the menu, but it was quite tasty. The ginger wasn't very strong. And yes, I had leftovers for lunch. Getting. So. Full. 

Course 6: Insalata 'Energia' con melassa dolce--Energy salad with sweet molasses dressing. This was amazing mixed greens, sweet carrots, rocket and raddichio. The dressing was sweet and creamy and took us a bit to figure it out. But, not a white creamy, a smooth olive oil creamy. Despite how full we all were feeling, we managed to eat the entire bowl. And forgot to take a picture. 

Course 7: Lasagne con farina integrale de grano tenero e erbette di campo--Lasagna with integral wheat, and field herbs. OK, I have no idea what integral wheat means. I do know that this tasty tibdit was creamy and full of flavors that just popped out. I wish I had a sophisticated palate and could pull out flavors, but I don't. All I know was that it was an amazing texture, creamy, and oh, so very good. I really wanted to eat the entire thing, but I was hurting by now. So, I had a few bites and added the rest to my plate for later.

Course 8 Dessert: Crostada di fragole, kiwi e crema pasticcera--Strawberry, kiwi tart. I am so glad I didn't eat the extra bites of lasagne, because I needed to save room for this. Sweet cream and perfectly ripe strawberries and kiwi on a flaky sweet crust. Some things are hard to find eating plant-based. Desserts is one of them, especially desserts with cream like tarts. This would satisfy any omnivore who wouldn't know the difference. I savored every bite and may have made some noises while enjoying.  

So, will I be back for next month's offering? YOU BETCHA!!! This might be reason enough to stay in Italy forever. 

Louisville Vegan Jerky

When people hear that I eat a vegan diet, they automatically think that means "healthy." And I really do try, but don't get me wrong ... I like snacks ... A LOT!!! Some snacks that are vegan aren't healthy and are full of sugar. And I remember the days I loved a good salty snack like Jerky. Jerky was a staple easy savory snack that makes me think of long road trips. You can always find jerky at a roadside convenience store.

When I heard about vegan jerky options, I knew I had to try. I admit, I was a bit skeptical. Because, really jerky is really dead animal flesh that has been dried and cured until it is super chewy, right? How could a vegan option really replicate that savory, chewy sensation? 

Stanley Chase, the owner of Louisville Vegan Jerky, offered me the opportunity to sample vegan jerky. Sure, I'll give it a shot. Louisville Vegan Jerky started making jerky in 2012. I kind of like the story, and the personal feel of the company. I'm away from home for a bit and I will freely admit, I was pretty excited to find this box in my APO box.

Some interesting pieces of information about the flavors in general

1. The Jerky base is textured soy protein. I a not all wiggety about soy and we could go on and on debating the benefits and the purported risks of soy. Louisville Vegan uses an organically grown, non-GMO soy product. 
2. Louisville Vegan uses products that do not contain gluten. Getting a gluten-free certification is lengthy and expensive. Many soy sauces contain gluten, so Louisville Vegan uses the similar tasting (and gluten-free) tamari instead 
3. The flavor ingredients used are sourced from small local farms within 50 miles from Louisville Vegan's kitchen. I like that ... not imported from overseas (especially the Asian country that is practicing Sun Tzu Art of War on us, and winning ...that's another rant for another day). Not harvested and transported across miles and miles. Not filled with artificial preservatives. I really like supporting community and family businesses and Louisville Vegan is this and does this. 
4. The packages come in  2.5 ounce bags for 2.5 servings per bag. Calorie ranges from 70-90 calories per serving (Maple Bacon has highest calorie count at 90, Sriracha Maple comes in at 80). Fat calories are 30-35 grams per sserving (Maple Bacon is again the leader). There is 6-7 grams of protein per serving. Sooooo .... if like me, you find yourself unable to stop at a single serving and you eat the entire bag at one sitting, worst case scenario is 225 calories, 87 calories from fat (none of it is the bad trans fats). And you will get about about 15 grams of protein. 

So, let's talk about what you really want to know ... how is it? Because, really, jerky that isn't dead animal? 

I was flabbergasted that I was sent the 4 main flavors to sample. Not just one flavor. And full size bags, not little samples. I opened all of them and sat down with a glass of wine. I figured I needed to taste all the flavors to give a good review. 

First, all the things that the flavors have in common. 

1. When opening the bags, they all contain a little stay fresh, do not eat packet. This is to keep the jerky fresh and from getting all stuck together. The bags are resealable. 

2. All the jerky strips look the same. Irregular shaped strips of chewy jerky goodness. Kind of reminds me of meat jerky and how the strips are irregular shaped and different sizes and shapes. And for you meat-eaters out there, don't tell me this looks "gross." Because if it does, then I dare you to look at your fried strips of pig meat and fat. Or your dead animal jerky and you will have to admit, it looks pretty similar. 

3. Texture ... it is substantial and pleasant. It is chewy, but not spongey chewy. It takes a little work with the molars, but it does separate in your teeth easily. If you are looking for a hard, super chewy jerky that you have to work on for awhile, and tear apart with your teeth, then this is not it. 

Next, on to the flavors:

I found the mildest of the flavors to be the two Bourbon flavors. I am not a foodie, so I can't tell you any fine nuances and subtleties.  Pete's Bourbon Smoked Black Pepper I found to be the mildest flavor. Kind of smooth almost. It was saltier than Todd's Bourbon Smoked Chipotle, which had a tiny bit of spiciness that I noticed at end of the piece I tasted. So, I ate another and the spiciness level got a little stronger. The Bourbon Smoked Black Pepper has the mildest rating and the Bourbon Smoked Chipotle had a rating mid-way between mild and moderate. Both are sweetened with Sorghum from a Kentucky farm 50 miles away from kitchen. 

If you want a little more spice, then go for Enid's Sriracha Maple. The maple syrup is sourced from a maple farm 50 miles from the kitchen and the sriracha is organic. This is rated as moderate spicy. My unsophisticated palate would describe it as salty with a hint of sweetness that finishes kind of spicy. The spicy factor does add up when you keep eating. 

Of the four flavors, my favorite was Carrie's Sesame Teriyaki. Maybe because I like Asian flavors. I thought the flavor of the Sesame Teriyaki was the boldest of the flavors. It was salty and had great flavor of sesame and soy sauce. UMMMM ... I think I ate the whole bag at once. 

So, my verdict so far...I REALLY REALLY REALLY like it. I'm always looking for good and flavorful snacks. When I hike or do my version of "running", I like to have real food with me. This will be perfect for hiking. It has great flavor, great texture, salt, sometimes sweet. Easy to chew. Toss it in a ziplock baggie and I'm ready to go. 

I liked it so much that I ordered more including a 5-pack from Amazon that contained Paulette's Maple Bacon. I am guessing this is one of their monthly flavors as it isn't listed as one of their primary flavors on the website. This was mild with no heat and had a sweet and smokey flavor. Also pretty darn scrumptious. 

So ... details. Where can you find this amazing goodness? Well, I ordered from Amazon. The website has a listing of specialty storefronts and other on-line retailers. You can also join the Jerky of the Month Club. For $14.99 per month (less if you do a 3-or 6-month subscription), you can get bags of the regular flavors, plus a bag of their test flavor each month. Only members get the exclusive test flavor. February was Thai Peanut. Yeah, I think I'll be joining. Maybe you should, too. 

Just so you know, I didn't get paid to say any of this. The opinions are mine alone and freely shared. Feel free to follow them on Instagram @louveganjerky and Facebook