It's time for the monthly food/drinks roundup and I have some fantastic finds for you yet again. Take a look; it features some fab vega...
It's time for the monthly food/drinks roundup and I have some fantastic finds for you yet again. Take a look; it features some fab vegan products and a couple of vegetarian finds too!
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Opies Pickled Products
Opies, who are based in Kent, are a family firm who have been in business since the 1880s. Their product range includes quality preserves, fruit compotes and pickles. They also have an organic range and a selection of cocktail products.
Their Mixed Berries with Prosecco is one my favourites ever and so when I got the chance to feature some of their latest offerings in this month's vegan roundup, I was delighted.
Opies recently launched a trio of new pickles that includes Silverskin Onions with Turmeric & Mustard Seeds, Silverskin Onions with Red Wine Vinegar and Pickled Pears.
The new pickles are available at an everyday price point and are perfect with cheese and charcuterie as well as for addition to vegetable stews and more.
The Silverskin Onions with Turmeric & Mustard Seeds are vibrantly yellow in colour and surprisingly sweet. Turmeric adds a punch of earthiness while the mustard seeds add the required spice/flavour. These are very versatile, and you can serve them with a cheeseboard, in a sandwich or in a salad.
The Pickled Pears are delish. Whole delicate baby pears are steeped in a spiced (blend of cinnamon, allspice and clove spices) malt vinegar giving the pickle a warming and full-bodied flavour. It is a lovely combination of sweetness (of pears) and sharpness (of the malt vinegar). The pickled pears can be enjoyed with cheese or yoghurt or use them to upgrade a standard sandwich.
Overall, we loved these new offerings from Opies. Both of them are vegan and get a thumbs up from us. If you want to give these a try, you can find them in the pickle aisle in Sainsbury's stores, UK wide.
Also featured in this guide is Opies Pickled Walnuts which are one of Opies' most popular products. The walnuts are harvested before the shell forms; that is when they are still green. They are then cooked and marinated in a special spiced malt vinegar recipe and then hand packed into jars. Delicious!
You can use these pickled walnuts in sandwiches, salads, as an accompaniment to cheese & crackers, with jacket potatoes or enjoy them on their own. Full of taste and texture, the pickled walnuts can also be used in recipes, like the Vegan Nut Loaf recipe on Opies' website.
We have one more product from Opies included in this roundup - Stem Ginger in Syrup. Another versatile product, this is made using the finest young stem ginger harvested in China and then carefully preserved in a sugar syrup. You can use this in so many different ways - as an ingredient in baking (great in fruit cakes), as a topping for Greek yoghurt, added to salads for that fiery ginger hit or in savoury dishes. The syrup can be used as topping for ice cream, salads or in cocktails!
To check out all other products from Opies, visit www.opiesfoods.com
B’liev Plant-based Protein Shakes
Plant-based protein drinks have seen a tremendous increase in popularity in the last few years. While most of them come in the same ol' flavours, B’liev recently launched three unusually flavoured vegan protein shakes.
Made with a combination of four different types of plant protein – fava bean, pumpkin seed, flax seed and pea protein isolate, the vegan shakes are available in three delicious flavours: Blueberry Muffin, Cookies & Cream and Chocolate Brownie.
With 20g of protein in each 330ml bottle, the shakes are high in fiber and contain 100% recommended daily intake of calcium and vitamins D3, B5, B6 and B12. Plus, they are low in sugar.
- Cookies and Cream: thick, creamy, with low sugar and high fiber & with a great cookies & cream taste.
- Blueberry Muffin: high fiber from chicory root, low in sugar, high in antioxidants and low in calories.
- Chocolate Brownie: delightfully creamy, infused with natural cacao, rich in minerals and antioxidants.
As you would have guessed from the names, the 3 flavours are like delicious desserts. Delightfully indulgent, packed with flavours, the protein shakes are a great alternative to snacking and can be enjoyed on-the-go. Because they are completely plant-based, the shakes are easy to digest as well.
We loved all the 3 flavours but the blueberry muffin flavour was our favourite.
If you are looking to incorporate 100% plant-based protein shakes in your lifestyle, do give these a go. They are all natural with no nasties.
B’liev is available from independent health food stores and direct from www.bliev.com
All About Almond - Smooth Almond Butter from Knotty's
Are you a lover of nut butters? Then you must try out Knotty's new range of premium nut butters.
Aside from the original flavours (smooth and crunchy peanut butter), Knotty's new range includes:
- All about Almond: Roasted and loaded up with nothing but a pinch of sea salt.
- Hey Ho Pistachio: Heavenly pistachios blended until smooth with a pinch of sea salt.
- Coo Coo Cashew: Tempting cashew butter bursting with deliciousness sprinkled with sea salt.
And there's also, a trio of products in American style:
- Knotty’s Strawberry Jelly & PB: PBJ joy in a jar, deliciously roasted high-oleic peanut butter with a glorious strawberry jelly. The ultimate salty sweet hit.
- Knotty’s Raspberry Jelly & PB: Rich raspberry stripes combined perfectly with smooth peanut butter for a truly American classic.
- Knotty’s Chocolate & PB: Sweet, silky chocolate and salty peanut butter.
We tried the All about Almond nut butter and loved it. With a deliciously nutty flavour, this premium nut butter is made of roasted and blitzed up almonds with a pinch of sea salt. There are no added sugars or palm oil, and the product is naturally gluten-free and vegan.
And it is versatile; you can add it to salads, into dips, soups and more. It imparts a lovely nutty flavour.
You can check out all of Knotty's premium nut butters at www.knottys.co.uk
Higgidy Spinach & Red Pepper Mini Vegan Muffins and Cauliflower Vegan Dinky Rolls
Veg-led everyday food brand Higgidy recently launched two new vegan snacking products - Spinach & Red Pepper Mini Vegan Muffins and Cauliflower Vegan Dinky Rolls. Packed with veggies and innovative flavours these mini savouries are sure to delight those on a vegan, veggie or flexis meal plan.
The vegan dinky rolls are made with a cauliflower, sweet potato and red pepper filling with chipotle, a smoky date sauce and lime, which is wrapped in a vegan puff pastry and hand-topped with a paprika and golden linseed sprinkle. These tasty little bites are packed full of flavour. We loved them.
The Spinach & Red Pepper Mini Vegan Muffins are equally delicious. Made with red peppers, spinach and basil, butternut squash purée and pine nuts, these bite-size muffins were colourful, with a nice texture and yummy.
Both these new launches from Higgidy would be great as party nibbles.
You can check Higgidy's vegan range at www.higgidy.co.uk
Also wanted to share these two vegetarian products from Higgidy.
First up is the Porcini Chestnut Mushroom Pie. The pie has a seeded spelt short crust pastry with porcini, chestnut & portobello mushrooms cooked in a creamy crème fraîche and white wine stew with a hint of thyme and Dijon mustard and hand-topped with a Cheddar cheese & parsley crumble. Delicious!
And the next one is the Cauliflower Cheese Quiche. The quiche has a seeded spelt short crust pastry with cauliflower florets, vintage Cheddar and Red Leicester cheeses in a free-range egg filling and is hand-topped with a crispy kale and chestnut crumb. I love my veggies and enjoy both cauliflower and broccoli and this quiche with both of them and loads of cheese was absolutely fab.
You can check out all of Higgidy's offerings at www.higgidy.co.uk
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