Trader Joe’s Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls in a tube! Somehow, I could never wrap my head around that concept, but as we know from Pillsbury, this is old technology and it works just great AND it’s VEGAN! I have to say that I was quite surprised at the quality of these rolls. I mean, they are not going to be as good as you get down the street in a quaint coffee house here in Durham, but they are better or on par with what you might get at the RISE donut bar. Baking them filled the kitchen with aromas of cinnamon and fresh baked bread. Now it’s time to crank up the oven and bake some fresh cinnamon rolls.
Trader Joe’s Vegan Turkey-Less Stuffed Roast with Gravy has done a great job of catering to the vegan and vegetarians out there so it goes as no surprise that they have some of the best non-meat meats. The “roast” itself is a combination of soy, wheat gluten, potato starch, oil, ancient grain flour (which is several ingredients itself) and then the rest is basically seasonings and binders. My husband said he thinks adding carrots, celery, onions and potatoes with more salt and pepper would be the way to go. as it would infuse the roast with roasted vegetable flavors and make for a better all around dish.
Trader Joe’s Vegetable Biryani with Vegetable Dumplings. Biryani is mainly a rice and vegetable dish. I think it is a product of India, so it’s pretty authentic, at least from an ingredient standpoint. I liked the flavor of the rice with the Indian spices. The “dumplings” look like little meatballs, but once you pop one in your mouth, you’ll realize that they are more like pastry bites but made with vegetables making them savory and full of flavor.
Trader Joe’s Vegan Kale, Cashew & Basil Pesto. The texture is like a mushy vegetable puree. It’s thick, soft, and spreadable. I’d eat this stuff on pasta, potatoes, sandwiches, crackers, pita, or even as a chip dip.
Trader Joe’s VEGAN Mac! For vegans and dairy-free folks, this might be a game-changer. My husband and I have tried “mozzarella” non-cheese before that we both found utterly revolting. That’s not the case here at all. The unique blend of coconut milk, butternut squash, and various oils yields something unusual and cheese-esque, without trying too hard to make cheese out of stuff that is clearly not cheese. The macaroni were shell-shaped and larger than what we are used to in mac and cheese. My husband liked it but was not impressed.
Trader Joe’s VEGAN Cream Cheese. Mind you, I’m not comparing this product to other vegan cream cheese spreads, because I’ve never had any other plain vegan cream cheese spreads. Because I’m a vegan, there’s always the hope that it’ll be a brilliant surprise like using a garlic spread dip. Speaking of garlic spread dip, it’s remarkably similar in texture and appearance to this product. Come to think of it, the taste is quite similar, as well—minus the garlic, of course. And since there’s essentially no flavor at all other than garlic in the garlic spread, what I’m trying to say is that this “cream cheese” is extremely bland—totally void of any true cream flavor. It’s just a couple of oils mixed with salt and stuff, as well as “vegan culture.” My husband says he can tell the difference between this product and regular cream cheese.
Trader Joe’s VEGAN Ginger Bread Loaf. This was brand new, so I thought I’d try it out, I bought 2 loaves, and I have to say that they were very moist and had a nice Gingerbread flavor. I really enjoyed this gingerbread loaf, and I would recommend this to anyone, vegan or not.
I can’t imagine the amount of Cauliflower Trader Joe’s is using right now on all their various cauliflower dishes and ingredients. This is the perfect dish for lunch or a side dish for dinner if you need something quick and easy with enough calories to fill you up. The whole bowl is 300 calories. It has a bit of chili heat and the tahnini gives it a really nice richness.
Trader Joe’s Riced Cauliflower and Butternut Squash. If you didn’t know by now, the reason that this is low carb, gluten-free and vegan is because the finely diced cauliflower which replaced the rice. Cauliflower plays an important part in the flavor and texture of this risotto dish. It just happens that the squash makes a thick sauce and kind of binds the whole thing together, but is it “risotto”, not really. “Thumbs up on this dish”
Trader Joe’s “Protein Patties Plant-Based Burger.” You knew this day was coming. I guess if you put enough ketchup, mustard, and pickles on something, it will taste like a burger. My husband and I have had our fair share of alternative burgers, and these were flavorful and filling. We cooked these up in the cast iron skillet coated with a little canola oil. You can’t fry these up like a real burger as these patties can’t take the high temperatures, but they did get nice and brown after a few minutes on each side. Definitely a must-try!