inSpiral: Raw Banoffee Creme Tart

Today I found another banoffee dessert and decided I had to try it. This one is quite different to the pot I tried Pudology, as it's raw vegan and I'm guessing more healthier. This cake slice made by inSpiral has three layers - to copy and paste from their product page:

"Layer one: a light and uplifting coconut, sunflower seed and date crust
Layer two: banana, date & coconut cream “caramel”
Layer three: a filling creamy layer of young coconut flesh, pure raw extract of banana (from the wonderful medicine flower company) and xylitol. Xyltiol is a very low G.I sweetener extracted from the sap of the Birch Tree (yes, that elegantly beautiful silver tree from the English forest). Xylitol is also used in dental products as it has been found to aid in the prevention of cavities."

And the taste? I quite like this. The strongest flavours are banana and coconut - with coconut pieces being the aftertaste. The texture is fairly dense, much like a cheesecake. I think it would benefit from a firmer base as there's a fairly even texture running throughout. I do miss the toffee taste of banoffee - but I suppose this is raw, and that would make it not raw - plus its hard to put that in a semi-fresh product. That aside - very nice - and I can recommend it for any banoffee / raw fans out there. 4/5

Pudology: Banoffee Pud

Today I am enjoying this potted dessert from Pudology. The tubs are a bit small but the pudding is quite rich and they're worth getting for the taste. This banoffee one comes with 3 layers; a biscuit layer at the base, a banana/toffee layer, and a chocolate top. It's hard to really tell what the biscuit layer tastes like because the chocolate and banana are quite strong but I think it's really there for texture anyway. The banana toffee layer is my favourite part. It's very rich and creamy smooth. If you like the taste of banoffee pie this will be enjoyable for you also. The chocolate top tastes quite dark and tastes like the richest layer. It's ok on it's own, but for me the layers are best when eaten together! There are also other flavours available but I haven't tried those. It's almost a five, a really nice vegan treat 4/5.

Organica: Vegan Dark Chocolate Bars

The golden coconut bar is really good. I found the dark chocolate but doesn't taste that dark; it's quite thin layer of chocolate and the coconut centre is quite sweet inside. The texture is nice as well. I think it could do with more chocolate around the outside,  maybe use a vegan milk chocolate and for the bar to be bigger. 4/5

In the hazelnut nougat bar the dark chocolate is more noticeable. There are no solid nut pieces  just two layers inside. One is like the nut layer kind of similar to a nut butter and the other is a pale yellow nougat layer. I would be more of a fan of it if it had nuts because it would make the texture a bit more diverse. It's still nice, but like the coconut bar its bit small and i would prefer the chocolate to be less dark. 3/5

Cat and the Cream: Cupcakes review

Ok so here's a mini review, today I'm having some cupcakes. Cat and the Cream (notice I can't use the 'and' symbol in blogger) make a variety of different flavours which can be found on their website. I've tried the Chocolate, Pear Hazelnut + Choc Chip, Banana Walnut + Choc Chip with Butterscotch, and the Chocolate Coconut with Raspberry. And as it says in small writing on the package it's best to leave these out of the fridge for 30+ mins before eating it. Otherwise their a bit hard and cold. These cakes have almost as much icing as there is sponge, which may be a bit much for some people. But you don't have to eat it all, and it's better than being under iced. The icing is very sweet though, and I mean really sweet, even if you have a sweet tooth. The icing also has a little thing or two in it at the top like a chocolate swirl or nut etc, which is nice. There is also things in the sponge (not sure if true of all cakes but most), like nuts or banana pieces. In a nicer way than it sounds. Because the icing is so tall, and the sponge quite moist, they are quite messy or tricky to eat properly. Your fingers will get sticky, and icing will go on your nose/beard.
But they're fun and quite nice to eat. I found the pear one didn't have much of pear taste, but the chocolate was really like eating a classic chocolate cake. The banana butterscotch one is also very good, although I have to be up for it, because its so rich and sweet. It's deceivingly small, in that you might find one is more than enough. So yes I will recommend these as a treat, with a good 4/5.

The Really Interesting Food Co: Sri Lankan Lentil and Coconut Soup

A quick look at this soup then. Texture is smooth, not really any bits other than the odd coconut fragment, but when you open the tin it might be split (water and paste) so give it a good stir. Taste is nice and interesting too, it's a nice flavour combo. I'd prefer a bit less heat, but it's not fiery hot. Really good with bread, I wouldn't eat it without some kind of bread because of the lack of texture (that would be boring). It tastes kind of fresh too, mainly in comparison to other tinned soups. If that sounds good then I'd recommend it. Not quite sure how much really maybe between a 3 and 4 this time but nice all the same.

Eskal: Noble Choice - Mint

I'm quite impressed with this one, a lot of the vegan chocolate out there is dark (which some people may or may not like) - this is dark too but it's quite creamy and doesn't have that bitter after taste. The mint isn't just a flavour either, there are small pieces of crunchy mint chips inside (not like choc chips, I think they're white kind of sugar ones). The triangle shape is little annoying but that's me. So if you like chocolate and mint - this bar is ace 4/5.

Everfresh: Stem Ginger Cake

This is quite a good cake to have with something else. On its own its a little firm and dry, which is to be expected, but with something like a granovita pot of soyage the two go together really nice - better than on their own. The ginger flavour is quite nice, it's got small pieces in, so if you like ginger its pretty good. Nothing much more to say really, 3/5 on its own but with something else pretty good 4/5. Sorry this review is quite short - it's just a simple cake ;)

Amy's: Organic Bowls - Brown Rice, Black-Eyed Peas & Veggies

Ok, so out the box you get a fairly small portion, I would have liked a bit really it's almost like a child portion. Anyway, I quite enjoyed this, I took the mushrooms out because they're not my thing but what you gonna do. Once it's cooked it looks a little watery but it tastes good, I'd recommend stirring all up before you eat it because some of the bits are clumped together and the top layer needs to mixed in the watery base. I'm not too sure what the overriding flavour was, quite veggie and earthy, and certainly quite moorish. I think it had a little coriander but it was just right. And the texture of the dish was good too. I mentioned the base being watery but mix up it's a bit juicy but in a nice way (tastes nicer than it looks). 4/5

Wheaty: Spacebar Pumpkin Seed Sausage

I suppose the idea of pumpkin seed sausage is quite weird. This bar is quite nice though. It has an essence of the chorizo one, by that I mean you can tell it's made by the same people - it has a similar meaty texture and a similar, although toned down flavour. I was expecting it to be disappointing in comparison to the chorizo, but honestly it's really good. The flavour is broader, like a herb sausage served cold. There is some texture differences, namely seeds, but don't get the idea that this is like eating seeds, they seem to be far between and blended in. I'd buy them again, perhaps a nicer alternative if you didn't want to destroy your breathe with chorizo. 4/5

Amy's: Black Bean Vegetable Enchilada

From the frozen box you get 2 enchilada's in a tray that you can microwave or cook in an oven. I microwaved them for timing reasons but they still good. One of those foods where it doesn't really matter how you cook them they taste about the same. But anyway, how were they? Good, and nicer than I anticipated. I haven't had enchilada's before, so they could be bad enchilada's, but after reading about them and knowing these are a ready meal they're pretty tasty. The filling is good because there's lots going on, it's rich and it all kind of goes together really nicely. The sauce too is nice, its rich and flavoursome, and for someone who doesn't really like hot food that much for me this has a nice kick without overpowering the dish. You could probably tell when served that they weren't cooked fresh, but they're quite close and I think for 5 mins waiting they're worth it. 4/5

Biona Organic: Spelt Tortellini

As  fresh pasta is usually egg pasta there isn't a great deal of choice for vegans, almost no choice. And here is that choice. Green spelt and vegetable tortellini from Biona. Out the packet, smells like bread crusts, but I'm not complaining. It's a difficult to review to make, because there isn't much to compare it to, I'm not sure I've eaten much spelt pasta before and so I'm not sure how good this is in terms of how good it could be. It is nice, I had it with quite a rich sauce because on their own, while nice, they aren't oozing with flavour. Texture of the parcel is little rough and harder than you might expect but it tastes healthy, inside some veg which make it more dynamic and interesting than just eating dry pasta. So I will be eating it again, as it's nice to have filled pasta and I'm not the master chef. Taste wise for a fresh pasta, I'd say around 3 because it could taste nicer; I think 1 mark is for the filling and the other for the parcel. Maybe a low 4 though because changing the pasta part probably wouldn't make it green spelt (I hope that's right). 4/5

Natural Cool: Chili non Carne

Pleasantly surprised by this one. Wasn't sure it was going to be for me but it was actually really nice. Pain that it takes 40 minutes but if you're not cooking I suppose. The only other downside is that it's quite small. The tray itself is filed just under half way, so a small dinner maybe in need of an accompaniment blah blah. Taste wise really nice and fresh, strong flavour with some kick (I think spiced just right). It doesn't look like the picture on the box, there's more sauce, but you can taste all the veg and with the beans and sweetcorn it's a nice texture too because it doesn't get boring. 4/5

Meridian: Korma Cooking Sauce

Not seen any other vegan korma sauces yet, but I have had this Meridian one a few times so should be able to make a good review. The jar is enough for 2 if you've got some other bits to eat, and slightly more than a normal portion if it's just you. If you make this with just some rice and mock chicken then it's not too bad, tastes like a shop ready meal. Taste is quite nice, its got some flavour, with a range of different mild spices and a slight sweet taste to it. It's also got a few small pieces of blitzed veg in there like onion I think. It's quite thick too which is nice until the end of the meal. What I mean is that it doesn't taste as good cold/luke warm. And it seems to taste the same cooked in a pan or microwaved, though I'd pan it if you cooking mock chicken etc that way. It's also less good at the end because it's one of those foods that taste's nice at the start but after you've eaten a lot of it kind of tastes less appealing, a bit sweet sicky (though this one isn't that bad). That's why I'd recommend having just half a portion and making some other bits like samosa's. One of the main problems is that it does taste shop bought and not fresh at all. So mixed feelings really, it's not something I want to have every week, but I'll buy again at some point. High 3, low 4? 4/5

Forest Foods: Middle Eastern Style Filo Wrap

I didn't read the description of this before I ate it so it was different to how I though it would taste. It's description is "Soya mince seasoned with cinnamon, chillis and lemon in filo pastry".  Which makes more sense than the samosa type thing I was expecting. And it's very nice too. Not that hot, the mince does take a substantial amount of the filling, but it's a good tasting one and is seasoned really well. The filo is quite fragile, much of mine was broken as I put in the oven, but I don't mind picking up the broken bits. It's hard to say what it tastes like though, you can taste the cinnamon a bit, which may not sound nice with mince but it is. It's not sweet, and it's balanced with other spices I think. Nice to try something different. 4/5

Primal Strips: Texas BBQ

One last extension to the previous review as this is the only other flavour I have, but there are 3 others - Mesquite Lime, Hot & Spicy and Hickory Smoked. So here goes... I'd recommend using scissors, they're pretty easy to open but it can go a bit to one side... It's quite good, I think a little bit more to it than the teriyaki one but actually not quite as full on as the thai. I should have reviewed them all together really - next time. So yeah kind of the same, definitely has a nice BBQ taste, texture is same too maybe a little harder. 4/5

Primal Strips: Teriyaki

Here's my review of the Thai Peanut version which this one is just going to comment on. It's the same texture pretty much, but I don't think this one is quite as good as the peanut one. It tastes fairly similar, without any hint of peanut obviously, but the flavour isn't quite as strong. Which means it tastes a bit less meaty and once you've almost finished chewing the flavour runs out a bit faster. I'd still have to give it 4 stars though, it is really nice, but slightly short on the thai peanut. 4/5

Swedish Glace: Pearl

I was both very exciting about trying these and disappointed. Swedish Glace, as far as I'm concerned at this moment, probably make the best vegan ice cream (at least the raspberry tub anyway). And last time I was ordering these were out of stock so I bought the Peak cones instead. Finally I got hold of a box today! And you get 5 in the box. BUT... they are tiny lollies and that makes me sad. Going purely on taste these are great. The ice cream inside isn't like the tub variety, it's smooth without any sauce (which is a bit of a shame) but its very tasty and creamy still and this one is strawberry too. And then it's covered in a thin layer of chocolate like a posh choc-ice with some fruity little pieces on the outside (just like hundreds and thousands but a bit nicer). Together it's great, a really tasty sweet lolly that nobody would suspect is vegan. But it's not enough - it's like one scoop worth and it needs to be at least 2! As you can see below it makes my hand look some giants hand. 4/5

Just Wholefoods: Strawberry Flavoured Jelly Crystals

This is delicious and highly recommended vegan jelly mix. All you need is to mix the powder in boiling water and leave to set. The result is a jelly with both a sweet and strong flavour but also one that tastes quite natural. Which is good. The density and flavour though will depend on how much water you use. I use just a tiny bit less than recommended to concentrate it up a bit. And it works with large jelly moulds too. They also sell lemon, raspberry and tropical jelly. I haven't tried lemon as I don't think I'd care for it, but I've the other two and raspberry is just a nice, with the tropical I didn't enjoy it quite as much I think the flavour was a bit weaker or less sweet.
4/5

Primal Strips: Thai Peanut

These are essentially a vegan jerky, that come in a range of flavours, and today I'm eating the Thai Peanut (others to come later in the week). I haven't tried these before and I'm going for the peanut one as I think it will be my least favourite. Once you open the packet the strip feels very bendy but fear not they aren't that soft. You can see the strip on the rear side and it looks like braised tofu, the smell is like peanut butter and spices I think (I can't really breathe through my nose at the moment), and the taste is... much nicer than I had anticipated. It has a nice strong flavour which is spicy but not too hot at all, with a subtle hint of peanut. Texture wise this thing is really strange. By that I mean tastes very much like meat, not quite in a way that some beef jerky does but its tough like some overcooked chicken might be or beef (sorry for that description) but quite juicy. And it takes some chewing, but you get after a short while. I think I would like to see it a bit harder so that the bar lasts a bit longer but other than that I would have to recommend them and I can't wait to try the others. 4/5

Lovemore: Jammy Wheels

These dodger type biscuits are a great deal more fun that most of the other shop biscuits you can buy which are vegan friendly, usually the plainest ones. I never ate too many jammy biscuits before I went vegan, but tbh they taste... really good. They are sweet, have a nice smooth texture which is crisp but melts in the mouth. So the biscuit part alone is good, then the rich jam flavour just makes them even more moreish. You get 8 in a pack, and can get them at Waitrose and some online stores so far as I know there are probably others. So get some. 4/5