Category: products

Secret Ingredient: Vegan Mofo Day 10

On By ClareIn products, Veganmofo171 Comment

I couldn’t pick just one so here are my top five flavour enhancers:

Liquid Smoke

liquid smoke

Can someone tell me why liquid smoke is not more readily available in the UK? If you haven’t tried it then all you need to know is that liquid smoke is smoke that is collected in condensers. Smoke in Liquid form. It’s that simple and using it is simple too. You can throw it into chills, sauces, marinades. And we all know smoked things taste better.

White Miso

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White miso is a star. As well as using it in Japanese cooking you can also use it to make things taste creamy and cheesy. I use it in my Tomato Rissoto. If you are in the UK stay away from Clearspring. It’s gross.

Smoked Salt

cornish sea

Smoked Salt is way more accessible in the UK than liquid smoke. Obviously it’s salt that has been smoked. Use it where you would use salt. I like to put it on veggies before steaming them.

Toasted Sesame Oil

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Use as a finishing touch. I like to think of toasted sesame oil as the magic ingredient that makes stir fries and fried rice taste incredible. One step that can really elevate your cooking.

Worcestershire Sauce

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Regular Worcestershire sauce has anchovies so look for the veggie version. When you you find it though you’ll never be happier. Here in England we use it to give simple meals a bit of pep. Shake it into your baked beans, or on cheese on toast. Or try it in a veganised Yakisoba.

Vegan Kind September Box

On By ClareIn productsLeave a comment

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Waiting for us at home when we returned from Skye was a very exciting box. Our latest Vegan Kind Box. Let’s see what was in it.

Lenny and Larry White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut

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I took one bite out of this giant cookie and went ‘urgh’; Kate took one bite and went ‘mmmm’. I thought that the texture was too doughy and not crisp enough; Kate informed me that it was exactly like a cookie was supposed to be. I objected to it as overly sweet; Kate countered that it was just sweet enough.

Yes from Kate, no from me.

Livias Kitchen Salted Maca Caramel Biccy Boms

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Kate immediately gravitated towards this one so I let her try it alone. First she complained about the amount of packaging ‘plastic coated wrap and a plastic case inside!’ then bit into it. I asked her what she thought ‘nice’ I asked her for more words. She loved the taste and the texture and raved about the date centre.

Looking forward to buying more of these.

Pop Chips Sea Salt and Black Pepper

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I’ve come across other flavours of Pop Chips but never these. That’s a shame as they are everything a Sea Salt and Black Pepper flavoured crisp should be. A generous coating of pepper gives them tonnes of flavour and makes them very addictive.

Already searching for my next packet.

Green Frog Natural Geranium & Peppermint Body Wash

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I noticed that a few people on Instagram complaining about their body wash leaking. So I checked my bottle over. I found a crack, it thankfully hadn’t started leaking yet. The body wash itself smells lovely, very light and fresh. It cleans well. It’s left my skin soft. I’m afraid I just don’t trust the packaging.

Cheeky P’s Curry Flavour Roasted Chickpeas

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This time I was the ‘mmmm’ and Kate was the ‘urgh’ I loved the curry flavour though I could only manage half a packet at first. Don’t worry, I went back later.

Good for a snack.

Beloved Dates Nectar

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I tried this honey substitute in a drink, Kate drizzled it onto her fingers and licked them clean. It’s a good sweetener and we plan on having more on pancakes for breakfast.

Sweet.

Revolution Foods Protein Sample

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Call us chicken but neither of us wants to try drinking this. It’s not like we need the extra protein right now. We got the Wild Berry flavour.

Now I want either more of them Cheeky P’s, or failing that some Pop Chips….

Pastifico Veneto Tortelli with Pizzaiola

On By ClareIn products, TotnesLeave a comment

When people ask us about vegan cheese, and they do, we always tell them that without a doubt the best one you can buy is MozzaRisella Classic. The Mozzarella log is uncannily like the real thing, both raw and melted on a pizza. So how could we resist pasta stuffed with MozzaRisella? We spied these in the chiller cabinet of Green Life in Totnes and brought them home.

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The package suggests serving with pesto, which in retrospect I wish I’d have done, but I was feeling lazy so I just boiled it up and tossed with a little olive oil and pepper. The pasta itself is lovely. It didn’t burst in the pan which is always a plus. The filling is yum, a mix of basil, tomato and cheese which adds a little decadence to every bite.

pasta

When I close my eyes and dream of pasta it’s always fresh and home made but when I can’t be bothered doing it myself (almost always) I’m happy to pick up a pack in the supermarket for a quick and delicious supper. These are a fantastic vegan alternative and I only wish I could get them close to home.

How on Earth Southern Fried Seitan

On By ClareIn products1 Comment

26/10/2020: How On Earth have opened a Deli for all of your vegan deli meat needs, plus fried chicken. Our review is here.

I love trying new vegan food especially when it’s made by a local business so I was so excited to spy a packet of Southern Fried Chicken by Devon company How on Earth (you can find them on Facebook)


Like it says on the tin plastic tub this seitan, Southern Fried. It certainly looks the part. Opening it up for the first time I was very impressed. I looks suspiciously like southern fried chicken. Smelt like southern fried chicken. Time for a taste test.


I opted for heating them in the oven and shoved them in a wrap with some lettuce and chilli sauce. It was really nice. Probably a bit cheweyer than chicken would be, but that’s seitan. The coating was thick, flavourful and crisp.


I really enjoyed trying the fried seitan, if you’re in Devon try to get some. They stock it at Seasons in Exeter. I can’t wait to see what How on Earth come up with in the future.