The makings of a cruelty free sandwich.
Since becoming a vegetarian, I sometimes miss having a good, old fashioned, hearty fill-me-up type sandwich for lunch. I mean PB&J’s are great, but they tend to get dull after a while. So, while shopping at our local food coop, Natural Harvest in Virginia last week I found myself looking for some new sandwich ideas, and that is how I happened across these two delicious products: Hickory Smoked Tofurky and a Daiya Cheddar Style Wedge. Both products are Vegan, and combined make for a very scrumptious sandwich.
Hickory Smoked Tofurky:
I must admit that sometimes I am a little apprehensive to try a new “meat substitution” product – I’m not exactly sure what it is, but I think if it’s a little too realistic or “meat – like” it tends to gross me out, but I’m a sucker for that “smoked” flavoring, so I decided to give it a try. And I’m sure glad I did because I ended up loving the Tofurky deli slices, they were quite delicious. My cat even tried to steal one of the smoked slices right out from between the bread! I liked everything about this product; the smell, the taste, the texture -and it wasn’t overly “meat-like” where it grossed me out, but just enough where it made for a hearty, fill-me-up type sandwich… if that makes sense?
Daiya Cheddar Style Wedge:
I’ve had the Daiya brand shredded cheese before, but this was my first time trying the “wedge,” and was pleasantly surprised to note that it comes in a resalable package, which I found to be very handy. The package says it slices and melts well. It does indeed slice very nicely, but since I didn’t try to melt it, I cannot comment on that aspect. Maybe later in the week I will try to make a grilled “cheese” sandwich and test it out! Since Daiya is a dairy, lactose and casein free cheese, the taste and texture are a little different than regular cheese – it’s still very good, but if you are used to cheese from cow’s milk, the first time you taste it you might be aware of a notable difference. However, paired with the Tofurky slices, I personally think you can hardly tell. Anyway, it is a small price to pay for a cholesterol free cheese. This is definitely one of tastier vegan cheese options out there. If you are new to the dairy free cheese arena, I highly suggest starting your taste testing with Daiya.
The finished product- Yum!
I made my sandwich using whole wheat bread, Veganaise, lettuce, Tofurky deli slices, and Daiya cheese. I cut up an organic apple to go along with it, and to drink I had a Dr. Zevia. I think that the only thing that would have made the sandwich better would’ve been to toast it, and maybe added some sprouts and avocado. If you like tomato, that would probably be a welcome addition to the sandwich, as well.
FYI – Quick TIP: Veganaise is a type of vegan mayo. I had a bottle of it in my fridge, and while according to the expiration date it wasn’t expired, I was a little iffy on the time frame in which it had been opened. So, I did a little research and found out that it is good until the listed expiration date – opened or unopened. Good to know! More information can be found here.
Have you tried Veganaise? Do you have a favorite go-to vegan sandwich staple? Please let me know! Leave a comment and let me know what you think! I would love to hear from you!
The Iron Range Vegetarian 