Awesome Vegan Meals by Luvo!

When the company Luvo contacted me to try out some of their vegan frozen meals, I was really excited about it, but was super impressed with how they arrived to me. Before we talk about these wonderful vegan products, let me tell you first about how amazing it was that this giant box of frozen meals traveled from the other side of the country, from the west coast all the way to me on the east coast, and when I opened the box they were still frozen! The dry ice was still intact, in fact we did a science experiment using it! So I thought that was really impressive and I wanted to give a shout out to Luvo for those amazing packaging skills.

This company does healthy and quick meals made from wholesome and real ingredients. They are not a full vegan company, although they have these amazing vegan meals, they also offer some that do include animal products, which is their only downside, in my humble opinion. Obviously I want every company that offers vegan products to be 100% vegan, but I respect that so many companies are offering an array of plant-based and vegan meals and are doing such a splendid job at it, like Luvo is.

Here's the scoop on what I tried from Luvo and what I think about these frozen meals:

Let me just start by saying that these four products are vegan, non-GMO and gluten-free, and I absolutely love that! Each meal is a fantastic offering of each food group and includes a lot of different components and flavors.

Hawaiian Un-Fried Rice: this meal has rice, shiitake mushrooms, pineapple and cashews, which are some of my favorite things melded together in one delicious plant powered bowl, but the best part is how authentic it tasted. A very enjoyable frozen meal for sure that is unlike any others.

Great Karma Coconut Curry: this bowl is a combination of jasmine rice, butternut squash and garbanzo beans along with the tempting flavors of coconut and curry making it just super yummy and perfect for any day of the week. This one you don't have to be in the mood for; I would eat this all the time and might not ever get tired of it.

So Cal Kale & Bean: this bowl is packed with red rice, broccoli and white beans. It tastes super fresh and clean while still remaining absolutely delicious. This one will be my go-to for after a workout for sure because I felt powerful after I consumed it.

Mighty Masala & Greens: brown rice, green garbanzos, cabbage and kale compose this stupendous vegan bowl and these are all my faves for so many reasons; the flavor combined with the nutritional aspect make this one my top choice.

All of these great Luvo meals are packed with whole grains, fresh quality ingredients, fiber, protein, and are super healthy while being delicious at the same time. Big thank you to Luvo for generously sending me this package - not only did I love your vegan products, but you also made me a huge fan of your company. Please keep including more vegan meals to your line, they are fantastic!

And for now, the Dirty Vegan is signing off - eat your beans and greens!

Vegan Cookout Ideas

#whatveganseat #4thofJuly pic.twitter.com/PmC5gMCQ0G

— Catherine Gill (@theDirtyVegan) July 4, 2017

Just wanted to share what we ate today for lunch for some vegan summer cookout inspo. We grilled asparagus, veggie burgers, veggie sausages, boiled sweet corn on the cob, and had homemade ice cream pie for dessert. During lunch preparation we snacked on fresh watermelon, which was so refreshing because it was hot in New England today.

The veggie burgers were Dr. Praeger's (prepared with melted Daiya provolone cheese, Vegenaise, dijon mustard, ketchup, lettuce and natural pickles. The sausages were Tofurky (spinach pesto flavor) with relish, mustard and ketchup on them. The ice cream pie recipe was whipped up so quickly yesterday and topped with soy whipped cream.

Just a super easy lunch idea for some vegan cookout stuff that was put together without hardly any thought. Basically grab some cold, fresh fruit to snack on while grilling, some vegan protein to grill, buns, condiments, some veggies to grill or go along on the side, a dessert, beverages, and some snacky stuff like chips with hummus or guacamole is my go-to base for cookouts and then adding more, like fruit salad, other desserts and snacks, or more stuff to grill, if you like variety or are expecting more of a crowd. I get a lot of messages asking for inspiration and ideas for vegan meals, especially summer ones, so this is a simple way to approach cookouts or grilling without stressing out about it.

And for now, the Dirty Vegan is signing off - Happy and safe Fourth of July!

3 Postum Party Cocktails (Even a Virgin One)!

Today's post is going to be some cocktail ideas for any upcoming cookouts or parties you plan on hosting. Two of the three recipes are alcoholic, however one is non-alcoholic, so I think you'll have something for everyone serving these drinks the next time you entertain guests.

In these recipes I use all three Postum flavors: Natural Coffee Flavor, Postum Cocoa Blend, and the original Postum flavor. Feel free to substitute one for the other to suit your preference. Postum is the perfect product to swap around flavors in recipes because doing so won't ruin the recipe whatsoever. The flavors will change slightly but in such an enjoyable way, that is really what I love about using this products in my recipes: the versatility of the product as well as how tasty it is in everything that I have made so far!

Let's get to these boozy recipe! The next cookout holiday that we have here in America, will be Independence Day next month, so if you are having a party and want to serve something different and fun, you should give these cocktail recipes a try!

Postum Martinis for a Crowd (makes 4 martinis)

2 teaspoons Postum (in original flavor)
6 ounces boiling water
6 ounces vodka
Simple syrup to taste (optional)
ice

Prepare Postum by mixing it with boiling water and set aside for a few moments to cool. In a cocktail shaker, place ice, prepared Postum and give it a shake. Serve by pouring into martini glasses (without ice using the strainer lid), and enjoy!

There is this drink called a Tootsie Roll, that is made with coffee flavored liqueur and orange juice. It is a really tasty drink and almost does taste like a candy lolly pop. I thought that this would be the absolute best drink to make non-alcoholic, and I was right! So tasty and fun. You wouldn't have thought to mix Postum with orange juice, now would you?

Virgin Tootsie Roll (makes 2 drinks)

2 teaspoons Postum (in Natural Coffee flavor)
6 ounces boiling water
8 ounces orange juice
ice

Prepare Postum by mixing it with boiling water and set aside for a few moments to cool. In a cocktail shaker, place ice, prepared Postum, orange juice and give it a shake. Serve in glass of choice (fun with a paper umbrella for garnish) and enjoy!

Out of this World - Banana Split Cocktail (makes 1 drink)

1 teaspoon Postum (in Cocoa Blend flavor)
4 ounces boiling water
ice
1 ounce banana liqueur
2 tablespoon vanilla soy coffee creamer
splash of pineapple juice
maraschino cherries to garnish on top (optional)

Prepare Postum by mixing it with boiling water and set aside for a few moments to cool. Fill a tall glass with ice. In a cocktail shaker, place more ice, prepared Postum, banana liqueur and give it a shake. Pour contents of shaker strained into glass, then add coffee creamer and top with pineapple juice. You can garnish with cherries or whipped topping or just enjoy it the way it is!

I hope you get a chance to try these recipes. They came out awesome! And big thanks to the folks at Postum for sponsoring this recipe post and for generously supplying the product. Stay tuned for a Postum giveaway coming soon where I'll be giving away a jar of each fabulous flavor!

*As always, drink responsibly and the recipes that have alcohol in them are intended to be prepared and enjoyed by people who are 21+ and older*

This blog post was sponsored by Postum

Vegan Rice Back At Taco Bell!

I just wanted to let everyone know that the vegan rice at Taco Bell is back again!

There was this weird thing that happened with their rice recently. They came out with vegan rice and launched their vegan menu, then suddenly started adding dairy to their rice in the form of butter, and it was no longer an animal-product-free rice. But now their vegan rice is back and the old butter rice is off the menu completely. This vegan rice is currently the only rice on the menu so that there will be no confusion as to which rice is safe for vegans to eat. Pheeeewwwww!

3 FABULOUS Protein Shake & Smoothie Recipes for Our Fit Fam!

I've done fabulous Postum recipes for cocktails, desserts and dessert-like beverages, even savory recipes too, but it occurred to me that all of those recipes were very rich and some even included ice cream or alcohol - what about recipes using Postum for the health conscious? And let's face it, we are ALL health conscious every now and again, especially when we are trying to cut back a little or get in shape before a big event.

So I wanted to do some smoothies and protein shake type of recipes that would be great to enjoy before or after workouts, as meal replacements, or as healthy snacks for when you are trying to eat a bit more on the clean side - but of course, in true Dirty Vegan style, they are fun and delicious too!

All recipes make 1 large shake or 2 small ones.

Double Chocolate Covered Strawberry Protein Shake

Double Chocolate Covered Strawberry Protein Shake 
(tastes like the decadent dessert!)

What you will need:

-2 teaspoons Postum Cocoa Blend
-6 ounces boiling water
-6 ounces chocolate almond milk
-1/2 cup frozen strawberries
-1 serving/scoop chocolate protein shake powder
-ice (optional)

What you will need to do:

Prepare Postum by mixing it with boiling water; set aside and allow to cool a bit. In a blender add prepared Postum and the remaining ingredients; blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Banana Split Protein Shake
(tastes just like a banana split - maybe even better!)

What you will need:

-2 teaspoons Postum Cocoa
-6 ounces boiling water
-6 ounces vanilla soy milk
-3 ripe strawberries
-1/2 ripe banana
-1/8 cup frozen pineapple
-1 serving/scoop chocolate protein shake powder
-2 tablespoons walnuts (optional)
-ice (optional)

What you will need to do:

Prepare Postum by mixing it with boiling water; set aside and allow to cool a bit. In a blender add prepared Postum and the remaining ingredients; blend until smooth. Enjoy!


Carrot Cake with Coffee Smoothie
(tastes like you are drinking carrot cake with a cup of coffee!)

-2 teaspoons Postum Natural Coffee Flavor
-6 ounces boiling water
-6 ounces vanilla almond milk
-1/2 ripe banana
-1/2- 1 large carrot
-2 tablespoons walnuts or pecans, optional
-ice (optional)

What you will need to do:

Prepare Postum by mixing it with boiling water; set aside and allow to cool a bit. In a blender add prepared Postum and the remaining ingredients; blend until smooth. Enjoy!

These drinks totally taste like desserts in a cup, without adding any additional sugar, other than what is already in the fruit or the vegan milks. If you want to cut down on the sugar even further, you can always opt for protein powders sweetened with stevia or other sugar-free sweeteners instead. These pre- or post workout beverages are so easy to make and customize. Try using different fruits or nuts and even nut butters to create your own! Be sure to share pictures of your creations with us on social media! You can find Me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook AND you can also find Postum on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook as well. And for now, the Dirty Vegan is signing off, smiles from my kitchen to yours!

This blog post was sponsored by Postum.

Neopolitan Fountain Float & Almond Joyful Postum Cocktail Recipes!

This is the second part of yesterday's post where I introduced Postum Cocoa Blend. Today, we are going to look at two super fun recipes using this awesome new cocoa stuff, one being a cool summer cocktail.

I was initially planning on posting two alcoholic drink recipes, but since not everyone drinks alcohol and a portion of my readers are under the age of 21, I wanted the post to be fair and have one boozy drink and one non-alcoholic kind. Of course the cocktail can be made non-alcoholic by using another type of liquid, like coconut milk or maybe even coconut water instead. These are both really fun drinks and seriously so yummy! Get creative and don't forget to keep sharing pictures of your Postum creations with us on social media!

Neopolitan Fountain Float
makes 1 drink

What you'll need:

-2 teaspoons Postum Cocoa Blend
-6 ounces boiling water
-3 scoops vanilla ice cream
-3 ripe strawberries, sliced

What you'll need to do:

Prepare Postum by mixing it with boiling water and set aside to cool. Once cooled, fill a tall glass with ice cream scoops, strawberries, then fill with prepared Postum. Top with whipped cream and an additional strawberry for garnish, if desired. Enjoy!

Every Postum recipe I make I really do say that it is my favorite one, but this has got to be my favorite one! HA HA! They are all so good, but I drank this down the fastest of them all! Just so absolutely tasty! The flavors melded so well together and it really does taste like neopolitan ice cream!

Almond Joyful Postum Cocktail
makes 1 drink
(*21+ to make and enjoy this one!*)

What you'll need:

-1 teaspoon Postum Cocoa Blend
-4 ounces boiling water
-1 ounce coconut flavored rum
-.5 ounce almond flavored liquer
-splash of vanilla coffee creamer
-ice

What you'll need to do:

Prepare Postum by mixing it with boiling water and set aside to cool. Fill a cocktail shaker about 2/3 up with ice and add rum and liquer to the shaker. Then add cooled prepared Postum and coffee creamer (a splash or to taste) to the shaker (you can even add the creamer in afterwards and just float it in the glass, like I did in the photo - which I think looks more beautiful!); shake it up! Then fill a tall glass with ice and pour shaker contents into it. This drink can be topped with whipped cream, if desired.

Please, as always, drink responsibly! This one was really interesting to make and I loved the way it turned out! It tastes just like drinking one of those classic candies that has coconut, almond, and coated in chocolate - and the drink is just as decadent as I remember the confection being!

I hope you enjoyed this one! I always have a good time creating and I truly love what I do, but this one was big fun for sure! Please stay tuned for more recipes using Postum; the next one is totally unexpected and will be awesome, so get excited for it!

And for now, the Dirty Vegan is signing off - hope your day is soda fountain and candy shop sweet!

This blog post was sponsored by Postum.

Introducing Postum Cocoa & Recipe!

When I found out about Postum's new addition to their product line, Cocoa Blend, I could hardly contain my excitement on wanting to review it! And then my mind started racing with recipe ideas. My mind is already filled with so many Postum recipe ideas that I have yet to create and share, but now with adding Cocoa to the mix, I never want to leave my kitchen. This post is a review of the new product and a very exciting recipe at the end!

If you aren't familiar with the Postum brand, please check out my other Postum posts - they are an all-natural, vegan, kosher, non-GMO brand that specializes in an instant warm beverage in original, coffee and now cocoa flavor; a caffeine-free alternative to drinking coffee or tea, or a wonderful beverage to add to your life in addition to the other drinks.

I felt like a kid on Christmas getting this package! I couldn't wait to open the jar and smell it! Yummm...smells just like hot cocoa mixed in with that familiar and comforting aroma of Postum. I noticed that it is still only 10 calories, no sugar and same carbs, just 2. 

I prepared a cup as usual. I usually take my cup of warm Postum by mixing 2 teaspoons of the product with 6 ounces of boiling water, Sometimes I add soy creamer or vegan milk, sometimes I drink it black. My initial reaction upon tasting it, was that it wasn't sweet like hot cocoa, but has that nice and subtle chocolate flavor intertwined with the flavor of Postum; it is simply delightful. It is also so very accommodating to customization since you can add sweetener or creamer/ milk of choice, that really brings out the cocoa flavor. I personally liked enjoying it both ways - plain and sweetened with creamer. Just like the other Postum products, very versatile in terms of beverage as well as recipes you can do with it.

I can also see this flavor being amazing made with steamed milk, or prepared then cooled to enjoy cold, and of course in so many fun drink recipes. Let's take a look at the recipe I created - like a frozen s'more in a cup!

Campside Frozen S'mores Hot Cocoa

makes 1 large beverage

What you'll need:

-2 teaspoons Postum Cocoa Blend

-6 oz. boiling water

-sweetener (optional)

-vanilla creamer, to taste and for marshmallow sauce

-ice

-1 graham cracker

-3 large vegan marshmallows

Optional toppings: vegan whipped cream, chocolate syrup for drizzling or for rim, crushed graham crackers to garnish or for rim, marshmallows for garnish.

What you'll need to do:

In a mug designed for hot beverages, mix Postum with boiling water until well combined. Sweeten to taste if using sweetener and add creamer to taste. Let the beverage cool. In a blender, blend prepared Postum drink, ice and graham cracker; set aside. In a microwave safe dish or cup, place marshmallow and creamer then microwave in 15 second increments, stirring when needed, until marshmallow is a liquid sauce. Drizzle marshmallow sauce in the inside of a glass or tumbler cup designed for cold beverages, then pour in your icy Postum from the blender. Top with toppings, if desired.

ENJOY!

Vegan<3

You can find Postum on social: twitter, instagram, facebook!

Tomorrow will be Postum cocktails!!! You won't believe what I came up with either. And for now, the Dirty Vegan is signing off - have a sweet day!

This blog post was sponsored by Postum.