TASTE TEST: Nasyoa Silken Creations

Chocolate Banana "tofu"-milkshake using Dark Chocolate Nasoya Silken Creations

RATING:

Nasoya typically makes all walks of tofu, noodles, wonton wrappers etc. They are my favorite tofu brand because of the variations available - firm, light, pre-cubed, silken etc. When I was looking at their display at the supermarket I noticed an entirely NEW product from this company - "Nasoya Silken Creations". They are available in three flavors: Dark Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry. All three are vegan. I decided to try out the dark chocolate (of course!).

So I went home and was like, um, what do I do with this silken creation? I'm no rocket-scientist in the kitchen and I needed an easy recipe to follow. Luckily I found that Nasoya lists a ton of recipes on their website. So I followed this one for a Chocolate Banana Smoothie:

1. Put the package of the Dark Chocolate Silken Creations, 2 ripe bananas and 2/3 cup water in a blender (I also added 6 ice cubes)
2. Blend
3. my twist was that after this step I put the cup in the freezer for 45 minutes
4. Serve!

What resulted was an awesomely sweet frozen chocolate banana shake. Damn that was easy & cheap. The drink wasn't too thick, which I was worried about since it was tofu and not soymilk or soy ice cream in the mixture. It was very creamy and frothy. I loved the taste, the bananas were really strong in the drink.

I loved how easy this was to make. There are also some other super easy recipes on their site that I would like to test out. For example - the chocolate mint sorbet recipe says that all you need to do is add some peppermint extract and the silken creation, combine in a bowl then freeze. That sounds way too easy.

Have you tried Nasoya Silken Creations? Lover or a hater? What other products do you use to make soy milkshakes? Post in the comments!

YUMMIEST: Place to get pancakes in NYC: Installment 3

Spelt Berry Pancakes at Caravan of Dreams

PLACE: Caravan of Dreams

MEAL: Spelt Berry Pancakes

PRICE: $10.00

RATING:YYY (3 out of 5 hearts!)

I have been really into Caravan of Dreams lately. Now that they offer smaller plates that are more affordable, I want to go every day. Plus their desserts are usually on point. Anyway. Out of the various menus I have scoured, Caravan of Dreams listed the most seemingly appetizing vegan pancake:

“Two spelt-berry pancakes sandwiched around a grilled banana and garnished with chopped nuts and fresh fruit”. Salivating?

I was really in awe of the presentation of this meal. The pancakes were huge, the fruit had variety and was fresh and I loved the brown of the pancakes complimented by the light circle around the edges. This is how a pancake should look! I also liked that the pancakes were large, round and thin. I’ve noticed that some of the vegan pancakes I’ve tried are thicker which causes them to lose their fluffiness and really messes with the texture. The texture here was great and the blueberries inside of the pancake was a tasty addition. All of the food was fresh & organic even down to the maple syrup, which had a great taste.

The grilled banana in the middle was a really nice touch, though it wasn’t very sweet (it may have been a plantain), it was yummy and added a certain touch to the dish that I haven’t experienced before.

My only complaint, which I’ve repeated a few times already in my pancake quest, was that they were pretty dry. Without the fruit, nuts & syrup on top, the pancakes would taste quite bland and dry.

Overall, I was very pleased with this dish. Considering the price for such a huge, filling plate, I would definitely go back for more!

The only other places I have on my list are Candle 79 and Counter. Are they any other places in the NYC area that you suggest I check out for vegan pancakes? Post in the comments!