What We Tried Today: Gimme Lean "Ground Beef" Style Burgers

Finished burger with ketchup and Vegenaise

My youngest son asked for a "regular burger" a few weeks ago, so I knew eating our favorite vegan burger was out of the question. He was looking for something with a bite and similar texture to ground beef. I picked up a pack of Gimme Lean ground beef style veggie protein and went home to experiment.

What I liked:

*I was able to prep and cook the burgers within 30 minutes

*Great source of protein and zero fat and cholesterol

*The flavor was pretty good and reminded me of char-broiled burgers

*It has a similar texture to regular ground beef and has a great bite

What we/I didn't like:

*Way too sticky to handle-one of my Youtube viewers mentioned it isn't as sticky when handling with wet hands

*Pricey-about $6 for 4 hamburger patties

Will I buy it again? Even though the kids liked it, I probably wouldn't buy it again because it caused my stomach to hurt. :-(  Fortunately, the boys didn't have any problems.

Watch my full review here. :-)

Have you tried this Gimme Lean product or any of their other products?

Simple Baked Macaroni & Cheese

This macaroni & cheese recipe is still my go-to recipe, but sometimes I don't have the time or patience to deal with the multiple steps. 

On those days, I use a much simpler and just as delicious option....

I adapted this recipe from Atlanta's Soul Vegetarian Restaurant and made it creamier by adding in vegan cheddar and mozzarella cheese. 

Here's a picture of what happened the first time I made this recipe for lunch...

The family approved!

It's funny how things change-I used to think of macaroni & cheese as a side dish, now I see it as the main entree with two vegetables on the side. 

Simple Vegan Macaroni & Cheese

by Soul Vegetarian Restaurant & Brown Vegan

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Keywords: bake entree vegan

Ingredients (8 Servings)

• (1) 1lb box elbow macaroni
• 2 cups soymilk
• 3/4 cup vegan margarine or vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons yellow or dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup vegan cheddar cheese
• ½ cup vegan mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon season salt (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400º

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add in macaroni. Cook until al dente-about 7 minutes.

2. Blend everything except vegan margarine and cheese.

3. Once everything is combined, pour the margarine in the blender slowly.

4. Mix the pasta with the sauce and cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes.

This recipe is inspired by Soul Vegetarian Restaurant in Atlanta, GA

Check out their video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhulOmHr3Kc

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Pecan Banana Muffins

These muffins are moist, simple and make a great breakfast with fresh fruit.

Pecan Banana Muffins

by Brown Vegan

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 18

Keywords: bread breakfast vegan

Ingredients (10-12 muffins)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup vegan margarine, melted
• 1/3 cup raw sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 bananas, mashed
• 1/3 cup pecans, chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven at 400º

Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into a small bowl. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the vegan margarine, sugar, vanilla extract, and bananas. Add in half of the sifted flour until combined. Then mix in the remaining flour until all flour has been incorporated. Fold in chopped pecans.

Divide batter among muffin cups and bake, 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean.

Makes 10-12 muffins

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Check out the video for this recipe....

Veganize It: Cheesesteak

 A1 sauce was always in the refrigerator growing up, so I figured it would be cool to experiment with it for a cheese steak recipe. It rocks! This simple marinate carries the recipe and is perfect for a 30 minute weeknight dinner.

Portobello Cheese steak

by Brown Vegan

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 17

Ingredients (6 sandwiches)

• 4 large Portobello mushroom caps
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• ½ cup A1 sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup vegan cheese of choice
• 6 sandwich rolls, split in half crosswise

Instructions

Clean mushrooms with a damp cloth. Remove the stems and gills with a spoon. Cut mushrooms into strips and marinate in a large bowl with garlic powder and A1 sauce. Add oil to a large skillet on medium heat and saute bell pepper and onion for 4 minutes. Add in mushrooms and cook for 7 more minutes.

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Spoon mixture on rolls and top with vegan cheese. Bake for 6 minutes. Then broil for 2 minutes on HI to allow cheese to melt.

Enjoy immediately.

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Peanut Butter Brownie Cups

>>> Click to Get 5 Kid-Friendly Snacks Your Family Will Love <<<

I used to shy away from recipe writing because I didn't want to waste ingredients experimenting.  I'm working on getting over that. :-) I'm proud to present this delicious, rich, and simple dessert.  

Kid-Approved-all 3 of my boys gave these brownie cups their stamp of approval

Peanut Butter Brownie Cups

by Brown Vegan

Cook Time: 12-15

Keywords: bake dessert

Ingredients (12 Brownies)

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 2/3 cup semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp vegan margarine
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/3 cup cane sugar
• 2/3 cup flour
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven at 350º

Melt chocolate chips, margarine, and peanut butter in a small saucepan. Transfer to a bowl and add in sugar, applesauce, vanilla extract, and flour until well combined.

In a muffin pan, place 1 tbsp of batter for each cup. Drizzle with a little melted peanut butter and optional chocolate chips. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

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