The nice people at gardein (garden + protein) were kind enough to give me some coupons to sample their products. Though I don’t eat ‘fake meat’ often, I took at look at the ingredients used in their products and I was quite impressed. In comparison to other brands, gardein really uses more wholesome ingredients, and I was so pleased to see that there is very little sugar in their products (we’re talking 0-1 gram), and there are no funky additives, preservatives or artificial colours and flavours! Aside from this, gardein places a great value in using plant-based diets as a way to help the Earth. Did you know that the meat industry produces more greenhouse gases than all the suvs, cars, planes, trucks, and ships in the world combined? gardein also donates many meals to organizations in Vancouver with the aim of providing food security for those in need.

I think what I like about the idea of gardein, is that their products offer a fantastic starting point for those looking to ease into a plant-based diet. Eating meat-free even just once a week is one of the best ways to reduce the load on our planet.

I started off with the herb dijon chick’n breasts. For just 170 calories, one of these babies comes in with a whopping 22 grams of protein- wow! I baked the chick’n breasts in the oven, as I roasted some potatoes and broccoli to complete the meal. I have to say that I really enjoyed this. I added just a pinch of salt to the chick’n (but I love sea salt…!) and it tasted fantastic. It was moist, and the dijon sauce had a nice flavour without being overpowering. I was impressed with the texture…it wasn’t rubbery or spongy at all! If I could remember what the texture of chicken was….I’m sure this would be close! I liked how easily I could incorporate this into a regular meal- no extra prep needed, just being able to cook up some veggies with it was easy and made for a well-rounded meal. Here’s how to make it for yourself!

Herb Dijon Chick’n Breasts with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes and Chili Roasted Broccoli

Preheat the oven to 375 F. In a large baking dish, combine some halved new potatoes (whatever amount you need) with a generous drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, a bit of lemon zest and freshly chopped rosemary. In a seperate dish (or the same one if it’s big enough!), slice a head of broccoli into even pieces, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and a sprinkle of chili powder. Roast for about 30-40 minutes, until potatoes are tender and broccoli has crisped up.

Place the gardein chick’n breast and it’s marinade into a seperate baking dish. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

I also made my own “Moroccan Spiced Chick’n Filets” with couscous and sauteed vegetables. This was wonderful. I used gardein’s lightly seasoned chick’n filets. The couscous had fresh chopped mint and toasted pistachios added to it, along with a bit of lemon juice. I used a lovely mixture of zucchini, red onions, mushrooms, and orange bell peppers sauteed with a pinch of salt and pepper to add beautiful colour and flavour to the dish. I love these filets, they are really versatile and I can’t believe how quick they cook up! Another winner from gardein.

Moroccan Spiced Chick’n Filets

• 1/2 tsp each ground cumin, ground coriander, paprika, black pepper
• 1/4 tsp each turmeric, salt, cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp allspice
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 package gardein lightly seasoned chick’n filets

Combine all these ingredients in a dish, and dip each filet into the spice mixture until they are well coated on both sides. Heat up a frying pan and place all 4 filets into it. Cook for 1- 1.5 minutes on each side.