Post Punk Kitchen Forum

Thanks Purepsycho. It's annoying me that Sainsbury's still seem so inconsistent on their labelling. I used to phone them up when there was nothing obviously un-vegan but they'd changed the labelling (e.g. strudel) or they were just labelled vegetarian to begin with, but I never got very far with their customer services so gave up trying in the end.

I found tofu shirataki noodles ( They had fettuccine, macaroni and spaghetti shapes) in my local Asian supermarket.
Not tried them yet, but I am hoping they are much better than the 'miracle noodles' which are made from konjac.
I'm not sure if you all will be able to get them in your area, but I mentioned my find because last I heard they were not available in the UK. So maybe have a look about if your interested...

Oh and speaking of... in Holland and Barrett they are now selling 'miracle rice' stuff. Essentially again, its konjac in rice shapes, it's generally for people who want to do the low calorie thing. It's near where they have all the dried soya mince etc.

Let us know how the noodles turn out? I tried plain shirataki noodles once but couldn't stand the texture.

I buy these all the time in Chinatown in London. The texture is a little weird but you get used to it. I've made them with tomato based pasta sauces as well as pesto based. They would probably be good in noodle soups. One of my best meals with them was with vegan frozen shrimp (found in the Chinese shop), butter, garlic and shirataki noodles. I found this website helpful in the preparation of them. http://www.hungry-girl.com/biteout/show/2157

I find loads of things in the Chinese shops, very reasonably priced tofu, especially the fried kind. Goes great in ramen soups. Also found "paper tofu", just regular tofu, lots of canned mock meats and strange vegan things in the freezer section.

I think this is new - Sharwood's microwaveable sag aloo. I haven't tried it yet, but I didn't see anything in it that wasn't vegan. Now if only they would make some vegan naan.

Tried them. Slightly better, but still have the rubbery texture as the others. I want to like them...



Chinese supermarkets are great. I can get tempeh in mine, and mushroom jerky which I think is really tasty.
Also I love the canned mock meats, they're really good.

Really tempeh and mushroom jerky? Where is this Chinese shop? I live in London and go to Chinatown. Do you have pics of the tempeh? I may have seen it an not realised what it was. As to canned mock meats I have found duck and abalone. Have not tried abalone.

This is a shop in Portsmouth. Yeah the mushroom jerky is in packets, alongside various other dried snacks, and the tempeh is often in rectangular blocks, about half the thickness of a building brick, and found in the freezer. But I'm not sure if it'll be the same for every shop!
I wasn't hugely keen on the abalone as it is very very soft and squishy in texture, I prefer something with a bit more bite! But that's just me :)

Thanks for the info on the abalone. I found vegan "prawns" in the frozen section a few weeks ago. They were tasteless but texture of prawns. I sprinkled some mixed nori and other seaweed seasoning flakes on them, mixed them in with pasta, garlic and olive oil. Was really good!

I don't know how new these are, but I've only just found them - Beech's coffee creams. They're really good, with a really strong coffee fondant centre. I got them at Holland & Barrett - £2.85 for a box of 10, and (for some reason) they were in the fridge section (at least, they were at my H&B).

Surely the best thing about being vegan is never having to eat coffee creams?

Whaaaat?! Coffee creams are awesome!

They have a few different flavours! I think there's lavender, maybe mint too?

I've seen the lavender ones. But I like coffee creams too.

Yeah, they had mint and lavender at my H&B. I really liked the coffee ones. The chocolate wasn't as brittle, I guess (I can't think of another way to put that), as most of the chocolate-covered fondants I've had.

That vegan black pudding is foul. I'll eat almost anything but I'm throwing the rest away. I loved black pudding so it's definitely not ick factor. The texture is reasonably close but the flavour is horrid. Way too dried herb like and almost perfumed.

i haven't even opened mine yet!

Such a shame to see more non-vegan meat substitutes hitting the supermarket shelves. I saw these 'Meet The Alternative' mock meats in Waitrose yesterday. http://www.talkingretail.com/products/p ... free-range
They were alongside the Quorn, not much of an alternative as far as I'm concerned. It is so frustrating that Redwoods do great similar items but aren't in any supermarkets.

I was unreasonably excited to see Linda McCartney scampi in Tesco the other day, only to find they've got milk in them, grrr!

Yeah and isn't it something super annoying like whey powder?? UGH.

I'm not sure, I couldn't read the ingredients through the bitter tears of disappointment.

I found vegan cake in Leicester yesterday, actual veeery tasty cake. There's a little place called cafe Mbriki which had a sign outside advertising vegan cakes. I had a banofee one and a double chocolate one, I neeeeed their icing recipe :O

Shame they dont really seem to have any vegan lunch options on the menu though I'll ask at some point. Was in town with my mum and actually could not find anything I could eat for lunch. Even salads and falafel wraps all have yoghurt these days!

You may have wanted something you could eat on the move but don't forget there are vegan (and veganisable) options at Yo! Sushi - I think there is a branch in Leicester.

Yeah I guess that's true. I've never been in there though. My mum hates the smell of fish to the point of gagging when she smells it and I'd assume that a sushi place would smell like fish!

i've been to Yo! Sushi a few times and i don't remember it ever smelling particularly fishy.