Chez Marie offers 5 different flavors, 3 of which are vegan, gluten free*, corn-free and soy free. Each package contains 4-2.5 oz patties for about $4.99 each. Best of all, they are Non-GMO certified. (Take that bio-tech monsters!!!). I love that the bags are completely recyclable and biodegradable. It makes my environmental sensibilities very joyful indeed.
I tried out all three versions on my non-veg crowd. My sister got a brand spanking new Weber gas grill for her birthday. I am happy to report, I got to christen it with these veggie burgers. First I cooked up all three flavors and served them naked. I wanted the burger flavor and texture to come through.
My personal favorite was the Hearty Hemp Seed. It had a pleasant savory flavor that I knew would pair well with any toppings that it was adorned with. There was no prominent spice, just a nice savory flavor. These may be better cooked on the stove top with a bit more oil. As predicted, it was really nice with traditional toppings like Daiya cheddar, tomato, lettuce, pickles, onions, ketchup and mustard. This patty has 5 grams of protein and only 3.5 grams of fat.
My hubby liked the Spicy Bean burger. I have to mention that my friend's daughter, who is not a burger fan at all, liked the flavor of this one as well. We ended up serving this one with some roasted green chile. Some veggie burgers turn into mush on the bun. These patties held their shape and texture nicely. The Spicy Bean has 7 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber.
The least favorite for our crew was the Wholesome Harvest. There was something a little off balance with the flavor. To me the rosemary gave it an odd flavor profile.
The patties on their own were a bit dry and gummy. I suspect the dryness has something to do with grilling (and the low fat content). If you have food allergies or are just trying to avoid gluten, corn, dairy or soy, these convenient patties are a great healthy option. You can pull them out of the freezer for a quick lunch or dinner and feel good about avoiding GMO's and adding more to our landfills.
*One word of caution for those who are celiac - the packaging says these are made in a facility that processes other food containing wheat.
The kind folks at Chez Marie sent me some vouchers to give away to two lucky readers! Check their website to see if Chez Marie Veggie patties are available in your area. I'm giving away 2 sets of two vouchers. So two of you lucky folks get a chance to win 8 yummy patties! Leave a comment on this post about something about what you love about veggie patties by midnight MST on Friday, October 18th. The 2 winners will be randomly selected on Saturday, October 19th, 2013. Good Luck!!!
The winner is #1 TerryPDX! Now I promised a second winner, but with the other two commenters permission, I'd like to send them each one certificate. Send me your mailing addresses to vegintraining at g mail dot com and I will get them sent out to you!!
Sorry about the delay in posting the winner. I had a mental-pause moment and totally forgot to draw the winner.
