Alpro Non-Dairy Puddings, Europe

Alpro is a Belgian company that produces alternative dairy products, distributed throughout Europe.  I discovered them in Germany, while visiting my Munich office, where our microkitchens were stocked with Alpro products.  At the time, I had no idea the products were not dairy based.

They make a variety of milks (soy, almond, cashew, hazelnut, coconut, rice, oat, and blends), all in a number of flavors, plus yogurts and a cream alternative, and ... desserts!  You can guess which items I was drawn to, not even knowing what they were.

The dessert line consists of 4 puddings,  ice cream, and a custard, all soy based.  The pudding flavors are vanilla, chocolate, dark chocolate, and caramel, except with far better names, like "Heavenly Velvet Vanilla", "Silky Smooth Chocolate", "Devilishly Dark Chocolate", and "Sweet Creamy Caramel" (these are the UK names, the product names I saw in Munich were in, well, German).

Softer Karamell (Sweet Creamy Caramel).

From the picture on the packaging, I really wasn't entirely sure what the product was.  I guessed yogurt, but hoped it was pudding.  I guessed caramel flavored.

I was basically right.

Softer Karamell (Sweet Creamy Caramel): Inside!

"Alpro caramel dessert is a delightful treat for your taste buds. Made with only the finest ingredients, this delicious, plant-based dessert makes any occasion special. Indulge in the sweet taste of caramel, with none of the regret!"

This was incredible.

I know now that it is soy pudding, fairly healthy soy pudding at that.  But ... it was so good, I really wouldn't have guessed this.

It was creamy.  The caramel flavor was more like butterscotch.  I loved it.  The soy undertone just added to the flavor, rather than tasting artificial.

If you topped it with some whipped cream, or a crumble of some sort, it would be a top notch dessert.  Even without, it was good, and perhaps even a decently healthy treat.

Dunkle Schokolade Feinherb (Devilishly Dark Chocolate) Dessert.

"Small, dark and devilishly delicious, Alpro dark chocolate dessert combines silky plant-based creaminess with the seductive powers of real, dark chocolate to tempt you. This wholesome indulgence is the perfect treat."

Next I tried the super dark chocolate  It was also quite good.

Thick, very rich, dark chocolate pudding.  Honestly, I would not know it was soy based.  The flavor was good, the consistency was good.  No plastic-y packaged pudding here.

The Alpro website suggests topping it with cookie crumbles or nuts, or enjoying as is right from the tub, which is how I did it, but I do agree with their suggestions.

Really excellent, although I preferred the caramel.

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Burger King, Munich

On my recent trip to Munich, I walked by Burger King one day, just out of curiosity.  I always love to see what different items Burger King, McDonald's, and the like have in other countries.  It has become a bit of a tradition for me to visit a fast food place while traveling, just to try out something new.  Sometimes, you find real gems, like the Croque McDo in France!

I was tempted by items at both Burger King and McDonalds, like the chocolate McToast for breakfast at McDonalds or the Whoppers on red or black buns at Burger King, but, I never wound up with the opportunity to visit until my last night in Munich.  I went out to a big dinner, a huge, heavy dinner at Zum Dürnbräu.  We ordered dessert, 3 different desserts in fact.  The dessert was good.  We didn't need more.  As we left the restaurant, the group split into several smaller groups, some going off to a tiki bar, others to another bar, and others to walk back to hotels.

I mentioned that Burger King had waffles to the hotel group, and, somehow, the next thing I knew, a group of 4 was going to accompany me to the Burger King en route.  This was particularly amusing given that we'd just finished dinner, but, with 4 of us, we knew we could try "just a bite" of the waffle, and leave the country with our (ok, my) curiosity satisfied.

Let's just say ... it was a success.  Honestly.  The waffle far exceeded my expectations.

Warme Belgische Waffel. 2.39€.

Moments after ordering, my precious waffle was handed over in a plastic tray.  I was shocked by several things.  First, how quickly it arrived.  I know this is fast food, and that is the point, but, how did they get it ready so fast?  It was seriously less than a minute after I ordered that my waffle showed up in the window, and then other worker grabbed it, added my toppings, and handed it to me within a few more seconds.

The other shock is that it was quite warm.  Now, my very limited German did lead me to believe that my "Warme Belgische Waffel" was going to be, er, warm, but, I was still surprised by how warm it was.  Anyway.

With my warm waffle in hand, I quickly brought it over to my table of awaiting diners.  The first took the plastic fork and tried to cut a chunk off just with the fork.  He broke the tines of fork in half.  We had only one fork, because I had no idea how to ask for more in German.  Now, we had half a fork, and a knife, less than ideal.

He still managed to get a small bite cut off, added a little ice cream, and dug in.  He seemed pleasantly surprised, declaring that it was "Just like Cinnabon!" (Side note: he loves Cinnabon).  I was slightly confused because I didn't think the waffle was going to be cinnamon flavored, and someone else pressed him on this.  He then told us that no, it wasn't that it was cinnamon flavored, it was just ... like Cinnabon.  I had no idea what he meant exactly.

The next person dug in, using the plastic knife to cut off a chunk.  This worked much better.  He also seemed pleasantly surprised as he took the bite.

Finally, patiently, I got my turn (yes, they all dared go before me!)  I guess my facial expressions totally gave away how I felt about it.  Well, huh.  It was ... really good.

The waffle was warm and sugary and caramelized.  Did it have a perfectly crisp exterior?  Nah.  Was it a little bit soft and a somewhat strange reheated texture?  Yeah, and that is what made it hard to cut (and, perhaps, what made him think of Cinnabon?)  But, the caramelization was nice, and it was warm and doughy ...

The chocolate sauce was just standard thin chocolate syrup that they use for sundaes, and I think I was supposed to have the option of caramel or chocolate, but, I missed that part.  I wasn't really a fan of the watery chocolate sauce.

The ice cream was vanilla soft serve, standard fast food style, which is to say, pretty darn good.  Say what you want, but, fast food chains tend to make pretty decent vanilla soft serve.

So put it all together, and you have a warm, doughy, sugary base, and a cold, creamy ice cream on the side.  That ticks a lot of boxes for me.  A better sauce, and something crunchy, and I'd rave about it even more (like, the caramel sauce and nuts from sundae?)

Overall, really quite good, I'd totally have another, and I'm so glad we tried it.

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Salads from Rubio's

By now, you surely know about my not-so-secret love of Rubio's, a fast casual Mexican chain restaurant that I discovered a few years ago in San Francisco.  No, I don't really like Mexican cuisine, and no I don't really like fast casual, but, uh, Rubio's is delicious.  I've reviewed basically every single type of taco that they make, and the new enchiladas, and the burritos, plus all the seasonal seafood specials, like the signature langostino lobster, as they come out.  Since I have an entire label devoted to Rubios, I suggest you start there for background, and then return here to read about my new adventures - with the salad.

Yes, go ahead and suspend even further disbelief.  I'm now telling you I love a fast casual Mexican chain for their ... salad.  The vegetarian version no less (inspired by my recent trying of the roasted vegetable grilled gourmet tacos, to great success).

Let's start in October 2015.  I was speaking at an event in SoCal, the real home of Rubio's.  And ... the event was catered by Rubio's!  They had a huge spread, including burritos, chips & salsa, and, huge salads.  I didn't know it was going to be catered, so I ate beforehand.  But, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get my Rubio's fix!  Trying to eat light, I opted to try the salads.

Since I had them at an event, there was not an option to add a protein on top, but you can normally top the salads with any of the seafood or chicken options.

I started with the Balsamic and Roasted Veggie Salad, described as:

"A blend of fresh butter and spring lettuce with roasted veggies and light balsamic vinaigrette. Fire-roasted corn, roasted sweet peppers, onions, zucchini and squash, sweet buttery Hass avocado slices, and a cilantro/onion mix on a butter and spring lettuce mix. Drizzled with light balsamic vinaigrette made with extra virgin olive oil.

I really liked the salad.  The base was just lettuce (spring mix), but it was fresh enough, although not particularly exciting.  The veggies on top were shockingly good.  Roasted corn, sweet peppers, onions, zucchini, and squash.  The veggies were flavorful, fresh, and marinated in something tasty before being roasted.

I didn't care for the balsamic dressing, but the veggies went great with the dressing from the other salad ...

Next up, the Chopped Salad, described as:

"Chopped salad with salsa fresca and a creamy chipotle dressing.  Romaine lettuce and cabbage, a blend of cheeses, tortilla chips, our salsa fresca and mild salsa drizzled with a creamy chipotle dressing."

I really liked this salad.  The base was just romaine lettuce, again, a bit boring, but it also had crunchy fresh cabbage mixed in.  The winning element however was the creamy chipotle dressing.  I love creamy dressings, and this was very flavorful, with lots of garlic and just a bit of kick.  The salsa fresca was a surprise in a salad, but I liked it more than just regular tomatoes, it reminded me of a marinated tomato mix I used to always add to my Caesar salad at my favorite restaurant in my hometown.  The chip bits gave it some crunch, and the cheese helped complete that almost Caesar-like feel to it.

So, both successful salads, but I quickly realized that my idea salad was a combination of the two - the chopped salad topped with roasted veggies.  And luckily for me, since it was an event with big bowls of each, I could do just that.

Chopped Salad with Roasted Vegetables, Takeout.

"Chopped salad with salsa fresca and a creamy chipotle dressing.  Romaine lettuce and cabbage, a blend of cheeses, tortilla chips, our salsa fresca and mild salsa drizzled with a creamy chipotle dressing."

Fast forward to my recent trip to Rubio's.  I was really craving vegetables, so a salad seemed in order, and I decided to try to order my custom salad.  I ordered the chopped salad, and was immediately asked what topping I'd like, grilled chicken, blackened or grilled salmon, shrimp, etc.  I asked for the roasted veggies instead, and told it was no problem.  They really do a great job with customization at Rubio's.

So, as when I had it at the event, the base was a mix of fresh, crispy, romaine, in just the right bite sized chunks.  Mixed in was shredded green cabbage, even crunchier.  I was, as before, impressed with the freshness of the lettuce mix.  The salsa fresca was again a nicer touch than standard tomatoes, as it had a bit more flavor.  Sprinkled on was a mix of shredded cheese, not too much, and it melted slightly from the warm veggies.

The veggies were exactly as I remembered from both the roasted veggie salad and the veggie taco I ordered before.  Mostly a mix of colorful bell peppers (red, yellow, and green) and red onions, all soft but not mushy, and nicely seasoned (it turns out they marinate the veggies in garlic and lemon first).  The veggies had visible grill marks, and an amazing smoky flavor.  My salad had a nice sized scoop of veggies, but, I was a bit sad to receive only one spear of zucchini.  The veggie mix never includes mushrooms, but I think they would make a wonderful addition as well.

The creamy chioptle dressing was again fabulous, it has some serious kick, and, the unhealthy person I am, I do adore creamy dressings.  The creamy dressing and shredded cheese in particular go together fabulously.

But there was something missing from this salad.  The crunch.  Which is supposed to come in the form of tortilla strips.  They were there when I had the salad at the event, this was clearly just an accidental omission.

Overall, I was very satisfied with my salad.  It was a huge serving, enough to fill me up for lunch and then have a little side salad for later.  I really liked the roasted veggie mix, the dressing, the fresh greens.  But, if I were to refine it further ... I'd also add on a scoop of the fire-roasted corn and fresno chiles, that I loved so much in the chimichurri taco. I'd also consider trying the chipotle ranch salad, but it uses a base of spring lettuce, which seems less exciting.  Maybe ... chopped salad, plus roasted veggies, plus fire roasted corn, sub chipotle ranch for the chipotle white sauce?

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