Hello there my fellow foodie &
Happy National Chickpea Day!
Courtesy of Fabalish - today I give you my "food for thought" on three of their delicious products; Baked Falafel, Vegan Tzatziki & Smoke Spice Sauce!
Disclaimer: this is a NON-PAID sponsored review. In exchange for a 'free samples' received directly from Fabalish, I, The Posh Pear, give you my reader an honest review.
Now, before I begin my review, there are some 'dietary' notes I'd like to make that might be of some interest to you!
For starters, all three products (yes all three) are deemed Vegan & Gluten Free!
And for those of you, my fellow foodie friends, who aren't familiar with the terms; Falafel, Aquafaba (an ingredient), let me break it down for you...
Terms to Know:
(definitions according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary)
Falafel =
Def: a spicy mixture of ground vegetables (such as chickpeas or fava beans) formed into balls or patties and then fried (or baked)
Aquafaba =
Def: the liquid that results when beans are cooked in water
NOTE: Aquafaba is used especially in vegan cooking as an egg white substitute.
Vegan =
Def: a strict vegetarian who consumes no food (such as meat, eggs, or dairy products) that comes from animals
Gluten Free =
Def: Gluten, a tenacious elastic protein substance especially of wheat flour that gives cohesiveness to dough
NOTE: to be Gluten Free means one cannot tolerate or chooses to not eat products containing the definition of Gluten.
Hopefully to inspire you, here's a photo of the lunch I made...
Hungry yet?! Now onto the Review!
In order to best explain my overall thoughts on each Fabalish product, below, I invite you to take a look at my "review rating menu"...
aka. The system I use to base all my opinions off, so that you, my fellow friend, can make an informed decision as to whether or not you'd like to try this healthy trend!
So without further adieu, I give to you my point of view...
Review Rating Menu
Company: Fabalish
Product(s) Tried: Baked Falafel, Vegan Tzatziki & Smoke Spice Sauce
Price per Item: $8.99 (per each sauce flavor, with 16, 1 TBSP servings) & $10.99 (for a bag of Baked Falafel, packed with 3, 4 falafel bite servings).
Sold Online or In-Stores: Both
Best Eaten When: Lunch OR Dinner (paired with a dipping sauce or your favorite brand of hummus), chickpea it up!
The Posh Pear Opinion: I'm hooked for life! Having search high & low for a good pre-made falafel for years, Fabalish is both low in sodium, filled with fresh / healthy ingredients & yes, tastes great! A must buy for anyone looking to take a bite!
Fabalish - Baked Falafel
(Note: keep frozen until ready to cook)
Nutrition: 140 CAL, 46cal (6g) FAT, 19g CARBS, 3g SUGAR, 5g FIBER, 6g PROTEIN
Serving Size = 4 pieces (3 servings per bag)
Okay, so I know falafel is one of those dishes most people either hate or absolutely love. For me, I LOVE a good chickpea based anything, so falafel is right up my alley!
The best part about Fabalish Baked Falafels is that they're pre-baked!
While typically kept in the freezer (as I did with mine to maintain optimal freshness), but they should be kept refrigerated at all times. When you're ready to eat, just pop them out of the bag (frozen or refrigerated) & follow the directions on the back to "heat up", it's that simple!
Me, I tried "heating" my falafel 3-different ways... I baked them in the oven (as suggested on the bag), popped them in the microwave for 5 minutes & even tried "pan-frying" them.
Out of every baking method I tried, the one that worked the best was the oven! The falafel came out (in 25 minutes) crispy & warm :)
To revisit my lunch plate (at the top of this page/review), I decided to make my falafel into a salad - combined with fresh spinach, cucumbers, mozzarella cheese, peppers, the falafel (of course), all topped off with Fabalish's Vegan Tzatziki Aquafaba Sauce (talk about a party in my tummy - it was super yummy)!
From the moment I opened the bag, while the falafel itself (frozen) has no aroma - about 15 minutes into them baking, I could smell a slight 'exotic' & mouth watering Mediterranean-esque scent coming from my kitchen!
When it was time to open the oven, my nose was happily overwhelmed! I could immediately smell the fresh parsley (one of the falafel ingredients), so I decided to pair it with the tzatziki sauce (as it put me in a Greek-food-mood).
Now the key, my fellow foodie friend, is to let the falafel "cool" for about 3-4 minutes (before eating), as I found that while the falafel's cooled, they slightly "hardened" (in a good way)... if you eat them when they're too hot (as I did my second time around), I found them to crumble which made them harder to pick up with my hands.
Nevertheless, as I said in my rating menu, after trying my first Fabalish Baked Falafel dish, I'm definitely now addicted!
Of course eating fresh food is always best, BUT, if you're like me (can't figure out how to perfect making your own falafel, like to eat healthy & clean), then Fabalish is the brand for you! I promise my fellow foodie friend, as soon as you finish you first bag you'll start dreaming of the day when you get to try them again - not to mention you'll start thinking of a 101 different dishes you could possibly add them to - they're the perfect addition to any falafel lovers fabulous chickpea addiction!
Overall Score: 9.5/10 (the onlyyyyy reason why I don't give a 10 is because at the end of the day, these are frozen & there's nothing like the taste of eating fresh falafel).
Fabalish - Vegan Tzatziki Aquafaba Sauce
(Note: keep refrigerated at all times)
Nutrition: 80 CAL, 69 cal (9g) FAT, 0g CARBS, 0g SUGAR, 0g FIBER, 0g PROTEIN Serving Size = 1 Tbsp (16 servings per container)
I want you to imagine yourself, sitting by the coast in Greece, eating at your favorite local food stand that serves fresh falafel with tzatziki sauce... because without a doubt, falafel & tzatziki go together like spaghetti & tomato sauce... a pleasant compliment to one another!
On that note, as mentioned in my Baked Falafel review, I decided to try the Vegan Tzatziki sauce along with my lunch... now not to say it wasn't good (because let me tell you my food friend, it most certainly was), however, (now I admit, I don't each much salt on a regular basis so this could just be my taste buds talking), but I found the sauce to be just a tad to overpowering.
Without a doubt, if I had the choice (since I'm not a vegan aka. I eat dairy), I would choose to make my own Greek yogurt tzatziki over buying the Fabalish version - however, that's not to say I wouldn't buy it again, it comes down to what you're taste buds are craving!
Overall Score: 6/10 (not to say I didn't like the sauce, but the nutritional label claims there's 25mg sodium, when in my opinion, it tastes a bit saltier then that. Otherwise, it was a good, I would just rather spend my money on the falafel).
Fabalish - Smoked Spice Aquafaba Sauce
(Note: keep refrigerated at all times)
Nutrition: 80 CAL, 69 cal (9g) FAT, 0g CARBS, 0g SUGAR, 0g FIBER, 0g PROTEIN Serving Size = 1 Tbsp (16 servings per container)
In contrast to the tzatziki sauce, this time my fellow foodie friend, I want you to imagine you're in the mood for some juicy, smokey (vegan based) BBQ worthy sauce!
Now take that mouth watering image, throw it on some fresh baked falafel & ta-da, you've got yourself a repeat worthy lunch!
On that note, as mentioned in my Baked Falafel review, the second time I tried the falafel (pan fried), I decided to pair it with the Smoked Spices Sauce (with cauliflower rice & sweet potatoes on the side)... now while I really enjoyed the slight fiery / savory kick of the smoked sauces' goodness, again just like the tzatziki, I found this sauce to have a bit to much sodium for my liking.
Again, I know that may sound strange considering it claims it only has 35mg salt, but between the two, I really enjoyed the Smoked Spices flavor profile & wouldn't hesitate to buy it again! As I look forward to trying with another falafel meal!
Overall Score: 7/10 (while I liked the smoked sauce better than the tzatziki, this jar claims to have 35mg sodium, which I found surprising since it tasted less 'salty' then the tzatziki. Nevertheless, I would buy it again if it went with a dish I was preparing).
Where Can You Buy Fabalish Foods?
Grocery Store(s): While I received all my products for free in the mail, while out & about shopping, I've noticed them at my local health food grocery store in NYC (in the refrigerated section) called A Matter of Health. If you don't live in NYC, no worries, try checking your local health food store (or perhaps regular grocery store), but if it turns out they don't sell them, just ask a sales rep to see if you can fill out a product form / request to have them brought into the inventory!
Fabalish Website: https://www.fabalish.com/collections/all, here you can buy the products straight off the companies website!
Amazon: Fabalish Amazon Page, lucky for those who are Amazon Prime members, you can have Falafel delivered to your door in as little as two days!
Still hungry? Until my next review, let me leave you with this 'food for thought'...
"You don't need a silver fork to eat good food." - Paul Prudhomme Wishing you much health, happiness & success! Hungry for more reviews? Check out my other blog - The Platinum Passport - to visit my travel world!
Cheers,
The Posh Pear
Meghan Chayka
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