Review: Viana Organic Creamy Spreads

Viana's tasty spreads, which are found for around $4 a jar at veganessentials.com.

I love crafting and eating sandwiches, but just working with mayo, ketchup, and mustard can get boring -- even if the contents between the bread change. I was curious to try Viana's various creamy spreads, most of which are comprised of ground sunflower seeds. 

All the spreads were well-seasoned and had their own distinct flavors. I used most as a spread on bread, but toward the end I used spoonfuls in various sauces to add another dimension to the flavor profile. My latest pumpkin pasta dish was exquisite thanks to the spoonfuls of Papaya Curry and Italian Vegetables. Both spreads added tartness, fruity notes, and hints of herb flavors.

Here's my take on the various spreads:

• Onion butter: What’s not to love about this seasoned spread – it’s buttery, salty, and has onion pieces in it that taste like the fried onions that get tossed on green bean casseroles. I’ve spread it on toast, but I absolutely loved adding a spoon of it to my baked sweet potato.

• Papaya Curry: This creamy sunflower spread has a very subtle curry taste. It has a fruity flavor and is just plain wonderful. I’ve added a spoon to my savory dishes, and it adds a lovely tang.

• Horseradish: This creamy sunflower spread is one of my favorites. Your tongue is bombarded with a strong horseradish flavor, but there’s absolutely no heat. Don’t expect the usual stabbing pain in your sinus when you eat horseradish. I added a spoon of this to my portion of creamy cauliflower and it elevated the dish with its tang and horseradish flavor.

• Red Pepper: This creamy sunflower spread tastes like a sweet pizza sauce. It’s a pretty pink and is thick like the other spreads. It’s wonderful on a flat bread and then topped with fresh veggies (like a pizza, but without the actual pizza sauce). It’s great as a dip for crackers and tortilla chips.

• Italian Vegetables: You can taste the oregano and basil in this creamy sunflower spread. It’s similar to the red pepper spread, but it has a fresh-herb taste. This would be great as a dip, spread, or as an ingredient in pasta or casserole recipe.

• Eggplant: This creamy sunflower spread had the consistency of stage 2 baby food. It was one of my least favorites. It definitely tastes like pureed eggplant and herbs. It would be fine as a dip for crackers and chips. I would use this as a filling inside eggplant rollatini.

• Lentil Curry: This creamy lentil spread is very thick and tastes like cooked lentils that have been ground into a paste. There is a slight curry flavor and a tang that comes from the mango and apple puree, and other juices added to the product. It’s tasty and would probably be good spread on a strong cracker or even as a sandwich spread.

Most of the spreads have a thick consistency. Eggplant was a tad bit runnier.

I would highly recommend these spreads if you're looking to take your sandwiches to another level. 

Recipe: Mom's Halushka Goes Vegan

Halushka is an example of a non-vegan recipe that had emotional ties to me. The flavors and textures with this dish, which was cooked often by my mother, were always comforting – the sweet, tender noodles; the wilted cabbage; the salt and garlic flavors over the pan-fried protein. 

I remember how proud my mom was to serve this dish to her family as well as neighbors and at potlucks. It was always well-received. Well, I definitely don’t miss the animal protein, but that’s easily remedied with Viana’s Smoked Veggie Frankfurters. My vegan dish that was inspired by my mom’s Halushka recipe achieves everything that the original does without the Kielbasa.  

My mom’s recipe was very garlic heavy, which I loved, so don’t be surprised with how much garlic is in this recipe.

Ingredients:

¼ c. of vegan buttery spread

1 onion sliced thinly

4-5 cloves of garlic sliced thinly

1/4 c of garlic powder, divided

4 links of Viana’s Smoked Veggie Frankfurters sliced into discs

One small or medium head of cabbage shredded

2 servings of cooked thick noodles (I used brown rice fettuccine-style noodles that I had in the pantry)

Salt, as needed

Optional ingredients that are not in my mom's original recipe: red chili flakes, chopped kale

Directions:

Cook the noodles according to the directions and set aside. Melt the buttery spread in a large pot, and add the sliced onions. Sautee for 5 minutes over medium heat and then add the sliced garlic, 2 T of garlic powder, and the sliced frankfurters. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the shredded cabbage and put a lid on the pot to help wilt the cabbage. You can lower the heat a little while you wait. Once you’re able to stir the mixture easily and the cabbage is nearly wilted (5-10 minutes), stir in the cooked pasta. Taste and add salt to your liking. I added the other 2 T of garlic powder at this point. Continue to stir the mixture so the noodles get incorporated throughout. Remove the pot from heat. 

You can leave the dish as-is, or you can add red chili flakes and/or one bunch of chopped kale. You can either incorporate the kale into the hot mixture in a separate large bowl or place the chopped kale on top of the hot mixture and put a lid on the pot. After several minutes, the steam and heat from the cooked food will make the kale easier to incorporate into the mixture. 

Viana's Smoked Veggie Frankfurters have a smooth consistency and a smoky, salami-like flavor.

I see stinky garlic breath in my future.

The perfect bite: a little kale, cabbage, noodle, and smoked sausage. I think my mom would be proud. Now I have a version of the recipe I can pass on to my son.