Amy's Kitchen: Vegan, Gluten and Dairy Free

It has been 10 years since I gave up meat and became a vegetarian and not a day goes by where I regret that decision. Being vegetarian has made me love vegetables more than I ever did before, challenged me to cook from scratch and has made me more open minded when it comes to food, but I would lying if I said it didn't come with the odd issues. For a start eating out can be troublesome if they are not vegetarian friendly and most of the time you get stuck with the same old vegetable lasagne or falafel burger. Although vegetarianism is widely accepted these days and meat substitutes are increasing in popularity, it can also be a challenge to find a health variety of vegetarian ready meals.

Amy's Kitchen* is a family run business founded in 1987 that specialises in vegan, gluten free and dairy free dishes and they are one of my favourite vegetarian brands. All their dishes are made by hand using the freshest organic vegetables they can find and by sourcing the highest quality of grains, beans and Red Tractor assured dairy. The renowned Amy's Kitchen's sauces are prepared with love using traditional methods such as heating oil, adding aromatics and filling with lashings of fresh vegetables and each meal once created is full of flavour, goodness and wholesomeness.

Although Amy's Kitchen are one of my favourite brands it is not often that I get the chance to sample their food because they only have a limited stock in my area, so when Amy's Kitchen approached me to do a little write up and try some of their food, I couldn't turn them down.

Amy's Kitchen sent me four of their ready meals to try: their gluten free Rice Mac and Cheese, their Vegetable Vegan Lasagne and Breakfast Sandwich and their Cheddar, Rice and Bean Burrito. If you're wondering why the Burrito didn't quite make this review, it's because I ate it before I got chance to take the photos - the classic food blogger fail...it did taste very yummy though.

The Gluten Free Rice Mac and Cheese pictured above was an absolute delight to eat and took me back to my childhood years of constantly nagging my mother asking for Macaroni Cheese for tea. It used to be one of my favourite dishes when I was younger, but as I got older and slightly more intolerant to dairy I had to really limit myself and only have it on special occasions. This sinful yet pleasurable Macaroni Cheese is ooey, gooey and everything you would want from this classic dish. Packed full of flavour and cheesy goodness, this dish will easily satisfy your hunger pangs, but may leave you wanting more.

When I first came across this Breakfast Sandwich I didn't really know what to expect. I tend to not eat much in a morning and I've never been one for eating any type of sandwich for breakfast. Despite my initial reservations, once cooked I really did enjoy this little tasty snack. The scrambled tofu with vegetarian sausage and the little bit of tomato relish blend really well together and although this meal is microwaved, it does come out tasting really fresh. My only criticism is that it tastes a little bit too stodgy for me first thing in the morning, but that is probably because I've become accustomed to a much lighter breakfast. This is perfect for those looking for a weekend treat or a fun breakfast in bed idea.

Last but not least is the Vegetable Lasagne and this happens to be one of my all time favourite Amy's Kitchen dishes. I tend to avoid Lasagnes due to their reputation for being over the top cheesy and highly calorific, but this Amy's Kitchen Vegetable Lasagne is dairy free and is really light on the stomach. I love all the flavours, particularly the layer of spinach and the rice pasta used in this dish simply melts in your mouth. This Amy's Kitchen Vegetable Lasagne is one of a few dishes that I could eat over and over again without getting bored and with it's dairy free and healthy attributes, it makes my intolerances and dodgy gallbladder happy.

Amy's Kitchen can be found in most local supermarkets and health food stores nationwide and if you see their products on the shelf, I really recommend that you try them for yourself. Their meals are perfect for everything from a 'Meat Free Monday' to a romantic vegetarian meal for two. 

Have you tried any of the Amy's Kitchen range yet?