MRM Plant-Based: Cauliflower Tortillas, Teese and Pork from Plants

Please send plant-based news to Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine's Barbara Castiglia at bcastiglia@modernrestaurantmanagement.com.

Plant-Based Tacos 

On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina is offering, plant-based protein option. On The Border is the first brand in its category to offer Beyond Beef® in enchiladas, nachos and even unlimited Beyond Meat Tacos as part of its Endless Tacos offer.

Available through March 8, On The Border guests can try the all-new Beyond Meat Taco – featuring 100% plant-based ground Beyond Beef seasoned exactly like On The Border’s seasoned ground beef, topped with shredded cheese, lettuce and house-made pico de gallo. And, for an additional $2, fans can also enjoy Beyond Beef in its enchiladas or Stacked Nachos.

“The Beyond Meat Taco and Beyond Beef offer our guests even more protein options for our classic menu items,” said Edithann Ramey, Chief Marketing Officer for On The Border.  “Guests are incorporating more plant-based protein options into their diet and we want to meet their needs with the same bold border-style flavors.  Now everyone can have the same On The Border experience of an ice-cold margarita and bold border-style flavors with endless rounds of our guests’ favorite tacos!”

Pork from Plants

At the International Consumer Electronics Show, Impossible Foods served up Impossible Pork Made from Plants and Impossible Sausage Made from Plants — the startup’s first all-new products since the  Impossible Burger debuted in 2016.

Impossible Pork is a gluten-free, plant-based ground meat that can be used in any recipe that calls for ground pork from pigs. Impossible Pork contains no gluten, no animal hormones and no antibiotics. It has 16 g protein, 3 mg iron, 0 mg cholesterol, 13 g total fat, 7 g saturated fat and 220 calories in a 4-oz. serving. Conventional 70/30 pork from animals contains 17 g protein, 1 mg iron, 86 mg cholesterol, 32 g total fat, 11 g saturated fat and 350 calories in a 4-oz. serving. Impossible Pork was designed to be easy to cook in the steamer, oven, charbroiler, flat-top grill or sauté pan. Chefs can use Impossible Pork in recipes from stir-fry to meatballs to dim sum or links. Impossible Pork is designed to be eligible for kosher and halal certification if produced in a kosher- or halal-certified plant.

In addition to providing an exclusive first taste of Impossible Pork at CES, Impossible Foods is launching Impossible Sausage. The plant-based, pre-seasoned product can be used in any recipe or dish that calls for animal-derived sausage. Impossible Sausage contains no gluten, no animal hormones and no antibiotics. A raw, 2-ounce serving has 7 g protein, 1.69 mg iron, 0 mg cholesterol, 9 g total fat, 4 g saturated fat and 130 calories. 

Abuelo's Teams with CAULIPOWER

Abuelo’s Mexican Restaurant partnered with CAULIPOWER® to offer Mexican dishes at Abuelo’s made with CAULIPOWER® Cauliflower Tortillas. 

“Healthy eating used to mean depriving yourself of certain foods, but people are taking a more sophisticated approach to nutrition now and focusing on fueling their bodies with the right ingredients,” said Abuelo’s President Bob Lin. “That’s why we’re so excited to work with CAULIPOWER® to offer Abuelo’s guests a delicious new superfood alternative.”

Abuelo’s locations nationwide now offer two new enchilada dishes that are made with CAULIPOWER® Cauliflower Tortillas. Naturally gluten-free, a good source of fiber, vegan, non-GMO and containing no preservatives, CAULIPOWER® Cauliflower Tortillas are a superfood “meal hack” that allow customers to meet nutritional goals while eating their favorite Mexican-inspired foods. 

Available now on the Abuelo’s menu, CAULIPOWER® Roasted Chicken & Veggie Enchiladas and CAULIPOWER® Roasted Veggie Enchiladas feature two enchiladas, one topped with zesty Ranchera sauce and the other with rich Salsa de Crema. Both of these new enchilada dishes are served with a superfood vegetable medley, fresh avocado slices and a choice of authentic cilantro lime rice or black beans.

“Abuelo’s and CAULIPOWER® both offer innovative alternatives to people who want to eat healthier while still enjoying their favorite foods, which makes our partnership a great fit,” said Julie Lim, CAULIPOWER® Executive VP, Foodservice. “We’re thrilled to partner with Abuelo’s to deliver a tastier healthy alternative to traditional tortillas at Abuelo’s locations nationwide.”

In addition to the two new enchilada dishes featuring CAULIPOWER® Cauliflower Tortillas, Abuelo’s guests can also order this healthier take on traditional tortillas as an upgrade to any enchiladas or fajitas dish for just $2 extra. 

Burger King Testing Impossible™ Croissan’wich

Burger King is testing the new Impossible™ Croissan’wich® sandwich. Starting late January in select test markets across the U.S. market, BK® guests can now get the same breakfast Croissan’wich sandwich with a plant-based patty. The all-new, limited-time-only Impossible Croissan’wich features a toasted croissant, egg, cheese and a seasoned plant-based sausage from Impossible Foods. This test makes Burger King the first restaurant to test Impossible™ Sausage made from plants on a breakfast sandwich.

Participating Burger King restaurants in Savannah, GA, Albuquerque, NM, Montgomery, AL, Lansing, MI and Springfield, IL will be testing the Impossible Croissan’wich. The Impossible Croissan’wich is made with 100 percent butter for a soft, flaky croissant piled high with a savory sizzling patty made from plants, fluffy eggs, and melted American cheese.

In 2019, Burger King restaurants rolled out the plant-based Impossible™ Whopper® sandwich nationwide following a successful test in St. Louis and six other markets across the U.S. The offering made Burger King restaurants the first coast-to-coast quick-service restaurant to serve the award-winning, plant-based meat from food startup Impossible Foods, maker of the Impossible™ Burger.

Chicago Vegan Debuts Teese

Chicago Vegan Foods introduced Teese, a vegan cheese alternative that delivers the authentic taste, texture, melt, and stretch of traditional cheese, top photo. Available in mozzarella, cheddar, nacho style sauce, and creamy cheddar sauce varieties, there’s no pizza, melted sandwich, mac & cheese dish or nacho plate on the menu that Teese can’t make dairy-free and amazing. Teese mozzarella and cheddar can be sliced and shredded, while the creamy cheddar sauce and nacho sauce are ready-to-use, just heat and serve. 

Teese is made in-house at the company’s dedicated dairy, egg, peanut, and tree-nut free facility. In addition to being vegan and dairy free, the lineup is Non-GMO Project Verified, certified kosher by cRc, and completely free of gluten, wheat, soy, peanuts, and palm oil. 

“You really haven’t experienced what vegan cheese can be until you’ve tried Teese,” shared Dan Reed, marketing director of Chicago Vegan Foods. “It has the taste and texture of cheese that vegans crave, the melt and stretch that chefs need in this ingredient staple, and the versatility to create everything from gourmet fondue to ballpark nachos. With vegan and plant-based diets exploding, Teese is helping restaurants deliver dairy-free menu items worth writing home about.” 

Chicago Vegan Foods’ lineup of Teese Vegan Cheese products are available to foodservice customers nationwide and sold in a 27lb case, including nine – 3lb packages. Teese’s unique, cylinder shaped packaging provides a longer shelf life than the competition, touting six months unopened and four weeks refrigerated (once opened). The product is distributed by Sysco, US Foods, Reinhart, and direct from Chicago Vegan Foods.

Dunkin' Adding Oatmilk Latte; Starbucks More Plant-Based

This spring, Dunkin’s new Oatmilk Latte will be available in hot (or iced!) to restaurants nationwide. 

In addition to enjoying oatmilk as part of Dunkin’s espresso experience, guests can order oatmilk in Dunkin’s hot and iced coffee, Cold Brew and frozen beverages. Dunkin’ also offers almondmilk as a dairy alternative option at restaurants nationwide.

Starbucks first new  beverages of the decade include Almondmilk Honey Flat White and Coconutmilk Latte. The beverages joined the permanent menu in stores in the United States and Canada starting January 7 as part of the new winter food and beverage lineup. It also marked the regional introduction of oatmilk as a new non-dairy option as the Oatmilk Honey Latte arrives in select U.S. markets in the Midwest.