One-Pot Cheesy Taco Pasta

I saw this non-vegan dish and it sounded so good and seemed fairly simple. So, I made it vegan by using Impossible meat, that was thawed, veggie broth instead of chicken broth, vegan cheese and left out the oil. It was delicious!!! It's not WFPBNO, but you could use crumbled soy curls or crumbled tofu and make your own cheese sauce and it would be WFPBNO. It is definitely a make again and next time I'll try making it whole food. It think either the soy curls or the super firm tofu crumbled would work fine.  Try this for Taco Tuesday this week.

• 1 cup chopped sweet onion
• 1 12-ounce package Impossible Beef Lite, thawed
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
• 1 heaping teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 15-ounce can, black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 cups of your favorite salsa
• 8 ounces dry elbow macaroni
• 2 1/2 cup veggie broth
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels (not in pic, sorry)
• 2 cups Colby Jack shreds
• Garnish: diced avocado, sour cream, pickled jalapeno slices

Heat a couple of tablespoons water in a Dutch oven. Add onion and cook until it is translucent. Stirring occasionally.

                                        

Add the Impossible beef, taco seasoning and garlic. Cook, breaking up the beef into smaller pieces using a wooden spoon. Cook until no pink remains.

Add the beans, salsa and macaroni. Stir well to combine. Add the broth and cover, bringing the pot to a boil. Uncover, cook, stirring occasionally, the pasta will try to stick to the bottom of the pan. Be sure to scrape the bottom often. Cook until pasta is done, about 12-15 minutes. Again, be sure to stir.

Add the corn and 1-1/2 cups cheese. Stir well.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on the top and add the lid. Turn the heat off. Leave for 2-3 minutes until cheese is melty.

Add your garnishes, you could also use chopped cilantro, more salsa, hot sauce, crushed tortilla chips.

Enjoy!!!

Stuffed Zucchini

These turned out so good and will definitely be made again. Just serve with a side salad and dinner is ready. This mixture could also be used to stuff acorn or yellow squash, bell peppers and maybe cabbage leaves. I didn't have my homemade cheese sauce and used Daiya cheese shreds. This is what kept this dish from being "whole food plant based no oil". So, don't be like me; plan ahead and have some cheese sauce ready to top these. Scooping out the inside of the zucchini is super easy if you have a melon baller utensil.
Let's make these stuffed zucchini!

• 2 medium zucchini
• 1 smallish sweet onion, chopped
• 1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 small bell pepper, chopped
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce, I used Franks
• 4-6 tablespoons unsweet plant-based milk, I used almond
• 1 tablespoon garlic rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• a few grinds of black pepper
• 1/2 cup canned brown lentils (optional)*

Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out the flesh leaving a little less than 1/2 an inch border. Chop up the scooped out parts.

In a large non-stick skillet heat a little water and add onion. Sauté about 4-5 minutes.

Add garlic, bell pepper, zucchini flesh, all the spices, soy sauce, vinegar, tomato paste, hot sauce and milk. Cover and cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Preheat oven to 400F. Add the chickpeas and lentils to the skillet and cook for a few more minutes. You can leave the lid off so it thickens up. Taste and adjust spices if needed.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Stuff each zucchini half with the chickpea mixture.

Add your cheese to the top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. 

You can garnish with fresh herbs if you have them. Serve with a side salad for a delicious dinner.

* I had a 1/2 cup of lentils in the frig and added them to this so that they wouldn't go to waste. If you have a little bit of something that would fit this flavor profile fill free to add it. This is a great way to use up bits of veggies so they aren't wasted.

Enjoy!!!!!

Taco Cups

Just in time for Taco Tuesday. I made these, taco cups, a couple of weeks ago and have just been too busy to post them. But, I promise to get back to a post a week! Also, I filled these a little too full. I'd only fill them about half way so your toppings stay put! They are messy, but fun, to eat since I just used my hands. I only made four and you can use whatever type of vegan ground you wish. I only had Beyond Meat burgers, so I thawed out 2 and made these but ideally you would use a package of the Beyond Meat ground or Impossible ground. They are found in the freezer case of most supermarkets, shrink-wrapped in clear plastic with a black plastic back. These obviously would also make great tacos, burrito filling or nachos. 

• 12 ounces vegan ground
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 4 ounce can chopped green chilies
• 1/2 cup vegan cheddar shreds
• street-style flour tortillas (these are really small)
• Garnish: shredded lettuce, vegan sour cream, diced tomatoes, hot sauce

Preheat oven to 350F. In a cast iron or non-stick skillet add the ground, taco seasoning and 1/4 cup water Stir well and cook until ground is done, about 6-7 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

While it's cooking fold the tortillas to fit into a standard sized cupcake tin. You may have to fold the edges some.

Now, to the ground add the chilies and cheese. Continue to cook until the cheese is mostly melted. Remove from heat.

Fill each tortilla with 2-3 tablespoons of the ground mixture. Don't over stuff them like I did.

Place in the oven until the tortillas are slightly crisp around the edges, about 15 minutes or so depending on your oven.

Garnish with add the goodies you enjoy and since I was serving these as a meal I fixed some Spanish Rice to go with them. But, these could be served as appetizers by themselves. I prefer to cook them fresh. If you have leftover filling just put it in the refrigerator and make fresh cups with the leftovers the next day or so. 

Enjoy!!!

Enchilada Bake

 Although we mainly eat Whole Food Plant Based No Oil (WFPBNO) every now and then I succumb to my taste buds wanting something comforting like the old foods I used to eat. I will never consume animal products but I will purchase, on occasion, processed vegan foods. They are used in this dish. You could make Chuck's cheese sauce and use lentils, or crumbed soy curls instead of vegan crumbles to make this a WFPBNO recipe. And maybe in the future I will do that to show it can be just as delicious. However, I had the crumbles and vegan cheese shreds in the house and decided to use them. This dish is delicious but again it could be made WFPBNO and be just as tasty, I'm sure! This made 6-8 servings depending on how hungry you are. The leftovers heated well in the toaster oven or microwave. 

• 12 ounce package frozen ground beef style crumbles
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1/2 cup scallions, sliced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 recipe of McDougall's Enchilada Sauce or 2 cans enchilada sauce
• 1 bag corn or flour tortillas
• 3 cups vegan cheddar shreds
• 1 4-ounce can green chiles
• 1 large hand full of tortilla chips, crumbled

Preheat oven to 375F. In a bowl, combine crumbles with taco seasoning. Set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons water in a large skillet over medium heat; add scallions and cook 3 minutes.

Add flour and cook 1 minute. It will be thick and pasty.

Add stock; combine will with a whisk and cook about 1 minute.

Add beans; stir well and set aside.

To a large casserole dish add enough enchilada sauce to cover the bottom.

Place tortilla layer over the sauce; pour bean mixture on top. 

Add a third of the cheese and half of the chiles.

Add more enchilada sauce.

Top with another layer of tortillas.

Add seasoned crumbles.

Add half of the remaining cheese and the rest of the chiles and half of the remaining sauce.

End with another layer to tortillas.

The rest of the enchilada sauce and cheese.

I covered with parchment paper and then covered with foil. Add dish to a baking sheet incase it spills over. Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove foil.

Add a layer of crumbled tortialla chips.

Return to oven for 15 minutes.

I let it rest while I prepared my garnishes. I shredded iceburg lettuce, broke out the store bought salsa and guac, a little vegan sour cream and homemade quick jalapeno pickles.

This was amazing. It would be a great dish to serve company since it makes so much.

Enjoy!!

Nacho Cheese Sauce

This simple cheesy sauce comes together so fast in your blender. No high calorie cashews, this one uses beans. Serve this sauce on a baked potato, with nachos, as a dip with chips or on a messy sandwich. Makes about 3 cups and will keep well for a week. You can reheat on the stovetop or microwave.

• 1 can (15-ounce) cannellini beans (do not drain)
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup plain unsweetened milk (I used almond)
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 3-5 pickled, sliced jalapeno peppers (start low, you can add more but you can't take 'em out)
• 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeno brine
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder

Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend on high until smooth and thick.

Pour into mason jar for keeping.

Enjoy!!