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!!!

Thai Beef Tacos

I decided to take my tacos for a different flavor profile last Taco Tuesday. I saw a few recipes online and decided to put my vegan spin on them. If you wish to make the WFPBNO use rehydrated soy curls that have been chopped up. I used green cabbage because that is what I had on hand; feel free to use red cabbage, nappa or whatever you have on hand. You are looking for a crunch factor. This made about 8 tacos but the servings will depend on the size of your tortillas.

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (I use the kind already minced)
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 inch knob ginger, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 package (12 ounces) vegan beef crumbles
• 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Thai basil, or sub regular basil
• 1/2 lime juiced
• taco-size flour tortillas
• 1/4 cup cabbage, shredded
• avocados, sliced
• spicy mayo, optional

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, ginger and bell pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes until the veggies begin to  get tender. 

Add a splash of water if they try to stick.

Add the vegan crumbles, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce and black pepper. Saute for 5-10 minutes; until the crumbles begin to brown.

Add the basil and lime juice and give it all a good stir.

I heated my tortillas briefly in the microwave. But, you can also wrap them and heat in the oven. To assemble your taco: add cabbage to the tortilla, top with crumbles, avocado, cilantro and spicy mayo. Serve with lime wedges on the side if you like. I had fresh corn on the cob for our side dish.

Enjoy!!!!

Spicy Stir-Fried Noodles (WFPBNO)

I had a little of this and a little of that in the frig. I wasn't sure how to use it up. I decided to do a stir-fry with noodles, which I seem to have an abundance of these days. So, feel free to use what you have in the frig and whip up this dish. It's not that spicy to me but for those of  you that are sensitive you may want to start with less sambal oelek (chile paste with garlic). You can always add more to your plate and give it a good stir. This made about 6 servings; if you use less veg or more you may get a different amount of servings. 

• 1 recipe Ginger Garlic Tofu
• 1 pound long pasta, I used a thin fettuccini
• 1 heaping tablespoon minced cheater garlic
• 1 head baby bok choy
• 3-4 handfuls baby spinach
• 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
• 3 tablespoons sambal oelek (chili paste with garlic)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce 

Be sure your tofu is cooking before you start this dish. Start your water to cook your pasta. Make the sauce: add the chile paste, lime juice, hoisin and soy sauce to a bowl. Taste, if you want it sweet add a drop of  honey or maple syrup. Set aside.

While the pasta cooks add your steam basket the last few minutes and steam the broccoli florets. Once pasta is done remove from water with the broccoli and set the water aside. You may need 1/2 cups or so to thin out your sauce.

To a large pan or Dutch oven add a few tablespoons of water and saute the garlic for 30 seconds, stirring frequently. 

Add the cooked pasta to the pan and stir well.

Add the spinach and broccoli to the pasta. Toss well. Turn off the heat, but leave the pan on the burner.

Add the sauce and toss to combine everything. If it's too dry add a little of your pasta water.

Plate the pasta and add some tofu to your dish. Feel free to garnish with sesame seeds, sliced scallions or some red pepper flakes. I add a squirt of Sriracha to mine.

Eggroll in a Bowl (WFPBNO)

I had an extra bag of coleslaw mix in the frig. I didn't want it to go bad so I looked for a few recipes online and got the idea for this dish. I really enjoyed it with the slight spice from the chili garlic sauce and the hint of sweet from the maple syrup. You could add some tofu to this to boost the protein and make it go a little farther. Next time I make it I will do that extra step. This was pretty quick, be sure you have all of your ingredients out and prepped before you begin cooking. I think this took about 15 minutes, maybe 20 to make. 

The first step is to get your small pot of water on to boil to cook your ramen noodles. I forgot to take a picture of that. But use  your favorite block of ramen and cook according to the package directions. I used Lotus Foods organic brown rice and millet. Cook, drain, rinse and set them aside.

Let's get going...

• 1 ramen cake
• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, divided
• 1 bag (16 ounce) coleslaw mix (just cabbage and carrots)
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
• Garnish: sliced scallions, chopped peanuts, sriracha

Be sure you have your ramen going. Add a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot add onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar and ground ginger. Stir with a wooden spoon and cook until onion is translucent. Add a tablespoon of water if needed to keep it from sticking.

Add the coleslaw, soy sauce, maple syrup, chili garlic sauce and the remaining tablespoon rice vinegar. Toss all the ingredients together. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the ramen noodles and stir well to combine.

Remove from heat and add green onions and chopped peanuts.

Plate it up, or bowl it up.

Add a squirt of sriracha and devour.

Enjoy!!!

Hearts of Palm Crabless Salad (WFPBNO)

This weather has been unbelievably hot! I've been making pasta salad, three bean salad, chickpea-of-the-sea salad, etc. to have something as a go to for meals. This keeps me from having to cook and makes meals readily available. A few days ago I made this Crabless Salad and it was delicious. I served it stuffed into a half of an avocado with tomato wedges on top of a bed of lettuce. It was really filling and tasty. It was also good on crackers for a snack. I think you'll enjoy this salad. Be sure to make your own mayo without oil to keep it WFPBNO. 

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup plain plant-based yogurt
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Other ingredients:

• 1 can hearts of palm, drained and pulled (or cut) into thin strips
• 1/4 cup diced sweet onion
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot
• 1/4 cup diced celery

Combine all the dressing ingredients, mixing well.

Add the remaining ingredients; toss well to combine. Chill for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to marry.

I served this in an avocado half, on top of a bed of salad greens with tomato wedges.  You could also make a sandwich or stuff a tomato with the salad.

Enjoy!!!

Thai Stir-Fry (WFPBNO)

 This meal comes together pretty quick. Be sure you have all of your ingredients prepped before you begin cooking. Feel free to substitute other veggies instead of what I have listed. You want to use up the veggies in your frig! If you don't have coconut sugar you can sub brown sugar, if you don't like heat leave out the jalapeno, I deseeded mine and it wasn't hot at all. I served this stir-fry with an Asian salad mix I bought from my local grocery store. Enjoy and have fun in the kitchen!!

• 1/2 cup sliced sweet onion
• 1 heaping tablespoon pre-minced garlic
• 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
• 5 ounces thinly sliced baby bella mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 6 ounces rice noodles, wide as you can find

-------------------------------------------------------

• 1/2 bell pepper, sliced - I used red
• 1 cup chopped broccoli
• 2 1/2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon molasses
• 1 tablespoon vegan oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon corn starch
• 2 tablespoons Thai basil
• sliced green onion, for garnish
• I also made a batch of oven baked tofu to go with this.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of water in a large non-stick skillet. Add onion, garlic and jalapeno and cook until onion is translucent. 

Add mushrooms and cook 3 minutes.

Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce and the broth.

Bring to boil.

Add the pasta and press them under the water. Cook covered if you can; mine try to steam up and I had to uncover them and stir, repeatedly. Cook based on package directions for length of time.

Stir the rest of the soy sauce, molasses, oyster sauce, sugar and corn starch into a small bow. 

Add the veggies to the stir fry and give it a good stir. 

Add the mixture from the bowl to the stir-fry and stir until thickened. Add the Thai basil and green onions. Stir and then serve.

Serve, garnished with the tofu. I had a prefab Asian salad that I served on the side. 

Enjoy!!!