Vegan Power Bowl

Power bowls are a newer trend in eating. The idea is simple – layers of different foods that complement each other in one bowl. I’ve heard that food tastes better in a bowl and after trying this, I think it’s true!

Vegan Power Bowl

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cooked brown rice (see Notes)
  • 1/2 cup seasoned black beans (see Notes)
  • 1/4 cup sliced black olives
  • 1/4 cup diced tomatoes
  • 1 avocado, thinly sliced
  • 3/4 cup tofu, in small cubes or strips
  • 2 tsp light olive or canola oil (see Notes)
  • 1/4 cup salsa
  • 1/4 cup vegan sour cream

Instructions

  1. Heat 2 tsp oil in a nonstick pan and fry the tofu until it's golden brown, turning frequently.
  2. Layer the rice and beans in your bowl.

  3. Arrange tofu slices , avocado slices and diced tomato on top of the beans.

  4. Top with olives, salsa and sour cream.

Recipe Notes

Season your rice to your taste. I cooked mine in a little veggie broth with 1/2 t. of onion powder. I added 1/2 t. cumin and a tablespoon of salsa to the beans along with 1/4 ea. garlic and onion powder. You can season both to your own taste.

If you're avoiding oils, cook the tofu slices in your air fryer until golden.

You can vary your ingredients as you choose - try an Asian bowl with rice noodles or white rice layered with Asian cucumber salad, sprouts or greens, tofu cubes, edamame, sesame seeds and crunchy noodles. Or try a Southern bowl with blackeyed peas and rice with fried okra and greens - the possibilities are endless!

Roasted Vegetable Fajitas

These Roasted Vegetable Fajitas are delicious, low in fat and so good for you! I serve these on warm flour tortillas with salsa and homemade almond milk pepper jack cheeze. This recipe supposedly serves four, but two hungry, fajita-loving vegans could probably finish it off in one go.

Roasted Vegetable Fajitas

Ingredients

  • 2 bell peppers (red, green or a combination of both)
  • 1 large carrot, peeled
  • 1 jalapeño pepper
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 large potato, peeled and cut into wedges
  • 1/2 cup lime juice
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp (or more) smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Slice vegetables into fajita-size strips and place in a glass bowl or dish with the potato wedges.
  2. Mix together lime juice, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika and pour over vegetables. Marinate for at least an hour, stirring halfway through to make sure all gets covered in marinade.
  3. Drain vegetables and pat dry with paper towels. This step is important, so don't skip it!
  4. Brush or spray olive oil on the vegetables, coating all sides, and sprinkle with salt.
  5. Place in a nonstick or parchment paper-covered roasting/baking pan and roast at 400F for about 30 minutes. Vegetables should be just starting to brown.
  6. Serve in warmed corn or flour tortillas, with salsa, guacamole, vegan cheeze - whatever you like!

Buen provecho!

Vegan Picadillo

Vegan Picadillo is a delicious Cuban-style dish that reminds me a little bit of sloppy joes. It’s quite tasty on toasted hamburger buns or with rice or macaroni. It has a delicious, tangy taste and it’s one of those dishes, like chili or spaghetti sauce, that tastes even better when it’s made the day before.

Vegan Picadillo

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 8 garlic cloves, minced
  • 5 large bay leaves
  • 2 cup ground beef substitute (see notes)
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar (or use wine vinegar)
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 3/4 cup sliced pimento-stuffed green olives
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1 10 1/2-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 tsp hot sauce, or to taste

Instructions

  1. Spray a non-stick skillet with oil.
  2. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until starting to brown.
  3. Add 2 T. water and bay leaves and cook 3-4 minutes, or until water has evaporated.
  4. Add beef substitute and cook, stirring, until beef is hot.
  5. Add all remaining ingredients except for hot sauce, salt, and pepper.
  6. Cook for 7-8 more minutes, until heated through and flavors are blended.
  7. Remove bay leaves and season to taste with hot sauce, salt and pepper.

Notes

You can use soy crumbles, but I use the cauliflower ground beef recipe that I got from CookingWithPlants.com. It’s has no weird, unpronouncable ingredients like a packaged soy-based substitute might, tastes better, and is much better for you.

Hope you enjoy it!

Deep Dish Mexican Pizza

Before I went vegan, Taco Bell’s mexican pizza was a staple of my diet. Lucky for me, there are a million DIY recipes for such pizza on the Web. But I wanted something a little bit different, so instead of using flour tortillas, I decided to use a polenta pie crust and bake it like a pie. The results of my experiment were delicious! I hope you enjoy it too.

This pizza would be good served with a green salad and an ice cold Mexican beer.

Deep Dish Mexican Pizza

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1.5 cup cornmeal
  • 1.5 cup cold water
  • 2 cup boiling water
  • 0.25 tsp olive oil (optional)

Refried Beans

  • 1.75 cup cooked and drained pinto beans (or one 10-oz can)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 small can diced green chiles, drained
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 0.75 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt, or to taste

Taco Meat

  • 1 cup (or more) "beef" crumbles (see notes)
  • 1 tsp taco seasoning (see notes)

Cheeze and Garnishes

  • 2 cup grated "cheeze" (see notes)
  • 0.5 cup taco sauce
  • 0.5 cup crumbled tortilla chips (packaged or make your own for less fat)
  • 0.5 cup chopped tomatoes
  • 0.25 cup sliced green onions
  • 0.25 cup black olives
  • 0.25 cup sliced jalapeño peppers (optional)
  • 0.25 cup vegan sour cream (optional)

Instructions

Make the polenta crust

  1. Stir cornmeal, cold water and salt together in a bowl.
  2. In a medium saucepan, bring the two cups of water to a boil, then gradually whisk in the cornmeal mixture.
  3. Turn heat to low and cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes or until very thick. Remove from heat and let cool.
  4. When mixture is cool enough to handle, use a spatula or your clean hands to press the mixture in a smooth layer on the bottom and sides of a 9-inch, non-stick pie pan. Alternatively, use a regular pie pan that you have lightly oiled with olive oil.
  5. Preheat the oven to 375F, brush or spritz with olive oil if desired, and bake about 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Make the refried beans

  1. Saute chopped onion in a few tablespoons of water until translucent. Add cumin and chili powder and stir to coat.
  2. Add beans and 3/4 c. water to skillet and stir until heated. Reduce heat to low.
  3. Mash beans (still in the skillet) with a fork or a potato masher.
  4. Turn heat to high, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until beans are thick.
  5. Stir in chopped green chiles, and salt to taste.

Make the taco "meat"

  1. Toss one cup of crumbles with taco seasoning (or seasoning of your choice.)

Assemble and bake

  1. Spread refried beans over bottom of polenta crust.
  2. Spoon 1/4 cup of taco sauce over beans in an even layer.
  3. Sprinkle taco "meat" over that.
  4. Next, a layer of cheeze - save 1/4 cup for garnish.
  5. Bake in a 375F oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until bubbly. You may want to cover the edge of the crust in aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.
  6. Remove from oven and let cool for five minutes.

Garnish pizza

  1. Spread another thin layer of taco sauce over the top of the pizza
  2. Top with crumbled tortilla chips and remaining 1/4 c. cheeze.
  3. Top with chopped tomatoes, jalapeños and sliced black olives. Put a dollop of vegan sour cream in the middle for garnish, if desired.

Notes

For “burger” crumbles, you can either make your own or buy tofu crumbles at the grocery. I prefer making my own, it’s much cheaper and much more nutritious, with no mystery ingredients that you cannot pronounce! I use this recipe from CookingWithPlants.com.

For the cheese, again you can buy vegan cheese at the grocery store, but making your own is more nutritious and cheaper. I use Vegan Richa’s Almond Milk Pepper Jack.

You can buy ready-made taco seasoning and taco sauce everywhere. Just make sure it’s vegan. If you’re ambitious, you could do a Google search for DIY versions and make your own.

Black Bean Enchiladas

I think that if I had a favorite kind of cuisine, it would probably be Mexican. My mom used to make enchiladas much like these, except that she used real cheese and chicken or beef instead of beans. These hearty, “cheezy” enchiladas will satisfy even the most committed Mexican food-lover. I serve these with a green salad and a cold Mexican beer with a lime wedge. Continue reading

Black Bean Calzones

These calzones are hearty and satisfying. Even non-vegans will ask for seconds, so you may want to double the recipe!

Ingredients

  • 10 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 c. baby bella mushrooms
  • 1/2 medium onion, minced
  • 1/2 green pepper, chopped
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 c. tomato sauce
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp italian herb blend
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 c. water
  • Pizza Sauce
  • Pizza Crust (see notes)
  • 1 cup shredded “cheeze” (optional)

Continue reading