Crispy Tofu Tacos

Salsa Ingredients

• 10 roma tomatoes, diced

• 2 large red onions, diced

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• Lime juice (think I used about 1/3 cup) and pepper, to taste

Tofu Ingredients

• 1 pack tofu - I use high-protein tofu since it’s pre-pressed

• 2 tbsp ground flax + 5 tbsp. water = 2 flax eggs!

• 1 cup (more or less) flour

• 1 cup (more or less) cornstarch

• 1 cup (more or less) bread crumbs

• 2.5 tbsp. hot sauce

• 1 tsp. paprika

• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Other Ingredients

• Small, 6 inch tortillas - corn or flour - pick your favorite!

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 380 degrees F.

2. Press your tofu if it isn’t pre-pressed. Discard liquid and chop into small 1/2 inch cubes.

3. Prepare flax eggs by whisking 2 tbsp. ground flax with 5 tbsp. water. Let it sit for 5 minutes to thicken.

4. In bowl #1, combine flax egg and 1/2 tbsp. hot sauce. In bowl #2, have the flour. In bowl #3, have the bread crumbs.

5. For all tofu cubes, complete this process (it takes a little while..): Dip the tofu into the flour until all sides are completely coated. Then dip it into the flax seed eggs so that all sides are soaked. Then repeat these 2 steps: put it back in the flour then back in the flax egg. THEN dip in in bread crumbs so that all sides are completely coated. Do this for all tofu cubes

6. As you finish coating the cubes, add them to a baking sheet. Once all tofu has been coated, season with garlic and paprika, and pop them in the oven for 30 minutes, rotating them halfway through.

7. Time for the salsa - dice tomatoes, onion, and cilantro if you haven’t already. Combine them in a large bowl. Add olive oil, lime juice, and pepper. Mix well and cover - put in fridge so flavors blend together.

8. When your tofu has about 5 minutes left, heat a skillet over low-heat and begin to warm your tortillas, about 30 seconds on each side.

9. Once tofu is done cooking, remove from the oven and let cool. Toss them in a heat-resistant glass bowl and coat with the remaining hot sauce. Mix and coat evenly.

10. Plate your dinner: tortillas, tofu, then salsa. Enjoy!

Vegan Copycat Chipotle Bowl

Serves: 6 (you will likely have lunch for the entire week)

Cilantro Lime Rice Ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice

• 2-3 bay leaves

• 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro, packed

• 3 tbsp. lime juice

• 1 tbsp. lemon juice

• Small pinch of salt

Black Beans Ingredients

• 1 cup dried black beans, rinsed

• 3 cups water

• 1.5 tsp. chipotle chili powder

• 2 tsp. minced garlic

• 3/4 tsp. cumin

• Pinch allspice

• Small pinch of sugar

• Small pinch of salt

Fajita Vegetable Ingredients

• 2 large green bell peppers

• 1 large red onion

• 1 tbsp. dried oregano

• Pepper to taste

• High heat cooking oil - I used grapeseed oil

Corn Salsa Ingredients

• 1 can corn

• 1/2 large red onion, diced

• 3 poblano peppers

• 2 tbsp. lemon juice

• 2 tbsp. lime juice

• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, packed

Hot Salsa Ingredients

• 3 chipotle peppers packed in adobo sauce

• 8 tomatillos

• 2 tbsp. lime juice

• 2 tsp. minced garlic

• 1 tbsp. Texas Pete hot sauce

• 1/2 tsp. cumin

Guacamole Ingredients

• 2 large avocados

• 1 small jalapeño, finely diced (use gloves!!! I like spice so I kept some of the seeds)

• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro, packed

• 2 tbsp. lime juice - if you can add more without watering it down, do so! This helps preserve the color.

• 1/2 red onion, diced (use the leftover from the corn salsa!)

• Pepper to taste

Chipotle Agave Vinaigrette

• 2 chipotles in adobo sauce

• 1/4 cup lime juice

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2 tbsp. agave

• 1/2 tsp dried oregano

• 2 tsp. minced garlic

• Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Begin cooking rice per package instructions with the bay leaves in the pot.

2. Begin cooking the black beans in the Instant Pot (or per package instructions on the stove). Add the beans and water to the instant pot. Pressure cook on high for 25 minutes.

3. Remove rice from stove once it has finished cooking. Discard the bay leaves. Let the rice cool in a pyrex dish then add the cilantro, lime juice, lemon juice, and salt.

4. When the beans are done cooking let the pressure release for 20 minutes after cooking so that is says L20:00. Once the beans are done venting, drain them and add to a pyrex. Add chili powder, cumin, allspice, garlic, salt, and sugar and mix well.

5. Heat a skillet to medium-high heat and add the poblano peppers. Turn frequently until they begin to blacken and the skin starts to naturally separate from the pepper. Evenly blacken all sides of the pepper. Once you’re done cooking these, let them cool for 10 minutes.

6. While the peppers are cooling combine the drained corn, onion, lemon juice, lime juice, and cilantro in a pyrex.

7. When the peppers cool, carefully remove the skin of the peppers and seeds and discard. Finely dice the peppers and add to the salsa. Mix well.

8. Slice bell peppers and red onion for fajitas.

9. Heat grapeseed oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add the peppers, onion, dried oregano, and pepper. Toss frequently until onions are translucent and all veggies are thoroughly cooked.

10. Moving onto the hot salsa, remove the husks of the tomatillos and rinse well. Boil in water until they begin to turn olive green and then drain.

11. Blend: tomatillos, chipotle peppers, lime juice, garlic, hot sauce, and cumin. Store in a mason jar.

12. Make guacamole by halving, pitting, and scooping out the avocado. Add the jalapeño, onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Mash well with a fork to match Chipotle’s consistency!

13. Make the chipotle agave vinaigrette by blending the chipotle peppers, agave, lime juice, olive oil, oregano, garlic, and pepper. Store in a mason jar.

14. Layer your bowl!!!! Rice, beans, fajita veggies, corn salsa, hot salsa, guacamole, then vinaigrette!

Note: the hot salsa and chipotle agave vinaigrette taste very similar. I used both but probably not necessary!

Low-Impact Vegan Stir-fry

I’m all for being sustainable and making changes where I can to reduce my environmental impact - so I love when I can make a meal that doesn’t produce too much waste!

All of my veggies above were plastic-free and the condiments all came in glass jars which was a huge win! Sadly, stir-fry noodles only came in plastic as well as the tofu. I went out and bought ingredients to make my own tofu, so I’ll be trying that soon (hopefully with success)!!!

Ingredients

• 2 packs of stir fry noodles

• 3-4 cups snap peas

• 1 red bell pepper, diced

• 2 tsp. minced garlic

• 2 heads baby bok choy, washed and separated

• 1 head broccoli, chopped

• A LOT of mushrooms - I would say 4-5 cups, diced

• A few scallions, chopped

• 3 small habanero peppers with seeds removed, diced

• 1 pack tofu, diced

• 1 tbsp. hoisin sauce

• 1/4 cup stir fry sauce

• 2 tbsp. coconut aminos

• Sesame oil for sautéing

Instructions

1. Wash and chop all veggies. Heat a skillet with 3 tbsp. sesame oil and add veggies. I recommend giving their mushrooms their own side and incorporate them as they cook. Cover and let cook, stirring periodically.

2. Once veggies are sautéed, add minced garlic and mix. Let cook for 3 minutes.

3. Add the hoisin sauce, stir fry sauce, and coconut aminos. Mix well.

4. Add tofu and mix in. If needed, add more sesame oil so that it doesn’t stick to the pan.

5. Last, add in the noodles until they are soft and cooked.

6. Mix everything and enjoy!

Note: This made a LOT of stir fry - I had about 5-6 servings based on the amounts above. Scale back if you want less!

Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 can)

• 1/2 mini avocado, mashed

• 2 tbsp. vegan mayonnaise

• 1/2 tbsp. spicy brown mustard

• 1/4 cup diced red onion

• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds

• Pepper to taste

• 2 sliced bread

• Small handful spinach leaves

• A few sun-dried tomatoes

Instructions

1. Mix: chickpeas, avocado, mayonnaise, mustard, onion, sunflower seeds, and pepper. Add more or less pepper depending on the taste. If lacking flavor, add a bit more mustard.

2. Slice your bread and add spinach and tomatoes.

3. Top it off with the chickpea salad mash.

4. Enjoy!

Pappy's Famous Spaghetti & (Vegan) Meatballs (REVISED)

This recipe goes out to my Pappy who dealt with my picky eating for 17 years! I always had texture issues with foods growing up - and in an Italian family, we had marinara sauce several times a week - Spaghetti Sundays, lasagna, baked ziti - you name it. I would always pick out the onions and “foreign objects” in my sauce. He finally had enough of it and made me my own non-chunky sauce! To this day, it’s still the best sauce I’ve ever had. I’m lucky he wrote down the recipe for me to have forever! I modified it a little bit from his original recipe - see below for his recipes then scroll a little further for my own!

My grandfather’s original sauce recipe.

And a meatball recipe he used to modify!

Sauce Ingredients

• 1 can tomato puree

• 1 tbsp. tomato paste

• 1 tsp. onion powder

• 1 tsp. garlic powder

• 3/4 tsp. basil

• 1/2 tsp. oregano

• 1/2 tsp. parsley

• 1/8 tsp. crushed dry red peppers

• 1/8 tsp. black pepper

• Small handful chopped fresh basil

Meatball Ingredients

• 1/2 cup white onion

• 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas (or from the can!)

• 3 cloves minced garlic

• 1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 2.5 tbsp water)

• 1/3 cup Violife vegan parmesan cheese

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. pepper

• 2 tsp. parsley

• 1/4 tsp. oregano

• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

• 1/4 tsp. chili flakes

• 1 tbsp. tomato paste

• Handful of fresh basil

• Grapeseed oil (or any other high heat cooking oil)

Other Ingredients

• 1 small zucchini, diced

• 1 cup minced mushrooms

• Barilla Protein+ angel hair pasta (or whatever your fav pasta is!)

• More fresh basil, to garnish

• Violife vegan parmesan cheese, to garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. Prep your flax egg: combine 1 tbsp flaxseed meal + 2.5 tbsp water in a bowl. Whisk and let thicken for several minutes.

3. Combine sauce ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes.

4. Rinse your chickpeas then dry them WELL between tea towels. Do not skip this step!

5. Dice and sauté the white onion with the garlic until golden-brown and translucent.

6. Dice the zucchini and mushrooms while the onion is cooking.

7. Remove the onion from heat.

8. In a high power blender, combine the white onion, DRIED chickpeas, 1/3 cup vegan parmesan, flax egg, salt, pepper, parsley, oregano, bread crumbs, chili flakes, tomato paste, and fresh basil. Scrape down the sides as needed.

9. Once everything is well mixed, start forming the meatballs.

10. Heat an even layer of oil in a frying pan and add a few meatballs at a time. Use tongs to rotate them. There’s nothing that needs to be cooked in them, we’re just looking for a round shape and a crispy texture! Do this for all meatballs. Set them on a baking sheet as they finish. Once all meatballs have been evenly browned, pop them in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

11. While the meatballs are cooking, heat a skillet with oil and saute the mushrooms and zucchini. Once they are done, add them to the sauce and mix well.

12. While the meatballs and veggies are cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta per package instructions.

13. Once your sauce has simmered with the veggies, the meatballs are finished, and the pasta is cooked and drained - plate your meal! I put down the pasta, then the sauce, then the meatballs, and garnish with fresh basil and vegan parmesan cheese.

BBQ Jackfruit-Tempeh Slaw Tacos

Jackfruit/Tempeh Mixture Ingredients

• 1 pack tempeh

• 1 can jackfruit

• 1 medium sized onion

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1 tbsp. olive oil

• 1 tsp. paprika

• 1 tsp. garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. pepper

• 1/2 tsp. chili powder

• 1/2 tsp. cumin

• 2 cups vegetable broth

• 3/4 cup barbecue sauce (I used @annieshomegrown brand)

• Drizzle of maple syrup

Slaw Ingredients

• Broccoli slaw mix

• 1/2 cup @followyourheart vegenaise

• 3 tbsp. red wine vinegar

• 1/2 tsp. sugar

• 3 tbsp. lemon juice

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Other Ingredients

• Small taco tortillas - whole wheat, flour, corn - pick your favorite!

Instructions

1. Crumble jackfruit into a colander and rinse/drain. Crumble tempeh in a bowl. Set to the side.

2. Chop up onion and garlic - sauté for 3 minutes in olive oil THEN add jackfruit and tempeh.

3. Let simmer for a few minutes then season with paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chili powder, and cumin. Mix and simmer until color develops.

4. Add 1.5 cups vegetable broth, 3/4 cup barbecue sauce, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Simmer on medium-high heat for 20 minutes.

5. While jackfruit/tempeh mix is simmering, prepare slaw by combing all ingredients in a bowl EXCEPT for the broccoli slaw itself. Add broccoli slaw to a large tupperware bowl and drizzle the dressing mix on top. I like to top off my tupperware and shake to combine!

6. In a small skillet over medium heat, warm up the tortillas by adding them one at a time, flipping every 2 minutes so they don’t burn.

7. Once the jackfruit/tempeh mixture has absorbed the liquid - add them to your tortillas, top them off with slaw mixture, and enjoy!

Vegan Quesadilla & Restaurant-Style Salsa

Salsa Ingredients

• 11 roma tomatoes

• 6 jalapeños

• 1 bunch cilantro

• 1 medium red onion

• 4 tbsp. minced garlic

• Juice of 1 lime

• 1 cup flax seeds

• 1 tsp. cumin

• 1/2 tsp. dried parsley to taste

• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano to taste

• 1/2 tsp. chili powder to taste

• 1/4 tsp. pepper to taste

• Salt to taste

Quesadilla Ingredients

• Tortillas (I used Siete foods almond flour - but any will do!)

• 1/4 cup Violife Cheddar Shreds

• 1/4 cup Violife Mozzarella Shreds

• 1/2 cup mushrooms

• 1/4 cup zucchini

• 1 tbsp. olive oil

Instructions

1. Sauté mushrooms and zucchini in olive oil over medium heat. Cover and let the mushrooms cook down.

2. Once the mushrooms are cooked, place the veggies in a heat-resistant bowl to the side.

3. Place a tortilla in the pan and add half of the cheese - cover and let it melt. Make sure it’s on low-medium heat so the tortilla doesn’t burn.

4. Once the cheese begins to melt, add the veggies on top of it and then the rest of the cheese on top of the veggies. Cover and let melt some more.

5. Add the remaining tortilla on top once the cheese begins to melt and press down with a spatula so it begins to stick together.

6. Blend salsa ingredients in food processor or blender on high.

7. Remove the quesadilla from the stove and cut into fourths. Serve with a side of the salsa and enjoy!

DIY Honeygrow Sesame Garlic Stir-fry

Ingredients

• 5 oz. button mushrooms

• 1/2 red onion

• Olive oil

• 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast

• 1 serving udon noodles

• 1 cup fresh baby spinach (not packed)

• 1/2 package tempeh

• 1/4 cup coconut aminos

• Drizzle of low-sodium soy sauce

• 1 tsp. garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp. chili flakes + more for serving

• Pepper to taste

• 1/2 tsp. sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Slice up mushrooms and red onion and put them in an oiled pan over medium heat. Cover with a lid so that the mushrooms can cook down, stirring every couple minutes.

2. Once mushrooms are cooked down, add nutritional yeast to make them creamy. Stir until well incorporated.

3. Cook udon noodles per package instructions on a separate burner. Once cooked and drained, add them to the sautéed mushroom mix.

4. Add spinach, tempeh, coconut aminos, and soy sauce to the pan. Stir until well combined and spinach begins to wilt.

5. Add garlic powder, chili flakes, and black pepper. Toss the mixture until everything has been evenly coated.

6. Once the tempeh is hot and coated, serve the stir fry with chili flakes and sesame seeds - enjoy!

Deconstructed Vegan Philly Cheesesteak

Yields enough mixture for 4-5 sandwiches

Ingredients

• 1 large red onion

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 bag Morning Star (or equivalent brand) vegan ‘veggie pulled pork’

• 2 tbsp. water

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• Pepper to taste

• 1/2 cup Daiya mozzarella shreds (or any other mozzarella cheese)

• 1/2 cup Daiya cheddar shreds (or any other cheddar cheese)

• 5 cheesesteak rolls

• Optional: BBQ sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Dice the onion and saute in olive oil over medium heat for 3 minutes.

3. Add the bag of pulled veggie pork and water. Mix until it’s evenly combined with onion.

4. Add garlic powder and pepper. Cover and let it cook, mixing every couple minutes for about 5 minutes.

5. Lower the heat and stir in the Daiya cheese 1/2 cup at a time, until melted. It’s important to lower the heat, otherwise it will stick to the pan.

6. While the cheese is melting, pop your cheesesteak rolls on a baking sheet and into the oven for 5 minutes.

7. Once all the cheese is melted and the rolls are toasted, dish the mixture into the rolls and serve with your favorite cheesesteak fix-ins! I added barbecue sauce and extra cheddar on top because it was delicious!

Agave Lime Taco Salad

Salad Base Ingredients

• 3 cups chopped romaine

• 1/4 cup chopped green onion (scallion)

• 1/4 cup sliced red onion

• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

• 1/4 cup chopped red pepper

• 1/4 cup of your favorite salsa (I used Trader Joe’s brand here!)

• 1/4 cup Daiya cheddar shreds (or any other cheddar)

• 1/2 cup cooked and drained black beans

• 1/2 avocado (not pictured, but highly recommended)

Dressing Ingredients

• 1 small bundle cilantro

• Juice of 1/2 lime

• 1 tbsp. agave

• 1/4 cup pine nuts

• 2 tbsp. Tofutti vegan cream cheese (or any other cream cheese or sour cream)

• Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Assemble salad base ingredients in a bowl.

2. Blend the dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender.

3. Toss salad in dressing and enjoy!

Best Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil

• 1 tbsp. tomato paste

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup diced white onion

• 1 diced carrot

• 1 tsp. coconut sugar

• 32 oz. low sodium vegetable broth

• 1 cup crushed tomatoes

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 8 oz. Banza noodles (or any other noodles)

• 2 tbsp. Earth Balance buttery spread (or any other butter)

• 1/2 cup silken tofu

• 5 oz. baby spinach

• Parsley to garnish

• Vegan parmesan cheese to garnish (or any other cheese)

Instructions

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, onion, and carrot; sauté until tender, for about 2 to 3 minutes. 

2. Add sugar, vegetable broth, and crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. 

3. Transfer soup to a blender and remove soup pot from stove - BE CAREFUL, it is very hot. Purée and process in batches. You may need to pour a little bit at a time, blend, and transfer to a large heat resistant bowl. Once there is no soup left in the pot and it’s all in the heat resistant bowl, transfer back to the soup pot and return it to the stove.

4. Meanwhile, in a large pot, cook noodles according to package instructions until al dente.

5. Blend either with a fork by hand or in a blender the silken tofu until it is whipped and creamy.

6. Add butter to soup and stir until creamy, then add silken tofu mix, noodles, and spinach. Mix until spinach is wilted and noodles are warmed through. If short on time, microwave spinach in microwave then add to the pot.

7. Garnish with Parmesan and parsley and enjoy!

Banza BBQ Jackfruit Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 package Banza pasta (or any other pasta you have in the house!)

• 2 tsp. Earth Balance buttery spread (or any butter you have)

• 2 tbsp. oat milk (or any milk)

• 1/4 cup Violife cheddar shreds (or any cheddar cheese)

• 1/4 cup Violife mozzarella shreds (or any mozzarella cheese)

• 2 cans jackfruit

• 1 medium sized onion

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1 tbsp. olive oil

• 1 tsp. paprika

• 1 tsp. garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. pepper

• 1/2 tsp. chili powder

• 1/2 tsp. cumin

• 2 cups vegetable broth

• 3/4 cup barbecue sauce (I used Annie’s brand)

• Drizzle of maple syrup

Instructions

1. Crumble 2 cans jackfruit into a colander and rinse/drain.

2. Chop up onion and garlic - sauté for 3 minutes in olive oil THEN add jackfruit.

3. Let simmer for a few minutes then season with paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chili powder, and cumin. Mix and simmer until color develops.

4. Add 2 cups vegetable broth, 3/4 cup barbecue sauce, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Simmer on medium-high heat for 20 minutes.

5. Cook pasta per package instructions.

6. Drain cooked pasta and mix with earth balance butter and oat milk.

7. Mix in cheddar and mozzarella shreds.

8. Portion mac and cheese into serving bowls and top with jackfruit - enjoy!

Mini Pita Pizzas

Ingredients

• 1 garlic clove

• 2 pieces pita bread

• Olive oil spray

• 1/4 cup hummus

• 1/2 cup baby spinach

• 3/4 cup eggplant, sliced

• 1 tbsp. sunflower seeds

• 2 tbsp. sun-dried tomatoes - to garnish

• Balsamic glaze - to garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.

2. Rub garlic clove all over pita bread for added flavor.

3. Oil a baking sheet with olive oil (or any other oil with a high smoke point).

4. Place pita bread on baking sheet and spread a thin layer of hummus on each (I used plain hummus).

5. Top with fresh baby spinach leaves, sliced eggplant, sunflower seeds, and a few sprays (or drizzle) of olive oil.

6. Bake for 10-15 minutes (mine only needed 10 minutes).

7. Remove from oven, top with sun-dried tomatoes and balsamic glaze, and enjoy!