Taco Salad
What You Need for the Beans: 1 can black beans (drained and rinsed) – this works with pinto beans, too. (You could also make your own beans if you want)
Garlic (minced – 1-2 cloves)
Juice of 1 lime (or more if you want)
1/2-1 tsp. cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
What to Do: Put beans in a saucepan with garlic, lime, cumin, salt, and pepper. Mix and cover. Put on medium heat and simmer while you’re making the rest of the salad.
*Sometimes I add frozen corn to the beans, but my daughter doesn’t like corn for some reason, unlike every other child I know. So I usually do this every-other time to throw her a bone.
What you Need for the Guacamole: 1-2 avocados, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
What to Do: Slice and chop the avocado and scoop it into a small bowl. Add lime, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix it together. *you can add some finely chopped tomatoes – I also sometimes add chopped cilantro – a handful.
What you Need for the Salad: Romaine or iceberg, chopped
Red or green cabbage, chopped or shredded
Black olives, if you like them
Anything else you like in a salad
For the “Chips”:
1-2 corn tortillas, cut into small strips
What to do: Broil them for about 5 minutes, flip them around, and broil for about 2 more minutes. Or stick them in the toaster oven or air fryer until they’re crispy. You can use about a tsp. of oil if you want. You can add salt at the end too.
In a big salad bowl, put the lettuce and cabbage in, top with beans, guacamole, chips, olives, etc. I don’t usually use a dressing for this, since the guac works for that, and the beans add a little moisture. If you want a dressing, I would put some olive oil on top, add some lime juice, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Sometimes I add pumpkin seeds, if I have them.
About Me
My family and I have been plant-based eaters for about 8-1/2 years now. We didn’t do this overnight, however. It was a long process, and I believe that is why it has been sustainable for us. Here are some recipes to wet your whistle with plant-based meals!
Buddha Bowl
We eat this at least once a week.
Ingredients:
- 1 package extra firm tofu
- Some savory seasoning you like (lemon pepper, garlic salt, coconut aminos, etc.)
- Broccoli, cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts
- Lemon tahini sauce (mix 1/4 cup tahini, juice of 1 lemon, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste, 1/4 cup water)
- Rice or quinoa, fresh or leftover
What to do:
- Cook rice or quinoa, or just use leftovers you might have.
- Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut broccoli, cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts into bite-sized pieces, and toss in a roasting pan. Cover with tahini sauce, stir to coat.
- Prepare the tofu. Cut the tofu into 1/4-1/2 inch cubes. Put on a cookie sheet and sprinkle liberally with your favorite seasoning. Put it in the oven with the cruciferous veggies, and set the timer for 20 minutes.
- When everything is done cooking, put rice/quinoa in a bowl, top with veggies and tofu. Add some extra sauce if you have it. Sometimes I add a little coconut aminos.
- I top this with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, avocado, or anything else that seems like it would be yummy.
You can use beans instead of the tofu, or as well as tofu! And you can add anything else that you think would be good in it.
Chocolate Cake with Fudgey Frosting
Ingredients:
- 2 cups drained and rinsed black beans
- 2 cups pitted dates
- 1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 tsp plus 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup plant milk
- 1/4 cup brewed coffee
What to do:
- Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Put black beans, 1 cup dates, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, oats, vanilla, baking powder, water, and milk in a high-speed blender. Whirl until well combined into a brownie batter consistency. Taste to make sure it doesn’t need more chocolate.
- Spoon into a parchment-lined 8”x8” or 9”x9” baking dish. Level and smooth out with a spatula.
- Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
- Rinse out blender. Add 1 cup dates, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, and coffee to blender. Whirl until it is well-combined in a fudge-frosting consistency. Set aside.
- After 30 minutes, insert a toothpick to make sure the cake is done. Let it cool on a wire rack. When pretty cool, spoon frosting on top and smooth. Cut and serve with coconut ice cream.
Hummus – YUM!
Ingredients:
- 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 clove garlic
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2-1 cup water
What to do:
- Put all the in a food processor or high-speed blender. Process/blend until smooth. Add water as necessary to make it the consistency that you want.
You can dip your favorite chips or veggies. I slather some on a romaine leaf and eat it like a taco.
TIP – I make a salad dressing out of this, too. I use about 1/4 cup of hummus, add about 1 T of my favorite vinegar, a pinch of salt, about 1/2 tsp of garlic powder, pepper to taste, and some water until I like the consistency. It’s a great way to make an oil-free dressing!
Gym Rats 