Fun With Food, Zines and Cats

Fried open faced tacos inspired by a recipe in the April 2015 Food Network Magazine (The Big Breakfast Issue). Tortillas are fried in Earth Balance, sprinkled with cumin, topped with refried beans and Daiya then covered to melt. Top it off with salsa, soy sour cream and hot sauce. Everything has to be served with Matt's Mamas red rice and lemons from the neighbor as you know!

Post gym stir fry with mixed veggies, extra firm tofu in a red curry paste + soy sauce mix I made up on the spot. Simple stir fry dishes are perfect on gym nights to help with a hungry stomach and a flash to prep. I also find them helpful to use up pantry items sitting around.

A soy iced coffee and Banana Curl Vegan Girl zine. The zine is a must have for those looking for easy and accessible vegan recipes (the best kind!) and a handy FAQ suitable for helping the new vegans & vegan curious out with ingredient replacements. You can also check out Banana Curl on her blog.

A few weeks back we walked into Pet's Mart on adoption day to make a Mar's Memorial Birthday donation. We came across a beast of a fluffy cat and decided to bring him home. We named him Mortis and so far Mady and him are doing well together. So if my zines and blogging have been lagging blame fluffy cats and naps - they go together!

[Vegan MOFO Day 20] Fast Food Friday: Carl's Jr Memphis BBQ Burger

When describing the Memphis BBQ Burger to Matt: pulled pork, crispy onion strings, cheese and a patty, he asked "is that real?". Yes it is real and it looks as if you can get a double patty version if you are inclined! The single patty version clocks in at 1030 calories, 55 grams of fat, 135 mg of cholesterol - kinda scary right?

So for my last Fast Food Friday for MOFO I had to veganize it! I started off with a seeded whole wheat bun, patty of choice: Gardein fresh burger, cheeze, Just Pure Foods crispy onion rings crushed up, pulled jackfruit tossed in a spicy BBQ sauce and more BBQ sauce added!

Verdict: winner! Seriously good, messy and with a side of fries it was a fast food fake-out to the max! Sorry for the less than stellar close up, we wanted to dig in and I wanted to eat and watch American Horror Story! Just a few notes: I used Follow Your Heart's Monterey Jack instead of cheddar due to it being on hand. I also used way less onion strips because Matt hates onion - however these crunchy gems were a hit, they were spicy and added a kick!

Once out of MOFO-mode I plan on trying more fast-food fake-outs! It has been fun, things that look/sound gross are actually winners!

[Vegan MOFO Day 5] Fast Food Friday: Jack In The Box Tacos

2 tacos for 99 cents? It seems like a dream come true for some. Actually I think some people were dreaming when they said Jack In The Box Tacos were vegan (Google search it). We know fast food is cheap and uses soy to replace some of the meat, actually JITB came under fire for it, but JITB tacos are not vegan....UNTIL NOW!!!!

Behold Jack In The Box 2 for 99 cent tacos - veganized! The are easy to make, cheap and in Matt opinion taste like the real deal. I vaguely remember the tacos - maybe even think I remember them.

[What You Need]
-one can of vegan refried beans (I used Amy's refried black beans)
-one package of corn tortillas
-shredded lettuce
-shredded vegan cheddar cheeze 
-hot sauce
-sea salt
-vegetable oil for frying

Heat up about a 1/2 inch of oil in the frying pan on medium  high heat. Get a tortilla, spread on a layer of beans (keeping it centralized - so it does not seep out of the edges). Add a tiny pinch of salt over the beans and gently fold in half. Do this till you have the number of tacos you want. Fry each taco for about 1-2 minutes per side, till they are crispy. Once removed from oil, place on a plate lined with paper towels and sprinkle with a bit more salt. Add a bit of lettuce and cheeze to each taco. Serve with hot sauce and if you are inclined some french fries like I did above!

My mom turned me onto this recipe! Matt was like "you can't make those tacos at home - no way" after his plate of tacos and fries he was very happy and content! My mom and I debated using a ground soy product with the beans - but honestly you do not need it! If you are using black beans - the dark look and bold flavor will be there. My mom said the salt is necessary and Matt said the taco sauce is a must...I think it all works out together!