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Vegan Recipes - Elicia's Taco Mix

vegan recipes vegan tacos whole food plant based Jan 20, 2019

New for 2019!
I’ve had a lot of students ask me what I eat as a vegan, so I’ve decided to share some recipes with you in 2019!

2020 UPDATE - There is now a video recipe to go along with this blog!
YouTube Video: Elicia's Vegan Taco Mix

I always say, anything you can make, I can make vegan!!!
Many people believe vegan cooking is complicated, confusing, and time-consuming. I like to show people the delicious and easy-to-make food that I eat as a vegan. And don’t worry, you’ll get enough protein. The fact is, all protein comes from plants. If you are eating a vegan diet and consuming enough calories, you are getting enough protein. There are ZERO cases of protein deficiency where adequate calories are being consumed. (B12 is the only nutrient lacking from a vegan diet and this can easily be obtained by adding nutritional yeast to your diet.)

I’m not trying to convert anyone to veganism, although I would love it if you decided to change to a cruelty-free diet!. I’ve been asked what I eat as a vegan and if my food is boring and my answer is “no, it’s delicious!” So, I want to share a simple vegan recipe that I love to cook and maybe inspire you to eat less animal products.

I adore Mexican food and this taco mix can be used in a variety of ways to make many Mexican favorites. You can also customize this filling for your tastes. I am trying to eat less processed food this year and become more whole foods plant based (WFPB). I used to always use a fake meat substitute/meatless crumbles as a part of this recipe, but now I leave it out. The peppers, onions, and cauliflower can be fresh or frozen. I use veggie broth to saute instead of oil for a healthier, lower calorie option.

Ingredients:
1 onion
1 pepper
1 bag riced cauliflower (~12oz)
1 can corn
1 can diced tomatoes (plain or flavored-I like cilantro/lime flavored!)
2 cans black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 cup dry quinoa (I like the color of red quinoa in this recipe.)
1 carton Veggie Broth for cooking veggies (add as needed) and 2 cups for cooking the quinoa
2 packs taco seasoning (Check ingredients - some brands contain milk!) +more seasoning to taste (I love extra red pepper flakes!)
Meatless Crumbles~optional

Instructions:

  1. Heat 2 cups veggie broth in a small pan and cook 1 cup quinoa according to instructions on package. (Most quinoa takes 15-20 minutes to cook.)

  2. Use a large stir fry pan to heat up some veggie broth over medium heat and saute peppers and onions for approximately 5 minutes. Keep veggie broth on hand and add to pan as needed to prevent sticking.

  3. Add cauliflower to peppers/onions. If you are using a fake meat substitute, I add that at this point. My favorite brand is “Gardein”, followed by “Beyond Meat.”

  4. Once cauliflower has softened, add all of the canned veggies, beans, and taco seasoning. Reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is ready. Once quinoa is finished cooking, add to veggies and mix well. Season to taste. Let cool and serve :)

Serving Options:

  1. Nachos! ~My favorite way to enjoy my taco mix, usually with some cilantro, avocado, green onion, salsa, and jalapenos!

  2. Taco Salad! ~Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos are vegan! I love to crunch up some Doritos, some cheeze shreds, and catalina dressing with my taco mix.

  3. Enchilada Casserole! ~ I like Daiya cheddar shreds for this recipe and I also usually mix up a box of cilantro lime rice. Using a 9x9 or 8x13 pan, layer from the bottom up: corn tortillas, taco mix, cheeze, corn tortillas, rice, cheeze. Repeat until the pan is full; feel free to get creative with your layers! Sometimes I like an additional layer of refried beans. Cover with a can of enchilada sauce and more cheeze shreds and cook for 20-25 minutes at 325 degrees.

  4. Taquitos! ~Using egg-less egg roll wrappers, place a small amount of taco filling and cheeze shreds in wrappers and wrap into long thin taquitos. I like to do these in my air-fryer (~5min at 350 degrees) but you can also bake in the oven, just lightly mist with olive oil spray to get crispy.

  5. Tostadas! ~Crisp up your corn tortilla in the oven or air-fryer. Add taco mix and whatever toppings you like!

  6. Tacos and Burritos! ~Hard or soft shell, grab a traditional taco or burrito shell and fill it up!

  7. Quesadillas! ~Have a quesadilla maker sitting around the house? Grab 2 tortillas, fill them with taco mix, cheeze shreds and whatever else you like. Bam!


I don’t have an exact calorie/macro count for this meal because I don’t count calories. I eat lots of plant based whole foods and simply don’t worry about calories anymore. I can’t say the same for a vegan diet full of fake processed foods. Fake food is fake food, whether it is vegan or not, and is usually full of calories. As I mentioned above, those Doritos are vegan, but they are also highly processed and don’t provide much nutrition. I try to limit those foods to a few times/week. I believe that the best diet is one comprised of natural, unprocessed, whole foods.

Beware of the processed vegan cheeze products. Some of them taste a little odd and all of them are highly processed. I gave up dairy for 6 months before I tried the imitation cheeze. My favorite brands are “Follow Your Heart” and “Chao.” Daiya is the most common one I find and I like their cheddar or mozzarella shreds, but I don’t really like their slices. Everyone’s taste buds are different, so don’t write off all vegan cheeze if you try a weird one! My favorite thing to do now is make my own cheeze at home, using potatoes and carrots! Sound odd? It’s delicious. More on that in my next vegan recipe blog…

Research repeatedly shows that a plant-based vegan diet is the healthiest diet. Please read the research yourself before you ask that question that every vegan can’t stand…”but where do you get your protein?” And don’t believe everything you read on the internet… Do your research and educate yourself. Look for peer-reviewed studies. Be wary of any resource that claims too good to be true results.

I’ve been on a diet since I was about 7 years old. I grew up through the 90’s low-fat craze-my favorite snack was a piece of white bread with grape jelly-only 1 gram of fat! I navigated my college years through the 2000’s Atkins craze-which left me with low energy and unable to focus on class. I went vegetarian when I was 25 and ate that way for almost 10 years and was at my highest weight, definitely not my healthiest. It wasn’t until I went vegan/WFPB that I stopped counting calories and being a slave to the scale and I naturally lost weight.

The only regret I have about going vegan is that I didn’t do it sooner. I have never felt healthier, had more energy, better sleep, and a clear conscious. I’ve also never been happier to know that I am doing my part to save the animals and the planet.

(Side note-Heart Disease is the leading cause of death in the USA. All of these low-carb diets neglect to look at how they impact person’s cholesterol. I beg you to PLEASE consider your heart health before going on an Atkins/Keto/Paleo/low-carb diet plan.)

I’m sharing my vegan story and recipes because I care.
I care about you. I care about the animals. I care about the planet.


Have any questions about going vegan? Let me know in the comments!

Plant-Based and Proud,
~Elicia~

Resources I recommend:

Have you heard of Veganuary? (Go Vegan in January!) Many people start off the new year looking to create healthier habits, including eating a healthier diet. Veganuary can help you get started!
https://veganuary.com/

The World Health Organization classifies processed meat as a Group 1 carcinogenic, known to cause cancer and red meat as Group 2 carcinogenic, probably causes cancer.
https://www.who.int/features/qa/cancer-red-meat/en/

I believe the title of Dr. Garth Davis’ book says it all: “Proteinaholic: How Our Obsession with Meat Is Killing Us and What We Can Do About It.”
https://www.amazon.com/Proteinaholic-Obsession-Meat-Killing-About/dp/0062279319/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr

Netflix Documentaries I like: What the Health, Forks Over Knives, Food Choices, Vegucated, PlantPure Nation, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, and there are so many more...

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