Vegan Taco Dip ~ Healthy Mexican Sides & Dips ~ Perfect for Cinco De Mayo ~ Fiesta!

I Can't Believe It's Vegan! Taco Dip 

Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients:

1 - 12 oz container Vegan sour cream (Tofutti brand is delicious!)

3/4 Packet Vegan low-sodium taco season mix

1 ripe avocado, mashed

1 cup black olives, chopped

3 stalks green onion, diced

1 cup chopped tomatoes, Pico De Gallo, or our try Garden Salsa Recipe!

1 package Vegan meat crumbles (about 1 pound)

Directions:

Prepare refried beans by heating on stove. While beans are heating, in a separate pan add frozen meat crumbles in into 1/4 cup water or olive oil. Cook according to package directions. Add Taco Season into cooked meat crumbles and stir. (Don't be afraid to get happy with the Taco mix, it's the season that really is needed to give the crumbles an authentic taco meat flavor. It makes the dish!)

In a serving tray or in individual bowls spread bottom layer of refried beans. Next add a layer of meat crumbles, sour cream, avocado, chopped tomatoes or fresh salsa, black olives, green onions, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Delish!

Whole Foods makes some wonderful freshly made tortilla chips that are hardy and great for thick dips! You can find them in their Bakery department and like always, Whole Foods uses quality ingredients. These chips are so good warmed and they don't contain any animal derived ingredients. :)

Enjoy!

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The Best Garden Salsa You'll Ever Make Recipe ~ Healthy, Delicious, Low-Cal, Vegetarian

The Best Garden Salsa You'll Ever Make Recipe

(Makes about 6 Cups)

When you live in Arizona, knowing how to make an excellent Salsa is a must! We are Mexican food lovers and eat delicious fresh and Baja style Mexican food many times per week! Our family calls this our "secret recipe", it's been in our family for years. (Although it's not much of a secret we are always sharing this recipe with friends whenever we get a chance! :) Try it!, I think you'll love it! We prepare it for nearly every family party or gathering we have. If you're looking for heat this wouldn't be the ideal recipe, but if you're looking for a seriously tasty tortilla topper or side, this is it! This delicious chunky Garden style salsa recipe is really fresh and is sure to please. It's very simple to make and won't disappoint!

Ingredients:

3 14.5oz Cans Hunt's Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic (Hunts brand is a must)
1 4 oz can diced/chopped green chilies, drained
1 4oz can diced/chopped jalapenos, drained (strain seeds for very mild salsa)
1/4 bunch Cilantro, chopped
1/2 bunch green onions chopped,
1 Medium white onion, diced
1 clove garlic minced
Large pinch of Cumin
Squeeze of Lime & Lemon juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large bowl, pour in all 3 cans of tomatoes. Add the garlic, chilies, jalapenos, onion, green onions, and cilantro and stir. Add dash of cumin, lemon or lime juice and salt and pepper to taste and stir. Enjoy immediately or cover and refrigerate.

Tip: Let the salsa refrigerate so the ingredients can marinate. It tastes even better the next day! Each half cup of Salsa only contains about 35 calories, plus you're getting a great serving of raw veggies, onions and garlic. So healthy! If you happen to make this recipe, I'd love to know what you think! :)

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Eat This Instead ~ Kale Garlic Naan Pizza ~ So Yummy & Vegetarian ~ Quick & Easy!

If I'm having an epic Pizza craving it's so easy to give in to a scrumptious but oh so greasy pie from my favorite Italian place (think Ray's, Gino's, Rosati's, Streets of New York etc)...yum! Or even worse a frozen pizza topped to the brim with nitrate laden sausage and pepperoni! It tastes great going in but once it's in your body it's not doing great things for you anymore...bleh :( It's easy to switch it up with a pizza that is yum to eat, easy to prepare and made with quality ingredients. If you've never tried Naan bread, now is the time!! It's an Indian bread traditionally cooked in a stone hearth like pit over an open fire, much like pita bread in texture, it's gets a nice crisp when cooked in the oven and it's so tastey! You'll only need a few ingredients to put together this delight. :)

Kale Garlic Naan Pizza

Ingredients:

~Naan Bread in Garlic
~Pizza Sauce
~Mozzarella Cheese
~Baby Kale
~Spices to Taste (I used Basil, Oregano, Pepper, Garlic and Red Pepper Flakes)

*Use Organic ingredients whenever possible

I preheated the oven to 425 degrees and put the premade Naan bread on a baking sheet. Spread a thin to medium layer of sauce, spices, cheese, kale, and more spices on top to taste. I baked for 10-12 mins until cheese was melted and Naan was crisp. It doesn't take very long (Careful Naan can burn quickly!) Also it it is best to go light on the sauce so the Naan isn't soggy. :)

The traditional way to cook a Naan pizza is with spicy Arugula leaves and Goat cheese. I'm a Kale lover but the Arugula and Goat cheese is equally good!

Check out the the interesting way Naan is cooked in a Tandoor! You can go to an Indian restaurant for fresh hot Naan. mmm.

The calories in Naan bread are about equal to regular pizza if not possibly a little higher, but I believe quality and organic ingredients over compensates health wise for a few extra calories. :)

Tell me know if you love! Enjoy!

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Really Good Rataouille - Vegan Too!

Ratatouille, is it French or Italian? Technically it's a French dish but you've tried it and said 'That's Italian!', then you're right too! Ratatouille first originated in Nice which is present day France but long ago used to be Italian territory. South of France & Italy share many of the same food staples. Maybe that's why both environments are both equally amazing, beautiful, and jaw-droppingly gorgeous? Makes sense! 

Ratatouille used to be a peasant dish made by Farmer's summer Vegetable Harvest. Now it is a world wide beloved French dish with nearly as much a following as the French Bread. Be sure to serve delicious Ratatouille traditionally over Polenta or Pasta, fresh bread, and a glass of robust French Red. If you're looking for a Low Carb option, you can eat the Ratatouille alone like I prepared below. It's still just as satisfying. I've also thought of putting Ratatouille over Spaghetti Squash! 

There are many ways to prepare Ratatouille. In the past Ratatouille didn't contain aubergine or Eggplant but most modern recipes include delicious Eggplant. This is my go-to Recipe from my Mom. Bon Appetit!

Ratatouille 

*Click Photo*

Ingredients:

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 small eggplant

1-28oz can crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 fresh tomatoes, cut in chunks

2 tablespoons of dry Vegan red wine

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until the onion is transparent.  add the eggplant, crushed tomatoes, basil, marjoram and oregano. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the zucchini and peppers and cover and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.Add the fresh tomatoes, wine, salt and pepper and summer for 10 minutes more or so, until all the vegetables are tender. Stir in the fresh parsley and serve! Serves 6. 

I hope you all enjoy this easy to make Recipe. Let me know how it turns out! :) 

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