Vegan Taco Party

Summer is officially here! I am fortunate enough to work for the public school system, and am now enjoying the next few months off of work. This definitely called for a celebration. I called upon the powers of Terry Hope Romero, via Viva Vegan and this month’s issue of Veg News, to throw a taco party.

Terry was a contributor to the current issue of Veg News, and I made her recipe for crispy potato tacos, with queso (tofu) fresco and tomatillo sauce (I actually ended up pouring the tomatillo sauce over the black beans, for added heat and flavor), along with her cilantro lime rice, from Viva Vegan.

I wish I would have gotten a better picture of the potatoes, but they were spicy and crispy, without being too greasy. They went fast and even my omnivorous friends enjoyed.

The rice was flavorful and fluffy. The cilantro and lime add a nice element and transform it into a legitimate side dish instead of a boring afterthought.

Taco fixings

Queso fresco

Chips and salsa

The mojito station

My favorite brewery’s seasonal release

You can never go wrong with tacos and beer!

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Viva Vegan

I recently bought Terry Hope Romero’s Viva Vegan book.  She makes amazing vegan versions of some of my Latin favorites. I am a huge fan of Terry. I credit her and Isa Chandra Moskowitz for teaching me how to cook and helping me maintain a vegan diet while never feeling deprived.

Viva Vegan has innovative creations and wonderful substitutions for classic favorites. The only thing I wish is that book was hardcover, so I could more effectively hit the next person over the head with it who says, “but how can you be vegan, you’re Mexican?”

When I saw the Posole recipe, I knew it would be the first one I tried. Growing up in a Mexican family, Posole or menudo was a regular tradition on Sunday mornings.

Even as a young omnivore, I was grossed out by the large pieces of pig that crowded the bowls of those traditional dishes. I did enjoy all the side fixings (cilantro, onions, lime, radishes, etc.) plus tortillas with butter, which I would generally just dip in the broth of the dishes while poking around for hominy.

Terry’s vegan version brought back a traditional, comfort version of this meal without the animal ingredients. The recipe called for pinto beans, instead of pork and vegetable broth + beer instead of chicken or beef.

I served the Posole up with all the delicious fixings; shredded cabbage, cilantro, radishes, lime and avocado. I also warmed up corn tortillas with Earth Balance and dipped it in the Posole. Absolutely delish!

 

I also made Portobello Feijoada. This is actually a Brazilian dish that I had never tried before, but it sounded amazing. It contained black beans with sliced portabella mushrooms, simmered in spices and liquid smoke.

I served this over brown rice seasoned with cilantro and lime. This was a hearty and flavorful meal and with quite a bit leftovers to last throughout the week.

I am looking forward to trying more recipes from the book. They are absolutely packed with flavor and nostalgia.