Air-Fryer Vegan Taquitos

My awesome dad just started cooking over the past year, thanks to the magic of the air fryer. He wasn't interested in cooking for pretty much my whole life, but a couple Christmases ago, my parents got an air fryer — and everything changed.

My dad, who is semi-retired, started messing around with the air fryer and realized he had some serious kitchen skills. Soon, he was cooking entire dinners in the fryer so they'd be ready when my mom got home from work. From there, he branched into occasionally using the oven, the stovetop, and other appliances and gadgets. But I credit the air fryer with turning my daddy into a chef!

He recently made me some Vegan Beef & Cheese Taquitos — some of which he served fresh to me while I was in town and the rest he froze for me to heat in my own air fryer. I had some of the frozen ones yesterday with a little sauteed veggies, avocado, kidney beans, and brown rice. Salsa for dippin!

He was nice enough to share his recipe, so I'm sharing with y'all!

Air-Fryer Vegan Beef & Cheese Taquitos

Yields 24 taquitos

24 corn tortillas

1/4 cup oil (plus more as needed)

1 pound vegan ground beef crumbles, thawed (we like Gardein!)

Half white onion, minced

1 cup vegan cheddar shreds (we like Daiya!)

1 package taco seasoning

Coat a skillet with oil and heat to medium. Place one tortilla in the skillet, heat for a few seconds, flip, and heat the other side for a few seconds. You're just making them pliable here, so don't overcook. Cover cooked tortillas with a warm towel until ready to roll.

As you're heating your tortillas, add a little more oil to another skillet. Add the onion and saute for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Add the beefless crumbles and taco seasoning. Heat for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.

To assemble, place one tablespoon of beefless crumbles and a half-tablespoon of cheddar in the center of a heated tortilla and roll up. Use a toothpick to hold the taquito together. 

From here, you can cook immediately in the air fryer on 350 for about 8 minutes or freeze in plastic bags. To cook the frozen taquitos, simply heat in the fryer for about 10 minutes on 350 degrees.

If you have leftover meat and cheese afterward, save it for nacho night! Or taco night!

The Veginner's Cookbook

When I went vegan in 2004, there were a few good resources out there for newbie vegans. Joanne Stepaniak's The Vegan Sourcebook was super-helpful, and I got lots of money-saving tips for new vegans from Stephanie Scarborough's The Cheap Vegan zine. 

But I wish I'd had The Veginner's Cookbook: The Ultimate Starter Guide for New Vegans and the Veg-Curious by Bianca Haun and Sascha Naderer of Elephantastic Vegan. Not only is this new cookbook/guide book co-authored by someone who shares my name (bonus points from me for that!), it's also a really useful tool. The book opens with essays on vegan substitutions, basic ingredients and equipment, and tips for avoiding and/or arguing with skeptics. Plus, Bianca's kitchen hacks and Sascha's tips for navigating social situations are peppered throughout the book.

Most of the book is reserved for recipes, however. These are simple, comfort foods with short ingredient lists and easy instructions, perfect for the new vegan (or old vegan)! You'll find recipes for homemade seitan, cheese sauce, cashew parm, almond milk, and more in the Basics chapter. There's a Breakfast chapter with tofu scramble, blueberry pancakes, apple pie overnight oats, and strawberry chia pudding. 

The Soups chapter is short and sweet with five recipes, but all sound (and look — the book is filled with color pics) delicious. I made the Soothing Mushroom Ramen Soup with Crispy Tofu, and it was perfection!

This hearty ramen has rich mushroom base with carrots and spinach. It's topped with crispy, pan-fried tofu that's coated in curry sauce. I will definitely be making this again. The curry from the tofu mixed into the broth, creating a complex, comforting flavor.

The Main Meals chapter is the largest, and it contains everything from Creamy Avocado Pasta and Baked Falafel Pita to a Sweet Potato Hawaii Burger and Tomato Coconut Chickpea Curry. From that chapter, I picked the Stovetop Avocado Pizza.

The crust is basically a flatbread that's cooked in a skillet in a matter of minutes. It's soft and chewy, like pizza crust, but it comes together so much more quickly than a yeasted dough. It's topped with mashed avocado and pan-roasted cherry tomatoes with balsamic glaze. I made this for a quick weeknight dinner before pulling a rare night shift at work. So awesome to make pizza in minutes! I made Paul a crust like this as well, but he topped his with more traditional pizza toppings.

Back at the end of January, I consulted the Snacks & Party Food chapter to make an appetizer to take to a full moon gathering with my lady friends. I opted for the "To Share or Not to Share" Pizza Pinwheels — phyllo dough rolled up with pizza sauce, vegan parm, and green olives. I added some Daiya mozzarella to mine as well, even though the recipe didn't call for it. These were a huge hit at the gathering!

Other snacks in the chapter include Cheesy Dill Popcorn (nooch and dill have long been my fave popcorn toppers), Garlic Herb Breadsticks, Baked Hummus Dip, and Homemade Crackers.

There's also a hearty dessert chapter, but I haven't tried anything from it. I've got my eye on the Lemon-Glazed Cinnamon Rolls though (sounds weird but delicious), as well as the Life-Changing Frozen Chocolate and Chocolate Chip Cookies. There are even four recipes for various flavors of banana Nice Cream!

Whether you're a new vegan or a veteran, this book has something for you! 

Vegan in 7 Giveaway!

I love a simple recipe with few ingredients. I spend so much on groceries every week, mostly because I refuse to deny myself any meal that I want — no matter how many ingredients, no matter how much those cost. That works for me since I don't spend extravagantly in any other area of life. I rarely buy clothes or shoes. I don't travel often (and when I do, it's usually a paid-for work trip). But I realize that saving money would be wise, so I appreciate recipes that call for only a few things. Especially when those things are fresh fruits and veggies.

Enter Vegan in 7: Delicious Plant-Based Recipes in 7 Ingredients or Fewer by Rita Serano. I was sent a copy of this to review, but it was mailed to my old office, so when I didn't receive the copy after several weeks, the marketing person for the book then sent me another copy to my our new work address. That copy arrived, and then just a few days later, the other copy was forwarded to my new address too. So I ended up with two copies, and I'll share one with a lucky reader. Details for the giveaway at the bottom of this post.

Anyway, about the book! As I mentioned, each recipe has seven (or less!) ingredients. And they're primarily fresh, easy to find items. The chapters are organized not by meal type but by adjectives that describe the meals. There's Start (breakfast), Fresh (salads), Fast (easy meals), Nourish (entrees), Gather (made with lots of fresh, seasonal produce), Sweet (desserts), and Basics (sauces, snacks).

I started with the Start chapter since I'm all about breakfast. I made the Tofu Scramble and the Blackberry, Plum, & Black Pepper Chia Jam.

The scramble was seriously the easiest scram I've ever made, yet it was so full of flavor. It was made with tofu, onion, spinach, turmeric, chili powder, and black salt. That's it! But the onion and black salt made it taste so good! I feel like I always add way too much seasoning and veggies to a scramble. It's nice to have one that's so simple.

The jam is an easy stovetop chia jam made with blackberries, plums, lemon, maple, chia seeds, and dash of pepper. I love chia jams because they're such a breeze to make at home. I've been enjoying this on whole wheat toast with vegan butter at breakfast and also on PB&Js for snacks.

From the Fast chapter, I made the Portobello Satay with Peanut Sauce.

These skewered 'bella mushrooms are grilled (I used my indoor grill) and served with toasted coconut and a tasty peanut sauce. I made these because Paul grew up in Holland, where they eat tons of satay, and portabellas are his favorite veggies. He liked this meal! We served it with steamed kale and quinoa cooked with a little garlic.

Other meals on my list: Sweet Potato Fries with Spicy Guacamole, Zucchini Frittata, Green Quinoa Bowls (with kale, avocado, quinoa, and peas!), Noodles with Carrot Miso Sauce, Salt-Baked Beets & Potatoes with Saffron Aioli, Carob Cake with Strawberries and Black Pepper, and Sunflower Butter Fudge.

Want your own copy of Vegan in 7? Just leave a comment here with your favorite few-ingredient meal idea. Be sure to leave your email address in the comment so I can contact you if you win! I'll randomly select a winner on Monday night.

Stuff I Ate

I've been eating some delicious food over the past week. So much so that I thought for a second that maybe I should chill out a little and get some more whole foods in me. But then I thought, meh, life is short! Eat it up!

My favorite thing lately is pizza. I've been eating way more pizza than usual, and I'm a-okay with that. I made a Sausage & Veggie Pie at home using some Lulu's Baked Cashew Mozzarella, homemade Italian seitan sausages, bell peppers, black olives, mushrooms, and red onions. Perfection! I was sad to see this go. The crust is my go-to recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance.

Speaking of Lulu's Baked cashew cheese, I used the last of it in a Grilled Cheese, and it was hands-down the best grilled cheese I've ever had. The bread — locally baked from Curb Market — was buttered with Lulu's Baked Unsalted Vegan Butter. I was craving veggie soup too, and I didn't have many fresh veggies to cook with that day, so I dumped a can of Veg-All and some fire-roasted veggies together with some veggie broth. Instant veggie soup!

Today for lunch, I had the Vegan Burger from Farm Burger at Crosstown Concourse. This burger joint is part of a small chain, and they carry vegan patties at some locations. Unfortunately, Memphis is not one of them. They only have a vegetarian patty here, BUT they had a catering order this week, and vegan burgers were requested. So they made some! And they had leftovers! I had to try it as I've been bugging them to add vegan options since they opened. This was an excellent patty made with quinoa and veggies and fried to perfection. I topped mine with roasted garlic, pickled jalapenos, red onion, lettuce, and tomato.

Also from Concourse — Lemon Sorbet from Area 51 Ice Cream. This scoop shop typically has one vegan sorbet on offer, and I like to try them when I can (though I have to resist eating it daily since they're just downstairs from my office). Enjoyed this with Susan after lunch one day. Lunch dessert!

Have y'all tried the new vegan Doritos yet? They're good! Not as good as Spicy Sweet Chili but still tasty. I snacked on some on the drive home after my race on Sunday. Very spicy!

I also recently tried the Kite Hill Greek Almond Yogurt. So good! I've never had dairy Greek yogurt, but this sounds more like what it should be like. Thick and tangy. Some of the other vegan Greek yogurts are just really sweet. I had the vanilla with Bee-Free Honee, raspberries, and granola. Plus some Hilary's Eat Well Spicy Sausage on the side.

Little Rock Half Marathon 2018 Race Recap

I ran the Little Rock Half Marathon on Sunday! It was my second time running that half (last year, I ran the Little Rock full) and my fourth half-marathon in total. And I got a PR by two minutes!

Yesterday, I blogged about what I ate the day before the race. But this post will be a recap with pics of food from race morning and post-race. I woke up at my BFF Sheridan's house at 5 am, got dressed, and had some Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal with Chocolate Peanut Butter and Coffee. I typically always have oats with nut butter or a bagel half with nut butter. Simple carbs with a little fat to slow digestion and keep me full.

Sheridan woke up super-early to drive me downtown for the race. On a Sunday! She's the best! While I waited near the starting line, I had a banana. And then I hit up the Porta-Potties — a must pre-race! And then we were off! I don't know why, but I was feeling super strong and my pace was about a minute faster than usual (sometimes even two minutes faster!) for the whole 13.1 miles. 

The weather was chilly in the 40s, and around mile 5, it started raining. Not super hard, but just enough to make me feel cold again after my body temp had gotten nice and warm. We ran past Diamond Bear Brewery at mile 2, so I had a beer sample early on. And then there was more beer from Stone's Throw Brewery a few miles down the road. Toward the end, there was another beer stop at a brewpub I can't remember, and in mile 9, someone was handing out tiny mimosas. I ALWAYS take any alcohol offered on the course! Also, at mile 9, a woman as handing out little baggies of tater tots. I gratefully took those too. Nothing hits the spot in a race better than a salty tot. As for actual fuel, I had a Hammer Peanut Butter Gel at mile 4 and some Clif Watermelon Chews at mile 8. 

After the run, I picked up my amazing medal! Little Rock is known for having some of the best medals in the country. The full marathon medals are massive (mine from last year was 8 pounds and about the size of my head), but the half medals are slightly smaller. Still yet, they're always really cool! Each year, the race has a fun theme, and the medal is designed around that. This year, it was a Monty Python-inspired What's Your Quest? theme. So the medal has glittery dragon, natch.

Most races have very little vegan food selections post-race. But Little Rock usually has pasta, and they're happy to serve it vegan-style for anyone who requests it. The Pasta with Marinara they were handing out had cheese mixed in, but I asked them to make me a serving without cheese and they were happy to. There was another vegan next to me in line who did the same. YAY! I also got my two post-race beers (of course!).

I snacked on beer and pasta at the post-race party, and then I had a Clif Vanilla Almond Builder Bar (20 grams of protein) on the car ride back to Sheridan's place. I showered and then we headed out for lunch at Zaza. This hip, wood-fired pizza and salad joint recently added vegan cheese as an option, but sadly, they were out on Sunday. We made due with two cheeseless pies — the Potato & Peppadew (with lemon, mushrooms, and an olive oil base) and the Forager (with spinach, artichokes, mushrooms, kalamatas, and peppers). Both were excellent, even without vegan cheese!

After lunch, I headed back to Memphis — a two-hour drive. When I returned home, it had just started sprinkling, and look — there was a DOUBLE RAINBOW! A lovely way to be greeted upon my return!

What I Ate the Day Before My Fastest Half-Marathon!

On Sunday, I set a new PR at the Little Rock Half-Marathon! YAY! I'll post more about the race experience tomorrow, but tonight, I want to share what I ate on Saturday. I always follow a pretty strict plan the day before a race that involves lots of carbs, whole foods, protein, and hydrating beverages (like fresh juice and coconut water).

On Friday night, my friend Megan and I went to the Vintage901 Grand Tasting at Crosstown Concourse, and I had a BUNCH of wine. Concourse is walking distance from my house, so why not?? Great plan, right? Ha! We had a great time, but I woke up on Sunday morning feeling a little queasy. I always have toast and jam on the mornings before races, but I couldn't stomach the idea of anything sweet. So I had Whole Wheat Toast with Vegan Butter & Nooch, plus some Field Roast Apple Maple Sausages for protein.

After breakfast, I hit up the Cooper Young Farmer's Market for some Lulu's Baked treats. My friend Don from Lulu's didn't think he'd be doing any more markets this year, but he ended up doing a couple more after he said he was done. This was (supposedly) the last one, so I had to go! After the market, I stopped at Juice Bar in CY for some Fresh Greens Juice (kale, celery, spinach, cucumber, parsley, lemon) and a Hangover Helper Shot (coconut water, lemon, cayenne, and activated charcoal).

My lunch was a Big Ole Salad with Baked Tofu and some of the Lulu's Baked Vegan Challah Bread that I picked up at the market (topped with Lulu's Cashew Cheese). So good!

My marathon was in Little Rock, about 2 hours away from Memphis. So after lunch, I headed that way so I could arrive before the race expo ended. On the car ride, I snacked on some Salted Pistachios from the gas station.

Once in Little Rock, I went straight to the expo, where I bought a bunch of glittery Bondi headbands and a tee that says "Running & Beer & Tacos & Pizza." Cause that's basically my life. I was pretty hungry by the time I arrived at the expo, and I knew dinner was a couple hours away. So I grabbed some super-overpriced bananas at the Starbucks next door to the convention center (where the expo was held). I paid $2.50 for 2 bananas! That is bananas, y'all. BANANAS. I would never do that if I wasn't staving.

Next, I headed to my BFF Sheridan's house! She lives in Little Rock with her partner Drew, and I was staying at their place. I unloaded my suitcase, and we went grocery shopping. My pre-race dinner is almost always pasta these days. I'm all about that carb-loading. There are mixed opinions out there as to whether or not carb-loading helps, but I'll take any excuse to eat more carbs. Hell, I don't even need an excuse! Carbs everyday!

Anyway, we went to Whole Foods and picked up some stuff to make spaghetti at their house. I grabbed this Beet Kombucha to sip on while we cooked.

Drew pretty much did all the cooking. He made Tuscan White Bean Spaghetti by adding a can of Amy's Tuscan White Bean & Rice Soup to a jar of Mushroom Marinara. He also added some Gardein vegan beef, mushrooms, onions, and peppers. Sheridan toasted up some of the Lulu's Baked Ciabatta Bread that I brought her from Memphis. This loaf had a big air bubble, so our slices were kinda sad looking. But the bread was still very tasty.

I always have one lucky pre-race beer before bed. Because again, I'll take any excuse for carbs. Or beer. This is a Springdale, Arkansas-brewed Arkansas Red from Core Brewing Co. Excellent!

And there you have it! My magic formula for a PR! Check back tomorrow for a race recap!

More Stuff I Ate

More random meals for ya! We'll start with this breakfast flavor explosion — a Dave's Bagels Everything Bagel with Sprouts Everything Hummus and Trader Joes's Everything But the Bagel Seasoning. I recently discovered the Everything Hummus (my new fave!), and I immediately knew I had to put it on an everything bagel with the everything seasoning. MIND. BLOWN.

Speaking of Sprouts, I picked up some Rising Moon Organics Potato Gnochhi on BOGO sale last week. Enjoyed with some Victoria Vegan Artichoke Alfredo Sauce and Garlic Bread. Salad on the side because greens.

Here's a dark, ugly pic of a delicious, quick dinner — BBQ Tempeh, Mac & Peas, and Steamed Butternut Squash. For the mac, I just mixed some whole wheat elbow mac with some Daiya cheddar sauce and peas.

This was my snacky lunch enjoyed while cleaning the house on Saturday — Treeline Chipotle Cashew Cheese with Crackers, Everything Hummus with Rainbow Carrots & Bell Peppers, Pickled Okra, & Kalamata Olives.

Been eating out a lot this week! On Tuesday night, we had Vegan Drinks at Mosa Asian Bistro. I got the Thai Curry with Tofu & Brown Rice. Very good! I just love their fried tofu!

Pam, Megan, and I have been going to weekly Kundalini & Crystals yoga classes at Delta Groove Yoga. We LOVE this class! Each week, we work on a different chakra and meditate with coordinating stones. After yoga last night, we grabbed dinner at Golden India next door. I got the Chana Masala. Sorry for the dark, blurry pic!

I've been working hard to listen to my intuition and stop eating when I'm full — something I often struggle with when I eat out. I tend to want to clean my plate if there isn't enough for a full meal of leftovers, but I'm learning that small leftover portions make great snacks the next day or they can be worked into other meals. This morning, I took the small bit of chana masala and basmati rice that was leftover and used it to top a Pudla Protein Pancake (made with FitQuick Pizza Protein Waffle mix with a little added curry powder, black salt, and garlic powder). Since FitQuick is mostly chickpea flour, it tasted very much like traditional pudla but with 30 grams of protein for my post-run recovery!