I love most kinds of food, but I definitely find myself craving the flavors and different options that ethnic foods offer. My world has really only recently been opened to ethnic food, but so far it has been a magical journey full of delicious foods. I’ve only scratched the surface of my ethnic food options, but I also don’t live in a very ethnically diverse area that demands quality food. Of all the foods I love though, my go-to for cooking myself is Mexican (or what we Americans call Mexican).
About two years ago I decided to try eating a vegan diet. I have digestive issues and I was told I was lactose intolerant many years ago (I chose to ignore it for a long time, but the older I get, the harder it is to ignore). Alas, a few weeks after cutting out dairy and meat, my stomach was already feeling better. Since then, I’ve done my best to stick with it and the easiest meal to make is usually some sort of Mexican dish. Basically, you can put a bunch of veggies, beans and rice together with some guacamole in a bowl, some tacos, or a burrito and you have yourself a delicious meal.
Recently, I was craving guacamole (which I do pretty much every day), but was also in the mood for salad. I decided to try my hand at a taco salad and was not disappointed. The salad quickly rose to the top of my Mexican dish list and I will probably make it once a week for several weeks in a row. I didn’t follow any exact recipe and you can find some really good ones out there on the interwebs, but here’s basically what I did:
- ½ red pepper - diced into ¼ inch squares or in strips
- ½ yellow pepper
- ½ green pepper
- 1 small onion
- 1 avocado
- 1 bag of baby spinach or whatever greens you like
- A bit of your favorite salsa or some pico de gallo
- 1 bag Beyond Meat Feisty “Beef” Crumbles (or you can use a 15oz can of black beans or 1lb of hamburger meat or chicken)
- 1 packet of taco seasoning (it’s also pretty easy to find a recipe to make a healthier version yourself)
- ½ cup of Creamy Cumin Ranch Dressing - I used about ¾ cup of vegan mayonnaise instead of cashews and added a bit more smoked paprika and a bit more cumin. Just add little pinches and keep tasting it. To be honest, the dressing doesn’t taste that great by itself, but mixed with the other ingredients, it takes the salad to another level. Another very delicious level! You can also use a different dressing like a Southwest Ranch or an Avocado Lime. Both would be amazing!
In a large pan, saute all the veggies together with some olive oil. Once they are soft sprinkle a bit of the taco seasoning on them until they are evenly coated to your liking.
In the other pan, make the Feisty Crumbles according the the directions. Once they are heated through, add about ¾ of the taco seasoning and ½ cup water. Cook for about 5-7 more minutes until the water is absorbed. If using beans, drain and rinse them first. Then cook for a few minutes and add ½ the packet of seasoning or less depending on what you like. If using meat, brown or cook thoroughly. Then following the directions on the seasoning.
Put a layer of greens down, then meat, then veggies, salsa, avocado and dressing. Voila! A delicious taco salad that satisfies the Mexican and salad cravings wonderfully!
Happy Cinco de Mayo!! Enjoy!!