This is our new goto taco recipe. We both love it and it has become a favorite and we don't miss the cheese at all.

Tom's Way: Lay a large flour tortilla on the plate, Spread out a good sized scoop of rice and the lentils. Then, add a bit of taco sauce and top with a good helping of the fresh black bean and sweet corn salsa. Top with a few crumbled sweet corn chips.

Mexican Rice
Ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 6 oz of tomato sauce (use an 8 oz can and save the other two ounces)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic
• cilantro (optional)

Directions

1. Add 1 cup of brown rice to a skillet on medium heat. I like to toast the rice a bit before adding water but if you are too impatient you can skip that part.
2. Add 2 1/2 cups of water and the 6 ounces of tomato sauce. I’ve used the whole 8 ounces when I made this with white rice but the brown rice doesn’t need all of the tomato sauce.
3. Add the salt and garlic.
4. Stir everything well then put a lid on the pan. The rice will cook best with a lid on. The temperature can be turned down once it is boiling well. Start checking the rice at about 30 minutes but it may need to cook closer to 45 minutes. It is done when most of the  liquid is absorbed and the rice is soft. Remove from heat.
5. Cilantro can be added on top of the rice after it is done cooking. Just sprinkle fresh cilantro on top of the rice and place lid back on skillet for a few minutes.

Lentil Tacos
Ingredients

• 1 cup dry lentils (rinsed)
• taco seasoning (chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, cumin) to taste
• 2 oz tomato sauce

Instructions

1. Cook lentils in a medium saucepan with 2 cups of water.
2. Cook them for 15 minutes or until they are soft.
3. If there is still water in the pan drain them.
4. Add taco seasoning to taste and the tomato sauce.
5. Stir and enjoy.

Cowboy Caviar (Salsa)
A fresh, simple dip that can be thrown together in under 15 minutes!
INGREDIENTS:

• 3 Roma tomatoes , seeds removed, diced
• 2 ripe avocados diced
• 1 15 oz can black beans , rinsed and drained
• 1 15 oz can black eyed peas , rinsed and drained
• 1 ½ cups frozen sweet corn , thawed (I just usually toss it in the salad frozen unless I plan on eating it immediately, it thaws quite quickly).
• 1 bell pepper , diced (I used half a green and half a red, but color doesn’t matter)
• ⅓ cup red onion , diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper , seeds removed, diced into very small pieces
• ⅓ cup Cilantro , finely chopped

DRESSING

• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons lime juice (fresh preferred)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine tomatoes, avocado, onion, black beans, black eyed peas, corn, pepper, jalapeno pepper, and cilantro in a large bowl. Toss/stir well so that ingredients are well-combined.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
3. Pour dressing over other ingredients and stir/toss very well.
4. Keep refrigerated. If not serving immediately, be sure to toss/stir well before serving.

I'm not a huge fan of breakfast since we 'went vegan.' My goto foods of yesterday no longer fit into my plan. So, it was time to think outside the box. I purchased a new vegan cookbook last weekend and while the first thing I tried didn't really wow me, this morning's breakfast did.

Avocado Toast
The first time I had avocado toast was in Decatur, Georgia at a charming new age restaurant called, First Watch. As a big fan of avocados I had to try it. I am so glad I did, too, because I'm not sure I would have been open to trying it had I not had some idea what it was all about. If you love avocados, try this!

• Two pieces of good whole grain bread
• 1 mashed ripe avocado
• A bit of salt and pepper or garlic salt

This lends itself to other ingredients, too. I sprinkled some nutritional yeast on top and added some hemp hearts, too. All in all, the warm toast and buttery avocado topped with a bit of crunch was a perfect breakfast.

While I am not gluten sensitive, I find this chewy morsel delightful. They have no flour and you can add whatever you love in cookies without changing the texture of the cookie. If you love nuts, dairy free chocolate chips, toasted coconut, sunflower seeds, or whatever ... all them! You may have to adjust the baking time, but in the end you will have created a family favorite! This recipe makes 16 cookies, if you opt to bypass the optional ingredients

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups quick oats
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup peanut butter

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp maple syrup (or Stevia packets, to taste)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt 
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mash the bananas in in a bowl with a fork until they form a paste.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
4. Drop spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet, shaping each spoonful into a cookie shape.
5. Bake for 15 minutes. They should be firm and slightly browned when done.

What's your favorite vegan cookie?

... passed on stopping at Subway. But, the line at Verizon was too long to wait and I didn't want to go back out after I got home. Enter Subway ... I knew I had a blog I wanted to write - well, another recipe anyway - when I met a young woman named Ashley. She was ahead of me at Subway and don't recall how we got on the subject, but "What the Health" came up and she was all ears. I ordered my usual veggie sub, no cheese and a conversation started. We chatted about choices, eating healthier, and challenges one may face going vegan. I hope I encouraged her to start by making smart choices and doing some research. She is already way ahead of many people I meet. She doesn't drink soda, doesn't eat much dairy, doesn't smoke, doesn't take any meds - well, she is only 23 - but she has a real desire to do the best she can do for herself and her four year old son. I wish her well and hope to hear from her again. Nothing beats chatting with young people who want to be the best they can be. I wish you well, Ashley, wherever you are. 

Ingredients:

• 2 large leeks - white and light green parts only, diced and rinsed)
• 2 small celery stalks, diced
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1.5 cups chopped green cabbage
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large Russet potatoes (I used Yukon gold)
• 1.5 cups cooked white beans (cannellini or Navy)
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Place leeks, celery, and carrots in a large saucepan and saute for ten minutes over medium heat with a little water. Add small amounts of water, as needed, to avoid sticking.
2. Add the everything except the basil and salt and pepper.
3. Bring to a boil, then cook on lower temperature until potatoes are done.
4. Add basil, salt, and pepper, to taste.

Great comfort soup. I served it with French bread and a small dish of olive oil and cracked pepper ... yummy.

Being new to veganism, salads are often a staple. While my husband isn't opposed to his goto salad of head lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and oil and vinegar, that just doesn't do it for me. In my research I came across this fabulous salad and Tom rated it a 10!! He loved it. The dressing is tangy and flavorful and you wouldn't think adding noodles, and green ones at that, would be something Tom would ask for again, but alas, I was wrong. So, here's the recipe from the back of the GreeNoodle package.

Ingredients:

• 2 packages of GreeNoodle
• 1-2 cups of romaine lettuce (I used about half a package of already washed and cut romaine)
• 1 small or 1/2 a medium cucumber, diced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 1 handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup of peanuts, roughly chopped (optional, you can omit or use almonds or walnuts)
• FOR THE DRESSING:
• 1/4 cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or low sodium soy sauce)
• 1/4 cup of rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 TBS toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp agave nectar

Instructions:

1. Wash and cut all the vegetables.
2. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dressing. Mix well and set aside.
3. Cook the noodles: bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for 2-3 minutes (I actually turned off the heat after a minute and let it sit in the covered pot for 2 minutes.)
4. Drain and cool under cold water.
5. If putting everything into one bowl: Place noodles, peanuts, and vegetables in a large bowl and mix, using tongs makes this job a lot easier! Add the dressing if you'd like and mix again or serve on the side.
6. If plating: Start with a layer of lettuce. Using tongs, grab some noodles and twist and place onto the plate to create a neat round pile. Top with the vegetables and sprinkle with the nuts. You can drizzle the dressing on top or serve it on the side. I personally find this method easier (mostly easier to handle the noodles this way) and prettier too.