Vegan Beef (Mushroom and Walnut Meat)

As promised, here's my recipe for vegan beef so you can make my Vegan Beef Nachos. And just in time for the Super Bowl.

It's such an oxymoron, right? Vegan beef. Kind of like same difference or sweet sour.

But how do you have beef, that's meat, become vegetarian, which is a plant based diet, you ask?

Easy peasy! It's made by combining baby Bella mushrooms with walnuts and seasoning it with spices so it not only resembles ground beef, but it tastes similar to it too.

Notice I say "resembles ground beef" and "tastes similar to beef" and not "exactly like beef" because you cannot get vegetables to have the exact same texture and taste of beef. So if you're expecting that, you will be disappointed. Let's just say, it's as close as you can get to beef with mushrooms, walnuts, and spices.

And because it reminds me so much of ground beef, I'm calling this mushroom and walnut meat, vegan beef. And I've seasoned it so it goes along perfectly with any Mexican dish calling for ground beef.

This vegan beef is to ground beef what coconut milk is to cream and milk. The taste and texture is so close, it's amazing! It even looks similar, as you can see from the photos.

Even one of the carnivorous males I work with liked it. He will remain nameless since he's afraid it will ruin his reputation as a carnivore. Men {shaking my head}.

You can use this vegan beef in any recipe calling for ground beef, such as burritos, tacos, quesadillas, tostadas, and even on top of pizza. However, I'm not sure how it will hold up in soups or gravy. But if you do use it in that matter, please let me know how it worked for you.

If you're vegan or just want to eat healthier, be sure to stop by regularly because I will definitely be using this vegan beef in more recipes to come because I'm loving it and it's so easy to make.

Let me know how you like it and what recipes you plan on using it in.

Vegan Beef (Mushroom and Walnut Meat)

Recipe by Julie Murphy @ Sweet and Spicy Monkey

A vegan "beef" made with mushrooms and walnuts that can be used in any recipe calling for beef. Especially flavorful in burritos, tacos, beef nachos, quesadillas, and on top of pizza.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup walnuts, soaked in water overnight
• 1/2 cup dry walnuts
• 10 ounces baby Bella mushrooms, washed under running water
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tablespoons red onion, diced
• 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin

Cooking Directions

1. After mushrooms are washed, dry them with a paper towel and slice. Set aside.
2. Add dry spices into a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Drain water from walnuts that soaked overnight and add to food processor bowl.
4. Combine sliced mushrooms, dry walnuts, onion, and garlic to food processor bowl.
5. Pulse on High until mushrooms and walnuts are processed into small pieces. You might have to remove pieces stuck to sides with a spatula in order to process all ingredients. Be careful not to process too long or your mushrooms and walnuts will be formed into a paste. We don't that. We want small, crumbly pieces.
6. In a large skillet, over medium heat, add olive oil.
7. Once oil is heated, add contents from food processor and spices. Stir together. Continue to stir occasionally while cooking mushroom and walnut mixture for about 5 minutes or until mushroom & walnuts are heated.
8. Remove pan from heat.
9. Can use in a recipe immediately or can be stored in airtight container for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

Inspired by ~ Michelle at Pure formulas recipe site, Green and Delicious.

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Vegan Beef Nachos

Lately I've been crushing on these Vegan Beef Nachos I made last week. They're full of good for you stuff like black beans, red onion, tomatoes, avocado, and jalapeño. You get it, they're full of veggies that pack a punch to your taste buds!

But the one thing that sets these apart from other vegan nachos is the vegan "beef" I added to them. Yes, vegan beef made with mushrooms and walnuts. Those vegetarians are a resourceful bunch because this vegan beef comes awfully close to beef in taste and texture.

Notice I say "close to beef" and not "exactly like beef" because you cannot get vegetables to have the exact same texture and taste of beef, so if you're expecting that, you will be disappointed. Let's just say, it's as close as you can get to beef with mushrooms, walnuts, and spices.

I absolutely love this stuff and you can be certain it will show up in more recipes from me. I'll be sharing my recipe for vegan beef next week, so be sure to stop back by because this stuff is delicious!

Anywho, back to these nachos, so flavorful and filling you can eat them for dinner. As a matter of fact, YES, you can eat these for dinner!

Your kids (and your main squeeze) will think you're such a cool mom serving up nachos for dinner! Little do they know, they're eating healthy and getting their recommended daily allowance of veggies at the same time.

Chalk up another win-win meal.

Vegan Beef Nachos

Recipe by Julie Murphy @ Sweet and Spicy Monkey

Flavorful beef nachos, vegetarian style.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 minute
Total time: 11 minutes
Yield: 2
Ingredients

• 1-16 ounce can vegetarian refried beans
• 17.6 ounces vegan beef (mushroom and walnut meat)
• 1-15 ounce can black beans, drained, rinsed, and warmed
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
• plain Greek yogurt
• fresh salsa
• tortilla chips

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, heat refried beans over low to medium heat until warmed. Set aside.
2. You can place all ingredients in separate bowls and let everybody customize their own nachos.
3. Or if you're assembling the plates of nachos, start by spreading tortilla chips over the plate. Followed with a large spoonful of refried beans, spreading an even layer over tortilla chips (as even as you can over the chips).
4. Spread a spoonful of vegan beef over the refried beans.
5. Add a large spoonful of black beans over the top of the vegan beef.
6. Sprinkle cheese over the black beans. Place plate into microwave (about 1 minute) to melt the cheese.
7. Once cheese is melted, remove plate from microwave and sprinkle remaining ingredients over the top: avocado, tomatoes, red onion, and jalapeno.
8. Top with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt and salsa.
9. Garnish plates with chopped lettuce and serve with tortilla chips.

You're welcome!

*Recipe for Vegan Beef can be found here.

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Vegetable Frittata

Winter has finally showed her ugly, bitter head here in Georgia this week. And all this arctic air is giving me a good reason to keep my oven on!

California girls aren't made for arctic air! If I wanted Arctic air, I'd move to Michigan. I'm never moving to Michigan, if that clears things up for you.

This week I've been roasting tomatoes, mushrooms, cauliflower, potatoes and just about anything else so I can use my oven. Actually I've been roasting all these vegetables so I can make this Vegetable Frittata.

Yes, another food on my bucket list is the frittata.

I never knew what a frittata was until I stumbled across it on Pinterest. To sum it up for others who, like myself, didn't or don't know what a frittata is, it's an Italian egg dish that's often compared to an omelet or crustless quiche. The way it's cooked is what sets it apart, as a frittata is cooked in the oven instead of on the stove top.

For many recipes, a frittata is cooked in a cast iron skillet in the oven with all the ingredients blended with beaten eggs. I say many recipes, because some call for you to start cooking the frittata on the stove top and then cook in the oven for the remaining cooking time.

Frittata's have a blend of vegetables of any kind with eggs and cheese which can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I'm adding roasted cherry tomatoes, cauliflower, and Bella mushrooms with cheddar cheese.

So easy to make, once you get all the vegetables roasted. And you can roast the vegetables all at one time, even the day before you make your frittata.

Serve your frittata with fresh salsa, guacamole or avocado slices, and plain Greek yogurt or sour cream. Or even a hollandaise sauce. And you can serve biscuits, croissants, English muffins and even a salad on the side.

As you can see, it's a very versatile dish that can be served with anything you like and anytime of the day.

Cross another food off my cooking bucket list!

Vegetable Frittata

Recipe by Julie Murphy @ Sweet and Spicy Monkey

An easy to make skillet dish made with eggs, roasted potatoes, cauliflower, mushrooms, and tomatoes that can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes (not including roasted vegetables)
Yield: 1 frittata (8 slices)
Ingredients

• 10 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 small sweet yellow onion, diced
• 3 cups cooked potatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup roasted Bella mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup roasted cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup roasted cauliflower
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 Tablespoons olive oil, for sautéing onions

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
2. Prepare skillet by generously greasing with your choice of shortening, olive oil, or vegetable oil. Set aside.
3. Over medium heat, sauté onions with olive oil until they are softened, about 5-6 minutes. Set aside.
4. Add eggs to a large bowl with milk. Whisk together until lightly beaten.
5. Stir in remaining ingredients.
6. Pour into prepared skillet.
7. Place into oven and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, or until inserted knife comes out clean.
8. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

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Acorn Squash Risotto

Remember when I shared my Butternut Squash Risotto with you last month? I thought that was the best stuff ever since sliced bread! I mean, whoever thought of sliced bread was a genius! Who thinks of this stuff?

Sorry to say, I was wrong about my Butternut Squash Risotto. Well, not entirely wrong, because it really IS all that creamy and more. But I think I'm loving this Acorn Squash Risotto even more!

Plus, I made this batch vegan with a vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

It's a simple recipe with only Arborio rice, onion, olive oil, vegetable broth, wine, acorn squash, Parmesan, and salt and pepper for flavoring. Nothing else. No fancy spices, meats, or herbs. Just the basics.

Do you ever notice that some of the best recipes are the simple ones with basic ingredients?

I think this risotto is even creamier than my Butternut Squash risotto, if that's even possible. 
 

YES!

I like to compare risotto to macaroni and cheese because it's so creamy with a deliciously mild flavor.

This is my new ultimate comfort food!

Acorn Squash Risotto

Recipe by Julie @ Sweet and Spicy Monkey

A deliciously creamy acorn squash risotto served in baked acorn squash halves.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour and 25 minutes (includes baking of acorn squash)
Total time: 1 hour and 35 minutes
Yield: 4 servings with acorn squash halves, 10-12 servings risotto
Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Extra virgin Olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 2 quarts vegetable broth
• 3 acorn squash, roasted
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 and 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
• Sea salt & pepper to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
2. Cut acorn squashes in half, top and bottom halves. Remove stem off top half by scraping with your finger or fingernail. They come right off very easily.
3. Remove seeds with a spoon. You can toss the seeds in the trash or bake them like pumpkin seeds to snack on for later.
4. Brush olive oil over fleshy half of squash.
5. Place in a baking dish, fleshy half up. Add about 1/4" of water to bottom of baking dish so squashes don't dry out or burn while cooking.
6. Bake for 1 hour or until squash flesh is soft and lightly browned.
7. Remove from oven.
8. Once cooled, puree the flesh of 1 acorn squash for risotto. Set aside.
9. Pour vegetable broth into a large sauce pan. Bring to a boil, turn off heat, and cover. Set aside.
10. In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Add in onions once oil is heated and sauté onions until they are clear.
11. Stir in rice and sauté until rice is a light brown color.
12. Add wine with 1 cup of vegetable broth, stirring until liquid is absorbed.
13. Gradually add in broth, 2 cups at a time, stirring well until almost all the liquid is absorbed in with the rice.
14. Repeat adding broth, 2 cups at a time, until all of it has been added to rice and risotto is creamy.
15. Stir in acorn squash puree.
16. Remove pan from heat and add in parmesan cheese, stirring well so all cheese is mixed thoroughly.
17. Salt & pepper to taste.
18. Spoon risotto into baked acorn squash halves and serve with grated parmesan cheese over the tops.

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Slow Cooker Vegan Sweet Potato and Carrot Chili

 

It's that time of year to bring out the crockpot and start cooking something delicious. Especially when temperatures go from a balmy 69 degrees to a frigid 18. Talk about a wakeup call!

So when I heard about the Bush's beans chili cook off, it gave me another reason to dust off my crockpot and make a big batch of chili to help warm me up.

Now I've only been sharing recipes with y'all for two years and I've already shared four different chili recipes. I've made Vegan Chile (my most recent), Crockpot White Chicken Chili (twice, recently updated), Crockpot Pumpkin Turkey Chili, and Crockpot Chicken Chile.

I am by no means a chili connoisseur, but I do love my chili. I think I inherited my love for chili from my daddy. And just like my daddy, I love a hearty chili, not one where it's all soupy with just a few beans.

Look how hearty that chili is that my spoon stands up on its own!

Nope, I want my spoon to literally stand up straight in my chili. And your spoon will stand up straight in this Slow Cooker Vegan Sweet Potato & Carrot Chili.

This chili is hearty with all the flavorings of a meat chili, but without the meat. It's full of Bush's black beans and pinto beans, chunks of sweet potato and carrots, barley, and quinoa, to name just a few of the ingredients.

Just like my vegan chile, I added cocoa powder to this one too. Because I love the rich flavor it brings to chili as it mixes with the other spices.

And if it’s not spicy enough for you, you can also add a little more heat to this chili by adding more chile powder or jalapeños.

My daddy is probably rolling over in his grave because I made a vegan chili (gasp!). He was a big meat lover.

But I'm sure if he was still with us, he would admit this chili is worth another bowl!

Slow Cooker Vegan Sweet Potato and Carrot Chili

Recipe by Julie Murphy

A hearty and flavorful vegan chili with sweet potatoes, carrots, and Bush's beans.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 6 to 8 hours
Total time: 8 hours and 20 minutes
Yield: 12 to 14 servings
Ingredients

• 2-32 ounces vegetable broth
• 2 sweet potatoes, washed, peeled, and cut into cubes
• 1 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 5 carrots, washed, peeled, and cut
• 3-15.5 ounce cans Bush's Black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1-15.5 ounce can Bush's pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 green Bell pepper, washed, seeded, and diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup barley, uncooked
• 1/2 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 1-28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1-14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 whole bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile pepper powder
• 1 Tablespoon cumin
• 1 Tablespoon chile powder
• 2 teaspoons homemade taco seasoning
• 4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano, coarsely chopped
• 1-7 ounce can diced green chilies
• pinch sea salt to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Prepare crockpot (7 quarts or larger) by lightly wiping inside with olive oil. I find this helps prevent food from sticking to the inside, which makes for easier cleanup.
2. Add all ingredients into crockpot, stir together, cover.
3. Cook on Low setting for 6-8 hours. If you're home when making, stir ingredients every few hours.
4. Serve warm with cornbread or tortilla chips.
5. Top with sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, shredded cheese, diced onions, jalapenos, avocado, or tomatoes.

*Helpful Hints*

 

- This recipe is for a 7 quart or larger crockpot. If you want to make a small batch, just half the ingredients.

 

 

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Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Bites



I'm starting this year off with healthy eats. Let me just say, I've had my share of rich food and sweets during the holidays and I'm finding my pants a little tighter than they were back in November.

So I thought I would start off the new year with these Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Bites. Only because I had this intense (some might call it crazy) craving for something Buffalo wing tasting. I was on a search for some buffalo wings.

But since I've also had my share of meat over the last couple months (think back Engagement Chicken and a Thanksgiving turkey), I didn't want chicken wings. Or any other kind of meat for that matter. I'm all meated out!

Then I found a recipe for vegan buffalo cauliflower bites and knew I had to try it.

Now I had my doubts when I first saw this recipe, but since cauliflower works in Alfredo sauce, I thought "why not?" And so I did!

You see, cauliflower is a very versatile vegetable in the vegetarian community because it's like a blank sheet of paper. Cauliflower has a very mild taste, if anything, and with a few common spices, it can become any food you want it to.

The one thing I love about this recipe is it tastes so much like the buffalo wings I've had before, but it only uses apple cider vinegar and a few spices. Plus, it doesn't have any preservative filled foods like Ranch dressing or Pete's buffalo wing sauce. Just simple ingredients here.

So you're getting your vegetables with the buffalo wing taste without all the preservatives, fat, and calories. And no meat!

Serve it up with my Greek yogurt blue cheese dressing and you will be in vegan Buffalo wing heaven! Well, I was literally in vegan buffalo wing heaven while munching on these and licking my fingers.

Yep, these Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Bites are certifiably finger licking good!

And I can't think of a better way to start the new year!

What recipes do you like to use cauliflower in?

Vegan Buffalo Wings

Recipe by Julie Murphy

A vegan dish inspired by the famous tailgating food, Buffalo wings, made with fresh cauliflower and served with a homemade Greek yogurt blue cheese dressing.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 Tablespoons paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile pepper powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil (for cookie sheet)

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450F degrees.
2. Rinse cauliflower well and pat dry. Cut into small florets.
3. Pour 1 Tablespoon olive oil over a clean cookie sheet, wiping off any excess with a clean, dry paper towel.
4. Place cauliflower florets on cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
5. While cauliflower is baking, mix together remaining ingredients in a large bowl.
6. As soon as cauliflower comes out of the oven, place into large bowl with buffalo sauce and mix well, covering all cauliflower florets with sauce.
7. Serve immediately with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks.

Inspired by ~ Whole Foods Market.

 

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