tempeh & sweet potato tacos

I hate tempeh. One time in college, I bought some, trying to be all healthy and creative, and it was hands down one of the grossest things I've ever made. I tried to heat it in a skillet with some olive oil and then eat it like a piece of toast and omg. Top 5 most epic kitchen fails of all time right there.

To my surprise, however, I have had a change of heart thanks to my friend Stephanie. Stephanie is my guru for all things healthy, fit, and amazing. She cooks, she runs, she thrifts, she's awesome. Last week we got together with some friends and she talked me into a second try with tempeh. Guess what. I'm sold.

Stuff you need: 1. Tempeh 2. A few sweet potatoes 3. Corn tortillas 4. 1 can black beans 5. 1 can corn 6. Other taco accoutrement- salsa, lettuce, cheese, avocado- whatever suits your fancy

Start by shredding your sweet potatoes in a food processor or by other means of your choice. Meanwhile, open up your box of tempeh and crumble it into a skillet with some butter. Maybe you could omit the butter, but maybe that's what it was so tasty? :) When the potatoes are shredded and the tempeh is heated through, set them aside in a dish while you prep everything else.

Combine the beans and corn in a saucepan, and warm them up while you chop up your lettuce, avocado, cheese, tomato, and anything else you've decided to throw into your tacos.

When all your filling ingredients are ready, throw the tempeh and sweet potatoes back into the skillet with some salt, pepper, maybe cumin, and warm the mixture through. Now zap your corn tortillas in the microwave for a hot minute, and assemble your dish!

The most time consuming part is all the prep work, but once you're done, the taco assembly takes only seconds. Take a gander at chef Stephanie convincing me that tempeh actually tastes good. Impressive.

This tempeh attempt was far better than my first. In fact, I bought a package of my own! The flavors are really great, and the addition of tempeh to the tacos is that extra boost of protein that I think my diet has been recently lacking. It would also be great in a tofu scramble or on a salad! Moral of the story, is that I'm pretty excited about my newfound like for tempeh, and I'm ready to try some new recipes on my own. Thanks Stephanie! ♥

chili

After a surprisingly cold and snowy Sunday, nothing hit the spot more than a big bowl of vegetarian chili with some of my best friends. Not just this, but my omnivorous companions, made sure to make it meat-free for me. Aww I love those guys! So straight from Chef Michael's kitchen, here is his version of veggie chili.

Stuff you need: 1. 2 cans diced tomatoes 2. 1 can kidney beans 3. 1 can black beans 4. 1 can chili beans 5. 1 can corn 6. 1 onion 6. a few bell peppers 7. your choice of faux meat 8. chili powder or a chili spices seasoning packet

First and foremost, chop up your onion and bell pepper, and sauté them in a little olive oil, until they're starting to get tender. You can do this in your giant soup pot or in a separate skillet- your choice. When your veggies are starting to get soft, throw everything else into the pot. That's right. The beans, the corn, the spices, and the fake meat. Plop it all in there!

Last night, Michael used Gimme Lean Ground Beef Style, which was delicious, but we both agree that we prefer Boca ground crumbles in our veg chili- highly recommend you try that version too.

After everything is combined in the soup pot, throw the lid on, turn the heat to low, and let it simmer as long as you can fight off the urge to devour it on the spot- the longer the better :)

When we could take it no longer, the three of us dug in and devoured! I've found a lot of meat-free chili recipes, but I must say that Michael's is one of my favorite. It's simple, hearty, and always ends up tasty. Great company. Great food. Thanks Michael!