Corn & Zucchini Tacos with Chickpea & Walnut 'Meat'

This is one of the best weeknight meals around, vegan or otherwise! These tacos are super fast, healthy, there’s very little prep, everyone loves them, the tacos are customizable to tastes, and they leave little cleanup. A giant win in my book!

These aren’t much to look at, but I guarantee you that everyone is going to love them! Quite possibly one of Todd and my favorite meals, these tacos are so quick and easy to whip up. Perfect for a busy weeknight. Oliver really enjoyed putting the lettuce on the tacos too, so kid-friendly! Yay!

Have you watched the Tidying Up with Marie Kondo show on Netflix? I read her book several years ago and still fold my clothes in her very particular way, even though I found the book to be slightly absurd. We watched the show a couple weeks ago and pretty much turned our house upside-down. I don’t know what it was about actually watching her go through with people and help them ‘tidy up’ but it really made an impact on us. If you haven’t seen it, it’s definitely worth the watch! Okay, PSA over. Now it’s taco-time!!

Corn & Zucchini Tacos with Chickpea & Walnut 'Meat'

By Kathleen @ Produce On Parade

This is one of the best weeknight meals around, vegan or otherwise! These tacos are super fast, healthy, there’s very little prep, everyone loves them, the tacos are customizable to tastes, and they leave little cleanup. A giant win in my book!

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 15 oz can of sweet corn, drained well
• 2-3 small zucchinis, diced small
• 1 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 ¼ cup whole raw walnuts
• 2 ½ tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• ½ small head of romaine lettuce, chopped
• 20 cherry tomatoes, halved
• ⅓ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 8-10 taco-size flour tortillas
• Sprinkle of shredded vegan mozzarella
• Spoonful of salsa, to taste

Ingredients

1. Over medium, heat the oil in a large frying pan. Once hot, saute the corn and zucchini for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. While the veggies fry, place the chickpeas through the garlic powder into a food processor. Pulse several times, until the mixture resembles taco meat. There should be small chunky bits of walnuts and chickpeas, and the spices should be well blended. Transfer to a microwave safe bowl.
3. Prep the veggies. Microwave the taco meat for about 1-2 minutes, until warm. Heat the stack of tortillas in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds, to heat.
4. To assemble the tacos, place lettuce on one taco, followed by taco meat and pan-fried veggies and then the remaining veggies. Top with a sprinkle of shredded vegan mozzarella and a spoonful of salsa, to taste, on each taco. Divide the fillings evenly between all the tortillas. Serve hot.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 5
Total time: 15
Yield: 8-10 tacos

Farfalle with Zucchini, Mushrooms, and Cherry Tomatoes

I love quick and easy dinners and this veggie packed, healthy pasta dish is a wonderful weeknight meal. Another great thing: it’s a terrific way to get a variety of nutritious vegetables into those picky eaters. My toddler actually picked out the zucchini to eat! I know your family will love this Farfalle with Zucchini, Mushrooms, and Cherry Tomatoes as much as we do.

Do you need a break from pumpkin? A temporary reprieve from smothering holiday food? Me too. Stand down stuffing and mashed potatoes; we need some tasty, fresh veggies up in here! No worries, my friend. Tender zucchini, hearty mushrooms, and fresh cherry tomatoes are here to save you from eggnog overload.

This is a wonderful meal because it’s easy, quick and really easy on the wallet. Todd and I have decided to cut back our grocery bill because it has been a little wild this past year. There are so many amazing, new vegan finds in the grocery store and while I love testing them out we need to get back to basics: more whole foods and less vegan meats, cheeses, and processed foods. I made a goal to have rice, beans, and lentils all once per week. They should all be in our diets more, and surprise, they are about as inexpensive as it gets! Of course, if I see a brand new fun vegan option I obviously have no willpower to stop myself from trying it. See my Instagram, Facebook , or Twitter to peek at what I’ve been finding here in Alaska on our store shelves.

In the next months, be on the lookout for easy, inexpensive, healthy meals posted on the blog. It’s been real busy in our household with family and friends and to be frankly honest, we are having so much fun I have a hard time finding the time needed to dedicate to posting more regularly but I am going to try! I mean, have you seen how cute Oliver is?

Farfalle with Zucchini, Mushrooms, and Cherry Tomatoes

By Katie Henry - Produce On Parade

I love quick and easy dinners and this veggie packed, healthy pasta dish is a wonderful weeknight meal. Another great thing: it’s a terrific way to get a variety of nutritious vegetables into those picky eaters. My toddler actually picked out the zucchini to eat! I know your family will love this Farfalle with Zucchini, Mushrooms, and Cherry Tomatoes as much as we do.

Ingredients

• 8 oz bowtie (farfalle) or penne pasta, uncooked
• 2 tbsp vegan butter (optional)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
• ½ pound fresh cremini mushrooms, sliced
• ½ pint fresh cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 1 tsp seasoning salt or table salt
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• dash of white pepper (black pepper will work in a pinch)
• 2 green onions, chopped
• ½ cup canned coconut milk (you can use any non-dairy milk but it won't be as creamy)
• 1 heaping tbsp tapioca starch or cornstarch

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. Cook according to package until al dente. Reserve 2-4 tbsp of cooking water and drain. Set aside.
2. In a large rimmed frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Saute the garlic, zucchini, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes for about 5 minutes until the zucchini is slightly tender. Stir in the salt, thyme, pepper and green onions.
3. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the coconut milk and tapioca starch. Add to the vegetables over medium heat; stirring continuously for about 1-2 minutes, until it’s thickened into a sauce and coats the vegetables.
4. Stir in the reserved 2-4 tbsp cooking water, until the sauce reaches your desired thickness then add in the pasta. Stir well to combine and serve hot.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 00:25
Total time: 00:30
Yield: 4 servings

Save Money!

I buy my canned coconut milk here, at half price almost. It’s only $2.12 per can versus $3.99 per can at our local grocery store!

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Stuffed Portobello Melts

Hearty and comforting, giant stuffed portobellos are a perfectly wonderful meal on their own or great as a side dish. On the table in 30 minutes, nutritious, and packed full of umami flavor, these meaty melts are sure to be a favorite and impress your dinner guests.

Todd and I love portobello mushrooms though I don't often serve them myself. We really enjoyed them grilled as 'steaks' at an upscale restaurant in downtown Cleveland (they were absolutely amazing). However, they really were a standout dish when we had them stuffed with a delicious bread filling at a charming little eatery in Hawaii. I knew I just had to try to recreate them. About a year ago, I made my own stuffed portobello mushroom caps a couple times but they were really underwhelming. I decided to take a break on trying to live up to our Hawiian portobello encounter... until now!

Third time's the charm; enter this fantastic fungi fête! This is redemption at it's finest. These portobello melts are comforting and gooey with melty cheese and savory bread crumbs, meaty mushrooms and sausage, and just the right balance of seasonings. I love how quick they come together and are so simple even our little Oliver was able to help out! These are definitely going to be on regular rotation in our house. I hope you love them as much as we do!

Stuffed Portobello Melts

Recipe by Kathleen @ Produce On Parade

Hearty and comforting, giant stuffed portobellos are a perfectly wonderful meal on their own or great as a side dish. On the table in 30 minutes, nutritious, and packed full of umami flavor, these meaty melts are sure to be a favorite and impress your dinner guests.

Yield: 4

Ingredients

• 4 large portobello mushrooms
• 1 cup vegan breadcrumbs (I use panko)
• ½ cup shredded vegan cheese
• 1 Tofurky Kielbasa sausage link, chopped small
• 3 tbsp white wine (or vegetable broth)
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp large-flake nutritional yeast
• ¾ tsp seasoning salt or table salt + extra for sprinkling
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 4 slices of vegan cheese (I like Field Roast Chao)
• sprinkling of fresh lemon thyme, for garnish (optional)

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Clean the mushroom caps with a dry towel; remove and discard the stem. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and arrange the portobellos gills side up. Sprinkle each with a dash of salt and roast for 15 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients except for the slices of cheese and thyme. Spoon and pack the bread crumb filling within the cap of the mushrooms dividing it evenly between the four caps. Top each mushroom with one slice of cheese. Roast for another 10 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and garnish with lemon thyme. Serve hot.