Tag Archives: tofurky

Sep 24 2012
7 Comments
Cooking

Potato & Chorizo Tacos

It’s both a blessing and a curse that I cook vegan meals for myself and pretty much no one else. It’s good because I can try using new products in a handful of ways — which is what I have been able to do with Tofurky Chorizo — but bad because I don’t enjoy cooking for one and it can be rough going through an entire package of food by myself.

My latest experiment with Tofurky chorizo was potato & chorizo tacos. Now, this came out of wanting some vegan corned beef hash, but since the chorizo is already spiced as chorizo and I had tortillas, I went with the tacos instead.

This is a really simple recipe. First, I washed and cubed a potato. Then I browned some minced garlic and onion in olive oil, added the potato and about a half a cup of water, and let it cook in a pan until all the water had dried up.

Then, I added some Tofurky chorizo, onion powder, garlic powder, chipotle chili powder, and salt. I sauteed the mixture for about 5 minutes.

This was a great savory dish that would go just as well with rice or even by itself. I definitely enjoyed it more than the chorizo alone! –Melissa

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Sep 22 2012
2 Comments
Cooking

Tofu & Chorizo Scramble

It’s officially fall here in Chicago and I’m happy to report that it actually feels like fall outside. We’re talking sweaters and having to wear socks and weird pumpkin cravings. On a crisp morning, a nice spiced up breakfast of tofu scramble with soy chorizo makes a perfect vegan breakfast.

 

I used silken tofu for the scramble and seasoned it as I usually do. After the tofu was ‘scrambled’ and the spices were mixed in well, I made a hole in the center of the pan and plopped some Tofurky chorizo on there:

 

I added some garlic powder and Tapatio hot sauce to the chorizo and mixed it up before stirring it together with the tofu.

I opted to eat this with buttered toast (butter=Earth Balance) and a tomato-onion salad. My Mom made breakfast tacos instead. Versatility is a wonderful thing.

 

Yum! Have a happy first day of autumn! –Melissa

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Sep 15 2012
2 Comments
Lazy Vegan, Reviews

The Lazy Vegan: Tofurky Chorizo

I would say that this is a classic lazy vegan post but it does require some effort, like opening a package and slaving over a hot stove for 5 minutes. I wanted a tasty dinner with minimal effort, so I decided to finally try the Tofurky Chorizo Style product that has been sitting in my fridge. It was perfect because I already had tortillas and only had to stop at the store for some pepperjack Daiya.

 

The product definitely looks meaty and once you open the pack, you can smell all the scrumptious spices. “That smells SPICY!” said my niece as it cooked.

 

I heated up the ‘chorizo’ in a mini frying pan for 5 minutes.

I served them on tortillas with some Daiya pepperjeck and a side of tomatoes. The product smelled spicy and it is tasty, but it could use more embellishment. I plan to add some garlic and/or onion powder and to serve it with hot sauce or fresh salsa. But it is good as-is and met my needs this evening.

I love Tofurky products! –Melissa

 

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Aug 11 2012
3 Comments
Thoughts

Simply Vegan

I reached another milestone yesterday: I had another birthday! It was my first birthday as a vegan. I don’t know about you, but for birthdays and other holidays, I like to enjoy a decadent meal, guilt-free. This year, I knew exactly what I wanted: a Tofurky cheese pizza and a Chicago Diner cake (which you can find at Chicago-area Whole Foods in addition to the diner itself). Props to my family for getting me exactly what I wanted! My nieces even loved the cake:

She’s a goofy one! That was dinner. Lunch was pretty darn good, too. My sister treated me to falafel from Pita Inn which is the falafel that I measure all other falafel against. In other words, it’s the best.

It was such a breeze to know exactly what I wanted to eat for my birthday. Previous years have been almost annoying… do I want Chinese food? Pizza? If pizza, deep dish or thin crust? Steak? Fried chicken? Gyros? Basically, what awful and unhealthy food should I get? I love that that wasn’t an issue this year.

In other news, I think I have finally settled on the perfect vegan Filipino breakfast:

Super garlicky rice with tempeh strips and tomato salad. I have finally embraced the wondrous tempeh strip. I credit Brent and Christie for that. This breakfast is so easy, super yummy, and hearty! And it MUST be eaten Filipino-style, with a spoon containing a little bit of everything on the plate:

Now please excuse me while I have another slice of that delicious birthday cake! –Melissa

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Mar 28 2012
3 Comments
Recipes, Snacks

The Lazy Vegan: Frozen Pizza and Ranch Dip

Confession: I eat pizza about once a week. Regular, dairy cheese pizza. I know, I know. That’s not very vegan of me. But it’s one of the few non-vegan eats that I will allow myself to enjoy, guilt-free.

I had seen Tofurky brand pizza in the frozen section of WFM. I stared at it during several visits before I finally decided to try it out. What really sold me on it was that they use Daiya ‘cheese’ in their products. When I first tried it, I was floored. I can’t help but associate Tofurky with, well, Tofurky, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.

Tofurky pizza is delicious! Yes, it’s easy to make your own pizza and we encourage it. But sometimes, you just need something you can take out of a box, pop into the oven, and then devour 15 minutes later. Tofurky pizzas come in three varieties: cheese, pepperoni, and Italian sausage with fire roasted veggies (above). I have tried all but the pepperoni, and that’s next on my list. I don’t know what the secret is to Tofurky pizzas (other than the genius use of Daiya ‘cheese’), but they are tasty and satisfying and need no other spice or sauce to be edible. Unfortunately, they’re not gluten-free. Sadface. In addition, the cost is a little absurd, but still very sensible in the grand scheme of things. Also, ZERO CHOLESTEROL. I love being able to brag about that.

Switching gears, I have recently had a serious craving for ranch dressing/dip. There are a lot of fabulous freshly tossed salads in our work cafe, but I can’t enjoy them because the dressing is ranch or ranch-based. I finally opened up my brain and decided to make my own dip. I have two versions. They’re both really easy to whip into shape, and I have no shame in admitting that I am guessing the proportions in the recipes below — the post is titled The Lazy Vegan, after all. Screwing these up is near impossible.

Vegan Ranch Dip #1, pictured above

1 c Tofutti Sour Supreme
1 tbsp garlic powder or granulated garlic
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tsbp dill

Vegan Ranch Dip #2

1 c vegan mayo – I use Earth Balance
1 tbsp garlic powder or granulated garlic
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tsbp dill
soy or almond milk, as needed for creaminess – I used about a tsp

Enjoy with veggies or chips! Oh, delicious. I’m going to go make myself some dip right now! –Melissa

 

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