Grilling with Lightlife and Stuffed Chili Bacon Cheese Dog Recipe!

Lightlife has always been one of my favorite companies for their vegan stuff. I have always loved their tempeh and was excited when they rolled our their tempeh bacon, which tastes absolutely amazing. They have been adding some awesome new plant-based products to their line, but I'm still so hooked on their vegan hot dogs, Smart Dogs.

Lightlife's Smart Dogs come in two sizes, their regular (7g protein) size or their jumbo (14g protein) size. These awesome veggie hot dogs are Non-GMO Project Verified, in addition to being vegan they are also Kosher, and they are a great price, usually retailing at 3 to 4 bucks at most stores.

I have been using these Smart Dogs for grilling for years now, so I wanted to share a recipe that was really fun and not just "throw the veggie dog on the grill", although that's fun too! Here I decided to stuff them with cheese using a method I thought up, that ended up working pretty perfectly. Also, some sides when grilling with these awesome Smart Dogs are grilled vegetables, like corn on the cob; that is what I enjoyed on the side with my chili bacon cheese dogs. Lightlife Smart Dogs are the perfect addition (or star, in my opinion) to any vegan cookout. Let's get to this crazy-delicious recipe!

Stuffed Chili Bacon Cheese Dogs

makes 5 servings

What you will need:

-1 package Lightlife jumbo Smart Dogs

-1 package Lightlife tempeh bacon

-about 5 vegan cheddar cheese pieces, cut into "matchsticks"

-1 cup prepared vegan chili 

-your favorite condiments or additional toppings (like ketchup, mustard, sauerkraut, relish, etc.)

 -a hard plastic straw for stuffing them with cheese (a hard plastic or stainless steel smoothie straw will work great!)

-5 hot dog buns

What to do:

Carefully light and prep your grill using all the proper safety precautions for grill use. Take each Smart Dog and gently push the straw through the middle, about halfway, twist then remove. Do the same to the other side of the veggie dog. You will now have a small well; push the vegan cheese sticks into it (use the straw to help push them in if you are using softer cheese instead of hard cheese - hard cheese works best). When your grill is ready for food, place the stuffed Smart Dogs directly on the grill. Place the tempeh bacon on the top basket that you warm buns, if you don't have that, place on a spot on the grill that isn't directly near the flame and cook for less time. Grill veggie dogs and tempeh bacon for 2-4 minutes on each side, or adjust to your liking/ grill type. In a small saucepan, warm up your prepared chili then transfer to a bowl. Now it is time to construct your chili bacon cheese dogs! Place your hot dog in a bun and top with chili, then take some tempeh bacon and crumble it on top. Add additional toppings, if desired. Do the same for all five stuffed chili bacon cheese dogs.

What I love most about Lightlife Smart Dogs is that they taste just like classic, juicy hot dogs, but without the animal products or cholesterol. They are perfect for tailgating, camping, grilling, or any other recipe that calls for hot dogs.

These came out amazing! They were easy because the melted cheese is already inside the veggie dogs and it also gave you just enough cheese amount in each bite

Mouthwatering! You can follow Lightlife on social. They are on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest and they are always posting delicious pictures!

Big shout out to Lightlife for sending me a portable grill that doubles as a cooler, grilling tools, condiments and for sponsoring this post. You rock!

And for now, the Dirty Vegan is signing off - hope your day is relaxing like a cookout day!

This blog post was sponsored by Lightlife Foods.

Awesome Vegan Meals by Luvo!

When the company Luvo contacted me to try out some of their vegan frozen meals, I was really excited about it, but was super impressed with how they arrived to me. Before we talk about these wonderful vegan products, let me tell you first about how amazing it was that this giant box of frozen meals traveled from the other side of the country, from the west coast all the way to me on the east coast, and when I opened the box they were still frozen! The dry ice was still intact, in fact we did a science experiment using it! So I thought that was really impressive and I wanted to give a shout out to Luvo for those amazing packaging skills.

This company does healthy and quick meals made from wholesome and real ingredients. They are not a full vegan company, although they have these amazing vegan meals, they also offer some that do include animal products, which is their only downside, in my humble opinion. Obviously I want every company that offers vegan products to be 100% vegan, but I respect that so many companies are offering an array of plant-based and vegan meals and are doing such a splendid job at it, like Luvo is.

Here's the scoop on what I tried from Luvo and what I think about these frozen meals:

Let me just start by saying that these four products are vegan, non-GMO and gluten-free, and I absolutely love that! Each meal is a fantastic offering of each food group and includes a lot of different components and flavors.

Hawaiian Un-Fried Rice: this meal has rice, shiitake mushrooms, pineapple and cashews, which are some of my favorite things melded together in one delicious plant powered bowl, but the best part is how authentic it tasted. A very enjoyable frozen meal for sure that is unlike any others.

Great Karma Coconut Curry: this bowl is a combination of jasmine rice, butternut squash and garbanzo beans along with the tempting flavors of coconut and curry making it just super yummy and perfect for any day of the week. This one you don't have to be in the mood for; I would eat this all the time and might not ever get tired of it.

So Cal Kale & Bean: this bowl is packed with red rice, broccoli and white beans. It tastes super fresh and clean while still remaining absolutely delicious. This one will be my go-to for after a workout for sure because I felt powerful after I consumed it.

Mighty Masala & Greens: brown rice, green garbanzos, cabbage and kale compose this stupendous vegan bowl and these are all my faves for so many reasons; the flavor combined with the nutritional aspect make this one my top choice.

All of these great Luvo meals are packed with whole grains, fresh quality ingredients, fiber, protein, and are super healthy while being delicious at the same time. Big thank you to Luvo for generously sending me this package - not only did I love your vegan products, but you also made me a huge fan of your company. Please keep including more vegan meals to your line, they are fantastic!

And for now, the Dirty Vegan is signing off - eat your beans and greens!

Onion, Brussels Sprouts and "Bacon" Pizza with Teriyaki Malt Sauce Using Postum

I have been doing Postum recipes that are more on the sweet side, but wanted to play around with a savory recipe using this delicious roasted wheat-bran molasses product. I happened to have my favorite organic prepared pizza dough in the refrigerator, and thought of using Postum in the base sauce for pizza.

I am so happy that I tried this out because it came out phenomenal! The malty richness of Postum really adds something very special to this pizza. I absolutely love the flavor combined with the other ingredients.

Since Postum blends so smoothly, mixing it into the sauce was not only easy but worked so well and was totally seamless. I added a little brown sugar to add a touch more sweetness, to really give this pizza a sweet and savory feel to it. This has to be one of my favorite pizza recipes that I have made recently and I can absolutely see this being a new go-to dinner option for sure. Let's get started!

Onion, Brussels Sprouts and "Bacon" Pizza with Teriyaki Malt Sauce Using Postum

-16 ounces prepared pizza dough
-1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
-1 heaping teaspoon Postum (in either flavor, choose your favorite!)
-1 teaspoon brown sugar
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 small onion, thinly sliced
-2 teaspoons garlic, minced
-1 cup fresh brussels sprouts, cleaned and thinly sliced
-5 sliced veggie bacon, chopped or crumbled
-2 cups vegan mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pizza dough to desired thickness to form crust and place in greased and floured pan. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together teriyaki sauce, Postum and sugar; spread evenly on top of dough crust. In a large skillet on medium heat, saute olive oil, onions and garlic until slightly tender, then add sprouts, stirring frequently until tender; sprinkle this mixture on top of pizza crust. Next, top pizza with veggie bacon and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until crust is thoroughly cooked.

Makes 4- 6 servings

Definitely grab yourself a jar of this amazing Postum product and try this recipe out! I am also giving away another Postum prize pack on Instagram very soon, so please stay tuned to my social media and be sure to follow me on there.

And for now, the Dirty Vegan is signing off - I hope your day is savory but of course sweet too!

This blog post was sponsored by Postum.

Baby It's Cold Outside...Beefless and Tomato Stew

Brrrr! It. Is. Cold. Outside.

When the meteorologist said that the wind chill was 1 degree, I didn't believe her. It was just in the 40's a few days ago. But yes, I report that when the wind blew today, it was mighty chilly...right to the bones.

What do you need to soothe your soul (and stomach!) after a long, winter day? Oh, just this super comforting but also simple and easy stew. Trust me, after you try this dish, you will be wondering how you got by with this recipe in your life. Especially on these uber-cool January nights.

Cozy up with this 'Beefless and Tomato Stew' Recipe

What you'll need:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1.5 cups butternut squash, cubed

2 packages Gardein Beefless Tips

1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes

1 cup vegetable broth or stock

3 garlic gloves, minced

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

2 tbsp dried parsley

What you'll need to do:

So easy...put all of the ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low for 1 hour. Stir occasionally.

You can serve this delicious stew over brown rice or with hearty bread; your choice. I served mine over brown rice and it was a fantastic dinnertime experience. Enjoy! And stay warm as well.

Edward & Sons: Review, Lactation Cookie Recipe, and GIVEAWAY!

I have always been a huge fan of Edward & Sons food company. If you don't already know, they are also the makers of Road's End Organics, Native Forest, Premier Japan Organic, Let's Do Organic, and The Wizards. The quality of their food products is outstanding, and with their slogan, Convenience Without Compromise, you can understand why. Edward & Sons aims at making healthy packaged food products, and it never misses the mark. Here are some of the new or popular products that I wanted to show you today.

Who doesn't love Chreese? What is Chreese, you ask? Well, it is Road's End Organics deliciously healthy, nutritional yeast based cheese, and I love it! Not only do I love it, but my 13 month old kiddo does too! And this is great for me because this stuff is good for her! Each serving of Mac & Chreese contains a whopping 13g of protein and tons of Vitamin B12 (the goodness increases when you mix it with vegan milk and butter)! This is important for vegans, and everyone, to be including B12 in their diets, making this product a slam dunk in the natural community. These are so super easy to make and pack a nutritional punch. My daughter definitely gives these her seal of approval. She especially loves the 123, ABC's & Chreese 4Kidz pasta; these are incredibly easy for older babies and small children to eat because of their tiny shape and size. Love this.

Edward & Sons are like masters in coconut. Their coconut is always amazing tasting. Their Let's Do Organic fine shredded coconut and toasted coconut flakes are so amazing, fresh, and delicious, that they taste like you harvested them right from the island yourself. You rarely come across a shredded coconut product that has that cool coconut taste that is completely saturated in tropical coconut. You can tell it is minimally processed and doing amazing things for your body as you're eating it. This is the only shredded coconut that I buy. And toasted coconut flakes save you time when you are going for that in recipes. Well done.

Speaking of coconut, Native Forest has amazing coconut oil. It is great quality and gets the job done. I can't say enough good things about it. We all have heard of the amazing benefits of coconut oil, and this particular brand has the quality and flavor that a consumer deserves. Love it! I use it for oil pulling, cooking, baking, on my skin, and anything else that I can use it for! 

I also really enjoyed the Native Forest canned okra. They are organic, whole pods, and I must admit that before trying this, I had only used fresh or frozen okra. It is refreshing to have the convenience of a canned product with the organic quality that Edward & Sons continually deliver.

My pals at Edward & Sons also make amazing soupy-type products. I love their bouillon, which makes the best broth around! They come in flavors like "Chicken", "Beef", and Vegetable, but I definitely enjoyed their new Red Curry bouillon. It would be fantastic in any Indian or Thai dish, or just on its own as a cup of yummy broth with a spicy kick. I recently made a great Thai soup and this bouillon perfected it. You know what else I love about these vegan bouillon cubes? Because I'm a freak, I love the packaging so much. The name of the broth flavor is on the side of the box, so I stack them up on top of each other in my pantry, and I can easily grab the flavor I need without sorting through all of them. I know, wicked nerdy... whatever.

I'm also a fan of their Miso-cup. It is not like using fresh refrigerated miso paste, so you're not getting that freshly made taste, I hate to admit, but it is the best in a packaged miso that you can get since it uses a packaged paste that mixes with the water. It is definitely tastier than the powder miso soup pouches, plus you get the convenience of taking this soup with you on the go. If you were to take freshly made miso soup, it would obviously spoil, however it is nice to be able to take this along with you to places like work, travel, camping, etc. Plus, it doesn't taste overly salty and has a really nice, balanced flavor.

Would you like to WIN a box full of Edward & Sons goodies, just like mine? The fabulous folks at Edward & Sons are generously providing two of my readers with their very own package of goodies! Stay tuned after the recipe...

RECIPE TIME!!!

I used Native Forest Coconut Oil and Let's Do Organic Fine Shredded Coconut in this cookie recipe. Technically, they are "Lactation Cookies", but my family has been eating them and they are not producing any breast milk like I am, so it is safe to say that these are also "regular oatmeal cookies". Wink, wink. This is an amazing oatmeal cookie recipe, the ingredients just so happen to be lactogenic and support a nursing mother in making extra milk.

Oatmeal, Coconut, Raisin "Lactation" Cookies

Makes about 56 cookies

What you will need:

2 cups oats

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp fine sea salt

2/3 cup Native Forest Coconut Oil, melted

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 cup oat milk (or vegan milk of your choosing)

2 tbsp ground flaxseed

4 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup Let's Do Organic Fine Shredded Coconut OR Toasted Coconut Flakes

What you will need to do:

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Grease about two baking sheets. In a medium bowl, mix oat milk and flaxseed, and set aside. In a large bowl, mix oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, mix you melted coconut oil, sugar, maple syrup, yeast, and add in your flax mixture. Now, mix together your wet and dry bowls, then fold in raisins and coconut. Roll into balls about the size of a large tablespoon and bake for about 10 minutes. Enjoy these yummy cookies!

Now, I bet you're eager to know more about this giveaway that I mentioned earlier. To enter: 

• Follow me @theDirtyVegan on Twitter and also follow @EdwardAndSons on Twitter. 

• I will tweet a giveaway tweet and all you have to do is retweet that. I will be choosing two winners. Winners will be chosen and announced on Monday morning, 5/19/14. 

Let the tweeting begin!

And for now, the Dirty Vegan is signing off. Go coconuts!

Litehouse Herbs Review & Amazing Artichoke Recipe!

Tell me if this has ever happened to you. You buy fresh herbs at the store, with every intention of using the entire bunch, but sadly they wilt away to their demise before you ever get the chance to use them. Or, have you ever purchased one of those herb plants, to find that one day it just dies on you? Or how about this one - have you ever bought a bunch of fresh herbs and then by the next morning, they appear to be as wrinkly as a 95 year old man's behind? For the record, I have never seen a 95 year old man's behind, but I am just guessing that there is some sort of resemblance. Let's face it, fresh herbs taste so much better than those dried herbs that you find on the dusty shelf in the grocery store. If you are like me, you have longed for herbs and spices that have the taste of freshly picked produce but the convenience of spice-rack-friendly, herbs in the jar. Finally, the solution to our dilemma has arrived, and it's name is Litehouse!

Litehouse sent me their delicious and fresh tasting herbs to try in: Thyme, Spring Onion, Ginger, Sage, Garlic, Italian, Parsley, and Basil. I used the same amount that a recipe would call for with fresh herbs. The ratio is the same. You just add them to water to revive them. I also added them to dishes that were watery already, like soups or stews. I've been using these herbs in everything and my food tastes so much fresher! And the value and convenience is great! For instance, you get about 3 bunches of basil in just one jar of Litehouse instant herbs! Pretty neat. I have been having such success using these, so here is my favorite recipe so far. The Litehouse herbs add something seriously special to this dish. Here is my Herby Steamed Artichoke Recipe and you can find Litehouse products by browsing their online store or at retailers like Target.

The Dirty Vegan's Herby Steamed Artichokes

Serves 2

What you will need:

2 artichokes, washed, stems cut, tops cut (about 1 inch)
1 heaping tsp Litehouse Parsley
1 heaping tsp Litehouse Garlic
1 heaping tsp Litehouse Spring Onion
2 bay leaves
1 lemon
1/4 cup white wine
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cups water
1 bouillon cube
sea salt and black pepper to taste

What you will need to do:

Place all ingredients in a large sauce pan. Cover and let artichokes steam in the Herby steaming liquid for about 30 minutes, or until leaves are tender. To eat, simply scrape the pulp from the leaves with your teeth (don't eat the leaves - yuck!). You can eat the heart by removing the prickly covering around it. The heart is soft and delicious and really soaks up all of the flavors in the steaming liquid. Enjoy!

This is what the artichokes looked like in the delicious Herby broth!

And as they were steaming to perfection. Yum!

A Website Full of Vegan Meats & a Taco Recipe!

Recently I came across a website called FakeMeats.com and needless to say, I was intrigued. FakeMeats.com is everything that it's name suggests and so much more. Pretty much anything fake meaty can be found on this website. You will find items like vegan meats of pretty much any kind and also condiments, meal starter kits, broths, and other fake meaty spices! You can also grab a gift basket, sign up for a subscription service or meal pack, and so many other fun foodie things! And currently, they are including a recipe card with each order. Seems like they always have cool promotions going on. This website is pretty incredible.

Upon receiving my package from FakeMeats.com (and after doing a little happy dance), I noticed a nice spicy smell. The box alone had me in a spice trance. It was the Tikka Masala seasoning packet; talk about stimulating the sense of smell! So what I have here from my Fake Meats package is:

Easy Indian Authentic Tikka Masala packet that makes an authentic Indian dish when added to a few other simple ingredients like vegan protein, tomatoes, and oil. This packet smells so amazing and I cannot wait to make this dish and post the recipe on here soon!

Edward & Sons Not-Beef rich and savory broth and seasoning cubes, which make an absolutely beautiful broth and are extremely convenient and easy to use. These taste great added to soups and any recipe that calls for broth or meaty flavor. Definitely a must have; I love this product.

Seitenbacher Vegetable Broth and Seasoning packet is also another vegan broth that adds a beautiful color and flavor to any vegan dish. You can use this in soups, stews, and boiled meals and it truly adds a special something.

Great Life by Lucinda Garden Veg Veggie Burger Mix that makes veggie burger patties simply by adding hot water and cooking! Voila! I will be posting a separate post and recipe using this soon.

BeefNot fortified chunks that are dehydrated and you rehydrate them and use them in any meal the same way you would use any other vegan protein. These are really neat for a lot of reasons, but a big reason is that they can hang out on your shelf until you are ready to use them and have a much longer shelf life than refrigerated vegan meats. BeefNot also has a whopping 25 grams of protein per serving, and the servings are only 140 calories each! That is just amazing! The entire 1 pound dry bag makes 3.4 pounds when rehydrated! At first I was scared to try these because they look and smell kind of like dog food that someone would give to their dog if they didn't like them. It was weird at first, not gonna lie, but after I rehydrated and cooked these fake beefy morsels, I got a run for my money! These were absolutely amazing (as you can tell from the before and after picture below) and were awesome in my vegan taco recipe that I'm sharing with you right now.

Before: Kibble-resembling BeefNot. After: Hot and steamy BeefNot!

Butler Soy Curls were the last item in my FakeMeats.com package. Soy Curls are dehydrated vegan "chicken" that are so simple to use and taste absolutely delicious! This versatile product takes just 10 minutes of soaking in warm water, then drain and use in anything and everything! I will be posting some recipes using these in the future, so stay tuned!

Vegan BeefNot Tacos Recipe!

What you will need:

12 taco shells

2 cups of BeefNot chunks

2 cups of water

2 tbsp canola oil

1 packet of taco seasoning

4 cups of greens

2 tomatoes, diced

1 can of beets, drained, rinsed, and matchstick chopped

5 slices vegan cheese, chopped into small chunks

1/2 cup taco sauce

What you will need to do:

Place taco shells on a cookie sheet and bake on 325 degrees for 7 minutes. Put BeefNot and water in a bowl and microwave for 5 minutes, then drain. Heat oil in skillet on medium heat then brown BeefNot. Add taco seasoning and finish cooking according to taco seasoning packet instructions. Finally, fill taco shells with BeefNot and remaining ingredients. Enjoy!

Look at how amazing this BeefNot turns out! Who would have known?

Taco Night!

And if all this wasn't too good to be true, FakeMeats.com also has a jerky of the month club! You read that correctly. Vegan jerky of the month club! And guess what, I'll be trying it out! Each jerky of the month package that I receive, I will be posting and sharing my reviews with you! So check back here for that. Be sure to check out FakeMeats.com, browse their comprehensive variety of vegan meats and other items, and get your jerky on!

By the way...

This is Steven and Kim, the owners of FakeMeats.com. This is a small, family owned and operated business. So not only can you get groovy vegan goods, but you can also support small business, which I love. Us little guys have to stick together! To learn more about Steven and Kim, check out their About Us section on their website.

Hot Maple! Review, Recipe, & GIVEAWAY!

Hey Ya'll, recently I came across a really great vegan-friendly, made in the USA (based out of Portland), product called Hot Maple Smokey Habanero Sauce from Hot Maple Foods and was lucky enough to get my hands on some. Hot Maple uses maple syrup instead of sugar. What I love about this company is that not only do they use the syrup for flavoring, but also for sustainability. The process of harvesting and refining maple syrup is much more environmentally friendly than other sugars. Also, what I love about maple syrup is that you know it did not go through a bone-char refining process that many white sugars and sweeteners do. With that being said, Hot Maple is a great hot sauce for us vegan folk! And one of you will be winning a bottle...

Hot Maple has a subtle maple flavor but is not overpoweringly maple flavored whatsoever. My husband and I love spicy and I'm somewhat of a hot sauce snob; I must say this is really spicy stuff. I really enjoyed the smokey, spicy, with a hint of sweet flavor.

The texture is really lovely since it is slightly chunky. I love a really delicious, textured hot sauce that is not watery and runny. This hot sauce would be great in any recipe but I think especially great in Mexican dishes like salsa, guacamole, tacos, etc. Here is the first of many recipes I will post using Hot Maple. I made this rustic potatoes and vegan sausage dish that can be served as a hearty side or alone as a meal. I chose to make this dish using Hot Maple Smokey Habanero Sauce because I feel that the ingredients, especially the potatoes, compliment the flavors in the hot sauce, especially the warmness of the habanero and maple.

Rustic Spicy Potatoes and "Sausage"

What you will need:

6 medium potatoes, cleaned, quartered, and boiled

3 tbsp olive oil

2 cups frozen peas

1 14oz package vegan sausage, cut into chunks

1/2 cup vegetable stock

1 vegan bouillon cube, any flavor

1/4 cup Hot Maple Smokey Habanero Sauce

Sea salt & black pepper to taste

What you will need to do:

Boil potatoes, drain and set aside. In a large pan, heat olive oil and cook frozen peas until thawed. Then add in sausage and cook for a moment or so. Next, add potatoes and remaining ingredients and cook until thoroughly warmed and combined. Enjoy!

Okay, I know you are all waiting for me to tell you how can win this 5oz bottle of Hot Maple Smokey Habanero sauce, right?! In order to enter my Hot Maple giveaway, all you have to do is:

1. Comment below and tell me what you will make with this Hot Maple if you win! AND
2. Follow me on twitter: @theDirtyVegan and Tweet about the contest (mention @theDirtyVegan to get credit)!

Tweet and comment as much as you'd like! Each additional Comment and Tweet after your initial entry are BONUS entries! 

I will choose the winner this Saturday, February 22nd at 8:00 PM EST, so until then, enter away! Good luck, this is a very spicy prize!

NEW Soy Curls and Yummy "Chicken" Pot Pie Recipe!

Imagine this. Imagine a vegan protein that needed no refrigeration. No need to keep it cold and it has a very generous shelf life, unlike tofu and other vegan refrigerated or frozen products. Now imagine, you can take this vegan protein anywhere. It is compact. It can travel with you and it is even great for camping. You can make elaborate meals with it or just cook up a quick snack or "chicken" salad. You can stock your pantry with it and it is easy. I bet you wish that this product existed. Now imagine that it does exist. Imagine that I tell you it exists, it is here, and it is available to us vegan folk.

I kid you not! I recently got my paws on some Soy Curls and Chik-Style Seasoning from Butler Foods and let me tell you, this is HUGE for us plant-based eaters. Now let's talk about this crazy-awesome new product, shall we?

Soy Curls are a textured vegan protein made from non-GMO whole soy bean. There are no additives and no other ingredients, just one simple and pure ingredient. Each serving has 10 whopping grams of protein and 15% of your daily value of iron. Each package re-hydrates to 1.5 lbs! Yes, that is 1.5 lbs of vegan protein for your recipe. These can easily be transformed to anything you'd like, but closely resemble vegan "chicken". Butler Foods also offers that nifty Chik-Style Seasoning that is pictured above and adds a "chicken" flavor to your curls, making for a lot of interesting vegan dishes. The picture above is a closeup of the Soy Curls in the package before anything has been done to them. In a moment, I am about to soak these protein-packed morsels for 10 minutes in warm water, drain, and transform them in a recipe that I created. Let's get to it...

Look at those chunks of Soy Curls!

What I made here is a lovely "chicken" pot pie using Soy Curls and Chik-Style Seasoning. Before I share this delectable recipe with you, I would like to say that this is the first in my recipe series using Butler Foods. I plan on trying some of their own signature recipes, which include BBQ Soy Curls, Curried Rice (I cannot wait to try this one!), Chik-Style Salad and Spread, and others. You can find these Butler recipes on their website and I will also be sharing them here as I make them. I will also be creating more recipes using these Soy Curls. I actually cannot believe that we lived without these for so long! We are also camping this year and Soy Curls will be in our camping bag for sure! I cannot believe how truly easy these would be to prepare while camping. All you have to do is warm a little water in a small pot on the fire or camping stove, soak the curls for 10 minutes, drain the water out of the pot, and your vegan protein is ready to use in whichever way that you choose.

Warm Up with My 'Soy Curls Chik-Style Pot Pie' Recipe

What you will need:

4 cups whole wheat flour
4 tsp fine sea salt
1 & 2/3 cups canola oil
6 tbsp cold water
3 tbsp vegan butter (and some extra for greasing)
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1 can green beans, drained and rinsed
1 & 1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup unsweetened and unflavored vegan milk
1/2 package Butler Soy Curls, soaked for 10 min in warm water and drained
2 tbsp Butler Chik-Style Seasoning
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp black pepper

What you will need to do:

Preheat oven 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 glass baking or casserole dish. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt then add canola oil and mix. Add as little or as much of the cold water until you achieve dough consistency. Take half of the dough and to use for the bottom crust, and set the other half aside. Evenly distribute dough on bottom of baking dish and push it up the sides. Bake crust in oven for 20 minutes. In a sauce pan, melt vegan butter and cook corn, green beans, and peas for about 10 minutes on medium heat, stirring frequently. Stir in flour and stir constantly for 1 minute. Stir in broth and vegan milk and cook on medium heat until bubbly, stirring frequently. Add in your soaked and drained Soy Curls, Chik Seasoning, salt, and pepper, stir and remove from heat. Add mixture to your baking dish and top with remaining half of dough. Bake for 35- 45 minutes. Let pot pie sit for a few moments to set and enjoy!

The Soy Curls transformed into a plump "chicken"-like strip. The curls were so tasty and the Chik-Style Seasoning gave the pot pie such a delicious and authentic flavor. The 2 tbsp of seasoning went a long way as well. What a delicious find! I am so glad that I found out about Butler Foods! 

YUM!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Fruit, and Nuts with Veggie Burger Pasta Alfredo

This recipe has such complexity in it's flavors that you really need to make it to truly understand. My inspiration for this was the lovely flavor compliments of cheese, nuts, and fruit; the savory and the sweet. You will love this recipe! Enjoy!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Fruit, and Nuts with Veggie Burger Pasta Alfredo

What you will need:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups fresh brussels sprouts, halved
• dash of sea salt
• dash of pepper
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp mixed nuts, chopped
• 2 tbsp dried fruit, chopped
• 1 lb box of mini shells pasta
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup vegan butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 cup vegan milk
• 4 oz vegan cream cheese
• 1/2 cup vegan parmesan
• dash of sea salt
• dash of pepper
• 4 veggie burgers, cooked according to package and cut into chunks

What you will need to do:

Preheat oven 400 degrees. In a baking dish, toss olive oil and brussels sprouts, sprinkle salt and pepper on them, then bake for 35 minutes stirring once. Then mix in brown sugar, nuts, and fruit, and bake for 5 more minutes. Cook shell pasta according to package directions, drain, and mix with olive oil back in pan or in a large bowl. In a saucepan melt vegan butter and whisk in flour, then whisk in vegan milk, cream cheese, and parm and heat on medium until bubbly, stirring frequently. Once bubbly, remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Pour cheese sauce over pasta and mix well. Toss in brussels sprouts and veggie burger chunks and serve immediately, Enjoy!

YUM!

Oh, Just a Cola Tofu Recipe!

As you may already know, I've declared my love for Zevia soda from the rooftops. With that being said, I am continuing my Zevia recipe series with this soda tofu recipe. This came out amazing on the griddle, however it can be done in a pan or even baked in the oven. The Zevia soda makes a delightful crusted coating on the tofu and adds sweetness to the recipe without adding sugar or extra calories. This is a great recipe for when you are trying to eat lighter or to fuel up on protein before or after the gym. We enjoyed this tofu with brown rice and a side of broccoli, however you can even make this tofu by itself as an appetizer. You may even want to make this tomorrow for game day.

Zevia Cola Blackened Tofu

What you will need:

• 1 block of firm tofu, drained and cut into 8 cubes
• 1 can Zevia cola
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, chopped
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• sea salt and pepper to taste

What you will need to do:

In a bowl or container, combine cola, ginger, ketchup, and soy sauce to make a marinade. Marinade tofu cubes for 1 hour. Reserve 2 tbsp marinade to drizzle on tofu during cooking. Griddle tofu cubes at 375 degrees for 8 minutes per side, flipping frequently until tofu achieves a caramel brown coating. Enjoy tofu alone, as a side, 

 Marinade!

Griddle!

Enjoy!

Easy White Pizza

We were coming home from the baby store and I smelled pizza through the air. I betcha one of the neighbors was cooking a pie on their grill or something. I just had to have pizza after getting a whiff of that! We had a 3 pack of pre-made mini pizza crusts and no pizza sauce, so I decided to make mini white pizzas. These are very similar to how my dad made white pizza, which was always my favorite growing up, however he didn't use the cheddar. You can make this on mini crusts, bigger crusts, on dough, bread, you name it. So here is what I used to make mine. 

• Crust of your choice
• Olive oil to oil crust with
• Slices of "cheddar cheese" - I used Teese by Chicago Soy Dairy and it was amazing!
• Sliced onion caramelized in a pan with Earth Balance, crushed garlic, sea salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning
• Vegan Parmesan by Go Veggie/ Galaxy Foods to sprinkle on top 

I cooked this in the toaster oven according to the directions on the pizza crust package. It came out great and was super easy to make! Yum!

What is your favorite kind of pizza to make? What vegan cheese do you use?

What We Had For Dinner Last Night

Hungarian-Style Braised Mushrooms

This is my favorite PETA recipe that my hubby and I have been making for years and years. We absolutely love it! Tons of flavor and you can change the recipe up by using different types of mushrooms for variety. We served this over spaghetti, but we've had it over any grain like rice, quinoa, or different types of pastas. It is also delicious by itself as a type of soup or stew.

Fun DV Fact: PETA's recipes really saved my ass when I first became vegetarian and subsequently vegan. I also bought their recipe cards, that I still have to this day, and I spent a lot of time on their website and online learning everything I possibly could about animal rights. The reason I am the Dirty Vegan is because I watched an undercover PETA video that exposed animal cruelty at a factory farm. I started posting in the PETA2 forums and wished that I could be more of a voice for animals. I then started writing letters to companies, politicians, and law enforcement in response to action alerts. Every chance I could get, I would promote veganism and have been an animal rights activist ever since I became veg, which was the second I viewed that PETA video. Now, thousands of people from all over the world read this blog. I've received lots of emails from folks who were inspired to become veg after reading my work. Even if someone were to make my recipes, or go meatless sometimes in order to try them, we are still saving lives. Whether it is big or small, it is joyous to see the positive changes we are making for our cause and movement.

This is what this amazing Hungarian Mushroom dish looks like once you add in the cashew cream. Yummy! Definitely one of my favorite dinners ever! You should really check out the recipe.

What is your favorite dinner? You know, the type of dinner that if you had to choose only one dinner to eat for the rest of your life, you would choose it.

Quick 29g Protein Quesadilla Lunch

This recipe is for a quick to prepare and make, baked quesadilla that is yummy and packed with protein. Between the tortillas and the quesadilla toppings, this meal totals about 29g of protein. And some say us vegan-folk don't get enough protein. Also, this was quick to make; use the toaster oven to make it even faster and cut down on oven preheating time. So let's get started!

Try My Drool-Worthy 'Not-chicken, Cheese, and Spinach Quesadilla with Sweet Mustard' Recipe

• 2 Whole wheat tortillas
• 2 tbsp dijom mustard
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• Handful of baby spinach
• 1/4 cup sliced Daiya cheese wedge in Havarti flavor
• About 5 or 6 Gardein Crispy Tenders

Set toaster oven to 350 degree "Bake" setting. Combine dijon mustard and maple syrup. Place a tortilla in a pan and spread half of the sweet mustard mixture on it.

Layer spinach, Gardein, Daiya, and drizzle the remaining sweet mustard on top.

Place the other tortilla on top. Smash down with your hand to flatten a little bit. Bake in toaster oven for 10- 15 minutes or until quesadilla is crispy and golden.

Cut into four wedges and enjoy!