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!

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.

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.

Crockpot Eggplant Stew

Nothing is more comforting in the fall, than a nice warm stew. And nothing is easier than cooking food in a crockpot. If you are in favor of yummy, vegan comfort food but are low on spare time, this recipe is for you! 

28oz can tomatoes, (chunky w/ liquid)
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 large eggplant, cut into chunks
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt & pepper to taste
(Top w/ vegan cheese if desired)

Place all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 5- 6 hours, or on high for 3- 4. Serve with crusty bread or with vegan cheese sprinkled on top. Enjoy!

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Fun Fall Soup: An Illustrated How To

This soup encompasses various autumn flavors like squashes and apple, and is a cinch to make. It is also perfect to eat on a cool autumn night, with some crusty bread, and your family close by. I bet you're wondering about this lovely soup and how to make it. So, let's get started!

Ingredients you'll need:
1 acorn squash
1 large sweet onion
3 carrots
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 green apple
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 lb bag frozen cubed butternut squash, thawed
6 cups vegan broth
1 bay leaf
pinch of dried thyme
sea salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven 400 degrees.

Cut the acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place halves face down on a baking pan and roast for 45 minutes.

Now you're going to chop some produce to add to a medium sized sauce pan.

Chop your sweet onion.

Chop your carrots.

Chop your apples and add them in the pan with some minced garlic too.

So now you've got your sauce pan filled with onion, carrot, garlic, and apple. Now add your seasoning; the curry powder, ground ginger, and olive oil. 

Mix well and saute on medium heat until soft.

When the mixture is soft, it should look something like this. Remove from heat and set aside.

The acorn squash should be ready to take out of the oven! Let it cool so that you can scoop it out.

Scoop out the acorn squash and add it to a big bowl with your sauteed mixture, thawed butternut squash, and vegan broth. Now you will have to puree this. You can either do this in batches in a processor or you can keep it in the large bowl and carefully blend with a handheld pulsing blender. Either way, its probably going to get a little messy, so prepare.

Once everything is is pureed, transfer to a large sauce pan. Season with a bay leaf, dried thyme, sea salt, and pepper.

Simmer on low for 20 minutes.

Enjoy this delicious soup with some crusty bread, topped with generous amounts of crisp breadcrumbs, or even in a delicious sourdough bread bowl!

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Spicy and Sweet Stew with a Twist!

Cook Up My 'Spicy and Sweet Soyrizo & Sweet Potato Curry Stew' Recipe


2 sweet potatoes, cubed
32 oz container Trader Joe's Butternut Squash Soup
2 cups water
3/4 cup red peppers, chopped
3 tbsp Earth Balance
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 cup portobello mushrooms, cut into chunks
12 oz package of Soyrizo
1 bay leaf
1 tsp curry powder
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
sea salt to taste


Bring first four ingredients to a boil in a large sauce pan on medium high heat. Next saute Earth Balance, onion, mushroom, and soyrizo in a saute pan until onions are translucent and ingredients are nicely combined. Add the soyrizo mixture to sauce pan and allow to boil for a few moments. Then reduce heat and add bay leaf, curry, maple syrup. Let simmer on low for 2 hours. Season with sea salt and serve with crusty bread. Enjoy!

Wowzers! Probably my fave soup that I've ever created!

What's your all time favorite soup or stew?

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Easy Crockpot Thai Food!

"Anyone who tells a lie has not a pure heart, and cannot make a good soup." -Ludwig van Beethoven 

Luckily, we are all honest people here and this soup is amazingly delicious! You will love it!

Enjoy My Flavorful 'Crockpot Thai Coconut Vegetable Soup' Recipe


1/2 onion, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
1.5 cup frozen broccoli
1 block tofu, drained & cubed
2 portobello mushroom caps, cut in chunks
1 can coconut milk
2 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp Bragg's Herb & Spice Seasoning (or other mixed seasonings)
1 tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or soy/ shoyu/ tamari sauce)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
14 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp agave nectar
sea salt & pepper to taste


Place all ingredients in crockpot. Cook on High for 4 hours. Serve in a bowl alone, over rice/ noodles, or with crusty bread. Enjoy!

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Soup for the Dirty Soul

"I live on good soup, not on fine words." -Moliere

Soothe Your Soul With My 'Super Cozy No-Chickie Noodle Soup Recipe'


2 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 package veggie "chicken" (Lightlife, Gardein, Boca - whichever you like or have on hand), chopped
2 tbsp Braggs Liquid Aminos or Soy/ Tamari/ Shoyu Sauce
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 Edward & Sons Not-Chicken bouillon cubes
5 cups water
1/2 cup Fusilli pasta (more or less for your preference)
sea salt and pepper to taste (optional)


In your large saucepan, heat olive oil on medium heat. Sweat garlic and onion until aromas are released, then add carrots and cook for a few more minutes. Then add in the rest of the ingredients (just not the pasta yet), bring to a boil. Then simmer on low for 30- 60 minutes. In the last 15 minutes, add the fusilli pasta and bring up heat just a tad, if necessary. Check to be sure the pasta is al dente before removing from heat. Enjoy!

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Get the Best of Both Worlds When Spring is Hot & Cold

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold; when it is summer in the light and winter in the shade". -Charles Dickens

Spring is a wonderful time and the days feel bright and summery. We spend a lot of time outside, but the chill is still lingering. We crave fresh foods, but still get a little cold in our bones. I hope this light stew recipe gives you the freshness you crave, but also warms you up and keeps you cozy.

This picture was taken just after I put this together and it already looks delicious!

Enjoy the Fresh Flavors in my 'Crockpot Spring Stew' Recipe


1 cup zucchini squash, chopped
1 16oz bag of frozen vegetables
1/2 cup leeks, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 15oz can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 14oz package of Tofurky Italian sausage, chopped
5 cups water
2 bouillon cubes (I used Edward & Sons Not-Beef flavor)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in crockpot and cook on Low for 6- 8 hours, or on High for 3- 4 hours. Serve with crusty bread or with my Olive Oil Biscuits. Enjoy!

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Votes In and Chili Wins!

Score a Touchdown with My 'Game Day Veggie Chili' Recipe!

What you will need:


1 tbsp Earth Balance or vegan buttery spread
14oz veggie "meat" grounds (I used Lightlife Gimme Lean, Ground "Beef" Style)
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp garlic, minced
2 small green bell peppers, chopped
15oz canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2.5 cups tomatoes, crushed
4 cups veggie broth or 4 cups water with 2 bouillon cubes (I used Edward & Sons brand cubes)
2 tbsp wheat flour
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt and black pepper to taste
Daiya cheddar cheese to sprinkle on top before serving, optional


What to do:


Heat buttery spread in saucepan on medium heat. Brown veggie meat (if using Lightlife Gimme Lean, crumble up in pan using a spatula until all is broken up how you would like it) on medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and bell peppers to pan and cook until they are soft, stirring frequently. Then add kidney beans and crushed tomatoes, mix thoroughly. Then mix in broth. Sprinkle and stir in wheat flour. Then add in the spices, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for 1 hour. 

Serving Suggestion: Before serving, sprinkle Daiya vegan cheese on top, if you choose. You may also like to dollop some Tofutti sour cream on top, or use whatever other vegan chili toppings you like in your bowl. You might like to sprinkle crackers or pita chips into it also. 


Enjoy! Have fun on Game Day!

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Cozy Winter Soup, Anyone?

“To feel safe and warm on a cold wet night, all you really need is soup.” -Laurie Colwin

Try My 'Cozy Split Pea Soup' Recipe


1 5oz package vegan bacon (like Lightlife's Smart Bacon brand), chopped into square chunks
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 tbsp garlic, minced
5 1/2 cups water
3 chick'n flavored bouillon cubes (like Edward & Sons)
1 1/2 cups dried green split peas
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
2 bay leaves


Heat olive oil in soup pan on medium heat and saute vegan bacon until it begins to brown. Then cook onion, celery, carrots, and garlic until vegetables are soft. Then add water and bouillon cubes. Stir until bouillon dissolves and broth is heated thoroughly. Then stir in the split peas, rosemary, and bay leaves. Bring soup to a boil then simmer on low for 1 hour and stir occasionally.

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