Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Comfort food: Tacos!

This recipe for replacement taco filler includes fake meat. I use Morningstar Crumbles.

I have two reasons for writing about fake meat. First, my eating partner really digs it. He calls himself a flavor man, or a sauce man, and will tolerate a variety of carriers for his flavor. I hardly ever ventured beyond an occasional Gardenburger before eati
ng with him. Second, even though I haven't eaten meat in nearly 10 years, I don't consider this diet to be a restrictive. I'll eat whatever I want to eat. It just happens to be the case that when I want something with meat, I change my mind before it comes time to chow down. That doesn't mean that I am happy just leaving out the meat with no replacement.

So today's tip is how I replace ground meat in tacos.


Believe it or not, I still had to experiment and perfect this recipe, and I think I have it down to something we both like.

Cook 1 large onion, chopped, and sliced mushrooms (white or baby bellas) in a small amount of oil. Spinkle store-bought low-sodium taco seasoning over the vegetables; usually the mushrooms have put out enough water that I don't have to add additional water. I use a whole packet for 2 bags of crubmles or a half a packet for one bag of crumbles. Using low-sodium is key; it was always too salty when we used the regular kind.

Once the mix is incorporated, I put the crumbles on top and put a lid on it. They thaw and cook, and I usually just heat them through and then leave covered on the stove for the flavors to soak up. If needed, I'll heat again before serving.

Voila! Replacement taco meat. Great with all the fixings.

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