The Hopeful Herbivore

To call this a recipe may actually be a stretch. I'm just a vegan who doesn't like to eat too much in the way of 'faux' meats and cheeses. So how do I make tacos? Beans, of course! Ingredients: 1 can of black beans 1 packet taco seasoning (watch for milk ingredients in most brands) taco shells taco sauce iceberg lettuce 1 tomato, chopped (optional) Partially drain black beans (we don't want this super runny). Pour into frying pan. Add taco seasoning. Stir and heat for 10 minutes on medium heat. Tear or cut iceberg lettuce into small pieces. Spoon beans into taco shells. Sprinkle with lettuce and tomatoes. Drizzle with taco sauce. That's it! Recipe will make approx 6 tacos. It's amazingly simple, but equally yummy. Not to mention, packed full of fiber and protein. (Though the pictures shown involve hard shell; this works equally well for soft shell.)

Mmmm. Stuffed peppers. These were one of my favorites growing up. But those were packed with hamburger, and sometimes cheese. Neither one appeals to me now. Sure, you could just use Boca crumbles or something similar; but I wanted stuffed peppers that had nothing 'faux' about them. Just pure veggie goodness. And these are just the ticket. Ingredients: 4-5 bell peppers 1 can tomato sauce 1 can diced tomatoes 1 can sweet corn 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 tablespoon Earth Balance or vegan margarine 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon vegan worcestershire (or soy sauce) 1 clove of garlic, crushed 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 1/4 cups long grain wild rice, cooked Cut tops off peppers; removing membranes and seeds. Chop edible parts of tops and set aside.   Rinse peppers. Place peppers in large stock pot. Cover with salted water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for approx. 5 minutes

I've never been a big user of worcestershire sauce, but my husband was. So, when we went vegan, we needed to find an alternative. Sure, you can just use soy sauce in some recipes.. but it's lacking a little something. By the way, if you didn't know that worcestershire wasn't vegan, I'm sorry to be the one to tell you... it has fish in it. So, I came up with this version. It may not be an exact match, but it'll give you that salty and vinegary goodness with a bit of sweetness. Ingredients: 1 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar 3/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup light brown sugar 1 tablespoon of spicy brown mustard 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 clove of garlic, crushed 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon Mix all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and liquid is reduced by half (roughly 30 minutes). Keep tasting it. If it is still overpowered by vinegar, leave it to simmer. Then