Jackfruit Philly Cheesesteaks
When I first met Alex there wasn't a Philly Cheesteak he wouldn't eat for lunch. He LOVED them! He was a sucker for the 'traditional' - although clearly it's debatable what the traditional version is exactly. He's always considered the melted provolone slices, not the cheeze whiz sauce, the original version - and the chef in me wants to hope he's right. So when he told me he'd sort of been craving that familiar old sandwich, we knew we could make a vegan version that was just as friggin' good. And I think we nailed it on this one. The secret? The cheesier-than-ever Daiya provolone slices! They're the perfect sub for the ooey-gooey, melty cheese that makes the original so memorable. The slices melt and stretch just like real cheese, but are a delicious, plant-based alternative for anyone looking to eat better, whether they’re dairy-intolerant, allergic, vegan, or simply living a healthy lifestyle.
The jackfruit makes the perfect substitute for a shaved steak, and was super like the original once we got a little char on the jackfruit. Our best tip is to cook in cast iron if you can - you'll get nice, crispy edges on the jackfruit. Once you get the jackfruit cooked up you toss in the grilled veggies and cheese, and voila! You've got yourself a super yummy, way healthier Jackfruit Philly Cheesesteak Sub! These sandwiches are so yummy served up fresh, but can be easily wrapped in paper and taken along on a picnic. Either way, do yourself a favor and cook these up for yourself. The recipe makes enough for two, so you can make one for someone you really like or have leftovers for day two. Oh, and people usually ask - we find our jackfruit at local Asian markets, but you can usually find it, though overpriced, at Whole Foods as well. Enjoy! 
INGREDIENTS
Daiya vegan provolone cheese slices 1 loaf Italian bread or 2 large sub rolls, sliced 1 teaspoon coconut oil 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon coconut oil 2 - 20 oz. cans jackfruit, drained and shredded 1/2 cup water 1 large clove of garlic, minced 1 teaspoon liquid smoke 1 teaspoon maple syrup 1 tablespoon white cooking wine 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce salt + pepper to taste DIRECTIONS Place the Daiya slices and sub rolls to the side, you'll need them after the filling is prepared. Heat coconut oil in a medium-sized pan over medium heat. Sauté the thinly sliced onions and peppers until softened, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Begin heating the next bit of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. As it heats up, pour in the shredded jackfruit, water, minced garlic, liquid smoke, and maple syrup. Sauté until the liquid reduces to about half, then add the white cooking wine, smoked paprika, onion powder, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Stir to combine, and continue to cook over medium heat until the liquid has completely reduced and the jackfruit is beginning to brown. Throw the onions and peppers into the pan with the jackfruit and toss to combine. Line the mixture into a straight line across the middle of the pan. Place Daiya provolone slices onto the mixture (we used 2 per sandwich), then cover the pan with a lid for about 30 seconds to a minute, or until the cheese has become melty on top of the jackfruit mixture. Use a spatula to scoop the mixture onto your sub rolls and enjoy! NOTES Leftover filling will last in the fridge, covered, for a few days. Traditional cheesesteaks are served on soft bread, but all we could really find was a french baguette. While soft sub rolls are my recommendation, use what you can find. 
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BBQ Cauliflower Bites
THE BIG GAME IS ALMOST HERE! And maybe like me you're like 'Uhhh cool.' But even if that's the case, we're both here because we like to eat delicious vegan food, which just so happens to be the only reason I tune into the Super Bowl - okay endless snacks AND the commercials. Whatever. The point here is that this gal LOVES snacking, and these BBQ Cauli Bites are the BEST snack! Spicy, tangy, sweet - as messy and delicious as the real thing, but without the meat or weird ingredients. These flavor-packed, guilt-free munchies will make you seem like the best cook at the party! Plus, cauliflower takes up way less room in your stomach than chicken would, aka MORE BEER.
Even if you're not into watching football this Sunday, you should still make these. 'Cause they are really fricken delicious. I made a pretty big batch last weekend and Alex and I finished it together, no problem. They don't need any dipping sauce since they're slathered in any BBQ sauce, but if you're into ranch dip, it might be a delicious addition. We also have a great recipe for crunchy coated cauliflower nuggets if that's more your style. Oh and this sriracha buffalo hummus? PERFECT with all that beer. Let's eat!
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk 1 cup all-purpose OR whole wheat flour 2 teaspoons garlic powder 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 large head (about 6 cups) of cauliflower, cut into florets 1 1/2 cups BBQ Sauce DIRECTIONS Preheat the oven to 450º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the unsweetened almond milk, flour, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Dip the cauliflower florets into the mixture, coating evenly. Tap off any excess batter and place the florets onto the baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. While the cauliflower bites cook, heat the BBQ sauce in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally, until heated through. When the cauliflower bites have cooked, pull them from the oven and using tongs, carefully dip each floret completely into the bbq sauce mixture and place it back onto the baking sheet. Continue this until all the florets have been dipped. Bake for 25-30 more minutes, again flipping about halfway through. When they’re finished, serve immediately! NOTES Leftovers don't reheat very well. These are best eaten fresh! 
'California Burrito' Tacos
If you're from anywhere else in the US and you think you know what good Mexican food is, I can tell you straight up: YOU'RE WRONG. Only in Southern California can you get authentic, traditional, spicy Mexican dishes made with love. And of course in California, we like to mix things up. Do it our way, you know? Thats probably why San Diego has become famous for putting its own twist on traditional carne asada burritos and adding french fries. Maybe it was the surfers who did it first, maybe we'll never know, but ordering a California Burrito anywhere in So Cal means that you're getting a stuffed burrito - including french fries. And it is DAMN delicious. The french fries add a bit of crunch and flavor to the burrito and help balance out the spiciness from the 'meat' and must-have hot sauce. Because we're such big Beyond Meat fans we used their beefy crumbles as our meat substitute and loved it. You can make your own french fries or buy your favorite frozen ones and bake 'em up, but either way this is a MUST TRY. In this recipe we made the traditional burritos into tacos for two reasons; first, we love tacos (who doesn't?), and second we have a hard time finding big flour tortillas that don't contain a bunch of sketchy ingredients. Tortillas should just be flour, water, salt and lime. Anything else, especially gross preservatives, and you can count me out. Instead we bought small organic corn tortillas and doubled 'em up, traditional style, and then put all our fillings (including a heart handful of french fries) inside. Add a squeeze of lime, a sprinkle of cilantro and hot sauce, and if you want - although traditionally not included- a little vegan cheese, and you've got a taco party on your hands. Let's eat!
INGREDIENTS:
French Fries 3 medium russet potatoes, cut into french fries OR about 3 cups of your fave frozen french fries 1 tablespoon coconut oil (only if making your own fries) salt to taste Meaty Crumbles 2 cups Beyond Meat Beefy Crumbles (or faux meat of choice- like in our jackfruit asada tacos!) 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/4 teaspoon chili powder 1/8 teaspoon salt Everything Else 1 lime, quartered 1 avocado, pitted and sliced 1/4 cup chopped onions 1/4 chopped cilantro corn tortillas hot sauce + salsa, to taste vegan cheese for sprinkling (optional) DIRECTIONS: French Fries Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If you're making fries from scratch, wash your potatoes well and slice into into fries about 1/4 inch thick. Coat a baking sheet in the 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, then spread your potatoes or frozen fries onto a baking sheet and bakes until golden and crispy, about 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Set aside. Meaty Crumbles Pour meaty crumbles and coconut oil into a cast iron pan over medium heat. Add in cumin, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, chili powder and salt. Stir well to evenly coat the crumbles in spices, and cook over medium heat until the crumbles are heated through and smelling delicious. Everything Else While the meaty crumbles + fries cook, prepare the rest of your ingredients; Slice the lime, avocado, and onion and chop the cilantro. Heat a separate cast iron pan, or pop the tortillas in the oven for a few minutes to heat warm them. When they're ready assemble the tacos starting with 2 layered corn tortillas, then top with beefy crumbles, fries, avocado, onions, cilantro and as much lime + hot sauce or salsa (or both) as you like. If you're adding a sprinkle of cheese, toss that on too. Leftovers can be refrigerated up to a week, but the corn tortillas should be heated fresh for each meal (duh). Enjoy! Makes 4-6 tacos.
Field Roast Fiesta Burger!
We've been fans of Field Roast for a few years now and have always loved incorporating their flavorful grain-based sausages in jambalaya, soups, and on their own in a bun and slathered in mustard and onions. At Expo West this year, we FINALLY tried the long-awaited and AMAZING Chao cheeses in all three flavors - tomato cayenne, creamy original, and coconut herb. They're super realistic in flavor + texture to what I remember munching on a kid and they are the perfect filling for an ooey-gooey grilled cheese. Alex is big on finding the PERFECT veggie burger- and as far as texture and flavor goes, Field Roast's Hand-Formed is his first choice. Is it the most realistic looking burger to a meat patty we've seen yet- especially pre-cooked. You could convince any meat eater that whats in the plastic is a turkey burger for sure...if you trash the label, of course. The burger base is a blend of whole barley, carrots, garlic, onions, and celery- and of course, a secret blend of spices! They're high in protein and non-GMO, and are hand-made in small batches, by hand, in Seattle.
When we were sent a few extra samples after the Expo, we decided to create (what we're calling) a Fiesta Burger smothered in Firecracker Sauce, Roasted Poblano Peppers, and Cilantro Lime Cabbage Slaw...and its fucking delicious. So, let's just pretend we're celebrating Cinco de Mayo three weeks early, grab a margarita, and get cooking. Olé! 
INGREDIENTS
2 Field Roast Hand-Formed Burgers 2 slices of Field Roast Chao Tomato Cayenne Cheese 2 focaccia buns, sliced 1 large or 1 medium poblano peppers 2 cups shredded purple cabbage 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup vegan mayo 1-2 tablespoons hot sauce 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 avocado, pitted and sliced DIRECTIONS Roasted Peppers: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roast washed, halved, and seeded peppers on a lined baking sheet for 15-25 minutes, until skin gets bubbly and brown. Remove from oven, let cool, and peel off bubbly skin so you're left with just the meaty part of the pepper. Set aside. Cilantro Lime Cabbage Slaw: In a large mixing bowl toss together cabbage, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Set aside. Firecracker Sauce: In a small bowl combine mayo, hot sauce, and paprika. Stir well to combine. Fiesta Burger: Heat a teaspoon of oil over medium heat in a large cast-iron pan. Fry Field Roast patties until crisp and browning on one side. Flip burgers, toss on a slice of tomato cayenne cheese, and let burgers cook until equally crisp and browning on the bottom side. While the burgers cook, slather bottom patties with about 2 tablespoons each of the Firecracker Sauce. Top with the cooked burger and melty cheese, then layer on the roasted poblano peppers, Cilantro Lime Cabbage Slaw, and sliced avocado. Spread a bit more Firecracker Sauce on the top bun, add it to the pile, and enjoy! Serves 2. Leftover slaw + firecracker sauce can be refrigerated for up to a week.
In-n-Out Copycat Recipe:
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