What's Cookin' Good Lookin' Wednesday

Once again, sorry for my tardiness. I really need to start branching out cause I feel like I am running out of recipes to post.  Anyways, here is your belated recipe of the week.

Fried Tacos

To make these vegetarian we use Boca Meatless Crumbles. They are a soy protein substitute for ground meat. They are also vegan for any of you vegans out there.

photo credit

Flavor wise, they are definitely savory but not an exact meat flavor replica.  The texture is softer than real meat but firmer than tofu.  However, we really enjoy them.  They come in a resealable package so you don't have to use the whole bag at once which is nice.

Anywho, you will need

• Boca Meatless Crumbles
• Old El Paso Taco Seasoning (or whichever is your favorite)
• water
• taco sized tortillas (again, brand does not matter, I buy whatever is cheapest)
• mexican blend cheese
• any other taco toppings (olives, cherry tomatoes, etc.)
• Canola oil (vegetable oil works too, but canola is recommended)

Directions

1. The boca crumbles all get frozen together in the package so just break those up a bit before you open them and that will shorten your cook time.
2. I use the whole package and cook in a deep skillet on about medium heat until cooked through
3. Add about a 1/2 C of water to the meat and stir in seasoning packet.  Cook until water boils off. I like to brown them a bit at this point too, but that's just me.
4. In a second deep skillet, bring about an inch of oil to temperature (the surface will look like its moving a bit)
5. Assemble your tacos like normal (cheese+toppings too) and use toothpicks to keep them closed.
6. Gently place into oil and fry until golden brown, remembering to turn them so both sides get fried.  Watch the temp of the oil so it does not smoke and set off your fire alarm (this happens to us too often) and unless you want to smell like a frialator and be forced to change, febreeze, and perfume before your siblings will let you go to see the last HP movie, then I would suggest opening some doors/windows and turning on fans as well.
7. Remove from oil and place on a plate with a paper towel to remove excess oil.
8. Remove toothpicks and serve

These are delish and very filling.  Kitty Daddy's mom makes them and she is the one who taught Kitty Daddy to make them so I can't claim this one as my own.  This just goes to show all the ways you can make everyday recipes and adapt them to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle.

Hope you enjoy, Happy Thursday!

M