A Vegan Foodgasm: Double IPA Braised Bean and Salsa Verde Bowl

This is one badass vegan and gluten free recipe that is sure to satisfy even the most carnivorous of friends kicked up with some California craft beer action!

So proud, this is my very first attempt at a Vegan recipe and it is pretty badass at that! It also happens to be gluten free! Not just some normal meal with no animals harmed in any way... but it is filling and totally kick ass complete vegan meal busting at the seams from the flavor EXPLOSION! Did I also mention it is made with some BEER!

It is well known, there are two things I don't fuck around with, FOOD and BEER!

So yeah I went ALLLL the way over the top for this puppy! I have been talking to my friend The Beer Wench and she wanted to know if any good vegetarian recipes existed for beer, there is of course the obvious beer mac and cheese, maybe beer cheese soup. But I took this shit to a whole nother level and went straight to vegan.... did I mention I like a challenge?!

Mexican Breakfast Skillet: A little late for Cinco de Mayo

A Cinco de Mayo recipe- late, but better than never....

Last week I told you about my trip to California, well this recipe was born from that trip. This is always what I hope for from a trip like this... inspiration and exposure to new flavors and foods that I never imagined. Foodie Adventures, as I like to call them, are like food blogger recon! So obviously there is a lot of Mexican influence in California, so close and all. Anyways at one of our brunch stops in Joshua Tree I ordered a breakfast polenta and it was like a cake cut into slices, I deduced that it must have been made in a skillet- Inspiration strike 1, then I got my breakfast and there was also black beans in a ranchero sauce, kinda like enchilada sauce as well as eggs and some pico de gallo. Tah-dah- a nice balanced meal- carbs, protein and fiber! Plus it was so damn satisfying and filling. So I had inspiration strike number 2- what if I put all of this together in one skillet! YES!

Why is this a Foodgasm?

This is a completely balanced breakfast, I even added MORE veggies! Super flavorful, just a little heat (not too much it is morning after all). Eggs, spiced polenta, veggies and beans with sauce kinda dance the salsa in yo mouth! Better yet- once skillet to wash! Even better it looks so impressive, but it's so easy!

Taco Tuesday- Magic Portobello and Beef Taco Supreme

 Why is this a Foodgasm?

I am celebrating Taco Tuesday with my friend Lauren of Hall Nesting this week! So I joined her and Christine of Cooking with Cakes to bring you some awesome taco recipes! See below for the pictures and links to their recipes.

 You like tacos? You like beef tacos? Do you like all the fat and calories? No, I didn't think so.

I like tacos, it started in college with Taco Bell. My college served Taco Bell in the cafeteria, one swipe of my student ID gave me access to unlimited Taco Bell. (So healthy!) I liked them so much and I was a poor college student, so I used to smuggle out some crunchy beef taco supremes out of the cafeteria and safe them in my mini fridge for later.
How can I turn tacos into a NY Foodgasm? How do I make tacos that are missing some of the fat and not sacrificing any flavor? It started with the realization that mushrooms are pretty meaty. So I took some 80/20 ground beef that was on sale and I ground up some portobello mushroom caps in my food processor- not only are we filling some of the space with a veggie, I am also adding flavor with the mushrooms. Someone you know not like mushrooms? I don't think they will even notice there are mushrooms, you can taste them a bit, but they are ground so fine they blend in seamlessly with the meat, even the texture is spot on!

That is the magic my friends, lots of amazing flavor, with a veggie bonus and a buzz of flavor! You are not missing out on any of the comfort food aspect at all! I also used multigrain taco shells and low fat shredded Mexican cheese. Then the swap I use ALL the time, non fat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream!

Bourbon Marinated Carne Asada Tacos with Pineapple Salsa and Honey Lime Cream

Why is this a Foodgasm?

You take a nice lean cut of steak and marinate it in bourbon and lime overnight- SCORE! But then you toss on top some perfectly sweet and spicy pineapple salsa- BASES LOADED! Then we put all that in a warm corn tortilla and drizzle with a Honey Lime Cream- HOMERUN!

This dish packs on so many layers of flavors: so delicious, so sweet, so spicy and sinful you will think you have entered Dante's third level of hell (for the gluttunous). But wait this is NY Foodgasm so I have slimmed down this amazing dish for your guilt free pleasure!

So now you cowgirls can have your steak and eat it too!
 

Beer Month's First Recipe Roundup is here with my Dos Equis Rice and Beans and much more!

 Why is this a Foodgasm?

Rice and beans is a nice simple dish, but for me I always have to take it to the next level, that's just how I roll. So it being Beer Month and all I figured why not add some cerveza to the mix and top it with some refreshing lime "sour cream", yeah it's really Greek yogurt (don't worry you won't be able to tell the difference). I wanted some extra protein so I topped with grilled chicken seasoned with chipotle powder. This is a quick and easy dish loaded with flavor and fiber! This is the first recipe party for beer month, see below for links to other AMAZING beer recipes by my #beermonthbloggers friends!

See more beer month recipe links at the bottom of this post!

Chipotle Chicken Fajita Quesadilla

Why is this a Foodgasm? Chicken with onions and peppers with a smokey chipotle flavor balanced out with the creaminess of melted cheese and all encased in a slightly crunchy flour tortilla---- will make your taste buds do the tango or perhaps we should say the mexican hat dance!

This is a 6 point foodgasm!!*  Recipe yields 6 servings