A Good Vegan Substitute for Chicken Tenders: Gardein Seven Grain Crispy Tenders

I wanted to share this with you guys because I said that I would tell you about the substitutes I found in my last post. I actually tried these "chicken tenders" awhile ago, but haven't written about them. These are good for days when you just want to throw something in the oven and get your protein fix. I know that processed and frozen foods aren't the best for you, but some days, you just need to treat yourself.

The cooking instructions say to bake them for 20 to 25 minutes, but I usually bake them for less time because my oven tends to burn them. These are pretty delicious and convincing, though. I love to cut them into little pieces and put them on pizza. They're also really good with any sauce: ketchup, sriracha, and Dijon mustard.

I'm also planning on making a vegan "Chicken Parmesan" with these (as soon as I get the time!) They would probably also be super delicious in a wrap with bean sprouts, Italian dressing, and cashew cheese or vegan tzatziki sauce.

What are your thoughts on Gardein products? 

Vegan Cajun Pasta with Kidney Beans:

I hope that you all had a Happy Easter! I definitely did. It ended up being  pretty tiring, but I was able to cook  and take engagement pictures for my friends. It was beautiful outside, sunny with a light breeze, so it was nice to do some good deeds and hang out with some of my acquired family here in Florida. It was also nice to express my creativity a little. Since I started law school, this blog has pretty much been the only place where I get to be creative in my everyday life, so I was very happy that I had the opportunity to take some pretty photos yesterday.

Getting back into everything today was a little rough, but I'm currently lounging outside on my patio enjoying some delicious food. The next few weeks are going to be pretty crazy around here. The semester's starting to wind down, which really only means that there are lots of tests, papers, and presentations looming in my near future. The nice part about it is that graduation is coming up, and then I only have one more big step before becoming a real, grown-up attorney...passing the Bar Exam. It's been a long road, but I'm beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's all very exciting.

If you've been on my blog at all recently, you can probably tell that I have been on a spicy kick lately. I got home from work late and was starving, so I figured a quick and hearty pasta would do the trick. I love Cajun spices, and I was craving kidney beans....so I mixed the two with some tomato sauce, and voila! I ended up with a spicy and flavorful pasta dish in less than 20 minutes. This is perfect for any time, but it's especially perfect for nights when you're starving and just want to get out on your patio to enjoy the gorgeous Spring weather.

Ingredients:

1 package penne

1 2/3 cups tomato sauce

1 15.5 oz. can kidney beans, drained

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/4 tsp. sea salt, divided

Cajun Seasoning, to taste (I used about 1 tsp.)

Dash of black pepper

Dash of dried basil

Serves 6.

Total Cook Time: 20 minutes.

Instructions:

1. Pour 1 tsp. of the sea salt in a large pot of water. Pour the pasta in and stir. Add the chopped garlic, and continue cooking according to package directions.

2. While the pasta is cooking, add the kidney beans, remaining 1/4 tsp. of salt, Cajun seasoning, black pepper, and basil to a medium saucepan. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, and then stir in the tomato sauce.

3. Cook the sauce and beans on medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes. It should thicken. Turn the heat down to medium-low if the sauce begins to splatter.

4. Once the pasta is ready, strain it and return it to the pot. Add in half of the sauce and stir. Top with the remaining sauce and serve.

Vegan Bean Burritos & Avocado Lime Guacamole:

The nice thing about this recipe is that you can easily customize it. I think that jalapenos would be a very nice addition, as well as salsa or rice. You could also substitute black beans or chickpeas for the refried beans. These burritos are  definitely filling and delicious. You can definitely get your protein fix here. Your omni friends and family won't miss the meat at all, promise. Also, I would've preferred to use flour tortillas, but I only had spinach wraps at the time. Just use your favorite kind of tortillas.

Guacamole:

Ingredients:

1 avocado, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp. lime juice

Pinch of salt

Instructions:

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor. Process until nice and smooth.

Burritos:

Ingredients:

1 (15.5 oz.) can refried beans

1 tomato, diced

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tsp. olive oil, divided

2 tsp. water

1/4 tsp. salt

4 flour tortillas

1/2 cup Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream (optional)

Hot sauce (to taste)

Instructions:

1. Add 2 tsp. of the olive oil, the onion, and the garlic to a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until soft and a little browned, about 10 minutes. Add the 2 tsp. of water if the onions get too dry while cooking.

2. Once the onions and garlic are soft, stir in the refried beans, salt, a dash of hot sauce, and remaining 1 tsp. of olive oil. Continue cooking on medium heat until heated through, about 5 minutes.

3. Once the beans are ready, assemble the burritos. Fill the middle of each tortilla with the refried beans (add whatever else you want in there: more hot sauce, salsa, peppers, etc.), and fold.

4. Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook one burrito at a time, on each side until browned, 3 to 5 minutes.

5. Mix the sour cream and some hot sauce together. Top the burritos with the guacamole, tomatoes, and sour cream/hot sauce mixture.