Soft Bean Taco Without Cheese at Taco Bell

This is my standard vegan meal at Taco Bell when I get tired of the Bean Burrito without cheese. New vegans, if you order a Bean Taco without cheese, be sure to dig through it a bit before eating. There's probably cheese in the lettuce. Also, beware of the Fresco option. There's almost always stray cheese pieces in the pico de gallo. This taco was perfect!

Taco Bell is a great place for beginner vegans. While the menu keeps changing, the standard ingredients remain. Basic vegan choices include tacos with beans instead of meat and with no cheese, bean burritos with no cheese, bowls of pinto beans or black beans without cheese, sides of pico and chips, cinnamon twists, and topping like lettuce, tomato, pico de gallo, and onions. 

And the food tastes pretty good for the low price.

Click here to see the Taco Bell website

Vegan Hobo Pack with Potatoes, Onions, and Field Roast Sausage

Hobo packs can be easy meals for the oven or the grill. Just find some left-over items and cook them in a foil pouch with a splash of oil and your favorite spices.

I had some old potatoes and part of a white onion. I threw in a chopped Field Roast Spicy Mexican Chipotle sausage. I sealed it up in a tightly folded foil pouch and baked it.

Vegan Hobo Pack with Potatoes, Onions, and Field Roast Sausage

This works well for camping trips. These can be prepared before leaving home. Let's take a moment to remember that many people are currently living without homes. They may have jobs and look clean, but they sleep in their cars, campers, tents, etc.

Home-made Vegan Thai Cabbage

I boiled some leftover cabbage, stirred in a few teaspoons of leftover Yai's Thai Red Thai Coconut Curry, and stirred in a couple teaspoons of creamy natural style peanut butter. This was almost free, and it took about 5 minutes to make. 

Vegan Toast With Gravy, Poverty Style

I often get so excited about all the new vegan foods that have become available that I forget to show some respect to my past. So here's another vegan poverty meal. Leftover home-made mushroom gravy with discounted day old French bread! This was so cheap it was almost free!

This gravy is my own home-made vegan gravy. It's so good! I don't share recipes, but you can find information about it on some of my other posts.

A Mustard Biscuit

This home-made vegan biscuit was made with only flour, salt, baking powder, water, and Earth Balance Buttery Spread. I split it like sandwich bread and put mustard on it. This was very satisfying.

I learned to enjoy mustard biscuits during my time living in poverty. During my more flexible vegetarian days, I could go to fast food restaurants and order a plain buttermilk biscuit and coffee for just a couple dollars. I used the free mustard packs and ate it inside so I could get a free refill of coffee just before leaving. Sometimes I'd get 2 biscuits and eat the second one later. They keep well in the paper bag.

It's good to remember the hard times. I recommend it to everyone, because it helps us all appreciate the good things in life. It also makes our life stories more complete. We can see the big picture when we reflect and use those memories to enhance the present.

Morning Star Farms Corn Dogs

As an omnivorous kid, I always enjoyed corn dogs. In the South and the hills of Appalachia, corn dogs are frequently found at large flea markets, county fairs, and other rural gathering places. They're not just for kids. Everyone loves them. Most people eat them with ketchup or yellow mustard, or both. They're usually cooked fresh on site using pre-made hotdogs. While I am now an uppity city dweller, I once lived a very traditional Southern lifestyle that included corn dogs. This product reminds me of my simple past life as a carefree eater.

Morning Star Farms Corn Dogs taste very much like the real thing as I remember them. The taste is close enough to make me just a little bit concerned and check the ingredients one more time. A real meat eater may notice a difference, but this really will fool most people. These things are made with plants!

The beautiful consistently smooth outer shell was a bit sweeter than I expected. Being an herbivore for decades, maybe I forgot what most corn dogs taste like. The inner "meat" had a classic texture and flavor, and the batter coating was firmly attached. These even had the little crispy batter piece on the stick. With a little dip in the ketchup and mustard, the flavor was perfect. Nice job, Morning Star Farms.

Home-made Veggie Soup

This veggie soup was made with lentils, edamame, carrots, peas, water, Marmite, basil, black pepper, and salt. This was very inexpensive and easy to make. Soaking the lentils did take about an hour.

A Simple Home-made Vegan Dinner; Cabbage, Peas and Carrots, and Potatoes

I wanted a very simple vegan meal. This is home-made boiled red potatoes with onions, boiled cabbage, and canned peas and carrots. I didn't season anything in any way. I wanted to capture the natural flavors as much as possible.

Home-made Vegan Stew

Home-made vegan stew is very easy and inexpensive to make. But it could take a couple hours to make it right. This is a good way to finish off left-over veggies. To save time, this can be cooking on low heat while other short chores are being performed around the house or campsite. This meal was unexpectedly satisfying and filling.

To make this hearty vegan stew, I added the following ingredients to filtered water, adding and cooking them in this order on low to medium heat:

Chopped carrot

Chopped onion

Chopped potatoes

Thyme 

Crushed black pepper

Seasoning salt

Marmite

Garlic Powder

More chopped onion

Cabbage

Left-over canned peas and carrots

Earth Balance

Home-made Vegan Yorkshire Pudding WIth Vegan Onion Gravy

This is another attempt to create a more perfect Yorkshire Pudding using only common vegan ingredients. It's difficult to get the right lift without eggs and milk, but I believe I'm very close to getting it right. I'll gladly continue practicing.

This Yorkshire Pudding is very much like fluffy American breakfast biscuits, except these have really nice crunchy bottoms where the oil fries them in the muffin pan as they bake. The insides are airy and fluffy. The tops are almost flaky. Traditionally, Yorkshire Pudding is served as a side with meat-based dinners. The meat gravy is poured over or around it just like American biscuits and gravy. I used onion gravy on my vegan version.

If you want to give it a try, here's how I did it.

Vegan Onion Gravy

I can't give exact measurements for this gravy because I didn't keep notes, and I was cooking freestyle. I cooked about a quarter of a white onion in a skillet on medium heat with oil and water until it was a soggy mess. I transferred it to a pot and added almond milk, miso paste, about one teaspoon of Marmite, plenty of crushed black pepper, and small amount of Earth Balance Buttery Spread. I adjusted the ingredients and added water as needed. It simmered on medium heat for about two hours, maybe longer. 

Vegan Yorkshire Pudding

I preheated the oven to 430 degrees Fahrenheit. I mixed 2 cups of all-purpose flour with a teaspoon and a half of sea salt, one teaspoon of egg replacement powder, and a tablespoon of baking powder. I mixed in 2 cups of almond milk and created what looked like pancake batter. I poured about a tablespoon and a half of oil into each space of a muffin pan. I heated the oil and pan in the oven until I heard the oil popping and crackling. I carefully removed the pan with oil and poured the batter right into the bubbling hot oil, almost to the top of each muffin pan space. Oil ran over the sides a bit, but that was expected. I put all of it in the oven for about 18 minutes trying not to peek into the oven. I let them cool for about 10 minutes. The oil made it easy to remove these with just a twist.

I would like to mention that I'm American, and I've been an herbivore for decades. I have never eaten real authentic Yorkshire Pudding. I honestly have no idea how far off I am with this recipe. All I can say is this was very satisfying. I seriously doubt that adding animal ingredient would greatly improve this recipe.

Vegan Biscuits And Gravy At Mason Dixon Bakery In Huntsville AL

I've been wanting to try something new at Mason Dixon Bakery for a while. I finally made my way back. This time it was for breakfast. Here's what I ordered.

Vegan biscuits and gravy!

Vegan Biscuits And Gravy At Mason Dixon Bakery In Huntsville AL

The COVID-19 pandemic forced me to enjoy this breakfast in the front seat of my car. Mason Dixon was only doing curbside service. The curbside service was fast and friendly.

This was a very good vegan version of a southern classic breakfast. They did a good job with the vegan biscuits. Those can be tricky. These didn't have the light fluff of real buttermilk biscuits, and they did seem a bit heavy, but the taste was nearly right on. The gravy was very flavorful with large chunky, funky mushrooms. The peppery creamy gravy, along with the exotic flavor of the mushrooms, gave my tongue a tingle. This was almost a mushroom overload with mushrooms in every bite. Because I usually have a very light breakfast, if any at all, I was unprepared for the heaviness of this traditional breakfast. This should satisfy any regular breakfast eater.

The price was a bit high for biscuits and gravy, but there's really no other place that I'm aware of to get this in Huntsville. And this was very good. It was worth the price as a special occasion. The price was $9.

Once again, Mason Dixon Bakery gave me another really good meal to remember. This was another rare vegan breakfast option in Huntsville.

Click here to see the Mason Dixon Bakery website

Home-made Vegan Hoppin' John

Hoppin' John is a traditional Southern food eaten on New Year's Day. This deep South poverty food is seemingly made of table scraps, but it is said to bring good luck and wealth for the new year. I added a side of spinach because greens are said to further add to future financial gain. Even if it's not New Year's Day, I could really use some good fortune.

To make vegan Hoppin' John, first I made a pot of Minute Rice. When that was cooked, I sprinkled in some chili oil, chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper flakes, seasoning salt, and Weber's Kick'n Chicken Seasoning. I added skillet-fried bell pepper and onion and canned black eyed peas. I then added some skillet-fried Soyrizo to give it the smokey meaty flavor of pork, because Hoppin' John usually has ham in it. I stirred it all together and it was then a delicious pot of luck.

This was my first time making Hoppin' John and I really like it! This was cheap and easy to make. I have plenty of leftovers. Next time I'll go lighter on the cayenne pepper. It did have me hoppin'.

Home-made Vegan Mexican Rice

Here's a cheap and easy way to make vegan Mexican rice. Get a cheap bag of white rice. As it's cooking, sprinkle in some dried chili peppers. Leave the seeds out unless you like it flaming hot. Add some chili powder, salt, and cumin if you'd like. Then find some leftover Taco Bell sauce. When the rice is fully cooked, squeeze in the sauces and stir it all together. I had some wild cilantro growing in the back yard, so I added that at the last minute. This meal was so cheap it was almost free!

Vegan Stuffed Poblano Pepper, Poverty Style

I put leftover vegan cheese in a roasted poblano pepper then baked it to melt the vegan cheese. I topped it with leftover Taco Bell hot sauce. This was delicious, easy to make, and almost free.

365 Everyday Value Organic Ranchero Beans With Rice

The Covid-19 pandemic currently seems to be creating hard times for many of us. Poverty food is now more popular because of the economic slow-down and the fear of another Great Depression. Try beans and rice. This meal is cheap, healthy, and vegan. This is real food that tastes great. Try it with hot sauce or pickled peppers.

Koyo Asian Vegetable Ramen

Finding a vegan ramen is still a challenge in the southeastern United States. Here's one I found in a specialty grocery store. It wasn't as cheap as the others, but the ingredients list is more appealing to those who choose to eat higher quality foods. This is not only vegan, it's also non-GMO and contains no MSG.

A Classic Poverty Payday Dinner, Vegan Style

Let's take a break from this privileged lifestyle to remember some classic foods of poverty. This is a dinner of the overworked underpaid people in the 1980s, but this is not just a regular dinner. It's a payday dinner! This is dinner after going to the check cashing guy at the liquor store and getting groceries at the Piggly Wiggly or Circle C.

Being payday, there's no need to shamefully tear out several of those food stamps while everyone in line watches and criticizes what we're buying with their tax money. We have cash in our pockets. The car will not get repossessed this month. The rent will get paid. The electricity will stay on. We may even have enough money to get cable TV this month. It's time to celebrate!

1. Beanee Weenees (made vegan style)

Being payday, we don't want to settle for just any tasteless can of beans. We can enjoy our meal with Van Camp's Beanee Weenee which includes real hotdog slices and sweet baked beans. It's chunky and flavorful like real food. And it has meat in it, so we don't feel poor.

To make this vegan I used 365 Everyday Value Organic Traditional Baked Beans and Lightlife Jumbo Smart Dogs with a tiny bit of maple syrup


2. Macaroni and Cheese (made vegan style)

No celebratory meal is complete without Velveeta Shells and Cheese. It's payday, so we can skip the cheap powdery stuff and go straight to the premium choices that have the creamy flavorful cheese package inside the box. This heavenly food makes everyone feel wealthy.

To make this vegan I chose Daiya Cheddar Style Deluxe Cheezy Mac and added salt.

3. Sweet Tea

The standard drink of choice in the south is sweet tea. It's usually home-brewed using tea bags, Dixie Crystals, and cloudy polluted tap water. The sugar is probably added to cut the bitter metallic taste of the lead pipes. Then it's chilled in the refrigerator, unless the electricity has been cut because of nonpayment. It's served cold in previously acquired peanut butter or jelly jars or old Mason jars.

The tea pictured here is Milo's Sweet Tea. I'm an uppity snob now, and I can afford to have other people make my tea for me. The jar was intentionally left unfilled in remembrance of the days when having something good to drink was a luxury.

Home-made Gravy Biscuits With Greens And Mushrooms

I poured Tofurky Plant-Based Savory Gravy over home-made vegan biscuits. I added some greens and mushrooms on the side.

This gourmet mushroom blend is very good. This is what I've been using for most of my mushroom dishes lately.

Home-made Vegan Sushi Bowl

After making vegan sushi rolls, I had leftover ingredients that I did not want to waste. I made a sushi bowl that consisted of sushi rice with vinegar, chopped avocado, the leftover scraps of my seaweed sheets, and couple packs of Taco Bell hot sauce. This was a good vegan poverty meal.

Bean Taco Minus Cheese At Taco Bell

This is a "hard shell taco with beans instead of meat and no cheese". That means the taco is a shell with beans and lettuce inside. New vegans, don't bother ordering it fresco style unless you're prepared to pick cheese out of the pico de gallo. It's in there almost every time. Trust me. Keep it as simple as possible at Taco Bell. If you try to make it fancy, you'll end up with all kinds of unwanted garbage in the food. This very simple taco was very good!

Taco Bell does have several options for vegans, and we really do appreciate their efforts to offer us something we can eat. The food tastes pretty good, even without meat and cheese. Try the Bean Taco minus cheese, Bean Burrito minus cheese, the Spicy Tostada minus chipotle sauce and cheese, a side of Black Beans or Refried Beans, Chips and Pico De Gallo, and Cinnamon Twists. You can try to order a custom nacho plate, but that's really pushing it. At some point, changing the order that much is not even worth the effort or the price. Keep it simple at Taco Bell. They don't have time for your complicated order.

The main thing to remember is that the employees must throw this food together as quickly as possible, so the kitchen could be a mess with little bits of cheese or meat scattered across everything. You will often find cheese melted into the beans, meat stuck to the bottom of your Tostada shell or on the burrito tortilla, cheese mixed into the lettuce and pico de gallo, or worse, chunks of meat in the beans. I'm not picking on Taco Bell. All fast food is like this. But I still go to Taco Bell. I've been a regular customer for decades, and I've seen it all. I'm just giving you the truth. Vegans can enjoy food at Taco Bell, but we need to keep it very simple and inspect the food before eating.

Click here to see the Taco Bell website