Salsa Verde Chilaquiles

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I really strive to be a likable vegan.

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There’s a meme I come across all the time (probably because I stalk the vegan hashtag, hmm…) about how you can tell if someone is vegan because they won’t shut up about being vegan. Becoming this meme is my worst nightmare.

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I purposefully try NOT to bring up my diet in conversation, so as not to annoy others. I’m not a vegan crusader. I’m not trying to change the world. I just want to feel good. (Perhaps I should have more ambition, hmm…)

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Despite my best efforts at playing coy, peeps are so darn CURIOUS about it! Once they confirm I’m not protein deficient, they really want to know more. Why did I do it? Do I eat fish? What do I consider an animal product? It’s not until they realize I no longer eat cheese that I start to hear audible gasps. For those considering taking the plunge, I ask them, “can you really live without chicken nuggets?” This is where I lose them.

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Is blogging about being vegan the same as talking about being vegan and therefore make me comparable to the meme I so fear? Hmm…

 

 

Time: 1 hour (prep + cooking) | Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

  • 1 package of tempeh, cubed
  • 12 corn tortillas, cut in triangles
  • 2 tbsp. of soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp. of garlic powder
  • 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast
  • 1 onion, 1/2 diced + the other roughly chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 2 jalapenos, diced
  • 1 cup of spinach
  • 4 tbsp. of garlic, minced
  • 4 tbsp. of olive oil
  • 4 tomatillos, washed + rinsed
  • 1/2 cup of cilantro, + more for serving
  • 1 lime
  • S+P, to taste
  • Avocado, for serving
  • Tomatoes, for serving

 

How to:

  • Preheat oven to 400
  • Arrange tortilla triangles on a baking sheet, bake 15 minutes, toss ’em around, bake another 5-10 or until crisp to your desire, remove + set aside
  • Meanwhile, add tomatillos + 1 jalapeno to a baking dish
  • Place in the oven for as long as your chips take, flipping ’em once in the middle of cooking, remove + let cool
  • Once cool, halve your tomatillos + chop up the jalapeno
  • Add those + 1/2 of the onion (the rough chopped half) + 2 tbsp. of garlic + cilantro + juice of 1 lime + S+P to a food processor, pulse until smooth to your liking, set aside
  • Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat
  • Add tempeh, cook 3-4 minutes
  • Add soy sauce + garlic powder + S+P, cook another 1-2 minutes
  • Add nutritional yeast, cook another minute, remove from pan
  • Heat remaining olive oil in the skillet
  • Add the rest of the onion + some S+P, cook for 3-4 minutes
  • Add garlic, cook another minute
  • Add red pepper + other jalapeno + S+P, cook another 3-4 minutes
  • Add spinach + S+P, cook another minute
  • To assemble, add some of chips in the skillet, stir + coat with some of the salsa + tempeh, repeat with more chips + salsa + tempeh until your layered + coated to your liking
  • Top with cilantro + tomatoes + avocado + serve hot
  • Scamper to a dark corner with your skillet + curl self into ball + secretly eat every bite with your grubby hands

 

Adapted from Thug Kitchen!

19 thoughts on “Salsa Verde Chilaquiles”

  5. Osyth says:
    Reply

    I have a new meme for you – take it as my hashtag gift #thegentlevegan #veganhumour #justdoyou – it is a turn off to be lectured by others but you never ever do that. I take you as a beacon of light shining with good humour on a world that takes itself far too seriously and you have taken this attitude into veganism – you should be the guru that others follow. With smiles. Always smiles 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Emily says:
    Reply

    I’ve coming up on my 22 year vegetarian-iversary and being an Obnoxious Vegetarian is my worst nightmare. I go in the opposite direction that people swear they never knew that about me. So I totally feel you!

    Liked by 1 person

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