Spicy Vegetarian Beef, Thai Style

You would think that I would've exhausted all of Trader Joe's brand goods by now... that store has a lot on their shelves and they keep coming up with new items! The Beef-less strips, however, is my favorite store brand good. I was surprised to find that it was really easy to cook and didn't take as long as I had anticipated. Just look at that picture... mmm.

Ingredients:
Trader Joe's Beef-less Strips
1 Red, Yellow, and Orange Bell Pepper
1/2 of One Tofu - Firm
Thai Basil or Regular Basil
Sriracha
Vegetable Oil
Soy Sauce
White Rice

First stir-fry the sliced peppers in a pan with oil. While cooking, slice thin strips of tofu and chop a handful of basil. Stir in tofu and 1 Tbsp of soy sauce. Cook until peppers turn softer. Throw in entire beef-less package. Stir in basil. Keep stirring. Add sriracha to taste. I didn't add salt because of the beef-less strips, but you may want to add a little to your taste.

Serve over bed of rice... Quick, simple and yummy.

Tomato Basil Cream Pasta

I was happy to see Vegan Yum Yum post a quick and simple recipe. It was really easy to make and of course yummy to boot. You will need a blender, I used my hand blender and it worked nicely. I modified it only ever so slightly. Click here for the original recipe.

Ingredients:
1 large Ripe Tomato, chopped
1/2 Cup Raw Cashews
1 Tbs Tomato Paste
1/4 Cup Water

2 Tbs Olive Oil
2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
6 oz. of Spaghetti (I used Linguine)
3/4 tsp of Salt
1-2 tsp of Black Pepper
1 Large Handful of Fresh Basil, chopped

Boil water with salt and add in pasta when finished.

Add chopped tomato, cashews, tomato paste, and water. Blend smoothly. Add olive oil to a large pan over medium-heat. Add garlic and sauté until golden. Pour sauce into the pan bringing to a simmer. Add salt to taste and cook for 5 minutes, stirring.

Drain pasta once finished cooking. Add pasta to pan with sprinkling black pepper and chopped basil leaves. Toss in pan. Serve and garnish with basil leaves.