Check It Out: Veggie "Crumblers"

I'm not a vegetarian, but even as a meat-n-potatoes gal, I really like the challenge of finding non-meat dishes that I can enjoy at home.  And that I can date back to my ACC culinary school food show.  Somehow (still not sure exactly how), I ended up competing with a vegetarian meal which was both fun and tricky because you had to be able to provide a proper balance of protein in your meal to make it a valid food show entry AND make it colorful and delicious too!

Over the years, as I have found myself more and more in the company of non-meat eaters, I've continued my vegetarian exploration.  For monetary, health, and environmental reasons it really does makes sense to eat more veg-friendly foods.

One of the things I discovered and have been using for about seven years now are the Morningstar Farms^® Meal Starters^® Grillers^® Recipe Crumbles™ (or “crumblers” as I call them).  These make a great ground meat substitute and have allowed me to convert many a meaty recipe into a vegetarian meal (one 12 oz. bag of crumblers = approximately 1 lb. of pre-cooked ground meat).

I've used it for chili, for pot pie, and for a lil veggie pizza topping, but hands down my favorite thing to use it for is taco "meat" for my vegetarian taco salad (see below).

So if you are feeling adventurous and want to try something new, I highly recommend this product.  I give it an enthusiastic two forks up!

K2's Veggie Taco Salad

taco "meat" for one
1/2 cup frozen "crumblers"
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin

red leaf lettuce, shredded
cheddar cheese, shredded
yellow corn chips, broken into bite-sized pieces
green olives, whole or sliced
spicy ranch or zesty Italian dressing (really depends on my mood)

In a small skillet, heat up the "crumblers" with the chili powder and cumin.  Heat until "meat" is darken, about 3-4 minutes.

Toss all your ingredients in a decent-sized bowl with your mood of dressing and eat eat eat!

Es muy delicioso!