Beyond Meat Feisty Beef-Free Crumble

Growing up in the McDevitt household, tacos were a weekly dinner item: simple to make and always amazing tasting. As I got older and started "cooking" on my own, tacos continued to be a mainstay. That is until I gave up on tacos and went 100% nachos, 'cause I'm lazy. When I stopped eating meat, I tried all of the popular meatless crumbles of the day. Everything from Morningstar to Boca. After a couple years, I decided the crumbles were not that great, and actually unnecessary when you have a quality refried bean. That is until now! The new Beyond Meat Feisty Beef-Free Crumbles are a revelation. I got to try them at Expo West and I recently gave them the true test, on my nachos.  

Let me start off with the flavor. Holy smokes! Straight up Taco Bell meat. Spicy, but not burningly so. This stuff is gold! I'm serious when I say that if Taco Bell replaced their taco meat with Beyond Meat, very few people would notice. And honestly, most people would prefer Beyond Meat once they see the nutritional and ethical differences.

Also the Beef-Free Crumbles are super easy to prepare. You can use the microwave or a skillet. I've been using a cast-iron skillet and the Crumbles warm up perfectly. The instructions say to warm them up, but if you like your beef crispy, you can cook them a little bit longer with some oil. I'm seriously on my fourth bag of crumbles since Expo West and I'm still hooked. If you're not convinced, please print this free coupon for a bag of Beef-Free Crumbles and try them for yourself. I think you'll love them as much as me.

Super Bowl of Nachos!

**Update 12/19/11**

It seems Nacho Mom's used some unethical business practices against Food For Lovers. Please think twice before purchasing Nacho Mom's. http://lazysmurf.wordpress.com/2011/12/16/did-nacho-mama-steal-food-for-lovers-queso-recipe/

Growing up in Nebraska, I was a hardcore Cornhuskers fan (which is pretty much law out here) and then in my teenage years I got into the Washington Redskins. I'm not into football these days and honestly I couldn't tell you the last Super Bowl I watched (I have a feeling it involved the Cowboys and it was the 90's). So I find myself in a strange situation where I'm having a Super Bowl party (thanks Veganette). I don't really care about the game but I do care about the food! Nacho Mom's generously sent 2 jars of their Vegan Queso for me to test drive. And since I had so much luck with Kettle Tias! Salsa Picante Chips, I decided to dip the Queso with Kettle Tias! Roasted Corn Chips. Let's get this Queso heated up and let the games begin!

So I warmed up Nacho Mom's Ultimate Vegan Queso and Fire Roasted Queso and did a little taste testing. The Ultimate Vegan Queso lives up to it's name! Rich Cheesy flavor with a kick. I only used it for dipping but I'm sure they would be great in tacos. The Fire Roasted Queso was delicious too but I'll give the Ultimate Vegan Queso the crown.

Kettle Brand Tias! Roasted Corn Tortilla Chips turned out to be the perfect Queso dip chip! They seem like a higher quality than your normal restaurant style nacho chip. I'm hoping they branch out and throw in some more Vegan flavors in there!