Vegan Taco or Burrito Recipe: Healthy living for Healthy Ladies

Tacos, I love em... Thankfully back when I met my now husband Jason, we decided to go meatless one week, to what we could come up with. This is one of them. It's really simple, and you can use stuff you would get from any regular grocery store (for the most part). If you want to go the extra step on healthy, I suggest getting whole wheat burrito wraps, or whole grain taco shells. I am not too picky myself, and vegan is vegan sometimes... lol. Old el Paso products: http://www.ortega.com/products/products.php?id=5  I used the stand and stuff tacos, that actually sit on your plate! They aren't extra healthy, but common, I eat healthy enough! lol...
This recipe can easily feed 4 people, or over feed 2 lol... I would say 1 large or 2 small burritos, and or 3 tacos (per serving).

What you will need:
Taco Shells or Burrito wraps (vegan, no egg, no diary)
Two Tomatoes (one seeded and diced  for guacamole) and the other diced (for topping)
a bunch of lettuce (shredded)
Can of black beans rinsed and drained
Basic Nut Cheese
1 avocado (nice and ready to be squashed into Guacamole)
Small batch of cilantro finely chopped
Juice of one Lime
One cup brown rice cooked
Rice Cooker (Or boiling pot for rice)
Hand mixer (optional for home made guacamole)
Onion Powder
Kosher Salt
Mild salsa (optional)
Hot sauce (optional)


Guacamole Recipe:
Cut and peal one avocado, and chunk into a bowl. Add one small diced up tomato (less tomato is optional, I just like a lot of tomato), and remove seeds for a less watery consistency. Add chopped up cilantro (roughly a small palm size amount. A dash of onion powder, and the juice of one lime. When I lived in NY, my best friend Kristen taught me this simple how to recipe, you can use a fork for mashing, a mortar and pestle if you have one and are feeling fancy, or I use my handy electric hand mixer. Nothing like a time saver when you are a mom. After it's all mashed add salt and pepper to taste.

For the Tacos, heat up the beans with a little water, olive oil and taco seasoning of choice (again I use the old el paso, nothing fancy, just simple and tasty. Heat them in a pot together, and let the liquid simmer out.

Chop up your lettuce and dice the second tomato, set aside.

Last, fix up your taco with a layer of each, beans, rice, tomato, lettuce, guacamole and nut cheese, add a little salsa or hot sauce if you like, and whalla! You are ready to chow down into a nice meat free taco, or burrito. Hope you like this idea as much as I did! Enjoy.

Last but not least, I always like to pick up an authentic Mexican fruity soda to go with my taco or other Mexican inspired meals. I like to get the ones imported from Mexico, because they add natural cane sugar. The sugar might not be all that good for you, but its a little better then overly processed high fructose corn syrup that is added to most sodas on the market.  You can find these in any regular grocery store in the international foods isle, in yummy flavors like pineapple, orange, strawberry etc... NOTE: High Fructose Corn syrup calorie wise really is no worse for you than sugar, but there have been studies that link it to obeisity, and diabetes. While I still eat foods with it (because MOST processed foods on the market have it), I limit my consumption of foods that contain it. Just make sure you read those ingredients. Facts below about obesity and HFCS below.Thank you Mexico for keeping it real.

The Amazing Black Bean, and it's Healthy Facts!
http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=2

Good news About Cashews!
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=98

Watch what you eat, High Fructose is in EVERYTHING these days, so just be aware it's like eating sugar every time you eat something that lists it as an ingredient.
http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/nutrition_news_information/is_high_fructose_corn_syrup_bad_for_you

High Fructose Corn Syrup, and the link to Diabetes. 
http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2008/08/20/4274/the-dangers-of-high-fructose-corn-syrup/