I love Mexican food. The mounds of cheese. The refried beans that seem to have been soaked in butter. The unlimited sauce. All delicious, but it can be a bit much on the stomach if I overindulge (which of course happens most times I eat Mexican). 

So... during vegan month I decided to explore a little bit and found I really like these bean quesadillas. Enough that I plan to make these vegan or not. I think the guacamole and salsa are an essential part of the quesadillas. They replace the cheese and keep the quesadillas from being a bit "blah". I also put some cayenne pepper in there that you can increase or decrease based on your spice tolerance. Enjoy!

If you've seen the past few blogs you might be wondering "what's with all this vegan food?" Although I'm not a big meat eater I've never been vegan, or even vegetarian before. Recently I've heard and read a lot about the benefits of a vegan diet so I figured I'd give it a try. Can't knock it till you've tried it right? For a month I tried a vegan diet. No meat, no dairy. Cheese and yogurt were the hardest for me. I find there's not really a good substitute for those and I like to use them for flavoring in my dishes.

After the month I came to a few conclusions:
1. There are many delicious vegetable dishes you can eat that conform to the vegan diet. Some of the ones I found I'd eat vegan diet or not.
2. Vegan meals that try to recreate meat are a bad idea. Fruits and vegetables are delicious and there are many ways to prepare them. Trying to make a meatloaf out of anything except for meat is going to be a letdown no matter how delicious it is.
3. I don't get such a "heavy" feeling in my body after a big vegan meal the same way I would after a full meat and dairy meal. I don't miss that feeling.
4. It's hard to eat vegan. Not because there aren't delicious vegan options, but because it's impossible to either eat out or go eat at friends houses while still eating vegan.

After my vegan month I decided to not be officially vegan because it's too difficult when eating out. Also, I miss cheese and yogurt. Most importantly, when I eat the occasional burger... I want it to taste like a nice juicy burger! However, I still limit my meat intake and love my veggie dishes. If you're vegan (or not), hope you enjoy this pea and tofu recipe.

I was at a party last summer and someone had brought the most delicious cold avocado salad. Of course I asked for the recipe and this is my version of that dish. One of the main differences is that I eliminated the cilantro. I'm not a fan, but many people love it and I'm sure it would be a good addition here if you like it.