Dairy Free,  Gluten Free,  Main Course,  Recipe,  Vegan,  Vegetarian

Layered Fiesta Taco Bowls with Vegan “Bacon” Bits

I’ve got a question to ask, am I the only one who had never even heard of “bacon” made from plants until recently! Well if not, it’s totally a thing guys! Facon exists!!! At first I was averse to the whole idea and completely on team You can’t even go there! Even as a young kid I never liked bacon so I was pretty skeptical. That is, of course, until I tried the stuff. Omg peeps, it’s insane!

So about these bowls, I know “bacon” may not be the most typical thing to add to your tacos, or in this case taco bowls, but I was surprised by how much it works. A few bites of these bowls will have you totally sold. Plus, they’re loaded with good-for-you things like beans and veggies, but it’s all super easy to throw together so don’t worry. I quickly sautéed some bell peppers with garlic and lime for our tacos last week and they add such a huge flavor statement that I knew I had to repeat it for these bowls because everyone was flipping over them.

Me and bowl food are having a moment right now. In case you haven’t noticed, bowls of every kind have been getting more and more popular across the food blogosphere and it’s easy to get why. Who doesn’t love a colorful and personalized pile of goodness in one dish? I think you need to add these bowls to your list of things to make this season, are you guys in or what? Bowl food for the win!!!

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Layered Fiesta Taco Bowls with “Bacon” Bits

Is your taco Tuesday needing a little something new? Try these healthy loaded bowls of goodness topped with the best "bacon" ever!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

"Bacon Bits":

  • 16 ounces coconut chips-flakes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce use tamari or coconut aminos if gluten free
  • 2 tablespoons liquid smoke
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Rice:

  • 4 cups steamed brown rice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Lime Grilled Peppers:

  • 3 limes juice and zest
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 1 large or two small each: red green, and yellow bell peppers, seeded and diced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Black Beans/Corn:

  • 2 cups black beans
  • 2 cups whole kernal corn off the cob
  • salt and pepper to taste

Optional Toppings

  • about 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 cup your favorite salsa (homemade is the best)
  • avocado slices or guacamole
  • corn tortilla chips
  • coconut cream mixed with 1 teaspoon lime juice for "sour cream"
  • extra limes for squeezing over top

Instructions

"Bacon Bits":

  1. Toast the coconut with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until edges are starting to turn golden brown. Reduce heat to low and add remaining ingredients for the "bacon" and stir for another few minutes until the liquid has mostly evaporated. Remove from heat and pour into a seperate dish so you can use the pan again.

Rice:

  1. Combine onion, garlic, and olive oil in the same large skillet from the "bacon" and saute over medium high heat for 3 to 4 minutes until soft and browned. Stir in remaining ingredients, reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until liquid is absorbed and rice is hot. Cover to keep warm until serving.

Lime Grilled Peppers:

  1. While the rice simmers, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small skillet and add lime juice, zest, garlic, onions, and peppers. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes until peppers are softened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour them into a separate dish and cover to keep warm.

The Rest:

  1. Add black beans and corn to the pepper pan and stir over heat for about 3 minutes to warm then season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
  2. Layer your bowls with desired amounts of the hot rice, black beans/corn, peppers, "bacon", and any of your desired toppings!

 


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