bite-sized inspo * music * meals * and more
My top tips for picking the perfect ripe watermelon, every single time! Are you a watermelon lover? For me, summer time is all about digging into a perfectly sweet and refreshing ripe watermelon. But do you feel like you can never quite pick the ripest …
Two ways to make easy vegan teriyaki tofu, a perfect meal prep option for dinner any night. Raise your hand if you’re a fan of stir-fry 🙋🏻‍♀️ Stir-fry is one of my favorite go-to dinner options, especially on busy week days. It’s a great meal …
Easy homemade crunchy tacos made with simple, healthy ingredients. Create a fun taco night spread, build your tacos and enjoy!
Growing up, Taco Bell was a frequent fast food stop for our family. We often hit the drive-through on our way home from church or after school, and I always got myself a few crunchy tacos.
After I started eating healthier, and definitely since I began eating plant-based, I hadn’t had a crunchy taco for ages. That’s despite making tacos for our family almost every single week – we always use soft tortillas.
Well, let me tell you, a crunchy taco shell really levels up your taco night. Try it out and thank me later!
I’m sure you can find crunchy tacos in a number of stores around you. I got this box of crunchy tacos at Trader Joe’s (for a great price), and immediately had to buy.
The ingredients are very simple, which I love: Organic stone ground yellow corn, organic sunflower oil and /or organic safflower oil, trace of lime.
All you have to do to prepare them is stick them in the oven for a few minutes. They toast up to a beautiful golden color, and the flavor is definitely worth the extra step!
TOP TIP: These shells are a bit crumbly once you bite into them, so my advice is to use a plate underneath as you’re eating.
For crunchy tacos, I used basically the same components I use for my usual Vegan Taco Night – you can read all about how I prepare the whole spread over on that blog post. But for these crunchy tacos I was going for a more Taco-Bell-style taco, which meant I needed some vegan meat to fill the bottom of the shell.
I did a quick google search, found Sweet Simple Vegan’s recipe for Vegan Taco Meat, and was sold. I love a quick and easy recipe, and this one used mushrooms and walnuts – two of my faves!
For the rest of the taco I put together my standard spread:
Now it’s time to build your crunchy taco. I add each component in this order:
That’s it! Homemade Crunchy Tacos, to level up your next Taco Night spread. Let me know if you try it out, and what other components you’d add to your taco night!
Check out more easy and healthy bites of food and life on my Instagram.
My review of Yumi Komatsudaira’s cookbook, Japanese Superfoods, a beautiful and comprehensive book filled with appetising recipes and beautiful food photography. This post may contain affiliate links. You can find more information under the Disclaimer at the bottom of the page. A Short Introduction Yumi …
My experience tackling Phases 1 and 2 of the 75 Hard Challenge! I cover what the 75 Hard Phases involve, why I decided to do them, how they compared to 75 Hard, and some final takeaways and advice. One of the best things I did …
How I make super simple homemade vegan guacamole, using just 6 ingredients (or less!) – including the answers to some common questions about guac.
Most of the time, guacamole is absolutely vegan! It’s always a good idea to check if you’re ordering out, or picking up store-bought guacamole. But the base of guacamole is avocados, and most add plant-based ingredients for extra flavor (tomatoes, onion, cilantro, etc).
The healthiness of guacamole depends a lot on how it’s made, but it’s made of plant-based ingredients full of goodness! If you make your own, you have much more control to keep your guacamole healthier as well. You can use less salt if you’re watching your sodium intake. Or you can bulk up on the tomato, onion and cilantro additions if you want to lower the fat content coming from the avocados. But don’t be afraid of avocados! They’re really so good for you, full of healthy fats and nutrients. Plus, they’re just so delicious.
The way I make guac is super simple. All I use is:
I often make guacamole at the same time as making salsa – usually for our almost weekly taco nights. When I do, guac is even easier. All I do is take 2-3 tablespoons of the already finished salsa, and add that to a bowl of mashed avocados. I’ll then season with extra lime and salt for added flavor (and ma really loves that lime flavor).
You can, but guac is one of the few foods I don’t like to meal prep as it doesn’t keep the best overnight. There’s nothing wrong with eating it after a day or two in the fridge, but the top layer of guacamole will turn brown overnight. It’s not the most aesthetic, and you can always scrape off the top browned layer if wanted.
What I like to do is to prepare a single day serving of guacamole (it generally goes pretty quick anyways!). Then the next day, if we want more guacamole, for leftover taco ingredients, or just for snacking (it happens pretty often), then I’ll whip up a new batch! All it takes is mashing up 1 or 2 more avocados and then adding that leftover salsa. In a few minutes you have a freshly prepared batch of guacamole, ready to dig into.
There’s so many ways you could enjoy this delicious treat! I love eating guacamole with tortilla chips, in my tacos and on top of homemade burrito bowls. What do you eat with guacamole?
Open and mash the avocados
Chop the tomato, onion, and cilantro (or just take 2-3 tablespoons of already made salsa using these ingredients), and add to the mashed avocado
Add the juice of 1/2 a lime and salt to taste, and then everything together (but don't overmix!)
Serve up and enjoy!
My super easy homemade vegan latte recipe, with two variations, to make a vibrant and frothy mug that’s affordable, healthy, and delicious. *Some of the links on bitesbybekah.com are affiliate links from which I receive a small commission from sales. As an Amazon Associate, I …
My guide to picking persimmons, including answers to common questions and how to pick and eat the perfect one for you! Persimmons are possibly my favorite fruit – and that’s saying a lot! When they’re in season, there’s really nothing better than enjoying one in …
My top vegan dinner staple meals that are simple, time-efficient, budget-friendly, and mouthwateringly good! Part of my Veganuary Series.
Miso soup is my vegan version of chicken noodle soup. I always make it when I’m feeling a bit under the weather, or just want a warming bowl of soup that requires very little effort. You can whip up this recipe in less than 10 minutes.
Another quick and easy go-to is stir-fry. Just chuck into a wok whatever vegetables you have on hand, or I usually just use a pack of frozen veggies (mixed or stir-fry for variety),and cook up with your favourite sauce. I like the combination of tahini, miso paste, and tamari (soy sauce), or if I’m keeping it super simple I’ll just use a splash of tamari. Add beans or crumbled tofu for protein. Rice, quinoa, or noodles are also good additions.
  
Taco Night is for more than just Tuesdays. I do make this spread pretty much once a week, though the day can vary. Whether you’re team hard shell or soft tortilla, you really can’t go wrong. I make enough to enjoy leftovers for the next couple of days. Here are a couple of reels for a closer look: Hard Shell and Soft Tortillas
Some years ago I visited a friend in California, who introduced me to polenta. If you haven’t tried it, you should! This recipe hasn’t even made it to the Instagram feed yet (keep an eye out, it’ll make it there eventually!), but it’s a great go-to requiring only pantry/freezer ingredients.
First slice your polenta into slices about 1/2 an inch in length. Fry those up on a pan until golden brown on both sides. Then grab a can of cannelloni beans, a bag of frozen mixed veggies, and a jar of tomato sauce (I like this Pizza Sauce from Amazon Fresh), and all them to the pan. Cook until the veggies are done!
For this simple staple, just chop a kabocha squash into slices (I like to microwave it for ~5mins to soften and make easier to cut), add oil and salt, and roast in the oven at 375F for ~30mins or until golden and starting to brown. About 5 mins before you want to serve, microwave a packet of rice (I like these!), a bag of frozen mixed veggies and a can of rinsed chickpeas. Mix and serve over the now soft and perfectly roasted squash!
  
Pasta night is always a good night. Simply cook up your favourite pasta (I like chickpea and lentil based pastas), add some fresh/frozen vegetables, and throw on a store-bought vegan tomato bolognese or pesto. I’ll sometimes add tinned beans for extra protein. If you have a bit of extra time you could make your own sauce as well! Here’s a recipe reel for my pesto pasta!
Tofu is a main base of a lot of my meals. If I want to keep it simple, I’ll just fry up some tofu slices in tamari sauce on the stove. This hardly warrants as a recipe, but I also like to bake my tofu: just press the tofu (tempeh doesn’t need to be pressed); chop into pieces; marinate them in tamari sauce for ~15mins; bake at 375F for 30mins or until browned and firm! Then serve with rice and veggies.
If I have a bit more time, the teriyaki tofu recipe is one of my faves. Just crisp up the tofu, and then add a simple but delicious sauce – here’s my current fav. This recipe is what converted dad from tofu-skeptic to tofu-lover!
Bibimbap bowls are one of my fav Korean dishes. There’s so much variety of flavors and textures, all mixed up in a bowl. I tend to get my bibimbap veggies pre-prepared for extra convenience, including:
Chilli is quite a crowd-pleaser. It’s hearty, filling, and packs loads of flavour into a bowl. Plus, it’s such classic comfort food, and it pairs perfectly with my Golden Cornbread!
I love making a big batch of curry and eating the leftovers for days (or freezing them for the future). It’s perfect served with rice, quinoa, or just on its own.
*Post originally published 5th Jan, 2019, and updated on Jan 24th, 2023
My top vegan snacks and sweets, including homemade recipes and store-bought recommendations – all healthy and yum! Part of my Veganuary Series. *This post contains some affiliate links. If you purchase something through an affiliate link, I receive a very small commission. There is no additional …