While I'm not planning a big Super Bowl blowout this weekend, I do enjoy a party as long as there's plenty of good vegan food to go around. Most of the time the big game makes us think of finger food, snacks, and all sorts of junky munchies that help make the excitement that much more exciting. As an alternative, I've come up with a quick and easy recipe that will help ease the guilt from indulging in all those salty, high-fat foods. Eat it before game time to fill up with a healthy meal as insurance against the devastation ahead.
This recipe was developed as a courtesy to Pace Foods which sent me two free samples of Picante Sauce to experiment with. The sauce is vegan, gluten-free, and made from all natural ingredients, and as a bonus, it does not contain high fructose corn syrup either, so I was happy to give it a try.
Start by sauteing about a cup each of of diced red pepper, diced onion, and sliced mushrooms in a hot skillet with some olive oil until lightly browned (about 5 minutes). Season with salt and fresh crushed black pepper.
Meanwhile, dice a potato and cook it in a pot of boiling water until fork tender. Crumble 8 oz. of extra firm tofu over the top of the pepper mixture, then add the drained potatoes and 2-3 Tbl of nutritional yeast, 1-2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp sea salt, and 2 Tbl picante sauce. I also added a pinch of cayenne since my picante sauce was "mild," but you can season yours to suit your own taste. Stir it all together and heat until sizzling.
I served mine over a heaping pile of chopped Romaine lettuce for some crunch. This is a satisfyingly spicy and savory meal on its own, and the perfect pre-game activity for Super Bowl Sunday. Enjoy!
