30-Minute Vegan Philly Cheesesteak Tacos w/ "Steak" Mushrooms, Sautéed Onions and Peppers, Dairyfree Provolone
Difficulty: 2/5 (5 being hardest)
Spice Level: 1/3 (3 being spiciest)
Prep & Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 tacos
The Challenge: Philly Cheesesteak
What's better than a Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich, you ask?? Philly Cheesesteak Tacos, of course...especially when they're vegan.
Vegan Philly Cheesesteak?? Sounds sacrilegious! Enter stage left, the Vegan Caveman!!! We're gonna crush this Philly Cheesesteak using my good friend the mushroom. Now, these aren't you're run of the mill white button mushrooms with no flavor. Nah homies, we're gonna be using two decadent mushrooms- oyster + my kung fu spirit animal, shiitake! What's amazing about these types of mushrooms is when cooked properly they have a very similar property to thinly sliced meat - like on a cheesesteak.
What else makes a Philly Cheesesteak rock? Green Peppers + White Onions. This one is easy, but the talent is in the way you chop it. For the green peppers, cut off the top and bottom of the pepper, then cut it into thin strips about 1/8 inch thick. For the white onion, cut the onion in half. Next, place both sides of the onion cut side down on your cutting board. Cut across the onion fry these puppies up in some vegan butter on low setting...speechless.
But what about that delicious provolone cheese (don't even get me started on cheese wiz - that's not authentic) ? Thanks to my pals over at Field Roast (THIS IS NOT A PROMO...BUT I really need to pay rent, so hit me up!) for making delicious Chao cheese. It tastes exactly like Provolone!!!!! We'll be smothering this decadent dairy-less cow-lovin' cheese all over these tacos.
Where I've decided to break from tradition is in the vehicle. I found crispy flour tortillas actually improve on the Philly Cheesesteak sandwich. I know, I'm crazy, but the taco allows you to get the flavors in one bite at one time. AND you can eat a ton more of them because you're not filling up on bread. WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN. I swear- this dish will blow your mind.
Okay, enough already. Let's get into it.
Ingredients:
Steak Mushrooms
- 1.5 tbl vegan butter
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 oz oyster mushrooms, diced
- 4 oz shiitake mushrooms, diced
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp liquid aminos
- 2 tbl parsley, dried
- 1 tsp oregano, dried
- 1 tsp Creole seasoning (Old Bay)
- pinch of salt + pepper
Sautéed Peppers + Onions
- 1.5 tbl vegan butter
- 1 medium green pepper, sliced into strips
- 1 medium white onion, diced (see above for directions)
- 1 tbl oregano
- 1 tsp onion powder + garlic powder
- pinch of salt + pepper
Other
- 8 slices vegan provolone cheese (I like Field Roast)
- 8 flour tortillas
- Handful of parsley, roughly choppe
Equipment You'll Need:
Cutting Board . Sharp Cutting Knife . Measuring Cups . Measuring Spoons . Castiron Pan . Medium Frying Pan . Spatula
Before You Cook:
- Wash and cut all fresh ingredients
1. To start, put 1.5 tbl vegan butter in castiron pan. Heat for 90 seconds over medium heat. Place peppers and onions. Cook for 2 minutes then add all spices. Cook 2 more minutes then reduce to low heat and continue to cook for the entire recipe.
2. While the peppers + onions cook, put another tbl of oil in a medium pan. Place on medium heat and put in mushrooms. Cook for 2 minutes coating with oil. Add in all spices and liquids from Worcestershire to salt + pepper. Mix well. Continue cooking for another 5-6 minutes until the mushrooms soften and start to just break down.
3. After mushrooms have cooked turn off heat, rip a slice of the cheese into a few pieces and place on 1/4 of the mushroom mixture. Take them off the stove top and throw into oven with broil at 525F.
4. Once the cheese melts on the mushrooms, stacks some peppers on top of the mushroooms. This makes it easy to load into the taco.
5. To finish, I like to brown some tortillas on the stove top to give them a slight crisp. Load into the taco and top with some parsley. Enjoy!
