I didn't eat a ton of Mexican-inspired dishes growing up on the East Coast, and when I did they involved a lot of weird things like black olives and shredded mozzarella cheese. Eep. Now that I've been a California resident for officially a decade, I have a much finer appreciation for traditional Mexican dishes - and a serious love for hot hot salsa. When I want something a little spicy, my go-to is almost always tacos; but sometimes, you just need to mix it up - or in this case, you just happen to be out of tortillas! Which is fine, because even bowl style with crunchy corn tortilla chips and jackfruit instead of carne asada, these bowls are still so so much better and - dare I say - much closer to the original. I took all my favorite ingredients and tucked them into one bowl, and it's a simple one to toss together, too. The jackfruit is a great option for meat-free friends or meatless Monday meal inspiration, and the addition of RightRice as a protein / carb base elevates the flavor and takes the nutritional punch of the dish to the next level. Plus, it's easy to make for two or to pack half for lunch leftovers!

The big key here is really keep your ingredients as fresh as possible. There's just something about limp, wilted cilantro and browning avocados that makes any meal look sad and like it should've been served up days earlier. Plus, little customizable add-on's to the dish like corn chips, lime slices, and hot sauce can take your bowl from chipotle-style to personal chef status realllll quick. And THAT means meal prep for the week just got a lot more exciting. Get it, girl. Recipe below!

Dang - I LOVE a good bowl, and this is a really great bowl! I can't wait to hear what you think, especially if you try it with the RightRice - I have been loving it as a sub for regular rice a few times a week for something different and a little more well rounded nutritionally, especially now that I'm working out so much more often. What are your favorite healthy food / snack subs?? Would love to hear how you switch it up in the comments below. Enjoy, babes!

If you're from anywhere else in the US and you think you know what good Mexican food is, I can tell you straight up: YOU'RE WRONG. Only in Southern California can you get authentic, traditional, spicy Mexican dishes made with love. And of course in California, we like to mix things up. Do it our way, you know? Thats probably why San Diego has become famous for putting its own twist on traditional carne asada burritos and adding french fries. Maybe it was the surfers who did it first, maybe we'll never know, but ordering a California Burrito anywhere in So Cal means that you're getting a stuffed burrito - including french fries. And it is DAMN delicious. The french fries add a bit of crunch and flavor to the burrito and help balance out the spiciness from the 'meat' and must-have hot sauce. Because we're such big Beyond Meat fans we used their beefy crumbles as our meat substitute and loved it. You can make your own french fries or buy your favorite frozen ones and bake 'em up, but either way this is a MUST TRY. In this recipe we made the traditional burritos into tacos for two reasons; first, we love tacos (who doesn't?), and second we have a hard time finding big flour tortillas that don't contain a bunch of sketchy ingredients. Tortillas should just be flour, water, salt and lime. Anything else, especially gross preservatives, and you can count me out. Instead we bought small organic corn tortillas and doubled 'em up, traditional style, and then put all our fillings (including a heart handful of french fries) inside. Add a squeeze of lime, a sprinkle of cilantro and hot sauce, and if you want - although traditionally not included- a little vegan cheese, and you've got a taco party on your hands. Let's eat! 

INGREDIENTS:
French Fries
3 medium russet potatoes, cut into french fries OR about 3 cups of your fave frozen french fries
1 tablespoon coconut oil (only if making your own fries)
salt to taste

Meaty Crumbles
2 cups Beyond Meat Beefy Crumbles (or faux meat of choice- like in our jackfruit asada tacos!) 
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Everything Else
1 lime, quartered
1 avocado, pitted and sliced
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/4 chopped cilantro
corn tortillas
hot sauce + salsa, to taste
vegan cheese for sprinkling (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
French Fries
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If you're making fries from scratch, wash your potatoes well and slice into into fries about 1/4 inch thick. Coat a baking sheet in the 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, then spread your potatoes or frozen fries onto a baking sheet and bakes until golden and crispy, about 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Set aside.

Meaty Crumbles
Pour meaty crumbles and coconut oil into a cast iron pan over medium heat. Add in cumin, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, chili powder and salt. Stir well to evenly coat the crumbles in spices, and cook over medium heat until the crumbles are heated through and smelling delicious.

Everything Else
While the meaty crumbles + fries cook, prepare the rest of your ingredients; Slice the lime, avocado, and onion and chop the cilantro. Heat a separate cast iron pan, or pop the tortillas in the oven for a few minutes to heat warm them. When they're ready assemble the tacos starting with 2 layered corn tortillas, then top with beefy crumbles, fries, avocado, onions, cilantro and as much lime + hot sauce or salsa (or both) as you like. If you're adding a sprinkle of cheese, toss that on too. Leftovers can be refrigerated up to a week, but the corn tortillas should be heated fresh for each meal (duh). Enjoy! Makes 4-6 tacos.

We love grab-and-go breakfasts around here. Alex and I both work early most days, so a lot of time a kiss on the way out the door is all you've got time for- let alone a full fledged balanced breakfast. In our attempt to whip us some easy breakfast burritos, Alex had a brilliant idea. Why not use the AMAZING, fluffy, egg-white-like properties of aquafaba to help keep our breakfast light + similar to the 'potato tacos' so popular here in So Cal? So we did it! And they were a hit. Plus, they're perfect for making ahead and freezing, so you can just grab one on your way out the door and heat it up later. The aquafaba keeps the texture of the chickpeas 'egg like' and you cook 'em up just like you would a pan of scrambled eggs. You can toss in any chopped veggies you like, but we liked them slathered in avocado, hot sauce, and cilantro. They have a slightly hummus-y flavor and they're packed with protein. And even though we've been enjoying them in the mornings, they're great ANY time of the day. They whip up in under 15 minutes, so let's eat! 

INGREDIENTS
1 teaspoon coconut oil 
1- 15 oz. can chickpeas NOT DRAINED
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon cumin 
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon each salt + pepper

2 tortillas
1 lime, quartered
avocado, halved and sliced
hot sauce, to taste (opt.)
cilantro, roughly chopped (opt.)

DIRECTIONS
Heat a teaspoon of coconut oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
Pour entire can of chickpeas INCLUDING the brine, or ‘aquafaba’, into a blender or food processor. Toss in garlic and spices and blend until mixture becomes mostly smooth, but pourable. 
Pour mixture into the heated pan, using a spatula to move mixture around as it begins to cook, letting it get slightly browned before flipping mixture onto itself (like scrambled eggs). Continue cooking mixture until it has thickened and browned slightly, becoming almost mashed potato in texture. Lay a tortilla flat, scooping about half of the chickpea mixture on top. Top with slices avocado, hot sauce, cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime. Fold tortilla around mixture and enjoy! 
To make freezer burritos, simply fold the tortilla around the chickpea mixture and wrap the whole burrito tightly in tin foil. Freeze indefinitely. When ready to reheat, remove and bake at 350 degrees until the inner mixture is heated through and tortilla begins to brown. Add avocado and condiments + eat ‘em up. Makes 2 burritos.