TVP Soft Tacos & Enchiladas ~ make a vegetarian fiesta!

Vegetarian Soft Tacos with TVP

Sometimes you can change up a dish, to remake it vegetarian & it tastes just like the original.  I LOVE when this happens.  Like when you mix TVP with taco seasonings ~ you get a very convincing taco meat.  Very similar to the taco meat you get at a certain Mexican fast food restaurant.  Ring any bells?  heehee

When I'm in the mood to make a Mexican meal that is veggie based, I'll turn to TVP.  Just follow your favorite Mexican recipe that uses cooked, crumbled hamburger meat & substitute it with reconstituted TVP & you are good to go.  Season the TVP just like you would the cooked & crumbled hamburger & you are on your way to a great vegetarian meal!

Vegetarian Enchiladas with TVP

I usually just throw together my enchiladas.  I've been making them so long, I don't have an actual recipe.  If you need one, I'd just follow the one on the back of the enchilada sauce can, they are usually easy & simple.  Just like the dish should be.  I like both the red & green enchilada sauces, red with beef & green with chicken.  I sometimes like to add extra veggies to enchiladas ~ anyway to get more veggies into my son works for me.  :)

 cinco de mayo, fiesta, meatless monday

Estella's Fritos Taco Salad

Fritos Taco Salad

I was reminiscing the other day, remembering back to when I was in high school. When I was a teenager, a friends mother (Estella), used to make us a killer Taco Salad.  She always used to top it with Fritos Corn Chips ~ one of a teenagers favorite snack foods.

So, in keeping with the Mexican food theme this week, I decided to make this salad in her honor.  A mothers cooking is always the best ~ Thank you, Estella!

Estella's Fritos Taco Salad

serves 2~3


1 large bag       mixed salad greens  (or chop up some of your favorite lettuces)
1 lb                    taco meat, warm
3 cups                Fritos Corn Chips
1                        tomato, chopped
1 cup                 canned pinto beans (or kidney), drained
1 cup                 chopped cucumber
1 cup                 shredded cheese
1/4 cup              purple onion or green onion, diced & rinsed

~                         salsa or bottled taco sauce
~                         ranch salad dressing  (or you favorite salad dressing)


Layer all ingredients, ending with Fritos ~ then top with salad dressing & salsa/taco sauce

                                                                           OR

Toss all ingredients together in a big salad bowl, plate up & then sprinkle some extra Fritos on top  (just because Fritos are sooo good, the more the merrier!)

Enjoy!

cinco de mayo, fiesta

Quesadillas ~ vegan style

Quick Vegan Quesadillas ~ This recipe is for those of you looking for a vegan option for making quesadillas.  This turned out good, but remind me more of a flattened crunchy bean burrito, instead of a more traditional quesadilla.  I added some nutritional yeast to the bean mixture, to try & give it a more 'cheesy' flavor. Serve it with salsa, vegan sour cream & chips.

cinco de mayo, fiesta

Quick & Easy Fish Tacos

I love topping my fish tacos with sliced cabbage, cucumber, onions, tomatoes & sour cream.

When I crave fish tacos, I look to the fridge or freezer for inspiration ~ looking to see what fish I have lurking about.  I often have salmon in the freezer & it works surprisingly well in fish tacos.  To save on calories, I will usually just nuke the corn tortillas a few seconds to soften them ~ but, if I'm feeling indulgent, I'll soften the tortillas in a bit of oil or butter.

This would be great for dinner or at a Cinco de Mayo fiesta. So, break out the cold cervezas & let's get this party started!

Olé!

Quick & Easy Salmon Fish Tacos

 ~  soften corn tortillas (either quickly nuked, warmed in a skillet with a bit of
     spray cooking oil or held over a gas flame until warm)

... then fill with some cooked salmon (or your favorite fish)
    grilled, poached, steamed or sauteed

... then add some of your favorite taco toppings
     shredded lettuce
     shredded cabbage
     shredded cheese
     diced tomato
     diced cucumber
     chopped cilantro
     sour cream/plain yogurt
     taco sauce
     guacamole
     hot sauce

~  serve with rice & beans

~  serve with chips & salsa

~  drink some cervezas

Enjoy!

Super Nachos ~ perfect for a Cinco de Mayo fiesta!

I am a HUGE fan of Mexican food.  I grew up in Southern California, where Mexican culture & Mexican food is part of the very fabric of the state.  I admit it, I enjoy eating Mexican food ~ so much so, that I consider it my go-to comfort food.  What a great way to showcase the biggest Mexican celebration day in the US,  Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) ~ by sharing my love of Mexican food.  Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner, so, I thought I would do a few posts about the Mexican food I enjoy cooking & eating.  Oh, this is going to be fun!  ((to find out about celebrating Cinco de Mayo ~ go here))

When I get the munchies for something Mexican, for a dish that is easy to make & perfect anytime ~ day or night, I turn to Nachos.  That, to me, is a taste of home.  I've been making this plentiful pile of crunchy chips, melting cheeses & various other bits of taste heaven, for as long as I can remember.  As I've said before ~ You can take the girl out of California, but you can't take the California out of the girl.  :)

I don't have a traditional recipe for Nachos, per say, I just add what I want based on what I have in the fridge & pantry.  Here is a list of things I might add to my Nachos, combining them to suit my pantry, my mood or dietary preferences of my guests.  So, to make a plate of      Super Nachos, like in my picture, then...

Spread on the bottom of the ovenproof pan...
tortilla chips ~ regular, flavored, colored or baked

...top the chips with as many of these as you'd like...

taco meat
vegetarian taco meat (made with TVP)
chili beans ~ spread around the chips
refried beans ~  drop on the chips (or spread on the chips if you have the patience ~ I don't)
pourable nacho cheese ~ jarred
Campbell's Condensed Nacho Cheese Soup  ~ do not add water, use as is
shredded Mexican Cheese Blend ~ prebagged (super easy)
block cheese ~ cheddar, pepper jack, monterey jack, colby etc. ~ grated (almost as easy)
onion ~ chopped

~ preheat oven to 400 degrees

~ bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the nachos are
    heated through,  about 8 to 10  minutes. 

...garnish with some of these goodies...

green onions ~ sliced
black olives ~ sliced
pickled jalapenos ~ sliced
tomatoes ~ chopped
cilantro ~ chopped
sour cream
salsa


what to do if you have leftovers...

One night I couldn't finish all the Nachos I made.  Yeah, I know, how did that happen?  Well, the next morning I turned the leftovers into a Nachos Frittata.  Man, was it good.  Now, I don't know if I'll ever have leftover Nachos again, but if I do, better believe I'll be making this dish again!  :)

Quick Nachos Frittata

serves 2-4

leftover nachos
6  eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk
sour cream, olives, cilantro, salsa ~ for garnish
salt & pepper ~ to taste
cooking spray


1)    preheat oven to 400 degrees

2)    spray a glass pie plate with cooking spray

3)    mix the beaten eggs & milk until well blended, pour 1/2 of mixture into the
        pie plate

4)    break up the leftover nachos & place them in the pie plate & then
       pour the remaining egg mixture over the nachos ~ let sit for 10 minutes

5)    bake frittata about 25-30 minutes ~ or until golden & puffy
       and the center feels firm & springy

6)     garnish with salsa, sour cream, olives & cilantro ~ salt & pepper to taste

Enjoy!

Blueberry Flax Muffins ~ Gluten-free

Blueberry Flax Muffins ~ gluten-free

I came across this recipe, from the blog ~ Meal Planning Maven ~ for a gluten-free, triple berry flax bar.  I decided to tinker with it & turned it into muffins.  ((I have a muffin tin, I don't have a mini loaf/bar pan))   Besides, I had a bunch of large, fresh blueberries that needed using up.  My adapted recipe made for a tasty, but very unusual, muffin.   All the big, fresh berries sunk to the bottom of the muffins & actually made a 'sort of' sauce.  Hmmm...

As Monty Python so famously said ~ 'Adopt, adapt, & improve.'  So, I just flipped the muffins over & I served them as an upside-down, blueberry mini cake/dessert.  They were a hit!   It's nice when you can just change up the presentation & still walk away a winner.  :)   Enjoy!

Blueberry Flax Muffins ~ gluten-free 

8-12 muffins
 
1/2 cup            unsweetened apple juice
1 cup               ground flax seeds

1/2 cup            vanilla whey protein powder ~ gluten-free
1                      egg, beaten

1 tsp                cinnamon
1/8 tsp             ginger
1/8 tsp             nutmeg
1/2 tsp             baking soda
1/4 cup            honey

1 1/2 cup         fresh blueberries

~                     Pam, cooking spray

1)     preheat oven to 300 degrees

2)     spray muffin tin with Pam/spray cooking oil

3)     in large bowl mix the apple juice & flax seeds ~ let sit for 10 minutes 

4)     add the next 7 ingredients & stir until just combined

5)     gently fold in blueberries

6)     divide batter evenly between muffin cups & bake approx. 15 minutes or
         until a toothpick  inserted into the middle comes out clean
          ~ be careful not to over bake

7)     let cool about 5 minutes & remove from muffin pan ~

        ~ serve as either a muffin or as an upside-down mini cake, store in fridge

One of my favorite things to do with blueberries is to add them to fruit salad.  There's something about that fruit that just makes me happy...

Homemade Seitan Sausages ~ Meatless Monday

Homemade Vegetarian Hot Dog ~ made from seitan

When I first started taking food pictures last year, I was learning how to make the vegetarian meat substitute ~ seitan.  I learned how to made it into 'cutlets' (by simmering it in broth) & I also made it into 'sausages' (by steaming it).  I've already shared photos on how I turned some of the seitan sausages into the dish Dublin Coddle & into the favorite Southern dish, Red Beans & Rice.  I also made it into a few more dishes ~ so here are the rest of photos from that first batch of seitan sausages.  They would be perfect for a Meatless Monday meal.

The basic recipe for the seitan sausages came from the blog ~ Vegan Dad.  His is a good recipe & it would be easy to tweak it if you wanted a different flavor, like for an Italian sausage or for a breakfast sausage.  I think these seitan sausages turn out way better than anything I can get over at Whole Foods.  They are so much cheaper when you make them yourself, you know exactly what is going inside your 'sausages' & they're pretty easy to make, too.  Very cool!

Seitan Sausage & Pasta ~ tossed with mushrooms, white beans & spinach

For this dish, I added the seitan sausages to wide pasta noodles & served it with mushrooms, white beans and spinach.  It was the last of the sausages, so this time I decided to keep it simple.  I just tossed it all with some Parmesan cheese, olive oil & spices.  After eating the dish, I realized the 'sausages' really need to have some sort of sauce or condiment on it, or to be in some sort of broth/soup, for the best over-all taste.  (at least for my taste buds)   The next time I made them, I served them with a spaghetti sauce & another time with an Alfredo sauce ~ then the dish/sausages were great.  Live & learn.  :)

Blueberry Almond Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies

Blueberry Almond Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies ~ so much breakfast goodness, all rolled up into a tasty breakfast cookie!  Who says you can't eat cookies for breakfast?

I am really digging these Breakfast Cookies.  Where have they been all my life?  I'm making a different type every few days.  It's such an easy way to eat your oats.  I'm trying to eat a serving of oats a day, but sometimes I just can't face another bowl...so these cookies are coming in mighty handy!  And depending on the size I make them, 3 or 4 cookies are a 1/2 cup serving oats.  I love eating four cookies for breakfast ~ it seems so indulgent, but it's not!  Needless to say, these are our new favorite way to eat oats.  It just amazes me that they have no sugar added & are dairy, egg & flour free.  Eating cookies is just so much more fun then eating a bowl of oatmeal, wouldn't you agree?  :)

Blueberry Almond Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies 

makes 12 large cookies 

2 tubs                 Mott's Healthy Harvest Blueberry Applesauce
                           (it comes in a 6-pack ~or~ use
                            1 cup regular unsweetened applesauce)                 
1 tsp                   almond extract
1 tsp                   cinnamon

1 1/2 cups           oatmeal, quick or old fashioned ~ uncooked
2                          ripe bananas, mashed with fork until creamy
1/3 cup                raisins
1/4 cup                chopped, toasted almonds
4 tblspns              ground flax
4 tblspns              oat bran


1 cup                   wild frozen blueberries

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1)   preheat heat oven to 350 degrees

2)   mix almond extract & cinnamon into the blueberry applesauce

3)   blend blueberry applesauce mixture with next 6 ingredients

4)   gently fold in frozen blueberries & let dough sit for 10 minutes

5)   drop cookie dough, by spoonfuls, onto a parchment paper lined cookie
      sheet & flatten cookies into rounds

6)   bake approx. 30 minutes, they will turn a golden brown

 7)   let cool on rack & store in covered container

These cookies taste great for breakfast & also for a healthy after school snack.  Served with a glass of ice cold milk, they are the best ~ at least that is what my 7 year old says. :)  There will be more of these Breakfast Cookie recipes coming soon.  There are just so many other combinations I want to try out.  Enjoy! 

asparagus

Asparagus, Cream Cheese & Brown Sugar Ham Roll-Ups ~ Quick, easy & low cal ~      a perfect finger-food appetizer

One of my favorite spring veggies is asparagus.  I mostly enjoy it prepared simply, usually just steamed & then with topped with a drizzle of butter or extra virgin olive oil.  I will occasionally doll-it-up, those are the times I feel like getting a bit creative with this little, green gem of a veg. Sometimes, I just want this little darling to shine.  

So, here are some of my favorite ways to prepare this delicate messenger of springtime's arrival...

 

Asparagus, Cream Cheese & Brown Sugar Ham Roll-Ups             

These little treats are sooo good!!  They take almost no time to make ~ perfect for when you want something a little special for a snack, a side dish or  a party appetizer.  To Make:  nuke (or steam) some cleaned & prepped thin asparagus for about one minute, or until they are tender-crisp.  When done, plunge them in ice water to stop the cooking & to keep them bright green.  While they are cooling, take some cream cheese (either regular, low fat or fat free) & mix some finely chopped chives (either fresh or dried) and a little salt/pepper.  Spread the cream cheese mixture onto some brown sugar ham lunch meat (one slice of ham will wrap three asparagus spears) ~ then cut the cream cheese covered ham slice into thirds.  Drain the asparagus when cool & pat dry.  Take one of the cut ham slices & roll it around the asparagus spear.  Let sit in fridge for a bit to firm up, then serve.



Steamed Asparagus & French Onion Cream Sauce           

I love this recipe!  I have been making it for years & have always had compliments on it.  Even people who say they don't like asparagus, like this dish.  It is SO simple to make, but it tastes like you spent a lot of time creating the sauce.  To Make:  Steam prepped asparagus until tender, 5-8 minutes, or until done (depends of the size of the spears)  While asparagus is cooking,  melt 1/4 cup butter (or margarine) in a double boiler, when melted stir in 1/2 cup of French Onion Dip.  (told you it was super easy)  Stir to combine & pour sauce over asparagus.  Salt/pepper to taste & serve.

Grilled Asparagus ~ using a George Foreman Grill  

This couldn't be easier to make ~ just put your cleaned & prepped asparagus in your preheated George Foreman Grill, close the lid & cook for about 4-5 minutes, or until the spears are done to your liking.  I prefer mine to be done to the tender-crisp stage.  Then top with either butter or olive oil & a little salt/pepper.  I think it is a crime to overcook this veggie.  Who would want to eat dull, grey-green, limp asparagus ~ when you could enjoy the veg in all it's vibrant, emerald green, crisp goodness...not me!  Long live the crunch!

White Asparagus with Italian Butter Sauce

This was my first attempt at making White Asparagus, only problem was all of the 'white' asparagus in the produce section had a bit of green at the tips ~ oh, well...  You  need to handle white asparagus a bit differently.  It has a stringier/somewhat bitter stalk & it needs to be peeled, just below the tips, all the way to the bottom.  Peel it just like you would a carrot.  You still cut or snap off the woody ends, just like a green asparagus prep.  To Make:  prep the asparagus (as mentioned above) & steam or boil them for 7-10 minutes, or until done. (these are cooked to a more soft & tender stage then the green asparagus, which are cooked to a crisp stage)  Keep asparagus warm while making the Italian Butter Sauce: in microwave melt 1 tablespoon butter or margarine & 2 tablespoons water, when melted add 1 tablespoon of Italian Seasoned Fine Bread Crumbs, stir to combine. (add a little more water if needed to get correct consistency)  Spoon sauce over asparagus.  Salt & pepper, to taste. Double or triple sauce recipe, as needed.  

For more asparagus inspiration, see  some of my other posts...

Dilled Asparagus ~ I wrote about this in an earlier post, it is just too good not to make when the asparagus are this thin & tender.  Prepared this way, they make a wonderful first course, side salad or appetizer.  I just love how versatile this dish is...

Quick & Easy Eggs Benedict with Asparagus ~ I just love this at springtime for a quick & healthy breakfast or brunch. Low fat, low cal & low carb. Go see how easy this recipe is to make, photos & recipe...

horsd'oeuvre
 Easter  celebrations  party   cocktail    

Eggs for Breakfast ~ Low Fat / Low Carb Meals

Here are some of my favorite breakfast egg dishes that are not only low carb, but are also low fat.  I usually just use some Pam (& sometimes a little V8 juice) in my skillet or omelet pan when I am cooking eggs.  I've been adding veggies instead of potatoes, to keep the breakfasts low carb.  Some of my favorite side veggies to eat with breakfast are: cauliflower, spinach & squash.  If I do decide to add toast, it will be a whole grain type.

I think any of these meals would work as a quick meal, anytime of day.     Enjoy!     

Creamy Eggs ~ This is one of our favorite breakfasts. I take the eggs off the heat just before they get 'dry & set'.  This gives them the 'creamy' taste we love, without having to add any additional fat.  I have been adding veggies instead of potatoes to keep it low carb.

Eggs In Purgatory (Uova in Purgatorio) with Sprouted Wheat Toast ~ From the Sopranos Family Cookbook. What a hoot of a cookbook, I just love it!  I bought it for $1 at the local library's used book sale. It was a $ well spent!  I'll be making lots more recipes from this cookbook.

Basted Eggs & Sauteed Swiss Chard ~ This is very similar to the Eggs in Purgatory, but instead of using tomatoes, I saute chopped Swiss chard over a medium heat until it is almost done, then I add the eggs, some bacon bits,  a little water (to make some steam) & then cover the pan until the eggs are done to my liking.  (usually with a runny center)  Super easy to make.

Basted Eggs with Spinach ~  Just change up the veggie you are cooking the eggs in & the dish has a whole new taste.

Classic French Omelet ~ Stuffed with sauteed mushrooms, spinach & red bell pepper, using a bit of Pam & V8 juice in the pan.  A little tricky to roll just right, but worth the effort.

Boiled Eggs ~ This has to be one of the most basic ways to eat eggs.  I love using my egg timer for boiling eggs, it takes all the guess work out of it.  Soft, medium or hard boiled?  Just tell me what you want & I'll fish it out when it's ready.  Gotta love that!

lunch brunch dinnertime dinner

Cooking with Dandelions ~ Fritters, pancakes, crepes & salads

Dandelion Flower Fritters & Dandelion Petal Pancakes

 

This year, Earth Day is on April 22.  I was wondering what might be a good food to cook with in honor of the day that celebrates our planet & helps to educates all of us on how we can become better stewards of this ~ third rock from the sun ~ that we call home.  What would be a good sustainable food source to tap into, something abundant on planet earth?  Hmm, something close to home, leaving as little carbon footprint as possible...

As I was thinking about what to cook, I was looking out at the backyard & I noticed it needed mowing...and boy, I really needed to get back there & pick those dandelion flowers before they went to seed.... (you see where I'm going with this, right?)  Mother Nature was not being subtle ~ she was screaming out for me to come outside & shop from her own, free 'farmers market'. Can't get a smaller carbon footprint than that!

OK, OK, I get it. I'll be right out!  Who am I to turn down a free meal when it is set right before me?  Out I went, with scissors in hand, to harvest the generous spring bounty...  

Dandelions hiding in my strawberry bed...

I started gathering dandelion flowers & leaves, and I didn't have to wander far.  Luckily for me, I have a bunch of pesticide free plants growing in my veggie garden to pick from.  (those little airborne seeds just send plants everywhere, don't they though?)  Mother Nature had provided a wondrous spread of sunny, yellow nutritional goodness ~ literally, right at my doorstep.  Once I was done foraging in my yard, I got on the computer & surfed around the web looking for info on eating this plentiful pariah of gardens everywhere.  At springtime I get frustrated with all the beautiful, but invasive plants that take up residence in my yard, maybe this cooking session would change how I feel about the little invaders...   I was ready to get cooking.

(I found this wonderful site ~ Money Crashers ~ that was really helpful when cooking my dandelion booty, both for ideas & recipes)


 

Almost ready to fly free...

This is a lawn down the street from me ~ I swear it's not my yard!

So, here are the dishes I cooked with the dandelions I harvested ~ (( The one IMPORTANT!! thing to remember when  cooking/eating dandelions is to make sure they are from an untreated source, they must never have been in contact with any weed killers! ))




Dandelion Fritters

Dandelion Fritters are my new favorite food of spring...

I made some Dandelion Fritters ~ which where AMAZING!!!!   Both J & I are so excited about these.  I can honestly say, I will forever look forward the seeing the sunny, smiling faces of dandelions.  Honestly!  I am even planting some dandelion seeds, just so I can be sure of having a safe source of flowers for my fritters.  I really enjoyed mine with a little sea salt & a drop of Green Jalapeno Tabasco Sauce. I would serve these to anyone, anywhere.  It wouldn't surprise me if they were on a fancy-schmancy speciality restaurant menu somewhere, they really are that good.  They would make a wonderful appetizer for any spring fling.  J liked his with butter & maple syrup. (no surprise there!)

To make the Dandelion Fritters:

Eagle Mills Buttermilk Complete Pancake Mix ~ I LOVE THIS STUFF!!  It is very similar in makeup to Heart Healthy Bisquick & is only about $1 a box! Cheap & cheerful at its best!

I rinsed the dandelion flowers in water & then spun them dry.  I mixed up 1 cup of Eagle Mills Complete Buttermilk Pancake Mix ((all you add is water )) & them dunked the flowers into the batter.  I cooked them in a lightly greased pan, on a med/low heat, until golden on both sides.  Then I topped some with salt & Green Jalapeno Tabasco and then some with maple syrup.  They are soooo easy to make & soooo good to eat!  No dandelion flower is safe around this house any more, J is out hunting for them every day...





Dandelion Petal Pancakes 

Dandelion Petal Pancakes

Another big hit was the Dandelion Petal Pancakes.  Pulling the petals off the flowers & just adding them to your regular pancake batter is all there is to it. I used the same pancake mix I showed above.  It's a fun & simple way to eat dandelions. J really liked helping to make these. They are super kid friendly & just plain fun to make. It's the one time I want J to pull the petals off the flowers... :)

Boiled Dandelion Greens ~ with Bacon & Walnuts

I followed the directions for boiled dandelion greens & then added some olive oil, bacon bits, walnuts & salt/pepper/onion powder.  It was good, but a bit bitter, so I added some honey, too.  I ate this as a side dish & also used some as part of the filling for my Dandelion Crepes.

I made both boiled dandelion greens (using the larger, older leaves) & sauteed dandelion greens (using the smaller, younger leaves) and hands down preferred the boiled to the sauteed.  I found the sauteed greens to be more bitter & tougher to eat, even though they were younger & supposedly more tender.  It's boiled greens only from now on.  Forage, cook, eat & learn. 

Dandelion Crepes ~ petals in the crepe, greens in the filling

Dandelion Crepes

To make the Dandelion Crepes:

I thinned out some of the Dandelion Petal Pancake batter so I could cook it as a crepe.  I then filled the cooked crepe with some of the Boiled Dandelion Greens & some cottage cheese. A quick pop into the microwave to melt the cottage cheese & a drizzle of Green Jalapeno Tabasco over the top...and lunch was served.  It was very tasty.  Who knew weeds could become so upscale & taste this good?!

Garden Salad with Dandelion Greens

Wash the greens really well...

The simplest way to eat dandelion greens is to add some young, tender leaves to your salad.  It's a bitter green, so a little goes a long way.  Treat it just like you would any other bitter leaf lettuce.  Make sure you give the leaves a good wash before adding them to the salad. (you could add some dandelion petals for color, too, if you are so inclined) Then just toss the mixed greens with your favorite salad dressing & serve.

I must say, working on this post has given me a whole new appreciation of dandelions & of all the ways you can enjoy eating them.  Now, I'm not about to go so far as to dig up dandelion roots & roast them for a cup of tea, but I will buy a box of dandelion tea next time I go to the shops.  Why?  Just because ~ I figure I might as well try tasting it that way, too.  Hope you try one of the recipes.  If you only try one, I suggest the Dandelion Fritters.  Enjoy!