The Kid and I took a short road trip last week to Austin which is one of our favorite cities. While we’re away, we always make a point of trying out local places for at least one meal a day. That way we have something to look forward to trying out on vacation and we also get to try food that we can’t just drive down the road to get at home. That makes it special.
Since she has a dairy allergy, we tend to hit up vegan and vegetarian places for our adventures because yeah… who needs a trip to the ER for an allergic reaction and it lowers that risk greatly. Not to mention that The Kid gets to order at a vegan place just like anyone else, and not someone recreating the Spanish Inquisition.
She picked a food truck called Arlo’s which had some amazing comfort food on the menu. The Kid opted for mac and “cheese” which she said she really enjoyed. I went with the chik’n tacos with chipotle crema since I’m a taco person for my comfort food. (Unless I’m being comforted by a donut of course!)
Let me tell you these were pretty much spicy joy on top of corn tortillas. I was sitting there eating them and said to The Kid “These would even food Grandad!” For those of you that don’t know, Grandad hates all things vegan and refuses to even eat them once he if he even gets a hint they may be vegan. The same guy who eats oreos and french fries with no complaints. LOL, both vegan. 😉
I digress. The chipotle crema on top was a dairy free version of the one that you often get on “real” tacos that is sour cream based. I immediately thought that I could somehow come up with my very own version at home. I’ve tried using cashews before which is a popular way that vegans make cream sauces, but I was feeling lazy and didn’t want to wait for soaking time to soften them.
Laziness for the win here, because instead I opted for my handy dandy tofu and bam! Chipotle crema. Not only that, but it’s high protein and low calorie. In honor of the occasion, I made tacos to go with the crema using my homemade seitan. They were quick and easy to make by just chopping the seitan and mixing it with taco seasoning just like you would chicken or ground beef.
I drizzled a little of the crema on top and it was like I was back at the food truck. Once you refrigerate it, the crema thickens a bit and you can use it to dip veggies, spread in a sandwich or panini, or use it on your morning eggs for a punch of flavor. You could even toss your salad with it as a dressing. Yes, I’ve tried all of these variations. 🙂
Chipotle Crema 
- 1/4 block of a 14 oz package of firm tofu (~130g)
- 1 tsp chipotle chile powder (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp white vinegar OR apple cider vinegar
- Salt, to taste
Add all of the ingredients to a magic bullet or food processor and blend until smooth. Makes 1 cup of crema at approximately 134 calories for the entire batch – 15g protein, 1.5g carbs, and 7.5g fat. That’s about 9 calories per tablespoon so not bad at all.
If you’re sensitive to spice, make sure to go slowly with the chile powder and start with a smaller amount if needed and add a little at a time. You can also use a milder chile powder if you prefer, or even go hardcore with a really spicy one. You can even use a chipotle pepper from the can with the adobo sauce.
I love being able to recreate the flavors of our trip and can’t wait to see what the next one brings. Hello, San Antonio! 🙂 Let me know how you use your crema and tell me what you think. I’m always looking for more ideas.
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