Taco Tuesday

Time for another Taco Tuesday. Yay! Today's offerings include Soft Black Bean Tacos with Salsa and Cabbage and Mushroom Tacos. Enjoy!

SAUCY & STICKY SWEET POTATO TACOS WITH CREAMY AVOCADO CILANTRO SAUCE

This comes from Laura, whose site, The First Mess, is absolutely wonderful. I highly recommend checking it out! Go ahead, I’ll wait…

This recipe serves 3 - 4, and can be found at http://thefirstmess.com/2018/04/11/sticky-sweet-potato-tacos-vegan-recipe/.

Headnote: Laura wrote, “I like to get the sweet potato shreds as long as possible, so I grate it with the long side of the vegetable striking the large holes of the box grater.

“You could use fresh or pickled jalapeno in the avocado cilantro sauce! I’ve tried the sauce with both.

“You could use collard leaves instead of tortillas for a grain-free option. As a bonus, they tend to hold a lot more filling than a standard tortilla :)

“If you want to save some time by using a jarred BBQ sauce, you’ll need a scant cup of it for this recipe.”

Date BBQ Sauce Ingredients

1/2 cup pitted Medjool dates

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)

2 teaspoons gluten-free tamari

2 teaspoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon grainy mustard

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

sea salt & ground black pepper, to taste

water to thin

Creamy Avocado Cilantro Sauce Ingredients

1 medium, ripe avocado

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

2 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons tahini

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)

1 small jalapeno, seeded & diced

1/2 cup filtered water

sea salt & ground black pepper, to taste

For the Tacos

1 teaspoon heat-tolerant oil, such as avocado

1 shallot, fine dice

1 medium sweet potato (about 550-600 grams), peeled & grated on the large holes of a box grater

sea salt & ground black pepper, to taste

corn tortillas, warmed (or collard leaves, see headnote)

3 cups shredded cabbage

Make the date BBQ sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine the dates, balsamic vinegar, lime juice, tamari, tomato paste, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer until dates are soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to an upright blender and blend on high until smooth, adding water by the tablespoon if necessary. Scrape the date BBQ sauce into a small bowl and set aside. Rinse the blender pitcher.

Make the creamy avocado cilantro sauce. Peel and pit the avocado. Back in the upright blender, combine the avocado, cilantro, garlic, tahini, lime juice, jalapeno, water, salt, and pepper. Blend the mixture on high until completely smooth, adding more water by the tablespoon if necessary. Scrape the avocado cilantro sauce into a separate container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the filling. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot to the skillet and saute until slightly softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the grated sweet potatoes and stir. Season the filling with salt and pepper. Keep stirring until sweet potato shreds start softening and collapsing into each other, about 4 minutes. Add a splash of water if you notice some sticking.

Once sweet potato shreds are soft, add the date BBQ sauce to the skillet and stir to combine. The filling should look quite saucy at this point. If it seems dry, add another splash of water. Keep stirring until the filling is saucy, sticking to the sweet potatoes, and piping hot, about 3-4 minutes.

Divide the sweet potato filling among the warm tortillas. Top each sticky sweet potato taco with shredded cabbage and plenty of the avocado cilantro sauce. Serve tacos with extra lime wedges if you like.

MUSHROOM TACOS

This is from Runner's World and can be viewed online here. Recipe feeds 2-3 runners; Time needed: 30-45 minutes

What you’ll need:

Pound of scrubbed assorted mushrooms (creminis and portabellos work well)

1 yellow onion

2 cloves garlic

6 small corn tortillas

1 orange

1 lime

1 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons dark chili powder

1 teaspoon oregano

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt to taste

Cilantro

How to make it:

Dice up one onion, setting aside three tablespoons for onion topping. Cut mushrooms into large chunks.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high-heat. Add onions and mushrooms and sauté for about 10 minutes until onions are tender and mushrooms begin to brown.

Mince garlic. Juice orange and lime. Reserve two wedges of lime.

Add garlic, cumin, oregano, and chili powder to onions and mushroom.

Saute for 30 seconds until garlic is aromatic, then add orange and lime juice, along with about a teaspoon of salt.

Cook for two to three minutes until the juice reduces.

Heat tortillas individually in a dry pan on the stove or all together wrapped in a towel in the microwave.

Spoon mushroom mix into tortillas and garnish with reserved raw onion and chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

TANDOOR TOFU SCRAMBLE TACOS [VEGAN, GLUTEN-FREE]

This recipe comes from One Green Planet, and is dairy free, gluten-free, high in fiber and protein, has no refined sugar, is vegan, and is wheat free. Thank goodness, it is NOT low in taste!

Serves: 4; Cook Time: 21 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Tandoori Tofu Scramble:

8 ounces super firm tofu

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

3 green onions, cut into large chunks

1 tablespoon tandoori spice blend

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 15-ounce can kidney beans

2 large kale leaves, destemmed and chopped coarsely

For the Tacos:

Soft shell corn tortillas, gluten-free if needed

1 handful of arugula

2 cups red cabbage, sliced or shredded

1/2 red onion sliced

1 avocado, mashed with salt

Red pepper flakes, as needed

Preparation

To Make the Scramble:

Crumble the tofu and set aside. In a large sautéeing pan medium-hight heat, add the olive oil, red onion, garlic, green onions and the tandoor spice.

Cook this for 1 minute and add tomato paste, tofu crumbles, and kidney beans. Stir this well and cook it for 2 more minutes.

Add the kale and cook the mixture for 1 more minute.

To Make the Tacos:

Warm up the tortillas in a pan and once they are warm remove them.

Add the arugula, the tandoori tofu scramble, red cabbage, red onion, and avocado. Sprinkle the tacos with salt and red pepper flakes as needed.

SOFT BLACK BEAN TACOS WITH SALSA AND CABBAGE

This comes from Martha Rose Shulman, also in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Martha wrote, “Canned black beans and lots of cabbage combine in a quick, utterly satisfying one-dish taco dinner. They can be served open-faced or folded over.” Yield: 4 servings; Time: about 20 minutes.

This was featured in “Quick One-Dish Meals, Some Cooking Required” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola or grape seed oil

1 teaspoon medium-hot chili powder (more to taste)

1 teaspoon ground lightly toasted cumin seeds (more to taste)

2 cans black beans, with liquid

Salt to taste

8 corn tortillas

1 cup fresh or bottled salsa

3 ounces either queso fresco, feta, or sharp cheddar, grated or crumbled

2 cups shredded cabbage

Preparation

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add the chili powder and ground cumin. Allow the spices to sizzle for about half a minute, until very fragrant, and stir in the black beans and 1/2 cup water. Cook, stirring and mashing the beans with the back of your spoon, for 5 to 10 minutes, until thick and fragrant. Be careful that you don’t let the beans dry out too much. If they do, add a little more water. Remove from the heat.

Heat the tortillas, two or three at a time, in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, or in a microwave. Top with the black beans, salsa, cheese and cabbage. Fold the filled tortillas over if desired and serve. Alternatively, one at a time, place a tortilla on a plate, top with the beans and cheese and heat through for 30 seconds to a minute in a microwave. Then top with salsa and a generous handful of cabbage, and serve.

Tip

Make fresh salsa with 2 or 3 chopped roma tomatoes, 1 or 2 jalapeños or serrano chiles, a little chopped onion or shallot if desired, salt, a squeeze of lime juice, and chopped fresh cilantro.

BLACK BEAN AND POBLANO TACOS

This comes from David Tanis in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. David wrote, “There are many kinds of tacos, some piled high and overstuffed and some more minimal, meant to be more a snack than a meal. These little tacos are in the second category, similar to what you might find in a Mexican market for a quick bite. Savory black beans and roasted poblano chiles make a satisfying vegetarian version. Fresh soft corn tortillas, hot off the griddle, are essential.” Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

This was featured in “The Unstuffy Taco” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1/2 pound black beans, rinsed and soaked 4 to 6 hours, or overnight if possible

1 small onion, halved

1 bay leaf

1 large sprig epazote (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

4 poblano chiles

Soft corn tortillas

1/2 pound fresh mozzarella or Oaxacan-style string cheese, shredded

1/2 pound queso fresco, available in Latino groceries

8 ounces crème fraîche or Mexican crema

Preparation

Drain beans, put in medium pot, add water to cover and bring to a boil over hight heat. Add onion, bay leaf, epazote and salt and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 1 hour, longer if necessary, adding water occasionally if liquid falls below surface of beans. When beans are tender, taste and adjust salt. Keep beans warm in their broth.

Meanwhile, roast poblano chiles over a charcoal grill, under the broiler or directly on a gas stovetop burners until skins are completely blackened and blistered. Set chiles aside to cool, then split lengthwise. Scrape away skins and seeds with a paring knife. Cut cleaned chiles into 1/2-inch ribbons, transfer to small bowl and season lightly with salt.

To serve, warm the tortillas on a hot griddle or cast iron pan over a burner. Put 2 warm tortillas side by side on a small plate. With a slotted spoon, place 2 tablespoons beans on each tortilla. Top with a few shreds of mozzarella and 2 or 3 strips of poblano. Crumble a little queso fresco and drizzle about 1 teaspoon crème fraîche on each taco.

CLASSIC CARNE ASADA

I found this, along with five other taco recipes, on the Runner’s World website (posted on June 26, 2018), though it’s originally from the Prevention test kitchen.

This one begins, “Swap that taco kit for a traditional take that uses soft tortillas instead of fried shells, homemade salsa in place of the bottled kind, and cilantro and lime juice rather than sour cream.”

Serves: 4; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes

This can be found at https://www.runnersworld.com/nutrition-weight-loss/a21946015/healthy-taco-recipes/. They were originally from: Prevention US.

Ingredients

1 lb skirt steak, trimmed

1 large ripe tomato, finely chopped

1/2 avocado, diced

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

3 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro

1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 clove garlic, minced Juice of 1 lime + wedges for serving

8 corn tortillas, warmed

Directions

Season steak with salt and pepper and let sit at room temperature while heating grill or grill pan to medium-high.

Toss together tomato, avocado, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, lime juice, and a pinch of salt in medium bowl.

Grill steak, flipping once, until medium-rare, about 8 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes while grilling tortillas to warm. Cut steak into 3 to 4 inch sections and slice thinly against grain.

Assemble tacos with steak and salsa. Serve with lime wedges.

Per serving: 314 calories, 27 g protein, 22 g carb, 5 g fiber, 4 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 13 g fat, 4 g sat fat, 74 mg cholesterol, 321 mg sodium