Taco Tuesday

It's time for another Taco Tuesday. Today's offerings include Cauliflower and Red Onion Tacos and (are you ready for this?) Ice Cream Tacos. Enjoy!

AVOCADO TACOS

This comes from Jeff Gordinier in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, “Most top chefs will tell you the same thing: When they finally escape from the elaborate labors they oversee in the kitchen, they crave late-night street food that’s poetically simple and satisfying: hot dogs, fried rice, a bowl of noodles. For Enrique Olvera, the chef at Cosme in New York and Pujol in Mexico City, that hand-to-mouth haiku can be found in avocado tacos, which he scarfs down around the clock. They serve as both ‘a comfort,’ he said, and ‘a cultural expression.’ In its most basic form, an avocado taco is like a two-bite couplet in praise of Mexican ingredients: a chewy corn tortilla enclosing creamy slices of the-butter-that-grows-on-trees. Spare additions elevate that avocado: a pinch of salt, a spray of lime juice, a sprinkle of chopped onions and cilantro. But the chef takes elevation one step further with a salsa made of pasilla chiles and tomatillos.”

Yield: 12 tacos; Time: 45 minutes.

This recipe was featured in “Scouting the Scene” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

4 pasilla chiles

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

2 garlic cloves

10 tomatillos, boiled in salted water for 15 minutes or until soft

3 avocados, sliced thin

12 corn tortillas

3/4 cup white onion, finely diced

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Preparation

Make the salsa: Snap the stems off the chiles and remove the seeds. Using tongs, carefully hold the chiles over a medium flame to char on all sides. Transfer chiles to a food processor, add the salt and process into a powder. Add the garlic and tomatillos and purée until smooth. (This makes 1 pint salsa, more than needed; refrigerate the rest in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.)

To serve, place 3 or 4 slices of avocado on each tortilla and top with salsa, onion and cilantro.

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!

GREEK CHICKPEA TACOS

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 recipe begins, “Bring the Mediterranean diet to taco night: This dish delivers probiotic-rich Greek yogurt, stomach-soothing mint, and 10 grams of fiber per serving for healthy digestion.”

Serves: 4; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 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 can (15 oz) unsalted chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp dried oregano

4 whole wheat pitas (6" diameter), warmed

2 c mixed spring greens

1 large tomato, diced

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 c pitted kalamata olives, sliced

1/2 seedless cucumber, peeled and grated (reserve and dice extra cucumber for garnish, if desired)

1 c plain Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint + leaves for garnish

1 clove garlic, minced

Directions

Mash chickpeas with 1 Tbsp lemon juice, olive oil, and oregano in medium bowl. Spread one-quarter of mixture on each pita. Top with greens, tomato, onion, and olives.

Combine cucumber, yogurt, mint, remaining 1 Tbsp lemon juice, garlic, and a pinch of kosher salt in medium bowl. Drizzle over taco fillings. Top with mint leaves and diced cucumber, if desired.

Per serving: 429 calories, 17 g protein, 58 g carb, 10 g fiber, 6 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 16.5 g fat, 3.5 g sat fat, 8 mg cholesterol, 696 mg sodium

CRISPY VEGETARIAN TACOS

This yummy taco recipe comes from Kraft, and begins, “Make next Monday the most delicious meat-free Monday ever with these Crispy Vegetarian Tacos. Explore the recipe to learn more about these tasty tacos.” Of course, you can also use this for Taco Tuesday!

Prep Time: 25min.; Total Time: 25min.; Servings: 6 servings, 2 tacos each

To view this recipe online, click here.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. oil

1 Tbsp. KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing

1/2 cup chopped onions

1-1/2 cups frozen whole kernel corn

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed

12 TACO BELL® Crunchy Taco Shells, warmed

2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce

1 tomato, seeded, finely chopped

2 green onions, chopped

1 cup KRAFT Mexican Style Shredded Four Cheese with a TOUCH OF PHILADELPHIA

Directions

Heat oil and dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add onions; cook and stir 5 min. or until lightly browned. Add corn; cook 2 min., stirring occasionally. Stir in beans; cook and stir 1 to 2 min. or until mixture is heated through.

Fill taco shells with lettuce, bean mixture and remaining ingredients.

ICE CREAM TACOS

I can hear it now: Ice cream tacos??? Are you crazy?

Well, maybe. But this recipe is definitely something that makes for a perfect dessert – especially on Taco Tuesday.

This is from Leah Maroney, who, besides writing for The Spruce Eats, has her own blog, Mini Pie Kitchen.

For this recipe, Leah wrote, “Move over Choco Tacos, these homemade ice cream tacos are in town. You only need flour tortillas, ice cream, and chocolate chips to make these babies a reality.

“Get a little crazy and make your own ice cream or your own waffle cone shells. Or keep it simple and use the store-bought kinds. You really can't go wrong.

“Ice cream tacos are a fun party treat or spin on popular on-the-go ice creams. Just make sure to serve and eat them quickly!”

Total: 4 hrs 35 mins; Prep: 4 hrs 35 mins;Cook: 0 mins; Yield: 6 ice cream tacos (serves 6)

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

6 flour tortillas (6-inch)

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon sugar

10 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

6 scoops vanilla ice cream (or other ice cream of your choice)

Garnish: sprinkles

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Make 6 foil logs that are large enough so that the tortillas can drape over them to form a taco shell shape. Lay them on the parchment paper and drape the tortillas over each log.

Melt the butter in the microwave. Brush the butter over the top of each tortilla. Then sprinkle each tortilla with the sugar.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Remove them from the oven and allow to cool. Then place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 15 minutes or until very cold.

Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl for 30 second increments, stirring in between until it is completely smooth and melted.

Remove the bowl from the microwave and brush the melted chocolate on the inside of each shell until coated. Place the shells back in the freezer and freeze for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the chocolate has hardened completely.

While the shells are hardening again, take the ice cream out of the freezer and allow it to soften slightly. Fill each shell with a large scoop of ice cream to the top edge of the shell. Squeeze the shell slightly to disperse the ice cream, being careful not to break the shell.

Place it back onto the baking sheet and freeze again for 1 to 2 hours, until very firm.

Reheat the chocolate in 30 second increments until melted. Pour it into a loaf pan. Dip the top of each taco in the chocolate quickly, covering the ice cream and the top edges of the shell. You need to work quickly so that the ice cream does not mess. Spoon more onto the top of the tacos if needed and then sprinkle generously with sprinkles.

Place them back on the parchment paper and freeze again until the chocolate is completely hardened and then serve!

CAULIFLOWER AND RED ONION TACOS

This also comes from Martha Rose Shulman in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Martha wrote, “Vegetables bathed in vinegar are typical condiments in Mexico, but you can bring them to the center of the plate as a filling for a taco. If you want spice, add the chipotle, or garnish with some salsa. If salt is an issue, use ranchero rather than cotija cheese.” Yield: 6 servings; Time: About 45 minutes.

This was also featured in “Tacos for the Holidays” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 large or 2 small or medium cauliflowers, broken into florets (about 6 cups)

1 red onion, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced crosswise across the grain

1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), minced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup white wine vinegar or Champagne vinegar (to taste)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 or 2 chipotle chilies in adobo or pickled jalapeños, drained and thinly sliced (optional)

12 corn tortillas

1 romaine heart, cut crosswise in thin strips (chiffonade)

3 ounces cotija or ranchero cheese

Preparation

Step 1

Place the cauliflower and onion in a steaming basket over 1 inch of boiling water. Cover and steam 1 minute. Lift the lid for 15 seconds, then cover again and steam for 5 to 8 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender. Refresh with cold water and drain on paper towels.

In a large bowl, mix together the garlic, cilantro, capers, vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cauliflower and onion and toss together. Marinate, stirring from time to time, for 30 minutes if possible before serving. For an added kick, stir in the chili or chilies. Transfer the mixture to a skillet and heat through over medium heat.

Warm the tortillas. Top with the marinated vegetables and a handful of romaine, sprinkle on the cheese and serve.

Tip

Advance preparation: You can make the cauliflower and onion mixture up to a day ahead, but omit the cilantro until shortly before serving so that its color doesn't fade. The filling keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.