Taco Tuesday

Whoo-hoo! It's time for another Taco Tuesday!

Not that I'm objecting any. If you're like me, you probably have enjoyed your share of tacos over the years. I mean, what's not to love? Whether you use a crunchy taco shell or a soft wrap, put meat in 'em (for those who eat meat) or veggie crumbles and tons of veggies, cheese, and whatever else you want to add...Major yum!

Today's yummy vegetarian tacos include Portobello Bulgogi Korean Tacos and Roasted Tomatillo and Black Bean Tacos. Enjoy!

SWEET POTATO TACOS

This is from the TODAY Show, and begins, "These tacos are simple to make and require minimal prep, making them an ideal dinner on hectic weeknights. You can dress up this veggie-based meal with avocado, a squeeze of lime, crumbled feta cheese and fresh cilantro."

To view this online, go to https://www.today.com/recipes/sweet-potato-tacos-recipe-t149463.

Ingredients

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

Extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon cumin

1 clove garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

One 15.5-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

One 15.25-ounce can corn, drained

1 cup cooked quinoa

18 small corn tortillas, warmed

Toppings (optional)

Avocado, chopped or sliced

Lime wedges

Feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Toss diced sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, honey and cumin. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven for 35 minutes or until tender. Set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet set over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté. Add the black beans, corn, cooked quinoa and sweet potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon about 1/3 cup of filling onto each tortilla. Top with chopped avocado, a squeeze of lime and feta cheese.

BLACK BEAN, RICE AND QUESO MINI TACOS

This is from Old El Paso, and begins, "Kids will love these filled mini tacos, which are packed with cilantro-lime rice, black beans, cheese and drizzled with Old El Paso™ Creamy Queso sauce. Easy to assemble and great for on-the-go, busy families."

Prep Time: 24 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Makes 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/black-bean-rice-and-queso-mini-tacos.

Ingredients

1/2 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice

1 cup water

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 package (12 count) Old El Paso™ Mini Soft Tortilla Bowls

1 can (15 oz) Progresso™ black beans, drained, rinsed

1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso™ Chopped Green Chiles

1 cup Old El Paso™ ™ Shredded Mexican Style 4 Cheese Blend

1/2 cup pico de gallo

1/3 cup Old El Paso™ Creamy Queso sauce

Directions

In 1 to 1 1/2-quart saucepan, heat white rice and water to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Remove from heat; let stand covered 5 minutes. Fluff with fork; stir in butter, lime juice and cilantro. Cover and set aside.

Heat oven to 375°F. In ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish, place tortilla bowls.

In medium bowl, mix beans and green chiles. Divide rice mixture evenly among tortilla bowls; top each with 2 teaspoons of the cheese. Divide bean mixture evenly among tortilla bowls; top each with remaining cheese.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted. Top with pico de gallo and sauce.

Expert Tips

Salsa may be substituted for the pico de gallo in this recipe.

Precooked rice is available for purchase in the frozen section of the grocery store and is a convenient alternative to the cooked rice in this recipe. You may also use 1 1/2 cups leftover cooked rice, heated in microwave.

Variation: Try Old El Paso™ Creamy Salsa Verde sauce as an alternative to the creamy queso sauce.

Nutrition: 6 servings (2 mini tacos each);1 Serving Calories 330 (Calories from Fat 100); Total Fat 12g (Saturated Fat 6g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 25mg; Sodium 740mg; Total Carbohydrate 44g (Dietary Fiber 5g, Sugars 2g); Protein 11g;% Daily Value: Vitamin A 4%; Vitamin C 4%; Calcium 20%; Iron 15%; Exchanges: 1 Starch, 2 Other Carbohydrate, 1/2 Vegetable, 1 High-Fat Meat, 1/2 Fat; Carbohydrate Choice: 3

PORTOBELLO BULGOGI KOREAN TACOS

This is from Rachael Hartley in her blog Avocado A Day Nutrition. (Nice blog, Rachael! I just signed up for it!) Rachael wrote, "Beef bulgogi Korean tacos are one of my favorites. Try this vegan twist using meaty portobello mushrooms, which soak up all the delicious marinade." Serves 6.

You can view this yummy recipe online here.

Ingredients

Mushrooms:

6 medium-large portobello mushroom caps, cleaned and sliced 1/2 inch thick

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup mirin (see note, below)

2 tablespoons dark sesame oil

3 scallions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons raw sugar or coconut sugar

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon gochugaru (see second note)

Slaw:

1 bag of shredded cabbage

1 large carrot, shredded on the large grates of a cheese grater

2 scallions, thinly sliced

8 corn tortillas

First Note: Mirin is a Japanese cooking wine and is made from rice. It's supposed to be sweeter than sake. Since I don't keep alcohol around, I use water in place of miring.

Second note: Gochugaru is Korean chile flakes. If you can get it locally, and plan to use it in several dishes, great. Since I probably wouldn't use it elsewhere - unless I fell madly in love with it - I might consider something a little cheaper and more generic.

Instructions

Two to four hours before cooking, whisk together all the marinade ingredients for the mushrooms. Add portobellos and toss to combine. Refrigerate and marinade 2-4 hours.

When ready to cook, heat the grill to medium-high. Place the mushrooms evenly on the grill or toss into a grill pan if you have one. Reserve the marinade. Cook about 10 minutes total, flipping halfway.

While the mushrooms cook, pour the reserved marinade into a small pot. Set to medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Boil about 10 minutes total until reduced to a thick syrup. Set aside.

Warm the tortillas. Spoon slaw on the bottom of each tortillas. Top with mushrooms and reserved sauce.

LOADED CRISPY TOFU TACOS

This is from The Woks of Life, and can be viewed online at http://thewoksoflife.com/2014/07/loaded-crispy-tofu-tacos/.

Prep time: 30 mins; Cook time: 15 mins; Total time: 45 mins; Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

You'll need:

1 package firm tofu

1 tablespoon Sriracha

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 cup fine cornmeal

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup oil

3 scallions

1 bunch cilantro

1/4 cup yogurt

warm corn tortillas

Other toppings:

shredded cheese

chopped tomato

chopped onion

sweet corn

avocado

lime wedges

Instructions

Cut the tofu into 3/4 inch cubes. In a wide, shallow bowl, combine the Sriracha and honey, and gently toss the tofu in the mixture. In another wide, shallow bowl, combine the cornmeal, chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Toss the tofu in this dry mixture until well-coated.

In a cast iron or non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the tofu and allow the pieces to crisp up on all sides. While that's happening, whizz up the scallions, cilantro, and yogurt in a food processor or blender. Build your tacos with tortillas, your sauce, and whatever toppings you like.

VEGAN POTATO TACOS (TACOS DE PAPA)

This is from Brittany Mueller, who runs I Love Vegan with her other half, William. The recipe begins, “This recipe has overhauled my taco game,” while writing, “Crispy fried tacos filled with smoky cumin-spiced potatoes, pico de gallo, avocado, tomato, and cilantro. Super easy and insanely delicious!”

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Yield: 10 tacos

You can check out this recipe on their site at https://www.ilovevegan.com/vegan-potato-tacos-tacos-de-papa/. And while you’re there, be sure to sign up for their email updates. You won’t regret it!

Ingredients

1.5 lbs (1/2 bag) of The Little Potato Company’s Little Charmers (Creamer potatoes), halved

Salted water, for boiling potatoes

2 tbsp vegan butter or olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp salt

Black pepper, to taste

2 tbsp adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers)

8–12 corn tortillas

Canola or sunflower oil, for frying tortillas

To serve: pico de gallo (salsa fresca), sliced avocado, chopped tomato, cilantro, and lime wedges

Directions

Add halved potatoes to a large pot of cold, salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 10-15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Drain.

Heat vegan butter or olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add drained potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Add cumin, salt, black pepper, and adobo sauce. Stir well. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Mash 1/3-1/2 of the potatoes and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside.

Prep your desired toppings before frying corn tortillas.

In a large frying pan, heat a generous amount of oil over medium-high heat (1/4” deep.) Allow plenty of time for the oil to get up to temperature (if the oil isn’t hot enough your tacos will be greasy.) Add 1-2 corn tortillas (don’t crowd the pan) and fry for 20-30 seconds. Flip tortillas and fold them roughly in half, fry for 15-20 seconds, flip and fry the other side for 15-20 seconds (until both sides are golden brown.) Drain on a cooling rack with an absorbent kitchen towel (or paper towel) underneath to absorb excess oil.

While tacos are still hot, gently spread them open, add 1/4-1/3 cup potato filling. Top with pico de gallo, fresh avocado, chopped tomato, and cilantro. Serve with a wedge of lime.

Notes:

Crispy Tortilla Frying Tip:

Adjust the heat as needed. If the oil isn’t hot enough the tacos shells will cook too slowly and absorb excess oil. If the oil is too hot, the tortillas will get crisp too quickly and you’ll struggle to fold them over to make the classic crispy taco shell shape.

You don’t need much oil, about 1/4 inch in the pan will do. Add more as needed. To save on oil, use a smaller pan for frying.

Use tongs to flip and fold tortillas while frying.

ROASTED TOMATILLO AND BLACK BEAN TACOS

This yummy recipe was updated on the Vegetarian Times website on April 30, 2020. It begins, “To prepare fresh tomatillos, strip off the husks and rinse under warm water to remove any sticky sap clinging to the skin.”

Makes 4 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/roasted-tomatillo-and-black-bean-tacos-recipe.

Ingredients

Ingredients

3/4 lb. fresh whole tomatillos, husks removed

1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 cup)

1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 cup)

3 large cloves garlic, peeled

3 Tbs. coarsely chopped cilantro, divided

1 1/2 tsp. minced jalapeno pepper

1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained

4 6-inch corn tortillas, warmed

1 small avocado, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

2 Tbs. queso fresco or feta cheese

1/4 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed, optional

1/4 cup low-fat sour cream, optional

Preparation

Preheat oven to broil. Place oven rack 3 inches from heat source. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray, and spread tomatillos, onion, red bell pepper, and garlic on prepared baking sheet. Broil 12 minutes, or until tomatillos are blistered and charred, and onion and bell pepper are softened and charred, tossing once halfway through cooking time.

Pulse garlic, 1 Tbs. cilantro, jalapeño, and tomatillos 10 times in food processor, or until chunky. Season with salt and pepper.

Toss 1/4 cup tomatillo sauce with black beans, red bell pepper, and onion.

Fill tortillas with black bean mixture, avocado, and queso fresco. Garnish with remaining cilantro and corn kernels, if desired. Serve remaining tomatillo sauce and sour cream, if desired, on side.