Taco Tuesday

If you love tacos as much as I do, you don't mind that it's time for another Taco Tuesday. Today's offerings include Grilled Portobello Tacos with Salsa Verde and Crispy Baked Tacos with Pineapple Salsa. Enjoy!

VEGGIE TACOS

This comes from Taste of Home, and begins, "These vegetarian tacos are stuffed with a blend of sauteed cabbage, peppers and black beans so filling, you won't miss the meat. Top with avocado, cheese or a dollop of sour cream."

Prep/Total Time: 30 minutes; Makes: 8 tacos

View this online at https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/veggie-tacos/.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil

3 cups shredded cabbage

1 medium sweet red pepper, julienned

1 medium onion, halved and sliced

2 teaspoons sugar

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup salsa

1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

8 taco shells, warmed

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and sliced

Directions

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; saute cabbage, pepper and onion until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar.

Stir in beans, salsa, chiles, garlic, chili powder and cumin; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until flavors are blended, about 5 minutes.

Serve in taco shells. Top with cheese and avocado.

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.

It's time for another Taco Tuesday. Today's offerings include Portobello Bulgogi Korean Tacos and Huevos Rancheros. Enjoy!

CRISPY BAKED TACOS WITH PINEAPPLE SALSA

This is from Dana, the co-founder (with her husband, John) of the Minimalist Baker. Talk about a great looking site! And the recipes look absolutely wonderful. Needless to say (but I’ll say it anyway), I’ll be checking out this site again…and again. (Thanks for putting up the site, Dana and John!)

This recipe “comes together in just 30 minutes” (always a plus when you’re hungry!). Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; for a Total Time of 30 minutes. Serves 3 - 4.

To view this on the Minimalist Baker site, go to http://minimalistbaker.com/crispy-baked-tacos/.

Ingredients

Tortillas

6 - 8 white or yellow corn tortillas

Avocado or grape seed oil

Sea salt

Beans

2 cups Mexican Pinto Beans (or 1 1/2 15-ounce cans pinto beans) (Note: Click link for the Mexican Pinto Beans on the Minimalist Baker, which also follows this recipe)

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground chili powder

Pinch each sea salt + black pepper

Salsa*

1/4 cup diced pineapple

1/2 cup diced tomato

optional: 3 Tbsp diced jalapeño

3 Tbsp diced red onion

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 Tbsp lime juice, plus more to taste

Pinch each salt and pepper

Toppings, optional

Ripe sliced avocado

Hot sauce

Lime juice

Fresh chopped cilantro

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and get out two baking sheets, as well as a few mini cupcake liners if you have them. As long as you have either cupcake liners or two baking sheets, you can make this method work!

Lightly brush tortillas on both sides with oil and sprinkle with salt. Then stack two baking sheets and lift one side. Tuck as many tortillas as will fit comfortably on the edge, then lower the top baking sheet and fold the tortilla over the top, so it forms a shell shape. In addition or alternatively, simply arrange tortillas on a baking sheet, fold over, and slide two mini cupcake liners inside the shell so it creates an opening. See photo for guidance!

Bake 10 - 20 minutes (will depend on brand and freshness) until light brown and crisp.

Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

While tortillas are baking, add pinto beans to a small pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat, then lower heat to low and simmer until serving. Taste and season - I suggest ground cumin, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste.

Lastly, prepare pineapple salsa by adding all ingredients to a small bowl and tossing to coat. Taste and adjust flavors as needed, adding more salt for flavor balance, lime for acidity, or pineapple for sweetness. Set aside.

Once tacos are done baking and slightly cooled, filled generously with pinto beans, pineapple, and other toppings. I went with avocado, hot sauce, and cilantro.

The shells are best when fresh. I would only make as many as you want to enjoy immediately as they tend to lose their crispiness when stored.

Notes

*I also think this Blended Red Salsa would be delicious with these tacos!

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 of 8 tacos without additional toppings (i.e. avocado).

Nutrition Information: Serving size: 1 taco (of 8) without additional toppings Calories: 130 Fat: 4.6 g Saturated fat: 0.7 g Carbohydrates: 20 g Sugar: 1.5 g Sodium: 203 g Fiber: 4.2 g Protein: 3.8 g

MEXICAN PINTO BEANS FROM SCRATCH (1 POT)

This is also from Dana of the Minimalist Baker. Prep Time: 6 hours 15 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour; Total Time: 7 hours 15 minutes.

View this on the Minimalist Baker list at http://minimalistbaker.com/mexican-pinto-beans-scratch-1-pot/.

Ingredients

1 pound pinto beans*, soaked overnight in cool water (or for at least 6 hours)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 white onion, diced

3 large cloves garlic, minced (1 1/2 Tbsp)

1 pinch each sea salt + black pepper, plus more to taste

1 quality vegetable bullion (or 1 cup vegetable broth)

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced, plus 1 tsp adobo sauce, plus more to taste

1/2 cup diced tomatoes and green chilies (I used Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes with green chilies)

1 Tbsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp chili powder*

optional: 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

Add pinto beans to a large pot and cover with cool water (at least a few inches above the beans as they will expand). Soak for at least 6 hours or overnight* uncovered at room temperature.

Once beans are soaked, drain and set aside.

Heat your large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add olive oil, diced onion and garlic, and season with a healthy pinch each sea salt and black pepper. Stir to coat and sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until onion is soft and translucent.

Next add drained beans and bouillon cube and cover with water about 2 inches over the top, as the beans will expand while cooking. If using vegetable broth in place of a bouillon cube, add vegetable broth first, and then water so you don't add too much liquid.

Add chipotle pepper and diced tomatoes, stir and bring to a low boil. Then reduce heat to low or medium-low and simmer for 40-50 minutes, or until beans are tender.

Once the beans are tender and cooked through add remaining seasonings: adobo sauce, salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon (optional). Stir to coat and cook on low for 10 more minutes to let the flavors meld.

Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt to taste, cumin for smokiness, chili for depth of flavor, cinnamon for warmth, or adobo sauce (and minced adobo peppers) for heat. You want them very well seasoned, so don't be shy!

Your beans are now ready to enjoy! These make a delicious addition to burrito bowls, burritos, tacos, nachos, taco salads, veggie burgers, and more. You could also add them to chili!

Store beans well covered in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Will keep in the freezer for 1 month (oftentimes longer).

Notes

*1 pound dried beans typically equals 2 cups dried or 4-5 cups cooked.

*The chili powder I used was from Whole Foods and contains a blend of chili peppers, cumin, garlic, oregano, coriander, cloves and allspice.

*6-8 hours is the optimal amount of time for soaking your beans. The longer you soak them, the more tender they will become, and the more likely they will split and separate during cooking. So if you can't get to them right away, simply drain, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.

*Recipe method adapted from All Recipes and The Sprouted Kitchen Cookbook.

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 half-cup serving of 10 total servings. The recipe yields roughly 5 cups cooked beans.

*I recently discovered that Trader Joe's beans are BPA-free, which is great news if you forget to prep ahead of time. In a pinch, buying cans that are BPA-free is still a good option.

Nutrition Information: Serving size: 1/2 cup Calories: 189 Fat: 2.5 g Carbohydrates: 31.6 g Sugar: 2 g Sodium: 367 mg Fiber: 8.4 g Protein: 10.6 g

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

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.

GRILLED PORTOBELLO TACOS WITH SALSA VERDE

This yummy recipe was updated on the Vegetarian Times website on April 27, 2020. It begins, “Juicy, earthy portobello mushrooms make these tacos a mouthwatering treat.

“Don't worry if the mushroom caps seem slightly undercooked when you pull them from the grill; leave them out on a plate, and they will continue to cook (this is called carryover cooking).”

Makes 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/grilled-portobello-tacos-with-salsa-verde-recipe.

Ingredients

Marinade

1/3 cup canola oil

3 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. black pepper

Tacos

6 large portobello mushroom caps

6 6-inch soft corn tortillas

2 avocados, sliced

2 cups chopped tomatoes

3 cups shredded cabbage

Salsa Verde

4 tomatillos, chopped (or 1 cup canned)

1 large green bell pepper or poblano chile, roughly chopped

1 large bunch fresh cilantro, leaves only

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic

3 tsp. organic sugar or agave nectar

1 1/4 tsp. canola oil

1 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

Preparation

Preheat grill or grill pan to high heat. To make Marinade: combine all ingredients in small bowl.

To make Tacos:

Brush mushroom caps with marinade. Grill mushrooms 3 to 5 minutes per side. Cool until easy to handle, then slice into strips.

To make Salsa Verde:

Purée all ingredients in food processor 1 minute, or until smooth. Pour salsa over mushroom strips, and let stand 5 to 10 minutes.

Lightly warm tortillas 15 seconds per side in skillet or on griddle. Fill tortillas with sliced mushrooms, avocado slices, tomatoes, and cabbage. Top each taco with sour cream, if using.