Taco Tuesday

It's time for another Taco Tuesday. Today's vegetarian tacos include Black Bean Tacos with Roasted Peppers and Onions, Jackfruit Vegan Tacos and Delicious Vegan Battered ‘Fish’ Tacos. Enjoy!

SALSA ROJA BLACK BEAN TACOS

This is from Vegetarian Times, and begins, "Salsa roja is a cooked salsa made with skillet- or grill-blackened onions, tomatoes, and garlic. Serve in warmed corn tortillas." Makes 4 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/salsa-roja-black-bean-tacos/.

Ingredients

1 large onion, quartered, divided

2 round or plum tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, plus 1/2 tsp. adobo sauce

1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

Directions

Cut one-quarter of onion into 3 or 4 chunks. Chop remaining three-quarters of onion, and set aside.

Place medium skillet over medium-high heat. Char onion chunks, tomatoes, and garlic cloves in dry skillet 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove onion and garlic to plate while tomatoes continue 
to blacken. Break up tomatoes with wooden spoon or spatula; return onion and garlic to skillet. Add chipotle chile, adobo sauce, and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes. Transfer to blender, and blend until smooth.

Wipe out skillet, and coat with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat. Add chopped onion, cover, and cook 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add beans and salsa roja, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until thickened.

DELICIOUS VEGAN BATTERED 'FISH' TACOS

This comes from PETA. Makes 6 tacos.

To view this online, go to https://www.peta.org/recipes/fish-tacos/.

Ingredients

1 pkg. Gardein fishless filets

1 tsp. oil or lime juice

6 medium-sized corn tortillas

1/2 cup guacamole or 1 avocado, sliced

Diced onion (optional)

Chopped cilantro (optional)

Jalapeño slices (optional)

Lime juice (optional)

Instructions

Cook the fishless filets according to package directions.

Warm the oil in a pan over medium heat. Place a tortilla in the pan and cook, turning once, until softened.

Remove from the pan and spread with 1 tablespoonful of the guacamole.

Cut the cooked fishless filets into strips and place 3 strips on the tortilla. If desired, top with diced onion, chopped cilantro, and jalapeño slices and drizzle with lime juice.

Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Serve with salsa, vegan sour cream, or vegan tartar sauce.

JACKFRUIT VEGAN TACOS

This is from Cassidy Carolino at AllRecipes. She wrote, "Jackfruit is a great vegan alternative to shredded chicken to use in tacos. These jackfruit tacos are delicious and vegan! Choose your favorite taco toppings, such as lettuce, tomato, cilantro, avocado, vegan cheese, and vegan sour cream."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 3 minutes; Total Time: 13 minutes; Servings: 4

To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/258806/jackfruit-vegan-tacos/.

Ingredients

2 (20 ounce) cans jackfruit in brine - drained, rinsed, and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon water, or more as needed

2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix, or to taste

4 taco shells

1/2 cup salsa, or to taste

Directions

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add jackfruit; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon water and taco seasoning; stir until well combined, about 1 minute. Add additional water 1 tablespoon at a time as needed.

Place a small amount of jackfruit in each taco shell; add 2 tablespoons salsa.

VEGETARIAN TACO BAKE

This is from Casey Barber on the Today Show site. It begins, "Taco night! Those two little words bring big smiles to everyone in the family, and now there's a new way to do tacos that might be even easier than the traditional method — and it's vegetarian, too! This easy rice and beans casserole combines everything you love about tacos in a fun, scoopable package. Whether you like bowl-style Mexican meals or classic crunchy hard shells, you'll find something to love in this meal.

"Make it with leftover rice or your favorite whole grain, substitute black beans or kidney beans, or even add a freshly-chopped jalapeno if you really want to spice things up! Scoop and serve and watch the smiles."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Servings: 4-6

To view this online, go to https://www.today.com/recipes/vegetarian-taco-bake-t84181.

Ingredients

1 15-ounce can pinto beans or ranchero beans, drained

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles

3 cups cooked brown or white rice (from 1 cup dried rice)

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup + 1/3 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided (see below)

Cilantro for garnish (optional)

Tortilla chips for serving

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix the beans, tomatoes, chiles, rice, chili powder, salt, and 1/4 cup cheese together in a large bowl.

Pour the mixture into a 9-inch square or round baking dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup cheese evenly over the casserole.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Garnish with cilantro, if desired, and serve with tortilla chips on the side or for scooping.

BLACK BEAN TACOS WITH ROASTED PEPPERS AND ONIONS

This is also from Vegetarian Times. This one begins, “For a fast meal that’s a surefire crowd-pleaser, these tacos fit the bill.” Yield: Serves 8.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients:

Roasted Peppers and Onions

3 red bell peppers, thinly sliced (3 cups)

1 large onion, thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)

1 Tbs. olive oil

Tacos

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)

6 cloves garlic, minced (2 Tbs.)

2 15-oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-oz. can diced organic fire-roasted tomatoes

1 Tbs. chili powder

1 Tbs. ground cumin

1/8 tsp. hot sauce, or more to taste

16 organic corn taco shells, warmed

Toppings

3 cups shredded lettuce

1 16-oz. container prepared salsa

2 large tomatoes, diced (2 cups)

2 avocados, diced (2 cups)

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup low-fat sour cream

Instructions:

To make Roasted Peppers and Onions: Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss peppers and onion with oil on large baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Roast 15 minutes, stir, and roast 15 minutes more, or until vegetables are tender and peppers are beginning to blacken. Transfer to small bowl.

Meanwhile, to make Tacos: Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until soft. Add garlic, and cook 1 minute more, or until fragrant. Stir in beans, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, hot sauce, and 1 cup water. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. Mash beans until filling is thickened, but chunky, and most beans remain intact. Adjust seasonings, if necessary. Transfer to serving bowl. Pass taco shells, filling, Roasted Peppers and Onions, and Toppings around the table.

Nutrition Information: Calories: 482; Protein: 16 g; Total Fat: 22 g; Saturated Fat: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 57 g; Cholesterol: 17 mg; Sodium: 665 mg; Fiber: 12 g; Sugar: 14 g

CRUNCHY BLACK BEAN TACOS

This comes from The Kitchn’s e-newsletter. If you haven’t signed up for The Kitchn’s e-newsletter yet, I highly recommend that, as well as its sibling site, Apartment Therapy.

This recipe serves 3 to 4, or makes 8 tacos; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes and can be found online by clicking here.

2 cups cooked black beans

1/2 cup minced red onion

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

Pinch of salt

4 to 6 ounces (1 heaping cup) grated Pepper Jack cheese

2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

8 corn tortillas

Toppings

Avocado

Hot sauce

Salsa

Sour cream

In a medium bowl, add beans along with red onion, cilantro, cumin, and paprika. Add a pinch of salt and lightly mash all the ingredients together. Grate the cheese and have it ready as well.

In a large, nonstick or cast-iron skillet, add the 2 tablespoons oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add one corn tortilla at a time and let each get hot in the oil for a few seconds. Then add about 1/4 cup of the bean filling to one half of the tortilla. Top with a sprinkle of grated cheese. Try not to overfill the tacos, or you might have issues flipping them without losing filling.

Using a spatula, carefully fold the other half of the tortilla over to form a shell. Press down lightly on the tortilla so it holds its shape. If some cheese spills out, don’t worry — it will get crispy and delicious.

As the first taco cooks, move it to the side and begin a second one. Depending on the size of your pan, you can cook two or three tacos at once. A griddle will hold even more.

Cook each taco until they are nicely browned and crispy, about 3 minutes per side. When flipping the taco to cook on the other side, use a spatula and flip the taco toward the fold so the filling doesn’t fall out. If your pan is very dry between batches, add another drizzle of oil.

Place the cooked tacos in a warm oven while you finish the rest. If the tacos are very greasy, blot them with a paper towel before moving them to the oven.

Serve tacos with toppings like hot sauce, salsa, avocados, and sour cream.

Recipe Notes:

Corn tortillas are resilient to heat. Don’t worry about burning them; they are very sturdy. Just be sure to cook tortillas on each side long enough to get them really crispy.