Taco Tuesday

It's time for another Taco Tuesday. Today's offerings include Crispy Baked Tacos with Pineapple Salsa and Mini Tofu Tacos. Enjoy!

GLUTEN-FREE LENTIL QUINOA TACO PIE

This was on the Vegetarian Times web site, and begins, "Sometimes you want a complex, engaging cooking project that results in an exciting, creative meal, perfect and elegantly plated. Other times you just want to mix a couple things together, stick one pan in the oven, and have dinner for six people (or one person with leftovers for days) come out the other side. This lentil-quinoa taco pie is the latter type of recipe.

"The casserole features black beans, lentils, and quinoa, so you know it’s going to be hearty. As written, the recipe calls for egg and cheddar cheese, but plant-based versions of both will work well here. Customize the spices and garnishes in the taco pie to your preferences. For best results, cook and cool quinoa ahead of time, or use frozen cooked quinoa and thaw before using."

Prep Time 25 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Makes 6 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Pie

1 cup cooked quinoa

1 15-oz BPA-free can black beans, drained and rinsed (TRY: Eden Organic Black Beans No Salt Added)

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil (TRY: Origin 846 Unfiltered Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

1 small yellow onion, diced

1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped

1 tbsp ancho chile powder

1 tsp ground cumin (TRY: Simply Organic Ground Cumin)

2 cups BPA-free canned crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup water

1 19-oz BPA-free can lentils, drained

1/4 tsp each sea salt and ground black pepper (TRY: Simply Organic Ground Black Pepper)

Garnishes

1/4 cup sour cream, optional

1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce

2 tbsp pickled sliced jalapeño peppers

2 tbsp chopped tomato

1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

Make pie: Preheat oven to 375°F. Mist a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together quinoa, beans, one-half of cheese, beaten egg and cilantro. Set aside.

In a medium skillet on medium, heat oil. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add bell pepper, chile powder and cumin; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, water and lentils. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper.

Spread half of sauce over bottom of prepared baking dish. Top with quinoa mixture. Top with remaining sauce. Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining one-half of cheese and bake for 10 minutes more.

Serve taco pie topped with sour cream (if using), lettuce, jalapeños, tomato and cilantro.

SNAPPY TACOS

This is another good taco recipe from Vegetarian Times. This one begins, "Just two of these tacos provide nearly all the soy protein of the daily FDA recommendation of 25 grams." Yield: Serves 4.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients:

4 tsp. vegetable oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

12-oz. pkg. soy crumbles, plain or taco-flavored

1/4 cup dark beer (see Note

1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. dried oregano

2 large jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped

1/2 cup salsa, drained

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

8 taco shells

Garnishes: See my note under Toppings for the Tasty Black Beans & Corn Tacos, above.

Note: If you - like me - don't have dark beer (or any beer, for that matter), I suggest simply increasing the low-sodium vegetable broth to 3/4 cup

Instructions:

In large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add 1/4 cup onion and 1/4 teaspoon garlic and cook, stirring often, until onion is softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat and mix in soy crumbles, beer and broth. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, about 8 minutes. Transfer mixture to plate and set aside. Wipe out skillet.

Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in skillet over medium-low heat. Add remaining onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until onion is softened, about 4 minutes. Add chili powder, oregano and jalapeños, stirring until mixture is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add reserved crumbles, salsa and cilantro and stir well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes.

Spoon 1⁄4 cup filling into each taco shell. Top with some or all garnishes and serve hot.

Nutrition Information: Calories: 302; Protein: 22 g; Total Fat: 11 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 28 g; Cholesterol: mg; Sodium: 633 mg; Fiber: 8 g; Sugar: g

THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS TACOS WITH CRANBERRY SALSA [VEGAN, GLUTEN-FREE]

This is from Annessia Maillet & Beth DeCarlo at One Green Planet. The recipe begins, "Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches are kind of legendary. We mean, the best part about Thanksgiving is getting to put all those leftovers in a sandwich, right? Well, why no try it in a taco? You can make this recipe using your Thanksgiving leftovers, but if you don’t happen to have a refrigerator full of leftovers, you can easily whip up some Thanksgiving tacos from scratch. Just roast a couple of veggies, sauté up some herbed seitan or veggie meat, top it off with some cranberry salsa and a drizzle of tahini, and you have yourself one glorious taco."

Serves 8

To view this online, go to https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/thanksgiving-leftovers-tacos-with-cranberry-salsa/.

Ingredients

For the Cranberry Salsa:

1-1/2 cups fresh cranberries

1 large apple (a sweet variety, like Gala or Fuji, works best)

1/2 a jalapeño pepper

1 shallot or 1/2 small onion

Juice from 1 lime

3 tablespoons of sugar or coconut sugar

For the Tacos:

2 small sweet potatoes or mashed potatoes

8 ounces Brussels sprouts

8 ounces seitan or 2 cups any veggie meat, cubed

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground sage

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 flour tortillas (gluten-free if necessary)

Tahini, for drizzling (see notes)

Preparation

To Make the Salsa:

Dice the apple, jalapeño, and shallot into 1/4-inch pieces. Remove the seeds from the jalapeno before dicing if you prefer.

Add the cranberries, apple, jalapeño, and shallot to your food processor. Pulse several times so that the ingredients are finely chopped but are not liquefied.

Put the mixture in a small bowl. Add the lime juice and sugar, then stir. Let the flavors meld for at least 15 minutes before serving.

To Make the Tacos:

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Peel and cut the sweet potato into 1/2-inch cubes. Cut the Brussels sprouts into quarters.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the sweet potatoes on one sheet and the Brussels sprouts on the other. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over each sheet, and sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and salt. Toss to make sure the vegetables are well-coated.

Bake both sheets for 15-20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are soft and the Brussels sprouts are soft and beginning to brown. The sweet potatoes may need to be baked 5 minutes longer than the Brussels sprouts. Remove both sheets from the oven when they are ready.

While the vegetables are baking, cut the seitan or veggie meat into bite-size pieces. Heat a skillet over medium heat.

When the pan is hot, add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and the seitan. Add the thyme and sage and stir to make sure the seitan is well-coated. Cook the seitan for 5-7 minutes, turning the seitan frequently to brown on all sides.

Remove from the heat once brown and crispy.

Warm the tortillas in a skillet, add the sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and seitan. Top with salsa. Drizzle tahini over each taco.

Notes

If your tahini is too thick to drizzle, thin it out with some warm water.

MINI TOFU TACOS

This is from the Food Network, and begins, "These bite-sized vegetarian treats evoke the flavors of a crispy fried fish taco. Delicious, crispy spiced tofu is stuffed into mini corn tortillas with fresh and flavorful toppings like pico de gallo, crunchy cabbage, avocado, fresh jalapeño and crema for a healthful snack that’s loaded with flavor."

Active Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 18 mini tofu tacos; Level: Easy

View this online at https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mini-tofu-tacos-12138037.

Ingredients

1 14-ounce package extra-firm tofu, drained

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Kosher salt

Vegetable oil, for frying

18 4-1/2-inch corn tortillas

Shredded cabbage, sliced avocado, pico de gallo, crema, chopped cilantro, sliced jalapeño and/or lime wedges, for serving

Directions

Cut the tofu lengthwise into 7 even planks. Cut each plank lengthwise into thirds, then evenly dice into 1/2-inch pieces. Spread the diced tofu on a large baking sheet lined with a kitchen towel or paper towels. Cover with another towel to absorb the moisture. Set aside 5 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano and garlic powder in a large bowl. Season the tofu with salt, then toss with the cornstarch mixture to coat. Heat 1/4 inch vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu in an even layer and cook, undisturbed, until the tofu starts to brown slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Gently stir, then continue to cook, tossing, until golden brown all over and very crispy, 5 to 7 more minutes. Transfer the tofu to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Sprinkle with salt.

Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave until softened and hot, 30 to 45 seconds.

Assemble the tacos: Place some cabbage in the center of each tortilla; top with a slice of avocado. Add some tofu, pico de gallo, a drizzle of crema, chopped cilantro and jalapeño. Serve with lime wedges.

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