Aug 01 2013
Vegan Tacos
I’m on a mission to try new things. You know that feeling you get when you’ve been recycling the same 10 or 15 recipes for a little too long, and you just get tired of eating the same ol’, same ol’ (even though it may be quite good)? That is precisely what hit me recently.
In order to cure my I’ve-had-enough-of-this-itis, I did a little internet surfing and happened onto a gallery of vegetarian recipes on Chow.com. I was really delighted at how many of these looked different enough to get me excited. Today’s offering is my take on their mushroom and chile tacos. They were an absolute hit, and I’ve been asked to make them again – the sooner, the better.
Mushrooms (portobellos in particular) are a well-know meat substitute, popular with vegetarians and meat-lovers alike. They make an ideal filling for tacos, especially when paired with poblano peppers and lots of onions, as they are in this recipe.
I used baby bellas, and cut them in thick slices.
The flavorings for this dish are lots of cumin, oregano and garlic, paired with lime juice and fresh cilantro. I added crushed red pepper flakes for a little extra heat.
The taco itself is easily made from corn flour tortillas, using the following method:
Place one side of a tortilla in a dry, hot pan, and cook until it begins to char.
While the taco is still in the pan, use a spatula to fold in half.
Remove from heat and place on a plate. The taco will slightly harden as it cools.
The tacos are now ready to be filled with this delicious mushroom, onion, and chile mixture:
Mushroom and Chile Tacos
1 lb portobello mushrooms
2 Tbsp grapeseed or light olive oil
1 medium yellow onion
1 medium red onion
1.5 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
2 or 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 poblano pepper, halved, seeded, and sliced
1 handful cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp lime juice
sea salt to taste
Sauté mushrooms in oil over medium heat with cumin, oregano, salt and pepper flakes for 4 minutes, until they begin to color. Add sliced onions and poblano pepper and cook until onions soften. Add garlic and cook for one additional minute. Add tomato and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and add lime juice and cilantro.
All it needs is lime juice and cilantro, and it will be ready.
Your filling is now ready to be placed in the tacos. Serve with a salad, some sour cream and/or avocado as garnishes, and get ready to eat – SO good, I want more right now. Unfortunately, there are no leftovers… {quiet sob}
