Taco Night

After a week of restaurant hopping in Texas, we returned to a home-cooked meal today. Guess what we had? Taco night!!! Yup, we didn't get enough Tex-Mex while in good 'ol Tejas so we had to have some the first day we were home. 

Taco night at the Coder Residence!!! 

I've posted about our taco fixin's before (see here). Today, we had Steamed Corn, Southwestern Quinoa, Spicy Black Beans, Sautéed Onions, Fresh Tomatoes .. and for the omni boys some taco meat and cheese.  For final toppings we had Salsa Verde and regular Medium Salsa. Everyone made their tacos with what they liked ... and everyone was happy!! No added-fat in the veggie fixins'!

Taco fixins!!! 

My Assessment: A+++ ... this might just be the most favorite dinner at the Coder residence.

Kale-Loaded TVP Tacos

All day today I was thinking about how I was going to use the big bunch of Kale I had sitting in the fridge ..!! Yes .. you can stop laughing now ... I am indeed that nutty that I was dreaming about Kale!! On the way home, my food thoughts began to stray and I started thinking about crunchy tacos!! What could be better than combining both my food fantasies ... 

HH TVP Tacos with Kale

Adapted from: Happy Herbivore TVP Taco Meat

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients (6 servings):

1. 2 cups TVP (rinsed and drained in fine-mesh strainer)
2. 4 tbsp A1 Steak Sauce 
3. 4 tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce 
4. 2 tsbp Nutritional Yeast
5. 4 tbsp Onion flakes 
6. 4 tsp Chili powder 
7. 2.5 tsp Garlic Powder 
8. 2 tsp Ground Cumin 
9. 1 tsp hot sauce (to taste) 
10. 3 cups of Kale (fresh, stems removed)
11. 1 small tomato, diced
12. Corn Tortillas/Taco Shells (2 per serving)
13. Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Combine all the dry ingredients/spices in 1.5-2 cups of water using a whisk. Pour everything into a large skillet (the largest you can find with a lid). Add rinsed and drained TVP to this liquid and stir to combine everything together; simmer for 5 minutes until almost dry. Layer kale over the TVP, cover, reduce heat to medium and allow the kale to wilt (5-7 minutes).  Uncover, toss everything together and allow excess water to evaporate (another 5-7 minutes). 

Kale Loaded Tacos

While the kale and TVP is cooking, preheat oven to 350 F and place corn tortillas on an inverted muffin pan. Roasting regular corn tortillas for ~8-10 minutes in this manner makes great home-made taco shells that are baked, and not fried. They don't always have the perfect shell shape but they're pretty close and each one is unique :) !! Allow taco shells to cool for a few minutes after you remove them from the oven. Load up with TVP-Kale mix, sprinkle diced tomatoes on top and garnish with a sprig of cilantro. Umm Umm Good!

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)*: Calories 204 (Fat Calories 10)

Total Fat 1.1 g; Carbohydrates 29.1 g; Dietary Fiber 9.1 g; Sugars 6.5 g; Protein 21.9 g

* Nutrition facts are provided without the taco shells as calorie content can vary by size and brand.

Mushroom & Kale Tacos

If asked, any member of my family, ranging from 3 to 43 years, will say without pause that their ideal meal consists of Tacos. Since going plant-based I've tried to incorporate as many of my veggies into burritos and tacos and tonight's meal was no exception (although I cannot get any of the other 4 people to eat these tacos). I had some leftover Wilted Kale & Onion Salad from earlier in the week. And I saw some fresh mushrooms as I was taking the leftovers out of the fridge. Into a skillet went the sliced mushrooms, with 1 cup of Wilted Kale and Onion Salad and Voila!! 

Mushroom & Kale Tacos

Prep time: 15 min

Ingredients: 

1. 1 bunch of Kale, stems removed and leaves coarsely torn
2. 1 medium Red Onion, julienned
3. 6-8 White button mushrooms, sliced thinly
4. 2 cloves of Garlic, minced
5. 3-4 tbsp Medium Salsa, to taste
6. Salt & Pepper, to taste
7. 4 Corn Tortillas, for taco shells.

Directions: 

Rinse torn kale in cold water, drain and set aside. Slice mushrooms and set aside. Line a large skillet with water. Add garlic and turn heat to medium. As soon as the garlic begins to simmer, add the julienned onions and mushrooms and kale. Cover, reduce heat to medium low. Within a couple of minutes, the kale will turn bright green and begin to wilt. Keep covered for 2 additional minutes. Remove lid and turn heat to high for a couple of minutes to allow the water to evaporate. The kale will however, continue to sweat so the tacos will be a little wet and drippy. I didn't mind that part of it. if you want your tacos really dry, make sure you dry the kale completely. In my opinion though kale doesn't taste as good when it is dry because it is a very fibrous leaf. Prepare taco shells by wrapping in foil and heating in a 350F oven for 5 minutes. Prepare tacos, Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper, and more salsa, as necessary. Serve warm. 

My Assessment: This isn't a dish that looks pretty ;) or appetizing to non-kale lovers :) but it was amazingly delish!!! I enjoyed these tacos with freshly made HH Butternut Squash Soup. I didn't add any additional toppings because this was flavorful enough for me. Optional toppings include freshly diced fresh tomatoes, olives, even fresh sweet corn.

Tacos de Papa, Hash Style

Since T is not a big fan of tofu or fake meats, or oatmeal, or nut milks .. his plant-based breakfast choices are quite limited. He has a bowl of fruit (apples, pears, peaches, strawberries or other berries) for breakfast during the week. So one weekends, I try to provide some variety. I know for a fact that he LOVES tacos ... and I've tried Tacos de Papa before and he loved it. Unfortunately for me .. I get bored with eating the same things again and again. So today, I decided to change it up just a tad ... ;-) !!! .. Tacos de Papa, Hash Style.  

Tacos de Papa, Hash Style

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

1. 2 medium Russet potatoes, peeled and shredded
2. 1-2 tsp dried Onion flakes
3. 1-2 tsp Garlic powder
4. 1-2 tsp Cumin powder
5. 1-2 tsp Taco Seasoning
6. Salt and Pepper, to taste
7. 4 Corn Tortillas

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix potato and all spices together. The moisture from the potatoes will help the spices stick to it which is great because the flavors penetrate the potatoes, but it always means that you need to mix everything really well to get an even distribution of spices.

Preheat a large non-stick or seasoned cast iron skillet on medium heat. Spread potatoes in an even layer on the entire surface. Cover and allow to cook for about 5-7 minutes. Do not disturb during this time at all. After about 5-7 min, use a flat spatula and gently lift the layer of potatoes off the bottom of the skillet.  

The moisture from the potatoes allows the layer to form a skin which prevents it from sticking. Increase heat to high for a couple of minutes to allow the bottom to turn a golden brown color. Flip it over, in one piece if possible, reduce heat to medium, cover and allow the other side to cook in the same way.

Once the hash is nice and crispy, transfer to a cutting board and cut into 8 wedges, or more if needed. Serve with salsa, fresh tomatoes, greens or a whole host of breakfast taco toppings (see list here). We ate it today just by itself with some dried cilantro and Spicy Mango Habanero Salsa.

You can even serve the hash just by itself as a side with Tofu Scramble. Yum!!! 

Oil-Free Loaded Tostadas

So we're a family of Mexican food lovers ... all the boys including 3-year old li'l Nik Coder love tortilla chips with salsa and when asked, each one of us, will prefer to eat at a Mexican restaurant than any place else. Tacos are on our regular dinner rotation and everyone enjoys them immensely. Over the last several months, Tony has moved from making beef tacos to using ground turkey and recently even grilled chicken (the kids all still eat meat).

Since I went plant-based 9 months ago, I've tried TVP tacos, chick pea tacos, portabella mushroom tacos, squash fajita burritos and even just bean burritos. While I've always been a soft taco kinda gal ... the boys all seem to prefer crispy shells. Tony is especially fond of tostadas .. although it always bothered me to see him deep frying flour tortillas (not a very healthy option I must add!!). Now that Tony is going plant-based with me (yayy!) ... and his repertoire of plant-based foods is still somewhat limited, we've been trying to explore new foods and today was the day to try some new taco toppings. As I was getting dinner ready, he mentioned tostadas ... just in passing .. and I remembered reading this blog post a few weeks ago (I can't recall where) which talked about making baked tostadas and taco shells. And so ... taco night quickly transformed into Loaded Tostada night :)

Oil-Free Loaded Tostada

It was so superbly satisfying for me to able to serve Tostadas without even a trace of oil. All in all tonight's dinner took about 20 minutes to prepare (I multi-task well and used a combination of appliances - pressure cooker, microwave, oven and the stove). This was one of the more enjoyable dinners we've had in a long time.  Preheat oven to 375 F. Drape store-bought corn tortillas/soft tacos over an inverted muffin pan and bake for 6-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for a few minutes (to allow them to crisp up a tad more) and serve warm. ... super simple and not fried or dripping oil!!  

Here's how I went about preparing each of the toppings -

Southwestern Quinoa - I use an electric pressure cooker for making Quinoa, and follow Chef AJ's technique. 1 cup Quinoa + 1.5 cup water - Cook under high pressure for 2 min, let stand for 10 min and release the steam immediately for fluffy perfectly cooked quinoa - every time. Today, I simply added 2 tsp of Taco seasoning mix to give it the southwestern kick. Or you can make Quinoa is a sauce pan too (simply use 2 cups of water for every cup of Quinoa). 

Sautéed Mushrooms - Slice 1 cup mushrooms and sauté in a skillet lined with water (or vegetable broth), with 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp soy sauce and salt (to taste) until mushrooms are tender and all the water has evaporated. 

Sautéed Corn - Thaw 1 cup frozen corn and sauté in a skillet lined with water (or vegetable broth), with 1-2 tsp Taco seasoning until all the water has evaporated. 

Refried Black Beans - Drain 1 can of plain black beans, add 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 2-3 tbsp mild salsa and microwave on high (uncovered) for 5 min. Remove, mix well with a spatula making sure to smush some of the beans while doing so. Microwave on high for another 2-3 minutes, uncovered. Or you can also do the same thing in a skillet. 

Serve with fresh salsa, freshly diced tomatoes, black or green olives, avocado and lettuce (we didn't have any today). Um mm good! 

My Assessment: I am a convert. I can most definitely say that these were so much better than soft tacos. The crispy shell adds so much more to the overall gustatory pleasure of tacos :) ... I hate to admit it ... but Tony was right all along! Tostadas are so much better than soft tacos. One more lesson I learnt from Tony today (after my tostadas were already loaded), spread the beans first then add the rest of the toppings - that helps all the other toppings stay on so much better!! Enjoy!

Tacos de Papa

Tacos de Papa (Potato Tacos) is a great breakfast dish and is often served in Tex Mex cuisine as a Breakfast Taco.  Having lived in Austin TX, I really miss breakfast tacos. This morning I had some Red potatoes that were were to sprouting shoots in the next day or so and I knew I wanted to use them. Here's what I came up with. 

Tacos de Papa

Ingredients:

1. 6-8 red potatoes, diced into small chunks
2. 1 tsp minced Garlic
3. 1 tbsp Onion flakes
4. 1-2 tsp Cumin
5. 1-2 tsp Taco seasoning
6. Salt and Pepper, to taste
7. Salsa, to taste
8. 2-4 Tortillas (I prefer corn, but all I had today were flour!).

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F. In a large mixing bowl, combine tomatoes and all spices, and add a splash of water. Toss everything together until spices are evenly distributed. Spray a baking sheet with a thin film of cooking spray and spread potatoes in a single layer. Bake uncovered until golden brown; you may need to toss them a couple of times in between. Warm tortillas by wrapping in aluminum foil and placing in the oven along with the potatoes for the last couple of minutes. Once potatoes are done, remove from oven, and wrap in warm tortillas with a little bit of salsa. Yum! 

Notes & Options:

* These potatoes can also be eaten as a side-dish with whatever else you may be having for dinner. ** Toss these crispy potatoes into a salad instead of croutons, for some no-fat crispy croutons. *** If you don't want the oven on in this heat, you can easily make this in a skillet, except the potatoes don't get as crispy as they do in an oven and sometimes get a little mushy. **** Eat these potatoes with some Tofu Scramble if you're looking to add some protein to the meal.

Southwestern Quinoa & Portabella Tacos

I made a big batch of southwestern style Quinoa to last me a whole week :) !! While plain Quinoa is amazing by itself in sweet and savory dishes, this southwestern version totally blows it out of the ball park! 

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup Quinoa
2. 1 cup mild Salsa
3. 2 Portabello mushrooms, Sliced
4. 1/2 cup Snow Peas
5. 2 tbsp Taco Seasoning
6. 2 Whole wheat tortillas

Directions:

Rinse quinoa and prepare as I've described previously (How to Prepare Quinoa). To make 'Southwestern' style quinoa, a version similar to Spanish rice served in Mexican restaurants across the country, I simply added fresh homemade salsa while preparing quinoa. In order to ensure that I could add Salsa without overwhelming my quinoa with liquid, I used a large mesh strainer to drain all of the liquid from the salsa into a measuring cup. Then, I made up the volume I needed with tap water.  I mixed the Salsa solids with the dry quinoa and added the measured amount of liquid to cook the quinoa. Once done, fluff with a fork for the best consistency. 

Separately, line a skillet with water and add taco seasoning. Once mixed, add the snow peas and cook for a few minutes and then add the sliced mushrooms. Toss well and cook for a couple more minutes until done. Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and warm in an oven set to 350F (takes 4-5 minutes).

Prepare Tacos by layering quinoa and veggies. I didn't have any fresh greens today, but a nice layer of baby spinach would definitely add a nice crunch to it as well. Overall a yummy no-added-fat dinner that was ready in 15-20 minutes.

* For a mild Salsa combine the following in a food processor.

1. 2 large or extra-large fresh Tomatoes
2. 2 Green Onions/Scallions
3. 1/4 cup fresh Cilantro leaves
4. 1 clove of Garlic
5. 1/4 Jalapeño (deseeded)
6. Juice of 1 lime
7. Salt, to taste

HH Chickpea Tacos

One of the most inspiring websites/blogs I found in the early days of becoming plant-based was Happy Herbivore. Since then I follow the blog daily and I also have both of Lindsay's cookbooks. One of the recipes that I've been thinking of trying for a long time and I haven't gotten around to, until now, is Chickpea Tacos. I made it today and boy - do I regret not having made It before. I usually have all the ingredients on hand - which happens to be the best part about the HH recipes and both cookbooks - simple recipes with simple ingredients. 

Prep Time:  15 min. 

Ingredients: See Chickpea Tacos. 

Directions: I followed the recipe as written, with the exception that I made the chickpeas in a skillet. I lined the skillet with water, added all the ingredients and kept it going until the water was almost dry. The blog recipe uses taco seasoning, but the recipe in the HHC book asks for individual components of taco seasoning - one of which is granulated onions. That's what you see in the picture below. Also, I used whole wheat tortillas and made soft tacos, instead of using shells.

My Assessment: A++

Quinoa & Mushroom Tacos

A friend of mine mentioned to me the other day that she made Quinoa Black Bean wraps and really enjoyed those. I've been meaning to ask her for the recipe, but haven't gotten around to it. This evening, T was making Chicken Tacos for himself and the boys and since he would have all the other fixings on the dinner table already, I figured I'd make myself some TVP Tacos. Then, I remembered I had some sliced button mushrooms in the fridge that I needed to use soon, and some steamed quinoa from last night, which I also wanted to use soon. 

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1. 4-6 oz button mushrooms, sliced
2. 1 small red onion, sliced
3. 2-3 tsp Cumin
4. 1-2 tsp Taco Seasoning
5. 2 tbsp Corn Salsa
6. 1/4 cup Vegetable broth
7. Salt and pepper, to taste
8. 1 small tomato, diced
9. 1/2 cup Quinoa, prepared
10. 2 corn or flour tortillas, wrapped in foil and warmed in an oven (350F).
11. Enchilada sauce or fresh salsa (optional) 

Directions:

Line a skillet with vegetable broth, add onions and mushrooms and cook down. Then add seasonings, corn salsa and salt and pepper to taste. Prepare tacos by layering mushroom & onions, quinoa, fresh diced tomato and top with salsa. Enjoy!! 

Breakfast Tacos

Last week I tried the Breakfast Tofu Scramble from the Everyday Happy Herbivore cookbook and absolutely fell in love with it. Eggs and toast on a weekend morning are an age-old tradition and it was one of the few non-plant-based meals that I really missed. This Tofu scramble is a great substitute for scrambled eggs. Over the years, living in Ohio, one other weekend tradition I've missed is Breakfast Tacos. I lived in  Austin TX for 6 years before moving to Ohio, and enjoyed Breakfast Tacos from various restaurants and shacks around the city. This seems to be entirely an "Austin tradition" that's even missing from other Texas cities and other states along the Mexican-American border. Breakfast burritos are found all over the place ... but small soft tacos ... sadly, the answer is always - Nopes!!

Texas Breakfast Tacos

Prep Time: 10 min. or less

Ingredients & Directions: I followed the HH Tofu Scramble recipe to a tee, with the exception that I didn't use any dijon mustard (didn't have any!), and I mixed in about 2-3 tbsp of Salsa while the scramble was still in the skillet itself (to warm it up) and I added some freshly super-finely diced Cilantro leaves as well. Garnish with pepper and  Voila!!! Yum!! 

Used my cast-iron skillet today :)

Breakfast Tacos taste best with flour tortillas. You can substitute with corn tortillas if you prefer those. I had it just as is, with no toppings, with warmed flour tortillas. Some people like to drizzle Salsa and other toppings. Here are a few other suggestions .... 

1. Ham
2. Bacon
3. Cheese
4. Black Beans 
5. Refried Beans
6. Spanish Rice 
7. Pico de Gallo
8. Fresh Cilantro
9. Salsa Ranchera
10. Fresh Tomatoes
11. Sautéed Mushrooms
12. Hash Brown Potatoes
13. Sautéed or fresh sliced Onions
14. Crumbled Sausage or Chorizo
15. Fresh or Pickled   Jalapeños
16. Fresh Avocado or Guacamole

Of course, for those of you who still prefer eggs ;) feel free to substitute the Tofu Scramble with scrambled eggs! But try this Tofu scramble and I can guarantee that you will stick to this version instead of eggs. 

Vegetarian Taco Salad

After home-cooked Indian food, I can say quite confidently that Mexican cuisine is probably my most favorite. And taco salad, or the american version of it, probably ranks super high on the list. Ever since I made TVP Tacos a few weeks ago, I've been wanting to try TVP on salad. For those of you who're unaware of the acronym, TVP stands of Texturized Vegetable Protein, or Soy protein. It is found either granulated, or in large chunks. Bob's Red Mill is probably the most commonly found brand of TVP in American grocery stores. 

Vegetarian Taco Salad

Prep Time: 15 min.

Directions: I prepared the Taco Meat exactly as described (Happy Herbivore) with the only modification being that I like to dry the TVP as much as possible, without burning it. I think that gives it a more "beefy" taste and texture.  Lindsay's combination of soy sauce and steak sauce gives TVP a very authentic look and taste as well. 

For the salad itself, I used an organic spring green mix, added diced tomatoes, steamed corn and canned (rinsed) red kidney beans.  I didn't use an cheese (not even vegan cheese) and topped my salad off with some fresh mild salsa. I would have liked to add some crushed taco chips (but forgot!! ha ha!) ... I guess the  salad looked so delish even without it that I couldn't hold off ant longer. Overall an awesome dinner!!

Mushroom & Red Pepper Tacos w Salsa Verde

Tomatillos - Vegetable #6 for New Year Resolution #2 - Take 2!! The last time I made Roasted Tomatillo Zucchini and really liked it. I had 3 tomatillos left behind and wanted to use them before they went bad. It was interesting that a google search brings up hundreds of recipes for Salsa Verde. So I decided to try it out today.

Mushroom & Red Pepper Tacos w Salsa Verde

Prep Time: 20 minutes overall.

Ingredients: 

1. 3 medium tomatillos, husks removed, halved
2. 1 small red onion, quartered.
3. 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
4. 1 small fresh jalapeno (optional)
5. 2-3 tbsp lemon/lime juice
6. 1 large red bell pepper, diced or sliced
7. 2 Portabella mushrooms, diced or sliced
8. 1 medium tomato, diced
9. 1/2 cup greens (baby spinach, spring mix or romaine!)
10. 1 tbsp soy sauce
11. 1 tsp cumin powder
12. 1-2 tbsp taco seasoning, to taste.
13. 1/2 cup vegetable broth
14. 2 tbsp (heaping) Nutritional Yeast
15. Soft shell tacos (flour or corn).  
16. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Directions:

Place tomatillos, cut face down, red onion and a whole jalapeno in a baking dish and broil on HI for 5-7 minutes. Remove from the oven, and a couple of ice cubes, let stand for a couple of minutes. Then mix in the cilantro leaves, lemon/lime juice, jalapeno pepper and salt to taste and transfer to a food processor, blend until smooth. Add more salt, or lemon/lime juice to taste. 

While the tomatillos and onions are broiling, dice bell pepper and mushrooms. In a skillet on medium heat, bring vegetable broth to a boil and add cumin, taco seasoning and soy sauce and mix in veggies. Mix well and cook down until almost dry. Transfer to a bowl and add nutritional yeast. Assemble tacos - layer greens on the tortilla, add peppers and mushrooms, sprinkle fresh tomatoes and top off with salsa verde. 

My Assessment: Something was missing. I could not tell 100% what was off about this dish today but it seemed like I was missing some vital ingredient. I'll have to try it a few more times until I get it just right. This was my first time using nutritional yeast. I had no idea what it was until I read about it in a blog post by Lindsay Nixon (www.happyherbivore.com). I'd read that it was similar in taste to cheese and could not agree more. It is an excellent source of Vitamin B12 which is probably the only vitamin not available in a plant-based diet.  I plan on using it on a regular basis. 

Soy Protein (TVP) Tacos

Nutrela (TVP) Tacos

Growing up in India, I remember a period of time in the middle of the 80s decade when India experienced a major drought. Fresh vegetables and milk products were rare. However, the country managed to get along just fine with very few food imports because of increased grain & legume production. I don't know much about agriculture - so don't know if it was the drought resistant varieties, or if grains/legumes in general require less water to grow. One crop that flourished during that time was soybean.

I vividly remember soy milk being more readily available than cow's milk. And the other absolutely wonderful thing that came out of it ... Soy Protein - "Nutrela" became a family name and a synonym for Soy protein, or Texturized Vegetable Protein (TVP), as it is called in the US. I remember loving it in granulated, and chunk form. Mom used to make "Nutrela Pilaf" and "Nutrela Curry" and "Nutrela Sabzi" ... we had it so many different ways. Once I moved away from home I somehow forgot about it completely. I saw it in an Indian store about 2 weeks ago and picked up a pack, just for the sake of nostalgia. Then, as I was looking at one my current favorite websites for vegan/vegetarian recipes/advice (Happy Herbivore) - I saw a picture of Chickpea Tacos, and right next to the cp tacos, I saw something that looked a lot like my old favorite. For those of you who don't have the luxury of an Indian food store close by, Nutrela is actually available online at Amazon.com and other brands of TVP can be found in most health-food stores, and also some grocery stores (Kroger, Buehler's, Trader Joe's etc).

I wrote to Lindsay, the author, and she confirmed that those were "TVP Beef Tacos" included in one of her cookbooks "The Happy Herbivore Cookbook"! The recipe is copyrighted, I'm sure, so I can't post it here. Buy the cookbook. It is totally worth it!! I thought these tacos were an amazing combination of my childhood and current tastes. Why anyone would eat beef tacos, when they can eat these, is absolutely beyond me! :)

Nik's Reaction: None :( !! We stopped at Barnes & Noble on the way home. He wanted (desperately) to go to the bookstore and was starving when we got home. He ate his very carnivorous meal (grilled chicken tacos) before I even had the onion diced.