Now, I am gluten free and vegan. Almost none of my meals start with a pound of ground hamburger, cheese or sour cream. So one might think that my tacos would be seriously lacking. One might think that vegan tacos suck. But they totally don't!
The best part about tacos is that they are already, pretty much gluten free. I buy hard shell and soft corn tortillas. Don't bother getting anything fancy, like soft white or multigrain. Just plain, cheap, corn is perfect!
The next part is figuring out what kind of filling you want. I have 2 favorites. The first is totally cheating! I generally don't encourage people to eat processed foods, and I don't like to eat fractionated soy products. Having said that, it's kinda' awesome! I saute some onions and other mixed veggies (for example: carrots, celery, peppers, or whatever) with Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo.Simple, you're done. Do whatever you want at this point. Serve with lettuce, black olives, green onion, salsa, and maybe some Daiya Cheddar Cheeze. Yummy! There's dinner.
But I like to make things a bit more healthful (complicated). So here is my favorite option. Tempeh! First of all, it's cheap and relatively easy to find. Second, much like tofu, it's extremely versatile. It pretty much has no flavor apart from a mild nuttiness, so it kinda' tastes like whatever you put on it. Last, I like it for it's nutritional content. It's loaded with protein and fiber, healthy monounsaturated fats, B vitamins, Manganese, it's low in sodium and is cultured to make it a probiotic food; great for digestion.If you have a problem with soy for any reason, you can find black bean and garbonzo bean tempeh products as well as recipes for making your own here: http://www.lalibelafarm.com/tempeh.htm and http://www.culturesforhealth.com/tempeh-starter.html
Tempeh Tacos
1 package plain tempeh
1/2 finely chopped red onion
1 finely chopped carrot
1 rib finely chopped celery
1/2 finely chopped red pepper
2 Tbsp. low or no sodium taco spices
(I used Mrs. Dash Salt-Free Fiesta Lime)
1-2 Tbsp. liquid amino acids (or gluten free, low sodium soy sauce or tamari)
Cooking Instructions:
1. Chop the tempeh into little cubes. Crumble a bit into a pan with a couple spoonfuls of water. Cover and alow to steam on medium heat for about 10 minutes.
2. Add your chopped veggies and alow those to soften with the top off. Begin to stir and break apart the chunks with a wooden spoon.
3. When the water evaporates out, add your spices and liquid aminos. As it browns, it will begin to resemble taco "meat."
Yields: this should feed about 4 people each 2 tacos
Once your taco filling is made you can get really creative. The picture above is a double decker taco with refried black beans on a soft corn tortilla around a crispy blue corn tortilla with my tempeh filling, corn and black bean salsa, avocado, and vegan "sour cream." Recipes follow.
Just about this time last year, I was having a picnic fiesta in the park. This is how I chose to pack my picnic:
Corn and Black Bean Salsa. Check!
Pickled Raddishes. Check!
Shredded Red Cabbage and Cilantro. Check!
Vegan Sour Cream. Check!
Sliced Avocado and Limes. Check!
Crispy and Soft Corn Tortillas. Check! not pictured
Crispy Sweet Potato Strings. Check! not pictured
Green Tea Sangria. Check! not pictured
You can have this tonight for dinner or plan your own picnic fiesta in a park! The best thing about this is that it is unassembled (so it travels remarkably well), and it's vegan (so it keeps incredibly long).
I love crispy tacos best!Yum!
No wait! I love soft tacos best!
Mmm... me gusta tacos!
Corn and Black Bean Salsa
1 c. frozen corn, thawed
1 c. canned black beans, well rinsed
1/2 diced red pepper
1/2 diced jalapeno (add more or less depending on your heat tolerance)
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. lime juice (about a half a juicy lime)
salt to taste
1. Toss these ingredients together and alow the flavors to mingle. Easy Peasy!
Vegan "Sour Cream"
1 brick firm tofu
1 Tbsp. liquid amino acids (or gluten free, low sodium soy sauce or tamari)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
fresh herbs such as chives or cilantro
1. Add the first 3 ingredients to your blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Taste to make sure the flavors are balanced and appealing. Add herbs if desired.
Pickled Radishes
8-10 radishes, thin sliced
1 shallot, thin sliced
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. orange juice, fresh is best
1 tsp. nitrate free pickling spices
pinch of sugar
pinch of salt
1. Toss the ingredients together. Allow at least 2 hours to marinate. They are best left in the fridge overnight.
Sweet Potato Strings
1 sweet potato
olive oil spray or mist
cumin
paprika
pinch of sugar
pinch of salt
1. If you have a spiralizer... get it out! Otherwise, chop your sweet potato into matchsticks.
2. Layer your sweet potato "squiggles" or slices onto a pan lined with parchment paper.
3. Spray your sweet potato with olive oil and add a dash of your spices, sugar and salt. Toss gently and repeat until everything is just lightly coated.
4. Put this in your oven at it's lowest setting (mine goes to 150 F.) for at least 4 hours. Check every now and again to toss and make sure it is drying properly. You do not want any burned or blackened edges.
These keep for weeks once they are dry and crispy. Pack them into plastic sandwich baggies and keep in a cool dry place.
Green Tea Sangria
4 green tea bags
1 liter no-sodium soda water
1/4 c. sweetener (honey, agave, brown rice syrup, or a little less stevia would work well)
1 lemon, sliced
1 lime, sliced
1 orange, sliced
1. Boil 2 cups of water and add your 4 tea bags. Alow to steep for at least 10 minutes. While the tea is hot, add your sweetener. I used a mixture of agave and stevia. This should not taste sweet, but rather mild and pleasant with a strong green tea flavor.
2. Add your soda water and layer in the citrus fruits. Make it look pretty!
3. Chill the entire mixture in the fridge for a couple hours or overnight. Enjoy with friends on a hot day!
I really hope you try this. It might completely change your mind about how you do taco night!
Peace!
- Ali
YUMMY
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