World Music ~ Mexican playlist on iPod
When things are on my mind or even if it's just an unexpectedly gloomy English day outside I like to make food that is colourful. Because a meal that is full in colour brings a smile to my face and as I am practising living in the moment it really helps. I remember how lucky I am to have food in my kitchen, stocks and fridge to nourish my body and mind. Yesterday started with my body overloaded with pain and I was unable to do my yoga and that hurt my mind too. I spent the morning feeling stiff and cranky and when I looked out of the window it wasn't much better. The sky was covered with dark clouds and rain fell whenever it felt like it. I know...me!..complaining about the rain. This rain lover was shocked to her very core..lol. When I realised I wasn't embracing my beloved droplets I decided to get in the kitchen, no matter how much it hurt, and make something fun.
For me tacos remind me of my time in the US and sitting on the porch of my then partners house and delighting in the fun of stuffing the taco shells with the yummy fillings and then the madness of trying to eat them without getting covered in taco guts. lol. Is it even possible to eat a taco without that outcome? I had a great packet of pre-made taco shells which made things a lot easier as I am still at war with making my own homemade corn tortillas...I will win..grrrr. I had a beautiful crispy iceberg lettuce sat in the fridge and a quick scan through the stocks confirmed I had everything I needed to make the filling. I got everything set up on the kitchen counter...flicked on my World Music Mexican play list on my iPod and got cooking.
My pre-made tacos shells have two ingredients...cornflour and sunflower oil. No hidden nastiness so I could live with a little sunflower oil. My base is always shredded iceberg lettuce as I really enjoy its refreshing crunchiness. But I confess as I served them up I caved in to the craving for a spicy vegan cheese smattered over them. It didn't help that I knew I had a packet of Pepperjack Style Soy Cheese in the fridge so a tiny piece was cut off and grated over. What a rebel I was yesterday..lol. So...to the filling...it is basically a recipe I have made many times over the years and is a little different every time but this posting is as I made it yesterday and I can report it was so very tasty. Right taco time...
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| Veggie & Bean Tacos ~ happy, happy food |
Veggie & Bean Tacos Makes 6 tacos
6 small taco shells
1/2 small head of iceberg, thinly sliced
1oz piece of vegan Pepperjack style soy cheese
Filling:
1/2 tbsp coconut oil
1 large onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, micro-grated
2 green chillies, semi-seeded, finely chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, deseeded and chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, deseeded and chopped
3 med vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 large green cabbage leaf, de-stalked and finely sliced
1 tbsp tomato puree
1/2 14oz tin Pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 oz TVP granules
5 fl oz veggie stock
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
freshly cracked black pepper to season to taste (I use a lot!)
In a skillet heat the coconut oil gently and toss in the onion, garlic, chillies, peppers and cook until the onions are translucent and soft. Add in the tomatoes, cabbage, puree, TVP, stock and parsley. Stir well and then season with the black pepper. Stir once more and bring the mixture to a boil, simmer with the lid on for 15 minutes. Toss in the pinto beans and stir in and cook with the lid off for 5-10 minutes until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat to settle.
To assemble:
Warm the tacos in the microwave for 1 minute. As the filling cools a little in the skillet layer the bottom of the shells with lettuce and then spoon in the cooked filling. Place the tacos on the serving dish and scatter with the grated vegan cheese. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over the filling as you eat them or in a bottle of cooled vegan beer. Have fun...
Enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Friday is a happy one...
~Red~
NB: This is not my recipe and therefore take no credit for it. It is a heavily adapted recipe from the past and I would give credit to the person who it originated from but I really don't know who it is. ~R~
