Three Pepper and Mushroom Tacos

Since I last posted I've been pretty busy, but not too busy to cook new meals. As a result, I now have a bunch of recipes stockpiled and photographed, just waiting to be written about. So, what kept me from posting since the month started, you ask?

• Austin and I continued unpacking and otherwise putting the house together. Yes, we moved over a month ago and while the place is 90% set up we still haven't found a home for some things. For instance, our pictures and other wall hangings still haven't made it off the floor. So sue us. 
• I've been accepted to the OM Yoga 200 hour Teacher Training program, which starts this weekend. That means that for one weekend a month for the next 8 months I'll be totally immersed in all things yoga, not to mention the independent work I need to do in between the instructional weekends. I don't know if I'm more excited, scared, or intimidated. In preparation for the start of the program I've been doing lots of reading and practicing.
• Austin and I went to our friends' Steve and Brianne's wedding. They planned a beautiful event in the Outer Banks, here in NC and we made a long weekend out of it. We were so happy they chose to share such an important day with us. Congratulations to the beautiful couple! 
• I started doing P90X. During the week, I wake up at 6am to get the workout in before the day starts. Am I loving every minute of it? Absolutely not! Am I getting my ass kicked? You bet. Do I think I'll be in better shape after I'm done with it? Most definitely. 

Amidst the craziness of the last week and half, I've developed a new obsession -- mushroom tacos. I think the seed was planted when I fell in love with the portobello tacos they make at Chubby's Tacos in Durham.  I thought I'd make my own version using cremini mushrooms (which are just small portobellos) and all I can say is mmmmmmmmm, delicious. Ok, I lied. I'm going to say more. I'm so infatuated with these tacos that I've made them 3 times in less 10 days. Yes, they're that good. They do take a bit more effort and time than my go-to bean tacos but they're absolutely worth it. The key their amazingness? Nicely browned, umami rich mushrooms, which, as a bonus, will make your kitchen smell seriously amazing. As Austin said the second time we had them "You can't not like these, I mean, how could you possibly miss the meat?"*.

 Three Pepper and Mushroom Tacos
 Makes about 10 tacos
Inspired by the Portobello Mushroom Tacos at Chubby's Tacos

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb / 455 g cremini mushrooms, wiped clean with a slightly damp towel (please do not wash them, they'll never brown) and sliced
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 2 poblano peppers or 1 medium green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded if you don't like heat and minced
• 1 chipotle in adobo, seeded if you'd like and minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from the chipotles
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
• About 10 corn tortillas
• A large handful of cilantro, chopped
• One batch of roasted tomatillo salsa or your favorite store-bought kind

1.  In a medium skillet, heat 3/4 of a tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add half of the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally,  until brown, which should take about 10 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside. Repeat with the other half of the mushrooms. 

2.  Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the poblanos, jalapeño, chipotle and garlic and cook for another 3-5 minutes.

3.  Add the mushrooms to the onion and pepper mix. Toss in the salt and spices and cook for another 3 minutes or so. Serve immediately over warmed corn tortillas, topped with a sprinkling of chopped cilantro and some of your favorite salsa.

*As wonderful as I think these tacos are, I understand if you're averse to some of the ingredients or the preparation and therefore don't like them. We tend to be a bit hyperbolic around here. 

Vegan Baked Chiles Rellenos (Stuffed Peppers)

How many green bell peppers or poblanos can you and your family go through in a week? Well, call me uninventive, but I think it's pretty hard to work more than a few of them into week's worth of meals without thinking "Enough!!". How did I find myself with a surplus of peppers, wondering such things?  My CSA, of course. One of the reasons I like being a part of it is that it challenges me think of new ways to prepare both strange and familiar vegetables, sometimes en masse. Case in point -- these chiles rellenos.

Ok, so I cheated. Again. In several ways. These stuffed peppers aren't battered and deep fried, like the real deal, nor did I serve them with a sauce (although you certainly could). Also, they're labeled "Mexican" not because they're authentic, but because of the concept and flavors they were inspired by. Lastly, they were supposed to have a cheese-like topping made with silken tofu but Whole Foods didn't have any (surprising, I know). They did, however, have Daiya -- a tapioca and arrowroot flour-based vegan cheese substitute (delicious sounding, huh?) -- in the same case as the tofu. Yes, Daiya is an ultra-processed fankenfood and therefore totally against the "For Real" part of this blog. It did taste suspiciously like the real deal though, and melted as promised, but I still won't be buying it regularly. So now that you've read all these caveats, I present to you these bastardized chiles rellenos. Enjoy!

Oh, and if you have any other ideas for how to get rid of tons of green peppers, please send them my way.   

Vegan Baked Chiles Rellenos (Stuffed Peppers)
Makes 2-3 servings

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small tomatillo or red tomato, diced
• 1 15 oz / 425 g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3 chipotles in adobo sauce (you can find them canned in most Hispanic foods sections), seeded if you don't like heat
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons of your favorite salsa (I used Herdez's Salsa Casera)
• 3/4 cup cheddar style Daiya or other cheese substitute
• 4 smallish green bell or medium-large poblano peppers, halved lengthwise, seeded and deveined
• 1/4 cup panko (or conventional) breadcrumbs
• Optional: 1/8-1/4 teaspoon dried chipotle or cayenne pepper, a few leaves of cilantro for garnish

1.  Preheat your oven to 375 F / 190 C. In a medium pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Toss in the onions and let them soften for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another couple minutes. Stir in the tomatillo or tomato and cook until it starts to release some of its liquid, which should take 4 minutes or so. Add the garbanzos, chipotle, spices and salt, and cook until the garbanzos are warmed through. Using a potato masher or a fork, mash the garbanzos until you're left with mostly quarter and half beans. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the salsa and 1/2 cup of Daiya.

2.  Stuff each pepper with 1/8 of the garbanzo mixture and place it cut side up on a foil lined or greased baking sheet.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of Daiya and the breadcrumbs on top of the peppers. Bake in the top third of your oven for 20-25 minutes or until the peppers have softened and the tops have browned. 

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa (Salsa Verde)

I became somewhat obsessed with tomatillo salsa my junior year in college. I'd never had such green, tangy, spicy delicious stuff until then, and I definitely wasn't going to go without it while back in Spain for the summer. My mother and I scoured my home town in search of tomatillos, the green tomatoes with sticky husks that are the base for the salsa. Not even my mother's veggie and fruit guy, Luis, could get them for us. That's when we resorted to El Corte Inglés, because as my friend Ana says "Lo que no tenga El Corte Inglés no existe en España" ("If El Corte Inglés doesn't have it, it doesn't exist in Spain").

Well, El Corte Inglés might sell everything from houses to toothpaste, as well as most specialty groceries but it didn't have tomatillos. I realized the difficulty we had finding these suckers was probably the reason I hadn't tried green salsa until I moved to the US. So with a heavy heart and a pouty face I prepared myself for a salsa verde-less summer; red salsa would have to cut it. Fortunately, if you live in the US you will probably be able to find these funny looking nightshades in almost any well-stocked supermarket. If you live elsewhere, you may have to go on a scavenger hunt, which will hopefully have a happier ending than mine. Once you have a big bowl of homemade salsa in front of you, though, I promise whatever tomatillo-finding expedition you went on will seem worthwhile

I got my tomatillos in my weekly CSA box: it doesn't get much easier than that. Instead of boiling them, I stuck them under the broiler, along with some jalapeños and garlic, until they were charred, for a salsa with more depth of flavor. After blending it all together, and stirring in a few more ingredients I had a lot of salsa. So I did the only reasonable thing- I ate lots of it. I put tons on my black bean tacos, served it to my girlfriends with some tortilla chips, spooned some into a wrap... You get the point. In spite of my best salsa-eating efforts, I still have some left in the fridge but I can guarantee it won't survive the weekend.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa (Salsa Verde)
Makes about 2 1/2 to 3 cups

• 2 lbs / 910 g tomatillos, husks removed, washed, dried and halved
• 2-3 jalapeños, seeded if you'd like
• 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 small red onion, diced small
• 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro, finely chopped
• Optional: 1 small avocado, diced

1. Preheat your broiler, with your oven tray set about 4 inches or so away from it. On a greased sheet pan, arrange the tomatillos (cut side down), the jalapeños and the garlic. Drizzle with the olive oil and rub it in to make sure it coats all the ingredients. Place under the broiler until partially charred, or about 5-7 minutes. Flip everything with a spatula and broil the other side for about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Place the jalapeños in a bowl and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Alternatively, place them in a paper bag and close it tightly. This will steam the charred skins off and make the jalapeños easier to peel. Once they're cool enough to handle, peel the jalapeños and the garlic cloves. You don't have to completely peel the tomatillos, just do your best to remove the blackened parts of the skin.

2. Place the tomatillos, jalapeños, garlic, lemon juice and salt in your food processor or blender and whiz until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the onion and the cilantro. If you'd also like to add avocado, I'd recommend doing so right before you're about to serve the salsa, to prevent it from getting mushy. Serve chilled or at room temperature over tostadas, black bean tacos, or with your favorite chips.

Tortilla Soup

Every summer my parents and I would fly from Madrid to Boston, where my uncle would pick us up and drive us to our family's lake house in Philipston, MA. My grandmother would be anxiously waiting with lots of hugs, kisses and what I can only describe as a buffet. As ridiculous as the spread was, it was our idea of heaven after a long plane ride and several crappy meals. That's why I decided it would be only fair for me to have a comforting meal waiting for my parents when they arrived from Madrid last night.

Now I'm not, nor do I think I'll ever be, the queen hostess that my grandma Ollie was. My style is a bit more understated (read: I'm not that intense) so I didn't provide my parents with a smorgasbord of goodies. Instead, I decided to make something that's good for the soul,  and therefore perfect after a long trip -- tortilla soup. This soup comes together in under 25 minutes, which makes it a perfect not just for starving parents but also for anyone who needs a little TLC and doesn't want to work hard for it.

 

Tortilla Soup
Adapted from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Appetite for Reduction
Makes 4-5 servings

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 2 jalapeños, seeded if you don't like heat, and minced
• 1 orange or other bell pepper, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1 28 oz / 794 g can whole tomatoes, broken up into chunks with your fingers (it's fun!)
• 28 oz (or one tomato can full) vegetable broth
• 2 cups crushed baked tortilla chips plus extra for garnish (I made my own by crumbling 8 tostadas like the ones used in this recipe)
• 1 15 oz / 425 g kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• Juice of 1 lime or 1/2 large lemon
• Optional: 1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper or red pepper flakes (if you want extra heat) and diced avocado for garnish

1.  In a large pot with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute for 2-3 minutes. Toss in the jalapeños, bell pepper, and garlic, cooking them for another 3 minutes or so. Sprinkle in the cumin and chipotle or red pepper (if using), toasting the spices for about another minute.
2.  Deglaze the pan by adding the tomatoes, broth, and tortilla chips. Cover the pot and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, add the beans and the corn and cook for about 5 minutes.
3.  Take the pot off the heat, stir in the lime juice and the cilantro and let the soup sit covered for about 5 minutes to let the flavors marry. Enjoy garnished with some extra chips, cilantro and some avocado.

Writing this post made me think of the movie Tortilla Soup. It's an entertaining chick flick available for instant streaming on Netflix (so yes, you can watch it now!). The movie has a lot of food AND Hector Elizondo in it. What's there not to love?

Simple Guacamole

Last night Austin and I were cooking up some tacos when he said, "why don't you make some guacamole?". He also suggested I share the recipe with you all. At first I felt that it was almost insulting to write a whole post for something as simple as guacamole. Then I thought to myself, hey, extremely easy recipes deserve some bloggin' lovin' too! This guacamole is orders of magnitude better than plain avocado. Not only is it more delicious than some avocado slices but it also spreads more easily and uniformly in your taco, wrap or sandwich.

The recipe for the tacos we garnished with this guacamole is extremely similar to the Chipotle Pinto Bean Tostadas I wrote about last week; there are just a few differences. First, I sauteed half of a red onion, chopped, before adding the beans, which were black instead of pinto. Also, instead of crisping up the tortillas in the oven to make tostadas we warmed them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds so that they remained nice and soft.

The plus side of this meal? We thought it was so delicious that we ate it all up. The down side? We had no leftovers for lunch the next day. Do you have recipes for quick meals that you just can't get enough of?

 

Simple Guacamole

Makes about 1 1/2 cup

• 1 1/2 medium ripe avocados, cut into chunks
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 2-4 teaspoons lime or lemon juice
• Optional: 1 small diced tomato, minced jalapeño, cilantro to taste (I only add the tomato)

Paste the garlic with the salt by sprinkling the salt over the garlic and dragging it across your cutting board with your knife until the garlic has broken down. Add it to a bowl along with the rest of the ingredients. Using a potato masher or a fork, mash the avocado until you reach your desired consistency. I like my guacamole a bit chunky but I know people who prefer it smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings. It really doesn't get much easier than this.

Chipotle Pinto Bean Tostadas

On those nights when I come home exhausted and really don't feel like slaving over a hot stove I sometimes go back to an old favorite -- tacos. Made with beans and veggies, they're pretty healthy and tasty. The ones I make are also very spicy, which automatically puts them on Austin's favorites list (when asked what his favorite food is he's likely to respond-- only half jokingly-- "salty and spicy"). This past Friday I used up all my energy getting my butt off the couch and to the gym so when I got home I wanted dinner to instantly appear on my plate (it didn't, what a shocker). I was also craving Mexican food but I didn't want tacos. In order to satisfy all my needs I decided to switch things up by -- orginality gasp!-- crisping up the tortillas and mashing the beans a bit to make tostadas. Not exactly revolutionary, I know, but it really did feel like a completely different meal. We enjoyed these so much that they'll definitely become another one of our go-to I-need-food-now dishes. Tacos can't always be the answer.

Chipotle Pinto Bean Tostadas
Makes 8 tostadas, about 2 dinner servings

• 8 small corn tortillas
• 1 15 oz / 425 g can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 chipotle peppers in adobo, seeded if you don't like heat and chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• Olive oil cooking spray or an extra 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 heart of romaine lettuce, cut into thin strips
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced or cubed
• About 1 cup of your favorite salsa (I used Trader Joe's green salsa)
• Optional: Lime wedges for garnish

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 F / 190 C. Spray both sides of the tortillas with olive oil cooking spray or brush with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle the tortillas with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and spread them out on a baking sheet. Don't worry if they overlap a little bit. Bake them for 8-10 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. If you have extra tortillas lying around you can cook them this way to make homemade low fat tortilla chips.
2.  In a medium pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the coriander, cumin and chili powder, cooking for another minute. Stir in the beans, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the chipotle peppers and cook for another 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking. Add in 2 tablespoons of your favorite salsa. Mash the beans using a fork until you have no whole beans. Remove the bean mixture from the heat.
3.  Assemble your tostadas. Spread an eighth of the bean mixture on each crispy tortilla, top with lettuce, tomato, avocado and some salsa. Optionally, squeeze a bit of lime juice over the top.