Roasted pork tacos with two salsas

Leftover Roasted Pork: Day One



Tonight we used the leftover pork to make tacos. I couldn't decide which kind of salsa I wanted, so I made two. First I made a cooked tomato salsa. Usually fresh pico de gallo is my tomato salsa of choice, but I wanted to try a cooked salsa. Last year I tried roasting tomatoes, onions and jalapenos in the oven, then making them into salsa, but the results were just awful. This time I tried cooking it in a skillet, and it turned out somewhat better, but not fantastic. I used 4 tomatoes, 1 onion, 1 jalapeno and a handful of cilantro, plus salt and lime juice. I put it in a skillet, started cooking it down, then used an immersion blender to puree it. I continued cooking it until it turned from light pink to a bold red. This recipe needs more tweaking before I post it, but I'm looking forward to trying it again at some point.

The second salsa I made was a fresh mango salsa. It was absolutely delicious and refreshing, and the recipe is below.

To make the tacos, I sprayed corn tortillas with a quick blast of cooking spray, then heated them in the microwave for 30 seconds. The leftover pork was warmed in a skillet, then heaped on the tortillas. I topped them with some fresh, local romaine lettuce (thanks, CSA!) and generous helpings of salsa.

Fresh Mango Salsa

1 ripe mango
1 small red onion, diced
1 jalapeno, finely diced (take the seeds out if you don't like it hot. I leave them in)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp agave nectar (can substitute sugar or molasses)

Combine all ingredients and set aside for 15-20 minutes so flavors can meld.

Taco Night and Nasty Nachos

Last night was Taco Night. I adore Taco Night. It's such a cinch to put together, yet so satisfying. And I love all the pretty colors in a taco bar. It just makes me happy!

Our taco bar consisted of flour tortillas, Morningstar veggie crumbles with taco seasoning, refried beans, homemade pico de gallo, and roasted corn (just a drained can of corn sauteed in a hot skillet until brown and toasty, and spiked with a little chili powder). It doesn't get better than that.

I used the leftovers to make a modified batch of Nasty Nachos, by layering crushed tortilla chips, the veggie crumbles, drained and rinsed black beans, the roasted corn, and pico de gallo. And repeat. I covered it with foil and stuck it in the fridge until this evening, then popped it in the oven when Brad called to say he was on his way home. Yum! I'm not a fan of leftovers in general, even the "on purpose" kind of leftovers, where you cook something with plans to use it in another recipe later in the week, but this really hit the spot.

The original Nasty Nachos recipe is far better, using canned cream style corn instead of regular kernel corn, and saucy salsa instead of pico de gallo, but this was an excellent way to use up the leftovers. Sadly, Meg dropped her full plate TWO TIMES on the way to the table, so there aren't any leftovers, but accidents will happen, and at least we have two always hungry dogs to clean up the mess. ;)

Spicy Black Bean Tamale Pie

This dish kicks ass! I first made it last December when I was too busy to blog, so it's been sitting amongst my drafts for the past 3 months, patiently waiting to be posted until I made it again today.

I based it on this recipe from the eggs on sunday blog. I left out the garlic, upped the chili powder, omitted the cinnamon, subbed a can of Ro-tel for the jalapeno, added a can of black eyed peas (because I love them so), omitted the cheese, and used a vegan cornbread recipe for the topping instead of the more polenta-like topping in the original recipe. I also like to brown the corn with the onion and bell pepper, to get it toasty and delicious. And I use what may sound like an insane amount of cilantro, but I'm kind of crazy about cilantro, and it does lose some of its flavor when it cooks.

The filling is to die for. Each time I've made it, Brad and I have hovered over the stove, scooping up big mouthfuls with tortilla chips. If you wanted, you could add another can or two or Ro-tel, and you'd have yourself a kick ass salsa. The filling would also be equally as delicious served over rice as it is in tamale pie form. It just depends on what you're craving.

I love this meal. So very, very much.

Tamale Pie

Filling:
1 tsp olive oil
1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped
1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 15-oz can corn, drained
1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 can Rotel (I like to use the extra spicy variety)
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
2 cups coarsely chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt

Topping:
1 cup almond milk mixed with 1 tsp vinegar
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and corn. Saute several minutes, until onion and bell pepper begin to soften, and all vegetables are somewhat browned. Add remaining ingredients, cooking and stirring until heated through. Pour into a 9x9 baking pan.

In a small bowl, combine almond milk and vinegar. Stir together and set aside while you measure and combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together cornmeal, flour, salt and baking powder. Add milk and vegetable oil. Stir thoroughly. Spread over bean filling. Bake 20-30 minutes, until cornbread topping is cooked through (you can test it with a toothpick).

If desired, sprinkle 1 cup grated cheddar cheese on the filling before adding the topping.

Pinto bean burritos

What a satisfying dinner tonight! I have really been missing fresh foods, so tonight's dinner was particularly enjoyable. I'm so glad to have power again! Earlier today I mixed up a quick batch of pico de gallo, and for lunch I had a flour tortilla wrapped around a big ol' scoop of pico de gallo.

The burritos this evening were simple...just some canned pinto beans, drained, rinsed, and heated with a little chili powder and cumin; corn browned with chili powder; as well as sauteed onions, pico de gallo, and avocado, all wrapped up in a big flour tortilla.



On the side, I had one of my favorite treats: an avocado half, lightly sprinkled with salt, and filled with a bunch of fresh pico de gallo. Just dig in with a spoon, and eat it up. Delicious!

So much for cooking

Well, I was all set to dive back into the kitchen this evening, but the leftovers from today's lunch at work were just too tempting to resist. We had a huge burrito bar catered in, complete with steak, chicken, tortillas, black beans, refried beans, pico de gallo, lettuce, spanish rice, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, tortillas, salsa, chips and queso dip. At lunch, I made myself a huge taco salad, then I brought home a little of everything for tonight's dinner. I made a big bowl of rice and just piled the toppings on. Yum!

So hopefully tomorrow I'll be back in the kitchen for reals. I doubt there will be something so vegan-friendly at work tomorrow. ; )

Vegan Nasty Nachos

I did it! I successfully veganized my beloved Nasty Nachos! And it was really easy, too. Just substitute canned black beans for the ground beef, and cheddar Veganrella (or other vegan cheese) for the cheddar cheese, then do the rest as usual. It couldn't be easier! I used 2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed, but next time I think I'd use 3.

I've said it before: this isn't a pretty dish, but the taste more than makes up for it. Yum!

Tomato Tortilla Soup

My truly awesome friend Sarah gave me this recipe a couple years ago, but this is the first time I've made it. She's a vegetarian -- now primarily vegan -- and has been a wealth of awesome recipe ideas now that we're trying to eat less dairy and no meat at home. You rock, Sarah! I miss you!

This recipe doesn't call for it, but I decided to throw some seitan in anyway, since I have part of a batch leftover from yesterday, to add some protein and mimic a chicken tortilla soup.

I also discovered midway through that I didn't have enough tortilla chips, so I went ahead and whirled some corn tortillas in my food processor and put them in as well. It worked!

If you want, you can do crazy things like put cheese or sour cream in here, but it's fabulous just as it is, with a few wedges of avocado on top.



Tomato Tortilla Soup

3 cups diced onions
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 qt veggie broth
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes
2 tsp minced canned chipotles in adobo sauce
1 1/2 cups crumbled corn tortilla chips
salt and pepper to taste

In a soup pot on medium heat, cook the onions in the oil for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the cumin and oregano and stir for a minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, and chipotles, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Pulverize the tortilla chips in a blender. Add about 3 cups of the hot soup to the blender and puree until smooth. To make pouring easier, add another cup of hot soup and whirl on low speed. Stir the puree in to the simmering soup pot. Serve hot.

Yields 9 cups.

Fish Tacos

Who knew these were so easy? And so incredibly, crazy delicious? In fact, I think we're going to push back tomorrow's planned dinner, and have these again, because there's still plenty of tortillas, pico de gallo, cabbage, lime crema, and fish sticks. Why not, right?

Three of these makes a hearty serving.



Fish Tacos

1/2 head cabbage
red wine vinegar
fish sticks (2 per taco), cooked
1 cup sour cream
1 lime juiced
shredded cheddar cheese
pico de gallo
corn tortillas

Shred the cabbage, and toss with a liberal amount of red wine vinegar; set aside.

Juice the lime and whisk together lime juice and sour cream; set aside.

Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Do not grease. Heat corn tortillas one at a time, for about 20 seconds per side, until warm and pliable. Fold in half and remove to a plate while you continue heating the rest.

To make tacos, put 2 fish sticks in each corn tortilla, dollop with lime sour cream, add a few spoonfuls of pico de gallo, and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Serve immediately.

Tamale Pie

Ok. I have to admit. I'm all kinds of proud of this dish. I've never eaten a tamale pie before, let alone cooked one, and had only looked at a few recipes in the past to get an idea of how they're made. Then tonight I hit the kitchen and started cooking. I threw in this and that, random stuff that I thought would taste good, and then topped it with some of the vegan cornbread batter that I made last week. This was my first time cooking yellow lentils, and I was surprised to see that they cook down very mushy, unlike the brown lentils (sorry, I don't know the actual term for them) that I've cooked before. So they didn't hold their shape and were pretty mushy, but that allowed them to blend almost invisibly into the filling. Secret hidden protein and fiber! You can't beat that!

This stuff is SO GOOD. I mean, good in a there-aren't-even-words-to-describe-it way. The filling is incredible, and the cornbread compliments it perfectly. It's really filling, and soooo good for you with all the lentils and soy beans. Yum! Brad and I absolutely loved it, and the kids really dug this, too, so it was an all-around success. Yeah!



In other news, I have a job! I interviewed this afternoon, and was offered the job about 10 minutes later. I start tomorrow morning. It's a student worker position, 25 hours a week, with the opportunity for additional work most of the time if I want it, with a totally flexible schedule. It doesn't pay much -- in fact, I haven't made this little per hour since the last time I was in college -- but it is a student position, after all, so I'm fine with that. Mostly I'm just thrilled to have a job that will likely last for the remainder of time that I'm a student here, and will be totally flexible around my class schedule. There's SO much to be said for that. So I start in the morning, and will probably take some Tamale Pie leftovers for lunch. ; )

Oh, and I'm not going to post a picture of the filling by itself, because it looks downright nasty. But trust me, it tastes downright awesome.

Tamale Pie

Filling:
1 cup yellow lentils
3 cups water
1 8-oz package tempeh
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 can cream style corn
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsp chili powder
4 oz cheddar flavored soy cheese, grated

Topping:
1 cup soy milk
1 tsp vinegar
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup canola oil

For the filling:
In a medium saucepan, combine lentils and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve, and set aside.

In a separate saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil. Add tempeh, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and coarsely chop or crumble. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat grapeseed oil. Add onion, and saute several minutes, until the onion begins to soften. Add the bell pepper and saute a few minutes more, until vegetables are soft. Add drained lentils, chopped tempeh, corn, salt, cumin and chili powder. Stir to combine thoroughly and heat through. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a wide, shallow baking dish with cooking spray. Spread the filling evenly in the dish, and sprinkle with cheese. Set aside while you prepare the topping.

For the topping:
In a small bowl, combine soy milk and vinegar. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. Add canola oil to soy milk mixture, whisk together, and pour into cornmeal mixture. Stir just until combined.

Pour the cornmeal mixture evenly over the filling. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until cornbread is lightly browned and the filling is bubbly.

Quesadillas

I have a real aversion to leftovers. I hate to eat them. I don't know what it is about me, but there are very few things I can drum up enough interest to eat as leftovers. Tuna noodle casserole, macaroni and cheese, cold fried chicken, and cold yakisoba or chow mein, and that's about it. I try to cook fairly small dinners, so as not to have any leftovers, well, left over. I purposely planned leftovers of the black beans and rice the other day, to use in last night's burritos, and we must be on a roll now, because Brad just made some yummy toasted quesadillas with leftover tortillas, pico de gallo and cheese. Usually we shortcut these and just nuke 'em in the microwave, but today Brad went the extra mile and toasted them in a hot skillet. Yum, yum, yum!



The recipe, if you can call it that, is really simple. Place pico de gallo and shredded cheese on half of a flour tortilla. Fold over in half. Heat a little vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook quesadilla on each side until toasted and crispy. Cut into wedges and serve hot.

Voila!

Giant Burritos

[Updated from 3/2/08 with photos]

I've been craving a Taco del Mar style giant burrito lately, so this is what I came up with. Feel free to use whatever toppings you want. Those listed below are my favorites. You can also add ground beef, grilled chicken, roasted pork, or whatever meat you fancy.

Giant Burritos
big flour tortillas
black beans
steamed rice
shredded cheese
lettuce
fresh cilantro
grilled onions
diced avocado
taco sauce
salsa
sour cream
pickled jalapenos

Heat the flour tortillas in the microwave, until soft and flexible for rolling. Add the fillings of your choice, and roll carefully, tucking in the sides as you go. Grab a sheet of tin foil, and lay the bottom 2/3 of the burrito over one edge of the foil. Fold the foil up over the burrito, and roll the burrito more tightly, using the foil to keep it from unrolling. Kind of like rolling sushi, for lack of a better description, but using the foil instead of a sushi mat. Anyway, roll it up however you want, and eat it. That's the important part.

Pico de Gallo

We usually just use jarred salsa for our burritos, but today I wanted some yummy, fresh, pico de gallo. I think it really adds a lot to a burrito, much more so than your run-of-the-mill salsa, so I set off to make some.

The only tomatoes at the store were pathetic, but I didn't have a lot of choice. We had some crazy, wicked storms here over the last 24 hours, and it wasn't really the best weather for driving around in. That didn't stop us, however, from loading the kids into the car (school was closed because of the rain and flooding) and heading off to McDonald's to try a free chicken biscuit. Yes, we are idiots, but I told you I'm a food slut. A bunch of the roads in our subdivision were flooded, but we managed to make our way through, and got our chicken biscuits. We also stopped at the store on the way home to get some tomatoes, such as they were. And that's why my pico de gallo looks more pink, green and white, instead of red, green and white. Still tasty, though.

Pico de Gallo

2 tomatoes
1 medium white onion
2 fresh jalapenos
1 big handful cilantro
1 lime
salt & pepper

Dice the tomatoes, onion, and jalapeno in a fairly fine dice, about 1/4-inch. Coarsely chop the cilantro, and combine with previous ingredients in a medium glass or ceramic bowl. Juice the lime and add it to the mixture. Combine thoroughly. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill before serving.

Black bean and rice enchiladas

This, and the enchilada sauce, are recipes that I formulated completely on my own, from start to finish, which is very unusual for me. It used to be that I followed recipes to the letter, not veering from the measurements or technique at all, but in the past couple years I've finally begun tweaking recipes. Coming up with a recipe on my own from square one, though, is something I've only done a few times, so I'm very proud of this one. ; )

I already have a great recipe for chicken enchiladas (tweaked from one my mom gave me years ago), but since we try not to eat meat at home, I've been wanting to come up with a vegetarian enchilada recipe. I've seen some with spinach and mushrooms, and others with potatoes and kale, but I wanted something different, and that's when I decided on rice and black beans.

These are super yummy! They're spicy enough to elicit a little pain, but not so much that they're unpleasant to eat. They're very hearty and filling, and also fairly inexpensive to make. Give them a try! If you're not a fan of spicy food, you can omit the chipotle peppers and sauce, and substitute mild Rotel for the original or extra spicy varieties.

Black Bean and Rice Enchiladas

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp chipotle peppers, plus 2 Tbsp sauce
1 can Rotel
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked rice
16 corn tortillas
3 cups shredded soy cheese
1 batch Red enchilada sauce

Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook and stir several minutes, until onion softens. Add bell pepper and garlic. Cook a few minutes more or until vegetables begin to brown. Stir in chipotle peppers, sauce, Rotel and black beans. Simmer several minutes to heat through. Gently stir in rice, and remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 425. Spread about 2/3 cup enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking pan; set aside.

Soften corn tortillas by dipping each side quickly in hot oil and then draining on paper towels, or by heating in the oven (wrap in foil first) or the microwave.

Fill tortillas with 2 to 3 Tbsp filling and 1 Tbsp cheese. Roll and place seam side down in baking pan. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups cheese. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the enchiladas, and sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 5 minutes longer.

Red Enchilada Sauce

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small onion, diced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
10 oz tomato sauce
1 1/2 cup water
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and flour, stirring constantly until flour is lightly browned. Add garlic and onion, cooking until soft and lightly browned. Add tomato paste, stirring to break up and combine evenly. Add oregano, basil, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook and stir for one minute. Add tomato sauce and water. Using an immersion blender, blend mixture until smooth. Increase heat to medium-high, stirring constantly until the mixture boils and thickens slightly. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 onion, chopped
2 cups water
1 (10 ounce) can Rotel
1 teaspoon salt

Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Saute rice and onion until rice is lightly browned and onions are tender.

Stir in water, Rotel and salt. Cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

Refried Beans

I'd never made refried beans from scratch before, but these were really easy! If you have a slow cooker, you can cook them in there for 8 hours on high. I however, literally haven't used mine in years, so I couldn't find it, and instead just simmered them on the stove all day.

Sadly, I didn't get any pictures because we had company over and I wasn't thinking about it, but they were really good! Meg couldn't get enough of them!

Update! We had leftovers today, and I got a picture. : )



Refried Beans

1 lb dry pinto beans
1 onion, halved
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp salt
water
2 Tbsp shortening or bacon grease

In a large pot, combine beans, onion, garlic and salt. Add enough water to cover by a few inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer several hours, stirring occasionally, until beans are very soft.

Drain beans and reserve liquid. Return pot to burner, and add shortening or bacon grease over medium heat. Add beans, stirring and mashing with the back of a spoon until they reach the desired texture. Add cooking liquid to thin as desired.

Make-Ahead Mexican Salad

I started making this recipe several years ago, and it's been a staple ever since. It's fast and easy, plus there's the added benefit of being able to make it ahead of time. Just mix it together the night before, and leave it in the fridge until the following evening. Or if you're home during the days, mix it up whenever you have a free minute, then stick it in the fridge until dinner time.



I didn't go grocery shopping until this afternoon, so I just layered it, snapped some pictures, then we ate it right away. ; ) Sadly, the tomatoes at the store looked absolutely awful, so we didn't get to have any in our salad. It would have looked so much prettier with it, but at least it was still yummy!



Make-Ahead Mexican Salad

2/3 cup salsa
1/2 cup sour cream
6 cup romaine lettuce, chopped
12 oz canned black beans, drained & rinsed
1 cup canned yellow corn, drained & rinsed
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 medium avocado, diced
1 medium tomato, diced
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Combine sour cream and salsa; set aside.

Layer remaining ingredients except cheese in a large salad bowl in the order listed. Spread dressing over the top, sealing to the edges. Sprinkle cheese evenly on top. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Toss immediately before serving.

Variations:
If desired, add chopped cilantro, sliced olives, or other desired ingredients.
Crumble Doritos onto individual servings.
To make this a heartier meal, add chunks of cooked chicken.

Chiles Rellenos

Sauce:
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, pressed
3 bay leaves
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 chipotle peppers, canned in adobo sauce, chopped
4 Tbsp adobo sauce, from canned peppers
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
salt & pepper

Peppers:
8 large poblano peppers
8 oz pepper jack cheese, cut into 1-oz sticks
2 cups flour
4 eggs, separated
vegetable oil, for frying

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and bay leaf; saute until onion is translucent. Add tomato paste, chopped chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, canned tomatoes, and spices. Simmer 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Char the flesh of the peppers under a broiler, turning frequently, until the skins are blistered all over. Put peppers in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sweat for about 10 minutes to loosen the skins. Rub off as much skin as possible and cut a slit along the side of each pepper, keeping the stems and tip intact. Carefully remove the seeds and inner membranes, but do not rinse with water.

Heat 1-inch of oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat until very hot.

Place flour in a shallow platter and season with salt and pepper. Beat egg whites until foamy, add a pinch of salt, and whip to stiff peaks. Lightly beat the egg yolks and fold into the whites. Stuff the chiles with cheese sticks, leaving enough room to close the opening. Overlap the seam slightly and gently squeeze closed. Secure with wooden toothpicks if desired. Pat the peppers dry and lightly coat in the seasoned flour. Pick the chile up by its stem and dip into the egg batter, making sure they are well covered, tap off excess. Fry until evenly browned, about 3 minutes each side. The egg burns easily so take care not to cook too long. Drain on paper towels. To serve, ladle a pool of sauce on plates and set chiles rellenos on top, serve immediately.

Baja-style Grilled Tempeh Tacos

Where did the week go? Holy cow! I've only cooked one meal since Monday, because Brad was sick on Tuesday and we just had soup, Wednesday I made some awesome tempeh tacos (more on that in a second), last night I was at a charity benefit dinner and silent auction, and today I just had a really rough and disappointing afternoon, and didn't feel like cooking dinner. We don't expect to be home for dinner on Saturday or Sunday, so I won't be cooking then, either. Which means the seitan pot pie, chickpea cutlets, stuffed bell peppers and chipotle bean burritos will all make appearances on next week's menu instead. And that's ok.

I really did cook this week, however, even if I didn't prepare a lot of dinners! I made tempeh tacos, a batch of seitan, and a Guatemalan cheesecake, among other things. I know there's something else, but it's escaping me at the moment. And that, people, is why you should blog daily, and not try to recall it all at a later date. They say the mind is the first to go, and dude, if that's the case, I'm screwed. I'm only 32!

But I digress. Let me get back to the topic of food, and tell you about these tacos I made on Wednesday. They were awesome! I used the Baja-style grilled tempeh tacos recipe from Veganomicon. I'm not going to post the recipe, since I don't want to infringe on their copyrighted materials or anything, but I can give you a basic idea.

The tacos had several components. First was a tangy cabbage slaw, which was made of shredded cabbage and carrots, and diced pickled jalapeno peppers, tossed with lime juice and vinegar. Next was a lime cream sauce, made of plain soy yogurt, lime juice, grapeseed oil and cilantro. The third major component was the tempeh itself. It was my first time cooking with tempeh, and I was pleasantly surprised. I'd read about it before, and wasn't particularly tantalized by the description. Cakes of fermented (read: moldy) soybeans?? Are you kidding me? But I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted it. The tempeh was simmered for a bit, which I'm told removes bitterness, then marinated in a lovely, tangy, zesty sauce, before being grilled. Finally it was sliced into little strips, much like beef in fajitas.

Once all of those goodies were prepared, all that remained was to assemble the tacos themselves. We used flour tortillas, because I'll be damned if I could find corn tortillas at any of the three stores I tried. What the hell? So we had the tortillas, topped with cabbage slaw and tempeh, some soy cheddar cheese, and the lime cream sauce. YUM! They were fantastic, and surprisingly filling. We were each figuring on having three tacos beforehand, but by the end of the second, there was just no way we could eat more.

These are something I would definitely make again. The only thing I would change is to use a vegan sour cream instead of yogurt for the lime cream sauce, but outside of that, they were great! My first recipe from Veganomicon! So far the cookbook gets two very enthusiastic thumbs up! I highly recommend it.

Tortilla Pie

2 (15 ounce) cans refried beans
1 cup salsa, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
7 (8 inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine refried beans, 3/4 cup salsa and the garlic.

In a separate bowl, mix together 1/4 cup salsa, 1/4 cup sour cream, cilantro, black beans and tomatoes.

Place 1 tortilla in a pie plate or springform pan. Spread 3/4 cup refried bean mixture over tortilla to within 1/2 inch of edge. Top with 1/4 cup cheese, and cover with another tortilla. Spread with 2/3 cup black bean mixture, and top with 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat layering twice. Cover with remaining tortilla, and spread with remaining refried bean mixture and cheese.

Cover with foil, and bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes. Cut into wedges, and serve with salsa and sour cream.