Recipe: Crispy Soft Cevice Tacos

This is the perfect combination of citrus, spiciness and crunch...a great taco for spring and summer!

I devised the original recipe a few years ago after reading an article by Calvin Trillin's on ceviche. I've never had a ceviche made with fish (or anything else, for that matter!) in my life, but the combination of flavors and the idea of something crisp and fresh was appealing. Why not substitute tofu? A firm tofu cubed could pass in a ceviche for small pieces of fish, right? It's turned out beautifully and I loved it. So, why not make a taco out of it?

It is taco nirvana, that is all I have to say. Perfection.

Recipe: Crispy Soft Ceviche Tacos

Following a couple of easy steps with the tofu will go a long way to create amazing flavor and texture in your ceviche--this means you have to start thinking about the ceviche a couple of days before you want to eat it. First, freeze the tofu--at least overnight. This improves the texture and allows you to get more moisture out of it. After it's thawed, press as much water out as possible, dice and proceed with the recipe. Once assembled, your really want to let the ceviche sit overnight as the tofu will absorb the flavors and be 'cooked' by the citrus. I know, it sounds weird, but the texture does change. A great addition: thinly sliced kumquats if you can find them. The salad that follows is a great accompaniment to the tacos.

1 lb. firm tofu, pressed and cut into 3/8-inch cubes
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 small jalapeno chilled, cored and seeded, finely diced
1 medium red onion in small, finely diced
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
1/2 cup ketchup
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
4 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
large pinch of cumin
small pinch ground cinnamon
small pinch of ground cloves
dash of Tabasco
2 tbsp. virgin olive oil

1/2 cup cilantro leaves
Crispy Taco Shells
Soft, flour tortillas

Place the tofu in a large bowl, add onion, tomato and jalapeno. In a smaller bowl, combine ketchup and through the olive oil. Whisk together, then pour over tofu mixture, folding gently until mixed well. Add salt to taste, then chill for several hours, or overnight if possible.

(The ceviche is also great served in little spoons, endive spears, or small glasses with a celery garnish.)

When you're ready, heat the oven and prepare the crispy tacos as directed by the package. Warm the flour tortillas in a dry skillet. Assemble the tacos by placing a crispy taco shell in a soft flour tortilla, filling with the ceviche and topping with freshly chopped cilantro.

Makes eight to ten tacos.

Recipe: Creamy, cumin-scented Salad Dressing with Chili Pepitas

I love this creamy dressing--the cumin adds a little bite, to contrast the creaminess. The pepitas add spiciness and a delicious crunch.

For the Dressing
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp. light vinegar (a Champagne vinegar would be good)
1 tbsp. olive oil
Freshly ground pepper

In your salad bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise through vinegar. Slowly add the olive oil and keep whisking. Add freshly ground black pepper, taste and adjust seasoning.

For the Pepitas
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
Spray olive oil

Heat a small, non-stick skillet to high heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and spray generously with the oil. Sprinkle with chili powder and salt, stirring and tossing until the pumpkin seeds begin to brown and pop. Cool.

For the Salad

Top the salad dressing with 6 ounces butter lettuce, toss and taste for seasoning. Top each serving with a the pumpkin seeds. Other nice additions might be cucumber or avocado.

Serves 4.

Taco #4

Recipe: Beer-Battered Tofu Taco

My family is Southern, so when I was growing up, frying was a delicious way of life. But then the 80s happened and my parents got all healthy and went through their 'orange roughy period' and all of that kind of stopped. Our Christmas dinner is fried, but otherwise I don't think there are many meals that revolve around the fried foods of my youth: fried okra, fried fish, very thin fried slices of zucchini and squash, fried chicken, fried peppers, fried cheese....and so on and so on.

And frying is a mess. That oil splatters all of over the place and you are cleaning for days. And then what do you do with the oil left in the pan? You have to deal with that as well. Not fun. So, I reserve frying for special occasions--or when I'm particularly inspired, as with this amazing taco.

First, I have to admit: I've never eaten a fish taco. But, the idea of a crisp fried piece of something in a tortilla with some aromatics and a little crunch is incredibly appealing. So, I put this recipe together using a beer batter that recalls the fried fish I remember from childhood and accompaniments that play up the crunch. Some spicy mayonnaise, a little bit of tropical salsa and you're good. It is exactly what I wanted it to be: warm, crunchy, smooth, spicy and delicious!

Plus, when you're frying tofu, you're kind of canceling out something on the bad list with something on the good list, right?

Recipe: Beer Battered Tofu Tacos Tropicale

It seems like a lot of work, but if you're organized you can put these tacos together pretty quickly. I start by warming the tortillas in a dry skillet, then wrap them in foil and toss them in a low oven. That way, they're pliable and warm then you're ready to assemble the tacos. Just put a baking sheet in the upper third of the oven and you can also put the tofu on it to stay warm as you take it out of the fryer.

For the spicy mayo:
1 cup of mayonnaise
2-4 tsp. of hot sauce

Combine the mayonnaise and hot sauce in a small bowl, use a spoon or whisk to blend together. Reserve in the refrigerator for assembling the tacos.

For the tofu

1 lb of extra-firm tofu, prepared as below

For the best texture and flavor, buy an organic extra-firm tofu and place it in the freezer for at least overnight. Take it out and let it thaw for several hours or run under warm water in the sink. It seems like a small step, but freezing and then thawing the tofu creates a firmer texture and allows you get more of the moisture removed.

Cut the tofu in half lengthwise. Using paper towels or a clean dishtowel, gentle press as much water out of the tofu as possible. This may take a couple of towels to get done. The more water you get out, the tastier your end product.

Then, cut each rectangle into six pieces. I like to cut them at slight angles so you don't end up with a perfectly shaped piece.

Set the tofu aside until ready to fry.

For the batter
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup corn starch
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
scant 1/4 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 1/2 cups (12 oz) dark beer
Peanut oil for frying

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a small yellow bowl. Whisk or stir to combine. Remove 3/4 cup of the mixture to shallow bowl or pie plate.

Add the beer to the mixture in the small yellow bowl and stir to combine.

Heat the oil in large pot or skillet to 375 degrees. You will need between 48 and 64 ounces, depending on the size of your skillet.

As the oil is heating, coat the tofu in the dry flour mixture and set aside. Once, the oil reaches the appropriate temperature, dip each piece of tofu in the batter, allowing extra to drip away, then place in the skillet. Depending on the size of your skillet, you probably want to do six pieces at a time. Fry for 4-5 minutes, until the batter is puffed and golden-brown. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain, then place on the baking sheet in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining tofu.

Accompaniments
Corn and/or flour tortillas
Cilantro, coarsely chopped
Green onion, finely sliced
Lettuce, small pieces of iceberg or butter lettuce
A fruity salsa, like mango or pineapple salsa--the sweetness goes nicely with the spicy fried tofu.

To assemble the tacos

Cut each piece of tofu in half lengthwise. Double-up the corn tortillas, if using. Spread about 1 tbsp of the spicy mayonnaise down the center of on each tortilla. Place a little bit of lettuce on the mayonnaise, top with two halves of fried tofu. Sprinkle with cilantro and green onion, then top with a spoonful of salsa.

Makes 12 tacos.

Taco #3

bigYELLOWtaco

I'm not changing the name of the blog, but I'm starting something I have been wanting to do for a while: write a cookbook. I've had lots of ideas on what I could write about it and where recipes and inspiration could be found, but not any awesome, tight, focused ideas--until now.

I miss tacos. That's where this inspiration comes from. I love them and all of the different things you can put inside them. Tacos are simple, delicious and the varieties are endless. Or, I guess we will find out. My goal: 52 different vegetarian and vegan tacos, plus some accompaniments. A different taco for week of the year, if you want. Plus, an easy way to work veggies and the vegetarian diet into your routine if it's something you're trying to incorporate. I'll be sharing some recipes and asking for feedback, but also sharing some photos, ideas and inspiration. Publisher, smublisher. I'll self-publish!

Black Bean & Cheese

One of my favorite taco places in Austin serves something that is so simple, it kind of surprises you it's so good. Warm slices of queso fresco, refried black beans and a green salsa. Amazing. I've recreated those same flavors for lunch on a dreary, rainy Saturday.

Taco #2

Loco por los Tacos!

I love tacos in all shapes, sizes and iterations: bean, squash, classic breakfast, mole, spicy, savory, crunch, dripping, corn, flour. I love them all. I used to make a 'beans and greens' taco that was fantastic, so I was excited when I saw a recipe recently for a spinach taco with ricotta. Amazing! Honestly, I could eat them every day for a week and then probably for a couple of more days after that.

I'm trying to stick to 'vegan at home' right now, so I made a vegan ricotta using the recipe from Isa Chandra Moskowitz in the Veganomicon. But, use regular ricotta if that suits you. The creamy, blandness of the ricotta is the perfect foil to the spicy, greens.

Recipe: Spinach Ricotta Tacos
If you are trying to sneak some tofu into your diet, here is a good place to do it. The mashed up and flavored tofu stands in well for the ricotta and is great with the spicy flavors of the filling. You can find a recipe here, just omit the basil as this recipe of course calls for cilantro instead.

For the ricotta:
1 cup of ricotta cheese (or 1 cup of the tofu ricotta with the basil omitted)
3-4 tablespoons of chopped cilantro
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

Using a fork, mix the cilantro and garlic into the ricotta. Taste and season with salt, depending on the flavor of the cheese you may need a little or a lot. Set in the refrigerator to chill, this can be done the night before.

For the spinach filling:
olive oil
1 large yellow onion, cut into 1-2 inch slices
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
12 oz. of fresh spinach, washed and rinsed. Stemmed if you feel it's important, but not really necessary. Especially if you use baby spinach.
1 4-ounce can of chopped green chiles
1 tsp of ground cumin
corn tortillas for serving
Salsa verde for serving

Heat the oil in large skillet to medium-high. Add the onion and saute for for 5-7 minutes, until it's soft and beginning to brown. Add the garlic and continue to cook until the garlic is fragrant. Add the chiles and cumin and stir for 1-2 minutes, until the spice is nice and toasted and smells delicious. Add the spinach one handful at a time, stirring until it wilts. Continue until all of the spinach is combined and cooked through. Turn to medium-low heat and keep warm until you're ready to assemble the tacos.

Meanwhile, warm the tortillas in a pan, the oven or a microwave. Put two tortillas together, and place a about 1/4 cup of the spinach mixture in the middle. Top with the ricotta or the 'ricotta' and some of the salsa verde. Enjoy!