(Vegan) Taco Night!

Living in the Southwest I’ve grown to LOVE Mexican food. Most of the dishes focus on fresh ingredients, bright flavors and just the right amount of spice tempered by avocado or sour cream. Now that I’m vegan I’ve been getting my fix at home with dishes like this one.

Vegan Quinoa & Black Bean Tacos with Blue Corn Tortillas

Ingredients

Blue Corn Tortillas
2 cups Black Beans
2 cups Corn (fresh or frozen)
3/4 cup Chopped Onion
1 cup Purple Cabbage
2 Limes
1 cup Quinoa (uncooked)
Fire Roasted Tomatoes or Salsa of Choice
1 large Avocado
1-2 tablespoons Cooking Oil of Choice
Cayenne Pepper (to taste)
Lawry’s Chili Garlic Seasoning (to taste)
Salsa Verde (optional)
Fresh Cilantro (optional)

Adjust the quantities as needed to make more or less of the taco filling. Leftover quinoa is great warm or cold in soups and salads. Unlike most grains, quinoa contains lysine along with all the other amino acids, making it a complete protein. Each cup of quinoa contains approximately 220 calories and 8 grams of protein.

Prep your veggies! I like to pre-chop most of my ingredients so I don’t lose any time but you can always reduce heat for a minute or two if you need to catch up.

You can heat your tortillas a few different ways — I like doing it old school, directly on the burner, but you can just as easily heat them in the oven as you cook or toss them in the microwave for a few minutes towards the end.

Put water on to boil for the quinoa and prepare according to instructions. I used water, but you could sub vegetable stock.

While the quinoa cooks, start heating your skillet and add 1-2 tablespoons of oil. Swirl the pan to coat then add your onions. After a minute or two add the corn and beans. If you’re using frozen corn let it cook for 3-5 minutes before adding the beans. Be sure to rinse the beans thoroughly before cooking and stir the mix frequently to avoid sticking.

As the mixture heats add your seasonings – I like cayenne for heat and Chile Garlic for a salty/garlicky flavor. I ALWAYS taste seasonings before adding them. You may want more or less depending on your personal taste. Better to start with too little and build because once it’s in there you cannot get it back!

Set your cabbage aside, it’s going to be used as a garnish and will add crunch to the tacos. Lime juice really brings out the flavor and makes for a nice combination.

As the quinoa finishes, remove from heat and cover. It’ll need to rest for about 10 mins to finish absorbing the cooking liquid. While this happens, set your veggie mixture aside and cover or put on low heat to keep warm.

If you’ve decided to heat your tortillas over an open flame now’s the time! Use metal tongs and flip quickly.

Finally, build your tacos – quinoa first, then veggie mix, then cabbage followed by salsa(s) and herbs. Plate your avocado and give a squeeze of lime over the whole affair followed by a liberal sprinkle of the Chili & Garlic seasoning to finish things off.

Oh yeah — final step: scarf them down like you haven’t eaten in a week.

Enjoy!