Taco Tuesday

My husband and I have a favorite meal. Luckily for myself, it's simple yet delicious every time. Plus, there are so many different ways to prepare it. Tacos. Tacos in many shapes and sizes. Living in San Francisco has only fueled our obsession as there are so many amazing taquerias.

With that being said, expect many variations of tacos on a series that will be running for the next few months: TACO TUESDAY.  

Tofu Tacos with Cabbage and Jalapeño Relish

Ingredients:

1 block extra firm tofu
1 tbsp olive oil

Taco Seasoning:
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
a pinch of salt

Cabbage and Jalapeño Relish:
2 cups red cabbage, chopped
2 Jalapeños, minced
2 tbsp olive oil

Method:
Drain tofu and cut into 8 strips. Before cooking the tofu, it is best to press the water from it, in order for proper texture and seasoning to occur. To press the tofu, place a stack of paper towels on a plate and lay the tofu strips across the paper towel. Then layer another stack of paper towel on top of the tofu, and weigh it down with a heavy-bottomed skillet. Allow to sit for about 10-15 minutes, the pressure of the pan will give enough weight to press the water out of the tofu. After the 15 minutes, the tofu should be moist, however yield no drainage when pressure is applied.

While the tofu is being pressed, mix the taco seasoning spices in a small bowl. 

Discard the paper towel and then cut the strips of tofu into cubes.

Toss the tofu in the taco seasoning until well-coated. In a large skillet on medium heat, heat the olive oil just until it starts to pop, reduce heat to low and add the tofu.

While the tofu is cooking, mix together the ingredients for the cabbie and jalapeño relish. Cook the tofu on low heat, stirring often to avoid burning, until golden brown and firm. 

Serve the cabbage and jalapeño relish with the tofu on fresh corn tortillas with your favorite taco additions! I enjoy a salsa and daiya cheese. The ones pictured above are served with spinach and sweet potatoes.  

What's your favorite taco topping?

Veggie Noodles with Light Basil Pesto

Lately I've been experimenting with making pasta out of vegetables. Blame it on my attempts to cut down on bready carbs, or simply on obsession with my julienne slicer. ​

Some of my favorite veggies to make into noodles are zucchini and carrots.​ Pictured to the left, the noodles are tossed with a fresh basil pesto.

This pesto, is light AND vegan. Made with a cashew parmesan cheese, the pesto tastes great on pasta, or even mixed into a chickpea salad. 

Basil Pesto:​
2 cups (packed) fresh basil
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup cashew parmesan
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

​Method: pulse in a food processor until well combined and smooth. 

Zucchini and Carrot Pasta "Noodles":
2 zucchini
2 carrots
1/2 tbsp salt

Method: Slice vegetables using a julienne slicer/peeler. (The one I have been using can be bought here.) After the vegetables are peeled, place in a colander in the sink and rinse with warm, running water for a few seconds until well saturated. Once the water has drained, sprinkle them with the salt. 
Then, allow the vegetables noodles to sit in the colander for about 20-25 minutes. This is how the veg will develop a noodle-like texture. 

At this point, the vegetable noodles can be served cold or if preferred, you can add them to a pot of boiling water for about 3-5 minutes to give them a spaghetti temperature. Bear in mind, if you leave them in the pot too long, you could overheat giving the vegetables a soggy texture.​

Hope you enjoy!

What ways will you use your veggie noodles?​

Chickpea Hash

​1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp. parsley
1/2 tbsp. dried chives
1 egg or egg replacer
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 chopped red onion
4 baby red potatoes, cubed w/ skins
1 1/2 tbsp. white truffle oil
Pepper to taste ( I used cubeb pepper)

In a large skillet, add truffle oil and garlic on medium heat until the oil becomes fragrant and garlic has browned, then add the onions. Onions should be cooked in the oil until they are slightly transparent and thinned.

Turn heat down to low to reduce the popping of the garlic and oil.Add cubed red potatoes and cook until the potatoes yield to gentle pressure and are slightly browned, about ten minutes. 

While the potatoes are cooking, drain and rinse your can of chickpeas. Chickpeas (once drained) should still hold some moisture- do not pat dry. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, use a potato-masher to squish chickpeas. They do not need to be completely mashed! If some chickpeas are still intact, that's ok!

Crack an egg into the mixture or add your preferred egg replacer. When cooking, I prefer ground flaxseed. (1 tbsp. ground flaxseed to 3 tbsp. water is the equivalent of one egg) Add the parsley and chives to the mixture. Stir until well combined. 

Once the potatoes have slightly browned, add the chickpea mixture to the skillet. Cook the hash for another five-ten minutes, stirring occasionally. The chickpea mixture will become golden brown. Remove from heat and top the mixture with pepper to taste. 

Served over top was a salsa I made using ​half of a diced heirloom tomato and one green chili pepper and a dash of lemon juice. (Really! That's it! and it tastes great!)