Potato Tacos

I first had potato tacos about seven years ago at a Mexican restaurant in town.  They had traditional toppings on them, so I had them without the cheese.  But, what stood out to me most were the potatoes in them, so small and crispy.  I had never heard nor thought of putting potatoes in tacos, but I was inspired!  I may have eaten there one more time that than - I can't really remember - but the tacos have never left my memory.  So, I decided to redo them here at home, and everyone loved them.  I like to switch my taco toppings up and try some unorthodox things, and I really like the result here.

Potato Tacos

Ingredients:

20 or so corn tortillas
Canola oil, divided
5 Russet potatoes
1 - 29oz. can vegetarian refried beans
1 container vegan sour cream
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1/2 cup or so mint leaves, small (cut them in half in they are large)
Favorite salsa

Directions:

In a large pan, heat about two tablespoons of oil on medium heat.  Peel the potatoes and dice them very small.  Add them to the oil, and cook for about thirty minutes.  Turn occasionally, letting the sides get brown and crispy.  In the last five minutes of cooking potatoes, heat the beans in a medium pot over medium heat.  When the potatoes and beans are ready, heat a few drops of oil in a small pan over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, add a tortilla.  Cook for a few seconds on one side and then flip over.  Add a spoonful of the beans and a spoonful of the potatoes to one side of the shell.  Carefully fold the other half of the shell over and put on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.  Repeat the process with the rest of the shells, potatoes and beans.  Each few drops of oil should last for a couple of tortillas.  When all the tacos are ready, garnish with your toppings.  Delicious!  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Classic Bean Tacos

One of my dad's signature dishes was tacos.  We had taco night about once a month or so, and he was always in charge of it.  This version of the taco was the first one I made when I stopped eating meat, and I use all the traditional toppings that we used at home.  It hits the spot and the heart.

Classic Bean Tacos

Ingredients:

At least one 29oz. can vegetarian refried beans
Canola oil
20 or more corn tortillas
Hot sauce
Ketchup
3 green onions, sliced
Romaine lettuce, chopped
Tomatoes, diced
At least one medium can of sliced black olives
1 pkg. Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet cheese, cheddar style, finely shredded

Directions:

Heat the refried beans in a medium pot until warmed through.  Heat one teaspoon of the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  When hot, add one tortilla.  When it starts to change shape or bubble (just in ten seconds or so), flip over.  Add a large spoonful of beans down one side of the tortilla.  Fold the other side over the beans.  Place on a paper towel lined cookie sheet.  Follow suit with at least one more tortilla before adding a bit more oil to the pan.  Finish with the remaining tortillas and beans.  Have the toppings ready at the table.  I like to add the hot sauce and ketchup on the beans, so they stay put, instead of falling to the plate.  Have fun, enjoy the food, eat to your heart's content.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Tofu Tacos

We love taco night here at our home.  I always think it's going to be more work than it is, but really, it comes together in a half hour or less usually.  I like to make variations of things to keep them fresh and fun, but also hang on to the successful classics.  I started using tofu as one of my taco fillings a few years ago, and found that it worked really well.  Now, it is one of the fillings that I rotate around on taco night.  For the shells, I sometimes use a tad of oil to soften up the tortillas in a pan.  Use only as much as you need, just a couple of drops for two or more tortillas before adding more.  I find that corn tortillas sometimes need a little extra help to soften up, without breaking.  Here are some tasty toppings ideas for you, as well.

Tofu Tacos

Ingredients:

Canola oil, divided
2 pkgs. extra-firm tofu, drained and mashed
1 vegan taco seasoning packet
20 or more corn tortillas (we are feeding five hungry vegans here, with teens!)

Toppings:
1/2 white onion, sliced
1 tomato, diced
Fresh cilantro sprigs
Romaine, sliced in strips
Ketchup
Hot sauce

Directions:

Cover a large baking sheet with paper towels, set aside.  In a large pan, heat two tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the mashed tofu and cook until it starts to brown, about fifteen or so minutes.  While cooking, prepare the toppings.  Add the taco seasoning packet to the tofu and stir well, cooking for another minute or so.  Remove from heat.  Heat a teaspoon of oil either in a large skillet or griddle over medium heat.  When hot, add one tortilla, wait ten or so seconds - bubbles may appear on the tortilla, or it may bend at the edges - flip over and scoop a tablespoon or so of the taco mix onto one side of the tortilla.  Flip the other side of the tortilla over to cover the filling.  Remove from skillet and place on baking sheet with the paper towels.  Repeat with one or two more tortillas, until the pan is dry, and then add a teaspoon more of oil.  Fill with an assortment of the toppings.  Just a small tip: I like to add the ketchup and/or hot sauce directly on the tofu, instead of on the very top of the toppings, so none of it falls onto the plate, if there's a topping avalanche.  Very yummy.  Feeds five hungry vegans, sometimes with some cold, tasty tacos leftover for the next day's lunch.

Simple Avocado Tacos

Like their name says, these are really simple tacos.  But, there is a cute, short story that goes along with this meal, so I have to share it with you.

A few years ago, a good friend of ours (she and her husband are JK's godparents), had my children and I, and another friend and her son over for a play date and lunch.  She is not strictly a plant-eater but very well could be because she always makes some awesome vegan dishes.  Do you know any people like that, who are so health-conscious and would make the transition so easily but just don't?  Anyways, she made these tacos by slightly blackening corn tortillas on one of her burners, spreading refried beans in them and adding sliced avocados.  She put out rooster sauce for everyone to enjoy.  Now, I am a fan, a big fan, of rooster sauce, but my eyes popped out when I saw her slather it on her tacos.  It was like a little kid with a plate of fries and ketchup. And, then she proceeded to delicately munch on each taco.  My mouth would have been pleading for something cool to drink.  Well, the kids were all at another table, so we moms could somewhat hear each other talk.  My SR reached over to grab a pitcher of lemonade to refill her glass when she accidentally spilled it all over the kids' platter of tacos!  All of the children reacted differently, but they were determined to not let those precious tacos go to waste.  My friend's son diligently picked one up from the platter, took a bite, and very emphatically said, "These lemonade tacos stink!"  See, inadvertently SR created a brand new taco: lemonade tacos.  Despite being drenched in lemonade, that platter of tacos was quickly eliminated, and grabby hands made their way towards the moms' sacred stash.

Now, I make these tacos, and, of course, we have to recount the original lemonade tacos every time.  If you are feeling especially brave, you may try your hand at adding fresh lemonade, and let me know if they stink for you, too.  By the way, don't let the simplicity of these tacos fool you: they are amazingly delicious!

Simple Avocado Tacos

Ingredients:

1 - 29oz. can vegetarian refried beans
20 or so yellow corn tortillas
3 - 4 avocados, sliced
 Rooster sauce

Directions:

Pour the beans in a small pot and warm over medium heat.  Heat a stove burner on medium heat.  (My friend has a gas burner, and I have a flat, electric burner, and they both work fine.)  Place a tortilla directly on the burner, until there are a few darkened spots.  With tongs, flip the tortilla over to the other side.  Each side should take 30 seconds or much less, depending on your burner.  Place each tortilla on a cookie sheet, when done, and spread a tablespoon or two of beans on one side.  Place two or three slices of avocado on top of the beans, and fold other half of tortilla over on top.  Serve with rooster sauce.  So good.  Feeds five hungry vegans.