A smart substitution, and it's nuts: Walnut tacos
When I was a kid, ground beef tacos were in my mother's dinner rotation. Any time-stressed cook knows why: All she had to do was fry up some ground beef, grate some cheese, chop an onion, and set out the bowls of those plus salsa, sour cream, and taco shells, and let her kids make their own.
When I was a kid, ground beef tacos were in my mother's dinner rotation. Any time-stressed cook knows why: All she had to do was fry up some ground beef, grate some cheese, chop an onion, and set out the bowls of those plus salsa, sour cream, and taco shells, and let her kids make their own.
I think I've found the equivalent vegetarian filling: coarsely ground and heavily spiced walnuts. I put this together as quickly as Mom used to in west Texas, and without even applying heat. The filling is raw - in fact, it's a thing in vegan cooking circles - and requires nothing more than to be blitzed together in a food processor.
Walnut Tacos
Makes 6 servings (12 tacos)
For the filling:
2 cups coarsely chopped raw walnuts
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon water
11/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (may substitute ground cayenne pepper)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or more as needed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For assembly:
Twelve 6-inch corn tortillas, warmed
1 cup chopped tomato
1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
2 medium avocados, sliced
1/2 cup salsa verde (see related recipe)
1/2 cup Greek-style yogurt (may sub non-dairy yogurt or sour cream)
12 cilantro sprigs
2 limes, cut into wedges
1. For the filling: Combine the walnuts, lime juice, cilantro, water, ground cumin, chili powders, salt, and black pepper in a food processor; pulse frequently for a minute or so, until the nuts are reduced to pebble size. Do not over-process. Taste, and add more salt as needed.
2. To assemble the tacos, divide the corn tortillas among serving plates. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the filling on each tortilla, then add some tomato, a few slivers of cabbage, a couple slices of avocado, a spoonful of salsa verde, a dollop of yogurt, and some cilantro.
3. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing.
- Adapted from Healing the Vegan Way, (De Capo Lifelong Books, 2016).
Per serving (using Cooked Salsa Verde and nonfat yogurt): 410 calories, 11 g protein, 29 g carbohydrates, 31 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 260 mg sodium, 8 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugar