It’s time for Taco
Tuesday Thursday!
Yeah, I know, Taco Thursday doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, but here we are. And I don’t know about you, but I’m good with tacos any day of the week. How about you?
My favorite tacos are al pastor. They’re made from pork that’s been marinated in spices, cooked on a vertical spit, with pineapple and onion on top of the spit. It’s the pineapple that does it for me, I think, because that sweet and spicy combo is always a hit with my taste buds. In a pinch, a good old fashioned ground beef or grilled chicken taco is a win as well.
Tacos, for the most part, are a super simple meal that’s easy to prepare and generally is not too expensive. So, I tend to make them often. The trouble began when my older daughter went fully vegan. Since I didn’t want to keep feeding her Beyond Beef tacos, I went on the hunt for vegan taco recipes that were both easy and delicious.
Our favorite by far are these crispy vegan potato tacos with jalapeño cilantro sauce. Whenever I make these, I make two simple alterations to the recipe. First, I double it because the leftovers make a great breakfast hash or taco. Second, I add in half a poblano pepper or, if they’re in season and I can find them, a Hatch chile. Poblanos are my favorite pepper and they add a great flavor to the tacos. The jalapeño cilantro sauce is fantastic as well and is great for dipping fries into.
Another great vegan taco recipe are these simple black bean tacos with vegan lime crema. Since I am not a fan of beans of any variety, these are something I make for my kids only. But it’s easy enough to pan fry a chicken breast on the side for myself, so it all works out in the end.
Lastly, these beer battered Kung Pao cauliflower tacos aren’t exactly easy, but man are they ever worth it. I’ve only made them a handful of times, but they are so good and crispy! I had a hard time keeping the kids from snacking on the cauliflower while I got it all fried.
A shout out to Navajo tacos/fry bread tacos (they come by many names, depending on where you are). These start with a piece of fry bread – aka a piece of fried dough – and are piled high with all your usual taco toppings. I recently had one of these in a little hole in the wall restaurant in Gallup, NM and it was beyond delicious. The green chile sauce it was topped with only made it better. And I’ll forgive the son of the owners who told me it’s not really a taco if it doesn’t have beans on it (he was teasing me) because he gave us fantastic service.
Ever wonder what kind of taco fits your foodie personality? Yes? Then you’re in luck because there’s a quiz for that (no, really!) and you can find it here. And while I didn’t get the al pastor I’d been hoping for, I’m okay with what I did get.
What about you? What kind of tacos do you like? Which taco fits your personality best?
I don’t think there’s a taco I don’t like. I have found I prefer the places that make their tortillas fresh … we have a Latina church just down the road from us that cooks the first Saturday of every month… tacos, papusas, quesadillas, tamales… heaven! And the local flea market’s concession stand is the same way. And… now I’m hungry.
And… I have bistec as well (even though i really like chicken)
Hahaha – I can relate. That’s amazing that you can get authentic food so close by. Man, I love a good tamale, too.
I’m rather partial to chicken over beef myself. 😀
I love black bean tacos! It’s one of the ways I’ve added more beans to my diet over the past few years. They’re especially good with some guacamole slices if you ask me.
My family didn’t eat spicy food at all when I was growing up, so my tolerance for spice is still limited. But I have learned that a little bit of hot sauce or spicy salsa is delicious.
My kids would both agree on the guacamole or just plain avocado!
Hahaha – I’m from the Midwest so I’m not even sure if my mom knows what spicy is. But seriously, a little bit can go a long way. Doesn’t take much to add some flavor.
I love tacos and I like to make them cause they’re easy peasy. I don have a problem though maybe someone can hep me with. I don’t care if I have a soft or crunchy shell but my husband really only likes crunchy. Here’s my problem…either the ones I buy are already stale or I get some that completely crumble on the first bite.
Before anyone gives me suggestions which I would really love, please know I am not making my own 🙂 No matter what!
I agree, they’re always so easy and the leftovers can be used for so much.
I’m not sure you can get away from hard shells that fall apart, unfortunately. As for finding ones that aren’t stale, I just did a google search and discovered that if you toast them in the oven they’re nice and crunchy. Apparently there are instructions on the back of the box for this. Who knew?