summer tacos

 

everybody needs tacos. much like vietnamese rice paper rolls, these are a party-in-your-mouth, nutritious, joy of a meal, and are pretty flexible as long as you have the outside wrapping and a couple of other bits. coming into summer, i'm not really into the idea of standing over the stove, and with the exception of heating the taco shells in the oven for 10-12 minutes (don't waste time and add heat to your kitchen by preheating- just whack them in and turn it on), this is a no heat recipe! i'm going to try to post a few more of these- as much as salad rocks, i will want more variety over the next few months without resorting to eating frozen mango cubes out of desperation (mmm, frozen mango...)

anyhoo, the tacos: the secret to this recipe is to not cook the beans. just mix in a medium-large bowl

a 400g tin of beans (black, kidney, or even canellini)

juice of a lime (or lemon)

good dash of olive oil

 

what will really kick this over the edge is a teaspoon of a spice mix which can be made ahead- either blend pre-ground spices, but if you can, grind them up fresh (with a mortar and pestle if you've got some issues to work out, or an electric spice/coffee grinder- best investment of $30, i promise!).

1Tbs coriander seeds

1Tbs cumin seeds

1tsp anise seeds

1tsp celery seeds

half a cinnamon stick (1tsp ground)

1Tbs marjoram

1tsp black peppercorns

 

grind to a fine powder, and store in an airtight container.

 

if nothing else, add just a teaspoon of ground cumin to the salad. then it's up to you and your cupboards- add any or all of these:

chopped jalapeños

fresh chopped coriander 

grated carrot 

sliced red onion 

roasted garlic, mashed 

finely chopped semi dried tomato 

toasted pepitas

baby spinach leaves

serve this bowl of salad with your taco shells, plus shredded lettuce, sliced tomato and cucumber, avocado, vegan cheese or sour cream, and salsa (or the cheat's combo- sriracha chilli sauce and tomato sauce).