Easy Black Bean Vegan Street Tacos | edibleperspective.com

How about I forgot the little spoonful of salsa on top of these black bean vegan street tacos!

I'm hoping you won't hold it against me and we can continue on with the recipe...? Just imagine the most perfect spoonful of a thin, flavor-packed smoky salsa cascading over the avocado and onto the beans.

Amateur hour over here.

Moving on...

These tacos were inspired by our new weekend craving from a neighborhood food truck. We're fairly obsessed and have eaten them every weekend since finding this truck. Sometimes two nights in a row. But now we're enjoying something pretty similar right at home. While there are still one or two aspects that make their tacos a little extra delicious, these are pretty dang close. Honestly, I think it may be their tortillas. They are SO good.

The bean mixture is simple but flavor packed and includes a secret ingredient that adds a lot of richness. It's really all about the beans. But it's also about the perfect, half-crisped tortilla and a mound of lime-spritzed avocado. Oh, and the salsa. The salsa that I forgot. I'll never let myself live that down. In any event, make sure you find a good one.

My hope is that this will be an easy, go-to meal for you. It's extremely easy to double or triple and great for serving to a crowd. I've been tweaking this recipe for months now and am finally ready to share.

So let's get on with it.

Print Recipe!

Black Bean Vegan Street Tacos

gluten-free, vegan // yields: 3-4 servings

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cumin
3/4 - 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups black beans, drained with 1/2 cup cooking liquid reserved (or liquid from can)
2 limes
3-4 teaspoons smoky/chipotle hot sauce, or adobo sauce
2-3 ripe avocados
chipotle or tomatilla salsa (you want a thin salsa, not chunky style w/tomatoes)
10- 12 mini corn tortillas (about 4-inches)
shaved onion and/or chopped cilantro (optional)

In a medium pot, heat your oil over medium. Once hot, add the onion, a pinch of salt, and cook stirring frequently for 10-15 minutes. You want the onions super soft and starting to brown. Add the garlic and stir for 30-60 seconds. Now add the cocoa powder, cumin, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Stir for 30 seconds. Stir in the beans + cooking liquid, juice from 1 lime, and hot sauce.

Bring the beans to a simmer and simmer uncovered for about 10-15 minutes, until beans start to thicken but not letting all of the liquid cook off. Stir every few minutes. Taste and add more salt and hot sauce to taste. I used about 1 1/4 tsp. salt. The hot sauce is more for the smoky flavor than spice in this recipe.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to broil. When your beans are about half done, spread tortillas in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place on a rack in the center of your oven and let toast for about 2-3 minutes. Flip and toast another 2-3 minutes. Watch very closely as you don't want them to fully crisp. (They're much harder to eat when fully crisp.)

Scoop avocado into a bowl, top with juice from 1/2 lime and a hefty pinch of salt. Mash to desired consistency. Taste and add more lime + salt if desired.

Assemble tacos with beans, avocado, a small spoonful of salsa, and shaved onion and/or cilantro (if desired). Serve immediately.

Notes:

If you can't imagine a taco without cheese, grate pepperjack or sharp cheddar and sprinkle on the tortillas after flipping the first time. Let cook until bubbly then assemble. (This is how they are served from the taco truck.)

Now, I have a favor to ask!

I'm working on an exciting new project involving live streaming video casts that I'll be hosting on a new food platform called NOM. It was actually started by the co-founder of YouTube. And not only are the video sessions live, but we'll also be able to interact while it's all happening with a chat feature. So cool! Have a question during the show, ask away and I can answer!

My actual channel is here: Edible Perspective on Nom

I'll be updating the page soon, but you can already join and follow along. For now, I need your help with what types of food-related topics you'd like me to cover. It can really be anything at all! ie: a specific cooking how-to, showing easy breakfast recipes, talking about certain ingredients and how to use them, stocking a pantry, etc. The shows are about 20-25min long, so I can really cover a lot and it's starting next week! Your help is much appreciated!!

Stay tuned to Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for the details in when to tune in! I'm nervous + scared + excited but it's going to be SO FUN!

Happy Friday!

Ashley

You know the days when you feel like there's not enough in your fridge to pull together a real dinner? Or those days when you find yourself with a few lingering ingredients in your crisper drawer that have seen better days? That happens around here all.of.the.time.

I try and treat it as an adventure, that sometimes ends up just barely edible. But sometimes it's a total success!

This post is sponsored by Earthbound Farm.

orn Fritter Cakes with Avocado Lime Sauce | edibleperspective.com

Instead of creating a hodge-podge meal with those leftover ingredients, today I'm trying to pull them together and actually make a recipe. Something you want to make more than once and that can be pulled together with pantry staples and common fridge + freezer items most people have on hand.

Avocados are hit + miss for me. Don't get me wrong, I love avocados, but sometimes I buy them out of habit with no real plan for what to actually make with them. Maybe you do the same?

I also typically have a pepper or two lingering in the fridge. The same goes for organic baby spinach, because it's just so dang convenient and easy to add to everything. Those giant Earthbound Farm spinach tubs from Costco are my go-to. One trick I've learned when dealing with large quantities of spinach is to freeze any I know I won’t use before it expires in the fridge. I pack it into a large freezer bag, squeeze the air out, and then freeze the bag. It's perfect to add straight into your blender for smoothies or even soup! It also helps avoid food waste and makes your dollar stretch a little further at the store.

Frozen corn is one of those staples that everyone has in their freezer. It's just always there. It can be called on in a pinch for a dinner side dish (with butter + salt, mmmm), used in savory oven bakes, corn chowder, and obviously for taco night.

Limes are also a staple around here (hello, moscow mules!), as well as basic flours, garlic, milk, and eggs. I would say that the only non-staple (for our kitchen) ingredients in the recipe list you'll find below are jalapenos and chives.

But if I can cook up a delicious meal and only have to buy jalapenos + chives I'm a happy person.

This month, Earthbound Farm is celebrating Earth Day for the entire month! They’re focusing on how to get creative with pantry meals and dishing out plenty of earth-friendly tips for you to think about all year long. I loved reading Amelia’s simple tip for helping conserve water when washing fruits and vegetables and how to reuse the water when you're done.

And speaking of being a little kinder to our planet, in 2015 alone, the organic farming efforts made by Earthbound Farm will keep 16.1 million pounds of toxic chemicals + fertilizers from entering our environment. I found this fact to be mind-blowing. It not only helps the environment but our health as well!

While you will need to bust out your food processor for this meal I promise it's worth it. The recipe is actually pretty simple and ends up looking fancy, thanks to that bright green sauce.

You'll first create a simple avocado lime spinach sauce that is sort of like guacamole meets pesto. You won't find basil here, but it is still loaded with a fresh, bright flavor. It will keep in your fridge for a day or two and would be fantastic as a topping to so many other things (ie: tacos, sandwiches, enchiladas, etc.). The sauce will take about 5 minutes to prepare.

After quickly rinsing your food processor you'll finely chop a pepper, garlic, jalapeno and more spinach that will be mixed into your fritters to give them a ton of flavor and those pretty flecks of color.

You'll then combine a few basic pancake-type ingredients together and fold in the pepper mixture, corn, and chives. After a few minutes on each side in a skillet you'll be ready to chow down.

I like to make sure the skillet (or pan) is well coated with oil to help create a crispy, golden edge on the fritters.

They're sort of a fritter meets savory pancake meets cornbread.

Can you deal?

Print Recipe!
adapted from: Savory Cornbread Pancakes
gluten-free | yields 12, 3-4 inch cakes

Corn Fritter Cakes with Avocado Lime Spinach Sauce

for the cakes:

1 small bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded, de-veined and chopped
1 cup lightly packed E arthbound Farm Organic Baby Spinach
1 med. clove garlic, peeled
2 large eggs
5 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk (or soy, 2%, etc.)
3 tablespoons refined avocado oil (or other baking oil)
3/4 cup corn flour
1/4 cup gluten-free oat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 1/4 cups thawed frozen Earthbound Farm Frozen Organic Sweet Corn
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

for the sauce:

1 med clove garlic, peeled
1 1/2 medium avocados
2 cups lightly packed E arthbound Farm Organic Baby Spinach
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

To prepare the sauce: Place garlic in your food processor and turn on to mince. Scrape sides and add the avocado, spinach, lime juice, chives and salt. Pulse until spinach and avocado are well chopped and incorporated together. Scrape sides as needed. Stream in the olive oil while continuing to pulse until desired consistency has been reached. Add more oil for a thinner texture. Taste and pulse in more salt/lime if desired. Transfer to a bowl.

To prepare the fritters: Rinse your food processor. Place garlic in your processor and turn on to mince. Add chopped pepper, jalapeno and baby spinach. Pulse about 15 times until small bits remain (refer photo 3). Do not puree. Set aside. (This should amount to a heaping 1/2 cup. There will be a small amount of liquid. If the mixture is overly wet you should lightly strain it.)

Preheat a skillet or large pan over medium heat with a good coating of oil.

In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, and oil. Add the flours, salt, and cumin on top. Stir until just combined. Fold in the corn, chives, and pepper mixture until combined.

Once skillet is fully preheated, scoop a scant 1/4 cup of the mixture onto the pan. Spread slightly with the bottom of your measuring cup (appx. 3 inches wide and 1/4-inch thick). Repeat, leaving a few inches between each fritter. Don't overcrowd. Cook for 3-4 minutes until golden brown, then flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the fritter is set and golden brown. Repeat with remaining batter until all are cooked, adding oil to the pan in between batches. Serve as they finish or keep warm in a 200° F preheated oven on a baking sheet.

Serve with fresh lime and avocado lime spinach sauce.

Store sauce in an airtight container for 1-2 days.

Notes:

A mini food processor should work for both the sauce and pepper chopping. You may need to work in batches. Instead of streaming in the oil (for the sauce), simply add 1 tablespoon at a time and pulse in for the sauce.
Do not sub cornmeal for the corn flour. However, cornmeal can be finely ground in a high-powered blender to create corn flour. Sift out any larger pieces.
To quickly thaw your corn, place in a bowl with cool water until tender. Drain water.

Not bad for a pantry staple/leftovers meal, huh?

To get a $1 off Earthbound Farm product coupon, simply take their Every Cart Counts quiz and find out what type of shopper you are.

Ashley

Today’s post is sponsored by Earthbound Farm. Product opinions are always my own. If I didn’t love it, you wouldn’t hear about it.Thank you for supporting the occasional sponsored post that helps fund all the deliciousness + behind the scenes action you see here.