Mushroom Chipotle Tacos

I like meat. Not a lot of meat, but some meat. Yet I still believe there are so many other options and that meat should be a treat. Mushrooms are a great alternative if you’re looking for a change. Add the right seasonings/marinade and you’ll be asking yourself, “Meat? What meat?”

I made these mushroom tacos last week and the recipe below is how I adapted the one I found online (it didn’t have enough marinade for one). Also, as we’ve been trying to back off on cheese (again, a treat!), I mix plain Greek yogurt with chile powder, garlic, and salt for a creamy sauce to spread on the tortilla. We opted for flour tortillas so you could say it’s a burrito but either flour or corn will work and taste great.

Greg also adds, the mixture is great cold.

Marinade:

2 tablespoons oil (I used olive oil)

4 tablespoons canned chipotles sauce and pepper

2 tablespoons agave nectar (adds a nice sweetness to counter the chipotle heat)

1 tablespoon granulated garlic

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriandar

salt to taste

For the tacos:

1 pound mushrooms of your choice

2 bell peppers (red is preferable, but I had orange so I used orange)

1/2 red onion

1 can black beans, rinsed

1 cup corn kernels

tortillas (either flour or corn)

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Mix marinade per ingredients above. Slice mushrooms, bell peppers (removing seeds), and onion. Place them in a bowl and add the marinade, mix well. Spray sheet pan (it never hurts!) and then spread ingredients on pan and place in the oven. Roast for 20 minutes, remove from oven and return to bowl, adding the black beans and corn. Mix well.

Make tacos per your preference. We like to spread the tortilla with the yogurt sauce, add the mixture, and then top with sliced avocado.

Slow Cooker Barbacoa Brisket

I’m not a fan of stringy meat– my parents loved pot roast (and it was cheap) so we ate it a lot. However, this recipe from Cooking Light magazine is incredible– and incredibly easy. I followed the recipe except that I added the entire can of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. While I can stand more heat than many people from living in the Southwest for so long, it’s really not that hot. But if you can’t do too much heat, follow the recommendations for a lesser amount.

As this is the second recipe I’ve included with chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, that should be a hint that they are well worth keeping in stock in the cabinet. They taste like barbecue sauce with heat.

Find the recipe here.

Chipotle Meatballs Rick Bayless Style

I had never used chipotles en adobo– the canned chipotle peppers. For years I saw recipes that called for it and looked once at the store and couldn’t find it so I stopped trying those recipes. But I figured I could find them now at my local grocery store in the Hispanic section and I decided it was time to try them.

What I didn’t anticipate is that because of another ethnic group, the Hispanic foods have been squeezed out at my local Smith’s. I won’t reveal the other group– I think they do deserve space- but I am quite honestly baffled because Mexican food is very popular right now.

That meant I was off to Walmart (I kept hoping Target would have them because I was going there but I wasn’t so lucky) where I stocked up on several cans so I wouldn’t have to go back to Walmart any time soon.

Of course I bought several cans not knowing what they tasted like. I wasn’t disappointed: I loved the smoky flavor. I felt like I was eating BBQ sauce with a kick.

Recently I bought my second Rick Bayless cookbook and this was the first recipe that I tried. I served it with diced baked potatoes but next time (and Greg has assured me there should be a second time) I’ll do mashed potatoes. The meatballs are easy to make and the sauce could be used for a variety of dishes.

Find the recipe here.