Since moving to California 5 years ago, our intake of Mexican food has increased dramatically. I never knew I could love tacos and avocados so much. Actually, no I take that back. I’ve been eating avocados like they were my J-O-B for as long as I can remember. Now, in addition to eating them plain and on toast, I use them as an excuse to eat as many tacos, burritos, and the like.

While I love lentil tacos, nut meat tacos, tempeh tacos, ect. I was getting a little bored with our typical Mexican fiesta nights. I can’t remember where I saw the idea for using chopped cauliflower but I am SO glad I remembered that this was a perfectly acceptable option.

Don’t these look awesome? Who knew chopped cauliflower could taste so good! Mixed with taco seasoning, black beans for extra fiber and protein, and fresh peppers from the garden, these were some of the best tacos I’ve had in a while. Add your favorite toppings and taco night is ready!

I recently stumbled upon Trader Joe’s Corn and Wheat tortillas and highly recommend them for your taco shells. Plus, it prevents me from having to buy corn tortillas and flour tortillas. BL likes flour, I like corn. We now compromise thanks to TJ’s.

Cauliflower and Bean Tacos

Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
6 baby bell peppers, thinly sliced
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
1 package taco seasoning
1 tbsp. taco sauce
salt/pepper to taste
Tortillas
Taco Toppings (I like lettuce, cheese, avocado)

Finely dice the cauliflower using a knife or food processor. Don’t pulse it too fine or you will get cauliflower mush. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a wok or large saute pan. Add the onion and baby bell peppers. Saute 5 minutes until onion is soft. Add the cauliflower and toss continuously for 3-4 minutes until crispy. Add the taco seasoning, taco sauce, and black beans. Cook a few more minutes until thoroughly combined.

Spoon filling onto taco shells and top with your favorite add-on’s.

Hello! I apologize for the lack of posts this month. I got back from Jamaica last week and have slowly been catching up on my recipes and posts. That being said, I have quite a few new Carribean inspired items for you so watch for those to go up this weekend/next week.

These tostadas are awesome! Roasted vegetable salsa & creamy pinto beans are the perfect topping for crisy corn shells. Make extra of this salsa, it’s great as a dip, salad topping, or mixed in with morning scrambles.

Roasted Vegetable Tostados

Ingredients:
1 recipe roasted vegetable salsa, recipe follows
1 recipe creamy pinto beans, recipe follows
8 corn tortillas
Optional garnishes: cheese, lime juice, cilantro, sliced jalapenos

Heat a non-stick pan to medium-high heat. Add 1 corn tortilla at a time, and cook for 2-3 minutes per side until firm and slightly crispy. If you want your shells really crispy you can fry them in a tbsp. of oil but I find that a non-stick pan works just fine.

Top tostada with pinto beans and roasted vegetable salsa. Garnish how you prefer!

Roasted Vegetable Salsa
1 medium eggplant
5 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 medium zucchini, chopped
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 cup lemon juice
salt/pepper
2 jalapenos, minced

Preheat oven to 425 F. Peel the eggplant and chop. Place in a large bowl with the other cut vegetables and toss with 1 tbsp. canola oil. Place in oven and  roast 30-40 minutes until vegetables are soft. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Place in a large bowl and toss with lemon juice, salt, pepper, cumin, and jalapenos.

Creamy Pinto Beans
1 tbsp. canola oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 white onion, finely diced
1.5 cups dried pinto beans, pre-soaked
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. cumin
3 1/2 cups water

Place all ingredients in a stock-pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 1-1 1/2 hours stirring occasionally. You want the beans to be very soft so they are easier to mash. You can also do this in a pressure cooker or slow-cooker. If you use a pressure cooker, follow your directions for water amounts and cook time. Remove beans from heat and mash with a potato masher, fork, or immersion blender for more whipped beans (if you do it this way, you will need to add more liquid- water or broth).

Enjoy! Makes 8 tostadas. Per tostadas: 222 calories, 3.2g fat, 9g fat, 10g protein

Did you know that red kidney beans can cause food poisoning? Don’t worry, it’s easy to avoid… you just have to know how to cook ‘em!

Many varieties of beans contain the toxin Phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), kidney beans contain the highest amounts. PHA  is a lectin (sugar binding protein in beans) which causes food poisoning when the beans are consumed raw, soaked or under cooked.

If you’re like me, dried beans are a staple food. I’m a big fan of dried beans, as they are a delicious, inexpensive source of protein, iron, and fiber. 

When you go to cook kidney beans, make sure you do so either in a pressure cooker or stove pan. Most food poisoning cases are seen when beans are cooked in slow-cookers/crock pots.  Slow-cookers keep food at 180 degrees F, the optimum temperature that increases the toxicity of red beans.

Love kidney beans? Great. Just don’t cook them from a raw state in a slow cooker. Instead, soak the beans in water for at least 5 hours. Replace this water a few times during the soaking process, drain the water and boil beans in new water for at least 10 minutes. Then bring to a simmer and cook until done.

If that seems like a lot of work remember that cooked beans freeze well. Make a big pot, drain and then freeze until ready to use. Dried beans are also cheaper and lower in sodium than their canned counterparts.

Once you make your own beans from scratch, try one of these recipes:

Enchiladas a la DK

Rustic Corn Chili with Polenta

Ma! The Chili

What are your favorite kidney bean recipes?

First off, I am so excited to get a new camera next week. This picture doesn’t do this dish justice. It was so colorful and flavorful. I actually wish I served it on Halloween because the orange and black together were stunning!

I loved the idea of putting Nori in a salad, thanks The Health Seekers Kitchen! I made this for a quick weeknight dinner with the ingredients I had on hand, but feel free to empty out your fridge and pile on the vegetables. The carrot-ginger dressing is one of my favorite go-tos. Use the leftovers as a dip.

Carrot-Ginger Dressing:
2 large carrots, diced
1 1/2 tbsp. white miso paste
1 tbsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. oil
2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp. minced ginger*
2 tbsp. water

Place all ingredients in blender or food processor to combine.

Salad: makes 4
1-2 sheet(s) nori seaweed, julienned
1 large avocado, diced (or 2 small)
1 cup frozen edamame, thawed
1 head radicchio, shredded
1 head savory cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, matchsticks. 
2 tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted

Combine all ingredients in large bowl except seeds and nori. Toss to combine.

To serve, dish out salad, top with dressing, nori, and sesame seeds.

*I used the tube ginger, found in the produce section of most supermarkets. It worked great in the dressing and saved me time and energy!