Recipes from the NYC Vegetarian Food Festival: Spicy Korean BBQ Jackfruit Tacos

Spicy Korean Barbecue Jackfruit Tacos. Photo Courtesy of Vegan Kitchen TV

My book tour for Fusion Food in the Vegan Kitchen ended with a bang in New York City at the fourth annual NYC Vegetarian Food Festival.  I met so many amazing people there.  I met so many people who already had many of my books, and I even met a couple who told me that I helped them go vegan. How inspiring! I am pretty sure there were close to 10,000 people in attendance over the 

weekend.  You can check out some amazing photos, by Drew B. Photography, of the entire event here.

Many people were first introduced to jackfruit through these tacos.  Accross the country, not many vegans were aware of this amazing fruit that has the ability to resemble shredded meats in all sorts of recipes.  I purchased cans of young green jackfruit packaged in brine in markets all accross the US, so I now know that it is available in most states, and certainly in major cities all across the country.  I was worried that it was a California thing, so I am happy to report that it is not the case.

Having no idea what to expect at the festival, I was a little scared to take on the event all by myself.  Thanksfully, Sunday came to my rescue by answering a call for help on Facebook!  Thanks so much Sunday, there is no way I could have gotten through the weekend without you.  Speaking of amazing people, Demetrius Bagely is the one who inspired (read: pushed) me into taking on the challenge of cooking at the festival.

There were many inquiries on how to make these tacos, and easily, I can tell you, just buy the book, it has all of the recipes (plus many more!) to make these yummy tacos.  But, y'all know me. Whenever I fall in love with a recipe, I can't help but share it with the world.  So here you go, all the recipes needed to make the tacos at home!

Fusion Tacos
These are the tacos I was serving throughout the tour at booksignings, and eventually finishing up at the NYC Vegetarian Food Festival.  The tacos feature 4 different recipes from my newest book,  Fusion Food in the Vegan Kitchen.

Spicy Korean BBQ Sauce (page 26)
This sassy barbecue sauce has no tomatoes! It gets its red color from roasted red peppers. You can roast your own peppers for this recipe or use ones already roasted and packed in water.

3 tablespoons (45 ml) soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons (30 ml) sesame oil
2 tablespoons (30 ml) rice vinegar
2 tablespoons (30 ml) agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 tablespoon (15 g) garlic, minced
10 ounces (280 g) roasted red peppers
1 cup (235 ml) water
1 tablespoons (5 g) red chili flakes
2 teaspoons black sesame seeds
3 tablespoons (about 3 stalks) finely chopped green onions

Add all ingredients except chile flakes, sesame seeds and green onions to a blender and blend until smooth.Stir in chile flakes, sesame seeds, and green onions.Place in an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Should last at least 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Yield: 2 3/4 cups (650 ml)

Spicy Korean BBQ Jackfruit (page 96)
Use this spicy meaty fruit in sandwiches, tacos, or burritos.

2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
1 cup (160 g) diced onion
1 tablespoon (8 g) minced garlic
1 (20 ounce can, 560 g) Jackfruit in water or brine (NOT SYRUP!), drained and rinsed
1 cup (235 ml) cola made with real sugar*
1 cup (235 ml) Spicy Korean BBQ Sauce
1 tablespoon (15 ml) sambal oelek
salt to taste

*You can use Coca-Cola, but that has high fructose corn syrup, not sugar, unless you get the kind in the glass bottles from Mexico which is made with real sugar. I would use Hansens, Blue Sky, Whole Foods 365 brand, or any other all natural cola. For the NYC Vegetarian Food Festival I used Jarritos brand Mexican Cola.

In a skillet or pot with a tight fitting lid, heat oil over medium high heat. Add diced onion and sauté 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant and translucent. Add garlic and continue to cook for 2 to 3 more minutes. Add jackfruit, and using the edge of your spoon, begin to break it up as it cooks for an additional 2 to 3 more minutes. Add cola, sauce and sambal oelek. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 35 to 45 minutes, returning often to stir and prevent scorching. The sugars from the cola and BBQ sauce will caramelize and stick to the bottom of the pan if you aren't careful. Cook until tender and most liquid is absorbed. The Jackfruit should be tender and stringy. If needed, you can pull it apart with a fork. Add salt to taste.

*To make in a slow cooker, simply add all ingredients to the pot of your slow cooker and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours, or on low for 8 hours. Use the edge of a spoon to break up the jack fruit once it is tender.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Sesame Carrot Coleslaw (page 55)
*Soy Free
*Wheat Free
This crunchy coleslaw is perfect to top all kinds of fusion tacos or burritos, but it also tastes good as a tasty side dish.

1 cup (70 g) finely shredded cabbage
1/2 cup (54 g) finely shredded carrots
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 tablespoon (15 ml) sesame oil
2 tablespoons (30 ml) rice vinegar

Toss together all ingredients to coat, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Creamy Sesame SriRacha Sauce (page 16)
Also known as Spicy Sushi Sauce, this delicious sauce is traditionally made by mixing mayonnaise with sesame oil and SriRacha. The easiest way to veganize it is to just sub Vegenaise for mayo, but I made a pledge to write this book without the use of premade subs, so here is a recipe that is made from scratch! Well, except for the SriRacha. As you can see from the picture above, I really love this stuff. I use it on everything. I use it on tacos, burritos, as a salad dressing, and even as a dip for veggies, plus any other thing I can think of. I always keep a squeezy bottle of this handy in the fridge.

12 ounces (340 g) soft silken tofu
1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil*
1/4 cup (60 ml) sesame oil*
1 tablespoon (15 g) minced garlic
3 tablespoons (45 ml) SriRacha
2 tablespoons (30 ml) rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Add all ingredients to a blender and puree until silky smooth.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Should last at least 2 weeks in the fridge.

Yield: 2 1/2 cups (600 ml)

*As written, this is a full flavored, high fat dressing. The consistency is meant to mimic that of an aioli (or flavored mayonnaise.) Feel free to replace up to half of the oil with unsweetened plain soy milk, water, or vegetable broth for a lower fat version.

Additional Garnish:
Chopped cilantro
Diced Onion
Black Sesame Seeds