Vegan Jamaica (Hibiscus) Tacos

 

Vegan Jamaica (Hibiscus) Tacos 

We were having a Dia de los Muertos celebration at work, so I made jamaica tacos as the vegan option for guests. 

Pupusas and Tacos and White Girl Curtido...Oh My!

It's been a helluva week folks. My plan was to be at Expo West all week, but it was postponed/canceled due to COVID-19 (aka Corona Virus) and then Super Tuesday election results had me all, like, whoa. Mr. Newman took off for the week to gamble away our life savings in Laughlin (I kid! I kid!), and I have had the house to myself all week. That means I can make a big ol' mess in the kitchen and make foods with onions and peppers and spice! Haha.

Fusion Tacos with Sesame Carrot Coleslaw (Vegan and Gluten Free!)

Fusion Tacos with Sesame Carrot Coleslaw

Now I am totally and fully aware that you cannot tell that the above is a picture of tacos, however I thought it really showed off all of the amazing colors these fusion tacos boast.  GREEN onions and cabbage, ORANGE carrots, PURPLE onions, BLACK sesame seeds, RED chili flakes, PEACH creamy spicy sushi sauce, YELLOW corn tortillas, and BROWN taco meat.

I am not sure what's gotten into me lately, but I am having so much fun mixing different types of foods together.  Now, of course, mixing Mexican food with Asian influenced flavors is nothing new.  There are fusion food trucks and restaurants popping up all over the place.  But, I haven't seen many vegan options out there.  I've got a few others up my sleeve I will be sharing soon.

Spicy Sushi Sauce tops the Fusion Tacos made with TVP Taco Meat

For the Sesame Carrot Coleslaw:
1 cup finely shredded cabbage
1/2 cup finely shredded carrots
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar

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

Yield: 1 1/2 cups (enough to generously top 4 tacos)

Nutrition Facts for Sesame Carrot Coleslaw

For the tacos:
4 (6 inch) corn tortillas
TVP Taco Meat  (If you would rather avoid soy, and you don't have gluten intolerance, try Celine's  Seitan Chorizo Crumbles instead!)
Sesame Carrot Coleslaw (recipe above)
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
3 stalks green onion, chopped
Spicy Sushi Sauce

To assemble the tacos:
In a dry frying pan on a grill, cook the tortillas until lightly browned on each side.
Add first, the TVP Taco Meat, then pile on the 'slaw.  Top with red and green onions, then give it all a real liberal squirt of delicious Spicy Sushi Sauce.

Yield: 4 (6 inch) tacos

Enjoy!

A big yummy mess! And proof they are actually tacos!

Monday Mash Up: Pumpkin and Potatoes

Pumpkin Potato Taquitos (Sorry for the shoddy cell phone pic!)

Pumpkin Potato Taquitos

10 smallish red potatoes, skin on and quartered

7 ounces (half a can) canned pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon chipotle powder (more or less to taste)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried red chile flakes (more or less to taste)
1 tablespoon dried chives (fresh is certainly okay too!)
1/2 a package any flavor of shredded Daiya Cheese (optional)
1/2 a tub of Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
24 (6 inch) yellow corn tortillas
Canola Oil for frying
24 toothpicks

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil.
Add potatoes, and boil until fork tender.
Drain excess water and return potatoes to pot.
Add remaining ingredients, (except tortillas, oil and toothpicks!) and smash together until well mixed.  Leave some potato lumps for texture.

Add about 1" of oil to a large flat frying pan (I use my cast iron skillet), or heat the oil in your deep fat fryer to 350 degrees F.
Add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the mixture to the center of the tortilla and roll up.*
Secure with a toothpick.

Fry for about 30 seconds on each side, turning carefully with a pair of tongs.

Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Transfer to a plate lined with paper or a kitchen towel to absorb excess oil.

Remove toothpicks before serving.
Serve with nondairy sour cream, mole, guacamole, or salsa for dipping. 

Yield: 24 pieces

*Some tortillas (especially all natural ones) tend to crack when rolling.  You can battle this by carefully and quickly dipping the tortilla with tongs in hot oil prior to filling and rolling.  Lay the oiled tortilla flat on a work surface, and allow to cool a few seconds before handling.