Vegan

Taco Tuesday: Chickpea Tacos with Guacamole

January 22, 2013 by Erica

Chickpea Tacos with Guacamole | coffeeandquinoa.com

You know I had to post this on a Tuesday.

Who doesn’t remember Taco Tuesdays from their childhood or, in my case, their college dining hall? Everyone likes tacos, and in college, you could count on that taco bar every Tuesday for lunch. Like clockwork.

So it’s kind of a dilemma when you stop eating meat and dairy and all of a sudden… those ground beef tacos you’ve been eating for years are no longer an option, never mind the cheese and sour cream you used to top them with.

Chickpea Tacos with Guacamole | coffeeandquinoa.com

Grilled veggie tacos are a good option, and I’ll definitely do a post about those when summer vegetables are in season. But what about when you’re in the mood for a gold, old-fashioned, Old El Paso-style taco night? Diced tomatoes and shredded lettuce are just not gonna cut it.

After much experimentation, I discovered that chickpeas are the ideal substitute for beef or chicken when you want to use the same spices and toppings. And they’re still loaded with protein! Even though I’m eating (some) meat again now, I’m sticking with the chickpea tacos. They’re just too good to change!

Chickpea Tacos with Guacamole | coffeeandquinoa.com

These are super easy to make if you’re hosting a taco night and also doing beef or chicken tacos. You make these exactly as you would make the beef or chicken ones, only they don’t take as long. So no extra work for you, and everyone’s happy!

Chickpea Tacos with Guacamole | coffeeandquinoa.com

I do have some words of wisdom for you in regard to these guys, especially if you usually make your tacos with meat:

– When sauteing the chickpeas, you are only trying to heat them through and evaporate some of the liquid from the spice mix. You actually want to avoid getting any color on them, because they get quite dry. So just get ‘em hot and they’re done.

– Top them with something creamy, like guacamole or sour cream. The added moisture works well, and it has the added bonus of keeping the chickpeas in place. Chickpeas are rolly polly little suckers, and they will exit your taco in a hurry. Mash some guacamole down on top of them – problem solved.

I wish all problems could be solved like that.

5.0 from 5 reviews

Taco Tuesday: Chickpea Tacos with Guacamole

Hands-on time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

This vegan taco recipe pleases both meat- and veg-eaters alike. Chickpeas make the ideal substitute for beef or chicken, and use the same taco seasoning.

Author: Erica

Yields: 6 medium-sized tacos

Ingredients

For the tacos:

1 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 red onion, minced
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 14-oz can, drained and rinsed)

For the taco seasoning (or use 1/2 a packet of your favorite taco seasoning mix):

1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup water

For serving:

6 hard taco shells or medium-sized tortillas
1/2 recipe Simple Guacamole
chopped cilantro
lime wedges

Instructions

First, prepare the guacamole according to these instructions.
In a small bowl, combine all taco seasoning ingredients, including water. The tacos come together quickly, so it's best to have this taken care of first!
In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the garlic and onion and saute until onion is soft, 3-4 minutes.
Pour in chickpeas and taco seasoning, and stir to combine. Saute, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas are heated through and some of the water is evaporated, 2-3 minutes.
Serve alongside taco shells, guacamole, cilantro and lime wedges.
Devour!

Notes

Taco seasoning adapted from Budget Bytes.

Chickpea Tacos with Guacamole | coffeeandquinoa.com

Chai Spiced Hot Chocolate

January 11, 2013 by Erica

Have you ever had a “dirty” chai latte?

Well, this is not that.

But a dirty chai latte, I learned the day after Christmas, is a chai latte with a shot of espresso, and is an “off-the-menu” item at Starbucks. I tried a friend’s recently and it was delicious. Not sure I’ll be ordering it any time soon, though, because how awkward would it be to include the word “dirty” in your Starbucks order? What if the cashier didn’t know what you were talking about? Or… misinterpreted it? I feel like Utah is a place where that would happen.

Anyway, chai spiced hot chocolate is kind of the inverse of a dirty chai latte, and for chocolate lovers, but just as brilliant. Also, it contains no potentially confusing adjectives, which is key when you’re ordering it/telling other people about it.

This is inspired by the Williams-Sonoma chai-spiced hot chocolate that my aunt and uncle (hi Aunt Kathy!) got me for Christmas. It was just the perfect thing to warm up with after skiing! It had never occurred to me that two seemingly distinct hot beverages, tea and hot chocolate, could be combined. Two of your favorite things, right?

But I suspect that not everyone will run out to Williams-Sonoma to buy this “premium” (quoting from the website now), “mellow-bodied,” “perfectly balanced” hot chocolate. So I came up with a semi-homemade version (Sandra Lee-style) to share with you.

And despite my pictures here with fancy spices, none of those are necessary. A chai tea bag and some Hershey’s cocoa powder, people. Semi-homemade. I was just so proud that I had so many whole spices sitting around that I had to include them.

I feel obliged here to link to something hysterical, if you haven’t seen it already: The Hater’s Guide To The Williams-Sonoma Catalog. It had me hunched over my desk squeaking I was laughing so hard. This “world-class” hot chocolate is not even in the same category as the absurd Williams-Sonoma products and descriptions featured there. If you’ve ever looked at their catalog and shouted at your roommate “who the hell BUYS this stuff?!” you should check it out. Although if you are intrigued by and end up purchasing the “reclaimed rustic chicken coop” for $759.95, I’m sure your roommate will understand.

Chai Spiced Hot Chocolate

Makes 2 1-cup servings

Inspired by Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients:

2 cups plain unsweetened almond milk

1 chai tea bag (I used Tazo)

1/4 cup Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder

2 Tbsp sugar

1/8 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

In a heat-proof dish (such as a Pyrex glass measuring cup), microwave almond milk until hot, about 4 minutes, stopping and stirring every minute or so.

Remove from microwave and steep the chai tea bag in the almond milk for about 2 minutes. Discard tea bag.

Stir in cocoa powder, sugar, and vanilla. If necessary, microwave for an additional minute to dissolve sugar.

Whisk or blend to get it nice and frothy, being careful not to spill. (You may have to transfer to a different dish/bowl for this.) Pour into two small mugs to serve.

Enjoy!

Time:

6 minutes

Asian Noodle Soup To Cure a Cold (Vegan)

January 9, 2013 by Erica

I guess I forgot to knock on wood last week when I said that I had a cold, but wasn’t going to stay home from work.

On Friday morning, I woke up coughing and sneezing all over everything. Gross.

I thought I was done with colds this winter, after fighting one off just before the holidays, but it turns out that was wroooong. And based on my recollection of getting sick right around the Bachelor premier 2 years ago, apparently I get sick at this time every year.

It doesn’t help that it’s been absolutely freezing in Salt Lake for the past week – highs in the teens. Who wouldn’t get sick?

So on Friday morning, instead of going into work, I cuddled up on the couch with my laptop, a box of tissues and a cup of tea.

Tea is good… but soup is better.

Luckily, I also had the ingredients to make this soup.

Soup fixes everything. So I made it and proceeded to eat it for lunch and dinner all weekend.

What is it about soup that makes me feel so much better – nature or nurture? It must be both… warm fragrant broth to warm you up from the inside out and clear the sinuses, plus the recollection of exactly the same sensation every time you’ve been sick since childhood.

Mmmmm… yep, nothing better to cheer you up when you’re sick than hot, noodley soup.

So can I recommend that you make this immediately? If it’s cold where you live, if you’re coming down the the sniffles, if your boyfriend or roommate or co-worker just sneezed… take action and cook up a big pot of (vegan!) soup. And don’t forget the sriracha… or tissues!

4.8 from 4 reviews

Asian Noodle Soup To Cure a Cold (Vegan)

Hands-on time

5 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

30 mins

This fragrant vegan soup will warm you to your toes. Recommended for times when you're sick and feeling sorry for yourself.

Author: Erica

Yields: 3-4 bowls of soup

Ingredients

1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 heaping Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 a jalapeno, seeds removed and thinly sliced
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (preferably one without tomatoes, such as Whole Foods 365 Organic)
3 green onions plus extra for serving, sliced
3 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
3 baby bok choy, chopped
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced into very thin coins
7 oz extra-firm tofu, cubed
5 oz soba noodles
chopped cilantro, for serving
sriracha sauce, for serving

Instructions

In a large pot, heat sesame oil over medium high heat. Once hot, add ginger and garlic and saute until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add jalapeno, vegetable broth, and green onions. Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes.
While broth is simmering, cook soba noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside. (These are cooked separately to keep your nice broth from getting murky!)
Strain broth into a large bowl. (This step is optional, but I prefer to remove the solids.) Once strained, pour broth back into pot. Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, vegetables, and tofu, and simmer until veggies are heated through, 1-2 minutes. Add soba noodles and heat for 1 more minute, until both noodles and broth are hot.
Remove soup from heat and ladle into bowls. Serve alongside sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, and sriracha.
Note: This soup is best eaten immediately, as it won't reheat well once the vegetables and noodles have been added. If you're planning to have leftovers, I recommend saving half the broth just after straining and before adding anything else. For leftovers, you can assemble the bowl of soup just before reheating, which will prevent mushy veggies and noodles.

Chipotle Black Bean Dip

January 7, 2013 by Erica

Last week, as I was writing Friday’s Bachelor cupcake post, I realized something terrible.

Tonight = Bachelor season premier.

Tonight also = National championship bowl game.

Uhhhhh ohhhhh.

Let’s just say that this is Nate’s and my first “bowl season” living together. (Did not know that was a phrase until last week.) Sure, we’ve been together for many football seasons, but shit got real once my TV was also his TV.

There is football on ALL THE TIME.

I actually forced him to watch multiple episodes of Honey Boo Boo on New Year’s Day, just so we could take a break from football. Believe it or not, Honey Boo Boo was a compromise. What we were not doing was watching The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which sat on our coffee table for 5 whole nights before I gave up and returned it to Redbox, unwatched.

The Bachelor doesn’t even stand a chance.

Yay football.

OK, I don’t really hate football; it’s just the crazy frequency of games recently. (And don’t even remind me about that March Madness thing coming up…)

One thing that all these bowl games are good for, though, is experimenting with new recipes on unsuspecting taste testers. Enter: a new bean dip!

There have been many bean dips on here lately, and I’m basically just hoping that you love bean dip and all his hummus cousins as much as I do. This one, made with black beans, is much different than my hummus recipes, and much more appropriate to serve to a living room full of hungry football fans. It tastes like classic football food without having any cheese, has a little kick to it, and is unbelievably quick and easy to make.

Making this bean dip tonight: Mandatory. Making your boyfriend watch The Bachelor instead of the bowl game: Optional.

Chipotle Black Bean Dip

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 cans low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained (or 3 cups cooked black beans)

2 Tbsp olive oil

juice of 1 lime

1 vine-ripened tomato, roughly chopped

1 large clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1/4 onion, roughly chopped (I used white, but yellow or red onion would also be good)

2 chipotle chilies from a can of chilies in adobo

1 tsp adobo sauce

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp kosher salt

chopped cilantro for sprinkling

tortilla chips or veggies for serving

Instructions:

Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Easy peasy!

This dip keeps in the refrigerator for several days, and will become firmer when cooled.

Enjoy!

Lemon Pepper Hummus

January 3, 2013 by Erica

Must Love Lemon: that’s the warning that comes with this hummus.

If you aren’t interested, I understand. You can have your hummus plain. But if you’ve ever wanted your hummus to have a bit more kick to it, this lemony, peppery, fluffy and delicious hummus is for you.

This was the first thing I made when I got back from my parents’ house after Christmas. I just couldn’t wait to make it and then the next afternoon when I finally did, I ate so much of it that I called it dinner. It’s good stuff!

If you missed my other recent hummus post, let me summarize quickly: You shouldn’t be afraid of making homemade hummus just because it’s come out badly in the past. I recently learned a trick to making creamy hummus, and it’s super simple: you just blend the tahini, water, and lemon juice before adding the other ingredients. That makes the hummus light and fluffy instead of thick and gunky! It’s magic.

Before we move on to the recipe, there’s something kind of important to mention about the pepper. I used pre-ground black pepper, and I’m pretty sure that the pre-grinding of this pepper happened circa 2004. Oops. I know I really shouldn’t be using old spices… but I kind of inherited Nate’s spice collection (that he inherited from an old roommate who probably inherited it from another old roommate) when we moved in together, and it just seems like a waste to throw out about $50 of Whole Foods spices. I’m “thrifty.” So I’m trying to use them up! But really, 2 tsp of 2004 ground black pepper could equate to like 1 tsp or less of 2013 pepper, especially if it’s freshly ground. So tread lightly and don’t say I didn’t warn you, OK?

Should it bother me that I was possibly in high school when that pepper was ground? Don’t answer that.

Lemon Pepper Hummus

Adapted from my Extra Creamy Hummus

Ingredients:

1/2 cup tahini
3/4 cup water
juice of 2 lemons
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
zest of 1 lemon (about 5 packed tsp)
3 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 15-oz cans, rinsed and drained)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
veggies or pita for dipping

Instructions:

In a food processor or blender (I used a blender this time), combine the tahini, water, and lemon juice. (You may wish to start with 1/2 cup water and add the rest later if the hummus is too thick.) Blend until tahini is light and fluffy, about 10 seconds. Add in the garlic and lemon zest and blend again until smooth.

Add chickpeas and olive oil, 1/3 at a time, blending until smooth after each addition. If hummus is too thick at any point, add more water or olive oil. Add salt, black pepper (start with 1 tsp if you like), and red pepper flakes and blend until smooth.

Serve with veggies or pita. Will keep in the fridge for several days.

Time:

5-10 minutes

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