Stir-Crazy Cooking: Pantry staples make veggie taco recipe a keeper when supplies run low
A number of weeks ago — when the world seemed vastly different from how it does now — I was on the hunt for more vegetarian recipes.
Motivated by both a desire to eat healthier and be kinder to the planet, I thumbed through my old copy of “Meatless Main Dishes,” part of Time Life's “Great Taste — Low Fat” book series. I settled on Tex-Mex Soft Vegetable Tacos, which called for sliced mushrooms, zucchini and red onion as well as salsa, canned black beans and frozen corn. I ditched the fresh cilantro and sour cream the recipe listed, but went with a light sprinkling of shredded Cheddar and added some guacamole I had in the fridge. It was tasty, and the recipe made more than the four servings the book touted.
Last week, I revisited the recipe — minus the cheese and two of the three fresh veggies as I tried to minimize trips to the grocery store in light of the coronavirus pandemic. I did add a can of mushrooms I'd bought on impulse as we stocked up a couple weeks before. And I was pretty pleased with the results.
Here is the original recipe for those who have the right ingredients or for later, and my adapted version, which relies mostly on pantry staples.
Tex-Mex Soft Vegetable Tacos
Four 8-inch low-fat flour tortillas
1½ teaspoons olive oil
1 red onion, slivered
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
1½ cups sliced mushrooms
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1½ cups frozen corn kernels
2 tablespoons of no-salt added tomato paste
¾ cup mild or medium-hot prepared salsa
15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
¼ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
¼ cup reduced-fat sour cream
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap the tortillas in foil and place in the oven for 10 minutes or until heated through.
2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil until hot but not smoking over medium-high heat. Add the onion, zucchini, and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and the mushrooms have released their juices, about 8 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, and corn and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, salsa, black beans, and cilantro and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
3. Divide the tortillas among 4 plates. Spoon the vegetables down the center of the tortillas, sprinkle with the Cheddar, and top with a dollop of sour cream. Roll up the tortillas, cut them in half if desired, and serve.
“Meatless Mains” from the “Great Taste — Low Fat” series published by Time Life.
Tex-Mex Soft Vegetable Tacos
Four to six 8-inch low-fat flour tortillas
1½ teaspoons olive oil
1 red onion, slivered
1 can of sliced mushrooms (optional)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1½ cups frozen corn kernels
2 tablespoons of no-salt added tomato paste
¾ cup mild or medium-hot prepared salsa
15-ounce can of no-salt or low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
¼ cup reduced-fat sour cream (optional)
Guacamole (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap the tortillas in foil and place in the oven for 10 minutes or until heated through. If you prefer, you can also warm them in the microwave.
2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil until hot but not smoking over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, about 6 minutes. Add in the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in the chili powder, cumin and corn and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, salsa and black beans and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
3. Divide the tortillas among plates. Spoon the vegetables down the center of the tortillas. Top with cheese, sour cream or guacamole, if you want. Roll up the tortillas and serve.
Adapted from “Meatless Mains” from the “Great Taste — Low Fat” series published by Time Life.