Looking to add a little spice to the holiday festivities? Try some Tacos de Tres Chiles. You’ll find the recipe at the bottom of this email. This recipe is a gift from us to you and has been generously donated by chef Jason Wyrick, author of Vegan Tacos: Authentic & Inspired Recipes for Mexico’s Favorite Street Food.
This week, we’ll be giving away an autographed copy of Jason’s book Vegan Tacos. How do you enter for your chance to win? Simply share this Facebook post or retweet this tweet. Be sure your Facebook privacy settings allow your share to be public if you want us to identify you for the drawing. We’ll draw the winner on Tuesday, December 23 at noon.
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One of the key ways that we fulfill this mission is through our community-building activities. We’ve got a few events already in the works for the new year, and we invite you to mark your calendars now. Save the date for our 6th Annual Vegan Chili Cook-Off on Saturday, February 7 and for our Annual Banquet on Saturday, May 16. Next month, on Monday January 12, you can join us for a dine out at Evergreen Chinese Restaurant. For the dine out, please RSVP on the Facebook event page or email Justin Leaf at justin@exploreveg.org.
For the animals,
Unny Nambudiripad
Tacos de Tres Chiles
Three Chile Tacos
These tacos feature three different types of chiles, two in the sauce and one right on top. Each one lends a different flavor and a different type of heat to the taco. It can get a bit spicy! Don’t worry, though. There are a several ways you can tone down the heat, or you can make it even hotter if you dare. Enjoy!
Makes 6 small tacos or 4 large tacos
The Filling
- 3 guajillo chiles, rehydrated (see note about rehydrating and substituting other chiles)
- 6 tablespoons of the rehydrating liquid
- 1 chipotle in adobo
- 6 cloves of garlic
- Juice of ½ of a lime
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of Mexican oregano
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 medium-sized carrot, diced into ¼ inch pieces
- 2 cups of cooked, rinsed fava beans or other bean of your choice
The Tortillas
- 6 (4 to 5-inch) corn tortillas (see note about tortillas)
The Toppings
- 6 to 8 roasted whole jalapeños
- ¼ cup of roasted, salted pepitas, divided amongst the tacos
- Chopped cilantro for garnish
- Optional: 3 tablespoons of vegan crema, divided amongst the tacos (recipe found in Vegan Tacos)
- Wedges of lime for garnish
Note about the chiles: To rehydrate the chiles, remove the stems and simmer them in water for about 10 minutes. Guajillo chiles are fairly common, but if you don’t have them, you can use any large dried red chile, like a New Mexico or California chile pod.
Note about the tortillas: Street tacos in Mexico are typically served on handmade tortillas about 4 to 5 inches in diameter. They’re easy to eat and perfect for a handheld meal. However, if you only have the larger 6 to 7 inch tortilla found in most supermarkets, you can use those, too. Regardless of which tortilla you use, make sure they are warm so they are nice and pliable and don’t break on you. For more info about how to make your own homemade tortillas, see the section of masa in Vegan Tacos: Authentic and Inspired Recipes for Mexico’s Favorite Street Food.
Puree the rehydrated guajillo chiles, the chipotle in adobo, the garlic, lime, salt, and oregano into a smooth, viscous sauce. In a medium skillet, bring the oil to just above medium heat. Add the sauce and fry for about 1 minute, gently stirring. Add the carrot and continue cooking for about 2 minutes. Add the beans, stir, and cook for 1 more minute.
Divide the filling amongst the tortillas and top with a whole roasted jalapeño, pepitas, a few sprinkles of chopped cilantro, and the vegan crema, if using. (The crema balances the heat of the chiles and smoothes out the tacos.) Serve with a lime wedge per taco.
Make It Hotter: Want to make your tacos even hotter? Add in an additional chipotle in adobo to the sauce and top your taco with strips of pickled onion and habanero.
This recipe has been generously provided by chef Jason Wyrick. In addition to being a cookbook author, executive chef, cooking teacher, and caterer, Jason has an organic vegan meal delivery service available across the US. Find Jason online at thevegantaste.com.