Fajita-Style Tempeh Tacos

Anyone who knows me or my husband could tell you, we should live in Mexico.  We could eat Mexican food three times per day and never tire of it.  For years, we had a standing date with friends one night a week at the same Mexican restaurant, where we didn't even have to order.  They'd just bring our food out, knowing what we each wanted.  

These days, with a busy toddler, going out during the week just isn't in the cards, and weekends aren't much better.  So, I've been making tacos occasionally to fill the void.  I've made a few different variations, but today, I'll share a good basic recipe.

Fajita-Style Tempeh Tacos

1 red bell pepper

1 8-oz package of mushrooms

1 onion

1 tbsp coconut oil 

1/4-1/2 jalapeño (or more if you like extra spice)

1 package tempeh

3 cloves garlic

1 tsp cumin

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

3 tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos (soy sauce)

Salt and pepper to taste

Corn tortillas

Shredded cabbage

Chopped tomatoes

Chopped cilantro

Sliced avocado

Lime wedges

Heat coconut oil in an iron skillet over medium heat.  Roughly chop the tempeh into small pieces and crumble with your hands until it's broken apart into small clumps.  Add the tempeh to the skillet and sauté until brown.  If it starts to stick, just add water or more oil.  (Tempeh tends to be pretty dry.)  Chop the pepper, onion, and mushrooms to similar sized pieces, I chose to dice mine.  Finely mince the garlic and jalapeño.  Once the tempeh starts to brown, add the veggies, garlic, and jalapeño to the skillet.  Stir well and let cook until the veggies are just softened.  Add the spices and Bragg's.  Stir to incorporate well and let simmer for a minute or two.  Remove from heat. 

 

Serve the taco mixture on warm tortillas, and top with cabbage, tomato, cilantro, and avocado.  Squeeze some lime on top and enjoy.   

Who needs chicken? Buffalo tempeh with roasted red potatoes and kale/mushroom saute

The first of the month is always the busiest time for me at work.  Add to that my duties as "fill-in" for just about anyone who goes on vacation, and it's been a very hectic couple of weeks, today being the craziest of all.  After waking up an hour early because Charlotte had new sounds she wanted to practice, I knew it was going to be a very long day.  What I didn't anticipate was only getting to nibble some walnuts and an apple for lunch.  The avocado I had packed was a sad, brown bomb when  I cut into it.  I hate when that happens.  It felt perfect and the stem spot was bright green. Very deceptive.  Surprisingly, though, I didn't get all that hungry by the end of the day.  I suppose my supper fatty breakfast smoothie held me over better than I had expected.
     After picking up Charlotte and greeting a few trick-or-treaters at my in-laws' house, we made our way home and settled in for the night.  After nursing my baby girl and coaxing her to sleep, it was time to throw together some dinner.  I was really wanting something tangy and spicy, and because I missed out on lunch, I wanted something green.  You know me...  Greens are my thing!  I had bought some organic kale a few nights ago, so I dug that out.  Plus, I still had half a block of tempeh left over from last night's dinner.  I thought buffalo tempeh sounded like a great idea.  I just love that vinegary, hot, and smokey flavor.  So, I put my iron skillet on medium, sliced the tempeh about 1/4" thick, added a tablespoon or so of coconut oil to the pan, and sautéed the tempeh until it was crispy and golden.  I set that to the side and mixed up the sauce.  Basically, some Frank's Red Hot and lots of garlic powder.  I tossed the tempeh in the sauce, and called it "done".

      While the tempeh was cooking, I also had some red potato chunks roasting in the oven on 425.  I seasoned them with olive oil, sea salt, garlic powder, and rosemary.  Since I'm breastfeeding, I've noticed that potatoes tend to help keep up my milk supply.  I'm not sure of it's something in the potatoes themselves, or if it's just the increase in carbs, but something is working to my advantage.  I try to have oatmeal or potatoes every day for that reason.  Tonight's potatoes were done when they were just starting to brown.

      When I saw that the potatoes were getting close to done, I sautéed three cloves of garlic, 1/4 of a white onion, and about 4 ounces of  baby Bella mushrooms in a little coconut oil.  Once the liquid was almost gone, I added a bit of Bragg's Liquid Aminos (wheat-free soy sauce), maybe a tablespoon or so.  Lastly, I tossed in a whole bunch of chopped kale and stirred it around until it was bright green and tender.  It was tasting pretty good, but just for a little extra pizazz, I decided to juice a lime and pour that over it.  Finally, it was time to eat.  I'm not one to try and stick with a theme in my dinner, so this may seem a bit eclectic, but it hit all the spots.  All in all, dinner took about thirty minutes to prepare.

                                        

      So now, I'm sitting here typing this and sipping on an after-dinner vanilla Sleepytime tea with a dash of honey and coconut milk, and all is right with the world.  I'm looking forward to spending a calm weekend at home playing with Charlotte and the pups... And hopefully inventing some new recipes to share with all of you.  Have a wonderful weekend and eat your veggies!