Tofu taco filling, “Refried” pinto beans, Salsa and Limed Cabbage

Tofu taco filling, “Refried” pinto beans, Salsa and Limed Cabbage

This recipe comes to us from Angela, one of our dedicated and talented Group Lunch cooks. She recently treated the crew with these filling and tasty tacos!

For the taco fillings:

1 1/2 cups black beans
1 1/2 cups pinto beans
1 package firm tofu
1 medium onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
3-4 cups additional mixed seasonal vegetables, diced
generous splash of olive oil

Spices:
Ground coriander
Ground cumin
Smoked paprika
Chili powder
Salt

In separate pots, soak 1 1/2 cups black beans and 1 1/2 cups pinto beans overnight.

Add a teaspoon of each spice to the pans and boil the beans separately. It should take roughly an hour for the pinto beans and up to 2 hours for the black beans.

Drain the beans, reserving the liquid from the pinto beans.

Place the pinto beans in a food processor with 1/4 cup of salsa (recipe below) and pulse to chop, adding a bit of the pinto bean liquid as needed to give them the texture of refried beans. Put the refried beans somewhere to stay warm.

Put a generous splash of olive oil in a large pot and heat over medium. Crumble the tofu into the pan. Add between a teaspoon and a tablespoon of the spices, depending on your heat preferences.

Add the onion and carrot and continue to saute over medium.

(If you have visually picky eaters, add a pinch of turmeric to the tofu to make it yellow in color. Some picky eaters like this.)

When the onion is soft, add the remaining diced vegetables and stir well. Saute for 5 minutes or so, then add the black beans, stirring well so you have an even mixture.

Remove from heat, put in a serving dish, and serve with tortillas, the “refried” pinto beans, salsa, cheese, sour cream, and limed cabbage.

For the salsa:

1 28 oz can Muir Glen diced tomatoes
— or —
7-8 medium tomatoes
1-2 jalepenos (depending on your heat quotient)
1 small green onion or 1 thin slice regular onion
1/2 bunch Red Dog cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
shake of salt

Basic salsa: Put all ingredients in blender and blend until completely chopped and mixed.

Fancy salsa: Put the tomatoes, onion, and jalapeño on the grill to char. Then put in blender with all the other ingredients and blend until completely chopped and mixed. You can also use a kitchen torch to char the outsides. That’s fun too1

For the Limed Cabbage:

1 small head cabbage, finely sliced
1 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons salt
1/2 bunch Red Dog cilantro, coarsely chopped

Combine all ingredients. Taste immediately for the lime-salt balance, adjusting as needed. It should be salty and tangy.

Put in the fridge for an hour to let the flavors blend.

Alternate use of the taco filling:

Use to stuff an acorn or delicata squash: Cut the squash in half, remove seeds, reserving them for Toasted Pumpkin Seeds. Fill squash with Tofu Taco Filling and bake at 350 for about an hour. Top with grated cheese for the last 15 minutes. Serve with salsa and sour cream.