vegetarian tacos

Summer is in full swing in San Francisco.  The drizzle has started, the days-long fog, the bracing wind; it has arrived and is here to stay for awhile.  Luckily, before too awful long, we will have our coveted Indian Summer, warm and sunny September and October days.  But until then, we San Franciscans act like it is winter.  We go to the museums and cafes dressed in our chunky sweaters and scarves.   The parks are quiet, but for the few dedicated souls determined to barbeque in the fog.  We gather together for warming drinks and comforting foods. 

While comfort foods can often be centered around meat (things like pot roast, meatloaf, casseroles),  sometimes it is nice to have a meatless meal.  One particularly cold and foggy evening, I decided to take something simultaneously comforting (roasted veggies) and summery (tacos) in one meal and combine them in a deliciously vegetarian meal.  It is a perfect way to celebrate the San Francisco summer.

Vegetarian Tacos

(makes about 8 tacos)

1/2 yellow onion, julienned 

1/2 T butter

1 chayote squash, diced

1 yellow neck squash, diced 

1 can black beans

1 can chipotle in adobo

1 lime

2 ears of fresh sweet corn, shucked and cut off of the ear (or about 1 cup frozen)

1 T olive oil

1 red bell pepper 

1 avocado, sliced

1/2 c. cilantro, chopped

1/2 c. cotija cheese, crumbled

8 tortillas

Caramelize the onions in a saute pan with the butter.  Cook on low heat, stirring often until onions are evenly brown and soft. Season with a pinch of salt.

Meanwhile, toss together the diced squashes, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and roast in a 400F oven until soft and lightly browned on the edges, about 7-10 minutes.

Rinse the beans and add to a small saucepan along with your corn, 2 T adobo sauce from the chipotle can, juice of the lime, and salt, to taste.  Add the caramelized onions to this mixture when they are complete. 

Char the red pepper in the oven (400F) or using the open flame of your stove until the entire skin is black.  Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  This will steam the pepper a bit and allow the skin to come off easily.  Remove the stem and seeds and dice the pepper.

Toss pepper with the roasted squash mixture. 

Assemble your tacos:  Heat the tortillas in a saute pan or on a griddle on a medium flame, flipping the tortillas to evenly heat each side.  Fill tortillas with the squash mixture and bean mixture.  Top with cilantro, cotija and sliced avocado.  Add a squeeze of lime if you like.  

Tricks and Tips: 

If you would like the beans a bit spicier, dice up a bit of the chipotle peppers and add them to the mixture.

To easily shuck corn, roast it on your BBQ or open flame of your stove until the husk is black.  This steams the corn and allows the husk and silk to come off easily.

When taking the skin off of the charred bell pepper, try to avoid running under water.  This will rinse away a lot of those great flavors you worked hard to create.  Instead, try using a paper towel to rub the skin away. 

simple cooking

I learned to cook from, and along side, some really incredible chefs.

From them, I learned tricks and tips, style and efficiency.  I learned to how to season, about balance on the palate and on the plate, and a few secrets along the way.  (I also learned how to survive - and jest! - among the male-centric back-of-the-house and to speak some kitchen Spanish, but that is beside the point.)

Somewhere in there, I found my own sense of cuisine: simply seasoned and prepared, plated with a simple hand.  When you are able to work with deliciously fresh ingredients, they don't need to be layered with (sometimes competing) flavors or shaped on your plate using a PVC pipe and tweezers.

Generally, dinner at home is created by a quick rummage through the refrigerator: What vegetables are there?  What protein do we want?  How will these combine best?

Recently, we had some beautiful haricot vert, cremini mushrooms, and fingerling potatoes kicking around the kitchen that begged to be eaten.  A quick stop by the fish market and we had a fast and simple weeknight dinner.

Pan seared salmon

Season the skin side of a filet with salt and some pepper.

Pour a little bit of olive oil into an oven safe, preferably nonstick saute pan and let it get hot.  You don't want it to smoke- that is too hot- but to just begin to shimmer.

Place skin side down into the hot saute pan, sear for a minute or two, or until the skin begins to get crispy.

Transfer the saute pan to the hot oven to join your veggies.

Everyone likes their salmon cooked to a different temperature - I tend to like mine more rare, about 130 internally, so I pull it about 125 to allow for some carry-over cooking.

Roasted Veggies

Cut veggies to desired piece sizes. 

Toss with olive oil, salt and a little pepper. 

Roast in a hot oven (425- 450) until golden brown and delicious (GBD!), about 10 minutes.

Boiled Potatoes

To a sauce pan, add the fingerling potatoes, cold water and lots of salt.
Bring them to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  

They are done when a sharp paring knife inserted into the potato easily slides away.

Drain the water, toss potatoes with salt, chopped parsley and a little bit of lemon zest.

tricks and tips for you:

Don't be afraid of a hot oven or lots of salt.

Salt helps to potentiate flavors, whereas pepper has a flavor of it's own.  I use pepper sparingly.

Always put presentation-side down first into your saute pan.  This creates the most even cooking and best appearance.

Season your cooking water - pasta, potatoes, anything you cook in water - add flavor to the cook by adding plenty of salt.

Starting the potatoes in cold water allows an even cooking of the potato.  If you were to start with hot water, the outside would become mushy and mealy while the inside cooks.

Boiling your potatoes in a hard boil will break your potatoes.  Use a gentle simmer to keep the skins intact.

A sprinkle of chopped parsley and a little bit of lemon zest add brightness to nearly anything.