Mexican food is one of my favorite things to make vegetarian. Beans and rice eaten together are a healthy, filling, complete protein, and there are such big bold flavors that you really don't miss the meat! Tacos are particularly fun because they can be assembled in a big taco bar to suit each person's taste. These tacos are definitely a little out there--not your typical Mexican flavor profile. But I was inspired by spring and a great deal on a really yummy piece of bleu cheese, and this is what I came up with!
This isn't exactly a recipe and there's not much cooking going on, so I'll just tell you roughly how I assembled my tacos.
Beans: Drain a can of pinto beans. Saute a chopped shallot, some chopped green onions, and the beans, season with salt and cayenne pepper for some heat.
Potatoes: Peel and dice a big sweet potato into 1/2 inch cubes, chop a leek into 1/2 inch slices, and slice half a red onion into small chunks. Toss with oil, salt, and pepper, and roast at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until the sweet potato is soft but not mushy. You might want to stir once halfway so they don't burn and stick to the pan.
Shell: Heat a layer of vegetable oil in a skillet until very hot. Working one at a time, put a corn tortilla into the oil and cook 10-15 seconds. Flip to the second side and cook again. Remove to a plate and immediately fold lightly in half. This will make the slightly crispy tortilla dry in a shell shape.
Assembly: Into each shell, spread a thin layer of beans, then a scoop of sweet potatoes, some slices of avocado, a handful of chopped cilantro, and a generous crumble of bleu cheese. Top with a squirt of fresh lime and eat piping hot. Yum!
Dang, those look good!
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