Lately my daughter has been really into mushrooms. So I typically pick up a couple of large containers of whole mushrooms during the week, and her and I will clean them and she will cook them down however she wants. This past week was no exception, plus they were on sale which makes it all the better. As these cooked down into a lot of mushrooms, I knew I had to do something with them as I think she was mushroomed out after a couple of servings. That’s when I threw out some bait to my wife stating that I was going to serve up some mushroom tacos this week. Her response was ‘Mushroom tacos? C’mon!’. I don’t think she really believed me, but as we are trying to eat a lot less meat during the week, this I knew would be a real winner, and it was.
Mushroom Tacos Recipe
I knew these would be a big hit, and seeing as though my boys were up north fishing, I knew that my wife and daughter would devour these. These mushroom tacos are way too easy to make, and make for a fast and delicious meal any day of the week.
Let’s get started.
Ingredients:
16 oz whole mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
1 tbsp canola oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 whole onion, diced
1 whole jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, diced
1 tomato, diced
salt, to taste
cracked black pepper, to taste
1 package corn tortillas, warmed
1 package of queso Chihuahua, optional
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped, optional
Start by heating a skillet on medium heat. Add in the canola oil, onion, and garlic. Give that a good stir and cook for a few minutes. Add in the mushrooms, and continue to stir.
Cook until the mushroom caramelize, about 20 minutes or so, stirring along the way. Add in the jalapeno, salt, pepper, and diced tomatoes. Cook for another 5 minutes or so.
Mushroom Tacos Recipe
Once the mushrooms begin to caramelize, heat another skillet, and add in the corn tortillas. Continue to flip the tortillas until they are completely warmed through. To be honest, I like a little bit of char on mine so I let them go a little longer.
I also like to add the slices (or shredded) cheese directly on top of my mushrooms, allowing it to melt. Also if you have never had queso Chihuahua, try it. It could possibly be one of my favorite melting cheeses.
Take two tortillas, if using corn, and fold in the cheesy mushrooms. Shower with a bit of cilantro and dig in.
Mushroom Tacos
The end result is one darn good taco. It’s ‘meaty’ in the sense because of the mushrooms, and it’s just loaded with flavor. You know what would also be good is the Mexican mushroom salad I made a handful of years ago. Shove some of that in some tortillas to kick start your day and you would be all set!
Our farmer’s market recently opened and that is always a great thing. Granted, there is not a whole lot there, but things (in terms of produce) are slowly starting to appear, and that is even better. Fortunately I was able to make it to the market a couple of weeks back and as I really wanted to get some asparagus for that evening’s dinner, I ended up getting a nice daikon radish. When I got home I thought I would pickle the daikon, something I like to use in salads and probably more importantly in banh mi sandwiches, but as I had some time on my hand, I thought I would do something different. That’s when I remembered the food dehydrator, and that’s when the thought of daikon chips came into play.
Daikon Chips Recipe
Why daikon chips you might ask? Probably because I was thinking about the radish chips that I made that were really good, and seeing that the daikon is part of the radish family, then why not, right?
These daikon chips were way too easy to make, a bit funky, but a good snack to say the least.
Ingredients:
1 large daikon, peeled, thinly sliced
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp salt, to taste
1 tbsp canola oil
Start by washing your daikon. Next, using a peeler, remove the peel. Using a mandoline, or a sharp knife, thinly slice the daikon. I went about a quarter inch thick, if that. Not paper thin, but pretty darn thin.
Add the sliced daikon to a bowl, and drizzle with about a one tablespoon of canola oil.
How to make daikon chips
Mix the salt and paprika in a small bowl.
Sprinkle the seasoning over the daikon, tossing along the way. Try and make sure all of the daikon is lightly coated. Some will get coated more than others, and that is just perfectly fine.
Add the slices, being careful not to overlap, onto food dehydrator trays, and once set, turn on the dehydrator, and let it go until the chips are fully dry, about 6-8 hours depending on the thickness you sliced.
Store in a sealable bag and enjoy as a snack, or heck even put them on salads if you desire.
The daikon chips are a bit of a surprise. You will get questions right away as to what they are, and then biting down you get that mild radish flavor, with a bit of that earthy funk. Good funk, but you will know you are eating something other than a potato chip!
If you are looking for something new to make with your produce, or to use your food dehydrator, give these a shot. Next time I think I might try giving a bath in vinegar and water and make some good old vinegar and salt daikon chips. Hope you enjoy!
I know that recently Cinco de Mayo excites the gringos, but I could go for what everyone gets excited about that day, everyday. See, I may be like you and could seriously eat tacos, Tex Mex, or anything in between those (enchiladas, burritos, taquitos) on a regular basis. I’m not going to be shy about it. But in celebration of Cinco de Mayo, I decided to whip up some really easy, and excellent tacos. Tacos I knew my wife and kids have never had, and ones I have been wanting to make for years. Welcome tacos de papa, or Mexican Potato Tacos.
These are just way too easy to make and the result, however basic they may be, are so super satisfying that they have you thinking about leftovers for breakfast, or a gentle reheat in the oven for next day’s lunch.
Let’s get started.
3 whole russet potatoes, cleaned, skins peeled and removed
1 tsp salt, more to taste
2 cloves of garlic, lightly smashed
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup skim milk
1 tsp cracked black pepper, to taste
1/2 tbsp ground cumin, to taste
1 package sturdy corn tortillas
1 cup of canola oil
crumbled queso fresco, optional
2 whole serrano or jalapeno chili pepper, thinly sliced, optional
The focus here is really on the tacos. The fixings are up to you. I loaded my plate up Tex Mex style with all of the fixings because, hey that’s how I like to roll on my Mexican platter. The only thing it was missing was a great chile toreado!
Start by quartering your cleaned potatoes. You can go smaller if you want. I had some time on my hand so quartered worked fine by me. Add these to a pot of cold water, along with the garlic, one roughly chopped serrano chile, and add the teaspoon of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until fork tender, about 40 minutes.
Once the potatoes are tender, drain, return them back to the pot on medium heat an and cook to remove any excess water.
Once the water is evaporated, you have a couple of options. My first option is to always use a potato ricer for my potatoes. If you don’t have one, use your favorite masher, heck even a couple of forks. You want the potatoes smooth, but if you like some texture, then heck by all means get some texture into those suckers. If you want to remove the garlic and chilies, then go for it. Me? I mash them into the potatoes. Once mashed, add some salt, cumin, pepper, butter, and milk. Give a good stir, taste, and adjust any salt or cumin if needed. Set aside to cool.
How to make Mexican Potato Tacos
When you are ready to get these things going, heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add in the canola oil, and let it come to temperature for a couple of minutes.
Lightly heat up your corn tortillas in the microwave, or in a separate pan. The goal is to make them flexible for folding. Corn tortillas out of the bag are no bueno.
Once the oil is heated, and you have some workable corn tortillas, take a nice spoonful of the potato mixture and slather it into the tortilla. Fold the tortilla over, using the potato as the glue to pinch around the edges, and gently lay into the skillet. Repeat with a couple of more tacos. I think I fit about 3 tacos per cook.
Cook the tacos for a few minutes, then gently flip over to crisp the other side. Question? Can I spray these with cooking spray and place into a 375 degree oven, turning once and going that route? Yes, but I think the texture is slightly different. If you want to go that route, go for it. You can probably fit more on a baking sheet!
Mexican Potato Tacos (Tacos de Papa) Recipe
Once the tacos are cooked, remove and place on a paper lined sheet to let any excess oil drain. Now you have choices. You can carefully open these up and stuff them with things such as cheese, salsa, beans, or whatever you like, or you can roll like I did.
Add the Mexican potato tacos to a serving plate, lining them up nicely, and ladle on some warm salsa verde, shower with cheese, and lay around your fixings. I like mine spicy so I showered mine with more chilies.
Sure, I made the kids a batch of chili lime slow cooked chicken tacos as well (only thinking what I could use for leftovers the following days), but these Mexican potato tacos were it! I laid them on the table, not discussing much about them only that they were potato tacos (you should have seen their looks), and those were the only tacos I had on my plate.
I think that curiosity drove my wife, daughter, and one of my boys interest, and as soon as they took a bite they were totally sold!
Guess who had leftovers the following morning? Well, me of course (take one, lightly crisp it up in the oven while you make an over easy egg and place that on top (thank me later)), as well as my wife who I think took down another two for lunch.
Easy. Super delicious. Something that should be on every Mexican menu but I have yet to see nor order. Just saying. If you are looking for an awesome taco idea, give this one a shot. Hope you enjoy!
One of my wife’s favorite dishes is, well at least that I make, probably my garlic noodles that are infused sesame oil. This dish is also one that is one of my go to dishes when I go to a get together. Not only are those super easy to make, but everyone tends to love them. Let’s just say the bowl is always empty. I typically only make that dish when the mint in my backyard is in abundance, so typically late spring through early fall.
This dish however kind of stems from this recipe, but I wanted something a bit more hearty, and something that I knew everyone in my family would love, but with a couple of different twists. This is what I am coining as my loaded garlic noodle pasta salad.
Loaded Garlic and Ginger Pasta Salad
This recipe packs in the flavor, texture, and is a great main course.
Let’s get started.
Ingredients for the sauce:
1bunch green onions, thinly sliced
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp dark sesame oil
1 tbsp Korean fermented bean paste
generous pinch of kosher salt, to taste
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
Ingredients for the salad:
1 bundle bean thread noodles, soaked in hot water until slightly tender
1 bag of bun bo hue noodles, or a thick pasta like a bucatini, cooked before al dente
2 tbsp canola oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts seasoned with salt and pepper, cooked and chopped
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 whole eggs, beaten
2 cups of spinach leaves, washed and patted dry
2 whole carrots, shredded
1 small can of bamboo shoots
1 tbsp white sesame seeds
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
1 cup of frozen broccoli florets, slightly thawed
1/2 cup of chow mein noodles
Thai chili peppers, thinly sliced (optional)
An appetite
Start by mixing all of your sauce ingredients in a bowl. Mix well, and set it to the side.
Next, heat a large skillet on medium heat. Add in the half of the oil, and bring to heat. Give the skillet a swirl, then add in the chicken breasts. Cook for about 4 minutes per side, the remove from the skillet and let them cool. Once cool, chop them up. If you see a little pink, don’t worry as we will finish in the next step.
Loaded Garlic and Ginger Pasta Salad
Once your noodles are cooked al dente, make sure both of them are drained and ready to go. This is almost like a stir fry so everything is going to go a bit quickly.
Add the remaining oil to the skillet (make sure it is large enough to hold everything) on medium heat. Toss in the garlic, giving a good stir, and and cook for a couple of minutes being careful not to burn the garlic.
Add in the chopped chicken, and half of the sauce. Swirl around and cook for about 3 minutes or so. Next toss in the thick noodles, give a good toss, and make sure the garlic and sauce coat the chicken. Cook for an additional few minutes. Next add in the broccoli, and give that a good toss. Add the beaten eggs, and stir. This almost creates a creamy sauce that everyone loved.
To a large serving bowl, add the carrots, bamboo shoots, peanuts, sesame seeds, bean thread noodles, and spinach. Give that a good toss.
Add the remaining sauce to the skillet, and using tongs or your tossing skills, make sure everything is nicely incorporated. Cook for another minute.
Add the noodle mixture to the mixed up serving bowl, and use those tongs to incorporate everything together. This can take a minute or two.
Now you are ready to serve. I keep the chow mein noodles and sliced chilies on the side for those that want additional texture, and heat.
The end result is well, how do I put it? Let’s just say no one spoke for about 3 minutes as their faces were looking down and slurping noodles. Then everyone came up for air and began questioning everything in the salad, and stating how awesome it was. This serves a small army, probably 12 people, and is great for leftovers, warm, or cold. What’s not to love about that, right? Hope you enjoy!
