Pandemic life has caused a lot of us to pick up new hobbies – whether it’s sourdough or zoom ballroom. While my day job keeps me pretty busy (hence the less frequent blog posts), one pandemic activity my husband and I have turned to time and again is taco making. As a result, we’re now complete tortilla snobs – casually making our own tortillas whenever the mood strikes. And the mood strikes often – because my husband is taco OBSESSED.
I’m beginning to share this obsession. There’s something uniquely satisfying about biting into a soft, hot tortilla filled to the brim with whatever savory goodness the day calls for. And you can really put anything in a taco. I’ve used Indian-inspired spiced potatoes topped with grated cheddar and sour cream, leftover tofu scramble with cilantro and fresh tomatoes, simple scrambled eggs with goat cheese and scallions – and of course, one of my favorites – these brussels sprouts tacos with spicy crema and feta. However, I recently came up with a new combo that might just be my new favorite: oyster mushrooms and edamame.
Similar to the brussels sprouts tacos mentioned above, these tacos have very few ingredients but the secret is in the way you cook them. You’ll use a large skillet so that everything browns and develops incredible flavor compounds, resulting in a filling so good that it’s VERY difficult not to eat it all up before it’s in your tortillas. If you choose to leave these vegan, you won’t miss the cheese. That said, though not imperative, I *do* think a fried egg and a very light sprinkling of feta add to the magic.
If you’re looking for a special something on Valentine’s Day, I highly recommend giving these tacos a try. They are sumptuous and meaty, and super cute to boot! They would be perfect as part of a romantic, small plates style meal (one of my preferred ways to eat!) as they make just enough for one or two servings. Plus, according to the internet, mushrooms are an aphrodisiac, making these tacos even more Valentine’s Day appropriate. (Of course, soy doesn’t exactly fit into the aphrodisiac camp, but we’ll just overlook that tiny detail.) Also – if you’ve never made tortillas before – that’s either a great labor of love you can undertake yourself or a super fun activity to try with your special someone(s).
A few notes about making tortillas:
-There are a million tortilla making recipes. We just use the one on the back of the Organic Masa flour package from Bob’s Red Mill. BUT…we don’t let it sit for an hour, as they suggest. Just knead it until it seems like a good consistency and get pressing already!
-When we were researching tortilla making best practices, we came across a tip for fluffy tortillas: heat your skillet, add a tortilla, and let it sit for just 10 seconds or so. Flip it, cook until the second side is done, and then flip it back onto the first side to finish cooking. I’m pretty sure we got that tip from this page, which also has fantastically detailed instructions that tell you everything you ever wanted to know about tortilla making.
-I don’t mean to imply that you have to make your own tortillas! You can absolutely use store-bought corn tortillas for these tacos and they will be DELICIOUS! Seriously, you don’t even have to put the filling in a taco if you don’t want to – it’s SOOO yummy!