Scrumptious Seitan Tacos

I'm a little embarrassed to say I've never cooked (or eaten) seitan. Back in my meat-eating days I enjoyed chicken tacos. I figured I'd make a vegan version with seitan. I bought a 8 ounce package of Westsoy seitan strips instead of making it myself. Many of the recipes for seitan tacos call for black beans - too much protein for me. Instead I used half of package of organic broccoli-carrot slaw. (Next time I'll use the whole package.) I also dialed up the flavor with the addition of some pinot noir that was languishing in the fridge. I was so thrilled with the results I was eating it out of the pan.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp of olive oil
2-3 scallions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 fresh jalapeno, diced
1 tbsp of cumin
2 tsp of red chile powder
1 tsp of coriander
salt & pepper to taste
8 ounce package of seitan, chopped a bit
1 15-oz can of diced tomatoes and green chilies, drained; reserve liquid
1/2 10-ounce package of broccoli-carrot slaw
1/2 cup red wine
salt and pepper to taste
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taco shells
diced zucchini, tomatoes, avacodo, etc. for garnish
salsa!

Preheat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute the onions, garlic and jalapeno until limp. Add spices and stir for a minute or so. Add seitan, broccoli slaw, tomatoes & chilies, some of the reserved liquid and wine. Cook down, add more of the reserved liquid if necessary.

This would make excellent filling for burritos, tostadas, or even a wrap. Serve with Mexi-Tatie Nuggets.

Roasted Tomatillo and Black Bean Tacos

This is adapted from a Vegetarian Times recipe. The ingredients used queso fresco cheese and sour cream. I substituted that with Pine Nut Cream which is quite rich and delicious. This is a lot of stuff for a taco and if you can't control yourself (like me) make a burrito instead!

Ingredients
3/4 lb. fresh whole tomatillos, husks removed, cut in half
1/2 red onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 large cloves garlic, peeled
1 small red bell pepper, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
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3 Tbs. coarsely chopped cilantro
1-1/2 tsp. minced jalapeño pepper
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
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4 6-inch corn tortillas, warmed
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garnish
1 small avocado, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
corn kernels, I used organic canned
drizzle with Pine Nut Cream (see recipe)
sprouts

Directions
To prepare fresh tomatillos, strip off the husks and rinse under warm water to remove any sticky sap clinging to the skin. Cut out tough part of top stem.

Preheat oven to broil. Place oven rack 3 inches from heat source. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray, and spread tomatillos, onion, red bell pepper, and garlic on baking sheet. Broil 8-12 minutes, or until tomatillos are blistered and charred, and onion and bell pepper are softened and charred, tossing once halfway through cooking time.

Pulse roasted vegetables and cilantro in food processor until chunky. Season with salt and pepper.

Mix tomatillo sauce with black beans.

Fill tortillas with black bean mixture, avocado, corn kernals, Pine Nut Cream and sprouts.