Roasted Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos

This dish is a gem I found in the Oprah Magazine and was a hit with my entire family! I have just made one minor change in encouraging the use of organic, minimal ingredient whole wheat tortillas. I also added my recipe for a-mazing black beans to accompany the dish, and topped our tacos with avocado!!

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Soft Yellow Tortillas (Organic with minimal ingredients)

1 cup Black Beans, cooked

1 Yellow Onion, diced

1 Poblano Pepper (or Green Bellpepper), chopped

2-3 Cloves Garlic, chopped

2 cups Oaxaca or Monterey Jack Cheese

Chipotle Sauce (recipe follows)

Salsa or Pico De Gallo

1 medium sized Orange Sweet Potato, diced in 1/2 inch cubes

Olive Oil

Salt, Black Pepper

Method: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a cast iron skillet (or other heavy ovenproof skillet), saute onion & poblano chili/green pepper. Cook until lightly caramelized. Stir in garlic and salt. 

2. On the side, mix the sweet potato, some olive oil and salt. Cook this in a separate iron skillet until tender. Then add to ingredients in step #1.
3. Place the skillet in the oven (make sure it is overproof!) and cook on ROAST for 15 minutes. Once out of the oven, stir in the black beans and black pepper. 

Tortillas dorado is a Meixcan style of taco that involves toasting cheese-topped tortillas in a skillet before serving. Here's how you prepare the tortillas: Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Brush 1 side of the tortilla lightly with oil and place oil side down in pan. Scatter a generous spoonful of cheese over center of tortilla and cook until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is lightly golden on the bottom side. The tortilla should still be flexible. Place on a place and repeat the same way for as many tortillas as you would like to eat! When finished, lightly oil a piece of foil and use it to cover tortillas.

Once the tortillas are ready - top each one with the sweet potato mixture, some avocado (optional) and a drizzle of the chipotle sauce. Add salsa/pico de gallo if desired.

[Chipotle Sauce: Blend together the following ingredients until smooth - 7oz chipotles in adobo sauce, 3/4 cup mayonnaise, juice of 1 lime and salt).

* Black Beans: For additional flavor, try the following when cooking the black beans - add 1/2 tsp cumin, salt (to taste), 2 cloves finely diced garlic and approximately 1 tbsp jalapeno juice (from store-bought jar of jalapenos).

Black Eyed Peas (Chodi)

Serves 5-6
Ingredients:
4 cups black-eyed peas (Chodi)
4 cups water
Oil Saute (Vaghaar): 1-2 tbsp oil, Mustard Seeds (rye), Dry Roasted Red Pepper, 6-7 Curry Leaves (Limbdo), pinch of Asafetida (Hing).
Turmeric (Haldar)
Coriander-Cumin Powder (Dhana Jeeru)
Red Chili Powder (Marchu)
Salt, to taste
Jaggery (Gaud) - optional

Preparation:
1. Pressure cook the beans in a pressure cooker with the given amount of water. It's okay if there is a little more water (you can either boil it off when cooking for a thicker consistency, or keep it if you want this dish more soupy). I add a little bit of salt into the pressure cooker. There is no given amount of time or number of whistles - it all depends on the size of the pressure cooker and type of bean, gas, etc. What I have learned is... to turn off the cooker when I start "smelling" the bean. If this doesn't work, start with 3-4 whistles for this dish. Then you can open it and check, and re-start for another 1-2 whistles until you learn your own technique.

2. Once the beans are done, add the Vaghar and the spices to taste. Then I add some water to the whole pot and let it simmer until it achieves the consistency I want. Usually, the longer you let it simmer the better it will taste!
3. If you have a sweet tooth add some jaggery. My husband doesn't like it sweet, but I have a HUGE sweet tooth so I make it without the jaggery, and then crumble some on top of my dish right before I'm about to eat. The other alternative is to add the gaud and not tell them (yes...I do that shhh!)

Serve with Indian Flatbread (Bhakri) and/or Rice.

Lulya (Indian Pancakes Made of Lentils)

Serves: 5-6
Ingredients:
1 cup White Rice
1/2 cup Toor Daal
1/2 cup Moong Daal
1/2 cup Masoor Daal
1/2 cup Chana Daal
1/2 cup Urad Daal
Ginger, to taste
Salt, to taste
Serrano Pepper, to taste (finely chopped or shredded)

Preparation: 
1. Mix all the daals (lentils) together in a large bowl with enough water to cover them. Allow it to soak overnight.
2. In the morning, grind the daals together in a blender, adding only enough water to allow for smooth blending.
3. Add the salt, serrano pepper and ginger to taste when blending. The consistency of the lentils should be that of a pancake mixture. Allow the mixture to sit (covered) on the countertop if warm outside, or in the oven if cold outside. It should be ready for eating within a couple hours. Be sure not to let it sit out for more than a couple hours otherwise it will go into a fermentation process and rise....that makes a completely different meal!
4. Take out a large pan or iron skillet and warm on low-medium heat. Make sure you allow the pan to warm up enough. If you start cooking the lentil cake prematurely, it will stick to the pan and you'll have a hard time taking it off. Spray olive oil to coat the pan. Now you are ready to spread the lentil mixture onto the coated pan. Allow it to cook through on one side before flipping it to cook on the other side.
5. Serve with yogurt, chundo (a sweet chutney found at Indian Stores) or even alone for a snack.

Culinary Medicine Tip: Lentil's are a great source of protein! They are an essential part of every Indian Household. The lentils used in this recipe are not only high in protein, but high in fiber and low in fat. They're also packed with folate, iron, phosphorus, potassium and fiber.(http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/lentils/AN01640). 

Neesh's Eggless Breakfast Burrito

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

1 Package of Firm Tofu

Medium Size Whole Wheat tortilla: Try to buy the whole wheat tortilla with minimal ingredients. (You can typically find these at stores such as Jimbos, Mother's Market and Whole Foods) . 

Salsa

4 cheese blend

Sour Cream

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric (Haldhar)
Chopped Garlic 

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Lemon Juice, to taste

1/2 bunch Cilantro, chopped

1 Serrano pepper, finely chopped or Jalapeno Pepper, finely chopped

Cooking Oil

Preparation:

1. Drain water from tofu package. Place tofu block between 2 towels and squeeze together to remove as much water as possible. This will allow the tofu to obtain the optimal consistency and texture. 
2. Cut the tofu into small squares
3. Warm the oil in pan and add turmeric.  P
4. Saute chopped Jalapeno & Garlic
5. Place cut tofu into hot oil and saute as well.
6. Add salt/pepper and saute until slightly browned.  Now mix in juice of lemon & some chopped cilantro. Turn off the gas. 
7. Warm a tortilla in a separate pan (on low heat!) and add cheese.  Once the cheese has melted, place the sautéed tofu on the tortilla.  Top with salsa and sour cream and more cilantro.. 
8. Wrap the tortilla into a burrito. Cook on both sides in the pan until slightly crispy. 
9. Enjoy with some more salsa, sour cream, chalula sauce or whatever you fancy! 

Culinary Medicine Tip:  In this recipe Turmeric is used.  Of course turmeric makes the tofu looks like eggs, but more than that turmeric has many health benefits.  When turmeric is added to the oil it tempers the oil and helps retain the nutrients in the food that oil may normally destroy.  It also decreases the amount of free radicals that are produced by the oil.  Turmeric can also be used to help fight viral infections, wound infections, help with acid reflux and many other medical issues.  Please see our blog post on Turmeric and its benefits. Turmeric is a staple in Indian cooking.

Hungry Toddler

Warm some cooking oil in an iron skillet, add a pinch of turmeric

1

Squeeze in some juice of lemon. Now turn of the gas!

She approves!