Color Me Domestic - Shiitaki Mushroom Tacos

Taco night is a staple in many homes far and wide. But every once in a while it is nice to shake things up and go beyond the "brown meat, add seasoning, serve with toppings" routine.

For our new take on Taco night we turned to the handy-dandy Herbivoracious cook book by blogger Michael Natkin for Shiitake Tacos with Asian Pear Slaw.

Ingredients:
taco filling:
 - 4 jalapeno peppers
 - 6 garlic cloves (not peeled)
 - 3 tbsp vegetable oil
 - 1 white onion, diced
 - 1 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and quartered
 - 2/3 head of bok choy*, carefully washed and cut into 1-inch slices
 - 1 tsp kosher salt
 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
 - ground cinnamon

slaw:
 - Juice of 1 lime
 - 1 Asian pear 
 - 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
 - A handful of fresh cilantro leaves
 - 1/4 tsp kosher salt

And tortillas!

For the filling: place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Without adding any oil, dry roast the jalapenos and unpeeled garlic cloves until blistered and charred, about 8 minutes, turning a couple of times and then remove from heat. When the jalapenos are cool enough to handle, remove and discard the stems. Remove the seeds and the ribs if you want a milder dish, then cut the peppers into thin slices. Remove the skin from the garlic cloves and roughly chop.

Return the skillet to high heat. Add the oil and when it is shimmering, add the white onion. Saute until moderately browned, about 5 minutes. Add the shiitakes and saute until the shiitakes begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the roasted jalapenos, roasted garlic, bok choy, salt, cumin and a pinch of cinnamon. Cook, stirring occassionally, until the leaves of the bok choy have wilted and the stems are mostly tender but still have a bit of a bite, about 6 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning.



For the slaw: Put the lime juice into a small bowl. Peel, quarter and core the Asian pear. Using a mandoline or a knife, julienne the Asian pear (cut it into thin, slices... think of a thick shredded carrot), tossing with the lime juice as soon as it's cut so it doesn't brown. Add the red onion, cilantro and salt.

To serve: Wrap the corn tortillas in a damp, clean dishtowel and microwave until soft and steaming, about 2 minutes. Make 8 stacks of 2 tortillas each. Top each pair of tortillas with a big spoonful of filling, and a smaller spoonful of the slaw and enjoy! This recipe makes 8 tacos which serves 4 or 2 with left overs.

This recipe is Vegan and Gluten Free as long as the tortillas are corn and certified G.F.

* Bok Choy: this is the full grown vegetable, not baby bok choy. Usually bok choy is 10-12 inches long with dark green leaves. The base looks like the base of a celery bunch but it will be a white color. If you can't find it, ask the friendly person at your local grocery store!

If you haven't worked with jalapenos before use a pair of disposable rubber gloves (or, if you're like me and don't just have those lying around, use two zip lock bags, one on each hand) when handling the pepper and the seeds. They can burn your hands and the worst case scenario would be transferring the capsaicin to your eyes! OUCH!