Published on Saturday, August 3, 2024

By Melissa Pette

 

You'll love these easy vegan tacos!.


Our friend Mike Parker, from Liverpool, Australia is inviting us to try his vegan taco recipes.


These three vegan taco recipes are a game-changer!  Try it, you won't regret it.


He kindly allowed me to share some of his story and why he adores this incredible little piece of heaven called Costa Rica.


"In 2000, I jumped the puddle from Australia to Costa Rica to perform at the Festival of the Arts. During the summers, I joined an Australian cultural group," Mike said. "The Australian embassy in Costa Rica encouraged us to play there. Since then, I've returned to the green country I adore whenever possible."


He is vegetarian and eats almost everything with tortillas. "I'm the crazy dude of the family who makes homemade tortillas," he said.




Golden tacos.


To fix these delightful tacos for 4 to 8 people, you will need:


• 16 large corn tortillas

• 2 large potatoes cut into cubes

• 1/2 cup of soy milk

• 2 tablespoons of soy butter

• 4 tablespoons of chopped white onion

• 1/2 cup of tomato sauce

• 1 cup of mozzarella cheese

• 1 cup of lettuce cut into strips

• 1/2 cup of cream

• 1/4 of red onion cut into strips

• And enough soybean oil for frying


Cook the potatoes in boiling water with a pinch of salt. When the potato is cooked, drain it and combine with the butter, milk, sliced white onion, and half of the cheese.


Then, place the mixture on the tortillas, roll them gently, and secure with a toothpick. Fry the rolls until the tortilla is golden brown.


In a salad bowl, combine the lettuce, tomato sauce, cream, cheese, and red onion.


Serve the salad with the tacos.

Lettuce tacos.


Instead of tortillas, try this recipe with fresh lettuce leaves.

 The ingredients are:

• 1 large lettuce

• 2 carrots chopped into small cubes

• 1 white onion cut into strips

• 1 celery stalk cut into strips

• 1/2 cup of walnut chopped into pieces

• 1 eggplant cut into small cubes

• 6 tablespoons of soy or olive oil

• 2 tablespoons of sesame oil

• 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil

• 2 red pepper chilis cut into small cubes

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 4 tablespoons of dark soy sauce

 
First, in a skillet, heat the olive oil and cook the veggies. When the veggies have turned golden, add the dark soybeans and chopped walnuts. Fry for 3–5 minutes.


Now, in a blender, combine the sesame oil, vegetable oil, garlic, and red red pepper. Blend for one minute.


Serve the veggies on lettuce leaves, topped with the sauce.




Sweet potato tacos.

You may replace the quinoa with white cooked rice.

The ingredients are:

• 1 cup sweet potato cut into squares

• 1 cup spinach leaves

• 8 corn tortillas

• 1 cup quinoa or white rice

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

• 1 cup soft white cheese crumbled

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

 
First, peel and slice the sweet potatoes. In a bowl, combine the sweet potato, garlic, olive oil, and a bit of salt. Allow it to rest for an hour.


Meanwhile, boil the quinoa. Wash the quill till the water is clear. Some brands already sell pre-washed quinoa, so this step is unnecessary.


In a saucepan of boiling water, add the quinoa. Allow to boil for approximately 2 minutes, then reduce to medium heat, cover, and simmer for 10 or 15 minutes (it typically takes me around 15). The quinoa is ready when it has absorbed all of the water. If the water has evaporated but the quinoa remains uncooked, add some additional water.


Then, in a skillet, combine the sweet potato and the rest of the ingredients, along with the spinach, and sauté for a few minutes.


Warm the tortillas in the microwave for 15 seconds. Over the tortilla, place the spinach, roasted sweet potato, quinoa, and cheese. Try it, and you'll never eat beef tacos again!


Thanks Mike for sharing these amazing recipes with us.

Have a "pura vida" weekend!


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Everyone is invited to share their recipes with a horizontal photo of the dish by emailing  food@amcostarica.com. More Costa Rica's delightful recipes can be found on the AM Costa Rica Food page.

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