Portobello and Zucchini Tacos

As I've mentioned before, I've been clearing out some long time residents of my to-cook list in an attempt to find more non-meat meals to work into our dinner rotation. This was one more of those recipes that I kept skipping over. I think my main reason in passing it by was probably my lack of Portobello experience. But when they were on sale at Central Market recently I decided to finally give this recipe a try. This recipe was pretty good. It wasn't fantastic, but I think Josh and I were both comparing these to the also recently tried Black Eyed Pea Tacos which we loved. I'd consider trying this recipe again, maybe with some alterations. It was by no means bad, just not as great as the other taco recipes I've made. But it has gotten me over any Portobello nerves I had!

Portobello and Zucchini Tacos
Recipe from Everyday Foodl Serves 4














5 medium portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed, sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 medium zucchini, cut into 2-by-1/2-inch sticks
1 medium red onion, halved and sliced 1/4-inch thick
12 (4 1/2-inch) corn tortillas
6 ounces (1 cup) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup fresh salsa

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss mushrooms with 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/4 cup water; season with salt and pepper. On another rimmed baking sheet, toss zucchini and onion with remaining teaspoon oregano and tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper.
• Place both sheets in oven. Roast, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are browned and fork-tender, 25 to 30 minutes (zucchini may cook faster than mushrooms).
• Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium-high heat, warm tortillas according to package instructions (they should be lightly browned but still soft). Wrap loosely in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
• To serve, fill each tortilla with mushrooms, vegetable mixture, shredded cheese, and salsa.

My notes: I halved this recipe to serve just the two of us, but we still had a bit of leftover filling. I also used Pepper Jack cheese, cause I almost always have it in the refrigerator. I found I needed to cook the zucchini longer than the mushrooms, but I may have cut them thicker than I should have. Overall good, I would definitely recommend trying them. They just weren't the top taco filling for us.

Balsamic-Roasted Pearl Onions

Josh and I agree on a lot of things, but sometimes there are some foods that just don't fall into that category. And for quite some time onions were one of those things that I loved and he couldn't care less for. But his taste has slowly been growing, and he's been widening the range of foods he enjoys. A few weeks ago when he declared that he liked those tiny onions I knew I had to take advantage of this new revelation. I had been dying to roast some onions for a long time, but never getting around to making them if it was only going to be me eating them. Shortly after he gave pearl onions the seal of approval I was looking for a side dish to make with some savory french toast. I saw this recipe and knew that my chance had finally come. To the oven!

Balsamic-Roasted Pearl Onions
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4














2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen pearl onions, thawed and patted dry, or 1 1/4 pounds fresh
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. If using fresh onions, soak them in warm water for 5 minutes to loosen skins; using a paring knife, cut off ends, and peel onions.
• Toss onions with vinegar and oil on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast until onions are tender, 25 to 30 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times and rotating baking sheet halfway through.

My notes: I used frozen onions to make this an easier week night option. I think this was a great, easy recipe and Josh definitely approved. Now to push the boundaries a little and try more versions of roasted onions!

Black-Eyed Pea Tacos

Does that sound odd to you? I know that Josh was definitely apprehensive when I told him what we'd be having for dinner the day this recipe was on the agenda. And to be honest I had been a bit skeptical myself. This recipe had been on my to-cook list for about two years, in part because every time it caught my eye I just thought that I wasn't feeling that...experimental. Of course, I probably should have known better because it is after all an Everyday Food recipe. Considering I cook almost exclusively from that branch of Martha's tree, why I was concerned it wouldn't work out I just don't know. But lately I've been more and more furtive in my search for vegetarian recipes to try. My list of recipes to try is increasingly populated with chicken and beef meals, awaiting to be crossed off due to the cut back in our meat purchasing. So, with the vegetarian recipes on the list dwindling each week I finally decided to give this one a go. We are no longer apprehensive. These tacos were really, really good. I mean, Josh told me several times that they were good. That's a big accomplishment for a meal, as half the time I have to ask him if he liked dinner. He assumes that I just know he likes what I make for him, but I like to hear him say it. This time his approval was loud and clear. :)

Black-Eyed Pea Tacos
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4













2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and ribbed, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 15.5 oz. cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 10 oz. package frozen corn
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, heated
4 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled shredded lettuce, salsa, and sliced radishes, for garnish (optional)

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and jalapeno; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add peas, corn, and 2 cups water. Simmer over medium-high heat until corn is tender and most liquid has evaporated, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in cilantro; season again with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
• To serve, fill heated tortillas with black-eyed pea mixture, goat cheese, and garnishes, as desired.

My notes: I halved this recipe to just make enough for the two of us. I served them with fresh salsa and a little feta on top, and cilantro-lime rice on the side.

Zucchini Links

I don't know about you, but it's still zucchini season in these parts. And zucchini just happens to be one of my most favorite vegetables to cook with. I noticed that over the past month or so that some of the most visited recipes on this blog have been zucchini recipes, so I thought I would do a little list of links for some of my favorite zucchini recipes.

Zucchini Quesadillas- I love quesadillas, filled with warm cheesy goodness. These are my favorite take on quesadillas, especially with whole wheat tortillas which lend a bit of a nutty flavor to them. I like to serve these with cilantro lime rice or spicy black beans.

Penne with Zucchini & Feta- One of my favorite pasta dishes, the combination of the bright lemon juice and salty feta really punch up the pasta and zucchini combo.

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Zucchini and Couscous- An easy 5 ingredient recipe with a budget friendly protein choice.

Bolognese Pie- This is one of Josh's all-time favorite dinners. It uses extra bolognese sauce which I usually just pop in the freezer to make the pie at a later date, which makes it a pretty quick and easy dinner.

Zucchini Cupcakes- I made changes to the original recipe which resulted in more of a muffin-like treat, but if you topped it with the recommended cream cheese icing I'm sure things would swing right back into the cupcake column.

Cumin Rice and Beans

I have been on a bit of a Mexican food kick lately. Well, I'm pretty much always in the mood for Mexican food, but I find that I crave it even more in the summer. I was planning on making a quick and easy dinner of Huevos Rancheros one night to use up some extra tortillas and eggs we had and I needed something just as quick and easy to serve on the side. I spied this recipe on my to-cook list and figured it might just fit the bill. And boy did it. There isn't anything particularly amazing about this recipe. It's just fast, easy, and tastes good. But sometimes that more than enough, isn't it?

Cumin Rice & Beans
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 8














Coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 can (19 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

• In a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, bring 1 1/2 cups salted water and cumin to a boil. Add rice; cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook 15 minutes; remove pan from heat, and add beans. Cover, and let stand 1 minute. Fluff rice with a fork.

My notes: Tada! The only way it could be easier is if it came in a container and was passed to you through a drive-thru window, I think. Although, I'm not totally clear on why they think this serves 8 people. The recipe is part of an entire meal plan, but it's still hard to imagine splitting 1 cup of rice and 1 can of beans between 8. I think that 4 or 6 servings might be a little more reasonable.