After a VERY indulgent Christmas, Ryan and I decided to cut meat out of our meals for a week. I failed the first day with a sandwich stuffed full of meatballs from Meat and Bread. It can be tricky to come up with inspiring veg meal ideas that leave you feeling full and satisfied. The good news, however, is that I found a recipe that is definitely going to be added to my regular recipe rotation and I’m pretty sure that you will feel the same way if you try it. I served these Mushroom and Poblano tacos with a cilantro sauce that I made by pulsing cilantro, garlic, olive oil, a pinch of cumin, some white wine vinegar and water in a food processor.
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh poblano chiles (3 large or 4 medium)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium or large white onion, halved and thinly sliced across the grain
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 pounds mushrooms, sliced (about 6 cups)
Salt to taste
3 to 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro
12 corn tortillas
2 ounces crumbled Mexican Queso Fresco (or feta)
1. Roast the chiles. Light a gas burner, and place the pepper directly over the flame. As soon as one section has blackened, turn the chiles with tongs to expose another section to the flame. Continue to turn until peppers are blackened all over. Alternatively, roast under a broiler. Preheat the broiler. Cover a baking sheet with foil, and place the peppers on top. Place under the broiler until charred on one side, about three to four minutes. Turn and continue to grill, turning every three minutes or so, until uniformly charred. Place in a bowl, and cover tightly. Allow to sit until cool, then remove the charred skin. You may need to run the pepper briefly under the faucet to rinse off the final bits of charred skin. If so, pat dry with paper towels. Cut the pepper in half, remove the seeds and membranes and cut into 1/4-inch dice. Set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender and lightly colored, about 10 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt and the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the mushrooms, and turn the heat up to medium-high. Cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, then season with salt. Turn the heat down to medium, and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are tender and moist, about eight minutes. Sir in the poblanos and epazote or cilantro, and cook, stirring, for another minute or two. Taste and adjust seasonings. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
3. Wrap the tortillas in a heavy kitchen towel and place in a steamer basket over 1/2 inch of water. Bring to a boil, cover the pot and steam one minute. Turn off the heat, and allow to sit for 15 minutes without uncovering. Pass the tortillas, top with the mushroom mixture, sprinkle with a little cheese, fold the tortillas over the filling and enjoy.
Yields twelve tacos, serving four to six.
