Can y’all get down with all this funky green?! YES! Yes you can! I was eating these tacos at the office break-room table and an audience began gathering around – What is that?! What’s all that green stuff? You always eat so healthy! I’m always caught off guard when my lunch is described as being healthy. Honestly, I’m just eating this because it tastes good. Yeah, I can eat the hell out of some almond butter brownies but tender baby bok choy all caramelized with tamari and honey comes in at a close second. I remember the very first family dinner where my parents met Mark. We all knew my dad was going to say something embarrassing, it was just a question of when. Sure enough, in the middle of dinner he turns to Mark and says (in a somewhat braggy tone), “my daughters have really great tastebuds”. That’s not some weird german phrase that got lost in translation – I don’t exactly know what he meant by that but I’m thinking it must mean we like to eat good food. I’m choosing to take it as a compliment because I truly believe that flavor drives nutrition. I think the sweeter and juicier the strawberry, the better it is for you. We’re getting way too caught up with reading labels, counting calories and tracking points. What would happen if we listened to our bodies, gave into our cravings and just ate what tasted good to us? These tacos celebrate every little flavor receptor on your tongue – creamy avocado, savory tofu, sweet umami glazed veggies, bright crunchy pickles and smokey spicy sauce. A big YES to eating what tastes good!
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Step 1
Roast peppers over an open flame on your stove top or under the broiler. When they are cool enough to touch, remove burnt skins, stems and seeds.
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Step 2
Place all the ingredients into your food processor and blend until smooth.
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Step 3
Dry the tofu well. Cube it into small even chunks.
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Step 4
Heat oil in a pan. Fry tofu until light brown on medium / high heat. Add the tamari and liquid smoke and turn heat off. Stirling to coat. Fresh ground pepper to finish.
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Step 5
Heat the butter and olive oil together in a pan on medium heat. Toss the washed and dried veggies into the pan and sauté until bright green, 2 to 5 minutes. Add the tamari and sauté for another minute.
Ingredients for the Funky Green Sauce
2 poblano peppers, roasted with skins removed
1 jalapeño, seeds and stem removed
1 garlic clove
1 big bunch parsley
1 big bunch cilantro
1/2 cup of olive oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
Roast peppers over an open flame on your stove top or under the broiler. When they are cool enough to touch, remove burnt skins, stems and seeds. Place all the ingredients into your food processor and blend until smooth.
Ingredients for the Savory Fried Tofu
1 block of tofu (16 oz)
generous amount of high heat, neutral oil for frying
3 tablespoons of tamari
dash of liquid smoke
fresh ground pepper
Directions
Dry the tofu well. Cube it into small even chunks. Heat oil in a pan. Fry tofu until light brown on medium / high heat. Add the tamari and liquid smoke and turn heat off. Stirling to coat. Fresh ground pepper to finish.
Ingredients for the Quick Pickles
4 small cucumbers
1 cup water
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Directions
Slice cucumbers thinly and evenly, preferably on a mandolin. Bring water, vinegar, salt and honey to a boil. Let cool for a minute. Pour liquid over the sliced cucumbers. Add the sesame oil. Cover and chill.
Ingredients for Blistered Shishito Peppers and Snap Peas
6 oz shishito peppers
6 oz sugar snap peas
2 tablespoons butter + 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons tamari
Directions
Heat the butter and olive oil together in a pan on medium heat. Toss the washed and dried veggies into the pan and sauté until bright green, 2 to 5 minutes or until a bit blistered. Add the tamari and sauté for another minute.
Ingredients for the Honey Glazed Bok Choy
3 baby bok choy, quartered
1 tablespoon butter + 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon tamari
1 teaspoon honey
Directions
Heat the butter and olive oil together in a pan on medium heat. Toss the washed and dried bok choy into the pan and sauté until bright green, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tamari and honey and sauté for another minute.
Garnish / Assembly
Avocado, chives, sesame seeds + your favorite tortillas.
Notes
Melissa’s shared their baby bok choy with me – it’s the sweetest!