Surfer Taco 'cos the SF Giants are playing

One of my favorite recipes from  from Veganomicon is the "Baja-Style Grilled Tempeh Tacos" or as I call them, surfer tacos.

 See recipe here: http://mazirian.blogspot.com/2008/03/baja-style-grilled-tempeh-tacos.html (I am going to borrow their formatting). 

Taco Slaw: I generally double the slaw and do a mix of green and red cabbage. I also add a few more jalapenos and some of the juice. I like to add cilantro as well. One time, I added onion, but I did not like the flavor.

• 3 cu. shredded cabbage (I generally do a mix of red and green cabbage)
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1/4 cu. apple cider vinegar
• 2 pickled jalapenos, diced
• salt, pepper

I add cilantro to my slaw. I forgot carrot this time.

Lime "Crema:" I don't bother preparing this crema. I find it's an unnecessary use of soy and oil and the flavor wasn't something I cared much for. If I feel like having something creamy, I'll make a blended guacamole. Just blend avocado, a little water, lime, and salt (optional ingredients: jalapeno and cilantro). I might have to give the crema another try though (since I had some on my chilaquiles at Sage and it was pretty good).

• 3/4 cu. soy yoghurt
• 3 Tbs. lime juice
• 2 Tbs. grapeseed or avocado oil
• 1/3 cu. cilantro
• salt

Even the garlic plumped up. This is post-marination broth.

Tempeh Marinade: I recommend marinating overnight, so the tempeh can absorb the beer flavor. I actually don't add the oil, soy sauce, or tamiri and it still taste great. I add more garlic (cloves and powder), dry oregano, coriander, and some steak rub my boyfriend's mom gave us.

• 3/4 cu. beer
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 Tbs. peanut oil
• 2 Tbs . soy sauce
• 2 Tbs. tamari
• 3 tsp. chile powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• tempeh

Baked tempeh

 We baked the tempeh for the first time tonight and it was good, but I definitely prefer frying it.

Assembly:

From left to right: Sprouted tortillas, yellow corn tortillas, and handmade tortillas.

• corn tortillas: I've experienment with tortillas and my boyfriend and I prefer corn over flour. The sprouted tortillas are great, but they are not very pliable.  The regular corn tortillas are our favorite, they are pliable and they stay warm longer. However, because they are yellow corn, they have a different flavor which some might not like. The handmade tortillas are really thick and take a bit longer to cook, but they will hold your taco. Blue tortillas are a bit tricky to cook since you can't really see the spots forming. We've also tried making tortillas and they were delicious, but time consuming.
• Other sides: I really like green salsa with tempeh, it taste delicious. We also like the Cholula "chili garlic" hot sauce, wedges of lime, sliced avocado, and rice & beans on the side.

Voila! Tonight we had pinto beans instead of black.

My boyfriend and I love these tacos so much, we actually had to set a limit on how many times we could prepare them. We've gotten better about our gluttony, but our love affair with the recipe is due to all the layers, textures, and fattiness (crispy tempeh is amazing!). Also, the recipe has sentimental value, it marked a point in my life where I no longer missed meat, but it also marks a point where I realized vegan food was better. Anyway, don't expect these tacos to taste like meat based ones, but do expect a lot of delicious layered goodness.