Taco Tuesday...Healthy and locally sourced

One of the things I have committed myself to do this years is eat better. No junk food.... then the notion of  NO TACO TUESDAY crossed my mind. I freaked, I  panicked, I did the fetal position under the desk until it occurred to me that you don't have to go to the 'Bell', or any other fast food eatery to get Tacos.... you can make them at HOME, and you can make them very healthy. Yes, healthy tacos. 

First of all you need the ingredients. 

For the 'meat' of the taco...

Two cups of dried black beans soaked over night.( This will yield around six tacos total for you and your sweetheart.). 1/2 shallot. Fresh yellow corn off the cob (about  1/2 cup,  cut from the cob, or the easier way, from a can, drained, it's already cooked). Two cloves of garlic chopped. Two pinches of fresh cilantro. One jalapeno seeded and chopped. One Anahiem pepper seeded and chopped. For the binder you can use either a large egg or vegetarian substitute of your choice. 1 teaspoon of chipotle powder. One squeeze of fresh lime. 

Instructions for creating the 'meat'.

The black beans should be soaked and a little soft, drain and place in mixing bowl. Add corn, chopped shallot, jalepeno and Anahiem peppers, cilantro and chipotle powder. Add binder and mix well. Once mixed add two tablespoons of  EVO (Extra virgin olive oil) to frying pan of choice. (I use a Lodge cast iron 10 inch pan). Cook on medium until mixture is 'browned' and has a crunchy texture to it. This will take about four-five minutes. Remove from heat and place in bowl. You now have your taco 'meat'

Now it's time to assemble your taco.... You can use whatever kind of soft taco shell you prefer, either flour or corn and add meat. 

For toppers you can use what ever you want. This is what I used to make my 'healthy' taco.

One dollop of sour cream, or dairy free substitute  A squirt of your favorite taco sauce. and here's the plot twist....Micro greens.... yes. Micro greens. For those who don't know what they are, micro greens are small green vegetables, they can be bean sprouts, pea shoots, sunflower shoots, alfalfa sprouts. For mine I used a pea shoot and sunflower shoot organic mixed greens grown and sourced right in my community by Rancho Farms (maintained by farmers Greg and Alex. If you live in the Rancho Cordova, CA area you can partake of their yummy veggies every Saturday at the Sunrise Light Rail Station Farmer's Market.) 

So there ya go. It's pretty easy. As my side dish I ate fresh cut raw broccoli crowns. You can prepare meat ahead of time and even double the recipe to save for later and keep in container. These make very easy healthy pre-done lunches for work and school. 

Yumm......