Vegetable Tacos

As of late, I've been on a serious Mexican kick. Maybe it's the fact that I walk by a Chipotle everyday to and from work, but I can't get enough! Inspired by Chipotle's peppers and onions option, I decided to try making my own meatless tacos.

Here's what I gathered:

• 2 large bell peppers (any color)
• 1 small red onion
• 1 small tomato
• 1 can of black beans
• 1 can of pinto beans
• 2 avocados
• 1/2 jalapeno
• 1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 1 clove garlic
• juice of a lime wedge
• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
• Box of hard taco shells (also good with soft shells)
   

To start, I chopped the peppers and most of the onion (saving some for the guacamole) into long slices. I chose to sauté them in coconut oil for a short period of time - maybe 7 to 8 minutes. As my grandma would put it, I like them to be al dente ;) but I also like the onion to be slightly browned.

While that's going on, I make the guacamole. I'm still experimenting with my guac recipe and there are a bunch of variations. Personally, I like to keep the tomatoes out of the equation and add them later to the completed dish. I do, however, mix in everything else with the mashed up avacado- garlic, the remaining onion, jalapeno, and cilantro; all minced. I'll top it off with lime juice and viola! (does Italian hand gesture.)  

The last step is to dice the tomato, heat up the beans, and get the shells ready to be stuffed! This recipe would also be great over a bowl of brown rice if you wanted to ditch the shells or change it up for leftovers.

If anyone tries this recipe out, let me know what you think! My boyfriend's parents tried it and loved it so much they made it for dinner twice in a row. It's easy and quick, but beware: it does leave a pile of dishes in the sink.

Sacred Chow

Happy Sunday! I just got home from a fun filled day with my roommate and am enjoying a homemade cold pressed juice! It's made up of beet, beet greens, kale, and carrots - all organic of course!

 

She obliged me by joining me for brunch at Sacred Chow, a vegan restaurant in Greenwich Village. Neither of us had ever been, but we both were willing to make the trip to try out a new spot. I'll speak for us both when I say we were satisfied with our protein-packed vegan dishes. I had the Nama Gori Kale "Caesar" Salad and Cait had the Tapas Nama Gori. I had every intention of eating a ridiculously large waffle or stacks on stacks of pancakes, but I couldn't resist a vegan Caesar dressing! If anyone has a recipe I would love to try it out. 

Two thumbs up for Sacred chow...It was a cute hole in the wall that's prices didn't make me want to cringe. They had us waiting awhile, but they made up for it with their delicious sangria!