Meatballs. Swedish meatballs. New Nordic Cuisine. Landscape design. Bed head. Tousled. Meatballs. Vegetarian. Quinoa. Fundamental naturalism. Foraging. Windy. Wavy. Ruffled. Native. Tasty. Satisfying. Elemental. Pickled. Fresh. Healthful. Tumbled. Unordered. Artfully disheveled. Meatballs…

Natasha, the 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro of Lazaro Cooks! host the 5 Star Makeover Cooking Group, an outstanding monthly event for sharing ideas and creating gourmet makeovers of selected classic dishes or flavor combinations. It continues to be a great source of inspiration and my absolute pleasure to be a part of their fabulous Cooking Group.

Our Five Star Cooking Group challenge for January: MEATBALLS.

“We are excited to resume our monthly cooking event, and the theme for January is Meatballs. We thought it would be a fun challenge to try to transform this classic comfort dish into a 5 star gourmet creation.”

Elements of the Landscape/
A Grazing Platter for 2

garlicky hummus with tahini

quinoa & beef meatballs

roasted baby beets and pickled red onions

pickled cranberries, fresh cucumber

nasturtium whorls, micro greens

quinoa, feta, olive oil

Recipes/
Quinoa Meatballs, Pickled Cranberries

Quinoa Meatballs

The meatballs can be vegetarian or made with quinoa plus lean ground beef.

• 1 c. cooked quinoa
• 1/2 lb. lean ground beef (optional)
• 1/4 c. minced red onion
• 1/3 c. fresh bread crumbs, moistened with non-fat milk
• 2 egg whites, beaten
• 1/4 c. fresh chopped parsley
• 1/4 c. finely chopped walnut
• a pinch of nutmeg and allspice
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil to sauté

Blend all the ingredients together by hand, taking care not to overwork. Form balls of different sizes to make a more interesting landscape. Sauté in olive oil until browned and cooked through.

Pickled Cranberries

•  1 1/2 c. red wine vinegar
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1 T. Kosher salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 8 oz. frozen cranberries

Boil vinegar with 1/4 c. water, sugar, and salt, stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Let cool slightly, pour into a glass jar. Add cranberries and fresh ground pepper. When mixture comes to room temperature, cover and refrigerate overnight or longer.

Heart Healthy/Meatless

♡ My heart-healthy version of the Landscape which is high in fiber and has zero choleserol includes non-fat feta and vegetarian meatballs.

Make sure to visit 5 Star Foodie and Lazaro Cooks!
for the Round-Up on Friday 1/27/12
where a group of super-creative cooks make
a bold gastronomic statement with the humble meatball.

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I’m not usually a fan of those free food samples at the supermarket. Seen too many “grazers” with poor manners and questionable hygiene, I suppose. But every once in a while, when there is a conscientious host passing out tastes of a unique offering, I might give it a try, as was the case this past weekend at Whole Foods.

A charming older woman was enthusiastically portioning out little cups of this interesting raw kale salad. It turned out to be an outrageous combination of flavors and textures, so fresh and bright, with an unexpected umami note. I put a bag of her shirataki noodles in my cart, and went home to create a salad inspired by that sample.

Sweet, Spicy, Savory Kale Salad Recipe

Tear one bunch of cleaned/dried organic curly kale into bite-sized pieces. Place torn leaves in a large bowl and squeeze the juice of two limes over all the kale. Let  kale “cook” in the lime juice for at least 30 minutes.

Dressing

• 3 T. olive oil
• 1 T. Bragg Liquid Aminos
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 t. red chili pepper flakes

Whisk ingredients together and set aside.

Rinse a package of shirataki noodles. Cook them in boiling water for 2 minutes. Rinse with cold water, drain well. Use a kitchen shears to cut the noodles up a bit. Add the dressing and toss. Add dried cherries and toss again. Spread noodle/cherry mixture on top of the kale.

Gluten-free, yam-based shirataki noodles have little flavor on their own, but they absorb the intense garlic chili flavors of the dressing and add a contrasting chewy note to the crunchy kale. Bragg Liquid Aminos, made from soybeans, adds the umami quality, while sweetness comes from the cherries and tart sour flavors from the fresh lime juice. So glad I gave that little sample a try…

Something Pretty From My Garden

Silver Waves Camellia
Camellia japonica

With its large wavy silvery white petals and fluffy yellow stamens, this is a stunning winter flower.

Camellias are native to China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. I read that red camellias are a symbol of wealth and white camellias signify loveliness. Last year, I planted red, white, as well as pink varieties to add more winter interest to my garden.  My first Silver Waves bloom is such a beauty! Silver Waves was a seedling from an unspecified japonica variety and was introduced in 1970 by Nuccio’s Nursery of Altadena, California.

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Mrs. Lee's Embroidered Tablecloth

Gina Lee tells her Korean Pancakes story:

“She was a fabulous cook. When Scott and I were first married she would often bring Korean dishes over to our house, including these wonderful savory pancakes. I would ask her: What is this? It’s so delicious.  I’m good at figuring out the ingredients in a dish.  What’s in the batter? Is it egg, or corn meal? I’m Italian, I thought about polenta…What makes it yellow?

But my mother-in-law would just smile.

Korean.

Pancakes.

I gave up trying to figure it out and just enjoyed them over the years. Fast forward, my husband made Korean pancakes at home as a test for our restaurant menu. And it was then I finally learned the secret. Mung beans? Mung beans and water. Really?”

Mung beans soaked in water then pureed in a blender produce an awesome mind-boggling pale yellow pancake batter.  No wonder my friend Gina was baffled for all those years. Kimchi juice adds a rich golden hue and the unique seasoning.

Dried Yellow Mung Beans

Scott Lee Teaches Us How to Make Korean Pancakes Bindaetteok

Rinse (dried, peeled) mung beans. Soak them in water for approximately 6 hours. Ladle beans into a blender with some of the soaking water and blend to a smooth consistency similar to pancake batter.

Julienne vegetables:

• zucchini
• yellow squash
• carrot
• leek
• mung bean sprout
• and tiny broccoli florets too

Heat a small amount of  vegetable oil in a non-stick sauté pan, add the vegetables and cook until lightly caramelized. Then add sliced cabbage kimchi and some of the kimchi liquid. Cook the kimchi another minute or so. Spread the vegetables evenly around the pan and ladle the mung bean batter over the vegetables. Tip the pan to spread out the batter. Cook until the bottom starts to brown. Add a bit more oil to the side of the pan and using a spatula, loosen the pancake. Flip the pancake and brown the other side.

We enjoyed our bindaetteok with a side of kimchi and a dipping sauce made with soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and rice wine vinegar. After Scott demonstrated making several pancakes, Gina and I took our turns practicing and perfecting bindaetteok. I’m especially grateful to Scott and Gina for the cooking lesson and the stories…what a fun and delicious way to spend the afternoon!

Later in the week when I was on my way to work, I took a detour to the Korean Market World located on Sepulveda Boulevard in search of Scott’s recommended brand of  kimchi, my cell phone rang.  It was my own mother who has recently retired in Las Vegas.

“Hi Ma, I think I’m part Korean.”

          “No Dear… your ancestry is English, German, Russian, and Romanian.”

“I know Ma, but nothing else can explain this kimchi emergency. And I’m addicted to bindaetteok.”

          “???”

My dear friends Scott & Gina Lee are the proprietors of Gina Lee’s Bistro in Redondo Beach, California. Their wildly popular neighborhood restaurant has been serving exceptional Cal-Asian cuisine nightly, Tuesday through Sunday, since 1996.

Gina Lee’s Bistro
211 Palos Verdes Blvd.
Redondo Beach, CA
310-375-4462

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The Ultimate Vegetable Stir-Fry Tower
Pea Sprouts, Shiitake, Soybean Sprouts, Pickled Japanese Cucumber & Red Jalapeño
Chinese Chives, Tofu, Ginger, Cilantro
Over an Organic Short Grain Rice Timbale
With Three Psychedelic Sauces: Cilantro Juice, Chile Oil, Miso Sauce

JANUARY

Truffle Heaven Crostini

Fresh French Black Winter Truffle, Italian Truffle Cheese, Truffle Oil
with Shiitake and Frisée

FEBRUARY

cholesterol-free eggs benedict:

heart-healthy hollandaise
olive oil tarragon garlic poached tomato “egg yolk”
meatless canadian bacon
rustic whole grain toast with herb oil

MARCH

Lacquered Brisket of Beef

Anise Ginger Garlic Tamari Glaze
Served with Pickled Fennel

APRIL

Chicken Soup with Saffron Matzoh Balls

Beyond the beautiful rich color, these matzoh balls taste exotic, mysterious.
Do I dare serve these at Passover?

MAY

Gourmet Picnic

Spicy Cold Soba Noodles with Peanut, Scallion, and Cilantro
Radish, Tofu, Shiitake, Carrot, Cucumber, Edamame, Shrimp

JUNE

Hello Summer!
A Meal with Edible Flowers in Every Course

Baby Lettuce and Mache Salad with Meyer Lemon Wheels, Slivered Pistachios, Violas
Meyer Lemon Cream Dressing, Shallot, Thyme

JULY

8-layer farmers’ market fantasy

curried fresh carrot juice sauce with blanched okra & mitsuba
grilled green & yellow patty pan squash
sautéed spinach with sesame, garlic, soy sauce
crispy polenta cake
fire-roasted anaheim chile
fresh goat cheese & asatsuki
cumin dusted grilled beet
spicy smoky heirloom tomato & thai basil
roasted japanese eggplant, maldon smoked sea salt flakes

AUGUST

Wood-Fired Pizza & Pink Wine POOL PARTY

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore.
When the world seems to shine like you’ve had too much wine, that’s amore.

SEPTEMBER

Grilled Baja Fish Torta

Grilled Fresh Swordfish with Grilled Nopalitos, Pineapple, and Avocado
Caper Cumin Aioli, Pickled Jalapeño, Cilantro
On a Bolillo (Crusty Mexican Oval-Shaped Roll)

OCTOBER

An autumn affair! Oh, I am in love. He is fresh, sensuous, healthy, and playful.
He is simultaneously familiar and exotic; simple and complex.
His diverse tastes always reflect the season. And he is absolutely gorgeous.
He is New Nordic Cuisine. 

NOVEMBER

All GREEN Grilled Zucchini Tacos

Prickly Pear Cactus Tortillas
Butter Lettuce, Avocado, Shredded Green Cabbage, Cilantro, Serrano Chile
Lime Garlic Cilantro Sauce

DECEMBER

♡ heart-healthy olive oil oatmeal walnut cranberry blueberry raisin cookies ♡

Best Wishes for a Creative & Inspiring 2012!
Your friend, Lori Lynn

P.S. Feel free to share links to your favorite dishes of 2011.

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This simple preparation of Black Cod is a welcome respite between all the rich lavish holiday foods. Wild-caught locally, off the coast of Santa Barbara, this species is relatively abundant and harvested with methods that cause little damage to habitat and other marine life. The cod needs only to be seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked over high heat with olive oil to let the fabulous textures of crisp skin and silky flesh with a buttery flavor shine through.

The bok choy cooking method is equally straightforward. Flavored with ginger, soy, sesame, and  a bit of brown sugar – the braising liquid infuses the vegetable with umami flavors, a hint of sweetness and a note of ginger spiciness. This cod & bok choy make a delightful pair, especially when one is in the mood for a clean and uncomplicated yet satisfying meal.

Crispy-Skin Black Cod Recipe

Rinse two 6 oz. pieces of fresh black cod then dry well with paper towels. Rub with olive oil and season with coarse salt and fresh ground pepper. Heat a non-stick, oven-proof pan over high heat. Add olive oil, then sprinkle a bit of coarse salt over the oil. When the oil is hot, add the fillets, skin-side down. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until the skin is crispy. Turn over the fish and finish cooking in a 425° oven for about 4 minutes. Serve immediately, skin-side up.

Ginger Braised Baby Bok Choy Recipe

Slice 3 baby bok choy in half lengthwise, rinse very well. In a pan large enough to hold the bok choy flat, bring 1/2 c. water to a boil along with 2 t. olive oil, 1 t. toasted sesame oil, 1 T. soy sauce, 2 t. brown sugar, and several strips of fresh ginger. Place the bok choy in the liquid, cut side down. Cover, lower the heat, and cook until the bok choy is tender, about 5 minutes.

Serve the bok choy on a platter with the cut-side up. Ladle braising liquid over the top.

Time the vegetable so the fish can be served immediately, retaining its hot crackling skin. Serve with a bowl of simple steamed rice on the side.

A handful of diminutive garlic chive blossoms brings the dish to life, embellishing the basic preparation with a kiss of beauty and joy.

Extending my Best Wishes to You
For a Beautiful and Joyful 2012!

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Peace. Love. Light. Latkes.

I received a most meaningful card from one of my dearest cherished friends today,
on this first day of Hanukkah in the year 5772.

May you be strengthened by tradition,
Warmed by the Hanukkah lights,
And may your life be touched with miracles.

I hope these days are filled with great light.
Thanks for being a great light in my life.
With love and prayers…

 Could one possibly receive a sweeter gift than that?
Thank you FA, and Merry Merry Christmas to you.

Lacy Potato, Parsnip, Red Bell Pepper Latkes Recipe

We eat foods fried in olive oil to commemorate the ancient miracle that occurred in the second century BCE. A jug of olive oil, which held enough oil to last for one day, burned for eight when the Holy Temple in Jerusalem was rededicated.

I make latkes every year. And they are always a little different. The base is potatoes, of course, with a little onion – and this year I added earthy parsnips, fresh parsley, and bright red bell pepper accompanied by a savory sour cream flavored with green olive and horseradish.

• one large russet potato, peeled
• 1 or 2 parsnips depending on size, peeled
• one small shallot
• 1/2 red bell pepper, small dice
• handful of parsley, chopped

Grate potato, parsnip, and shallot in a food processor. Remove the potato mixture from the food processor, one handful at a time. Squeeze out as much moisture as possible by hand. Place each handful in a large bowl. Mix in red bell pepper and parsley. Add enough flour to lightly coat the mixture. Add Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Mix well. Lastly add egg whites to bind the mixture.

The unplanned red & green colors in these latkes are especially festive, as we will light the candles for the fifth night of  Hanukkah on Christmas Eve. How neat is it when when both calendars coincide? Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah!

Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Add 1/2 olive oil 1/2 canola oil mixture to completely cover the bottom of the pan. When oil is hot, add mounds of the potato mixture. If you like the lacy effect, don’t compact the batter or press down on the latkes. Turn the heat to medium-high. When the bottom of each latke is nicely browned, flip and brown the other side.

Cooking latkes over medium-high heat turns the outside a nice crispy golden brown and gives the interior a chance to cook through. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with a bit of salt.

For the jazzy savory topping: mix sour cream (I use non-fat) with chopped green olives, prepared horseradish, chopped parsley, salt and pepper to taste.

Peace. Love. Light.

Extending my very best wishes to you for a wonderful holiday season!
Lori Lynn

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Curried Mung Bean Soup, Kimchi, Chili Oil
and
A Trip to The Dish Factory

Neither this soup nor a trip to The Dish Factory are for the faint of heart. Asian-fusion-style mung bean soup is flavored with hot muchi curry powder, garnished with pungent kimchi, and dotted with chili oil. Located in the center of Downtown LA, The Dish Factory is housed in an old four-story building with rickety flooring, steep stairwells, and dark hallways.

Carrying the largest china inventory in the Western US and all sorts of restaurant equipment with 60,000 sq. ft. of merchandise at heavily discounted prices, I was absolutely ecstatic when my dear friends and fabulous restaurateurs Scott & Gina Lee invited me to join them on a dish excursion. I had been lusting after top restaurants’ super-wide rimmed plates and bowls for a while, as the portion-size is petite but the presentation is dramatic. Perfect, in fact, for this vibrant soup.

Curried Mung Bean Soup Recipe

• 1 c. dried peeled yellow mung beans
• olive oil
• 1/2 c. diced onion
• 1/4 c. diced carrot
• 1/4 c. diced celery
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1/3 c. sake
• 1 qt. vegetable stock
• muchi curry powder to taste
• sea salt to taste

dried peeled yellow mung beans

Soak dried mung beans in water for 6 hours or overnight. In a soup pot: sauté onion, carrot, celery in a generous amount of olive oil until soft. Add garlic and sauté for a couple more minutes. Add rinsed/drained mung beans and stir to coat with the olive oil. Add sake and cook until evaporated. Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Simmer 45 minutes to one hour, stirring occasionally. Season with curry powder then sea salt to taste.

The ♡ of Downtown LA

The Dish Factory

The Third Floor

All Colors, Shapes, Sizes

Dish Heaven

Slice cabbage kimchi into strips. Toss kimchi with thin slices of fresh scallion. Ladle soup into warmed wide-rimmed shallow bowls. Place a mound kimchi in the center. Serve with chili oil on the side.

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♡ heart-healthy olive oil oatmeal walnut cranberry blueberry raisin cookies ♡

Taste With The Eyes is four-and-a-half years old and it’s time to celebrate! No, not because of the mini-milestone, we’re celebrating the first cookie recipe on this blog, ever. And they’re not colorful, festive, nor particularly sweet…and they are definitely not tied up with ribbons and bows.  I’ll leave those fabulous gussied up holiday cookies to the baking experts. These are brown, irregular, crunchy, a little chewy, heart-healthy, and great with black coffee. My kinda cookie. I know this is a long shot, but perhaps, yours, too?

After all these years without a cookie in sight, what motivated me, a rather savory gal, to bake cookies?

Well, I received a generous gift of fancy holiday cookies from a client at my office the other day. They were shipped from a popular local bakery. And they were very very pretty. With lots of icing, and red and green sprinkles. They were aptly named “Sugar Rush.” The label indicated each serving contained 25 mg of cholesterol. I gave them away to a delighted colleague, then sent a thank you note to that gracious client.

With cookies on my mind, instead of a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast, I thought an oatmeal cookie might be a good change of pace. A cookie the opposite of  ”Sugar Rush.”  So at 6 AM, I pre-heated the oven to 350°…and with the Quaker Oats box recipe as a rough template, baked what turned out to be surprisingly satisfying heart-friendly cookies.

• 1/4 c. + 2 T.  mild-tasting olive oil
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c.  egg whites
• 1/2 t. vanilla
• 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1  t. baking powder
• 1/2  t. salt (optional)
• 1  1/2 c. old-fashioned oats
• 1/2  c. mixed golden raisins, dried cranberries & blueberries
• 1/2  c. chopped walnuts

With an electric mixer, combine olive oil and sugar in a large bowl. Then add egg whites and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to the bowl and mix well. Then mix in the oats, and lastly the fruit and walnuts. Drop cookie dough onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool one minute then transfer to a wire rack. My recipe makes one dozen large high-fiber, anti-oxidant-rich, zero-cholesterol cookies. 

Breakfast was an olive oil oatmeal cookie, black coffee and a small cup of non-fat Greek yogurt.
Very nice for a change.

A Cookie Exchange – Fall Fest Special Edition

“In honor of the holiday season, Food Network and Fall Fest contributors
are gathering together to share 
favorite cookie recipes at our Communal Table.”

What’s Gaby Cooking: Peppermint Bark Chocolate Cookies
CIA Dropout: Walnut Wimpy Balls
And Love It Too: Snowball Cookies (Grain-Free, Dairy-Free and Vegan)
Jones Is Hungry: A Cookie for Chocolate Lovers
From My Corner of Saratoga: Gooey Butter Cookies
The Sensitive Epicure: Speculaas Dutch Windmill Cookies
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Salted Chocolate & Dulce de Leche Fudge
Virtually Homemade: Chocolate Mint Snowballs
Sweet Life Bake: Polvorones de Chocolate
Daily*Dishin: Cherry Topped Cream-Drop Cookies
FN Dish: Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip-Bacon Cookies
Thursday Night Dinner: Peppermint Bark Cookies
Dishin and Dishes: Pecan Sandie Thumbprints With Cherry Frosting
Mooshu Jenne: Biscotti
Cooking With Elise: Sweet and Salty White Chocolate Cranberry Oat Cookies

♡ Wishing you a happy healthy holiday season! ♡

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Spicy Colorful Veggie Tacos, Korean-Style

Scrambled Tofu with Gochujang and Scallion
Sesame Leaf, Seasoned Bean Sprouts, Pickled Cucumber, Diced Daikon
Carrot Ribbons, Pickled Red Onion, Sliced Omelette
On a Warm Blue Corn & Flaxseed Tortilla, Spicy Gochujang Sauce

Initially I was inspired by a vegetarian taco recipe by Rick Bayless that I saw in the dreamy Harvest to Heat cookbook. It was genius. Fresh ingredients, healthy, and a perfect balance of flavors. Nothing complicated yet completely satisfying. In his shadow I create my Superiores Tacos Vegetarianos series, a compilation of vegetarian tacos highlighting a unique combination of vegetables and herbs where the flavor profile stands on its own. A series where even carnivores won’t wonder, “Where’s the Beef?”

In this latest incarnation, tofu is seasoned with gochujang (red chile paste) paired with colorful vegetables, zesty pickles, and egg, resulting in a spicy, crunchy, vibrant vegetarian taco that might be a cross between Korean Lettuce Wraps and the craze of fusion Korean Tacos?

Spicy Colorful Veggie Tacos Recipe

I’m really happy to have discovered Mission Artisan Tortillas. I use the Flaxseed and Blue Corn tortillas for these Korean-influenced tacos. They are nutty and slightly sweet and have a bonus of Omega-3s. I heat my tortillas in a skillet with the lightest brushing of olive oil.

Gochujang, Korean red chile paste give these tacos their distinctive bright spicy flavor.

To make the spicy tofu scramble: well-drained extra-firm tofu is crumbled by hand then lightly browned in a non-stick skillet with a bit of toasted sesame oil. Gochujang is thinned with a small amount of water then stirred into the tofu.

The tofu scramble is finished by adding a generous amount of thinly sliced scallion and a bit of sea salt.

To assemble: place kkae nnip (Korean perilla leaf also called sesame leaf) on the warm tortilla. Perilla leaf adds a pleasing herbal note to the tacos. Top with a heaping spoonful of tofu scramble then with seasoned soybean sprouts. Next add pickled cucumber and onion, and carrot ribbons and diced daikon.

My soybean sprout namul recipe can be found here. It is great on tacos –  spicy, crisp and crunchy.

Korean cucumbers are sliced and pickled in a sweet vinegar. In a half hour the cucumber is sweet and sour and still crisp. I pickle the red onion rings the same way. And for contrast, fresh carrot is shaved into ribbons using a vegetable peeler.

There is no cheese in this heart-healthy recipe, so to resemble cheese for a visual effect, daikon is cut into small cubes. It adds its own peppery note and mild crunch to the taco.

Cook a very thin layer of beaten egg with a pinch of salt (I use no cholesterol egg substitute) in a non-stick pan. Slice the cooled egg into thin ribbons. Finally, top the taco with egg ribbons.

An equally satisfying vegan version is made without the sliced egg omelette, radish sprouts are added.

#3 Superiores Tacos Vegetarianos

For the sauce, mix 3 T. gochujang paste with 1 t. each sesame oil, rice wine vinegar and sugar (plus a little water if too thick). Drizzle gochujang sauce over the taco.

Series:

#1 Green Chard & Shiitake Tacos with Epazote
#2 All GREEN Grilled Zucchini Tacos

Please feel free to share your favorite vegetarian taco recipe or link!

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All GREEN Grilled Zucchini Tacos
Prickly Pear Cactus Tortillas
Butter Lettuce, Avocado, Shredded Green Cabbage, Cilantro, Serrano Chile
Lime Garlic Cilantro Sauce

The inspiration for these tacos came during a trip to the farmers’ market. One booth was featuring something I had never seen before, namely Prickly Pear Cactus Tortillas. Whether it be at the farmers’ market or ethnic local grocery stores, if I see something I haven’t tried before, it usually ends up in my cart. And many of those unique or interesting ingredients find a home here on Taste With The Eyes.

These green tortillas are made with organic nopal mixed with stone ground whole white corn kernels, water, lime, and vegetable plant extract. Two tortillas supply 100 calories, 3 g fiber and no cholesterol. I can’t say that they taste like nopalitos. If I close my eyes I’m not sure I could pinpoint the difference from other good corn tortillas, but I sure do love the color.

So now that I have a package of tortillas de nopal in my shopping bag, what shall I make with them?
The answer was all around me.

 farmers’ market + green tortillas = all GREEN tacos

All GREEN Grilled Zucchini Taco Recipe

grilled zucchini batons

Cut zucchini into batons. Drizzle with olive oil and grill until lightly charred. Season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

green sauce

Blend cilantro, scallion (green part only), a garlic clove, and lime juice with equal parts mayonnaise (I use no cholesterol mayo) and Greek non-fat yogurt in a food processor. Season to taste with sea salt.

all green - cabbage, lime, avocado, serrano, scallion

Finely shred cabbage, cube avocado, slice serrano.

green tortilla

Brush a tiny bit of olive oil in a hot pan and heat both sides of the tortillas.

 Top warm tortilla with a leaf of butter lettuce and two grilled zucchini batons.

Top the zucchini with shredded cabbage and green sauce. Then add diced avocado, cilantro, and serrano chiles.

#2 Superiores Tacos Vegetarianos

Serve All GREEN Tacos with, what else?  Limes.

The Superiores Tacos Vegetarianos series is a compilation of vegetarian tacos highlighting a unique combination of vegetables and herbs where the flavor profile stands on its own. A series where even carnivores won’t wonder, “Where’s the Beef?”

Be sure to check out #1 Superiores Tacos Vegetarianos, Green Chard & Shiitake Tacos with Epazote inspired by Rick Bayless. And please stop by later in the week for #3.

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