Monday, May 7, 2012

Green apple tacos

We had tacos for dinner on Saturday night in celebration of Cinco de Mayo. The husband loves Mexican food, so we make tacos about once a week. I'll prepare beans and some sort of veggie filling—caramelized onions, sweet potatoes, or greens—while he cooks chicken and grates cheese. Taco night is fun. It's easy, relatively quick, and can be healthy.

The Food Matters Project recipe for this week was five quick salsas for chips, dips, and other stuff. Check out Alissa's recipes as well as what others made here. I decided to change things up and try Bittman's green apple salsa since I already have pico down pat (and I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of tomatoes from our CSA).

Green apples. Cucumbers. Cilantro. So light and refreshing. I'll definitely be making this again. I think it would make a lovely summer salad with the addition of kale or lettuce. I also made Bittman's corn tortillas, which produced a better end result than my previous attempts. They weren't the prettiest tortillas—I don't own a tortilla press—but they were tasty. I piled the tortilla with a spicy black bean puree and sautéed chard and onions underneath the salsa. Perfect.
Green apple salsa
Adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook
1.5 green apples, diced
2 large spring onions, diced
half a cucumber, peeled + deseeded, diced
1/3 c cilantro, minced
1 large radish, diced
juice of half a lemon
juice of half a lime
half a serrano pepper, minced (add to taste)
1 avocado, chopped
salt + pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Add sea salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate and let flavors meld before serving.

Bittman's corn tortillas
Recipe from The Food Matters Cookbook
1.5 c masa harina
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 c boiling water

Mix the first three ingredients in a large bowl. Add the boiling water and mix well until the dough comes together. Roll out on a floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes, until the dough is nice and smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and sit on the counter for at least 30 minutes.

Unwrap dough and tear into 12-16 pieces. Roll into balls and cover. Take each piece, rolling and shaping into a small disc by hand (or use a tortilla press). Continue with all of the dough.

Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat. Add a tortilla, cooking on each side, until a darker yellow and a few brown spots start to appear. Only takes a few minutes on each side. Repeat for all.

Grab a tortilla, layer with your favorite fillings, and top with delicious green apple salsa. Leftover tortillas taste great the next morning with scrambled eggs and roasted potatoes.

17 comments:

sandra said...

I am definitely going to try this salsa... I've got some avocados just waiting to be used.

Anonymous said...

Green Apples! That looks so nice!

kelsey said...

do i spy black beans, too? I want to make these asap! love a good g-free tortilla recipe :)

Unknown said...

Yes a spicy black bean puree + sautéed chard is hiding in there, Kelsey! I think I was half asleep writing this :)

Eileen said...

That combination sounds wonderful--so crunchy! I'm adding this to my long list of things to put on tacos in the near future. :)

Unknown said...

I was intrigued by the cucumber salsa Bittman also suggested, but did not have any on hand. But your recipe sounds even better, I really need to try it soon. And I want to give the tortilla making a try, I really prefer to make these things myself, and not just buy them. Thanks for sharing.

Unknown said...

Man, you made your own tortillas too? Very awesome!

Evi said...

So green! Yum- looks delicious. Did you make your own taco shells from masa harina as well? If so, this is a perfect Cinco de Mayo recipe!

Lexi said...

Very nice, I love your home made tortillas.

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful idea to match up cucumber and crunchy apples. Love it!

Anonymous said...

That cucumber salsa is so interesting - I bet it was great with the black bean and chard!

Yasmeen said...

Yum! I adore black beans, and love green apples. I haven't thought at all about combining them. What a wonderful idea.

Aura Caplett said...

Your corn tortillas look better than mine did when I made them recently! It is tough to get those things round--great job. Your salsa looks delicious too!

Jess @ Cheese Please said...

This looks delicious!

keelymarie said...

looks great!

Cookie and Kate said...

I made the tomatillo salsa and was surprised to find that fresh tomatillos taste quite a bit like green apples! I made tostadas with mine, but your tacos look quite similar and equally delicious, I'm sure!

Mike said...

I was never really a taco fan until my friend introduced them to me. Now I love them.