Woo-hoo, we made it to the end of January! We just have to get through February temps, wah, wah. But we kept all our resolutions and healthy eating habits, right? This meal is so easy and quick you can whip it up on a weeknight or any night. Sticking with our healthy eating theme, these Jackfruit tacos will keep you on track and satisfied!
I had no idea what a Jackfruit was. When I had posted my buffalo chicken dip, a vegan viewer mentioned it would be good with Jackfruit. I was like, hmm, what the heck is Jackfruit. So, I went over to the google machine and got on the information super highway (anyone else remember that term…. or am I that old?) and learned all about Jackfruit. Wow, lots of vitamins, can be used as meat replacement, good in savory or sweet preparations AND can be used as a skin care regimen! You can basically eat the whole dang thing. Minus the spikey rind. The seeds are edible too, you can roast, boil, sauté to prepare them. You can grind them up and combine with milk and schmear all over your face (have not tried this yet, but sounds like a miracle concoction to me). Any who, my point is, this Jackfruit is the “Jack of all Trades” fruit. Eh, see what I did there, 😉 Seriously though, this fruit is so good. For those of you that are vegan or just want to do a meatless meal or just because you like tasty food, Jackfruit is great to start incorporating into your diet.
I am hoping as we near the end of January my studio classes will thin out some. Not to discourage people, but it is really annoying in a 95-degree room to have someone’s foot basically up your nose! I thought I could avoid all of that not belonging to a traditional gym, but nope. Whatever, I just keep telling myself we just have to get through one more month of bitter cold and by then all the resolutioners will have fallen off the wagon! Just the ones that aren’t really serious about it, but way to go for trying! We are in the home stretch and it will be spring before we know it. Back to our last weekend of dedicated lightened up resolution meals!!! Yay, next weekend we can reverse all the work we put in now! Just kidding, kind of. It is Super Bowl next weekend, right? Not that I even know who is playing.
These tacos are so easy, I bought the Jackfruit pre-packaged and seasoned. What! This is the brand I used, Upton’s Chili Lime Sauce. You just dump the package in a sauté pan and heat for about 5 to 7 minutes. For the cotija sub, I used Kite Hill Almond Ricotta. Again, pre-made, didn’t have to do a thing but open the package. Plus, this almond ricotta is great for these, a little creamy, a little salty, the perfect topping.
I then did a quick pickle of red onions, jalapenos and Fresno chili peppers. Super simple as well. Make these a couple hours before dinner or a few days or even a week. They keep well in the fridge for a couple of weeks.
The only thing I made from scratch were the cassava flour tortillas, the recipe is on the back of Otto’s Cassava Flour bag. Again easy and takes no time at all to make. That’s it! Easy peasy.
I hope you will give Jackfruit a try, especially these tacos, you won’t be sorry, and you will make them again and again. Stay tuned next week for a not so light treat!
- 1 package Uptons Chili Lime Jackfruit
- Kite Hill Almond Ricotta
- For the quick pickle
- Half of a small red onion
- 2 jalapeno peppers
- 2 fresno chili peppers
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp. whole pink peppercorn or black peppercorn
- ½ cup rice wine vinegar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp. Mirin
- For the Tortillas
- ¾ cup Otto’s Natural cassava flour
- ¼ tsp. sea salt
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- ⅓ cup warm water
- For the quick pickle:
- Boil a cup of water in small sauce pan over medium high heat.
- Slice the onions and peppers thin with a mandolin or sharp knife.
- Peel the garlic cloves and lightly smash.
- Pour the vinegars into a 12-ounce mason jar with lid.
- Place the onions and peppers in a strainer. Pour the boiling water over them slowly. Add the onion and pepper mix to the mason jar and push down until they are all submerged. Add your garlic cloves and pink peppercorns. Close tightly and shake. Let sit at room temp for half hour before placing in the fridge. Ready for use in two hours or good for a couple weeks in the fridge.
- For the tortillas:
- Whisk together the flour and salt. Add the warm water and knead until the dough is nice and smooth. The dough should not be dry or too wet and sticky.
- Divide the dough into 6 balls.
- Roll each dough ball between two pieces of parchment paper until thin. Or use a tortilla press.
- Heat a dry skillet over medium high heat. Once properly heated, place the tortilla on the skillet. Wait for the air bubbles to form, around 1 minute, then flip. Each side should be slightly browned.
- Allow tortillas to cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before stacking on plate and cover with paper towels. Left overs can be stored in a zip lock baggy in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
- For the tacos:
- Spray a large skillet lightly with cooking spray. Heat the Jackfruit in skillet over medium heat. Break up the pieces with a spatula so it resembles shredded chicken.
- Assemble your tacos and dig in!
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