I did a daring thing on Saturday: I ventured to the store with a meal in mind…but no ingredient list. Lists are what I lean on – my crutch when I’m feeling overwhelmed, confused, or overstimulated by coffee. Which explains why my notebook at work is a flurry of black ink, each word carefully scribbled away until the purplish veins of the pen indent the opposite side of the page.
Luckily, after a few laps around the produce aisle I ended up with a plan. A major component of these tacos was inspired by a trip to NYC’s Tacombi. Their corn esquites is out of this world and makes the unavoidable wait for a table totally worth it. I decided to put my own spin on the corn, use tempeh as the taco protein, and add a broccoli slaw for extra crunch. I broke down each component of the tacos below. I also bought a new spice blend from Trader Joe’s and incorporated it throughout the recipe – definitely worth the $2.29! The recipe makes 4 small tacos!
Broccoli Slaw:
2 cups of broccoli slaw (I used Trader Joe’s)
1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
Juice from 1/2 a lime
2 grinds of Trader Joe’s Smoke Spice blend (or a mix of salt, cayenne pepper, paprika)
Directions: Combine all ingredients into a bowl and mix until fully incorporated.
Corn Mix:
1 ear of corn, grilled or roasted
2 teaspoons of low fat mayonnaise
1 can of green chilies, drained
2 grinds of smoky spice blend
1 teaspoon of parmesan cheese
1 pinch of salt
Directions: Combine all ingredients into a bowl and mix until fully incorporated.
Tempeh with Marinade:
1 package of Trader Joe’s tempeh
Juice from 1 lime
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 teaspoons of smoky spice mix
Directions: Mix together lime juice, olive oil, and spice mix in a cup. Evenly distribute it over the tempeh.
Bake or grill the tempeh until color darkens and edges become crisp.
Tacos:
Set out mini soft tortillas; for the best results, warm tortillas briefly in the oven. I used blended corn and wheat tortillas.
Begin by setting the tempeh on the bottom of the tortilla. Top with corn mixture, broccoli slaw, and any additional ingredients such as sauteed mushrooms, avocado, tomato, and jalapeno. Top with a few squeezes of lime and Sriracha or hot sauce if desired. Enjoy!
