Today happens to be National Taco Day! Yup, it's the best, most real of all the Taco Tuesday's we're going to celebrate this year. To get the party started, my friend Jacky and I from vegan apparel company BEETxBEET have teamed up to to share with you one of our favorite, easy Taco Tuesday recipes paired with a 'Lesbi Vegan' taco t-shirt giveaway - perfect for anyone who loves a good taco!
 
I love the vegan clothing and awareness company BEETxBEET and that they stand up for our animal friends, but I love owner, activist and girl boss Jacky Wasserman even more. We've been friends for a few years now after meeting at a vegan Oktoberfest and interviewing her about her company back where she first started. She works her ass off saving animals and making rad clothing, which has expanded from a few humble t-shirts to hats, notebooks and sometimes even customized cup cozies! She's had some great new, clever shirts come out lately so we decided to team up and create a recipe based on each of her most popular styles - and pair them each with a giveaway of the t-shirt itself! We made some great meals we think you guys are going to love - and then got to eat them ALL. Haha, but only to make sure they tasted perfectly before we shared them. Promise. (Ahh, the life of a food blogger. It's rarely glamorous, but it is full of taste-tests!) 

You can get the recipe by scrolling down a  bit. To enter the giveaway to WIN your very own 'Lesbi Vegan' tee, scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page and fill out the widget. We'll let the widget randomly choose one winner and we'll email that person directly for size information + gender preference. GOOD LUCK! ​

INGREDIENTS
2 - 15 oz. cans black beans, drained (OR about 2 cups cooked black beans)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
3 cups broccoli slaw (store bought OR just shredded broccoli, carrots + red cabbage)
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
tortillas, for serving
pepitas, for garnish
fresh chopped cilantro, for garnish 

DIRECTIONS
​In a medium cast iron or sauce pan combine the beans, coconut oil, lime juice, cider vinegar, soy sauce, cumin, salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika and chili powder.  Stir to combine, and simmer over low-medium heat. 

​While the beans cook, make the broccoli slaw by tossing together the shredded broccoli, carrots + red cabbage with lime juice, olive oil, and salt. Set aside.

​Prepare the tortillas by heating them on a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot, then flip and heat through. Keep warm tortillas wrapped in a clean towel or a tortilla warmer until ready to serve. 

Once the beans have cooked, portion them evenly into the tortillas then top with broccoli slaw, pepitas and freshly chopped cilantro. Serve immediately! 

NOTES
Serves 2-4.

Leftovers can be refrigerated separately for up to a week. 

If you're from anywhere else in the US and you think you know what good Mexican food is, I can tell you straight up: YOU'RE WRONG. Only in Southern California can you get authentic, traditional, spicy Mexican dishes made with love. And of course in California, we like to mix things up. Do it our way, you know? Thats probably why San Diego has become famous for putting its own twist on traditional carne asada burritos and adding french fries. Maybe it was the surfers who did it first, maybe we'll never know, but ordering a California Burrito anywhere in So Cal means that you're getting a stuffed burrito - including french fries. And it is DAMN delicious. The french fries add a bit of crunch and flavor to the burrito and help balance out the spiciness from the 'meat' and must-have hot sauce. Because we're such big Beyond Meat fans we used their beefy crumbles as our meat substitute and loved it. You can make your own french fries or buy your favorite frozen ones and bake 'em up, but either way this is a MUST TRY. In this recipe we made the traditional burritos into tacos for two reasons; first, we love tacos (who doesn't?), and second we have a hard time finding big flour tortillas that don't contain a bunch of sketchy ingredients. Tortillas should just be flour, water, salt and lime. Anything else, especially gross preservatives, and you can count me out. Instead we bought small organic corn tortillas and doubled 'em up, traditional style, and then put all our fillings (including a heart handful of french fries) inside. Add a squeeze of lime, a sprinkle of cilantro and hot sauce, and if you want - although traditionally not included- a little vegan cheese, and you've got a taco party on your hands. Let's eat! 

INGREDIENTS:
French Fries
3 medium russet potatoes, cut into french fries OR about 3 cups of your fave frozen french fries
1 tablespoon coconut oil (only if making your own fries)
salt to taste

Meaty Crumbles
2 cups Beyond Meat Beefy Crumbles (or faux meat of choice- like in our jackfruit asada tacos!) 
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Everything Else
1 lime, quartered
1 avocado, pitted and sliced
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/4 chopped cilantro
corn tortillas
hot sauce + salsa, to taste
vegan cheese for sprinkling (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
French Fries
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If you're making fries from scratch, wash your potatoes well and slice into into fries about 1/4 inch thick. Coat a baking sheet in the 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, then spread your potatoes or frozen fries onto a baking sheet and bakes until golden and crispy, about 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Set aside.

Meaty Crumbles
Pour meaty crumbles and coconut oil into a cast iron pan over medium heat. Add in cumin, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, chili powder and salt. Stir well to evenly coat the crumbles in spices, and cook over medium heat until the crumbles are heated through and smelling delicious.

Everything Else
While the meaty crumbles + fries cook, prepare the rest of your ingredients; Slice the lime, avocado, and onion and chop the cilantro. Heat a separate cast iron pan, or pop the tortillas in the oven for a few minutes to heat warm them. When they're ready assemble the tacos starting with 2 layered corn tortillas, then top with beefy crumbles, fries, avocado, onions, cilantro and as much lime + hot sauce or salsa (or both) as you like. If you're adding a sprinkle of cheese, toss that on too. Leftovers can be refrigerated up to a week, but the corn tortillas should be heated fresh for each meal (duh). Enjoy! Makes 4-6 tacos.

Here in Southern California, it's all about the food. We're surrounded by great local restaurants and tons of farmers markets. We're lucky to live a place where fresh produce, great weather, and a melting pot of diversity has also attracted some amazing chefs- its a culinary adventure living out here. That being said, there is almost no better food I've ever eaten here than a traditional Mexican street taco. There's an art to the simple street taco: the meat has so much great flavor cooked into it you don't need much for toppings- a sprinkle of onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Avocado, cabbage (if you have it), and salsa are great additions, too. And tomorrow, street tacos will be in high demand...that and margaritas, of course- it's Cinco de Mayo! Since we've gone vegan, we eat a lot less (okay, no) traditional street tacos (you know- the whole meat thing), but we really love the traditional carne asada- grilled meat- flavor, so we've just started making our own. Turns out, a kitchen taco can be just as good as street taco. Who knew?! The jackfruit makes a great substitute for carne asada because of it's meat-like texture when shredded and ability to take on the flavor of whatever it's seasoned with. You can find jackfruit at your local Asian market or online. These babies whip up quick and are easy to make in bulk for Cinco de Mayo parties or for Taco Tuesdays any week of the year. Let's eat! 

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon coconut oil, for frying
1- 20 ounce can (10 ounces, drained) Jackfruit in brine or water (NOT syrup), seeds removed
1 orange, juiced (about 1/3 cup juice)
1 lime, juice (about 2-3 tablespoons juice)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

organic corn tortillas
1-2 avocados, pitted and thinly sliced
1/2 cup red onions, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
lime slices, for garnish


DIRECTIONS:
In a medium cast-iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Place jackfruit into a mixing bowl and use two forks or your fingers to shred it. Add orange and lime juice, garlic, coconut oil, soy sauce, liquid smoke, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and cayenne pepper. Mix until jackfruit is well coated, then pour the whole mixture into the heated skillet. Cook over medium heat about 10-15 minutes, until juices thicken and reduce and jackfruit begins to slightly brown in pan. 
While jackfruit cooks, prepare the avocados, red onions, cilantro, and lime. Heat a large flat skillet over medium heat and warm tortillas on the skillet until warm, flipping once.
When the jackfruit asada is ready, pile some into a (or double) warmed corn tortillas, then top with a few avocado slices, onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Enjoy! Makes 4-6 tacos.

Looking for more Cinco de Mayo inspired recipes? Check out our Caulifower Queso Cheeze, Baked Jalapeño Poppers with Cilantro Lime Mayo, and Mexican Chickpea Scramble!