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Raw Vegan Tacos for Taco Tuesday by Chef Erin Yeschin

by LIVING HEALTH on July 27, 2017

Raw Vegan Taco Tuesday

One of the biggest fears when transitioning into a healthier lifestyle is having to say goodbye to foods we love, especially when one makes the commitment to go raw or raw vegan. We all have our “comfort foods”; those favorite go-to’s that we could eat all day, everyday. For my family, it’s tacos and burritos. Seriously, it’s more popular than pizza in my house and Turkey Taco night was a weekly staple.

So when I decided to take a step back from processed meats, flour and all of the toxins that come with them, and go raw vegan, I really had to rethink Turkey Taco Tuesday. We had already cut gluten, dairy and soy from our diets and although I liked the brown rice tortillas we’d use for tacos and burritos, my family did not. Imagine their hesitation when I then said I wanted to remove the turkey! The enthusiasm was definitely lacking in my house when Tuesday rolled around. That is, until I introduced them to this raw vegan recipe.

Not-Cho’ Normal Tacos

My MACHO NA-CHO TACOS. As I’ve mentioned before, with some people it’s best not to call something what it isn’t, so I won’t even attempt to say it’s meat. These Macho Na-cho Tacos are called this because they are Not-Cho’ normal tacos. They’re made with Walnuts instead of meat and Collard Greens or Rainbow Chard instead of tortillas but trust me when I say that they’re just as delicious and definitely muy macho!

Even my family thoroughly enjoyed them and I enjoyed the fact that they were eating raw & vegan without even realizing it.

The trick is the tasty Nacho Taco Crumbles! To make them all you need is a food processor and these simple ingredients.

Macho Na-Cho Tacos

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 c Raw Walnuts (pre-soaked for 4-6hrs)

1/4 Red Onion, minced

3 tsp of Chili Powder

2 tbsp of Cumin

1 tsp of Cayenne

* 1/2 tsp of Garlic Powder, optional

* 1/2 tsp of Celtic Salt, optional

* 1/2 tsp pepper, optional, needs to be ground

Directions:

In a food processor, mix walnuts until they are broken but not finely mixed—they should resemble small chunks or ‘crumbles’. Next add the onion and remaining ingredients and pulse on a fast setting at 10 seconds at a time. You want the mix to blend completely yet still keep its crumble-like texture. Once everything is mixed, place in a glass bowl and serve just as you would regular meat for Taco or Burrito Night!

What I love most about these Nacho Taco Crumbles, is how incredibly easy they are to make while staying immensely versatile. Unlike some raw dishes, they do not need consistent refrigeration which means they travel beautifully and are perfect for BBQs or Potlucks or School Lunches. I use it in place of any recipe that would call for ground meat…like burritos, tacos, nachos, or sprinkled over a salad because it is that versatile and twice as satisfying!

Green Leaf ‘Tortilla’

If you want to make tacos, using Romaine, Radicchio or Butter Lettuce leaves creates the perfect green taco shell.

If you want to make a burrito, it’s important to remove the spines of your large leafy greens so they can flex and bend just like a tortilla. It’s always a bummer when your taco or burrito tortilla tears and using green leaves is no exception.

I recommend using any kind of large leafy green like Collard or Chard. Collard Greens are hearty and my personal fave but Rainbow Chard leaves are so vibrant and beautiful they’re a treat for the eye as well as tastebuds.

When removing the spines you first want to wash and thoroughly dry your leaves, taking extra care to ensure they don’t rip or tear. Then lay them flat with the spine up. Take the tip of a sharp knife and starting at the base where the spine starts to extend, run the blade of your knife down the spine towards the end of the leaf. Keep the leaf flat and watch the knife point so it doesn’t slice the leaf. As each leaf is different, be sure to test the flexibility by slowly bending it from tip to base. If it’s still not flexible like a tortilla, gently shave a bit more off the spine.