Monday, May 05, 2008

Crunchy Blue Corn Chickpea Tacos + Homemade Taco Seasoning

Feel like having something healthy?
Flavorful?
Simple?
Spicy?
Just plain pretty?

Well, get ready to say "Hello, Delicious!" because these Chickpea Tacos are INSANELY fantastic! They're one of the few meals that I could probably eat every single day and never get sick of (see also: Spicoli Burgers and Black Beans + Rice w/ Sweet Potato Cubes)!


Now, before I get too far into this post, I have to give my sincerest accolades to Happy Herbivore, who I'm convinced was sent here from vegan heaven to teach all of us how to truly respect the chickpea.

I'll admit it - before meeting these tacos, I had conflicting views about chickpeas. I loved 'em in hummus, falafel, and soups/stews, but eating them in a salad or as the main part of a meal was a big no-no for me.

Well, ever since these tacos came along, I've been poppin' chickpeas in my mouth like candy! I've been incorporating them into different recipes, enjoying them right out of the can (which was completely unacceptable before), and of course, relying heavily on this DEE-LICOUS recipe!

So, "on to the recipe info," you say? Fine, fine... I'll stop making you wait (in a minute).

My tips for the best Crunchy Blue Corn Chickpea Tacos:
  • Use crunchy blue corn tortilla shells!
    • While this might seem obvious due to the title, you might feel compelled to skip this step if you don't have the shells on hand. (Fortunately, I had a box of 'em stuffed in my pantry already - yay for the "Pantry Challenge!") Anyway, the crunchy blue shells definitely up the deliciousness factor of this dish. And while I'd certainly not recommend skipping the recipe if you absolutely can't find the shells, it is worth doing a little extra shopping first.
  • Put a layer of lettuce in the bottom of the shell, first!
    • This method will keep the chickpeas from spilling out all over the place. Temporarily, anyway...
  • Minimalism is best.
    • The chickpeas are so flavorful on their own - you don't need to overpower them with lots of other stuff. My favorite version of this taco includes lettuce, chickpeas, diced tomatoes, a bit of 2-step guacamole*, and a sprinkle of cilantro.
Alright, I'm ready to give up the goods... Below is my slightly altered version of Happy Herbivore's genius chickpea tacos, along with a recipe for the most delicious home-made taco seasoning ever!

Let me know if you like these as much as I do!

Recipe: Crunchy Blue Corn Chickpea Tacos
(recipe inspired by Happy Herbivore)

1 can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
1 Tbsp. tamari
2 tsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning (see below for recipe)
crunchy blue corn taco shells
lettuce
tomato, diced
2-step guacamole* (mashed avocado + minced garlic & Kosher salt)
fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

1.) Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2.) Spray a cooking pan with olive oil & set aside.
3.) In a large bowl, whisk tamari, lime juice, and taco seasoning together.
4.) Add chickpeas to bowl, tossing until well-coated.
5.) Place chickpeas on pan in an even layer, spray lightly with oil, & bake for 20-25mins.
6.) Remove from oven, assemble tacos (lettuce first!), & serve.

Yield: 6-8 tacos

(Print, Email, or Text This Recipe)


Taco Seasoning, the "before" & "after"

Recipe: Homemade Taco Seasoning
(recipe from allrecipes.com)

2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1.) In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together. Store in a sealed container.

Note: This recipe makes a little bit of extra taco seasoning for this recipe. (I actually tripled it when I made it so I'd have more taco seasoning on hand.) Feel free to add to/reduce the amounts proportionally, if desired.

(Print, Email, or Text This Recipe)

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18 comments:

  1. WOW do those look good - thanks for the tips on making perfect tacos! :0)

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  2. Yum! These look absolutely wonderfuL!

    I, too, have scratched my head a bit over chickpea applications beyond the standard hummus/felafel recipes... But the pics definitely put this recipe on my "must try" list.

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  3. I've never heard of chickpea tacos, but these look really good! I haven't seen those blue taco shells, either, but I'll keep my eyes open for them.

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  4. Ohh, they look so incredibly good! It's lunchtime here and I doubt I'll find anything as appealing as these tacos, damnit =p

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  5. These have been on my "must make soon" list, but I think they just got bumped up a notch. They look delicious all smothered in guac!

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  6. I LOVE chickpea tacos! These look absolutely delicious. Loaded with guacamole and all the good stuff. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

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  7. "Now, before I get too far into this post, I have to give my sincerest accolades to Happy Herbivore, who I'm convinced was sent here from vegan heaven to teach all of us how to truly respect the chickpea."

    I might have to put that little quote in the cookbook next to the recipe for chickpea tacos and mondo tacos (which incl. that easy avocado mix you used - great minds!)

    I only use blue taco shells with my chickpea tacos!

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  8. I absolutely love chickpeas and love the neat twist of yours of using it in tacos, looks delicious :)

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  9. We would like to feature your chickpea tacos on our blog. Please email haleyglasco@gmail.com if interested. Thanks :)

    Haley

    blog.keyingredient.com/

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  10. Oh delicious. These look amazing! I'm going to have to try this out.

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  11. Yes! Another chickpea recipe for me. I LOVE this idea - I've been making tacos with lentils (via a Rick Bayless recipe) but chickpeas are my fave. Great idea!

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  12. Agree with you , chickpea tacos rock! Yours look delish!

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  13. This blog just keeps getting better. It's moving in as my #1 food blog! Thank you so much!

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  14. This recipe has been in my "to try" folder for ages, and I finally got around to it.

    Wow.

    I totally didn't give it a fair chance - I used plain corn tortillas, not blue corn. I skipped the avocado and tomato, and my lettuce (the only thing left, besides the chickpeas) was distinctly elderly. Plus I cooked the chickpeas on Sunday and reheated them in the microwave on Wednesday.

    It should have been awful, but it wasn't. It was *delicious*. If this is that good when you do it as wrong as you can, then it's gotta be fantastic when you do it up right.

    I'm definitely gonna be repeating this one. Yum!

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  15. I've made these quite a few times, starting probably 8+ years ago. My mom still requests them and I'm making them tonight. Thanks for a great recipe!

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    Replies
    1. Angela, you are the absolute sweetest for commenting! I'm so happy to hear that you've been making the chickpea tacos forever (& that your mom still requests them!). It really touched my heart (silly, but true) to see your comment pop up, especially on such an old post! :) Sometimes I find myself wondering whether anyone (besides me - lol) even reads this blog anymore, since it's been embarrassingly long since I've posted. It feels lovely to know that you're out there, referencing this recipe, and turning out delicious meals. Cheers & thanks - sincerely - for making my day!

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