Wow it’s been a little bit since I’ve popped in! I promise life with 5 kids hasn’t done me in yet! (you can find more updates on Instagram if you’re so inclined ;))
Okay, it’s Christmas week and the last few days of Advent have me getting ready for outside Masses and prepping to maybe bake a little bit. The thing about baking for me is that, I’ve realized that the days when I bake are the days when we don’t eat solid meals because we’re munching on treats all day, ha! So today in an effort to make an actual meal that had something healthy in it, I whipped up these tacos. I hadn’t planned to share them, but they were such a hit with the kids (which surprised me!) so I thought I’d post the quick recipe if you’re maybe in a similar situation and need something quick and filling while baking allll the holiday cookies. 😉
Growing up, my mom could seriously turn anything into tacos, and the thing about tacos is, it really elevates and changes any leftovers and just honestly saves the day! The key is to making sure your oil is hot and testing it with the edge of a corn tortilla before putting the whole thing in. If bubbles form around it immediately, it’s ready. If not, the oil will saturate your taco instead of crisping it up. If the oil is hot enough, the excess will drip off easily, which is ideal. Okay here’s the recipe – but first I have to warn you that I didn’t really measure since I was just putting stuff together and also cooking with the kids. The good thing is, it’s pretty hard to mess it up! Just add more or less of the ingredients according to taste, and feel free to halve the recipe if you don’t have a bajillion people to feed like I do. ;D
Tacos de Camote Y Frijol:
Ingredients:
- authentic corn tortillas (I buy the Guerrero brand)
- 4 Sweet Potatoes, baked first in the oven until soft and cooled slightly
- 1 can of black beans, slightly drained (or about 1+1/2 Cup fresh)
- softened butter to taste (I used Kerrigold, about 1 -2 tablespoons)
- salt to taste
- grated parmesan (or any other dry cheese – queso cotija would be perfect here!)
- vegetable oil for light frying
Method:
- Peel your warm baked sweet potatoes and put them in a large mixing bowl. If you’re starting with cold baked potatoes, you might want heat them up a bit (just until warm!) so the butter can melt into it during your next step.
- Add your butter, cheese, salt, and mash together until incorporated well. (this part is fun to do with kids! <3) Then stir in the beans.
- Heat a frying pan to medium high heat and pour your vegetable oil in (enough to more than coat the pan, if that makes sense. This is not deep-frying, but you want the tortilla itself to be coated and to crisp up well without swimming in oil).
- Test the oil with the edge of a tortilla. If bubbles immediately appear, the oil is ready.
- Place a spoonful of filling into each tortilla and lower the tortilla flat into the oil. Then use tongs to fold into a taco once the oil heats and softens the tortilla.
- Once one side is browned, turn to the other side and wait for it to brown.
- Using tongs, pick up your taco and place on a paper towl – lined container (or plate) to absorb excess oil.
- Serve with desired toppings and/or salsa.
¡Buen provecho! 🙂
