Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo!  The Mexican restaurants will be INSANE.  I mean, I wonder how many lbs of guacamole are eaten on Cinco de Mayo?  Google…here I come!  :)

So, if you’re feeling like a little Mexican food, but don’t want to fight the crowds, you may want to try out homemade tacos.  Vegetarian tacos, you say?  Trust me – you won’t miss the meat in this taco!  I bought some tempeh this week at the grocery knowing that I wanted to do something with it – but not sure of what yet.  Tonight, it dawned on me that tempeh makes a GREAT taco “meat.”

I found the base of this recipe on Oh My Veggies, and added a few things to suit my taste and to what I had available.  SAVE THE OTHER HALF OF THE CAN OF BLACK BEANS!!!  I took them and made dessert – Black Bean Mexican Brownies – SO GOOD!!  (And you’re not being wasteful!).  Mosey on over to the “Treats” section, and you’ll find that recipe there!

Happy Cinco de Mayo y’all!

Ingredients:

 

• 1 (8-ounce) package tempeh
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 c. cherry tomatoes halved
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 3 tsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. lime juice
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. chipotle pepper chile pepper
• 1/4 c. coconut aminos or soy sauce
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/2 c. of bell peppers diced
• 1/2 can of black beans
• 2 tbsp. water
• salt + pepper to taste
• 6-8 soft tacos
• toppings (optional):  cheese, guacamole, salsa, avocado, cilantro, hot sauce, Greek yogurt  and lime wedges for serving

Instructions

1. Crumble your tempeh into a large mixing bowl. Then, using a large spoon, mix in the garlic, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, chipotle pepper, and aminos. Once your tempeh is completely mixed into the spices, mix in the onion and peppers. Then drizzle the water 1 tablespoon at a time into your mix while stirring your ingredients continuously. Taste a little bit of your tempeh and add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Spray your favorite cast-iron skillet or frying pan with a good coating of olive or coconut oil cooking spray, and then heat over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, toss in the tempeh mixture. Flip your tempeh-vegetable mixture a few times so that it browns evenly. You’ll know it’s ready when your vegetables are tender and your tempeh has crispy edges. It should take about 10 minutes.  About halfway in I threw in the black beans as well – totally optional.
3. While your tempeh is cooking, heat your tacos slightly in the oven.
4. Once your tacos are warm, fill them with the tempeh and vegetable mixture.
5. Serve with guacamole, salsa, hot sauce, cilantro, black olives, lime wedges and anything else you like on your tacos!