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Thursday, August 22, 2013

Black Bean and Greens Tacos with Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions



There's a newish Mexican restaurant in town that we've been to a few times. Gringo is situated on a bustling corner in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis and known for their tacos. I've partial for their fish taco, as well as the al pastor taco, but they have several tacos on the "weirder" end of the spectrum. Among them, the octo (grilled octopus!) and the chapulines, which is stuffed with sauteed grasshoppers! I haven't ventured to try either of those yet, but perhaps next time...
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Vegetarian Tacos
Black Bean and Greens Tacos with Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions
These black bean tacos kind of resemble their hongos taco, which featured mushrooms, pureed black beans, arugula and cotija cheese. Not to brag or anything, but I think I upped the ante a little bit on this variation, which skips any cheese but includes caramelized onions and collard greens alongside refried black beans and mushrooms, topped with a hefty sprinkle of tomato and avocado.
Vegetarian Tacos
Black Bean and Greens Tacos with Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions
When Pacific Foods sent me a few of their bean boxes to sample, my mind went straight to tacos and didn't look back. You could just as easily use a can of refried beans, but I loved how easy the Pacific Foods beans were (open carton, dump in bowl, heat in microwave). They came seasoned, making things even easier for me. Much as I love a traditional taco, this version is sure to please even the staunchest traditionalists! 

One Year Ago: Greek Tomato Tart
Two Years Ago: Lemon Basil Hummus

Black Bean and Greens Tacos with Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions
adapted from Whole Foods

Ingredients:
-2 tbsp olive oil
-2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
-1 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
-8 oz. baby portobello mushrooms
-1 bunch collard greens, leaves removed from stems and chopped into 1-inch pieces
-1 package Pacific Foods Refried Black Beans (or 1 15 oz. can refried black beans)
-8 corn tortillas, warmed
-diced tomato and avocado, for serving

Directions:
1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and brown (20-30 minutes). 
2. Add soy sauce, mushrooms, and greens to the skillet. Cover and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until greens are wilted and mushrooms are soft. 
3. Heat refried beans on stovetop or in microwave. Spread beans on corn tortillas. Top with greens mixture and tomato and avocado. Serve immediately.