Roasted Tomatillo and Black Bean Tacos

I tempted fate…

The week got worse. Hard to imagine, but it did.

I was chasing down a referral for diabetic education yesterday, literally.

When the lunchtime had passed, we finally had a chance to sit down and breathe. Debbie looked at me, totally exhausted, and we just laughed.

She was finishing up next week’s cafeteria menu and as usual, joked about my love of Mexican food. If you throw something in a tortilla, chances are I’ll love it. I saw this recipe pop into my inbox and was drawn to the tomatillos. At $1.99/pound, tomatillos are such a fun food to experiment with. I was surprised at how substantial the beans, bell pepper, and onion could be…and how over-the-top a bit of avocado and queso fresco could make these tacos.

Yes, I could eat Mexican food any day in any way, but these…really are worthy of repeating!

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Roasted Tomatillo and Black Bean Tacos from Vegetarian Times

¾ lb fresh whole tomatillos, husks removed and halved
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 onion, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch pieces
1/4 cup cilantro
1 jalapeño pepper, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp salt and black pepper, to taste
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed
1/2 avocado, diced
2 oz queso fresco, crumbled

Directions:

Preheat oven to broil. Place oven rack 3 inches from heat source. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray, and spread tomatillos, garlic, onion, and red bell pepper on prepared baking sheet with the bell pepper and onion separate from the tomatillos and garlic. Broil 12 minutes, or until tomatillos are blistered and charred, and onion and bell pepper are softened and charred, tossing once halfway through cooking time.

Pulse tomatillos, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, salt, and pepper in a food processor until just slightly chunky.

Toss 1/2 cup tomatillo sauce with black beans, red bell pepper, and onion; keep warm.

Fill tortillas with black bean mixture, avocado, and queso fresco. Serve remaining tomatillo sauce over the tacos, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (2 tacos each)

Nutrition Information (per serving): 333 calories; 9.8 g. fat; 8 mg. cholesterol; 747 mg. sodium; 52.5 g. carbohydrate; 13.3 g. fiber; 14.0 g. protein; 6.0 g. sugar

Result: I thought I would enjoy these tacos, but I loved them…Mr. Prevention, too. He jokingly remarked that they were good, “even if it isn’t Meatless Monday.” They were easy to make, and affordable ingredients to buy. The tomatillo mixture is spicy, so scale back the jalapeno if you prefer things on the milder side. The queso fresco and avocado make them as good as they are…enjoy!

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 TGIF!!! I think furniture shopping must happen this weekend…

Be well,