VEGAN TACOS WITH MANGO SALSA + A COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY! (ChF, GF, V)
Hi everyone! I hope you're all doing super well. In contrast to me cuz I'm totally stressed :(. Bitten off more than I can chew (again!) and trying to stay afloat during final exam preparations. As a result of my other commitments today's blog post is really short; that's cuz I must get my act together and STUDY! BUT I am leaving you with a really yummy vegan recipe for tacos with mango salso which was a massive hit here in The Little Plantation household. I hope that makes up for the short blog post. PLUS there's also an awesome cookbook giveaway courtesy of The Book People this week. Am I forgiven yet ;)?
I'm delighted to be able to send a lucky reader a copy of Aine Carlin's book Keep It Vegan. The Book People kindly provided me with a copy for you to enjoy which was super generous of them, wasn't it?
So what's the book like?
It's a lovely, easy to use cookbook with cute colour pictures and Aine's kind and friendly voice coming through at every junction. As the title suggests it's purely vegan, meaning that there's no need to adjust or adapt a recipe if you're 100% plant-based. I love the fact that all of the recipes are achievable, even for the novice cook/vegan, making it a great book for those of you just starting out on your plantbased journey. A further big PLUS is that most of the ingredients that Aine uses in her recipes are ones that you'll probably have in your cupboard or can easily get at a mainstream supermarket - so rest assured there's no need for Irish moss or psyllium husk :).
Highlight from the book include...
This recipe here for the tacos with mango salsa, the rosemary and pear stuffed French toast, the summer berry buttermilk pancakes, the zesty bulgar wheat and watermelon salad and a pistachio, parsley and walnut pesto. Sound good?
What you need to be mindful of...
Keep It Vegan covers basic, classic, yummy recipes, but if you are a confident and experienced plantbased cook, it probably won't offer you lots of new ideas. Therefore, this book is ideal for those new to vegan cooking, parents looking for quick and easy mid-week recipes for the whole family and students on a tighter budget who can't offered the more exotic ingredients often found in vegan cookbooks.
What you need to do to win a copy...
THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED! All you need to do for a chance to win is comment below, telling me what your favourite mid-week plantbased meal is and why. But be quick with your answers, entry to this give-away closes at midnight (Greenwich Time) on Monday, June 13th. The winner will be picked and notified within a week of the closing date. THE WINNER IS REBECCA! CONGRATULATIONS.
Please note that this competition is open to UK and EU residents only. Therefore, I'd be super grateful if you can be clear when you comment whether you live in the UK/EU or not. And even if you don't please do feel free to leave a comment. As always I'm super interested to read your answers no matter where you live because, well, I love comments. They make my day ;). Good luck everyone!
VEGAN TACOS WITH MANGO SALSA (ChF, GF, V)
This recipe has been minimally adapted from Aine Carlin's book Keep It Vegan!
Pre-preparation: soaking the cashew nuts for 6 hours or overnight
Preparation Time: 30 - 35 minutes
Cooking Time: 20-30 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
12 flour tortillas
Ingredients for the raw vegan sour cream:
130g cashew nuts (plus filtered water for soaking)
100ml filtered water
juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
a pinch of salt and pepper
Ingredients for the Indian spiced chickpeas:
1-2 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp salt
3 tbs olive or rice bran oil
¼ tsp maple syrup
2x400g cans of chickpeas in water
Ingredients for the raw vegan mango salsa:
50g (frozen) sweetcorn, see instructions for alternative
200g cherry or plum tomatoes, quatered
½ ripe mango, finely diced
½ red onion, sliced finely into rings or diced
1-2 ripe avocados, chopped into slices or diced if you prefer
juice of 1 lime, plus extra to serve
small bunch of coriander, parsley or arugula, chopped roughly
Instructions:
The evening before making the tacos, please soak the cashew nuts in filtered water.
The next day, drain away the water and give the cashew nuts a quick rinse. Then place them in a high speed blender together with the other ingredients for the cashew cream and blend until smooth with a cream-like consistency. Transfer to a container, cover and place in the fridge until the tacos are ready to be served.
To make the chickpeas, please pre-heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6. Place all the spices together with the salt in a bowl and stir briefly. Then add the oil and maple syrup, stirring until all the ingredients are nicely combined. Check for seasoning and add salt/pepper if need be. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, please place them in a bowl and cover with the spice mixture, using a wooden spoon to ensure all the chickpeas are evenly covered. Then transfer the chickpeas to a roasting tin and roast in the oven for 20- 30 minutes - until the chickpeas are crunchy (but not burned!).
For the salsa, I used frozen sweetcorn and cooked these briefly – about 5 minutes – until just right. But you can use canned sweetcorn if you prefer. Next combine all the ingredients in a bowl, cover and set aside until the tacos are ready to be served. Please note that I sliced the avocado for food photography purposes and because my son's not a fan (don't get me started ;)), so he could opt out of having them in his tacos if I served them seperately. But I'd suggest just dicing the avocado(s) and mixing them into the salsa for ease. The same goes for the onions.
Next pre-heat a griddle pan and warm each tortilla for about 10 seconds on each side. You can also just use the oven once you've removed the chickpeas to heat the tortillas. It's your choice ;). Just watch you don't burn the tortillas!
Serve immediately with all the trimmings and enjoy!
Tip: This is not a difficult recipe, but there are lots of different elements to think about. So do follow the instructions carefully.
Looking for more plant-based mains? Then just click here.
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