Peanut-Mushroom Tacos with Easy Homemade Chipotle Salsa

Maybe you didn’t exactly eat as healthily as you wanted to all weekend long. Maybe there were french fries, chicken nuggets, some chocolate cake and 2, ok 3, of these chocolate biscotti and you somehow didn’t manage to hop on the elliptical. No worries. It’s Monday, it’s the beginning of a new month, (hello March!) and we get to reset. But that doesn’t mean it has to be boring or bland.

Enter these Peanut-Mushroom Tacos with Easy Homemade Chipotle Salsa.

So much flavor, so much color, so much crunch!

And so good for you too! Hearty without being heavy!

Time to put that weekend eating behind us and jump on the healthy bandwagon!

Not only are these meatless, which makes them a perfect fit for Meatless Mondays but they’re also vegan and easy enough to tackle on a weeknight.

You start by putting together the simple chipotle salsa which takes just minutes to toss together and cooks while you prepare the filling. It’s all about the multi-tasking!

Meanwhile, you whiz some unsalted peanuts into bits in the food processor and then lightly toast them with salt and a bit of cayenne pepper until they’re golden brown, crunchy and a little zingy too. The hardest part of this is stopping yourself from nibbling on them while you’re preparing the rest of this dish. They’re so addictively good!

Next up, you sauté some cremini mushrooms with fresh garlic until they’re browned, crispy and almost meaty.

Then the whole things gets tossed together so that the flavors can meld before you build your tacos.

A little bit of crisp lettuce, some smoky chipotle salsa and a whole lot of peanut-mushroom goodness atop a warmed tortilla and…you’ll forget that eating healthy was the goal and instead be crossing your fingers that there are leftovers, which everybody knows is the true measure of culinary successl!! Happy Monday!

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Peanut Mushroom Tacos with Easy Homemade Chipotle Salsa

Makes 4 servings

Prep Time for the Salsa: 40 minutes (most of this is hands-free); Prep Time for Tacos: 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Salsa

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 large onion, chopped

• Salt and pepper to taste

• One 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, with juices

• 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped, plus additional adobo if you want it spicier

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• Juice of 1 lime

For the Tacos

• 2 cups unsalted, roasted peanuts

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

• Pinch of cayenne pepper

• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned and diced

• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced

• Salt and black pepper to taste

• Corn or flour tortillas

• Lettuce for tacos (I used spring mix)

• Sour cream, plain yogurt, hot sauce, shredded cheese for serving (optional)

The Recipe

1. To make the salsa: Place 2 tablespoons oil in a large, deep pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and and pinch or two of salt and pepper. Cook for about 10-12 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is softened and starting to brown.

2. Add the tomatoes, chiles and sugar and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and let cook for about 15-20 minutes, stirring every so often, until mixture reduces and thickens. Stir in lime juice. If you have an immersion blender, puree the mixture right in the pot or transfer it to a blender and do it in batches. Taste and season with more salt, pepper or adobo sauce if needed. Thin out with a little water if it’s too thick. You can make this ahead and store in the fridge for a few days and reheat when ready.

3. To make the Tacos: Pulse the peanuts in the food processor until chopped into bits but don’t overdo it—you don’t want them to turn into a paste. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the peanuts. Season with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes, stirring often and watching closely. You want them to be golden brown, not burned. Sprinkle with the cayenne, stir and remove from the heat. Transfer to a bowl and use a paper towel to wipe out the pan.

4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil to the skillet and heat over medium-high. Add in the mushrooms and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until the liquid from mushrooms has disappeared and mushrooms are browned and crisp. Add the peanuts back in and stir well. Let heat for a few minutes.

5. Warm the tortillas and layer on the lettuce, salsa and peanut mixture. Serve immediately with extra salsa and sour cream or any other toppings you like on the side.

Enjoy!

Note: Recipe adapted from Dinner For Everyone by Mark Bittman. I tinkered a lot with this.