Being from Mexico, I naturally embrace the Mexican cuisine and have taken it upon myself to experiment with various ingredients to prepare different taco recipes. Although I live in Southern California, finding tacos that are both delicious and healthy is a challenge given Mexican cuisine is not the healthiest by nature. This Valentine’s Day, I decided to give Southern California’s staple dish a makeover ensuring to hit the healthy and delicious marks!
For this recipe, I first made pink tortillas from scratch. To give the tortillas a vibrant pink color, I added defrosted dragon fruit sorbet in the masa dough. Alternatively, you can use dragon fruit powder or beet powder. These can be found at most health food stores such as Whole Foods or online at Amazon. When preparing the tortilla dough, you may have to add flour or water depending on the type of flour you use. Ideally, aim for dough that is tacky in texture–not sticky or cracky. A tacky texture will prevent your dough from sticking to your hands, the tortilla press, or roller and it will easily form into the round shape we want for tortillas. Once your dough is ready, roll about a dozen golf sized masa balls and press them using a roller or a tortilla press. Then they will be ready to be heated on a pan or skillet
If you haven’t made tortillas from scratch, I’m here to tell you it’s a breeze and doesn’t take long! Depending on the flour you use, it’s usually equal parts masa harina and warm water to make the dough. This recipe worked great with Bob’s Red Mill masa harina. However, since corn is the most grown crop in the U.S. and is mainly GMO, I recommend purchasing your masa non-GMO certified.
Now onto the fun part: the toppings!
Crema: We all know how important it is to add cream or cheese to fight taco dryness. The jalapeño cashew crema is a perfect non-dairy substitution with it’s subtle spice and tangy flavor! Cashews are also a good source of zinc. This versatile crema goes well with many dishes and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Salsa: The dragonfruit salsa is very similar to a traditional pico de gallo but instead of tomato, we use dragon fruit. It’s notes of citrus and fruit make it the perfect salsa for these tacos!
Marinated portobello mushrooms: When diced, portobello mushrooms do a superb job mimicking carne asada. You can choose both the cutting style and mushrooms depending on the meat texture you want to achieve. For example, if you are aiming for carnitas (pulled pork) maitake mushrooms will do the trick when pulled apart. Try to let the the mushroom sauce sit for at least fifteen minutes so the flavors macerate. Then pour the sauce on top of mushrooms after they’ve cooked on the stovetop for a few minutes.
Make this recipe to enjoy a wonderful sunny day or to celebrate Valentine’s Day! I would love to know your thoughts in the comments below!
Plant Based Dragon Fruit Tacos
Equipment
- Tortilla Press or Rolling Pin
- Parchment Paper
- High-speed Blender
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
Dragon Fruit Salsa
- 1 dragon fruit, mango, or ⅓ pineapple diced
- 1 tsp cilantro or parsley finely chopped
- 1 serrano pepper or jalapeño seeded and minced
- ¼ red onion finely chopped
- 1 small lime juiced
- 1 tsp lime zest
- ¼ tsp himalayan salt and peppercorn freshly ground
Cashew Jalapeño Crema
- 1 cup raw cashews presoaked
- 1 jalapeño seeded or unseeded
- 1 garlic clove or tsp asafoetida if you can't consume garlic
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp peppercorn
Pink Tortilla Masa Dough
- 2 cups masa harina
- 1½-2 cups warm water
- ½ tsp himalayan salt
- 1 packet dragon fruit sorbet defrosted
Marinated Portbello Mushrooms
- 3 portobello mushrooms diced
- ¼ cup olive oil extra virgin
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ tsp garlic minced
- ½ tsp cumin ground
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp peppercorn freshly ground
Instructions
Dragon Fruit Salsa
- Combine and mix all ingredients in a bowl
Cashew Jalapeño Crema
- Put ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy
- Transfer to glass container and refrigerate for up to two weeks
Marinated Portobello Mushrooms
- Mix all ingredients except the mushrooms in a small bowl and stir to combine
- Add diced mushrooms to prepared chipotle sauce and marinade for at least 15 minutes
- Cook on frying pan for about 8-10 minutes
Stacking the Tacos
- Spread a tsp of crema onto tortilla
- Add a tbsp of portobello mushrooms
- Add desired amount of salsa
- Top with microgreens and a squirt of lime juice
Looks beautiful. So creative! Can’t wait to try this 🙂