{Mostly} Raw Tacos

I think it's safe to say it's flippin' hot out! Since the summer sun provides more than enough heat, I've started shying away from my heat-producing kitchen appliances and embracing more raw foods. Making mostly raw cuisine is a creative kitchen challenge I embrace every summer. This past weekend I made a vegan, gluten free, and mostly raw spread for a party. The only thing I cooked was some sorghum for a tabbouleh dish. Everything else required simple chopping or blending. It was liberating not having to worry about a "cooking schedule" or sweating next to a hot oven.

These tacos were one of the dishes I made for the party and if I'm being honest, they were effing delicious. They were born out of a really simple walnut taco "meat" mixture I made a couple of weeks ago when I had a craving for some vegan nachos. I loved it so much I decided to make some raw inspired tacos for the party spread and include the walnut mixture as the "meat".

The black bean and corn mixture is obviously not raw because the black beans are cooked, but there are two ways to remedy the situation: replace the black beans with sliced grape tomatoes or just suck it up and buy a can of black beans. Easy peasy. When I made these for the party I didn't include the avocado because I made a giant bowl of mango guacamole as part of the spread. I've included it here because DUH! Avocados are amazeballs and they work well with the flavors going on in the tacos. I think these would be perfect for the coming holiday weekend since they require no cooking and are loads healthier than a typical taco.

If you are looking for some other ideas for your 4th of July shindig, check out the end of the post for some favorites from the blog archives. Have a safe and happy holiday friends!

Mostly Raw Tacos

walnut taco "meat"
-the spice amounts may be adjusted to fit your tastes, so start with the amounts listed then build from there

2 cups raw walnuts
scant tbsp coconut aminos or Bragg's liquid aminos
splash of apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp garlic powder
sea salt as needed

Add everything to a food process and pulse until everything is mixed well and the walnuts have been chopped into small pieces. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

black bean & corn salad 

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
2 ears of corn, kernels removed
2 tbsp finely chopped red onion
zest and juice of 1 lime
sea salt to taste

Mix everything together in a bowl. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.

chimichurri

1 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped
1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
juice of 1/2 a lemon or lime
1 small serrano pepper (seeds removed if you don't want it as spicy)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
sea salt to taste

Combine everything in a blender or food processor. Blend or pulse until relatively smooth. If  it seems a bit dry or too chunky, add a bit more olive oil and blend once more.

to serve

endive leaves, butter lettuce leaves, cabbage leaves, etc.
slices of avocado (optional)
lime wedges (optional)

Add as much walnut meat and corn salad to your endive or lettuce leaf as you want, then top with a slice of avocado and a bit of chimichurri. Eat and Repeat. If you have leftover fillings, they will make some killer nachos :)

Delicious Recipes for Your Summer Festivities

* Coconut Lime Sherbet
* Minty Watermelon Lemonade
* Black Bean & Basil Veggie Burgers 
* Frozen Chocolate Covered Banana Slices
* Herbal Sun Tea
* Lentil & Stone Fruit Salad
* Blueberry Peach Crumble Ice Cream