An Inspired Cook

Over the weekend, Joe and I spent a day in Taos, NM. We love Taos for their small town charm, the local artistry and the food! We could spend hours walking through the plaza, surrounding shops and art galleries. On Saturdays the plaza is packed with a farmer’s market, artisan breads, local crafts and music. When we started to get hungry we stopped at a food cart for some street tacos. We ordered a Carne Asada and a Poblano taco which were both amazing! The poblano tacos had a miso vinaigrette which sounded a bit strange (at least to me) but it really worked. Joe absolutely loved it and couldn’t stop talking about it so I took a picture of the menu with the intention of recreating it at home. Since it’s green chile season here in NM I thought I would use them in place of the poblano. I picked up some “Hatch” green chile and fresh corn at the market and roasted them on the grill. Then I prepped the miso vinaigrette and made a small batch of picked red onions in the morning so that they had time to marinate. With all the prep work taken care of, the tacos took no time at all to put together. My Hatch green chile had a bit more kick than the poblano version but no matter what you choose your taste buds will smile. There are so many flavors going on in these little tacos and it all comes together in a very good way!

Don’t you just love a menu that lists what’s in it? I love to recreate the unique tasty things we find around town and on the road. If you are ever in Taos, stop by the little food cart located right behind the plaza on the west side. I don’t know the name of it but the aroma in the air will point you there.

The miso vinaigrette is simple to make. You’ll need white miso, rice vinegar, tamari or soy sauce, olive oil, honey, salt and chili paste. I found white miso at Sprouts in the refrigerated section.

Add all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk to emulsify the vinaigrette.

Pour into a 1/2 pint sized jar with a lid and refrigerate.

Just before you start to heat the veggies, make the guacamole. I mashed 3/4 of a large avocado and added 2 tablespoons of the miso vinaigrette.

Mash and stir until it’s a thin guacamole. Set aside.

I roasted my chile on the grill over high heat. Turn often until it’s blistered and charred over all sides. Place in a plastic bag to steam for 20 – 30 minutes. The steam will help the skin peel easily. Remove stem and seeds before chopping the chile. This filling will make 6 street sized tacos. 2 – 3 roasted and chopped green chiles will make approximately 1 cup. I placed the chile along with the liquid into a small dutch oven.

I lightly roasted an ear of corn over the open flame of my stove. I turned the corn often rotating it to lightly char all sides. Cut from the cob and add 1/2 cup to the green chile.

Earlier in the day I made a half batch of pickled onions. Here’s my recipe with step by step instructions. Pull out a few sliced onions and mince with a knife. Add approximately 2 tablespoons to the chile/corn mix. Chop extra to top the tacos. Mix this all together and heat on medium low just to heat the roasted veggies. If needed add a tablespoon of water to keep them from sticking to the bottom.

While the veggies are warming up, time to fry the tortillas. I used 2 tortillas per taco and they were small enough to fry 2 at a time. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan over medium heat. Make sure to let them cook long enough to bubble and start to brown before turning over. If need be, add another drizzle of olive oil to the pan. When they are toasty and slightly browned in spots, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and blot any excess oil. Continue cooking in batches until you have the amount you need. If need be, place them on an oven proof plate and keep warm in the oven or toaster oven.

Time to assemble the tacos. Stack 2 tortillas together for each taco. Add a couple spoonsful of the warm chile, corn and pickled red onion atop the tortillas.

Top each taco with a sprinkle of chopped pickled red onion, a dollop of guacamole, crumbled queso fresco cheese and chopped cilantro. Add a drizzle of miso vinaigrette for added flavor.

I always add a spritz of lime to my tacos, that little burst of citrus makes them taste so good!

Hatch Green Chile, Corn and Guacamole Street Tacos

12 Street Size Corn Tortillas
1 cup Roasted Hatch Green Chile, peeled, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup Roasted Corn, cut from cob
2 tablespoons Pickled Red Onion, chopped fine plus extra to top tacos
3/4 Large Avocado
2 tablespoons Miso Vinaigrette, plus more to drizzle over tacos, recipe follows
Top with Crumbled Queso Fresco Cheese, Pickled Red Onions, Chopped Cilantro, and a Drizzle of Miso Vinaigrette

Miso Vinaigrette adapted from Bowls Are the New Plates
1/4 cup Rice Vinegar
1 teaspoon Ground Chili Paste (Sambal Oelek)
1 tablespoon Tamari (may substitute Soy Sauce)
1/4 teaspoon Honey
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon White Miso Paste
1/2 cup Olive Oil

Add all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Whisk until the vinaigrette becomes emulsified. Makes 1 cup or enough for 1/2 pint jar. Place in a container with a lid and refrigerate. Use as a dressing, marinade or drizzle over roasted vegetables.

Tips with instructions how to roast chile and fresh corn.

To make guacamole, mash avocado and add 2 tablespoons of miso vinaigrette. Stir together until the guacamole is smooth. It will appear thin. Set aside.

Heat a skillet or small dutch oven over medium heat. Add roasted/chopped green chile, roasted corn and pickled red onions. Add any additional liquid from the chile. If the veggies start to stick, add a tablespoon of water and turn the heat to low.

Heat another skillet over medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil. Add tortillas and let fry as they begin to soften and brown. Turn over to fry the other side. If you need more oil, add another drizzle of olive oil to the pan. Air bubbles may occur as the tortillas cook. They should appear toasted and slightly browned but crisp, not hard or brittle. Remove the tortillas to a plate lined with paper towels to blot any excess oils. Continue frying the tortillas until you have enough for your tacos. You can warm the tortillas in an oven or toaster oven if not using immediately.

Place 2 street sized tortillas on a plate for each taco. Add a couple spoonsful of the chile/corn/pickled red onions to the tortillas. Top with additional chopped pickled red onion, a dollop of guacamole, a sprinkle of crumbled queso fresco cheese and chopped cilantro. Drizzle miso vinaigrette over top. Add a wedge of lime to spritz tacos.

Makes 6 street size tacos