When my friend Heather recently posted in our Meat Free May Facebook group that she made some fantastic tacos using walnuts for the "meat", I will admit - I was a little skeptical. I did some online searches and found that there are a ton on recipes for walnut "meat" filling, so I decided that if so many people have blogged about this, perhaps I should give it a try. Not that I didn't believe Heather when she said these were amazing! After all, her little boy has started stealing her green smoothies. She must be creating some good stuff in her kitchen. I digress...
I opted to make mine just a little differently, but they were still pretty similar. I did not soak my walnuts and I used Bragg's Liquid Aminos. If you don't know about this product, please go get a bottle and start using it right now!! I use it almost daily whether in recipes or just on sautéed kale. It's loaded with amino acids and is free of preservatives and salt.
Taco filling:
1.5 cups raw walnuts
1 cup diced mushrooms
coconut oil
2T Trader Joe's taco seasoning
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1T Bragg's Liquid Aminos
Saute mushrooms in about a tablespoon of coconut oil until browned. Remove from heat. Add walnuts and seasonings to food processor and *pulse* until crumbly. If you over-process, you'll end up with nut butter and that would be better for a sandwich. When the walnuts are crumbly and the spices incorporated, add the mushrooms and stir until mixed. Done - honestly, that's it.
I opted to serve mine in romaine boats with tomato, purple cabbage and "cashew cheeze" sauce which can be found at the bottom (under the pictures) of THIS blog post from last week.
Josh liked it too - and that's always a bonus!
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| Walnuts pulsed in food processor with spices |
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| Close-up view of the walnuts |
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| Cashew "Cheeze" Sauce |
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| Sauteed mushrooms |
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| Walnuts mixed with mushrooms |
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| Simple - there's no need to have a dozen ingredients to make a taco! |
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| And you can eat more with less guilt! |
