So lately, I'm all about quick and easy dinners. You may remember that I discussed this when I shared my Thai Peanut Tofu Salad Tacos. It also appears that lately, I'm all about tacos.
Maybe it's because tacos can be a really delicious and filling meal that can, generally speaking, be put together pretty quickly. They kinda have everything going for them in the weeknight meal department. Case in point: These bean and cheese tacos.
Let's start the clock the moment I get home. For some reason, the traffic gods were smiling on me and I get home at 7pm. I immediately run to the bathroom because I have to pee after such a long drive. Then I let Sam in the front yard so she can pee while I rinse out my empty lunch containers in the kitchen. When I'm done, I go let Sam in. It's now 7:10.
Chris gets home around this time and while he gets the mail, gives Sam her meds and feeds her, I go take off my dress and heels and put on sweat pants and a tank top and head to the kitchen to make dinner. 7:15. There's about 5 minutes of prepping a few of the ingredients before I get down to business.
The semi-refried chickpeas take all of about ten minutes to cook. The two-ingredient cheese (which we'll get to a little later) comes together in about two minutes. Three minutes to slice an avocado and chop some green onions. Three to four minutes to heat up the tortillas and a couple minutes to assemble the tacos and dinner is ready.
Chris pours us both glasses of water and grabs napkins and we head down to eat at the coffee table (we most certainly could eat at the dining table but there's stuff on it and we would have to clean it and we're both too lazy to do all of that at this point). At 7:45, we're each biting into our new favorite tacos, while the theme song to our new favorite show begins to play (ohmygod- do you watch Archer? We've been binge-watching the series on Netflix and I can't get enough. I. Just. Can't.). Spoiler Alert: Dinner is incredible.
The combo of beans and cheese has long been one of my favorites. In this case the chickpeas are quickly cooked, mashed, and then quickly re-fried with some vegetable broth until the liquid has been absorbed. It tastes like refried beans but with more texture and plus, it's chickpeas, guys, so of course it's delicious. Then it's paired with a super quick and easy, gooey cheese made from none other than...
Heart of Palm and nutritional yeast! It's so damn simple yet so friggin' amazing, you don't have any excuse not to make it and put it on everything: tacos, wraps, sandwiches, or even as a dip for chips. All you have to do is put the heart of palm in a food processor and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast (based on your cheesiness preference) and pulse until combined (but not smooth. You want this cheese to be chunky). One bite of these bean and cheese tacos and you can consider the way you do weeknight dinners and/or your whole life changed.
Ingredients
- One 14-ounce can of heart of palm, rinsed and drained (or about 4 to 5 short stalks)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
- 3 cups of cooked chickpeas (or two 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained)
- 1/4 cup liquid aminos
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons canned green chiles
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8 to 10 corn tortillas
- olive oil spray
- 1 avocado, pitted and sliced
- shredded cabbage
- green onions
Instructions
- Preheat a large frying pan, preferably cast-iron, over medium heat. Add the beans and let cook for about 2 minutes. Add the liquid aminos, cumin, ancho chili powder, coriander, and paprika. Let cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 to 4 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed. Use a potato masher or pastry cutter to quickly mash the beans, still leaving chunks and pieces. Add the vegetable broth and let cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in green chiles, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Remove from the heat.
- While the beans are cooking, make the cheese. Combine the cheese ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined and creamy, but still chunky. Set aside.
- Heat a small frying pan over medium heat. Lightly spray with olive oil and add a tortilla. Let it cook for about 30 seconds on each side. Remove and place on a plate lined with a couple paper towels. Cover with a kitchen towel and repeat with the other tortillas.
- To assemble the tacos, scoop some beans onto a tortilla and then top with some cheese, avocado, shredded cabbage, and green onions. Serve immediately. Enjoy. Leftovers will keep, refrigerated, for up to a week. Enjoy!
Seriously though, guys, do you watch Archer? Because ohmygod...
Photography by Chris Miller
Dana @ Vanishing Veggie
Hearts of palm and nooch sounds SO FREAKING GOOD!!
Kristy
Oh my gosh, Dana! It's so good. Thank you for stopping by!
Kristina
these look fantastic, I never turn down a taco (and we have them often here too!). I LOVE palm heart cheese, so tangy good!
Kristy
Right?! Tacos are quite popular at our house right now. 🙂
Shannon
Very interesting! I love heart of palm but I had no idea it's being used as a cheese analog now! I have the feeling it's very delicious.
Kristy
Thanks, Shannon! You should totally try it!
Kate
aaaa-MAZING!
Kristy
Thanks, Kate!
Maria tadic
I love the idea of using hearts of palm as cheese! So creative! Definitely will try that ASAP!
Kristy
Thank you, Maria! I hope you like it! 🙂
rrussell
I haven't ever used heart of palm before and am interested in where it comes from? Hopefully not all the palm trees cut down from the rain forests in Brazil and elsewhere. will have to do some research on that one. This looks so marvelous! Beautiful pics and presentation of the food make me want to sink my teeth into it. Will have to try it for sure. Thanks for the recipe and detailed instructions!
keepinitkind
Heart of palm comes from a type of palm plant that can be harvested and continue to grow. This means that the heart of palm is harvested, and the plant regrows more to be harvested at a later date. It does not result in deforestation. Enjoy the tacos!
Caitlin
hearts of palm and nutritional yeast? that sounds amazing!
Kristy
Thanks! It's one of my favorite things right now!
Sasha
These look amazing! I've never used hearts of palm at all before, but I will be trying that cheese. Love a quick easy cheesy fix!
Kristy
Thanks, Sasha! Bon Apetit!
Sarojini
That looks awesome- I never tried tacos (no really!) but they sound great. And I must have a go at the palm hearts cheese; would never have thought to make cheese from that!
Kristy
Well, it's about time you get on the taco train! Tacos are hard not to like. 🙂
Millie l Add A Little
These looks super tasty!! Been loving tacos at the moment haha!
http://youtube.com/addalittlefood
Kristy
Thanks, Millie! Meeeeeeee too. 🙂
janet @ the taste space
Nice one! We have also fallen back on simple tacos as we clear out our pantry. I kind of wish I had some heart of palm to try out this new cheese version though.... must resist!
Kristy
Thanks, Janet! It's pretty easy to make tacos out of pretty much anything, right? Good luck with your pantry-clearing! 😉
Meredith @ Unexpectedly Magnificent
WANT. These look so, so good, Kristy! I can't wait to try them! 🙂
Kristy
Thanks, Meredith! I hope you enjoy them!
Meredith @ Unexpectedly Magnificent
It only took me four months but I made these tonight. They were well worth the wait! Your recipes never, EVER disappoint, Kristy. These were delicious, filling, and easy to make! Adding them to our regular rotation of meals. 🙂
Rachael@AnAvocadoADay
So cool! I love heart of palm but never thought of using it in anything but a salad. Can't wait to try this!
Kristy
Thank you, Rachael! I'm always amazed by the versatility of heart of palm! There's so much more I want to try it in! 🙂
Meg @ Niesbeetle
Holy. Moly. What an ingenious way to make dairy-free cheese! I've been craving things with cheese like MAD lately (and it's not a craving I have often...) so I think I know what I'm making for dinner tomorrow. If that's a success, I might have to put this cheese on some pasta and call it mac and cheese... This looks all around amazing!
Kristy
Thank you for your kind words, Meg! 🙂
Caitlin
I saw your explanation of what hearts of palm are above and I have no clue why I always thought they were related to the artichoke. Ha. These look amazing and will be happening next week for sure!
Kristy
I hope you enjoy them as much as we did! 🙂
Caitlin
These were seriously awesome!! Omni-husband was super impressed and has already requested the recipe link to send to coworkers.
Julie
I was about to buy artichoke hearts myself! Yikes!
Courtney @ The Fig Tree
These look incredible Kristy! Wowza! Two ingredient vegan cheese? I'm sold!
Your recipes have really helped me transition into a diary-free diet. Thank you a million times over. You make the best looking food! 🙂
Beth
I made these last night and got the stamp of approval from my husband! He is really ambivalent about most plant-based food, and it is really rare that he compliments anything I make. He even liked the cheese, and doesn't like nutritional yeast!
Beth @ Eat Within Your Means
Made these tonight and loved them! Wish I had tasted the chickpea mixture before adding any additional salt, but that's my bad. 🙂 The cheese was really interesting, how did you come up with that combo? Thanks for a great weeknight meal that comes together quickly, that's what I need!
Val
I made these last night and - wow! The chickpeas were amazing and the combination of the cheese sauce, avocado and cabbage was perfect. Adding this to the rotation - thank you!
christine
I had a can of hearts of palm hanging around in the cupboard for ages, and finally used it up about a month ago - now I'll have to go and buy another to try this cheesiness for myself:) Mind you, chickpeas can make anything taste good!!!
Tessa
I just saw this while looking for new cheese recipes....can't wait to try it. But I really responded because nobody else did about Archer! LOL. LOVE it! I binge watched it too....had me laughing out loud BY MYSELF!! (Not much can make me laugh out loud when I'm alone...ha, ha) Have you watched The League? Kind of the same brand of humor....the first season or two was a riot.
Judi
Help!! I want to make this amazing taco recipe but I hate to say this but I do not like nutritional yeast. It's so sad because it's used everywhere with vegan recipes. Is there any substitite to use instead with the artichokes for the sauce?
Judi
I meant heart of Palm for the taco cheese not artichoke
Jenn Logan
This recipe looks amazing! I need to make this, like...now. And my fiance and I not only watch Archer, we adopted a cat last year and NAMED HIM ARCHER! He's an orange striped furball with a big personality and the name fits him perfectly (I originally picked Oliver, but it just didn't feel right).
Sharon
Hi, this all looks amazing I will try it. I don't want to pour cold water on your wonderful recipe however as a Vegan and Environmentalist I'm concerned about using Hearts of Palm. Unfortunately in order to harvest approximately 12" from the Palm tree, the Heart, they kill the whole tree. Please don't take my word for it; check it out for yourself. The Amazon is being depleted of these Palm trees for just a few inches of a plant that I'm sure could be substituted for something else in recipes. I love your recipes and will try many. All the Best. Sharon 🙂
keepinitkind
I appreciate your concern, but there are companies out there who source it ethically. I personally buy Native Forest brand who cuts the stem only from plants that can regrow. You can learn more about it here: http://www.edwardandsons.com/es_info_heartsofpalm.itml
Sharon
Hi, thank you for the information, I will check these out. I'm happy to hear that there is ethically sourced Hearts of Palm. I'll be happy to try out this recipe when I purchase those.
🙂
Kimber
Hi Kristy! I'm new to veganism and your book and blog have been so inspiring-- thank you!! I tried this recipe last night. I loved the creativity, how easy it was, and how they flavors came to together so well. The only thing that bugged me (and has in many vegan recipes) is how dry the chickpeas came out-- kind of like an under-cooked potato texture. Do you have any suggestions for getting a softer, creamier texture for chickpeas? I really want to embrace chickpeas, but the texture is driving me nuts! Would appreciate any tips you have-- thanks!
keepinitkind
There are many ways to cook chickpeas so that they are softer and/or moister. The approach for this recipe was intended to have a "taco meat" texture. Usually, if you add more liquid during cooking, they'll have more moisture, but I can't say that they're ever creamy, unless you make hummus. 😉
nelda
looks good
Hanna
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Absolutely Amazing!!!!
Thanks so much for sharing.
Myles Mudge
I'm literally watching Archer as I read this. Multitasking. Looks good, can't wait to try it.
Aimee
Wow! My husband and I really loved this. The flavor combination was amazing. Our 6 and 4 year old boys weren't quite as enthusiastic. Not sure what their problem is but I highly recommend this recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Delfina Lopez
This has been on my list of dinners to make for sooooo long...but I'm such a lazy vegan that I just got around to it today. It is so unbelievably good! Only wish I made it sooner! The chickpea taco "meat" has such a great taco meat flavor and the cheese, omg the cheese. Thank you!!