Even before I was a vegan I was never a huge fan of eggs on their own but I loved them in tacos or breakfast burritos. Tofu eggs are great, I love them but I don't like having too much soy products so I am always looking for new variations of eggs. I was looking at Vegetarian Time Magazine and they had a recipe that used mashed plantains as eggs so I thought I would give it a try. I had never cooked with plantains before. The skin was REALLY hard to get off so beware if it is your first time as well.
I love mango salsa for many reasons; it is delicious, beautiful (I mean look at it!) and goes great with everything! After putting it on these tacos I used it as salad dressing, ate it with crackers, put it on top of a warm tortilla as a snack and even had a few spoonfulls plain! You can also add tomatoes or sub tomatoes for the red peppers. I used bell peppers to get different nutrients and to still get the red color. Bell peppers are very high in Vitamin C, high in Vitamin K and B-6 and high in fiber. Tomatoes obviously have their own benefits and next time I will probably do a half and half mix of tomatoes and bell pepper but I would try it with just the bell pepper first; it compliments the mango well.
One thing I learned quickly about plantains is they are hard! You might need to add more water than I suggested. I started with 1/2 a cup and added 1/4 more a few more times. So pay attention while you are putting together the mango salsa to make sure all the water didn't evaporate or the plantains will dry and stick to the pan. I strongly suggest putting a lid on the pan to keep more moisture in. Once you are ready to mash them you can use a fork or potato masher. I used a fork but you can do more at a time if you use a potato masher. Fell free to add more spices to the mix. You can add more lime, add chili powder if you like things spicy but I wouldn't add more oil because it will change the texture and make it mushy. If you have extras to store bewear that they congeal. Still able to use them as leftover just know you will need to add more water when you micorwave or reheat them.
I LOVE heating tortillas on an open flame. If you have a gas stove you are S.O.L, don't try this at home kids. You can be safe and use tongs to flip the tortillas but I live on the dangerous side and use my fingers haha. If you decide to heat tortillas on an open flame put in on low heat so you know it doesn't catch on fire! Warming them in the microwave or in a sauce pan with a pinch of oil works too.
If you are making this for a group it is fun to put it buffet style so everyone can plate their tacos themselves. Plus it is so pretty! Extra cilantro and limes are KEY to a good taco bar.
Plate tacos as desired; I suggest "eggs", beans, salsa, avocado, hot sauce. However smashing the avocado on the tortilla is a good option too. Have fun! To make it more veggie heavy you can also add shredded lettuce on top or something more hearty like kale or chard. :)
Plantain and Black Bean Breakfast tacos with Mango Salsa
Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 10-15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Serves: 12-15 tacos
Ingredients:
3 plantains, peeled
1 lime
1 1/2 cup black beans*
2 cloves of garlic
1 pack of corn tortillas (recipe makes 12 to 15 tacos so have as many tortillas on hand as desired)
1 avocado
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast
For Mango Salsa:
1 small red onion
1 red pepper
1 mango
1 small bunch cilantro, reserve some leaves for garnish
1 clove of garlic
Preparation:
Slice plantains and add them to a lightly greased saucepan over medium heat (I used coconut oil, you can use oil of your choice but not more than 1 tablespoon)
Add 1 cup of water and the juice of half a lime to saucepan. Cover, let simmer until soft (approx. 10 minutes). While the plantains are cooking prepare the mango salsa.
For Mango Salsa: Wash, seed and dice both jalapeño and red pepper, add to mixing bowl. Finely dice red onion and add to bowl. Peel and dice mango and add to bowl. Peel and finely chop garlic and divide 2 cloves into the salsa bowl and one clove into the plantain mixture in saucepan. Wash cilantro and remove leaves from stalks. Dice cilantro and add it to salsa bowl. Zest 1/2 lime into mixing bowl then add juice from 1/2 half lime into mixing bowl. Mix all ingredients together, salt to taste then set to the side.
Add turmeric and nutritional yeast to saucepan, mash plantains and mix all ingredients together. Transfer plantain mixture to serving bowl.
Plate and assemble tacos as desired. Garnish with avocado and cilantro.
*If desired, you can heat up your black beans on low heat in a small saucepan.