For the salsa verde To make 500 mL salsa verde, you will need the following ingredients: 2½ sweet pointed peppers, 4 tomatillos, ¼ onion, 1 clove garlic, 1 cup cilantro, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh epazote, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 30 mL water. Preparation: Remove the stems from the pointed peppers and then pan-roast. Coarsely chop and set aside. Remove the husks from the tomatillos and finely chop. Finely chop the onion, garlic, cilantro, and epazote.
You can prepare the salsa verde in advance or at the same time as you prepare the other parts of the recipe.
The author uses poblano chiles in the original recipe: mild chili peppers similar to pointed peppers that are mainly cultivated in Mexico. The author also uses one medium-size yellow onion.
In a one-liter saucepan over medium heat, combine the tomatillos, onion, garlic, cilantro, epazote, salt, and water and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes.
As the tomatillos soften, press on them with a heavy wooden spoon or potato masher to release more of their juices. Add the pointed peppers and simmer for two minutes longer.
Cooking the tomatillos removes much of their tartness and sweetens the overall salsa. It’s great not only for tacos but it’s also perfect for jarring and for setting out as a dip for chips. (Jason Wyrick)
For the plantains
Peel the plantains and slice in half lengthwise. Zest and squeeze the limes.
The key is to make sure the plantains have a few black splotches on the skin. That’s an indication that they’re just a little bit sweet, but still starchy and hearty enough … (J. Wyrick)
Bring the oil to a medium heat and sauté the plantains until lightly browned. Remove the plantains from the heat, chop them into 1-inch pieces, and immediately toss with the salt, lime zest, and lime juice.
Alternatively, the author recommends grilling the plantains. You can find information on grilling plantains under “Alternative preparation.”
The author recommends the following for the oil: 1 tablespoon garlic-citrus olive oil (p. 49), garlic oil, or olive oil. We have opted for canola oil instead of olive oil, see “Notes about recipe.” We have also halved the amount of salt used in the recipe.
Finishing the tacos
Warm the tortillas. Shred the red cabbage and pour the vegan sour cream over it.
Add the grilled plantains to the tortillas, and top with shredded cabbage, pumpkin seeds, salsa verde, and sour cream.
The author uses roasted, salted pepitas, which are from hullless pumpkin varieties, known as Styrian or Oil Seed pumpkins.
Detailed Nutritional Information per Person for this Recipe
The majority of the nutritional information comes from the USDA (US Department of Agriculture). This means that the information for natural products is often incomplete or only given within broader categories, whereas in most cases products made from these have more complete information displayed.
If we take flaxseed, for example, the important essential amino acid ALA (omega-3) is only included in an overarching category whereas for flaxseed oil ALA is listed specifically. In time, we will be able to change this, but it will require a lot of work. An “i” appears behind ingredients that have been adjusted and an explanation appears when you hover over this symbol.
For Erb Muesli, the original calculations resulted in 48 % of the daily requirement of ALA — but with the correction, we see that the muesli actually covers >100 % of the necessary recommendation for the omega-3 fatty acid ALA. Our goal is to eventually be able to compare the nutritional value of our recipes with those that are used in conventional western lifestyles.
Salted Lime Plantain Tacos are served with corn tortillas, red cabbage, and salsa verde. You can grill or pan-fry the plantains.
Preparation time: The author does not indicate how long this recipe takes to prepare. But you need about 30 minutes to make the pan-fried version, excluding the salsa verde. If you are also making salsa verde, add about 25–30 minutes preparation time.
Nutritional information: According to the Joint German Occupational Safety and Health Strategy (GDA) guidelines, one serving of these Salted Lime Plantain Tacos contains almost 100 % of the recommended daily requirement for vitamin C. It also contains almost half the daily intake requirements for folate and phosphorus. However, the ratio of linoleic acid (omega-6 fatty acids, LA) to alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3 fatty acids, ALA) is slightly above the recommended ratio of 5:1.
Olive oil versus canola oil: Economic powers and lobbyists have given olive oil cult status although it has a ratio of omega-6 (LA) to omega-3 fatty acids (ALA) that is significantly over the recommended maximum ratio of 5:1. Compared to olive oil, canola oil contains much higher levels of essential fatty acids, especially omega-3 fatty acids. Further information on this topic can be found under the following link: A Vegan Diet Can Be Unhealthy. Nutrition Mistakes.
Red cabbage: Red cabbage, also known as purple cabbage, is closely related to green cabbage. Red cabbage is mainly different from green cabbage in its color and sweet flavor. It also has a somewhat smaller, firmer head. It is typically a winter vegetable, but it can be found fresh almost year-round and keeps well. Red cabbage is rich in iron, minerals, and anthocyanins.
Corn tortillas: Corn tortillas are a type of Mexican flat bread. They shouldn’t be confused with Spanish tortilla (Spanish omelets) that are made from eggs, potatoes, and onions. Traditionally, tortillas were made from large corn kernels that were soaked overnight in lime water (nixtamalization) before they were ground and kneaded into a dough. In contrast, wheat tortillas are more common in Northern Mexico and the United States. These soft tortillas work well for soft tacos, burritos, and fajitas.
Pumpkin seeds: Pumpkin seeds are green, flat, and oval and can be purchased raw or roasted. Pumpkin seeds are known as pepitas in Mexico and Latin America and are used in many traditional Mexican dishes. Roasted pumpkin seeds are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, but they have a poor ratio of omega-6 (LA) to omega-3 (ALA) fatty acids: 176:1.
Plantains: Unlike dessert bananas, plantains are only edible when they are ripe. Ripe plantains will have almost completely black skin and soft pulp. They are rarely eaten raw, but can be dried and processed into flour and drinks like beer. Plantains not only have a different peel than dessert bananas, they also differ in texture, flavor, and nutrients (e.g., plantains contain a higher content of starch).
Tips
Heating the tortillas:Make sure that you warm up your tortillas, either by steaming them for about 15 seconds, or warming them over medium heat in a dry pan for about 10 seconds per side. (Jason Wyrick)
Alternate preparation
Corn tortillas: The author recommends making your own corn tortillas. You can find a recipe for corn tortillas in the same book on pages 29 and 30.
Grilling plantains:Light your grill and let the coals turn white or bring a gas grill to a medium-high heat. Toss the plantain halves in the garlic-citrus oil and grill them on both sides until char lines appear. Remove the plantains from the grill, chop them into 2.5 cm pieces, and immediately toss them with the salt, lime zest, and lime juice. (Jason Wyrick)
Oil: The author recommends the following oil varieties: 1 tablespoon garlic-citrus olive oil (page 49), garlic oil, or olive oil. We recommend using canola oil instead of olive oil; see notes.
