Main Courses, Recipes, Taco Tuesday, Vegan

Taco Tuesday: Smoky Mushroom Carnitas!

by Lisa Dawn

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If it’s Tuesday, it’s tacos in my house. If I have said it once, I have said a million times, anything can be a taco. And if I haven’t said it before, I will say this, almost anything can be veganized. So, how about carnitas? Yes, please!

To make these carnitas, I use maitake mushrooms. And it couldn’t be any simpler. Marinate the mushrooms for a half hour in a mixture of freshly squeezed orange juice, chipotles in adobo, and Mexican oregano. Heat and serve. You will be eating tacos in no time.

Notes:

  • I use my homemade chipotles in adobo. If you don’t want to make your own, buy a can/jar of the stuff but check the ingredients and make sure you get the cleanest chipotles free of added sugar or other unnecessary ingredients.
  • I like to use Mexican oregano which has citrus and earthy notes. But before I ever found it at Whole Foods, I used dried marjoram which is similar or I used good old regular oregano.
  • Here is a link for making homemade cashew cream.
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Smoky Mushroom Carnitas

Anything can be a taco and anything can be veganized, so how about these mushroom carnitas for your next Taco Tuesday?

Course Main Course
Servings 3 tacos

Ingredients

Smoky Mushroom Carnitas

  • 1 package maitake mushroom (about 3 medium size maitakes)
  • 1/4 onion
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice (1/2 a regular size orange)
  • 1 tablespoon chipotles in adobo
  • 1/4 teaspoon oregano (see notes)
  • 3 corn tortillas
  • Red cabbage shredded
  • Avocado mashed
  • Scallions sliced
  • Lime crema drizzled

Lime Crema

  • 1 lime, zested and juiced
  • 1/4 cup cashew cream

Instructions

  1. Press the maitakes on a cast iron skillet with another skillet on top. Keep cooking and pressing down until the mushrooms are flat and charred.

  2. Shred the mushrooms and add to a bowl. Thinly slice the onion into half moons and add to the mushrooms. Squeeze the fresh orange juice on top, add the chipotles in adobo and oregano. Stir around until everything is coated. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes (or longer if you have time.)

  3. Mix the lime and cashew cream together to make the lime crema. 

  4. Quick sauté the mushrooms and onions just to heat them through.


  5. Char your tortillas.

  6. Assemble your tacos. Add the mushrooms on the bottom and top with cabbage, avocado, scallions and lime crema. Enjoy!

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