Portobello and Zucchini Tacos

I always keep an eye out for delicious and creative recipes; recipes that excite me, make me salivate (it's true) and ultimately send me to my workshop kitchen to recreate them in eager anticipation of the dish to come.  It's a food story that comes full circle for me often.  Recipe. Ooh, Ahhh. Kitchen. Dish. Enjoy. Recipe Again.

As these stories go, I happily stumbled upon a light, vegetable-laden, and supremely delicious take on one of my favorite foods ever: tacos.  Tacos are so versatile--essentially encasing whatever goodness you can muster between the warm tortilla--and mixing it up with some hearty vegetables, herbs, seasonings, and a few extra adornments, is the perfect spin for a casual and easy dinner.

This recipe, adapted from Martha Stewart, boasts portobello mushrooms that provide a meaty likeness, tender zucchini, red onion, dried oregano and the quintessential staples of salt, pepper and olive oil.  (I also tossed in a red bell pepper for an extra layer of flavor and nutrition.)  Following a stint of oven roasting, the vegetables were done and the tacos were ready for assembly.  I finished some off with sprinkles of feta cheese crumbles (for an extra salty bite) and others with a hearty salsa.

 
These tacos are a simple, yet satisfying, meal that's created another chapter in my never-ending food story.  Now I hope you'll give them a try.

Happy Eating!

Portobello and Zucchini Tacos

Ingredients:
5 medium portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed, sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 medium zucchini, sliced
1 medium red onion, halved and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 red bell pepper, sliced
Tortillas
Feta cheese crumbles
Salsa

Instructions: 
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss mushrooms with 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/4 cup water; season with salt and pepper. On another rimmed baking sheet, toss zucchini, onion and red pepper with remaining teaspoon oregano and tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper.

Place both sheets in oven. Roast, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are browned and fork-tender, 25 to 30 minutes (zucchini may cook faster than mushrooms).

Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium-high heat, warm tortillas according to package instructions (they should be lightly browned but still soft). Wrap loosely in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.

To serve, fill each tortilla with mushrooms, vegetable mixture, cheese crumbles, and/or salsa.  Enjoy!

{Cook's Note: To clean portobellos, snap off stem, then use a small spoon to gently scrape (then discard) the dark gills from the inside of the cap.}
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart