Not At All Fishy Tacos

My husband came home, and as husbands are wont to do, announced what he'd like for dinner.  "Fish tacos.  Do you think you can come up with a vegetarian version?"  Having been a vegetarian for most of my life, I suffer from a disadvantage when asked to recreate certain dishes - specifically, not ever having eaten it in my life.  Fish tacos falls under that category, since they came into vogue long after my conversion, although the few recipes I perused enticed me with the freshness of the ingredients (other than the fish part, of course).  I had recently developed a vegan version of scallops (which I have eaten in my life, many years ago) made from yuba, or the "skin" that forms on soy milk when heated (I know, that sounds really appetizing!), but decided immediately that it would be too firm as a substitute for fish.  I had some odd, white, puffy-looking dried mushrooms I had procured from a Chinese grocer, and decided to try those, as well as some tofu and fresh maitake mushrooms.   We decided that the maitake mushrooms were fabulous -- flaky, tender and almost "fishy" -- while the tofu was an acceptable second place.  The puffy mushrooms - labeled "shiitake", although they are most definitely not -- were too chewy and well, kind of hairy in texture -- and lost out entirely.  Overall, the tacos, adorned with pickled onions, a corn salsa, red cabbage, avocado and chipotle creme, were sensational.  And I even managed to take a photo!  Although there are several components, fear not as they all go quickly and easily. Perfect for a warm summer evening with a beer!

Start by marinating the onions.  For this, you'll need the following:

1 red onion, cut in half and sliced thinly
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 tsp. coarse grey sea salt
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika

Combine everything and let it marinate for at least a half-hour to soften the onions.  The paprika gives it a wonderful smoky flavor.  While the onions marinate, you should have time to make all of the other items.

You can then make the Chipotle Creme.  You'll need a vegan sour creme - I make my own by draining homemade soy-cashew yogurt (meaning I place it in a colander lined with cheesecloth for several hours until nice and thick), to which I add a little lemon juice.  You can also make it by pureeing silken tofu with a little salt and lemon juice, or just buy a commercial brand (of which I think there are two).

2/3 cup vegan sour creme (homemade or store bought)
3 tbs. vegan mayonnaise (Vegenaise is recommended)
1 chipotle pepper in adobo, chopped fine

1 Tbs. lime juice

1 - 3 tsp. lemon juice (if your vegan sour creme is not very sour)

1 tsp. coarse grey sea salt

Mix everything well and set aside.

Now you can make the salsa.

3 ripe tomatoes
1/2 onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 ear sweet corn
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 - 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
1 - 2 Tbs. lime or lemon juice
1/2 tsp. coarse grey sea salt

You'll want to char the skins of the tomatoes.  If you don't happen to have your grill fired up, you can just throw them directly over an open flame on your stove.  If you have an electric stove, place them under your broiler, turning them, to blacken the skin (not all of it, just about 50% of the tomato).   Now chop it all up. Cut the kernels off of the cob and combine all of the ingredients.

Okay, now we get to the red cabbage, which is really easy. You'll need about 3 - 4 cups of shredded cabbage ( a sharp knife helps).  Squirt it with the juice of one lime and let it sit for a few minutes.  You want to soften it a bit but not pickle it.

Have 1 - 2 avocados sliced up and ready to go.

Finally, we get to the maitake mushrooms, the star of these tacos. Plan on using about 4 ounces per person.  As they are costly, you can substitute oyster mushrooms as well.  Unfortunately, the unhealthy part of  these tacos is that the mushrooms are deep fried - if  you object to that, I offer an alternate method* that isn't quite as good but works.

Make a light batter by whisking together:

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup masa harina
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne
pinch of baking soda

Pour into this 1 cup of ice cold water, and mix quickly.  Don't overmix.  Tear the maitake into large morsels and dip into the batter, shaking off excess.  Have your oil hot and ready to go -- you'll need a couple of inches of oil in a cast iron skillet or fryer.  To test whether or not the oil is hot enough, drop a drop of batter into it. If it rises quickly, it's ready.   Fry the  mushrooms for 3 - 4 minutes until golden brown, drain on paper towels, and pile into warm tortillas with the cabbage, avocado slices, marinated onions, salsa and chipotle creme.  Don't forget the beer!

* For the non-fry method, Combine all of the dry ingredients above except the baking powder.  Make a mixture of 1/4 cup water with 1 Tablespoon oil, and toss your mushrooms in it to moisten. Then dip in the flour mixture, shaking off excess.  Bake at 400 degrees until brown and crispy, about 10 minutes.