achiote tempeh tacos

today we got snow.  a lot of snow.  and it fell on top of more snow.
all i could think about was mexico.

and then i caught these incredible tempeh tostadas on jl goes vegan and then all i could think about was mexican cuisine. as i looked in the cupboard i eyed my bottle of achiote.  achiote tempeh it would be.  

{achiote inspiration}

achiote paste is a vibrant red, seasoned spice paste that's popular in the yucatán region of mexico.  it's made from the seeds of the annatto tree and mixed with herbs & vinegar.  traditionally it's used as a rub or marinade for a variety of meat dishes - but who needs tradition?

not this girl.

bring on the tempeh!

{tempeh tacos}

achiote tempeh tacos  adapted from jl's tostadas
serves 2
4 oz tempeh (about 1/2 a standard package)
1/2 - 3/4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup celery, chopped (1 big stalk)
1/4 cup onion, diced (1/2 small one)
1/4 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced (4 or 5)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1-2 tbsp achiote marinade
sea salt to taste

to serve:
guacamole {you can find my staple guacamole recipe here}
lettuce, shredded
hot sauce
soft corn tortillas

to start, steam or simmer the tempeh for about 15 minutes in a little bit of water and then drain off any remaining liquid.  as i've mentioned before, i really think this is an essential step to preparing tempeh as it reduces the strong bitterness.

then i heated the broth in a frying pan and added the onion, celery, mushrooms and tempeh along with the spices.  a few stirs in the pan and i covered it, reduced the heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.  uncover the pan and continue to cook it down about 5 more minutes.  season to taste with a bit of sea salt and it's ready to serve.

top each corn tortilla with a little handful of lettuce {or any salad green of your choice} and top with about 1/3 cup of the achiote tempeh filling, followed by a big dollop of creamy guacamole and if you like hot sauce or a bit of salsa.  yum.

{piled high with guacamole}

take a big bite, close your eyes and visualize the hot mexican sun on your shoulders.

{olé}

have you heard of or cooked with achiote before?

if you don't have achiote you can still make these and i'm sure they'll be amazing!  just toss in some other spices of your liking.  if you'd like to try achiote though, you can likely find it at a mexican grocer and it's definitely worth a try.  if you can, i'd suggest buying the ready-to-use liquid marinade, but the solid spice block is good too, you'll just have to turn it into a paste with water, vinegar or orange juice.  {here's the brand we're familiar with.}

we don't have any mexican grocers locally so we always bring some home from our annual trip to akumal... and seeing as the bottle's almost empty... i guess we'll just have to take one for the team and go back! 


shared at wellness weekends