Portabella Mushroom & Black Bean Tacos

I haven’t had time to write in a long time.  I have been creating/revamping dozens of lessons since my district has not purchased curriculum that meets the Common Core Standards.  So, that is my excuse, and I’m sorry!

The positive thing that has come out of being so darn busy is that I have also had very little time to cook.  This means that I have had to get creative with some quick and easy recipes because I can only eat so much roasted salmon and broccoli.  One of our new all-time favorites is roasted portabella mushroom and black bean tacos. These are super easy and will satisfy even the most devoted carnivore because of the savory, hearty mushrooms.  Topped with quick-broiled peppers and onions and a delicious lime sour cream, these tacos will soon be a go-to meal for a busy weeknight.

I start by dicing the veggies and tossing them on separate baking pans with olive oil and spices.  I roast the mushrooms for just 10 minutes before tossing them with the black beans and adding the pan back to the oven on the middle rack.  Then, I turn the oven to broil and put the peppers and onions on the top rack.  They all cook together for about 5-10 more minutes while I mix up the lime sour cream topping and char some tortillas over the gas flame.

The first time, we added guacamole, but it totally wasn’t necessary. We do always add Tapatio for extra spice, though.  This chili-lime corn makes an excellent side dish, but since they are already vegetarian, we sometimes we skip the vegetable side and just eat tacos.  Dozens of delicious, veggie tacos!

ROASTED PORTABELLA MUSHROOM and BLACK BEAN TACOS Ingredients Filling 2 portabella mushrooms, cleaned and diced into ½-inch pieces 2 cloves garlic, minced ¼ tsp smoked paprika a pinch of ground cayenne pepper ½ cup dry black beans, prepared and drained OR 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped into ½-inch pieces 1 pasilla chile pepper, seeded and chopped ½-inch pieces 1 yellow onion, diced into ½-inch pieces olive oil salt and pepper to taste To serve flour or corn tortillas (these are great charred over the open flame of your stove) ½ cup sour cream mixed with the juice of one lime hot sauce Instructions Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare the veggies while the oven heats. Mix mushrooms, garlic, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, and about a tablespoon of olive oil directly onto a baking sheet. Spread the mushrooms out into a single layer and roast them for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, add the peppers and onions to another baking sheet and toss with about a tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread out into a single layer. After 10 minutes, remove the mushrooms from the oven and switch it to broil. Add the black beans and a bit more olive oil to the baking sheet with the roasted mushrooms. Toss together and spread out into a single layer. Place the baking sheet with the peppers and onions directly under the broiler. Place the baking sheet with the mushrooms and beans onto a bottom rack of the oven. Let the peppers and onions broil until slightly charred and the mushrooms and beans heat for about 5-8 minutes. Stir both about halfway through cooking. Assemble the tacos and enjoy!