Seitan Tacos with Spanish Rice
Ingredients
- Filling:
- 2 teaspoons canola oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 plum tomato, finely chopped
- 1/2 jalapeño chile, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 12 ounces Basic Seitan (see recipe), cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- 3/4 cup ranchero sauce (available in many supermarkets)
- Tacos:
- 12 corn tortillas
- Canola oil, for deep frying
- 3 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- Crumbled tofu cheddar (optional, available in health food stores)
- Spanish Rice:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
- 1 celery stalk, finely diced
- 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 jalapeño chili, seeded and finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 cups (about 12 ounces) uncooked long-grain brown rice, rinsed well
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups water
- 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Preparation
To prepare the filling: Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and bell peppers and sauté for 5 minutes, or until tender.
Add the tomato, jalapeño, garlic, cumin, paprika, salt and black pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes, or until the tomato is tender.
Stir in the seitan and sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the mixture is heated through and the flavors are well blended.
Cool the filling to room temperature.
To prepare and serve the tacos: Heat a griddle over medium-high heat. Cook a tortilla on the hot griddle just until warm, about 10 seconds per side.
Spoon 1/4 cup of the filling over the center of the tortilla.
Fold the sides of the tortilla over the filling to form a taco. Secure the tortilla edges with a toothpick. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
The tacos will keep up to this point for 4 hours, covered and refrigerated.
Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Working in batches, fry the tacos until crisp and golden, about 1 minute per side.
Transfer the tacos to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil. Remove the toothpicks and fill the tacos with lettuce and cheese. Serve immediately.
To make the Spanish rice: Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, bell peppers, jalapeño and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
Stir in the rice. Stir in the tomato paste, salt, cumin and black pepper. Add the water and tomatoes with their juices. Bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low.
Cover and simmer without stirring for 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat. Let stand covered for 10 minutes before serving.
Transfer the rice to a serving bowl. Add the cilantro and fluff with a fork. The rice will keep for 2 hours, covered and kept at room temperature. Rewarm the rice over low heat before serving.
