Summer Lovin’ Tacos

This recipe has just escalated itself to number one on my charts! I love wraps anyway – breakfast, lunch or dinner – but this combination of the black bean, pecan, coconut cream base then filled with all sorts of goodness topped with handfuls of green things and finished with a drizzle of lime coconut dressing. Mwah! Perfection about to repeat itself on our weekly menu rotation. The best bit is the kids had all sorts of fun creating new combinations and building their own tacos. I found some 12cm diameter ‘mini’ tortillas which were perfect for their little hands and mouths.

Little Miss Amelia is a fresh cilantro/corriander lover. I mean L-O-V-E-R. She will eat handfuls of the stuff like some sort of psychotic past life addiction. Look, I’m totally happy that she loves it and willingly eats it, oh and she was a darling to offer a big generous handful to her daddy who is on the exact other end of the cilantro loving scale. He politely declined and reached for the arugula as a suitable replacement to prove to her he can/will/should also eat green things.

The toppings for this recipe can be as varied as you like – think about what’s in season or what you are in the mood for. Any leftover black bean and pecan cream makes a nice veggie dip or add to nachos, enchiladas or breakfast wraps. For a gluten free option either substitute the wheat tortillas for corn tortillas or for a grain free option, you could use lettuce leaves as your wraps or hold all your fillings in a lettuce boat.

• Servings: 4-6
• Time: 45 mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

BLACK BEAN PECAN CREAM

• ½ cup canned light coconut milk
• 1 can (about 2 cups) cooked or canned black beans, well rinsed
• 1 cup pecans (lightly toasted gives a nice flavour, but not essential)
• Juice of 1 lime
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground sumac
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 garlic clove
• ½ jalapeno (optional – I left this out as we were eating with the kids)
• Freshly ground black pepper

LIME COCONUT CREAM

• Juice of 1 lime
• ½ canned light coconut milk
• Pinch of sea salt

1 packet of 12cm wheat tortillas

TOPPING & GARNISH IDEAS: BBQ shredded chicken breast, fresh cilantro leaves, sliced avocado, shredded coleslaw mix (cabbage, celery, carrot and snow peas), spring onions, roasted sweet potato or mixed root vegetables, cherry tomatoes, arugula/rocket leaves.

1. To make the black bean pecan cream combine coconut milk, pecans, and black beans in a food processor to create a paste. Add fresh lime juice, ground cumin, garlic, jalapeno (if using), ground sumac, sea salt and black pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste.
2. To make the lime cream, in a small bowl pour the coconut milk and squeeze fresh lime juice and a pinch of salt, stir to combine.
3. To serve: gently warm tortillas in the oven or microwave (follow directions on packet), dollop about 2-4 tablespoons of the black bean cream (depending on tortilla size) onto one tortilla, place selection of toppings on top and drizzle lime coconut cream.

Our thumbs up selection for lunch with the kids was BBQ shredded chicken breasts (chicken breasts poached in chicken stock, shredded and mix in a little BBQ sauce to flavour), coleslaw veg (with no dressing), fresh cilantro or arugula, topped with lime cream sauce.

From a our summer kitchen to yours x