Tuesday, March 29, 2016

60. Cilantro-Green Chile Mushroom Tacos with Baby Arugula and White Cheddar

Yum
Cilantro Green Chile Mushroom Tacos with Baby Arugula and White Cheddar Collage

I wish I had a really awesome, meaningful explanation for the creation of this recipe.  Well . . . not really.  It was Monday (yesterday).  I'm soldiering on with this taco project, and I had already decided it was going to be a taco night.  I went to the store.  I decided I was in the mood for mushrooms and cheese.  Chile is good in just about every recipe, but I've already made a mushroom taco with ancho chile.  I decided it was time to go in a different direction, so I used green chiles.  I knew that I had some delicious aged white cheddar at home, so I figured the spicy arugula would be a nice contrast with that.  

So . . . that's how this taco happened - not bad for a Monday!  (Actually, it was delicious!)  It was also fairly easy.  We usually eat dinner around 7:30ish.  We ended up eating almost an hour early, because I was . . . done.  If you've read any of my other recipes, you've probably noticed that they don't tend to be the kind of recipe that you complete earlier than expected.  I tend to get carried away.  Ha ha.

Here's the recipe:

Cilantro Green Chile Mushroom Tacos with Baby Arugula and White Cheddar


Makes 8 generous tacos (4 servings)

Ingredients: 

For the cilantro green-chile mushroom filling:


1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, finely chopped
3 large cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 lb. crimini mushrooms, cut into quarters 

Crimini Baby Bella Mushrooms for Tacos

1 tsp. salt
4 Hatch or Anaheim green chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth 
¼ cup heavy cream
½ tsp. dried Mexican oregano
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

For the dressed arugula:


2 heaping cups baby arugula leaves
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. Cholula sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

8 thick flour tortillas 

A few ounces of shredded white cheddar cheese

Grated White Cheddar Cheese for Mushroom Tacos

Smoked paprika and or extra Cholula for garnish

Instructions:

1.  Start the mushroom filling:  In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat.  Add the onions, reduce the heat a bit, and cook until softened and slightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so until fragrant.  Add the mushrooms and the salt, raise the heat to medium-low, and cook gently until the mushrooms soften and start to release their juices, about 8-10 minutes.  (The mixture will be dry at first; just give it a few minutes.) 

Mushroom Filling for Cilantro Green Chile Mushroom Tacos

Add the green chiles and stir to combine.  Add the broth, cream, oregano, and pepper.  Increase the heat to medium and cook (stirring occasionally), until most of the liquid has reduced and the mushrooms are tender, about 10 more minutes.  Add the cilantro and stir.  Keep the mixture warm until you are ready to serve the tacos.

Mushroom Filling for Cilantro Green Chile Mushroom Tacos

2.  While you are cooking the mushrooms, prepare the dressed arugula:  Place the arugula in a medium bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients and toss to combine.  Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.  

Dressed Arugula for Cilantro Green Chile Mushroom Tacos

3.  While you are finishing the mushrooms, prepare the tortillas to your liking.  I use a dry cast iron skillet over medium high heat.   I heat each tortilla in the skillet for about 30-60 seconds on each side, or until it softens and begins to brown.  When I'm done with the whole batch, I wrap them completely in aluminum foil and place them in a 250 degree oven until I'm ready to assemble the tacos.  

4.  When all of the components are ready, assemble the tacos.  For each taco, place a tortilla on a plate.  Spoon on a small amount of the mushroom mixture.  Top with the arugula.  Finish with a generous sprinkle of the grated cheese (and a dash of smoked paprika if you'd like some color).  Enjoy!  :)

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I was delighted with these!  They were definitely a top-shelf dinner for a Monday!  I'm not sure why I decided to dress the arugula with a little bit of Cholula, but it added a nice kick and provided a contrast to the richness of the cheese and the mushroom filling.  I actually ended up adding extra Cholula.  It worked really well.  I love that stuff!  :)

Cilantro Green Chile Mushroom Tacos with Baby Arugula and White Cheddar

I know I keep saying this, but . . . I really need to write a cookbook based on all of the other recipe ideas I get from making these tacos.  I think this could be adapted into a fantastic warm mushroom and arugula salad.  I could picture it with some fried tortilla strips on top - maybe garnished with some spiced walnuts?  Don't get me wrong - this was great as a taco.  I think the salad would be just as good, though, and maybe even better!  :)

I'm going to keep this post short.  There's not much to say, really.  Yep.  They were good.  Make them!  Ha ha.

Please feel free to comment!  Did you try them?  What did you think? 

Thanks so much for reading!  

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