As a Chicago native and a Boston transplant, I am no stranger to winter weather. But, to be honest, winter is easily my least favorite season (not a hot take here). I hate the cold, I hate the lack of daylight, I hate how loud the radiator in my bedroom is when I’m trying to sleep (full disclosure: I shut the grates and sleep in freezing temperatures to avoid the banging–honestly worth it). Despite this, there are two things that make winter an acceptable season for me: Christmas and snow.
I love snow. I know–this may be a controversial statement, but there is something about the first November/December snowstorm of the year that is especially magical to me. Maybe it’s the promise of the holiday season where I effectively become the most annoying bundle of holiday cheer? Maybe it’s the excuse to consume excessive amounts of red wine and cozy pastas? Most likely it’s because as a teacher, snowstorms hold the potential for one of nature’s most coveted gifts– a snow day.
The first snowstorm of December 2020 was especially exciting to me (despite the lack of snow day–damn you Zoom teaching) . Why? WELL, in August of 2020 a new member joined my family–her name is Betty and she is a 2017 Toyota RAV4. And the coming of winter only meant one thing–shoveling her out of the snow.
There I was, a new car owner, tickled with excitement at the prospect of shoveling out my car for the first time. I know what you’re thinking–are you OK?? How could you possibly be excited to shovel out your car??? Fantastic question–I have no clue. I think I felt like I was finally joining this elite club, this struggle that all winter city car owners undergo, and that my foray into it would signify that I was a true, grizzled Boston car owner.
There I was, shovel in hand, practically skipping to engage in one of the most tedious tasks of winter. I even took a picture of my car covered in snow to document the moment (I’m not even kidding–see below).
I was about 30 minutes into shoveling when I noticed something was not quite right. As I lovingly hoisted snow off of Betty’s front left bumper, it became apparent that she was–wait for it– FULLY SMASHED IN.
I stood staring dumbly at Betty’s crumpled state, processing for a full 10 minutes before I realized what had happened. There was only one thing that would have caused this amount of damage without leaving a courtesy note. It could only be the villain of the iconic 2000s movie, Snow Day–the snow plow.
Did the city of Boston admit to plowing into my car? Of course not. Did I have to pay for the damage myself? Absolutely. The first of MANY tough moments for Betty (and my wallet)!
Do I still get excited by the prospect of shoveling? HELL NO. Do I feel differently about snow now that I have a car? Somehow, also no.
But, did I ABSOLUTELY need tequila after this? You betcha! Which brings me to today’s recipe.
Winter can get us all down sometimes. Especially when there is still snow in the forecast in MARCH (lol Mother Nature). So, when you need to pretend that you’re on a beach vacation or need an excuse to make ALL the margaritas, I have just the recipe. The only plow involved is plowing it into your mouth as fast as possible.
Slightly adapted from Cookie and Kate’s Portobello and Poblano Fajitas (check her out for all things vegetarian!), this taco recipe is vegetarian, dairy free, and gluten free, but packed with flavor. So whether you’re cooking with multiple dietary restrictions in mind or need an excuse to stuff your face and cry into a “healthier” taco because a snow plow destroyed your car, this is the perfect taco for you!
Happy Shoveling!
Portobello and Poblano Tacos with Avocado Sauce
Servings: Makes 8 tacos. So serves 3-4 (depending on your day…)
Total Time: ~1 hour
Active Time: ~35 minutes
Inactive Time: ~25 minutes
Ingredients
For the marinade
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of lime juice (about 2 limes depending on how juicy they are)
1/2 jalapeño, finely chopped (we’ll use the other half later!)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp chili powder
For the tacos
3 poblano peppers, cut into strips
1 red onion, cut in half and then sliced into half moons
3 portobello mushrooms, cut into 1/2 inch thick strips (stems removed)
8 corn tortillas
For the avocado sauce
2 avocados
1/3 cup cilantro
1/2 jalapeño, finely chopped (this was the other half from the marinade!)
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons of water
1 tsp kosher salt
**you may want to add more lime juice and salt depending on preference!
Directions
1. Make the Marinade: Whisk all the marinade ingredients together until fully combined.
2. Marinate the Vegetables: Place the poblano pepper strips, mushroom strips, and red onion slices into a large bowl. Pour the marinade on top and toss. Allow the vegetables to marinate at room temperature for about 25-30 minutes, tossing occasionally (but, sometimes I only marinate them as long as it takes me to make the avocado sauce because I’m impatient…)
3. Prepare the Avocado Sauce: In a blender or food processor, combine the avocado, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, water, and salt. Blend it all up and taste it. Add more salt or lime juice until it tastes amazing to you!
Alternative: If you don’t have a blender, mash the avocado with a fork. Then, add in the cilantro (chopped), jalapeño (minced), lime juice, and salt to make guacamole. No need to add the water!
4. Cook the marinated vegetables: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the marinated vegetables and a few pinches of salt. Sauté until everything is soft, caramelized, and slightly charred (this usually takes me about 20 minutes!). Taste the mixture and add another pinch of salt if you need to. If you have any greens about to go bad (arugula, spinach, etc.), feel free to wilt them in at the end too!
5. Char the tortillas: If you have a gas stove, place one tortilla at a time on the open flame (medium heat) for about 20 seconds on each side until slightly charred. If you don’t have a gas stove, you can warm each tortilla in a lightly oiled sauté pan on medium heat for about 30 seconds on each side.
6. Assemble! Spread the avocado mixture on each tortilla. Then, pile the vegetables on top. Garnish with more cilantro and avocado sauce if you so desire! You could also add crumbled feta or cotija cheese for extra deliciousness. Or pickled jalapeño. Or pickled onions. Just live your best toppings life!
Dietary Notes:
Vegetarian recipe.
Vegan: Make the recipe as is without the addition of cheese at the end.
Gluten Free: Use gluten free tortillas.
Re-heating Instructions:
If you want to have leftovers, don’t assemble all of the tacos. Skip step 6 and refrigerate the caramelized vegetables, avocado sauce, and tortillas separately. Reheat the vegetables in a skillet or in the microwave, and then assemble each taco when you want to eat it.
Side Dish Suggestions:
Refried Black Beans or Mexican Rice would definitely go well for something heartier.
Esquites, Mexican Street Corn off the cob, would also be fabulous (I promise to share my own recipe for this one day!).
Multiple margaritas.
Substitutions:
Poblano Peppers: Poblano peppers are not spicy!! But, if you are worried about using an unknown pepper or cannot find them, green bell peppers are a good substitution.
Heat: Can’t stand the heat? Get out of the kitchen! (OOF hate myself just a little bit for that joke) But, actually just omit the jalapeño from the avocado sauce.
Cilantro: Does cilantro (tragically) taste like soap to you? Use parsley!