Health By Al

This is a recipe Zach grew up having, but I Vegan-ized it and made a homemade sauce. This is a fun twist on a typical taco, as the tortillas and ingredients are layered and stacked. If you love sauce and lots of toppings, you will love these!

Ingredients: Serves 4

Toppings

• 8 oz. Seitan/Vegan ground beef 
• 1/2 head lettuce, chopped
• 1/2 cup olives, chopped
• 2-3 large tomatoes, chopped 
• 1 avocado, sliced 
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped 
• 8 Corn tortillas

Sauce

• 1/3 cup white flour
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1 Tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 
• 2/3 cup tomato sauce
• 3 & 1/3 cups vegetable broth 
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Refried Black Beans

• 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• Juice from 1 lime
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Prepare the toppings by cooking the Seitan as directed (typically takes 5 minutes) and chopping the other toppings. Set aside.
2. Prepare the sauce by adding the flour and all the spices to a small bowl. Heat a medium-sized skillet on low heat. Add the tomato sauce and cook, stirring, one minute. Add the flour/spice mixture and cook another minute, stirring, until fragrant. Slowly add the vegetable broth a little at a time and whisk to combine. Turn the heat up, bringing the sauce to a boil and then immediately turn it down and let it simmer, whisking often, for about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the apple cider vinegar. Cover and set aside.
3. Make the refried beans by adding half the black beans to a blender or food processor, along with the remaining refried bean ingredients. Blend or process until well combined. Add the mixture, along with the remaining whole beans to a medium-sized pot and heat on the stove until warmed.
4. Warm the corn tortillas in a skillet and cover with a towel or cloth napkin.
5. Build your taco by layering a corn tortilla, toppings, and sauce. Repeat 1-2x until you have a nice little stack. Enjoy!