This past week, Jonathan and I found ourselves with the same three days off in a row. Since it’s not too often that we both have a long weekend at the same time, we decided to drive down to Jon’s family’s shore house in Ventnor Beach. We brought a few staple cooking ingredients and figured we’d pick up the rest down the shore. While we were searching online for places to shop near Atlantic City, we got a little distracted and came across this great site for restaurants in Vegas – that’ll be another trip but for now it was fun to browse for some great listings!

When we got there, we went to pick up some groceries at the local Pathmark. I don’t know what exactly I was expecting, but I do know that Jon was expecting to throw some steak on the grill that night. But as we walked through the supermarket, it started to become clear to me that we weren’t going to find any local, grass-fed beef in this market, never mind finding something organic.

Jon’s disappointment was so deep it sort of made me laugh. After all the stuff I’ve been reading about animal cruelty on farms, about how poorly the animals are treated and how bad non-grass fed meat is for your health – I’ve just really started to be more careful about what we’re eating and where it’s from. Local, sustainable food has always been important to me, and after reading about the ag-gag laws that are preventing animal rights activists from taking action against farms that engage in cruel, abusive and sometimes illegal treatment of their animals, I’ve become extremely wary of meat coming from any farm I’m not familiar with.

For Jon, this is somewhat of an adjustment. I don’t miss meat as part of my daily diet, but he definitely does. These tacos were truly delicious, and even Jon admitted that with a little sour cream and grated cheese, they were almost as good as the steak taco he was craving this weekend. Without the cream and cheese, the below recipe is vegan too. Enjoy, guilt free!

INGREDIENTS:
(Makes Tacos for 4)

For the Beans:
2 carrots, small diced
1 large onion, small diced
3 cloves garlic, zested
1 lb black beans, pre-soaked
Corn tortillas (See tortilla recipe here)

What To Do:

1. Soak the black beans overnight, then drain and discard the soaking liquid. You can also quick soak them by placing them in a large pot, covering them with cold water, and bringing the water up to a boil. Then strain and discard the liquid.
2. In another pasta pot, sweat the carrots and onions in olive oil until softened. Add the zested garlic and cook for a minute more. Then add the black beans and cover with water. Make sure theres about 1-2 inches of water above the beans and simmer until beans are cooked through, about 2 hours.
3. Once the beans are cooked, season with salt and pepper and allow to cool.
4. Warm the tortillas and fill with beans and below ingredients.

For the Tomato Salad:
Mix the ingredients together and let sit for about 15 minutes before serving.

1 pint cherry tomatoes, diced
1 clove garlic, zested
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

For the Peppers:
Mix the ingredients together and let sit for about 15 minutes before serving.

3 large bell peppers
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

For the Cilantro Salsa:
Mix the ingredients together and let sit for about 15 minutes before serving.

1 tbsp cilantro, chiffonnade
½ jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced
½ shallot, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lime, zested and juiced
Salt and pepper

© 2013 Jonathan and Jessica Meter

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This is such a fast and easy snack, but people will love it because shishito peppers are different and a step up from a bowl of chips. They’ll probably cost you about the same as a bag of tortillas and store-bought salsa or humus, but they’re healthier and more unusual. Make them once and you’ll be hooked.

INGREDIENTS:
(Snacks for 2)

½ lb shishito peppers
Olive oil
Sea salt
Limes

What To Do:

1. Heat a skillet, preferably cast iron, on medium high heat. Lightly coat with oil and place whole shishitos in the pan when the oil is nearly smoking.
2. Roast the peppers on high heat on all sides until brown and crispy. Remove from the pan and toss with sea salt and lime juice. Serve immediately!

© 2013 Jonathan and Jessica Meter

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