Corn and Black Eyed Pea Tacos
We're on a taco kick around here. In the last few weeks I've posted these wonderful Korean Short Rib Tacos, this Chicken Mango version and these Mushroom, Zucchini and Feta Tostadas which are essentially tacos but with a crunchy tortilla. And folks, there have been more--those are just the ones I've shared with you! I debated whether sharing another right now would constitute taco overload, resulting in fingers hitting that dreaded delete key, but in the end the ease and deliciousness of these vegetarian Corn and Black Eyed Pea Tacos won out. One bite and you'll understand!
Now, onto these peas that are actually beans. Do you know about them? This was a first for me and all of my crew and now I'm kicking myself for missing out all these years! I love the taste and the two-tone quality! My pantry is now stocked up with cans of them so that whenever a yen for these tacos comes on, (which has been 4 times in the last 3 weeks, but who's counting?!!) I'll be ready.
Because guys, not only are these absolutely scrumptious, but they are incredibly easy to make and as long as you keep these beans--peas--whatever in the house and have staples like onions, garlic, frozen corn, tortillas, some kind of cheese and a jalapeno pepper (not absolutely necessary but a great zesty addition to this dish) you can whip these up in under half an hour and you don't have to turn on the oven, which is nothing to take lightly, especially in the summer when you're out longer and sort of get out of the habit of remembering that the kids need dinner!!
Each bite is filled with the mellow starchiness of the peas, the sweet crunch of the corn, the tang of the onion/garlic/jalapeno mixture and the creaminess of the cheese all wrapped up in a warmed floury tortilla. It's become one of our favorites around here and has been awarded an honored spot on the regular dinner rotation, because oh yeah, even though they're not teeny-tiny anymore, the kids still need dinner!!
Corn and Black Eyed Pea Tacos
Makes 4 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes (only about 15 active)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped finely
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper minced, seeds and ribs removed (if you can't do heat, you can leave this out)
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Two 15 ounce cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
One 10 ounce package frozen corn (not thawed)
2 cups water
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
4-6 ounces shredded Monterey Jack (or any cheese you prefer)
Flour or corn tortillas (wrapped in foil and warmed in a low oven)
The Recipe
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the onion, garlic and jalapeno and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring every so often.
2. Add in the peas, corn and water. Simmer over medium-high heat until the corn is softened and almost all of the liquid has evaporated from the skillet. Stir in the parsley and season with a bit more salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat.
3. Fill the heated tortillas with the mixture and top with the shredded cheese.
Enjoy!
Note: Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart. I fiddled around with a lot of the ingredients and proportions of things.
