in our kitchen: mushroom al pastor tacos with garlic lime special sauce

I don’t recall when I first learned of Half Baked Harvest but I do remember I was immediately intrigued. The recipes sounded delicious and followed a similar ethos to our cooking — simple, seasonal and whole foods. The composition of the photos was also impressive and I appreciated that Tiegan Gerard was a fellow Coloradan and blogger, albeit in a whole other class than me of the latter. I also immediately fell in love with her cooking space, aka the barn she renovated into living/studio.

For as much of an impression that Half Baked Harvest made on me, I’m ashamed to admit I also don’t remember what the first recipe we tried was but, this week, we cooked and enjoyed the best tacos I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating — so I had to share. This post also aids in my goal of getting back to posting regularly about the things I love, which happens to include crafting yummy meals with the hubs, even if the place we do it now looks a lot different.

The day after we made this dish for dinner, I enjoyed it in leftover form in a bowl (and the hubs did the same, although he mixed in some black beans). We also used some of the leftover adobo sauce in our eggs this weekend, which added a little kick and a lot of flavors. And, while we don’t often repeat recipes, this one will certainly be added to our selective list of repeats. I’m already looking forward to the next time we get to enjoy these tacos again.

mushroom al pastor tacos with garlic lime special sauce

Adapted from Half Baked Harvest (modifications are noted)
Total time: 30 minutes / Serves 4

The What

• 1 cloves garlic, minced or grated (reduced from 2)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder (reduced from 2 because the hubs is a wimp)
• 2 teaspoons paprika (recipe called for smoked paprika but we didn’t have any)
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo
• ¼ cup apple cider or white vinegar (we used apple cider)
• 3 cups fresh pineapple chunks (HIGHLY recommend fresh over canned – this made all of the difference in the recipe. Also, we increased from 2 cups and added more into the mushrooms.)
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, chopped
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cups  portabello mushrooms, sliced (original recipe called for shiitake)
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 12 toasted corn or flour tortillas (we used corn)
• 4 ounces feta or goat cheese, crumbled (we used feta)
• mashed avocado and lime wedges, for serving

Garlic Lime Special Sauce

The How

1. Make the chipotle pineapple sauce. In a blender or food processor combine the garlic, chili powder, paprika, chipotle chilies, 1/3 cup water, vinegar, 1 cup of the pineapple chunks, and a pinch of salt. Blend until completely smooth. Stir in the sesame seed.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the mushrooms, onions, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, stir in about 1/2 of chipotle pineapple sauce and the remaining 2 cups of pineapple chunks. Simmer for 5-8 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and coats the mushrooms, there will still be sauce left in the pan. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro.
3. To make the special sauce. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, adding 1-2 tablespoons water if needed to thin the sauce. Taste and season with salt.
4. Stuff the mashed avocado (if using), the mushrooms, and pineapple into the warmed tortillas. Top with additional chipotle pineapple sauce, special sauce, cilantro, and cheese.
5. Enjoy!