'California Burrito' Tacos

'California Burrito' Tacos

If you're from anywhere else in the US and you think you know what good Mexican food is, I can tell you straight up: YOU'RE WRONG. Only in Southern California can you get authentic, traditional, spicy Mexican dishes made with love. And of course in California, we like to mix things up. Do it our way, you know? Thats probably why San Diego has become famous for putting its own twist on traditional carne asada burritos and adding french fries. Maybe it was the surfers who did it first, maybe we'll never know, but ordering a California Burrito anywhere in So Cal means that you're getting a stuffed burrito - including french fries. And it is DAMN delicious. The french fries add a bit of crunch and flavor to the burrito and help balance out the spiciness from the 'meat' and must-have hot sauce. Because we're such big Beyond Meat fans we used their beefy crumbles as our meat substitute and loved it. You can make your own french fries or buy your favorite frozen ones and bake 'em up, but either way this is a MUST TRY. In this recipe we made the traditional burritos into tacos for two reasons; first, we love tacos (who doesn't?), and second we have a hard time finding big flour tortillas that don't contain a bunch of sketchy ingredients. Tortillas should just be flour, water, salt and lime. Anything else, especially gross preservatives, and you can count me out. Instead we bought small organic corn tortillas and doubled 'em up, traditional style, and then put all our fillings (including a heart handful of french fries) inside. Add a squeeze of lime, a sprinkle of cilantro and hot sauce, and if you want - although traditionally not included- a little vegan cheese, and you've got a taco party on your hands. Let's eat! 

INGREDIENTS:
French Fries
3 medium russet potatoes, cut into french fries OR about 3 cups of your fave frozen french fries
1 tablespoon coconut oil (only if making your own fries)
salt to taste

Meaty Crumbles
2 cups Beyond Meat Beefy Crumbles (or faux meat of choice- like in our jackfruit asada tacos!) 
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Everything Else
1 lime, quartered
1 avocado, pitted and sliced
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/4 chopped cilantro
corn tortillas
hot sauce + salsa, to taste
vegan cheese for sprinkling (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
French Fries
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If you're making fries from scratch, wash your potatoes well and slice into into fries about 1/4 inch thick. Coat a baking sheet in the 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, then spread your potatoes or frozen fries onto a baking sheet and bakes until golden and crispy, about 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Set aside.

Meaty Crumbles
Pour meaty crumbles and coconut oil into a cast iron pan over medium heat. Add in cumin, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, chili powder and salt. Stir well to evenly coat the crumbles in spices, and cook over medium heat until the crumbles are heated through and smelling delicious.

Everything Else
While the meaty crumbles + fries cook, prepare the rest of your ingredients; Slice the lime, avocado, and onion and chop the cilantro. Heat a separate cast iron pan, or pop the tortillas in the oven for a few minutes to heat warm them. When they're ready assemble the tacos starting with 2 layered corn tortillas, then top with beefy crumbles, fries, avocado, onions, cilantro and as much lime + hot sauce or salsa (or both) as you like. If you're adding a sprinkle of cheese, toss that on too. Leftovers can be refrigerated up to a week, but the corn tortillas should be heated fresh for each meal (duh). Enjoy! Makes 4-6 tacos.

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