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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, January 6, 2010

TASTE
Veggie tacos leave holidays behind


By Kerry McCray
McClatchy-Tribune News Service

With the holidays behind us, along with all their cookies and turkey and gravy, crispy black bean tacos sounded pretty good for dinner.

No butter, no cream, no melted chocolate.

It does, however, have an unusual mix of ingredients. Black beans and feta cheese? Cole slaw with lime juice dressing? Do these things really go together?

I was skeptical, but gave it a try. My husband did the shopping and picked up flour tortillas instead of corn. I didn't deem that worth a return trip to the store, so we forged ahead.

Preparation was a breeze. Mash beans, make dressing, pour in pre-cut slaw.

Frying the tacos went quickly. Three teaspoons of oil didn't seem like a lot, though, so I added a touch more before frying the last two tacos. Mistake. Those tacos were a bit greasy. Better to stick to the recipe.

The final product was a delicious mix of hearty bean filling and tart cabbage slaw. The feta added a tang. I didn't miss the meat.

If I make this again — I am sure I will — I would use corn tortillas and less filling. A little of the tangy taste goes a long way.

This recipe was adapted from one in Bon Appétit.

CRISPY BLACK BEAN TACOS WITH FETA AND CABBAGE SLAW

• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 5 teaspoons olive oil, divided

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

• 2 cups coleslaw mix

• 2 green onions, chopped

• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

• 4 white or yellow corn tortillas

• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

• Bottled chipotle hot sauce or other hot sauce

Place beans and cumin in small bowl; partially mash. Mix 2 teaspoons olive oil and lime juice in medium bowl; add coleslaw, green onions and cilantro and toss to coat. Season slaw to taste with salt and pepper. Heat 3 teaspoons olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tortillas in single layer. Spoon 1/4 of bean mixture onto half of each tortilla; cook one minute. Fold tacos in half. Cook until golden brown, about one minute per side. Fill tacos with feta and slaw.

Makes 4 tacos.

• Per taco: 180 calories, 9 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 270 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 6 g protein