Mushroom Carnitas Tacos with Cilantro Lime Crema

This carnitas taco may look like it’s made with shredded pork but it’s really made with mushrooms. This will make a delicious addition to Taco Tuesday!

Mushroom Carnitas Tacos with Cilantro Lime Crema [Vegan]

Ingredients

Mushroom Carnitas:

• 8 ounces maitake mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 small onion sliced
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
• 4-6 whole wheat or sprouted grain tortillas
• 1 avocado sliced for topping
• cilantro lime crema for topping (see recipe below)

Cilantro Lime Crema:

• 3/4 raw cashews
• 1/4 cup lukewarm filtered water
• 2 limes juiced
• 3 tablespoons cilantro chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic minced

Preparation

Cilantro Lime Crema:

1. In a bowl, add the raw cashews and lukewarm water, enough to cover all the cashews. Cover the bowl and let the cashews soak overnight.
2. Strain the water and put the soften cashews in a high-speed blender or food processor. Add the water, lime juice, cilantro, garlic and salt and blend until smooth.
3. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Carnitas Mushrooms:

1. Cut the ends off the maitake mushrooms and slice lengthwise into strips. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, add the chili powder, oregano, cumin, onion powder, garlic, salt, liquid smoke, lime juice and orange juice.
3. Whisk together until combined and set aside.
4. Heat a pan over medium high heat. Add two tablespoons of the vegetable broth to the pan.
5. Add the mushrooms to the pan and arrange them in a single layer. If you have cast iron press or something heavy, place it on top of the mushrooms so that they can cook evenly and sear. Cook for 5 minutes.
6. Turn the mushrooms over and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. If pieces of the mushrooms get stuck on the bottom of the pan, deglaze the pan. To deglaze the pan, add 2 tablespoons of vegetable broth to the pan. Scrape the pan and mix in the pieces with the rest of the mushrooms.
7. Add the onions and continue to cook for another 10 minutes stirring the mushrooms and onions and deglazing the pan every 5 minutes.
8. Once the mushrooms are darker in color, add the marinade to the pan and let cook for 5 minutes. Don’t let the mushrooms dry out.
9. Remove from heat.
10. Add some of the mushrooms to the tortilla and top with avocado and a dollop of the crema. You can add your favorite toppings as well.
11. Serve and enjoy!

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/mushroom-carnitas-tacos-cilantro-lime-crema-vegan/