Tacos on a Wednesday? Oh yes, you can. Yesterday I had some friends over for a drink and a quick snack and I always like to surprise them with some vegan yummies. Though I decided to go plant-based due to health and cruelty reasons, I have noticed trying to push friends into the same thing by constantly talking about it is not the way to go.

One bite says a million words I would say.... and last night was no different. Instead of constantly preaching about going plant-based I prefer to let them taste my food.... and guess what. Both asked me for the recipe. Yipee.

And while enjoying these little yummy treats (and one of my vegan desserts after) they asked me about why being vegan and then I gladly tell them a thing or two about it.

Just as one bite says a million words I like to tell them about a few documentaries they might like to see. People are often not aware of the impact of the meat and dairy industry on our health, animal welfare, and environment.

The documentaries I often recommend are

Earthlings (not for the soft-hearted, I cried from beginning till end)
What The Health
H.O.P.E. What You Eat Matters

You can all watch them for free on youtube. Of course, there are many more like Cowspiracy, Forks over Knives, etc.... but let's not overwhelm them, right. If you have to pick one, I would recommend HOPE as it is a good combination of the info shared in Earthlings and What The Health.

But it's time for tacos now......

HOMEMADE TURMERIC SOFT SHELL TACOS WITH SPICY BATTERED BROCCOLI AND GARLICKY CASHEW SAUCE

INGREDIENTS (serves 4 or two tacos each)

For the turmeric tacos (makes about 8-9 tacos)

13.5 oz flour
3/4 tsp dried yeast
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp raw palm sugar
1 1/8 cup lukewarm water (40C or 105F)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin seeds

For the cashew sauce

1 small head of garlic
1/2 cup soaked cashew nuts
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup soy sauce
Black pepper and salt to taste

For the battered broccoli

4-5 cups broccoli florets
1 1/4 cup almond milk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup corn starch
1 tbsp chili powder (or more for extra spicy)
1 tbsp dried oregano
Black pepper and salt to taste
Panko as needed (about 2 cups)
Fresh finely chopped chives (garnish)

For the coleslaw

Shredded red cabbage
Grated carrot
Grated daikon radish

DIRECTIONS

For the garlicky sauce

Preheat oven to 200C (400F). You can either roast the whole garlic head or sperate the cloves and lightly crush them, leaving the skin on. Roast in the oven until golden brown.
When roasted, squeeze the garlic out of its peel and add to a blender or food processor. Add all other garlicky sauce ingredients to the blender and process until smooth sauce-like consistency. Set aside in the fridge.

For the soft shell tacos

Make the dough while the garlic is roasting.
In a bowl, combine flour, yeast, sugar, herbs, and salt. Add a little lukewarm water and start kneading (or use mixer with dough hook). Keep pouring the water, a little at a time. After mixing/kneading for a while, the dough for the tacos should become an elastic ball. If it is too crumbly, add more water. When too moist or sticky add a little bit more flour. Divide into smaller balls.
Add dough ball to an oiled or floured bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let sit in a warm place for at least 20 minutes or until they double in size. FYI: If it is winter, turn the oven on for just a few minutes. Turn it off and let it rise there for a while.
Dust your kitchen counter or big cutting board with flour and use a rolling pin or your hands to make thin circles or tacos. Add a little flour to the rolling pin too.
Heat a non-stick frying pan with a little coconut oil on medium-high heat. Cook each taco for a few minutes each side. Add more oil when needed.

For the coleslaw

Combine all ingredients and set aside.

For the battered broccoli

To make the batter, combine the apple cider vinegar and the almond milk in a small bowl. Stir and let sit for a few minutes to make vegan buttermilk.
In a bowl add the flour, cornstarch, oregano, chili powder, and salt. Then add the almond milk mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk together until well combined.
Put the panko in a separate shallow bowl
Cut broccoli into florets. Dip each floret first into the batter, then into the panko. Coat thoroughly.
Heat frying oil (we used coconut oil) on medium-high in a large pan or wok, I used a dutch oven. The oil should cover about 1/2-1 inch of oil at the bottom of the pan. Once the oil is hot, fry the battered broccoli in batches for about a minute or two on each side, or until brown and crispy.