It’s not uncommon for some of your first dates to involve going to a restaurant. And why not? Dining is a classic way to connect and learn about someone in a casual and low-pressure environment.
But if you’re the type that enjoys making food for others (or want to show off your cooking skills), then these two recipes are a must-try.
Taquitos
Taquitos are traditionally rolled tacos that are fried in oil*. For healthier options, you can bake or air fry them!
We’re going to present a delicious tomato taquito recipe, inspired by Kathy’s Vegan Kitchen (1) with a KaraMD spin. The process is pretty simple: choose your type of tortilla, fill it with desired ingredients, then fry, bake, or air fry until you get that nice, crispy crunchy outer layer.
Tortilla
First, pick what kind of tortilla you’d like to use. You can choose between corn and wheat.
Corn tortillas may need to be warmed before use, as you’ll be rolling them with your hands and you don’t want them to break in the process.
Wheat tortillas are usually good to go right out of the packet.
Fillings
What’s neat about this dish is that the possibilities are endless. You can literally fill them with whatever you like. We’ll start with a lentil base, then add some other easy options to make it that much better.
Lentil taco meat:
- 1 1/2 cups green, brown, or red lentils, rinsed
- 1 white onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed
- 2 cans fire roasted tomatoes with green chilies
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 packages vegan taco seasoning
- 4 capsules KaraMD Lectin Guard, opened
- Combine ingredients in a large bowl and spoon into prepared tortilla.
Some other great filling additions are:
Tofu: any grilled and flavored tofu
Potatoes: a combination of potatoes, onion, jalapenos, and seasonings
Walnut meat: made from raw walnuts, herbs, and sun-dried tomatoes
Roasted Cauliflower with Avocado-Cilantro Cream: made from creaming roasted cauliflower and a mixture of avocado and cilantro
Mushroom Chorizo: a blend of your favorite mushrooms, walnuts, and seasonings
Cooking
Now that you have your tortilla and choice of filling, spoon a small amount onto one side of your tortilla and roll tightly. You may notice this is unlike your typical taco, which has a large amount of filling in the center and is folded only once.
After your tortilla is tightly rolled, you can cook it!
Pro-tip: If baking or air-frying, brush your taquitos with lime juice and sprinkle with a dash of chili powder.
- If baking: Place taquitos on baking sheet and bake at 400 F for 20 minutes, or until crisp
- If air-frying: Place taquitos into the air fryer base. Set to 400 F and cook for 5-7 minutes.
Toppings
If you’d like to add pizazz to your taquitos, you can top them with fruit salsa, vegan nacho cheese, vegan southwest dressing, tomatillo sauce, or vegan sour cream.
Dipping options: No taquito would be complete without something to dip it in. A bowl of guacamole or hot sauce makes an excellent dipping choice.
*Alternatives: If you’d still like to fry your taquitos, try using high-nutrient options like coconut or avocado oil.
Vegan Tamales
Tamales are another way to spice things up on a romantic date. This ancient dish was believed to be enjoyed by Aztecs as far back as 10,000 years ago (3).
Whether you go out or stay in, you can find ways to make this your very own. Inspired by Plant Based on a Budget (2), this recipe is fun and can be altered many different ways.
What You’ll Need- 1 package dried corn husks
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil (can substitute olive or avocado oil)
- 1 red onion, diced
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 1 large sweet potato
- 1/2 cup of vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 3 capsules KaraMD Vital Restore, opened
- 1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
- 1 Tbsp of hot sauce
- Salt and pepper, enough to taste
- Soak corn husks in hot water for 15-20 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a large pan.
- Sauté the onion and garlic until they’re tender, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the sweet potato, cumin, and paprika. Sauté for another minute.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on medium-high heat for one minute.
- Cover, then lower temperature and let simmer for 10 minutes. If the potato is still firm after this, steam for another 5-6 minutes.
- Spoon mixture into softened corn husks. Fold sides across each other, and fold bottom side up.
- Place tamales in a steamer basket and steam for 45 minutes. If the corn husks seem mealy-y, you can continue to steam for another 30 minutes.
And that’s it! You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
Additional Fillings
There are quite a few things you can include in the filling, like:
- Black beans
- Sweet potatoes
- Onions
- Cumin
Alternatives: Oil or shortening can be used in place of lard.
Wrap Up (no pun intended)
Eating can be a fun way to get to know someone, or explore new spices. Taquitos offer a crisp, crunchy dish that goes well when dipped in different sauces. Tamales offer a softer, larger entrée idea.
Not only are both tasty Valentine dinner ideas, did you know that spicy foods can help boost your metabolism? Check out this other recipe here to learn more (4).
References & Disclaimers
- https://www.kathysvegankitchen.com/vegan-taquitos/
- https://plantbasedonabudget.com/recipe/tamales/
- https://wearecocina.com/lifestyle/tamales-a-rich-history/
- https://www.karamd.com/blogs/health/spicy-chickpea-curry-recipe
✝✝This noted statement is based on independent research and is not necessarily the opinion of the author