Seven months before we began cycling across Europe, J and I tried to cycle around England…in December.  We were very ill prepared and the weather sucked.  I got my first flat tire five miles in, and disaster continued to strike from there.  On one of our few successful days, we made it to Doncaster in the North to visit his friend.  After a long ride and a cold night, we were excited to cook a hot and filling meal in a warm kitchen.  Tacos are an easy way to make everyone happy, since you can add or leave out whatever you want.  Enjoy!

Prep time: less than 10 minutes

Cook time: about 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  •  1 lb/ 500 g vegetarian mince
  • 4 red tomatoes, diced
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 8 oz/250 g mushrooms of your choice
  • 1 pack of hard taco shells
  • 3.5 oz/100 g sharp cheddar cheese w/ chili peppers, shredded
  • 1 8 oz/250 g jar of pesto
  • 5 oz/150 grams Parmesan cheese, shredded
  • 1 1/2 c/300-400 ml single cream
  • 8 oz/240 ml spicy taco or enchilada sauce
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees C.  Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and cook onions, mushrooms, and mince until lightly browned.  Stir in spicy sauce until all elements are covered.  Place the taco shells in a glass baking dish, and fill each shell with the mince and vegetable mixture.  Top with shredded cheddar cheese, and leave in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until elements are fully browned.

While tacos are baking, pour single cream into a medium pot or saucepan on low-medium heat.  Add pesto and shredded Parmesan.  Leave on heat for several minutes, stirring every minute to obtain a smooth consistency.  You can serve this warm, or remove from heat and chill in freezer until the tacos are finished.  Once finished, top tacos with diced tomatoes and sauce.

Yields 12 generously filled tacos