A few years ago I heard about this naturally vegan, gluten free, supposedly out of this world meat substitute... jackfruit.  I first saw it used in place of pulled pork, where vegetarians and carnivores alike were singing its praises.  Then, I started hearing about jackfruit tacos and even began seeing it used in place of meat atop salads.  Let me tell you, the hype game was strong.  So, naturally, I had to see what all the fuss was about and give it a try for myself.  I mean, I am always looking for new vegan, gluten free meat substitutes (that's a harder combo than you'd think) and this one is a whole food as well as relatively inexpensive.  Win-win.  So, I filed it away in the back of my mind for a future spin.  The only problem, my filing system sometimes gets a little dusty which meant I totally forgot about my jackfruit experiment until one day a few months ago.  It was football season and I was watching an episode of Brunch with Bobby.  He was making a game day brunch and burritos were on the menu.   We were nearing Super Bowl Sunday and I had been looking for game day ideas, so this hit the spot.  As the episode rolled on I was thinking of ways to make a vegetarian, gluten free rendition of his game day menu and instantly my memory was jogged.  Jackfruit would be perfect! I made myself a note so I wouldn't forget my plan (brain fog can be a real bitch) and couldn't wait to give it a try! With my rendition of his burrito recipe in mind I called around to local grocers looking for somewhere that carried the ever-evasive jackfruit.   Finally, I found one (and it just happened to be at my very favorite grocer yay!).  There was only one problem, it was fresh jackfruit.  Since I didn't know of anywhere that sold the canned version I figured it would be an easy substitute and made the purchase.  It wasn't until after I had made our burritos that I realized you really can't substitute fresh jackfruit for canned in a recipe like this.  Whoops! Don't get me wrong, the burritos were delicious.  They were just slightly sweeter than we would prefer and definitely didn't have the texture of anything close to meat.  Still, I chalked it up to a win and decided to dive in again at a later time, using the proper canned version.  Sometimes it's all about persistence! With that in mind, I put canned jackfruit on my store list and decided I'd nonchalantly look for it anytime I was grocery shopping around town.  I figured it would eventually show up and I would grab a can when it did.  Then, one day not too long ago, I saw a can on the shelf at Trader Joe's.  Cue the angels singing.  I immediately snatched it up and was off to try my hand at preparing jackfruit once again.  Since I was still experimenting, I wasn't exactly sure how things would turn out, but I hoped for success and boy did it deliver.  My first try with with the real deal was a hit (tacos usually are, right?) and I immediately knew I'd have to recreate it sometime in the near future to share with all of you.    

Since it's summer I don't cook as often as in the winter (we're too busy playing outside and creating indoor adventures on rainy days), so while I knew I wanted to make these tacos again, I was just hanging out, waiting for the perfect day for it.  Thankfully for all of us, the stars aligned a few days ago, I was able to make the final adjustments for these tacos to be just perfect, and this recipe was born.  On that particular day Jagger and I had been on a play date with friends at a local park.  We'd spent the afternoon swinging, playing in the river, skipping rocks, and watching tad poles and crawdads; passing the time easily, laughing with friends and enjoying the cooler weather that had swept in.  Of course, my mind was nowhere near dinner until we were ready to leave (when you're having that much fun, the moment is all that matters).  So, when we began to wrap up and I started to think about what we were going to eat, I knew I wanted it to feel easy, fun, and free like the day we had been enjoying.  It was already 5:30 and Kevin was working, so I knew dinner was on me.  Hmmmm.... to order takeout or to cook? We'd had pizza the day before and had gone to a food truck rally a couple of days prior to that, so I was ready for a home cooked meal.  Plus, Kevin would be out of town for a couple of days so creating a family dinner at home would feel nice before he had to take off.  Since it was already getting late for cooking a big meal, I knew I wanted to make something fairly simple and still really fun and flavorful.  As I thought back through what we had on-hand at home (ok, so I consulted the notes on my phone.. brain fog), the answer was easy.  Jackfruit tacos! This would be a dinner everyone would enjoy.  Kevin and Jagger both absolutely love Mexican food (they're actually borderline obsessed), so I knew they'd both be happy with my choice and since I'd already experimented with them once before I knew they'd be simple and yummy.   

Since this wasn't my first time making jackfruit tacos, I kind of knew where I was going with my creation and, even if it took a few extra steps, I definitely wanted to get pics because I knew I just had to share them with you! This recipe is just divine, so if you haven't yet tried jackfruit you should definitely begin here.  I think you'll be suprisingly pleased with the taste and texture, even if you usually opt for the full meat version.  Plus, this recipe came about as an evolution of what I had on hand and a craving for street style tacos with a little extra oomph.  In my opinion, that's a combo that can't be beat.  The taste of vision and spontaneity on a plate is priceless.  For instance, the fact that this recipe contains sweet potatoes and pinto beans was a total last minute decision made out of necessity.  I had only purchased one can of jackfruit, and after cleaning the fruit up I didn't think that would be enough for me and two hungry boys.  So, I threw in some leftover roasted sweet potatoes and pinto beans that were in the fridge from a few nights before just to create more substance.  The combo of textures and flavors ended up being out of this world.  It was so good that I kept them for my second rendition that I'm now sharing with you.  With all that flavor and nutrition on one plate, a legend was born.  Ok, so maybe these aren't legendary, but don't bust my bubble.  They're close! 

While we're talking about it, let's not forget all the good that jackfruit does for our bodies.  This powerful fruit contains many vitamins and minerals that add to our overall health.  It's a great source of fiber, supporting healthy bowel function and provides antioxidants to aid the body in fighting free radicals.  Jackfruit is also a great vegan source of B-complex vitamins and a natural way to get more manganese (trace minerals are the bomb), magnesium (think nerve function, brain power, digestion, and more), and electrolytes (especially necessary in those hot summer months and for those of us with dysautonomia, always a must).  Plus, jackfruit is a good source of plant based iron, which is often easier on the stomach than non-plant based versions, and helps vegans/vegetarians maintain healthy red blood cell counts.  If that's not enough, it contains high amounts of Vitamins A and C to support eye health and the immune system.  I could geek out about this all day, but I don't want to bore you.  So, I'll stop there and get on to the stuff you really want to hear.. How to make these bad boys!  

While I prefer to toss things into a pan without the labor of measuring, starting this blog has pushed me to at least try to capture measurements so I can share the love with all of you.  So, as always, my measurements, and even ingredients for that matter, are just a guide.  Add or subtract as your heart desires.  Cooking is a labor of love and food is one of the most sensual experiences you can partake in.  So, make it the experience you want! And, while I like to mix my own spices for flavoring you can always use your favorite taco seasoning instead.  Do what feels good to you! Just don't skip the jackfruit! You've gotta try it at least once. 

Jackfruit Tacos

Serves 4

Ingredients

Jackfruit Filling

1 Can Jackfruit, drained, core and seed pods removed

1/2 Can Organic Pinto Beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 - 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds

1/4 - 1/2 tsp Chili Powder

1/2 tsp Onion Powder

1/2 - 3/4 tsp Paprika

1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1/4 tsp Oregano

2-3 Cloves of Garlic

3-4 Tbsp Water

Coconut Oil

Ghee

Salt

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

1 Medium Organic Sweet Potato

1/2 tsp Turmeric

1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds

1/2 tsp Ground Coriander 

Salt (I use Pink Himalayan)

Pepper (I use Freshly Ground)

Coconut Oil

Ghee

Wrap & Toppings

Organic/Non-GMO Corn Tortillas (I use Food for Life)

Your Toppings of Choice

We Like:

Tofutti Vegan Sour Cream

Guacamole/Avocado

Radish &/or Cabbage, chopped

Lettuce, shredded

Tomato, diced

Cheese, grated

Lime Wedges

Salsa

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place a tablespoon or so of ghee and coconut oil on baking sheet and put in oven for a minute or so to allow to melt.  Remove pan.  Wash, peel, and cube sweet potato.  Place on baking sheet with melted ghee and oil mixture and toss with turmeric, cumin seeds, coriander, salt, and pepper.  Place baking sheet back in oven and roast sweet potatoes for 20 minutes (or until soft), stirring once halfway through.  

Meanwhile, drain and clean jackfruit.  Once core and seed pods are removed and discarded use two forks or a fork and knife to shred the jackfruit, creating a pulled meat effect.  Drain and rinse the pinto beans.  Set aside.  Heat a bit of coconut oil and ghee in a heavy bottomed saucepan (I prefer an iron skillet) over medium heat.  Place chopped garlic cloves in with oil/ghee mixture until barely golden.  Add jackfruit and spices (or taco seasoning if using that instead).  Stir to incorporate.  Allow this to cook for a couple of minutes.  Add pinto beans and stir well.  Add water and allow to simmer.  Add roasted sweet potatoes and allow to cook for several more minutes.  Stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat.

Prepare corn tortillas according to package instructions.  I buy frozen tortillas so I take a few from the package, place on a microwaveable safe plate, cover with a damp paper towel, and microwave on medium heat for 20-30 seconds, until soft.  I also sometimes place them in a pan with a couple teaspoons of warm oil, turning once, to crisp them up a bit.  If your tortillas are fresh you may choose to eat them straight from the package.  

Place a spoonful of jackfruit mixture in each corn tortilla and top with your favorite toppings.  Now you're ready to dig in!

I hope you enjoyed this post and may this recipe find its way to your table soon! I love preparing this for family and/or guests because it's easy and fairly inexpensive.  Plus, who doesn't love a good ol' fiesta?!