Courtesy chef Antonio Vargas, Blue Zones Project—Monterey County
Throughout Monterey County, the Blue Zones Project works with local restaurants to add dishes like this one to their menus so diners have healthy choices. Blue Zones-inspired menu items are plant based, featuring vegetables and whole grains. They also include ingredients commonly used in the parts of the world where people live the longest, such as the limes, garlic, onions, avocados, mushrooms and olive oil featured in this recipe.
Chef Vargas’ vegan version of chipotle crema is made with tahini, or sesame seed paste, as the base. Sesame seeds and chiles are a traditional combination in Mexico, think salsa macha (a Veracruz salsa made with nuts, seeds, peppers and oil) and mole (made with nuts, seeds and dried peppers). The chef tames the natural bitterness of the tahini with the acidic lime juice and the smokiness from the chipotle to round out the flavors.
He explains that in Spanish mojo de ajo literally means moistened with garlic, and recommends getting fresh oyster mushrooms from Lake Family Forest Farms in Carmel Valley.
12 ounces oyster mushrooms
Corn tortillas, for serving
1 tablespoon olive oil
FOR THE CHIPOTLE CREMA
½ cup tahini
½ cup water
2 chipotle peppers, in adobo sauce
Juice of 2 limes
½ teaspoon kosher salt
FOR THE MOJO DE AJO
4 cloves garlic, finely grated
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
FOR SERVING (optional)
Sliced avocado, sliced radishes, thinly sliced white onion, cilantro leaves with tender stems and lime wedges
In a small blender make the chipotle crema by adding the tahini, water, chipotle peppers, lime juice and salt. Blend until smooth, set aside. In a small bowl, make the mojo de ajo by mixing the garlic, lime juice, olive oil, soy sauce, cumin, paprika and salt.
Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a pan and heat over medium-high. Once the oil is shimmering add the mushrooms. Press the mushrooms down flat with the back of a spatula to encourage browning. Flip the mushrooms once they have developed color, after about 1–2 minutes, and begin to spoon the mojo de ajo sauce over them. When the other side has also browned, flip again and add the rest of the mojo de ajo sauce, flipping back and forth in the sauce to fully coat the mushrooms and develop color.
Heat a separate pan over medium-high and warm the corn tortillas in a single layer, turning halfway through. Transfer to plates.
Top the warm tortillas with the mushrooms al mojo de ajo and garnish with sliced avocado, radish, white onion and cilantro. Drizzle the tacos with chipotle crema and serve with lime wedges. Serves 3.
