zucchini taco shells

By Jody

makes 8 taco shells.

Ingredients

• Taco filling:
• 4 medium zucchini (about 1/2 pound each)
• Nonstick cooking spray, for spraying the parchment
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 block cubed tofu
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 serrano chile, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped (about 2 teaspoons)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 to 2 ears corn, husked and kernels removed (about 1 1/2 cups kernels)
• 1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Serve tacos with tomato salsa.

Preparation

Step 1

For the zucchini taco shells: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.


Grate the zucchini with a box grater or the shredder attachment on a food processor; after doing so, you should have about 4 cups. Place the zucchini in a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high, stirring after 3 1/2 minutes, until tender and liquid has collected in the bottom of the bowl, about 7 minutes. Set the zucchini aside until it is cool enough to handle.


Once cool, use a slotted spoon (or your hands) to transfer it to a kitchen towel or piece of cheesecloth; roll up the cloth and twist and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Squeeze hard to get out all the excess water; this is crucial to getting good taco shells. You should end up with about 2 cups of shredded cooked zucchini.


Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it with cooking oil to help prevent sticking. Add the zucchini, Parmesan, scallions, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt and eggs to a medium bowl; stir until blended into a dough. Scoop this mixture into 1/4-cup-size balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Use your hand to flatten each ball into a very thin 5-inch diameter round, about 1/8 inch thick. Bake the shells until they are brown around the edges, about 15 minutes. Let them cool and then remove them from the parchment.

For the taco filling: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu, shallot, serrano and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and cook this mixture until the tofu is browned and the veggies are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the corn kernels, ancho chile powder, cumin, 1/4 cup water and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook this mixture for 3 minutes more, adding more water if needed to thin the taco filling out.