Tofu Tacos with Hot Mango Salsa + Coconut Flan

What to do on a hot summer day when Mexican is desired but heavy and heat is not? And when there's tofu in the fridge and mangoes are on sale?

Oh, that's easy:

Tofu Tacos with Hot Mango Salsa (+ Coconut Flan)

This is a great way to use up produce-- oh, and also get vitamins into your body. It can also be a good way to get sour cream into your body. Even typing this is making my mouth water. I want it again...

And you will too. Here is what you will need (stage by stage):

* Soft and Hard Taco shells (we had both on hand, you can just choose one)

* Tofu (drained, dried with paper towels)

* Not pictured: tons of napkins, cuz this is messy. Not a first date food.

For the marinade:

* A tomato

* A blend of: cumin, cayenne, red pepper flakes, chili powder, and a pinch of cinnamon. Feel free to add dashes of basil + parsley. You can adjust these based on your taste for spiciness.

Now: Cube the tomato and smash it with your herb blend. Keep it juicy.

Cut the drained and dried tofu into cubes, and put it into a tupperware container. Put in the fridge, and periodically flip upside down and right side up to coat every bit. Let it sit for several hours or even overnight.

(flipped):

Meanwhile, let's make the salsa. This is one of my all-time favorite salsas. It is beautiful to look at, great with chips, great on anything. What you will need:

* about 1/4 of a red onion

* one jalepeno

* one mango

* one lime

* cilantro

Chop and combine everything. You can adjust the ratios to fit your taste, but the above seems to work well for me. Caution: jalepenos are not messing around. I have been pretty painfully injured by one twice by forgetting it was on my hands (picture me making indian food for a dinner party and greeting guests leaning over the sink with a leaking milk compress under my nose...) To cut jalepenos now I ALWAYS use old produce bags for makeshift gloves... or you can use surgical gloves. Do the jalapeno last for this reason to avoid cross-contamination, and wash everything immediately after.

Confession: I doubled it. And we ate it all.

Once the tofu is sufficiently marinated, take it out and put it on a lightly oiled baking tray. Bake at 350 for about half an hour, flipping halfway through. When you're done it will look like this:

We served ours with the following:

* chopped lettuce, avocado and tomato

* hot mango salsa

* regular salsa

* tzatziki sauce left over from baked falafel night (coming soon) (this sauce is sort of almost close to a white sauce you can find on fish tacos)

* sour cream + cheese

* chips (Xochil are the best!)

Those tacos with the squared bottoms are perfect little homes for tofu:

This is what it looks like, fully loaded:

Did you think we were done at a taco (or 5?)

No no.

Coconut flan time.

I actually followed Paula Deen's recipe, which is something that I never thought I would be able to say. But I was able to use up a can of condensed milk that had been haunting the back of the fridge for awhile... Here's what you will need:

* 3 eggs

* 1/3 cup sugar

* dash of lemon juice

* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

* 1 can condensed milk

* 1 1/2 cup coconut milk (which is about a can)

* 1/4 cup coconut flakes

* ramekins or a pie dish.

Melt the 1/3 cup of sugar with a splash of water + lemon juice until it caramelizes. It will turn golden and beautiful, but be really careful not to burn it (that can happen). This is going to take awhile, but once it's bubbling it will darken quickly.

Also: be sure not to spill any. It can be hard to clean up once it hardens.

Pour the caramelized sugar into the base of whatever dish you are serving from.

Beat the eggs until foamy. Beat in the condensed milk, coconut milk, and vanilla. Fold in the shredded coconut. Pour mixture into ramekins (or pie plate).

Transfer the filled dishes to a baking sheet with sides. Fill it as high as you can with water. Bake at 325 for about an hour (ours took closer to 45 mns)

Once set, remove from oven + water bath so they don't continue to cook in the hot water.

Allow to cool. Once ready to serve, cut the sides of the ramekin to free the flan, and flip it.

Serve, and be well.

MMM.