Vegan Baja "Fish" Tacos with Chipotle Cream and Cilantro Lime Slaw

Step 1

Soak the cashews for 2 hours or overnight. If you are short on time, you can boil the cashews for ten minutes to soften. Combine the soaked and drained cashews in a high powered blender or food processor with the salsa and 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt. Blend Chipotle Cream for 2 minutes until smooth. The Chipotle Cream will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Prepare the Cilantro Lime Slaw.

Step 2

Trim the spores from the mushroom caps and slice them into cutlets. In a large shallow bowl, mix together the chickpea flour, kelp powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt. This will be your batter. Pour the aquafaba into a second shallow bowl. Keep two forks on hand to batter the portobellos.

Step 3

To Batter- Dip the portobello cutlets into the aquafaba. Let the excess aquafaba drip off then coat it in the chickpea batter. Dip the battered portobello into the aquafaba again. Let the excess drip off and coat it once more in the chickpea batter. I recommend using one hand and one fork to batter the cutlets and the other hand and fork to dip them into the aquafaba. Wipe your hands frequently to avoid a buildup of batter on your fingers, which will make it more difficult to get an even coat of batter on your portobello cutlets.

Step 4

To Fry- In a small pan on medium to medium high heat, pour enough grapeseed oil to cover the pan to at least 1 inch in depth. When the oil is hot, drop the portobello cutlets into the oil and fry until golden brown, roughly 1-2 minutes on each side. Repeat until all portobello cutlets are fried, adding more oil as needed.

Step 5

To Bake- Preheat the oven to Batter the portobello cutlets according to Step 4 and place them on a baking sheet coated with cooking oil spray. Bake the portobello cutlets for 15 minutes. Flip the cutlets over, spray them with cooking oil, then bake for another five minutes. If you prefer, you may skip the oil and cover the baking sheet in parchment paper.

Step 6

If using purple cabbage leaves, carefully peel the leaves apart. Be sure they are fully dry after washing them. If using corn tortillas, warm them in a skillet on medium low heat for about 15-20 seconds on each side. For traditional street style Vegan Baja Fish Tacos, assemble the taco using two corn tortillas. Spread a generous spoonful of Chipotle Cream on the tortillas, then place 1-2 portobello cutlets on top. Finish with Cilantro Lime Slaw. Makes 8 tacos.

Step 7

In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice, agave nectar, and olive oil. Stir in the cabbage, green onion, and cilantro. Mix well with your hands to combine. The Cilantro Lime Slaw will keep in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days.