Vegan MoFo #3 Hello Jackfruit!

Hi Friends!

   TGIF, right?!  I'm thinking the same thing.  What a busy week it's been.  The first week of school is over and everyone is starting to establish somewhat of a routine.  Unfortunately (fortunately?), I'm back in vacation mode because my mom is in town visiting.  Although I'm not technically on vacation for another week, it kind of feels like it now.  I LOVE having my mom here.  It's my turn to spoil her!  So... if you're wondering why I didn't blog on Wednesday or Thursday, now you know.  Well, that and I've been staying late at work.  I don't often blog ahead of time so when things get busy in my life, it shows on the blog.  Today's post will be a quick one but I'm sharing a recipe so it's also a good one! ;-)

   I've been experimenting with Jackfruit lately and I'm absolutely loving it!  I've been meaning to try it for a while but it's a little hard to find around here.  I finally found it a few weeks ago at an international market and have been having fun with it ever since.

   If you are unfamiliar with jackfruit, this South Asian fruit is sweet when eaten fresh and ripe, with a prickly exterior.  However, in this recipe I'm using the young green jackfruit found in a can.  It's best to purchase the kind in water or brine, rather than syrup because although it doesn't have much flavor, it will be more meaty in texture.  Don't worry, it's kind of like tofu, in that it takes on any flavor that you give it.

Jackfruit Tacos
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 can of young green jackfruit , in brine or water, not syrup
1 medium sized onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoons chile powder
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon oregano
½ teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
12 ounces salsa sauce*
1 tbsp coconut oil
juice from one lime
*(I strained my salsa to use for another dish and saved the sauce to use here.  You can use regular salsa if you don't feel like going through the trouble of straining it.)

Directions:
Drain and rinse the jackfruit thoroughly. Squeeze the moisture out of each piece and set aside.  Meanwhile in a sauce pan over medium heat add a touch of coconut oil and saute the onions for a few minutes until translucent.  Add the garlic and saute for a minute more until fragrant. Add the jackfruit and then add the chile powder, cumin, oregano, paprika and cayenne pepper, stirring to coat each piece.  Cover the seasoned jackfruit with the salsa sauce and lime juice, making sure to cover everything.  Bring everything to a boil, then simmer on low, covered for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  If the mixture sticks, add a little more salsa sauce or water.  When finished, most of the liquid will be cooked out and the jackfruit will be soft and slightly shredded, giving it a meaty appearance and texture.

 I served the jackfruit taco meat on top of sauteed peppers, stuffed in corn tortillas, and garnished with some chopped green onions.

By the way, I'm in the middle of reading an awesome series called the Mortal Instruments.  I'm on the third book and I love it!  If you're not familiar with it you can check out the first book in the series: City of Bones.  The movie just came out last month but I've been hesitant to see it.  I've heard that it doesn't do the book any justice.  Have you seen it?  Thoughts?

Have a wonderful weekend!
Love,
Ves xx