Taco Tuesday!

Sarah of the always impeccable and inspiring Pink of Perfection recently asked her readers about how they ritualize the everyday-- what is the first thing you feel like cooking in the spring, for example (asparagus) or for that first snowstorm (white bean soup and Wonderfalls on DVD), and when she asked us to leave a comment on how we ritualize the every day, I immediately shared Taco Tuesday. She kindly responded that she loved that idea and a few weeks later, I open up her site to see an entire post dedicated to Taco Tuesday. It was lovely of her.

So I thought I should reveal a little more on Taco Tuesday here and share some recent Taco Tuesday greatest hits.

We went to Maui for our honeymoon in 2008 and stayed for 10 days in a condo in Kihei, which was perfect for us. We don't always want to go out for dinner when we're travelling, sometimes we want the option to eat olives and hummus and chips on our lanai, listening to the ocean and looking at the mountains. We arrived terribly late on Monday (3 am was what our poor bodies thought it was) and spent most of Tuesday groggy (it was also the only day of our trip it rained, which was quite kind of Maui because it was also the only day we couldn't imagine being active). But come 5 pm, we wandered over to Fred's Mexican Restaurant down the street and settled in on their deck, by the beach, and partook in giant 20 ounce margaritas, chips and salsa, and a la carte tacos (mahi mahi, mmhmm).

Lee took a few pictures of me that night and they are funny to compare to the end of that trip-- I'm all dark circles and pale skin, and you can see the remnants of the stress zit on my chin that I grew the day before the wedding. It was though, the perfect first night in Maui.

One week later, Tuesday was going to be our last night in Maui. We had an overnight flight the next day, and had to be at the airport by 2 pm to catch our connection to Honolulu. So once again, we went to Taco Tuesday, and it was the perfect book end to our trip. We were there a little later that day, so we were able to catch the sunset. We made friends with our waiter, who used to live in New York (until he met a girl when they were both working at the Hooters in midtown and they moved back to Maui). I was suddenly a little tan, my skin was clear, and I was more relaxed than I had been in about a year.

So when we got home from Maui, we instituted Taco Tuesday at home. It isn't always tacos, but I think I can saw with certainty, it is always something with beans and always has a Mexican flare. And for that matter, it isn't always Tuesday (though we still call it Taco Tuesday, even if it falls on a Wednesday). Sarah was right in her post-- there is something so simple, and so fresh, about Mexican food, and the flavors are so lively that it is something you can definitely look forward to and can make a mundane Tuesday something a little more festive.

One of our standbys are these incredibly unattractive black bean quesadillas-- we cook the black beans down and let them thicken up with spices, then layer them on corn tortillas with pepperjack cheese. I learned this method of cooking quesadillas from an episode of America's Test Kitchen-- spray each side with olive oil and then add a few shakes of sea salt. The crispy, salty shell is then absolutely perfect.

This one was a bit of an oddball but it still fit the bill. This past Tuesday was 90 degrees here in New York and I couldn't handle spending much quality time with a steaming hot cast iron skillet. So instead I cooked up some quinoa, chilled it down using cold water, and then added a diced mango, rinsed black beans, and feta, all doused in a lime honey dressing. Ole was that good.

Black Bean Quesadillas

1 15 oz. can of black beans

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp oregano

hot sauce to taste

salt to taste

8 corn tortillas

pepperjack cheese, or your preferred melting cheese

Drain off most of the liquid in your can of black beans. Add to a small saucepan over medium heat. Splash in hot sauce to taste, cumin, oregano, and salt. Cook until warm, and then mash some of the beans to thicken (I usually just use the back of my wooden spoon and do it directly in the pot). Remove from heat. They will continue to thicken as they cool.

Spread out four corn tortillas and sprinkle with however much pepperjack cheese you would like (I have a heavy hand). Spoon a few tablespoons of beans on the cheese. Take another tortilla and top. Repeat with the remaining three quesadillas.

Heat a non stick or cast iron skillet on medium heat. Spray the tops with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt or kosher salt. Place in the skillet salt side down (I usually only make one at a time to let it get extra brown and crispy). Olive oil and salt the side that is facing up so it will be ready to be flipped.

Flip when the first side is brown and toasty and cook the other side until that one too is how you like it.

Serve with salsa and a squeeze of lime.

Quinoa Mango Black Bean Salad

1 c. uncooked quinoa (we used red because we had it, but any color)

1 medium ripe mango

1 15 oz. can black beans

4 ounces feta

juice of 1 lime

1/2 tsp honey

1/4 c. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Rinse the quinoa well in a fine mesh strainer to get rid of the bitter coating. Bring 2 c. of water to a boil and add quinoa. Cook until tender and the little quinoa tails come out (you'll know it when it happens), about 10 to 12 minutes.

While the quinoa is cooking, mix together your dressing. In a small container, add the juice of the lime, olive oil, honey, and salt and pepper. Put a lid on the container and shake. Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed (we needed a smidge more honey, for example).

Peel your mango and cut pieces off of the core. I make small, 1/2 inch thick slices from the outside in until I hit the pit and that seems to work best for me. Cut in to bite size pieces.

Drain and rinse black beans. Set aside.

When the quinoa is done, drain off any excess water and put the quinoa in a large bowl. Add beans and mango and toss to combine. Add the lime dressing and stir until coated. Add feta and stir gently. Serve, with a squeeze of lime.