This dish was inspired by a meal that we had at Stephen Starr’s El Vez, on 13th Street in Philadelphia. These tacos were one of the specials being featured that evening, and after hearing the server describe them, we were sold. They were made with seared mushrooms, creamy roasted garlic goat cheese, and pickled red onions. Like we said, “Sold!” The blend of textures and flavors was out of this world. Imagine our despair—complete with an inner soundtrack of the world’s saddest Mariachi band playing a full on dirge—at never having found them featured on any of our subsequent visits. We have a sorrow-drowning ceremony that involves an extra round of tequila shots, so we’re fine, but still. And yes, they were that good. It’s these kinds of fantastic little creations that make this another one of our go-to places for special occasions. Their sizable margarita selection doesn’t hurt, either. Don’t worry, Lolita, we still worship you, too. We have room in our hearts (and bellies) for you both.
All of this meant, of course, that this dish was added to the list of yummies that needed to be recreated at home. While restaurant kitchens tend to have things like “roasted garlic goat cheese” and “pickled red onions” laying around for just such occasions, those things aren’t exactly standard in the home kitchen. Mind you, if you plan ahead, they can be managed fairly easily—it only takes an hour to roast a bulb of garlic, the rest is just mashing and stirring it into the cheese, and Bon Appetit has a fantastic quick pickled onion recipe—but in a pinch, there are time-saving and equally flavorful alternatives.
As an alternative to the red onions, shallots are used here. They’re more tender and have a milder flavor, so the super quick “pickling” in fresh lime juice and rice vinegar is enough to soften them further without leaving them too strong-tasting. Rice vinegar was used because it was on hand, but honestly, apple cider, white distilled, or red wine vinegars would work just as well. In fact, the red wine vinegar will even imbue them with that slight pink hue if you’re looking for that pop of color. If you put them in to marinate at the start, they’ll be ready by the time you ring the dinner bell.
In lieu of the roasted garlic in the goat cheese, you’ll sauté a ton of garlic with the mushrooms, which will give you the same basic flavor, just in a different element of the dish and in a fraction of the time.
The mushroom mixture was finished with some Sriracha, honey, and lime juice to impart the spicy, sweet and tart notes that we remembered from the original dish. With the tortillas already made, this dish comes together in about fifteen minutes, which makes this quick, delicious, vegetarian meal one of the best friends a busy weeknight could have, and that is truly “special”, any night of the week.
Inspired by tacos served at El Vez.
- 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 limes, plus more for serving
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms, washed, trimmed and quartered
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon Sriracha
- ½ teaspoon honey
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- ½ cup goat cheese, room temperature
- 8 6-inch corn tortillas
- Chopped cilantro, for garnish
- In a small bowl, combine shallot, rice wine vinegar, and juice of one lime. Set aside.
- Add oil to a large skillet over medium heat, and cook mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic becomes soft and fragrant, about 2 - 3 minutes.
- Add juice from the second lime, sriracha, and honey, and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- To serve, smear one tablespoon of goat cheese on each corn tortilla. Top with a scoop of the cooked mushroom mixture and a few slices of the shallots. Garnish with a sprinkle of cilantro and serve with lime wedges.
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