Mother's Day kinda just crept up on me. Was not prepared, did not send cards (I know..not good) to my mom and motherly women in my life. And then Iley fell ill with a bout of stomach flu on Saturday (for a second time this year..ugh its the worst!) We were home-bound for most of the weekend, and as I sat in my extra-messy house, in full-on mom mode nursing my poorly child back to health, it all felt very fitting. All the other "stuff" fell wayside and most of the weekend was spent cuddling the little boy who made me a mother. These days I find myself marveling at how much he has grown and how much has changed since that hot July day nearly five years ago, when I birthed this beautiful wondrous child into my arms. In this season of life where everything seems to move at light speed, slowing waaaaay down seems like the perfect way to honor motherhood. (except for the stomach flu bit :- )
I wasn't planning on posting these recipes, but they are simple foods we eat often and are easy to prepare, so I thought you may enjoy them too. Normally I would probably bake something but purposely steered clear of sweets while little man was recovering from the flu. This Mother's Day taco brunch came together on a whim, basically I went with what we had in fridge and cupboards (as a lot of our meals do). That means you can swap out veggies and seasonings with what you have on hand--it will be ok. So while this was an excellent brunch menu, it would also be fitting for a lunch or dinner gathering or weeknight family meal.
Iley was feeling much better by Sunday afternoon so we all went out for an attempted walk on the beach at sunset, but it was too windy (cold windy) by the water, so instead we stopped by the bamboo forest for a little romp. The sound of wind rustling through the bamboo coupled with evening birdsong and spring pepper frog calls made for a lovely zen moment. A perfect end to the day.
I hope all you mamas and motherly spirits were well loved on Sunday (and every day for that matter). Sending love to you all!
Recipes after the jump, and some pics from our evening stroll at the end of the post...
Skillet Fried Sweet Plantains
Ingredients
- oil (I used extra-virgin olive oil)
- 3 ripe plaintains (1 plaintain per 1 hungry person or 2 light eaters)
Instructions
- Heat cast iron skillet on medium heat. Peel plantains and slice on the diagonal into ¼" thick slices. When skillet is hot, add enough oil to cover bottom of pan and just come up the sides.
- Carefully add plantains to the hot oil with a fork, oil may splatter so stand back. Lower heat just a bit. Cook plantains until the underside browns and then flip with a fork and cook the other side until browned. About 2-4 minutes on each side, depending on how hot the pan and oil are and how done you prefer them.
- When cooked as desired, remove plantains from the skillet using a fork and transfer them to a paper towel lined plate to drain off excess oil.
Notes
Best eaten hot, right away.
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Vegan Tofu-Chard Breakfast Taco Filling
Ingredients
- 12-14 oz super firm tofu (pressed)
- ½ large vidalia onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp aminos or soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon anatto powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon house seasoning
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Stack chard leaves one on top of the other and roll up into a tight bundle. Slice through the rolled up chard to create thin strips. Set chard aside from other ingredients for now.
- Slice onion into thin strips. Smash and mince garlic.
- Break up tofu into crumbles and chunks into a bowl. Add other ingredients except for chard and toss together until everything is coated with the seasonings.
- Cook tofu filling in skillet, turning and stirring periodically to keep it from burning. Lower heat a bit if it seems too high.
- Cook for about 5 minutes and when it has started to brown add the chopped chard. Continue stirring until mixture is thoroughly cooked and has nice browned bits. Serve hot or at room temperature.
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Quick and Easy Fresh Salsa
Ingredients
- 8 oz fresh tomatoes
- 1 small onion
- ½ of a large sweet pepper
- 1 jalapeño pepper
- 3 scallions
- 1 clove garlic
- handful of cilantro leaves
- juice from 1 lime (2 if they are dry)
- sea salt to taste
- ground habañero chili to taste (optional)
Instructions
- De-seed peppers, peel onion and garlic, trim ends of scallions and place all of the ingredients into a food processor.
- Pulse everything together until desired consistency and texture is reached.
Notes
Store in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 1 week.
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Suggested Taco toppings
sliced avocado, chopped scallion, fresh cilantro leaves, pea shoots, vegan cashew or other nut cheese crumbled, homemade soy labneh, fresh corn salsa, mango salsa, guacamole etc. Anything and everything your heart desires!
I didn't make tortillas from scratch this time around (will share a recipe for homemade tortillas soon) but bought sprouted organic corn tortillas from the local grocer, which were very good. The brand is Food for Life I think and they were frozen. Make sure to warm tortillas in a dry skillet for a minute on each side before assembling tacos. Keep tortillas warm under a tea towel.
Enjoy!
Jo says
This looks amazing Kaity! You've got me hooked on fried plantains after seeing them in your feed! I'll defiantly be trying this. Pinned! Beautiful images as always xx
Kaity Farrell says
Hi Jo!!! Thank you for checking in. So glad you like what you see. Tacos are always a good idea, right?! As are fried plantains. always. Love to you and your sweet babes! xx Kaity