Fresh injects life into tacos
It is not unusual to see lineups outside any of Fresh’s four veganfriendly locations as people wait for their smoothies-to-go or to sit down for a Buddha Bowl or tempeh wrap.
But one of the most delicious menu items is a simple fried squash taco stuffed with veggies and a spicy jalapeno mayonnaise. The city is inundated with fish and pulled pork tacos.
This vegan version gives new life to the tired taco trend.
“They started as a special when we put them on the menu two or three years ago, but they were so successful we put them on the regular menu,” says Fresh’s chef Jennifer Houston, who along with restaurant partner Ruth Tal, released their vegan cookbook Super Fresh this past September.
It’s easy to see why: Fat nubs of crispy golden batter reveal a creamy squash centre while the housemade jalapeno mayo adds a spicy zip to the shredded kale stuffed in the tortillas.
For the home cook short on time, Houston recommends using zucchini rather than butternut squash. “At the restaurant, we first steam the butternut squash until it’s tender and ready for frying. Basically, you have to cook it twice. With zucchini, you can just fry it — or you can also bake them till crispy in the oven.”
She also suggests swapping the house-made mayonnaise with store-bought vegan mayonnaise mixed with jalapeno, garlic and lime, and using store-bought coleslaw in place of the chopped kale for an extra tartness.
The restaurant uses a dosa mix for the batter, but flour and water works perfectly well.