LA Style Chimichurri Tacos

It is so hot.
I am literally using small towels to wipe the sweat off and you could probably wring it out of my shirt when I am done cooking! People wonder why I get so excited when fall and winter finally come around. We only get a few months of cool winds and the rest of the year is just sweltering.

Anyway, enough whining.
I am finding ways to make things that cause as little heat as possible because each meal needs to feed anywhere from seven to 20.

For lunch today, we just had seven and most of us were in the kitchen working! I assigned tasks to each of the girls and we got a very nice and healthy meal done far more fast than if I had worked alone. I am trying to get better at delegating.

Onto our recipe...

I chose LA-Style Chimichurri Tacos from, Chloe's Kitchen by Chloe Coscarelli. This author was a winner of the Food Network,'s Cupcake Wars. I miss that show so much and there are some other cooking shows I would love to see. We got rid of cable a long time ago so I just catch glimpses of them when I visit my kids;)

Here it is from the book:

Serves 6 (I doubled all the ingredients)

Make-Ahead Tip
All components of the tacos can be made in advance and kept refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. Reheat and assemble when ready to serve.

Tomato-Rice
2 T. olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 t. sea salt
1 tomato, finely chopped
1/2 cup brown or white rice
1 cup vegetable broth

Chimichurri Sauce
1 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley (I used fresh dill bec the store was out of the other)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
4 cloves garlic
2 T. agave nectar
1/2 t. ground cumin
1 t. sea salt
1/2 t. freshly ground pepper

Taco Filling
2 T. olive oil
8 ounces crimini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced (I used baby portabella's because I couldn't find the ones suggested)
1 package 8-inch tortillas (I served regular and whole grain/low carb)
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained (used organic)

Optional toppings: Sour cream, chopped tomatoes, sliced onion, shredded lettuce, or diced avocado. We used all these toppings along with some spicy salsa!

To make the tomato rice: In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat and add onions and salt. Saute onions until soft. Add tomato, rice, and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until all broth is absorbed and rice is cooked. Turn off heat and let sit, covered, 15 minutes.

To make the chimichuri sauce: Blend cilantro, parsley, oil, lime juice, garlic, agave, cumin, salt, and pepper in a  food processor until combined and herbs are very finely chopped.

To make the taco filling: In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and saute mushrooms until they have released their juices. Add black beans and half of the Chimichurri sauce and cook until heated through. Reserve the remaining half of the Chimichurri Sauce to spoon onto the taco, if desired.

To serve: Fill each tortilla with tomato rice, taco filling, extra chimichurri sauce, desired additional toppings, and a dollop of sour cream. Fold over and serve.