“Well, the night I was born, Lord, I swear the moon turned a fire red.”
Theme song by Jimi Hendrix “Voodoo Chile” from Electric Ladyland
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I consider myself a casual Hendrix fan at best. I mean, I dig his music and he’s undeniably a brilliant guitarist and songwriter. It’s just I don’t often choose to listen to Hendrix. So, what I know of his recordings are mostly the usual big radio hits. This is why my choice for a theme song here is a definite outlier. See, I was thinking of “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” when I was making this guajillo & pulla chile sauced tofu taco believing the title was actually “Voodoo Chile” to match the use of chiles in the recipe. So, I was a bit surprised to discover the actual “Voodoo Chile” bears little to no resemblance to the radio hit “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” and I’m fine with that. “Voodoo Chile” (the non-slight return version) is a deep bluesy psychedelic monster of a track that captures that brilliant crossroads Hendrix was sitting at when he made Electric Ladyland.
This recipe kind of sits at the crossroads of barbacoa tacos and whatever those crumbles at Chipotle are. I’m on a mission to find interesting ways to make tofu not be so “tofu-esque” and the combo of a quick marinade coupled with baking turns bland tofu in a perfect spicy taco filling. Any leftover sauce goes great with chickwheat, cauliflower, or, if meat is your thing, chicken, pork, or beef.
VOODOO CHILE TACOS
Baked taco adobo, adobo sauce, pickled red onions, feta, & sour cream on flour tortillas
Adobo Sauce
3 dried guajillo chiles
3 dried pulla chiles
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/4 cup chile soaking liquid
1/2 white onion, roughly chopped
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 chipotles in adobo
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
For the filling
1 block of firm or extra-firm tofu, drained & pressed
1 tablespoon Taco Spice
Pickled red onion (see recipe below)
Feta or queso fresco
Sour cream
Flour tortillas
Drain & press the tofu for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, rehydrate the guajillo & pulla chiles in boiling water.
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
Place the rehydrated chiles & the rest of the sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Once the tofu has finished being pressed, shred it into chunks using your hands and place it in a medium bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoon of Taco Spice & 1/4 cup of the sauce. Let this marinate for 15 minutes.
Spread the marinated tofu on the baking sheet in an even layer. Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until crispy. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before using.
To assemble the taco, spread sour cream on a toasted tortilla. Add tofu, a bit of adobo sauce, and then top with cheese and pickled red onion.
PICKLED RED ONION
1 red onion, sliced thin
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Place red onion in a medium bowl or jar. Combine water, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Mix until sugar dissolves. Pour over red onion and toss to combine. Let sit at room temperature for at least an hour. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.