Royal Tacos

In ancient Rome, the color purple was associated with royalty. Purple dye was made from crushed sea shells that were only found on the shores of Phoenicia. Because the shells were rare, the dye was very expensive, so only royals or high-ranking aristocrats could afford it.

Lucky for you, you don't have to be royalty to enjoy these tacos. But they are purple nonetheless!

Notes: Scott said these were the best tacos he's ever had. That's a ringing endorsement! I loved them as well.

I'm a huge fan of the blue taco shells. To me, they have more flavor and they're just more fun.

Here's a fun trick: make these tacos for people and don't tell them what's in the mixture. I bet you they'll never guess that pumpkin is one of the ingredients. The pumpkin adds a creamy texture like refried beans, but you up the vitamin content and lower the fat content of the dish. But it doesn't taste like pumpkin.

Cooking the rice is the thing that takes the longest, so if you used minute rice, this could easily be Q.E.D..

I decided to make a little dressing for the cabbage, but you could leave it plain if you're not into mayo.

Ingredients:
2 ears fresh corn
1/2 small red cabbage
1 15 oz. can black beans
1 cup pumpkin puree
4-6 oz. Spanish cheese or white cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon mayo
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon dried dill
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon brown or raw sugar
1 tablespoon chipotle power
1 teaspoon oregano
1 cup brown rice
2 cups water
2 tablespoons butter, divided
Salt
1 box blue taco shells

Directions: Start with the rice. Add the rice, 1 tablespoon butter, and 2 cups water to sauce pan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium and let it cook for 35-40 minutes.

Heat the oven to 350. Rinse and drain the beans. In a large bowl, strip the kernels off the corn cobs and set aside. In another bowl, add mayo, milk, and dill and whisk together. Thinly slice the cabbage and add it to the bowl in with the dressing and toss to combine. Season with salt and put the bowl in the fridge to chill.

When the rice has about 15 minutes of cook time left, heat a skillet on medium. Add the rest of the butter to the pan. When it melts, add the cumin, sugar, oregano, and chipotle and stir. Add in the beans, corn, and pumpkin. Stir everything together and turn the heat to low. If the mixture starts to look too dry or stick to the pan, add a little water.

When the rice is done, add it to the beans and pumpkin. Heat the taco shells according to the box directions (mine said bake for 5 minutes). While the shells are in the oven, grate the cheese.

When the shells are done, assemble the tacos and enjoy (royally)!