Click to see how much Beyonce loves Tanya's tahini tacos.
I’m a single lady. I live in a small New York apartment with a kitchen the size of a deluxe port-a-potty. I have to move furniture to use the oven. I don’t really cook so much as get in, prep something, and get out. Recently my diet’s been mostly raw, and that’s mostly due to laziness. Spend hours sweating over a roast of some kind, only to watch it decompose next to the dwindling six-pack in my fridge? Not so much. But chop fruit and vegetables? Sure, I’ll chop shit all day long. I even have one of those fancy knives with the air pockets, and a miniature cutting board that’s just the right size for my 8×10” counter. You wouldn’t think I make very good-tasting meals using this method, and you’re usually right. But sometimes I manage to surprise myself. The key to my success lies in employing the same approach I’ve used for online dating: keep expectations low and an alcoholic beverage on hand, and if things go sour, eat quickly.
I’ll often look in my fridge and wonder what can be done with what’s there. The aptly named myfridgefood.com is good for helping with that. But the other day I made something delicious on my own that I’d like to share with you if I haven’t already scared you off. It’s light and simple and can be put together in the amount of time it takes to call your mother and complain about your dating life. (How many chick lit clichés can I inject into a single post?) Forgive me if the measurements aren’t exact; I was only going for one night’s meal when I made this.
Chopped Vegetable Tahini Tacos
½ yellow pepper, diced
½ orange pepper, diced
1/4 red onion, chopped
1 handful cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup chickpeas
1/3 cup black olives, chopped
1 tablespoon Tahini
Lemon juice (from real lemons or a plastic one, no one’s here to judge you)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 corn tortillas
Heat the tortillas on the stovetop or in the broiler. Chop the vegetables and mix in Tahini, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Lump the concoction in the center of the tortillas. Put it on a plate or roll it up and eat over the kitchen sink while standing in your underwear—you are the only single lady that matters.
Thanks to Zuleika Firpo for the most excellent animation.