Meatless Navajo Tacos

Does anybody else remember Navajo tacos from the elementary school cafeteria?  I'm not entirely sure I ever even ate them at school (my mom usually made our lunch...we could only buy "hot lunch" on the rare occasion when she was sick) but they always looked so good to me!  So whether I ate them then or not, there is this incredible feeling of nostalgia that these bring on for me.  My version is usually meatless, but don't worry, you won't miss the meat.  Of course, if you look closely at the picture you may notice I cheated this time around--I had some ground sausage in the fridge I wanted to use so I tossed that in with my bean/tomato mixture.  If you're really craving some good animal protein, you can of course cook up some ground beef to add in.  Also....the fry bread (or scone, if you're from Utah) recipe will make 12, but you probably won't have quite enough toppings for that many.  Bummer....I guess you'll just have to eat some fry bread slathered in honey butter for dessert. 

Meatless Navajo Tacos

Number of Servings: 8-10
Time to Prepare: 2 hours

Fry Bread

• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 pkg)
• 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder (slightly heaping)
• 4 to 4 1/2 cups flour
• 2 eggs
• oil for frying (make sure to choose one with high smoke point like canola, peanut, or grapeseed)

Topping

• 2 (15.5 oz) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes (not drained)
• seasoned salt
• shredded Cheddar Jack cheese
• sour cream
• shredded lettuce
• diced tomato
• diced avocado
• sliced olives

 Dissolve the yeast and 1/2 Tbsp sugar in warm water. Let stand for 5-10 minutes, until very bubbly and frothy.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the buttermilk, 1/4 cup sugar, melted butter, vegetable oil and salt until completely dissolved.  Add baking powder and 1 1/2 cups of flour and beat on low for 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl constantly. Add yeast mixture and beat on high for 3 minutes.
Add the eggs and mix until completely combined, then stir in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until you have a soft dough.  It will be coming away from the sides of the bowl, but it will still stick to your finger when you touch it.  Place the bowl in a warm place and cover with a clean towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

When the dough has risen, sprinkle a large, clean work surface with flour. Punch down the dough and then roll it into a rectangle about 1/4″ thick. Using a sharp knife or a pizza wheel, cut the dough into 12 rectangles. Separate the dough pieces slightly and cover with a clean cloth.  Let rest while you heat the oil and prep the toppings.

In a large, heavy pan heat about 2-3 inches of frying oil over medium heat until it reaches 350-360 degrees (use a deep-fry or candy thermometer).

While the oil heats, combine kidney beans and canned tomatoes in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add seasoned salt to taste.  Let it cook until most of the liquid from the canned tomatoes has cooked off. 

While the beans and tomatoes cook, add a couple dough pieces to the hot oil and cook until golden brown on one side, then flip and cook the other side. Repeat with remaining dough pieces.

Place one piece of fry bread on a plate and top with a scoop of the bean-tomato mixture.  Sprinkle with shredded cheese and top with a dollop of sour cream.  Top with shredded lettuce, diced tomato, diced avocado, sliced olives, or whatever else you like on your tacos.

Source: fry bread recipe slightly adapted from Our Best Bites
Produce Used: Lettuce, tomato, avocado