{Mini} Korean Barbecue Tofu Tacos

First and foremost, I'd like to apologize for my recent hiatus. A lot of things have happened over the course of the last month. I moved from Los Angeles to San Francisco (yay!) and it has taken up most of my life, but every exhausting day has been worth it. I'm currently back down in Orange County picking up the rest of my things and saying goodbye to all of my friends and family in the area. I'm also taking this week to develop and cook as many recipes as humanly possible so this sort of hiatus never occurs again!

Anyways, back to the reason I'm posting this delicious recipe. Happy Cinco de Mayo! Another holiday to give reason to drink a margarita in the middle of the day and not feel ashamed! Putting my twist on a traditional Mexican taco, I chose to take the Korean {BBQ} route. Korean barbecue has hit Southern California hard with its food truck presence and my brother has been begging me to incorporate the bold and spicy flavors to a dish for the past year now. I chose to keep on that healthy kick by using tofu, but can alternatively be replaced with your choice of protein!

{Mini} Korean Barbecue Tofu Tacos
Time: 1 Hour / Serving Size: 24

Ingredients:
Pickled Red Onions

• 1/2 Red Onion
• 1 Garlic Clove
• 1/4 Tsp Salt
• 1/2 Tbsp Honey
• 1/2 Cup Rice or White Wine Vinegar
• 3 Peppercorns 

Tofu Tacos

• 1 Package of Extra Firm Tofu
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 1 8 Oz. Can of Chopped Water Chestnuts
• 1/2 - 3/4 Cup of Korean Barbecue Sauce (I use store bought)
• 24 Won Ton Wrappers
• 2 Stalks Green Onion
• 1 Cup Sliced Purple Cabbage
• 1 Cup Sliced Green Cabbage
• Cilantro to Garnish

Directions:

Thinly slice the 1/2 red onion and add to a mason jar. Smash the garlic clove and add.

Add the salt, honey, vinegar and peppercorns to the mason jar. Cover and shake well. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, shaking at least once.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Drain the tofu from the package. Place on cutting board and slice in squares.

Now's a chance to take your aggression out and turn those rectangle/squares into minced pieces. Once minced, place in paper towel and continue to drain until needed to cook.

Mince the garlic and roughly chop the water chestnuts.

Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Place a couple tablespoons of sesame oil (or olive oil or peanut oil) and add garlic. Cook garlic for about 1 minute. Add the drain tofu to the pan and stir. Add water chestnuts. 

Pour in the Korean barbecue sauce and mix. Lower heat to medium and let cook for about 10 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed to the tofu. While the tofu cooks, line cupcake pans with the won ton wrappers. 

Once cooked, place the tofu mixture into the won ton wrappers. Place in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.

While the tofu tacos bake, prep green onions and cabbages. Take the pickled red onions out of the fridge and grab the cilantro. Once tacos are done place on a cooling rack to cool down. 

Top each mini taco with some cabbage, green onion, pickled red onion and cilantro. Now you're done and are ready to serve!