Recipe #18 & #19: Black Bean Tortas with Coconut Chipotle Mayo & Broiled Zucchini with Yogurt Sauce

Oh...hot...dayuum...I have been looking forward to this recipe for awhile now. We got the "Thug Kitchen" cookbook for christmas and I've had my eye on this recipe like a fat kid on cake...or like a Joel on the Mcdonalds menu. The new CBO (chicken bacon onion) sandwich ads have been taking their toll. The Thug Kitchen cookbook is kind of amazing...and Ms. Boyardee likes it because the language they use ( mostly profanity) is similar to the language she and I use when in the kitchen.

The opening line for the black bean torta is verbatim "Make this motherf*cker STAT and see what your narrow sandwich world has been missing".  If someone were so ask me my favourite meal, I would probably have to say a sandwich (The fact that Netflix has paired me with Friends and I've been watching Joey Tribiani for the last 3 weeks may have had an influence). This sandwich is.....unreal by any other name.

Black Bean Torta: First we have to start with the sauce: coconut chipotle mayo.....COCONUT CHIPOTLE MAYO.....I can hear your salivary glands excreting as I write this. You add coconut milk, chipotle hot sauce, olive oil, chia seeds (to thicken it), lemon juice, garlic powder and salt. You mix all of the ingredients in a food processor and then put it in the fridge to cool. I was worried about the sauce...I voice my opinions to her about it not being thick enough....she directed me to the Thug Kitchen cookbook which told me to " Put it in the fridge. It will thicken, just f*cking be patient".

The "meat" of the sandwich is a black bean puree with onions, chili powder, cumin, a whole lotta black beans,  veggie broth, and lime juice. We top the sandwich with red onions, tomatoes, avocados and lettuce. The result of the combination of all the ingredients was one of our favourite recipes yet.

Ms. B: 9/10

J: 9.1/10

Broiled Zucchini with Yogurt Sauce: One of the things that I've noticed since becoming a vegetarian is how delicious a simple meal with just veggies can be. Broiled zucchini and a yogurt sauce, the sauce contained low fat yogurt, lemon juice, ground coriander, and ground mustard. You garnish with cilantro and you get a delicious side to any meal. As good as this side was, and it wassss good... it took a backseat to this sandwich (please see above).

Ms. B: 7/10

J: 7/10