Guess what!
I couldn’t resist celebrating the taco emoji with actual tacos. The taco emoji is finally here — or arriving soon — and after all the anticipation, I have to admit I’m a little underwhelmed.
Here’s why: when I imagined the perfect taco emoji, I pictured a more familiar street- or home-style taco — a yellow corn shell with bits of lettuce, pico, maybe guacamole — something that would spark your imagination and make you think of short ribs, pulled chicken, spicy shrimp or al pastor. The new design feels more like a fast-food representation, and it doesn’t leave much to the imagination.
I do appreciate that there’s both a taco and a burrito emoji, but the burrito reads as a breakfast burrito to me — scrambled eggs and all. Who decided that, anyway?
Am I being dramatic? Maybe. I admit I’m playing the role of a millennial brat who wanted a taco emoji, then got one and still found reasons to complain. But beyond the emoji debate, real tacos are what matter — and it’s summer, so there’s an abundance of zucchini and tomatoes ready to be turned into something delicious.
These crispy zucchini tacos are an ideal late-summer meal. Tender zucchini pieces are breaded and pan-fried until golden and crisp, then piled into warm tortillas with fresh tomatoes, crunchy cabbage, radish, scallions and cilantro. A creamy cherry pepper crema and crumbled queso fresco finish each bite, and a squeeze of lime brightens everything up.
These tacos are a celebration of garden-fresh flavors: the crunch, the cool crema, the salty cheese and the pops of tomato. They’re not the emoji, but they’re exactly the kind of taco I want to see represented.
Crispy Zucchini Tacos with Cherry Pepper Crema
Yield:
4
45
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Ingredients
for the zucchini:
- 1 large zucchini squash, cut into (2-inch) long pieces
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup seasoned panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
cherry pepper crema:
- 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 tablespoons diced cherry peppers, plus extra for spreading on tortillas if desired
for the tacos:
- 12 small corn or flour tortillas, warmed
- cherry tomatoes, quartered or halved
- shredded red cabbage
- thinly sliced radish
- thinly sliced scallions
- fresh cilantro
- crumbled queso fresco
- lime wedges
Instructions
for the zucchini:
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Cut the zucchini into thirds, then halve and halve again so the pieces are roughly 2 inches long.
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Set up three bowls: zucchini in the first, beaten eggs in the second, and a mixture of panko, flour, chili powder, salt and pepper in the third.
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Heat a large skillet over medium and add the coconut oil. Dip each zucchini piece in egg, dredge in the bread crumb mixture, pressing gently to adhere, then pan-fry until golden on each side. Drain briefly on paper towels.
cherry pepper crema
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Whisk the Greek yogurt, half and half, lime juice and diced cherry peppers together until smooth and combined.
for the tacos:
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Assemble the tacos as you like. Spread a little cherry pepper on the warm tortillas, add the zucchini, then top with radish, tomatoes, cabbage, scallions, cilantro, crema, crumbled queso fresco and a squeeze of lime.
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^^^ send that to the emoji peeps.