Restaurant Review: Mazunte Taqueria Mexicana

I finally got to try this place that I've heard nothing but good things about.
It's obvious from the moment you walk in the door that good things await. The room is cozy and yet spacious, the dark wood tables and stools along with the colorful wall art all seem inviting -- and right by the door is a station where a middle-aged Mexicana woman makes and displays the house salsas.

Mazunte Salsa Bar

The menu includes four types of tacos, three specialty dishes with rice, and several other hearty main dishes.
As this was just my first visit, I tried the Mixed Tacos: $9 for one each of the fish, shredded pork and skirt steak varieties. (The fourth taco choice is a different preparation entirely -- "rolled and fried crispy with braised chicken" and other ingredients. The tacos I ordered were all made in soft corn tortillas.)

Terrific tacos

The tacos were on a par with those at Bakersfield -- which means excellent -- and my favorite was the fish taco, which you can order with the fish breaded and fried or grilled.
We had a taste of the Pozole ($6.25), a not-too-spicy Mexican soup, which was perfectly seasoned and quite delicious.
I would have been tempted to order tamales, which I love, but the manager said he was still cooking the day's batch and it would be another half-hour before they'd be ready.
Other choices include enchiladas ($9), blue corn quesadillas ($8) and chile relleno ($8.50). They all sound so good, I can hardly wait to go back.
Mazunte is not a bar scene -- unlike Bakersfield -- although you can get bottled beer, Sangria or a Margarita. I'm hoping they might add to their drink options, but even if not, I could make this a regular stop.
Unfortunately, it's not on my side of town -- but it's very near my gym. So I could see stopping in for lunch and/or to carry home some of these dishes to reheat later for dinner.

The counter scene

Vegetarian tacos -- easy and fun to make

Corn tortillas not only are delicious but they're also healthy. They generally have more fiber and fewer calories than flour ones, and no trans fats. In fact, most tortillas have only two ingredients, a type of cornmeal and water.

For supper last night we had these easy to prepare soft tacos--vegetarian (with protein coming mostly from black beans) and easily made vegan if you omit the shredded cheese. Two tacos have fewer than 300 calories, so I could easily afford three.

The idea is to make a few veggie dishes and let everyone fill his/her own tacos with what seems most appealing. My main ingredient was a mix of drained black beans, steamed small pieces of broccoli, wilted spinach, corn kernels and chopped red bell peppers. To that, I added a small amount of mild tomato salsa.

The extra bowls include more tomato salsa, spicy guacamole with pico de gallo and shredded cheese. Just heat the tortillas for 30 seconds in the microwave and fill 'em up.

Healthy tacos

Here is a lovely recipe from the New York Times' Health & Fitness pages.

Recipe: Soft tacos with butternut squash and chipotles

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 pounds winter squash, such as butternut or banana squash, peeled and cut in 1/2 inch dice

Salt to taste

2 to 4 chipotle chiles in adobo (to taste), removed from the adobo and minced

1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1/4 pound Mexican queso ranchero or feta

8 corn tortillas

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook the squash. Heat half of the olive oil in a large, heavy cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the squash in a single layer. Turn the heat down to medium. Cook five minutes or until the squash is nicely browned on one side; shake the pan to turn the squash or use tongs. Cook for another five to 10 minutes, shaking the pan often or stirring with a wooden spoon, until the squash is nicely browned and tender when pierced by a knife or skewer. Season to taste with salt, and transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining olive oil and squash.

2. When the second batch of squash is tender, return the first batch of squash to the pan and stir everything together. Add the chipotles, and toss in the pan for one more minute. Remove from the heat, stir for a minute and then stir in the yogurt. Keep warm while you heat the tortillas, but don’t allow the yogurt to boil or it will curdle.

3. Heat the tortillas. Fill the bottom of a steamer with 1/2 inch of water, and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas in a heavy kitchen towel, and place in the steamer basket above the boiling water. Cover tightly and steam one minute, then turn off the heat but do not uncover. Let stand for 15 minutes.

4. Pass the hot tortillas, and top with the squash. Sprinkle on the queso fresco, fold the tortillas over and enjoy.

Yield: Eight tacos, serving four.

Advance preparation: The cooked squash will keep for a few days in the refrigerator, without the addition of the yogurt. Reheat on top of the stove or in a microwave, then stir in the yogurt and proceed with the recipe.