Asian-Inspired Taco Bar for the Big Game

Thank you to Sprouts Farmers Market for partnering with us for this post! We have been compensated for our time, but as usual, all opinions are our own. 

We love football. (Y’all, you know we just love it for the food!) So we’re not making seven-layer dip, we won’t be throwing down a platter of homemade wings, and we’re obviously not baking up any team-color-frosted brownies; however, you can depend on us for something: we’ll certainly sign up to provide the Mexican-Korean-Japanese fusion taco bar.

We stopped by Sprouts Farmers Market in Germantown this past Saturday afternoon to pick up all the ingredients, and once we landed back at home, we set about turning our ideas into a little trial-run dinner. The Wildbrine Japanese Miso Horseradish Kimchi we'd never tried before was the item that kickstarted our idea to take our tacos on a non-traditional route. Pan-seared half-moons of Japanese eggplant coated with spicy Bibigo Gochujang handily stand in for the meat, and Sprouts Private Label mini sweet peppers and organic romaine hearts make up the cold and crunchy raw component of the dish. 

Everyone can probably agree that selecting the exact ingredients one wants is pretty interactive and satisfying, and this serve-yourself spread works well on something as crazy and unpredictable as game day, when continuous grazing is the key. We just know your own crowd will welcome something unexpected that packs a spicy punch this Sunday as we all gather to watch, celebrate, and most importantly, eat a bunch of great stuff.

Asian-Inspired Taco Bar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 

3 medium Japanese eggplant (sliced into half moons, about 6 cups)

1 bunch organic green onions (discard root end; reserve dark green tops for garnish) 

1 lime (juiced)

3/4 cup gochujang

1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts

On the side:

1 Sprouts Private Label romaine heart (chopped)

1 avocado (sliced)

6 ounces kimchi

5 ounces queso fresco
2 limes (quartered)

3 Sprouts Private Label mini sweet bell peppers (thinly sliced)

1 bunch organic cilantro

3 serrano peppers (seared in a hot pan)

12 organic corn tortillas (heated in a dry skillet)

Put your seasoned wok or large frying pan over the highest heat on the stovetop and let it heat up until you see little wisps of smoke rise up off of the hot metal. Pour in the olive and sesame oils and wait for it to start to smoke. Now, put your eggplant and green onions in and give the pan a little shake. Let the mixture rest in the hot pan for 45 seconds before tossing everything to redistribute it by pushing the pan forward and then jerking it back just like you’d do to flip an omelette or just use a spatula. Allow the vegetables to rest for another 45 seconds to 1 minute before flipping them again. Flip the vegetables one last time and allow them to cook for 1 minute. At this point, add your lime juice and gochujang and cook for one more minute. Remove the stir-fry from the wok and place it on a serving platter. (The whole cooking process takes less than 4 minutes.)

Serve alongside chopped romaine hearts, sliced avocado, kimchi, queso fresco, thinly sliced mini sweet bell peppers, cilantro, and seared serrano peppers. Each guest can build their own masterpiece atop one of the 12 organic corn tortillas. (Makes 8 to 10 servings.)