Crunchy Black Bean Tacos

Just in case you didn't get your fill of food from 4th of July, or maybe something besides dinner on the grill sounds tasty, I have a great recipe for some delicious tacos! 

I used to always buy taco shells from the grocery store... the kind that you just bake for a few minutes and are typically broken into a million pieces when you open them. Yes, those. I'm not sure why it took me so long to try making my own tacos, but I was definitely missing out! These tacos are simple and yummy, plus you could use any filling you like. Here's my black bean version. It makes 4 tacos, but you'll likely want to double the recipe!

1 C black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 C red onion, diced
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika (you could also use regular paprika or skip it altogether)
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbs cilantro, chopped
1/4 C pepper jack cheese, grated
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
4 small corn tortillas
avocado, sour cream, hot sauce (optional, for garnish)

In a bowl, combine beans, onion, spices and cilantro. This will be your filling for the tacos.

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium and when the oil is hot, add a tortilla to the pan. As it begins to cook, spoon 1/4 of the beach mixture onto half of the tortilla. Top with 1/4 of your cheese. Then, using a spatula, carefully fold the other half of the tortilla over to the bean mixture half to form a tortilla. Press down.

Once the taco begins to get crispy and brown (after a couple of minutes), flip it over to cook the other side. 

After you've folded your first taco, you can add another tortilla to the pan and begin making additional tacos. Make as many as you're able to fit in the pan at once. 

Serve with avocado, sour cream, hot sauce or more cilantro. You'll be surprised how fancy these seem and how great they taste! No more boxed taco shells!