Upstart Food Brands Upstart Food Brands

Crispy Hearts of Palm Tacos with Mexican Street Popcorn

Category
Yields3 Servings
Mexican Street Popcorn
 3 oz Cotijta cheese
 Lime zest (1 lime +)
 ½ tsp Vegan mayo
 ⅓ cup Pilot Knob popcorn
 2 tbsp Peanut oil
 1 tsp Chili powder
 ½ tsp Cumin
 ½ tsp Smoked paprika
 ½ tsp Coriander
 ½ tsp Salt
 1 tbsp Melted butter
Baja Sauce
 ¼ cup Vegan sour cream
 ¼ cup Vegan mayo
 12 Minced chipotles in adobo (w/a splash of sauce)
 Anderson & Son Pepper Co. - Don't Touch the Baby
 2 tbsp Freshly squeezed lime juice (1 lime)
 ½ tsp Salt to taste
Tacos
 28 Reese Select Hearts of Palm, drained and rinsed
 1 tsp Ground cumin
 1 tsp Salt
 1 tsp Garlic powder
 ½ tsp Onion powder
 ½ tsp Chili powder
 Parsley (use liberally)
 Seltzer water
 ¾ cup Gluten-free flour
 ¼ cup Corn starch
 2 cups Gluten-free panko breadcrumbs
 Vegetable oil for frying
 Toasted corn tortillas (2 per person for 2 tacos each = 12)
Toppings
 Del Carmen Foods Cuban Style Black Beans in Veggie Broth
 Forged & Found – Kelp Salsa Roja
 Cilantro
 Thinly sliced radishes
Mexican Street Popcorn
1

Add the cotija cheese, mayo, and lime zest to a small bowl and mix well, set aside.

2

In a small bowl add the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, coriander and salt. Set aside.

3

Pop the popcorn in peanut oil.

4

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat and pour on popcorn.

5

Add the spice blend, mix well.

6

Add cotija cheese mix just before serving.

PALM TACOS
7

Add all of the Chipotle Baja Sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until well-combined. Set aside.

8

Smash Cuban black beans and set aside to warm.

9

In medium bowl, mix flour, corn starch, and spices.

10

In a separate medium bowl, pour panko breadcrumbs.

11

Cut each heart of palm piece in half, crosswise, and press each piece gently with the palm of hand to flatten. Try to keep the hearts of palm as intact as possible.

12

Pour seltzer into small plate or shallow bowl.

13

Transfer one heart of palm at a time into the seltzer. Then press gently but firmly into the flour mix. Then do the same with the panko. Set strips onto cookie sheet.

14

Heat oil in skillet (about ½ inch)

15

Transfer the breaded hearts of palm to a plate until ready to fry. Heat for 1 min + on one side, then flip for another 1 min +.

16

Transfer back to a paper towel-lined sheet to absorb excess oil.

17

Warm 12 tortillas on tin foil (350 degrees for 3-4 minutes)

18

Layer warm black beans, baja sauce, hearts of palm, salsa, baja sauce, radishes, cilantro, sprinkle with parsley.

19

Add to plate and sprinkle a little parsley for visual pizazz.

Ingredients

Mexican Street Popcorn
 3 oz Cotijta cheese
 Lime zest (1 lime +)
 ½ tsp Vegan mayo
 ⅓ cup Pilot Knob popcorn
 2 tbsp Peanut oil
 1 tsp Chili powder
 ½ tsp Cumin
 ½ tsp Smoked paprika
 ½ tsp Coriander
 ½ tsp Salt
 1 tbsp Melted butter
Baja Sauce
 ¼ cup Vegan sour cream
 ¼ cup Vegan mayo
 12 Minced chipotles in adobo (w/a splash of sauce)
 Anderson & Son Pepper Co. - Don't Touch the Baby
 2 tbsp Freshly squeezed lime juice (1 lime)
 ½ tsp Salt to taste
Tacos
 28 Reese Select Hearts of Palm, drained and rinsed
 1 tsp Ground cumin
 1 tsp Salt
 1 tsp Garlic powder
 ½ tsp Onion powder
 ½ tsp Chili powder
 Parsley (use liberally)
 Seltzer water
 ¾ cup Gluten-free flour
 ¼ cup Corn starch
 2 cups Gluten-free panko breadcrumbs
 Vegetable oil for frying
 Toasted corn tortillas (2 per person for 2 tacos each = 12)
Toppings
 Del Carmen Foods Cuban Style Black Beans in Veggie Broth
 Forged & Found – Kelp Salsa Roja
 Cilantro
 Thinly sliced radishes

Directions

Mexican Street Popcorn
1

Add the cotija cheese, mayo, and lime zest to a small bowl and mix well, set aside.

2

In a small bowl add the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, coriander and salt. Set aside.

3

Pop the popcorn in peanut oil.

4

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat and pour on popcorn.

5

Add the spice blend, mix well.

6

Add cotija cheese mix just before serving.

PALM TACOS
7

Add all of the Chipotle Baja Sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until well-combined. Set aside.

8

Smash Cuban black beans and set aside to warm.

9

In medium bowl, mix flour, corn starch, and spices.

10

In a separate medium bowl, pour panko breadcrumbs.

11

Cut each heart of palm piece in half, crosswise, and press each piece gently with the palm of hand to flatten. Try to keep the hearts of palm as intact as possible.

12

Pour seltzer into small plate or shallow bowl.

13

Transfer one heart of palm at a time into the seltzer. Then press gently but firmly into the flour mix. Then do the same with the panko. Set strips onto cookie sheet.

14

Heat oil in skillet (about ½ inch)

15

Transfer the breaded hearts of palm to a plate until ready to fry. Heat for 1 min + on one side, then flip for another 1 min +.

16

Transfer back to a paper towel-lined sheet to absorb excess oil.

17

Warm 12 tortillas on tin foil (350 degrees for 3-4 minutes)

18

Layer warm black beans, baja sauce, hearts of palm, salsa, baja sauce, radishes, cilantro, sprinkle with parsley.

19

Add to plate and sprinkle a little parsley for visual pizazz.

Crispy Hearts of Palm Tacos with Mexican Street Popcorn
IngredientsDirections

Josh Schipkowski

Josh Schipkowski is the founder and chief creative officer of Upstart Food Brands, a St. Louis-based branding agency for startup and emerging food, beverage, pet food, and supplement companies. He spent almost 14 years helping build MarketPlace into one of the country’s leading food marketing agencies before launching Upstart in 2015 to give smaller brands top-agency strategy and creative that make every dollar of their investment count. As CCO, he oversees everything creative and strategic that leaves the agency, from naming, brand strategy, and identity development to packaging and web design and development. At home, he does a self-reported 93.25% of the cooking, usually from scratch, often trying a new technique, and frequently using products from Upstart’s own clients. He also grows hops, grapes, and cider apples for brewing, winemaking, and cider, mostly as an excuse to share great food and drink with friends and family.

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