Navajo Tacos

I've been craving Navajo tacos for a while now and I wanted to make a recipe that would incorporate whole grains and beans.  I was able to come up with a thick "chili" mix that actually turned out well. I want to share the recipe, but keep in mind that everyone's tastes are different, so add more seasonings if needed and don't be afraid to change it up.  Adding diced bell pepper would have enhanced the flavor, but I used my last one a few days ago. 

Navajo Tacos Chili -
2 cups of beans, pre-soaked and cooked or from the can (I used 1/2 pinto and 1/2 black beans)
1 cup of whole grains, any variety (I used 1/4 cup rye, 3/4 cup triticale, and 1/4 cup barley)
1 can Diced Tomatoes
1 can Tomato Sauce
1-2 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 onion, diced
1 tsp garlic powder, or 1 clove minced
1-2 tsp Basil
1-2 tsp Sweetener (I used agave)
2 Tbsp Taco Seasoning
1-2 Tbsp Bouillon, any variety
1/2-1 tsp black pepper
1/3 of an Anaheim chili diced or any other preference
1 tsp  sea salt
2 1/2 cups water

In a crock pot / slow cooker add all of the ingredients. (If you are using rice, millet or pearled barley, wait to add them until the last 2 hours of cooking).  Let it cook on high 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally.  Watch your liquid content. If it looks like you need to add more liquid, then do so, but the chili is meant to be thick.  Taste the sauce and adjust flavor accordingly.  After 4-5 hours, turn to warm for an hour, giving the grains to absorb the rest of the liquid without scorching.
Refrigerate any leftovers 3-4 days or freeze.

Navajo Tacos / Fry Bread  (Dough)-

3 cups unbleached flour
1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1- 1 1/4  cup milk, any variety - I used rice milk (I haven't tried this with water yet)
coconut oil for frying

1. Mix the dry ingredients together and add milk.
2. Stir until Incorporated and knead by hand 5-7 min or until dough is smooth, or knead in mixer with dough hook on #2 for 5 min.  Dust with flour if necessary while kneading.
3. Cover dough and let rest 10 minutes.
4. Divide dough into 8ths for large, 6ths for medium, or 4ths for large pieces (will make 5" bread) and shape into discs, roughly 1/4" thick.  You may want to make the middle thinner for making it easier to add toppings.  Fry bread in hot oil until golden brown, turning once.  Drain on paper towels.

Top almost like you would a tostada and enjoy.

Suggested Toppings:

lettuce
fresh spinach
tomatoes
olives
sour cream
avocados or guacamole
salsa or picante sauce
cheese or vegan cheese sauce
onions


Variations:
Fry bread is also good as a sweet treat as well.

• dust with powdered sugar
• sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture
• top with honey butter
• dip in maple syrup

I haven't tried making these with whole wheat flour, but I want to.  I know that 1/2 unbleached flour and 1/2 whole wheat will turn out just fine, but I would like to try it with 100% whole wheat flour.  I'll give you an update on how that turns out.

Creating Your Own Whole Grain Blends

Soup blends, rice blends, bean blends, and multi-grain blends are sold everywhere.  Sometimes they are at a reasonable price, but most often they are more expensive than buying the items individually and mixing them yourself.  Blending them yourself is quite simple.  

A few years ago I was at my local health food store and was looking at the items that were available in their bulk section. I really wanted to try their wild rice blend, but the price was way more than I was able to spend. I looked at the ingredients listed on the bulk dispenser and noticed that there weren't any herbs or spices in the blend; just rice.  I knew I could easily make my own and for a much more reasonable price, so I did. I don't remember how much I ended up saving per pound, but I know the savings was substantial.

Making Your Own Blend Isn't Rocket Science-

Blending your own rice is quite simple, so if you are new to making your own blends, rice is a good starting point.

Typically, wild rice blends don't have very much wild rice in them. If you look at the ingredients, wild rice is one of the last ingredients you will find which is also the most expensive.

Keep in mind that when you make your blend, you do not need to be exact with the ingredients, nor do you have to have the exact proportions. If there is a grain you cannot find or is too expensive, either substitute it or leave it out.  Lundberg Farms has a specialty grain called Wehani, so finding it could be difficult. 

Rice Blends:
3-5 different types of rice are generally used in a blend.  A general rule of thumb is the cheapest grain makes up the largest percentage of the blend and the specialty grains make up the smaller percentage.

Using the ingredients as a guide will help start you off, but once you get the hang of it, be creative.  There are so many different varieties of rice, lentils, beans, and other whole grains out there. WinCo has just increased their selection of rice by adding forbidden rice, jade pearl rice, and Madagascar pink rice.  As long as you understand that cooking times vary from brown rice, lentils, and beans, the possibility of combinations are endless.


The Savings-

If you take the Lundberg Wild Rice Blend  for example, the package contains: Long Grain Brown Rice, Sweet Brown Rice, Wild Rice Bits, Wehani, and Black Japonica.

I have a local health food store that sells all of these varieties of rice.  They sell long grain brown rice and  sweet brown rice for under $1.00/lb, Wehani for under $3.00/lb, and Black Japonica for around $3.00/lb.  The wild rice is a little sneaky. If you notice, they label it as wild rice bits. If purchasing the whole, unbroken wild rice, you can expect to pay anywhere from $7-10/lb.  Broken wild rice however, can be purchased for around $4.00-5.00/lb. I have found a website that sells it for $3.65/lb (including shipping) if you buy it in bulk.

A simple blend of:
1 lb - long grain brown rice - ($1/lb)
1 lb - sweet brown rice - ($1/lb)
1/4 lb - wild rice bits ($5-7/lb)
1/4 lb  - wehani ($3/lb)
1/4 lb - black japonica ($3-5/lb)

These numbers are rough estimates of course, but if I were to purchase wild rice and black japonica at the low end, one pound of my wild rice blend would come out to $1.73/lb and  $2.09/lb at the high end. Buying wild rice at an even better price will only increase your savings.  My local health food store sells a similar blend for over $5.00/lb. The cheapest I could find this exact Lundberg Wild Rice Blend for is $2.87/lb, but only if purchased in 6 pound increments.

Blends to Try-

The types of rice and the amounts are only suggestions. Feel free to adjust accordingly. Store rice blend in an airtight container.

Cooking Instructions-
Add 1 part rice blend to 2 parts water/broth and any seasonings you prefer. Cook in a rice cooker for 40-45 min.  If cooking on the stove-top, bring the water/broth and the rice to a boil, cover and simmer for 40-45 min. Turn off the fire and let stand 10 minutes before removing lid.

4 parts Long Grain Brown Rice
2 parts Wehani
1 part Black Japonica

Whole Grain Rice Blend

3 parts Long Grain Brown Rice
3 parts Short Grain Brown Rice
2 parts Forbidden Rice

2 parts Long Grain Brown Rice
2 parts Brown Basmati Rice
1-2 parts Red Rice
1 part Japonica Rice

Sweet Brown Rice
Short Grain Brown Rice
Long Grain Brown Rice
Wehani
Black Japonica, Forbidden, or Wild Rice