Crispy Zucchini Tacos With Andrea Aliseda

Plus: The cookbook author’s kitchen ritual.

May 29, 2025

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When Andrea Aliseda is feeling depleted, she knows what she has to do.

“It’s a little bit of a ritual,” the author of Make It Plant Based! Mexican tells me in our recent podcast conversation.

“I have these Bluetooth headphones that I just pop on immediately. I’ll usually have a playlist or I’ll be listening to an audio book or a podcast,” she says, “and that way I can relax, be in the zone. Times are extremely difficult right now; that is a factor that alienates us from our practice in the kitchen. So yeah,” she says, it can be really helpful, “taking the time to kind of reacquaint yourself with your space. It’s nice to give yourself that moment.”

First, she’ll tidy things—“sometimes when you have some dishes piled up, you just don’t even want to go in the kitchen”—then let herself loose.

“A lot of my joy in cooking is problem solving and getting creative. I have this and this and this—how am I gonna put them together? Or: I'm craving this, but this is what I have. How can I kind of cater to that craving with what I have?”

I talked to Andrea about the DM that led to her cookbook deal, the reason she always keeps a block of tofu in her freezer, and the many dinners she’ll make from one big batch of beans. It’s basically a whole week’s meal plan in one pot.

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For a peek at a few of Andrea’s recipes from Make It Plant-Based! Mexican, including cola-simmered tofu carnitas and a crispy zucchini-based riff on fish tacos, scroll all the way down.

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Make It Plant-Based! Mexican is part of a series that also includes Mehreen Karim’s Make It Plant Based! Southern, Ria Elciario-McKeown’s Make It Plant-Based! Filipino, and Srishti Jain’s Make It Plant Based! Indian. It’s basically a whole veg cooking library in one set.

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Andrea mentioned:

Mulli Mexican Mole
Miyoko’s European-Style Plant Milk Butter
Trader Joe’s Mushroom Seasoning Blend
Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base
Andrea’s Garbanzo Ceviche is in the book—but you can get her Garbanzo Aguachile Verde here on Food52
Pierre Thiam’s Mafe (Epicurious)
Chorizo Cauliflower (reprinted on Epicurious)
Rosemary Molloy’s Rustic No-Yeast Bread (Italian in My Kitchen)
Andrea’s Pulled Mushroom Tacos With Salsa Guille on Epicurious
Beatriz L. Fernández: Y La Comida Se Hizo vol. 2 and 4
Samin Nosrat: Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat (Bookshop here)
Karen Page: The Vegetarian Flavor Bible (Bookshop here)
Jeneé Claiborne: Sweet Potato Soul (Bookshop here), especially the fried cauliflower wings, cornbread, and mac and cheese
Gonzalo Guzmán: Nopalito (Bookshop here) especially the polvorones
Alice Waters: Chez Panisse Vegetables (Alibris here), especially the risottos
Andrea on Instagram

A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR

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Maggie mentioned:

Mama Lam’s Malaysian Satay Paste
Make your own magic shell / tahini magic shell
Yesterday’s Soup Just Became Today’s Pasta Sauce by David Tamarkin on Epicurious
Grilled fava beans in the pod (Taste)

Fried zucchini "fish" tacos on a plate with pale blue tablecloth. — Photo: Emma Fishman

Zucchini Baja Fried “Fish” Tacos

Zucchini replaces whitefish in this Baja-style taco. Once coated in a savory batter and fried, the zucchini becomes tender and juicy inside while crispy and golden on the outside. Beer is typically used for the batter; its fizzy nature keeps the coating light and the fry crispy. You can use sparkling mineral water for the same effect.

Freestyle it: You can use cauliflower, cut into about 1½-inch (4 cm) pieces, in place of zucchini for variety, or some of each.

SERVES 4 TO 6

For the fried zucchini:
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour 2 large zucchinis (about 22 ounces/625 g)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup (240 ml) sparkling water
1½ to 2 cups (360 to 480 ml) avocado oil

For the tacos:
15 to 20 corn tortillas, homemade or store-bought, warmed
1 cup (240 ml) Chipotle Mayonnaise (see below)
2 avocados, pitted and sliced
2 cups (190 g) shredded green cabbage
2 cups (480 ml) pico de gallo (store-bought or homemade, like this one)
½ cup (120 ml) Quick-Pickled Red Onion (see below)
3 or 4 limes, cut into wedges

Place 1 cup (125 g) of the flour in a wide, shallow bowl. Slice the zucchini on the diagonal into wedges that measure 1 to 1½ inches (2.5 to 3.8 cm) at their thickest point. Add the zucchini wedges to the flour, toss to coat, and set aside.
Mix the remaining 1 cup (125 g) flour, the cornstarch, ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder in another bowl with a whisk until completely blended. Whisk in the sparkling water until it looks like a light pancake batter.
Line a large plate or wire rack with paper towels. Pour the oil into a medium nonstick skillet and place it over high heat. The oil is hot enough when you insert a wooden spoon into the oil and bubbles form around it.
Toss the zucchini with the flour again. Using one hand and working in batches, grasp a zucchini wedge by its tip and dip it into the batter to coat it completely before placing it in the hot oil. Fry for about 3 minutes on each side, flipping once with tongs, until golden all over. Use a slotted spoon or spider to transfer the fried zucchini to the paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with some salt while still hot. Repeat with the remaining pieces.
To assemble each taco, spread a tortilla with a spoonful of chipotle mayo, if using. Top the tortilla with a few pieces of fried zucchini, some avocado slices, cabbage, pico de gallo, and pickled onion, and fold into a taco shape. Serve with a lime wedge.

Vegan Chipotle Mayonnaise

A fish taco is never complete without a smoky chipotle mayo. The secret behind this flavorful vegan sauce? A touch of umami-packed vegetable bouillon. Double this recipe if you’re having guests, and keep it handy for tacos, tortas, sandwiches, or fresh corn on the cob for some quick elotes.

MAKES A LITTLE MORE THAN ½ CUP (160 ML)

½ cup (120 ml) vegan mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon vegetable bouillon paste
2 tablespoons sauce from canned chipotles in adobo
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Place the mayo, vegetable bouillon, chipotle sauce, and lime juice in a small bowl. Use a fork or a tiny whisk to mix until all the ingredients are fully combined and the sauce is smooth and orange hued. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Quick-Pickled Red Onion

1 large red onion, peeled
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Cut the onion in half lengthwise, then slice each half into thin half- moons. Place them in a medium bowl and add the lime juice and salt. Give the onions a quick massage, then stir in the pepper. Let sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes. The onions should turn a little pink. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Tofu carnitas on a taco. — Photo: Emma Fishman

Tofu Carnitas Tacos

This Coca-Cola– and orange juice–flavored tofu is a play on carnitas (fried shredded pork). Instead of pork, this recipe uses pan-fried tofu. Make sure to freeze the tofu ahead of time or at least one night in advance. Thanks to its unlikely cooking liquids, the filling is both sweet and savory, perfect served with salsa, diced white onion, and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro.

For the tofu carnitas:
1 block (14 ounces/400 g) extra firm tofu, pressed and frozen
4 tablespoons (60 ml) sunflower oil, plus more if needed
¼ large white onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1½ teaspoons fine sea salt 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon mushroom powder
1 dried bay leaf
1 fresh oregano sprig
1 cup (240 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
½ cup (120 ml) cola soda
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
⅛ teaspoon black pepper

For the tacos:
8 or 10 corn tortillas (homemade or store-bought), warmed
Salsa Ranchera (see below)
½ cup (60 g) diced white onion
1⁄3 cup (30 g) finely chopped cilantro

Thaw the tofu completely in the fridge all day or on the counter for 4 hours. Press again and blot the tofu with paper towels to remove excess water.
Cut the block in half crosswise, then dice into ½-inch (1 cm) cubes.
Set a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and pour in 2 tablespoons of the sunflower oil. Once hot, add the tofu in batches and shake the pan to make sure the pieces don’t stick. Fry the tofu for about 3 minutes on all sides until a golden crust forms on the exterior. Transfer the tofu to a
large plate and repeat until all of the tofu has been fried. Add more oil as necessary to ensure the pan doesn’t dry out. Adjust the heat if it’s too hot when working in batches; the tofu should be golden, not browned.
Let the pan cool, then pour any remaining oil into the trash and wipe out the pan. Place it back over medium heat and pour in another 1 tablespoon of the oil. Once hot, add the onion and cook until it starts to brown, about 7 minutes, stirring intermittently. Add all the tofu back into the pan and stir in 1 teaspoon of the salt, the garlic powder, and mushroom powder. Add the bay leaf and oregano and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the oregano is fragrant.
Pour in the orange juice, soda, and lime juice. Simmer for about 6 minutes, then reduce heat to low. Add the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and the pepper and stir. Cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes, until most of the liquid has reduced. Remove the bay leaf and oregano sprig.
Serve the tofu carnitas tucked into warm tortillas, topped with salsa, white onion, and cilantro.

Salsa Ranchera

This salsa celebrates produce in every way—raw, cooked, browned, and charred.

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS (480 ML)

½ to 1 serrano chile, halved lengthwise
1 large or 2 small heirloom tomatoes, or 3 large Roma tomatoes
¼ large white onion, peeled
3 garlic cloves, peeled 2 teaspoons olive oil
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ cup (60 ml) water

Scrape all the seeds out of the serrano chile or leave some in, depending on how hot you want the salsa.
Place a comal, flat-top griddle, or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place the tomato, onion, garlic, and serrano chile pieces on the comal. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, flipping them with tongs, until browned, blistered, and blackened in spots. Remove the onion, garlic, and chile as soon as they’re charred and set them aside on a plate. Leave the tomato on the comal until its skin is sliding off, then transfer it to the plate. Let the vegetables cool.
Combine the onion, chile, garlic, olive oil, salt, and water in a blender and blend until chopped. Add the tomatoes and blend until smooth. Taste for salt and adjust if necessary. Store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.