Buffalo, New York is a city on the shores of Lake Erie in upstate New York boasting a 398-ft art deco City Hall, the Frank Lloyd Wright–designed Darwin D. Martin House and the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, a Greek Revival museum with works by Picasso and Warhol. Obviously, that’s all very impressive, but now-a-days something new is hailing from the city, and it’s the band Aqueous. The four piece is gaining tsunami strength momentum while doing their thing alongside some of the top acts in live music. The band was formed in 2007 by members Mike Gantzer (Guitar/Vocals), David Loss (Guitar/Keys/Vocals) and Evan McPhaden (Bass) bringing the last piece of their puzzle, Rob Houk (Drums/Vocals), on during later years.
I interviewed Aqueous for the Huffington Post recently (you can read the article here) and told them how I dance so hard at their shows that I’m always famished after. Asking them what their favorite thing to eat post show was, they shared that it was tacos. They added some great advice. There’s no need to wait until after the show to chow down on a taco. You can dance and eat them at the same time.
Here’s one of my favorite taco recipes by the Minimalist Baker.
Aqueous Inspired Vegan Tacos
Ingredients
Quinoa
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 cup vegetable broth (may substitute for water)
- 3/4 cup water
Flavor
- 1/2 cup salsa
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp each sea salt and black pepper
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Fixins
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Vegan cheese (I love Daiya)
- Guacamole
- Salsa.
Instructions
- Put on Aqueous’s new album Element Pt.1
- Dance around your kitchen
- Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add rinsed quinoa and toast for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add vegetable broth and water and bring back to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce heat to low, cover with a secure lid, and cook for 15-25 minutes, or until liquid is completely absorbed. Fluff with a fork, then crack lid and let rest for 10 minutes off heat.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).
- Add cooked quinoa to a large mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients (salsa, nutritional yeast, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and oil). Toss to combine, then spread on a lightly greased (or parchment-lined) baking sheet.
- Bake for 20-35 minutes, stirring/tossing once at the halfway point to ensure even baking. The quinoa is done when it’s fragrant and golden brown. Be careful not to burn!
- While baking, dance to Aqueous.
- This quinoa taco meat goes extremely well in crispy taco shells and soft taco shells.
- Add in all the fixins like lettuce, tomato, vegan cheese (I love Daiya), guacamole and salsa.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave, in a 350 degree F (176 C) oven, or in a skillet on the stovetop.
- After your done eating, dance to more Aqueous.
Enjoy!
The magic in me sees the magic in you,
