Community Cookbook: Sink the meat on Cinco de Mayo?! Save some dough and go (mostly) meatless this holiday.

Cinco de Mayo is on May 5. It is more than a holiday celebrating a military victory in the distant past or a single culture. At a deeper level, it’s a celebration of the human spirit and of mankind’s quest for freedom and dignity. Cinco de Mayo isn’t just a once-a-year holiday; it’s a process and a state of mind.

Is it me, or are others experiencing increased heart and respiration rates with some apprehension as they approach the meat departments in today’s grocery stores? Mostly due to the insane trade policies imposed by the current presidential incumbent and his ruling party, the high cost of beef these days lends a prickly resonance to Bart Simpson’s signature retort, “Don’t have a cow, man.”

A pound of 80/20 ground beef currently sells for $7.99 at Safeway and $7.49 at Walmart. Beef prices are predicted to increase by 10% or more through 2026. Its skyrocketing cost is also increasing prices for poultry and pork. Today’s recipes offer an opportunity to explore several tasty and healthy alternatives to the usual meat options. Except for a couple of slices of bacon in Bean Burritos Grandé, these recipes are meat-free.

Textured vegetable protein (TVP) is my favorite meat substitute. When properly reconstituted, TVP looks and tastes similar to ground beef; I’ve been using it to fill tacos, burritos and enchiladas for decades. TVP is made from soy beans and has significant nutritional benefits. It’s high in protein and fiber, and low in carbohydrates, with zero fat and cholesterol. TVP contains a third of the calories in lean ground beef at a fraction of the cost. It’s available in dehydrated flakes that reconstitute quickly, making it easy to store and use. Use it to replace ground beef in many dishes, or combine it with ground beef to stretch your food budget while adding nutritional value.

Baked Black Bean Tacos

Baking tacos can be a little easier and less messy than frying them. These baked tacos make excellent party tacos. You can also make them with ground beef, shredded chicken, or pork rather than beans. They can be made in advance and reheated in an oven or microwave when needed.

6 (5- to 6-inch) corn tortillas

1 (15-ounce) can refried black beans

¾ cup shredded cheese

Cooking oil

1⅛ cup shredded lettuce

Minced onion (optional)

Salsa for serving

Set a 15-by-10-inch or larger shallow baking pan on a rack in the middle position of an oven and heat it to 450 degrees. While heating, stack the tortillas in a microwaveable container with a loose-fitting lid (include a damp paper towel with older, drier tortillas). Heat in a microwave oven until the tortillas are warm and flexible (50 seconds in a 1,000-watt oven), flipping the stack halfway through. Lay 2 tortillas on a flat surface and evenly spread 2 tablespoons of beans on half of each tortilla, to within ⅜-inch of the edges. Top the beans with 2 tablespoons of cheese. Fold the empty sides of the tortillas over the filling, lightly pressing to secure. Transfer the tacos to a tray with the uncovered sides down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. When the oven reaches temperature, remove the pan and place the tacos on it, leaving a little space between each. Lightly coat the tortillas’ exteriors with cooking oil and bake 4-5 minutes on each side. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack (some of the filling may have oozed out a little). When cooled enough to handle, open the tacos and fill them with minced onion and salsa (both optional), and 3 tablespoons of lettuce. Lightly squeeze the tacos to secure the filling; serve with salsa.

Notes: Allens, Carlita, Taco Bell, and Rosarita are the best canned refried beans I’ve tasted. A 15-ounce can will fill 14 tacos.

Yield: Six tacos

Where’s the Beef Taco Filling

Textured vegetable protein (TVP) is an excellent source of complete protein and fiber. It has no fat or cholesterol, and it’s clean and easy to use. It costs a fraction of what ground beef does. What if TVP can make a passable substitute for ground beef? This recipe does just that. Use Where’s the Beef Taco filling in tacos, enchiladas, and burritos.

1 cup unflavored textured vegetable protein (⅛-inch flakes)

1½ cup water

⅓ cup smooth salsa

2 tablespoons taco seasoning

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

2-3 tablespoons smooth salsa

Combine the first five ingredients (through sugar) in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, gradually reducing the heat until the liquid evaporates, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Stir in 2 or 3 tablespoons of salsa.

Notes: Add minced onion and jalapeño pepper after cooking for extra spiciness and some crunch. Bob’s Red Mill offers an excellent TVP product at Kroger/Fred Meyer stores and, by order, from Walmart. You can also find it in many health food stores.

Yield: 4 1/2 cups

Bean Burritos Grandé

It’s hard to beat a good bean burrito for part of a meal or as an anytime snack. The smoky flavor of the bacon carries these bean burritos over the top. Fry, bake, or reheat them in a microwave oven. They can be made ahead and frozen until time to use. Taco Bell, Allens, Carlita, and Rosarita brands are good choices for canned refried beans.

2 slices thick-cut bacon

1 tablespoon bacon grease or cooking oil

½ cup chopped onion

⅛ teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped jalapeño pepper

1 (16-ounce) can refried beans

½ cup finely chopped cilantro leaves

2-3 tablespoons salsa

8 (8-inch) flour tortillas

½-¾ cup shredded Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack cheese

Salsa for serving

Cut the bacon slices into four pieces each. Cook in a single layer in a medium skillet over high-medium heat until well done, turning occasionally. Remove the bacon from the skillet and let cool, leaving 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the skillet (use cooking oil if needed). Add the onion and salt. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the jalapeño pepper and cook until the vegetables are tender but still slightly firm, stirring occasionally. Trim most of the fat off the bacon and finely chop the remaining meat. Combine the bacon, vegetables, beans, cilantro, and 2-3 tablespoons of salsa in a medium bowl (the filling needs to be thick). To prepare a burrito, warm a tortilla in a microwave oven on high power for 10 seconds. Lay it on a flat surface and spread a scant ⅓ cup of the beans evenly in a 2-inch width along the centerline of the tortilla, to within 1¼ inch of each end. Top the beans with 2 tablespoons of cheese. Fold the lower flap over the filling. Compress the filling by lightly dragging the folded flap back slightly. Fold the uncovered portion of both ends of the tortilla over the lower flap, then roll the folded portion and filling over the remaining flap, leaving the seam side down. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Warm in the microwave on high power until heated through, about 25-30 seconds for each burrito. Serve with salsa.

Notes: To serve enchilada-style, smother hot burritos with enchilada sauce or salsa; heat in the microwave until the sauce is warmed, then top with plenty of cheese, chopped onion, and shredded lettuce.

Yields: Eight burritos

Red Salsa

Many of the Mexican dishes we’re familiar with aren’t complete without salsa. I think home cooks can benefit from having at least two good salsa recipes in their kitchen arsenal: a red salsa (Salsa de Chile Rojo) and a green salsa (Salsa de Chile Verde). Here’s my take on an uncooked red salsa.

1 (14½-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

4 serrano chilies, sliced into ½-inch thick rings

¼ cup chopped onion

1½-2 tablespoons lime juice

½ teaspoon granulated sugar

¼ plus ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup chopped cilantro leaves

Place all ingredients, except cilantro, in a blender. Proceed up through the blender settings to purée. Stir in the cilantro and blend with several quick pulses. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and let rest at room temperature, or refrigerate for an hour or so to allow the flavors to blend.

Notes: Moderate the salsa’s heat by using milder chilies or peppers in place of some or all of the serrano chilies.

Yield: About 3 cups

Contact Dick Sellers at dickskitchencorner@outlook.com