The holiday season has come to an end but our palates are still craving delicious and inspired meals. During our last week of the winter session of Sylvia Center family classes, we found a real crowd-pleasing recipe with our Roasted Vegetable Tacos with Cowboy Caviar. Roasted butternut squash and cauliflower replaced typical ground beef, but children and parents alike were impressed with this plant-based substitute. If you can’t find butternut for this recipe, substitute honeynut, delicata or acorn. A bit of spice from chili powder pairs nicely with the sweetness of the squash.
To accompany this taco filling is an ever-popular recipe for Cowboy Caviar. Black-eyed peas and black beans create a “caviar” look. Bell peppers, red onion, tomatoes, jalapeno and cilantro add texture, color and flavor to the beans. This array of vegetables and legumes are all tossed in a vibrant lime dressing. Topping choices for these tacos are endless, but we like shredded cheddar, crunchy cabbage, avocado and a dab of creamy Greek yogurt.
Roasted Vegetable Tacos
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets (about 3-4 cups)
1 small butternut squash, diced
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons of chile powder
2 teaspoons of salt
12 corn or flour tortillas
Toppings:
Avocado
Shredded cheddar
Lowfat plain Greek yogurt
Shredded cabbage or lettuce
Cowboy Caviar (recipe below)
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
2. In a large bowl, toss together the cauliflower, squash, olive oil, chile powder and salt.
3. Spread evenly on the baking sheet and roast until tender and golden brown, about 30-35 minutes.
4. Assemble tacos, filling the tortillas with roasted veggies and toppings.
Cowboy Caviar
Makes 4 cups
Ingredients:
1 (14-ounce) can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 (14-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 ½ cups corn kernels (about 2 ears of corn, or frozen is fine)
1 ½ cups diced tomatoes, any variety
1 medium red, orange or yellow bell pepper
¾ cup chopped red onion (about ½ small red onion), or any other variety
½ cup chopped cilantro, leaves and stems
1 jalapeño, ribs removed, seeded and finely chopped
For the Dressing:
⅓ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lime juice, fresh or bottled
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 to 1½ teaspoons salt, to taste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 teaspoon honey
Instructions:
1. In a large serving bowl, combine the drained black-eyed peas, black beans, corn, chopped tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, cilantro and jalapeño.
2. In a cup, whisk together the dressing ingredients until emulsified. Drizzle the dressing over the serving bowl and toss until well mixed. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. For best flavor, let the mixture marinate for at least 20 minutes before serving.
