If you want to know how these delicious veggie-friendly tacos taste you can go on and skip to the third paragraph, but I wanted to start out by explaining why recently I’ve opted for making more vegetarian recipes on the blog.
Being born and raised in Iowa I’m definitely a meat and potatoes kind of girl. I love a good rare steak, sizzling bacon, and fried chicken, however I want to be mindful about where my meat is coming from. I want to get away from super market meat and look for local farmers raising their animals humanely and not in a mass produced way. My parents purchase half of a cow once a year from a local farm that gets processed at a local meat locker. It’s where 95% of our beef comes from and actually ends up being much cheaper than purchasing from a local grocer as well. So that being said.. I’m still an omnivore, but I’m going to be a more mindful one and that will mean a little less meat consumption.
Now onto the good stuff!
I didn’t even really notice that these were vegetarian tacos because I kind of wolfed them down. They were spicy, filling, and really quick to make. The cauliflower actually finished cooking before I had my coleslaw and sauce made! The cauliflower was tossed in olive oil and spices, then roasted in the oven, leaving the edges nice and crispy. Crunchy coleslaw made with fresh bell pepper and jalapeño adds a bit of spice and kick, and a zesty avocado cilantro sauce made with Greek yogurt helps balance the spice so it’s not overpowering. These are great to whip up for a quick family dinner (the kids won’t even know they’re eating cauliflower!) or for a party when you’ll be serving guests with varying diet choices.
(makes 8 tacos)
Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Small corn tortillas for serving
Mexican Coleslaw – Recipe adapted from Food Fanatic
Half of a head of green cabbage
2 carrots, shredded
1 red bell pepper
1 large jalapeño
Juice from 1 lime
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs honey
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
(makes about 1 1/2 cups)
Avocado Cilantro Sauce:
2 garlic cloves
1 avocado, pit and skin removed
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro leaves
Juice from one lime
A pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
Wash and dry cauliflower and then chop into small bite size pieces. Add to a large bowl with olive oil and seasonings. Toss to evenly coat in oil and spices. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until edges of the cauliflower are just starting to crisp.
For the coleslaw, combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to mix. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. This can also be made the night before.
For the avocado cilantro sauce, add garlic cloves to a food processor and puree until minced, add remaining sauce ingredients, and process for 1 minute, pausing to scrape down the sides as needed, or until pureed. Transfer to a sealing container and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Sauce will keep for up 5-7 days. Since it has avocado in it you will notice a little oxidization on the top, but just stir and you’ll be just fine! This can also be made the night before.
Now you can dish it all up! Add a few spoonfuls of coleslaw, then cauliflower, and top it all off with as little or as much sauce as you would like, and serve!
Enjoy!
