Cauliflower and Chickpea Tacos

Tacos come in many forms from ground beef to fish to veggie, but no matter the filling the end result is deliciousness. I love the crunch from the shell (if you are using that), the savory fillings and the salsas - sometimes sweet as in mango, sometimes spicy as in tomatillo with chilies and sometimes smokey, they all work in one form or another. 

There are times when I shop with purpose and other times with abandon. I browse around the produce section of my favorite store and grab what looks good or what I am in the mood for. Last week at our local market the mangos were on sale for 50 cents each (I know right), so I grabbed 3 or 4 with the hope that we would find a way to incorporate them into our weekly meals. 

Little did I know that chili-roasted cauliflower and chickpeas topped with a colorful, refreshing mango salsa wrapped in a toasty tortilla would land on my table - .the ultimate meatless handheld delight that is low in calories and packed with flavor.

One of the reasons I love mango so much is because of how it can be used in such a variety of savory dishes. Everything from salsa and salads to marinades and stir-fry. It has just the right dose of sweetness to balance out savory, salty and spicy flavors.

Even though the recipe calls for both jalapeños and chili powder, I promise these tacos are not spicy at all. I’d classify their heat level as “warm.” Read on and if you dare, give them a try.

Ingredients

Tacos

10 corn or flour tortillas

4 cups chopped cauliflower (~1 small head)

1 cup cooked chickpeas (if using canned, be sure to drain and rinse them)

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp cumin

Zest of 1 lime

Pinch of sea salt and black pepper to taste

Mango Salsa

1 mango, peeled and diced

1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped

½ red bell pepper, diced

Juice of 1 lime

3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line two rimmed baking sheets with foil.

Combine cauliflower and chickpeas in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, combine olive oil, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, lime zest, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine. Pour over cauliflower and chickpeas and toss to evenly distribute.

Spread mixture evenly onto baking sheets (try to avoid crowding) and roast for 25 minutes, tossing once halfway through.

In the meantime, prepare the salsa by combining all ingredients in a large bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To prepare tacos, fill shells/wraps with cauliflower and chickpeas, top with 2-3 tbsp of mango salsa and additional toppings if desired: cabbage slaw, extra cilantro, lime juice, and yogurt. Enjoy!

Carrot Ginger Soup with Chickpea Artichoke Bread

Just took a batch of chickpea flour bread with artichokes and garlic out of the oven - it smells delicious. Traditionally Dan is the bread baker in our house but I found this recipe and it looked so delicious that I had to give it a try. I love love love artichokes, in salads, on pizza, in dips (the super cheesy, gooey kind I should not eat) and well now bread. 

I’ve been trying to get more organized about my cooking these days and by organized, I mean having a sense of what we’ll have over the course of a week. It makes my grocery shopping easier and I don’t end up with lots of things that I really don’t need. This week we seemed to have an abundance of carrots so carrot ginger soup came to mind. 

I have to confess I got an immersion blender for Christmas. I asked Santa for one last year but he didn’t see his way to bringing me one so finally, I purchased it myself and gave it to Santa - score!

Seems like snow, wind and cold are on the way - the leftovers will be good for a quiet night by the fire watching the latest season of Frankie and Grace!

Carrot Ginger Soup

Ingredients:

2-3 tbsp low-sodium vegetable broth

1 medium onion diced

5 cups carrots chopped (about 10 medium carrots)

1 medium sweet potato peeled and diced (about 2 cups)

4 - 6 garlic cloves minced - I used 5

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 inch piece of ginger peeled and grated

1/2 tsp dried thyme

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1/2 tsp Himalayan pink sea salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

14 oz canned coconut milk

Instructions:
In a 6-quart dutch oven, saute the diced red onion in 2-3 tbsp of low-sodium vegetable broth until it’s translucent. Season with a pinch of salt to help the onions caramelize. 

Add chopped sweet potatoes, carrots, cinnamon, grated ginger, minced garlic, thyme, low-sodium vegetable broth, salt, and pepper. Give it a good stir and bring it to a low simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the soup, and let it cook for 30 minutes or until all the vegetables are soft. 

Blend the soup with an immersion blender until thick and creamy. Add the unsweetened coconut milk and mix it well. Let the soup cook a few more minutes until it's hot all the way through. Taste and add any additional seasonings now.

Chickpea Artichoke Bread

ingredients:

1 1/4 cup chickpea flour

1 1/2 cup water

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 cup marinated artichoke hearts chopped

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425° F.

Add the chickpea flour, salt, and nutritional yeast to a mixing bowl and then add the water. Stir with a whisk for about 30 seconds until all the lumps are gone and you have a thin pancake-like batter. Add the arctics, oregano, and garlic powder.

Grease a small 8x8 baking dish with about 1 tbsp of oil and pour the batter into the dish. (You could also use an iron skillet or a pie dish).

Bake at 425° F for 20 minutes, then take out of the oven and sprinkle with Kosher salt (optional). Turn down the oven to 350° F and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

Thanks for Stopping By!

Welcome to the Roaring 20's

Happy New Year and welcome to the Roaring Twenties, I’m hoping they are as amazing as the last ones. This new decade has the promise of change; retirement, travel, volunteering and enjoying life.  

Last year I cut my hours back to 25 a week and I am loving my afternoons off, it allows me to volunteer at the school, exercise at the local health club and spend time with friends and family when I’m not so tired.

I have goals for 2020 - blog more often (which means cooking blog-worthy food more often), read 52 books (1 a week), volunteer at the Arboretum’s new Red Barn and workout 5 days a week. It might be an ambitious list but I think I can do it. 

I got the recipe for the BBQ tofu bowls from Dan’s cousin Elwood McCreary. We were at a birthday party for his lovely wife Marie and he made this - one taste and I was hooked. The original recipe is from The Kitchen - it is delicious, and honestly, I wanted to lick the bowl clean it is that good. 

The recipe calls for a yogurt-based sauce but since I don’t do dairy I eliminated it - next time maybe an avocado sauce would be good. This will definitely be in the regular rotation. 

Ingredients:

14 to 16 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained and patted dry

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for the baking sheet

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds total), cut into 1/2-inch-thick half-moons

3 cups broccoli florets (about 1 medium head)

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

1 cup cooked brown rice

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro - optional

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°F and lightly coat 2 rimmed baking sheets with olive oil.

Wrap the block of tofu in a few layers of paper towels, then set on a dinner plate or cutting board. Weigh it down with a heavy object and drain. Tear the tofu into bite-sized pieces.

Place the sweet paprika, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper, and smoked paprika in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Pour in 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil and stir to combine. Add the tofu and gently stir to evenly coat. 

Place the tofu in a single layer on one of the prepared baking sheets. Place the sweet potato and broccoli on the other baking sheet. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, sprinkle with salt and toss to coat. Spread into an even layer.

Roast the tofu and vegetables for 15 minutes. Flip the tofu and sweet potatoes, and toss the broccoli. Rotate the baking sheets between racks and from front to back. Roast until the tofu and vegetables are lightly browned, about 15 minutes more.

Drizzle the tofu with the barbecue sauce and toss to combine. Divide the rice and black beans between 4 serving bowls. Top with the tofu, sweet potato, and broccoli. Drizzle with the dressing and garnish with the cilantro. Serve warm.