Very Good Veggie Tacos

I’m a meat eater and I love carnitas, al pastor, barbacoa, and tinga chicken tacos…just to name a few. So when Dillon and I were watching The Chef Show and saw these two wonderful women making sweet potato tacos, my ears perked up, and my initial instinct was no way would I ever choose a veggie taco over a delicious tried and true taco such as a taco al pastor. But then a Tuesday night rolls around and I find myself craving our version of these very good veggie tacos (and yes, tacos al pastor are still on my mind, but they always are so that doesn’t count ☺️).

These tacos rule. I don’t need to say more, but I will. Instead of putting grated cheese on top, I add a handful of it to my skillet and fry it into my tortilla! It’s sooo good. I then add a tangy pineapple salsa to top it off.

RECIPE - yields 7-8 tacos
TIME - 45-60 minutes

INGREDIENTS

For the tacos:

• 8 medium sized tortillas (I normally use flour for these tacos, but corn would work too!)

• 2 small sweet potatoes, diced into 1-inch pieces

• 1 can of black beans

• 1 poblano pepper, diced into 1/2-inch pieces

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon Trader Joe’s Chili Lime seasoning blend

• 1/2 teaspoon Frontier Co-Op Chili Powder with Cumin, Garlic, & Oregano

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese

• 1 cup finely grated cotija cheese, more to finish tacos (I normally buy this pre-grated.)

For the salsa:

• 1/2 cup of pineapple, finely diced

• 2 roma tomatoes, finely diced

• 1 jalapeno, finely diced

• 1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped

• Zest and juice of 1 lime

• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Dice sweet potatoes and poblano pepper and add to a baking sheet.

3. Drain and rinse black beans and add to baking sheet.

4. Add olive oil, seasonings, salt and pepper to vegetables and stir to combine. Cook at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes (until sweet potatoes are tender).

5. While vegetables cook, dice pineapple, tomatoes, and jalapeno and finely chop cilantro. Add half to a bowl and smash with a fork until juices are released. Add in remaining half and stir to combine.

6. Add in lime juice and zest, salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Set aside.

7. Combined grated cheddar cheese and cotija cheese in a bowl.

8. Over medium-high heat, add a drizzle of olive oil to a large skillet. Working 1 to 2 tortillas at a time, add a small handful of cheese per tortilla (about 1/4 cup per tortilla). Press your tortilla into the cheese and let fry for about 15-30 seconds until the cheese is melted and crispy. With a spatula (metal works best), flip the tortillas over and cook for another 15-30 seconds on the other side. Continue through until all tortillas are cooked.

9. Add cooked vegetables, pineapple salsa, fresh cilantro, and cotija cheese to your tortillas. Serve with lime wedges for garnish.