Spiced Sweet Potato & Grilled Portobello Tacos
Hello everyone! This is Rita here. Summer temperatures have reached level UNBEARABLE in the last few days, so we are declaring barbecue season officially open. And by this we mean lunch parties with friends that last the whole day long (and night!), sunbathing, water splashing and, of course, loads of delicious vegan food that requires neither fork nor knife. Our garden is currently undergoing a little makeover but once it is done, we'll be spending pretty much our whole days outside.
These tacos were inspired by a yummy meal we had last summer while we were in Oslo (oh hai Taqueria!), sided with a couple of cold Coronas and a few other grillable goodies that we're saving for another summer post. Our version has conquered the hearts and tummies of many friends and family members. It's a delicious, filling, high carb low fat vegan meal that will have absolutely no one demanding to put some meat on the grill. The sweet potato and grilled portobello mushrooms combo will make sure every belly is full and every soul is satisfied. And since this is a vegan meal with absolutely no added oils, it's still super light on the system; which means... More splashing around in the water instead of sitting in a corner waiting to digest that heavy brick sitting on your stomach! Carbs are the perfect fuel for our bodies and this is one more recipe that proves just that.
We deliberately chose to not create a sauce for this one because these are absolutely delicious on their own, with a spoonful of pico de gallo and a squeeze of lime juice. The potatoes are crisp on the edges but completely soft in the middle and the mushrooms should feel completely dry on the outside but still retain their juiciness once they're sliced. It's super easy to double or triple the amounts and make sure you cook enough for a whole football team (teehee had to put this one in... Go Portugal!). The spice mix as described in the recipe below makes enough for three or four goes, so all you have to do is get yourself some sweet potatoes, some portobello mushrooms and the precious company of as many easy-going (and hungry) friends you can summon. Just make sure you let us in as well by sharing photos of your yummy meals with the hashtag #cocooncooksblog so we can see them. Have a good one, friends!
Spiced Sweet Potato& Grilled Portobello Tacos
40 minutes | makes 8 tacos
INGREDIENTS
small wheat tortillas (choose gluten free tortillas if you are intolerant to gluten)
1 large sweet potato (550 gr.), peeled and cut into 1,5 cm cubes
2 portobello mushrooms, de-stemmed
1/3 cup raw cashews
a few spring of cilantro
jalapeños, thinly sliced
lime
sea salt & black pepper to taste
SPICE MIX
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1/4 tsp vanilla powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
PICO DE GALLO
1 medium ripe tomato, finely chopped
1/4 cup cucumber, deseeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup raw corn kernels
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, center germ removed and crushed with a garlic crusher
10 sprigs of cilantro, finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
black pepper to taste
STEP BY STEP
Start by gathering, preparing and measuring all of the ingredients. This will improve your dynamic in the kitchen.
Pre-heat your oven to 430ºF | 220ºC.
Turn on your grill (if you don't have one, you may grill the mushrooms in a grill pan on high heat).
Prepare the pico de gallo by combining all of the ingredients in a bowl.
Place the bowl in the fridge while you prepare the rest of your meal.
Combine all the ingredients for the spice mix in a small bowl or jar and mix thoroughly.
Place the sweet potato cubes in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle 1 heaped tablespoon of the prepared spice mix.
Toss the potatoes in the bowl to make sure they are evenly coated with the spices.
Scatter the potatoes in a large baking tray lined with parchment paper. Make sure the cubes are not touching each other (a bit of a pain, but totally worth it).
Place the tray in the oven for 25 minutes.
While the potatoes are baking, season the gill side of the portobello mushrooms with sea salt and black pepper and place them on your grill.
Grill for 3-4 minutes on each side or until they are cooked through and a bit charred on the edges.
Remove the mushrooms from the heat and slice them.
Toast the cashews for a couple of minutes on a dry pan on high heat, always tossing them to make sure they don't burn.
Gather all of the components, assemble your tacos and enjoy!
WE HOPE YOU ENJOY!
Share the photos of your creations on Instagram with the tag #cocooncooksblog so we can see it! xo