Tacos are a blank canvas for your creativity and nourishing pleasure. There is no wrong you can do (aka no judgments here). All you can do is think about what sounds good to you, place it in a toasted tortilla and enjoy mindfully!
I find it is so helpful to have a functional recipe like this on hand for those meals you want to taste good, be healthy, but don’t have much bandwidth to “make it fancy.” This recipe is also a great vehicle for leftovers. Something to keep in mind, just because we are having tacos, doesn’t mean it has to be seasoned with Mexican inspired spices. Use your intuition to guide you as you build your tacos. Use the recipe below for more inspiration and mindful cooking guidance.
My favorite tortilla brands (all are gf):
Guerrero corn Tortillas (not the cleanest ingredients, but cheap and good quality)
Food for Life: Ezekiel Small Sprouted Grain Tortillas (typically sold at Trader Joes. These are hardy in flavor).
What’s your favorite brand? Share with us below!
Ingredients: (Recipe is for around ~8 tacos)
Tortillas of your choosing
3 different types of veggies for roasting.
My go-tos:
1/4 of a large head of red cabbage
whole head of cauliflower
1 large sweet potato or 2 medium
1/2 of yellow onion sliced
Beans of your choice (ie. one can or 2 cups of freshly made black beans, kidney beans, white beans, garbanzo beans or hummus)
Garlic powder, salt & pepper for seasoning the veggies
Favorite salsa (topping)
1 ripe avocado (for topping)
Olive oil
Optional: Cheddar cheese (or sub feta or any other favorite cheese. If going vegan, you can sprinkle some nutritional yeast on your finished product or your favorite vegan cheese)
Optional: fresh tomato slices and lettuce to top at the end for some fresh crunch
Directions:
Set the oven to 400 F.
As the oven heats up, wash and prep your veggies. As you wash each vegetable under running water, take a moment of gratitude for this vegetable and all of the miles it has traveled to be right here. Thank the farmers, the sun, the nutrients in the soil for gifting this beautiful vegetable that is in your hands. Appreciate the color, texture and nutrients.
Dry off the veggies with a clean rag, paper towel or shake them well to air dry.
Cut the cauliflower into small florets ~1 inch - 1.5 inches. You can use the stems as well, cutting the same size. Notice the bumpy texture of the cauliflower. Notice any memories that arise. Smells? Place off to the side to keep drying.
Slice about 1/4 of a large red cabbage into slivers. You want the slices to be ~1/3 of an inch. Not too small because they will get cooked too fast in the oven. Notice what thoughts arise as you chop. What’s your relationship to the color of the cabbage?
Cube the sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch - 1 inch size pieces. With curiosity (not judgment), notice the difference in texture of the sweet potatoes versus the other vegetables.
Slice up the yellow onion in small to medium slices. What’s your relationship to onions as you chop them. What memories or sensations does the smell evoke?
Take a large baking sheet and drizzle some olive oil on the base of the band so there is a light layer. Next, sprinkle the veggies and onions on the tray like you are a painter splattering color on a canvas. It is ok if veggies are slightly stacked on each other, however you want them to have room to cook instead of steam. Notice the color, texture and size combination. What sensations arise in your present moment experience? Notice if you can make whatever you are feeling be OK. No need to judge.
Sprinkle with salt, garlic powder and pepper. Use your senses to determine how much to use. Smell, see and feel. You can always add more while you cook or at the end of the roasting session. Sprinkle with a splash more of olive oil. Shake the tray to help move everything around.
Place veggies in the oven and roast for 45 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are soft, the onions are slightly burned and caramelized and the cauliflower is browned.
While the veggies cook, it is time to prep the beans. If you are using canned beans, open the can, rinse and drain them. Personally, I don’t love the slimy texture of canned beans so I put them in the oven, toaster oven or frying pan to “toast” them up. If you are using hummus no need to prep anything. Get curious, why did you decide to cook with this type of bean? What do you like about it?
When the veggies are complete, let them cool. Notice how the colors and textures have shifted. What smell is alive in the kitchen?
While the oven is still hot, but turned off (or in a separate toaster oven), place the tortillas with your choice of cheese. Notice the texture of the tortillas. The the color. Let the cheese melt and maybe get slightly bubbly. Notice if your body craves a lot of cheese or a little bit. Try to not judge what the body craves, just lovingly notice.
While the tortillas warm, prep your toppings of choice. Slice the avocado into slices, mash it up or cube it. Play around with what tastes fun in your mouth.
When the tortillas are ready, add a spoon full (or two or three) of your beans to the base. Follow by a big spoon full of veggies and topped with avocado and any other topping. Use as much salsa (and or hot sauce) as you like.
Enjoy these little bundles of veggie love because in just a few bites they will magically be in your belly. Notice how it feels to eat with your hands and get a little messy. Notice how your body feels afterwards.
Store leftovers veggies in the fridge and heat up for easy, quick and delicious meals throughout the week.