By: McKel Kooienga, MS, RDN, LDN for nutritionstripped.com
Traditionally when most of us think of tacos, we think of them being filled with pork, beef, chicken, or even fish. There’s nothing wrong with having those fillings, but I’m on a mission to get you to enjoy those veggies more often than not and to do so requires some really awesome plant-based ingredients.
Ingredients
Filling
• 1 cup walnuts coarsely chopped.
• 1 cup chickpeas (can use canned, well rinsed)
• 1 large, sweet potato, diced into chunks (should yield 2 cups)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (for cooking)
Taco Spices
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
Peppers
• 1 whole small red onion (yields 1/2 cup), sliced into thin strips.
• 1 large red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips.
• 1 large green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips.
• 1 large yellow bell pepper, sliced into thin strips.
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 cloves garlic, diced.
• a pinch of sea salt
Directions
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake chopped sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon coconut oil, a dash of cinnamon and cumin for 30-45 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
• Set aside the baked sweet potatoes for later.
• While the sweet potatoes are cooking prepare everything else.
• First, in a food processor or blender pulse the chickpeas and walnuts together to create a coarsely chopped mixture.
• In a medium heated skillet, add 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil, chopped walnuts, beans, and seasonings. Stir to warm through and combine, adding a little bit of water as needed to bring the mixture together.
• Cook/warm through for about 5 minutes, add baked sweet potatoes last and only to toss around in the spices with everything else.
• Take off the heat and put in a large serving bowl.
Peppers
• Simply sauté the onions, garlic, and tri-colored bell peppers in coconut oil on medium heat until softened.
Assembly
• Use this filling to stuff corn or brown rice tortillas, salsa, cashew cheese, etc.
• This stays well in the refrigerator for up to a week and makes great leftovers.
• Enjoy!
