Don’t you hate when a recipe calls for teeny amounts? Like a tablespoon of wheat germ or 1/3 cup buttermilk* or a pinch of espresso powder.
That’s how I felt about the recipe for the Eggs Poached in Tomatillo Salsa. Sure, you can easily find ways to use the extra cilantro and queso fresco, but if you’re anything like me, what’s more likely to happen is that in a week, you’ll be cursing under your breath as you find the spoiled bag of herbs in the bottom of your crisper.**
These tacos were made as an answer to those ingredients staring back at me from the fridge. There are several crossovers: the cilantro and cheese, lime and garlic, and scallions, but the result is an entirely different dinner entirely, especially when paired paired against the spicy smoky cauliflower and the earthy sweet potato mash.
Can we be real for a second? There are several components, but I have two thoughts about this.
One, aren’t tacos always slightly more work than you anticipated, anyway? Even if you’re making the classic ground meat-seasoning-packet combo, you’re still cooking the meat, washing and cutting lettuce, tomatoes and onions, putting the cheese and sour cream in bowls, mashing an avocado and warming your taco shells.
And two, this is the perfect meal to make on the weekend and serve during the week. When it’s time to eat, just reheat the cauliflower and sweet potato, warm your tortillas and set it all out on the table. Then, let everyone assemble their own (unless of course my daughter is over, because she will initially try to make hers all cheese and pumpkin seeds, before finally remembering, near the end of the meal, that she actually loves sweet potatoes and cauliflower).
As for that cauliflower, I purposely call for cooking the entire head. It probably won’t all be used that night, but the possibilities for the leftovers are endless. Also, I’m assuming that we cannot be the only house dealing with pre-dinner nibblers who are incapable of ignoring the tray of roasted cauliflower waiting for dinner.
We used flour tortillas here, but corn would be great, too. Oh, if you can find the corn-flour hybrids that are popping up all over the place, go for it: the flavor of corn with the texture of the flour is an unbeatable combination.
Another advantage to cooking ahead of time? When it’s time to eat, your table, conceivably, will no longer look like this. Although this is fun to try to eat around, too.
*I have been trying to get this post out for weeks, and when I just reread this, that was when I remembered that I do, in fact, have a carton of buttermilk, from these biscuits that were made for Thanksgiving, lurking in the back of the fridge.
**OK, if you want to know the truth, I did not curse at the cilantro this time. I cursed at the queso fresco. I planned to make this two days after the poached eggs, but life got in the way and two days turned into five. Just before dinner, I pulled out the queso fresco and it had turned. Goat cheese was our pinch hitter and it was fine, but I would have preferred queso fresco, or even feta.
If you're making the cilantro mixture to use right away, I think 2 tablespoons of oil is sufficient. However, when made ahead of time, it firms up considerably and if you do not add a bit more oil, I think you'll be looking for a saucy component.
Two things about the sweet potatoes: you'll notice that there are two. I cooked one for the baby, and one for this dish, at the same time. Secondly, I call for cooking the sweet potato and cauliflower together, but if you want to deal with them on two different days, go for it.
- Sweet Potato Mash
- 1 sweet potato (about 18 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- Roasted Smoked Paprika Cauliflower
- 1 cauliflower (about 2½ pounds)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Cilantro Pumpkin Seed Sauce
- 3 ounces cilantro stems and leaves
- ⅓ cup shelled pumpkin seeds
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2-4 tablespoons olive oil
- For Serving
- 10 (6-inch) flour or corn tortillas
- 3-4 ounces queso fresco, feta or goat cheese
- ¼ cup remaining toasted pumpkin seeds
- Place racks in the bottom and top thirds of oven. Heat oven to 425°F.
- For the sweet potato
- Rinse and dry sweet potato; using fork, pierce entire surface. Wrap in aluminum foil. Roast 1 hour-1 hour 20 minutes, or until completely tender and softened (see next paragraph for more information). Let sit until just cool enough to handle. Remove skin (turn it into chips!). Using a large fork, or potato masher, mash potato. Stir in cumin, salt and coriander.
- For the cauliflower
- Meanwhile, remove leaves from cauliflower; remove and discard core. Cut cauliflower into medium florets. In large bowl, toss cauliflower with olive oil, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, chipotle chili powder and black pepper. Divide between two baking pans coated with cooking spray. When the sweet potato has about 30 minutes remaining, using oven mitts, carefully place it on one of the pans of cauliflower. Place both pans in the oven. Roast 30 minutes, turning once and switching pans from top to bottom, midway through, or until caramelized and tender.
- For the sauce
- Fill large bowl with water. Rinse cilantro. Place in bowl with water; swish cilantro around and let it hang out for a few minutes while getting other things prepped. Remove cilantro from bowl. Drain water, rinse bowl and repeat rinsing, swishing and soaking two more times. Dry cilantro as well as possible; roughly chop.
- Meanwhile, in small skillet over medium-low heat, toast pumpkin seeds 5 minutes, or until you can smell them toasting, shaking the pan often. Immediately transfer to bowl of food processor; let cool for at least 5 minutes. Add garlic, salt and cracked black pepper to taste. Pulse 5-7 times, or until the pieces of the mixture are small and crumbly.
- Add cilantro and lime juice. Pulse 5 more times, or until combined. With motor running, drizzle in 2 tablespoons olive oil (you may need to stop after 1 tablespoon to scrape down the sides). Taste and adjust seasoning, drizzling in more lime juice, if necessary.
- To serve
- Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil. Warm in oven 10 minutes. Spread tortillas with sweet potato mixture. Top with cauliflower. Drizzle with cilantro sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and pumpkin seeds.
• The cauliflower, sweet potatoes and sauce can all be made, cooled, covered and refrigerated up to three days ahead of time. Reheat the cauliflower and sweet potatoes before serving.
Leave a Reply