If you know me well enough, you know I love a good taco. Want to make me happy? Feed me a taco. Want to bribe me? Probably a good idea to find some tacos. I lived in Mexico for a very short time during college and my affection for the tortilla grew exponentially. Putting things INSIDE the tortilla? You won my heart.
Eating a pesco-vegetarian diet, I will be honest – sometimes I get bored of making the same old black bean tacos with some salsa and tomatoes, or grilled shrimp tacos with pico and extra cilantro. I decided to mix it up a bit by introducing cauliflower and meaty portobello mushrooms to my beloved little circles of corn. And smoked paprika. I can never get enough of the stuff. It really compliments the bright, citrusy flavor of the chili lime mayo.
Ingredients
4 soft corn tortilla shells
9 oz, or about 3 cups cauliflower florets, chopped or torn into medium pieces
2 large portobello mushroom caps
1/2 hass avocado
4 tbsp chopped red onion
4 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
3 tbsp egg-free mayo
Juice of 3 small limes (or 2 large ones)
1 tsp ancho chili powder (or generic Mexican chili powder)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
2 tsp smoked paprika, divided
1 tbsp olive oil
Non-stick cooking spray
Sea salt to taste
Preheat oven to 425°F. Chop or tear the cauliflower into medium sized florets. I actually bought a bag of the pre-cut stuff from Trader Joe’s. It’s about a 9 oz. bag. Wash portobellos, pat dry and slice into long strips. Don’t cut them too terribly thin because mushrooms shrink a LOT in the oven.
Toss cauliflower florets in a mixing bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp of smoked paprika, plus sea salt to taste. Spray a large cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray and arrange the portobello slices neatly on one side of the tray. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp of smoked paprika and sea salt to taste. Arrange the cauliflower florets on the other half of the cookie sheet and roast on the top rack for 20 minutes.
Roughly chop onion, avocado and cilantro and set aside.
Now it’s time to make the chili lime mayo. Juice the limes and add them to a small bowl with the 3 tbsp mayo, 1 tsp ancho or Mexican chili powder, 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp onion powder then mix well with a fork to make sure there are no lumps from the mayo.
Place the tortillas on a plate but make sure each one is not touching the other. You might have to do a couple of separate rounds to achieve this. Microwave for 10 seconds to heat them up and make them flexible. (TIP: You can also place them on the top rack of the oven on yet another cookie sheet after you take out your cauli and ‘shrooms – broil on low for about 90 seconds. No more, or they get crispy and break. )
When the cauliflower and mushrooms are done, let them sit a couple of minutes to cool, then load up your tortillas and garnish each with 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, avocado chunks and 1 tbsp red onion (of course you can modify these amounts if you want more or less of each). Drizzle with chili lime mayo and nom nom nom away.
Veggie Diva's Kitchen 