Cauliflower Tacos
We continue our cauliflower journey because it is the vegetable dreams are made of; healthy, extremely versatile and easy to work with (never complains), and the key to creating some gorgeous veggie versions of our favourite comfort foods. And it takes spice really well!
As with my bolognese from last week (and by the way if you have any leftovers from that just chuck ‘em in with this), make sure you season it to your tastes, and play around with how creamy you want it.
Vamonos!
Cauliflower is our great, unsung hero.
You know that friend who never brags about anything, but then when you start asking questions it turns out they are super knowledgeable and multitalented? That’s how I look at the cauliflower. It’s so humble, and maybe not that famous for its nutritional values, but it really does add quite a lot to the table (cue obligatory “literally!“).
Cauliflower contains a lot of water. That’s good! It means it can help your hydration. It’s also a good source of fiber. But that’s just the beginning.
Cauliflower has a group of substances known as glucosinolates. As you chew and digest it, these substances are broken down into compounds that may help prevent cancer -- they help protect cells from damage and have anti-inflammatory (this might be why I love it so much!), antiviral, and antibacterial effects. (I learned this from WebMD - check out what they have to say about who should be careful eating too much cauliflower, including people with thyroid issues, people with IBS or Chron’s, or those who take blood thinners). One serving of cauliflower also contains 100% of your recommended daily vitamin C intake. Immune system for the win!
Here’s my confession: I really love snacking on raw cauliflower. When I cook with it, about 1/5 goes in my mouth instead of in the pan. Anyway... Let’s cook!
Oh, one more thing. My boyfriend, who is not always super keen on everything veggie and vegan meals (and I’m with him on this to be honest, I do believe there is genuine joy and health benefits to eating meat - if you disagree that is ABSOLUTELY cool, and I hear you!), but he was blown away, I am not joking, blown… a… way by this dish. He asked me like three times if there was definitely no meat in it. If you manage to simmer it well, get a bit of creaminess from the soft cheese in there and nail it with the spices, this will be your new favourite way of eating tacos, and your family’s, partner’s or friends’ favourite too. Okay, NOW let’s cook!
Cauliflower Tacos
Serves 2
Olive oil for cooking
1 onion (I use yellow but red works too - or even one small of each!)
1 clove of garlic
1/2-1 small fresh red chilli
1 small cauliflower head
A pinch of salt and pepper, to taste
Spices (a teaspoon or so of each, but figure out your own combination, omit any you don’t have or want): Cumin (the most important in my opinion), cayenne pepper, garlic powder, paprika, chilli powder, Everyday Spice or similar (to taste) - or use a ready made taco spice mix, totally cool too!
Tomato purée, a dash
Stock (vegetable or beef)
A handful of cherry tomatoes
Any leftover vegetables you might want to use
A dash of hot sauce, buffalo sauce (my fave!) or Tabasco sauce
A generous tbsp of cream cheese for added creaminess (optional) - or spinach as a healthy option
Cheese (cheddar for me, vegan options are absolutely fine too!)
Guacamole, creme fraiche or natural yoghurt
Cut the onion fine and cook over low heat in a pan with olive oil. After a few minutes, add the garlic and fresh chilli, and a bit of water.
Rinse, then cut or rip the cauliflower head in to small bits and put in a blender for a couple of seconds - it can still have some bigger chunks, it depends how fine you want your taco “mince”. If you don’t have a blender, you can chop it up with a knife, cauliflower is pretty easy to chop finely. Add it in the pan and increase the heat a little bit, and add some more water. If it feels too wet, don’t worry, we do need a bit of water to be soaked up by the cauliflower so it softens properly. If you have any leftover cauliflower bolognese, get it involved now!
Add some seasoning: If you are using a ready made taco spice mix just tip in a bit at a time to make sure it blends well. If you are doing all spices yourself, go ahead and put in a bit of each (see list above), and taste along the way to see what it needs more of.
Mix in a dash of tomato purée and add stock of your choice, if you are using a cube you can drizzle in the whole thing, if you use a pot then half is plenty. Keep in mind when you salt this dish that stock is quite salty, so you might need less salt than you think. Stock is totally optional. Drop in the cherry tomatoes, rinsed and halved.
Mix everything well and let it simmer on medium heat. At this point, have a little taste and see if you want to add more spices. If you are going for extra creaminess you can add in a bit of soft cheese and mix well here. Then check the spice levels again, because that can make it quite a lot milder! Go for what fits your taste. I love adding a dash of hot sauce or Tabasco (or buffalo wing sauce - try it!), it really adds the perfect kick.
While the mix is simmering, get your taco shells or tortillas ready according to the instructions on your package, or if you are making homemade tortillas (I’m going to teach you how), have the dough ready before you make the taco mix and make them in a pan now while the taco mix is simmering.
Once the shells or tortillas are warm and your cauliflower taco mix is gooey, warm and smells delicious, fill your tacos up and top with grated cheese, and a cute blob of guacamole, yoghurt or creme fraiche. Buen provecho!
PS: You know I said add some soft cheese for extra creaminess above? Creme fraiche works too. BUT! My healthiest tip for creamy loveliness is SPINACH. Hello?? Yes! That’s right! Spinach is soo good for you and fairly flavourless, and it does actually thicken a mix. Anyone who adds spinach to their smoothies can testify to that! You can give a big handful of spinach leaves a quick blast in a smoothie maker or food processor, and dump it in the mix. You’re welcome!
PS PS: You can chuck a lot in to this lovely spicy goo. This is the perfect recipe for a little leftover clearout. Have a few pieces of chicken left? Chop them small and throw in (early if uncooked, later if already cooked!), you can add half a pepper that’s lying around or a bit of courgette (zucchini!), pineapple, sweetcorn, beans, kale… - get the idea?
Also, for my carnivores, you obviously can make this with beef or other minced meat should you wish to do so. Just make sure your meat is cooked well with all the other ingredients.
I’d love to hear and see how you got on, share your recipe with me on Instagram and tag @TheFromScratchBody and hashtag #TheFromScratchBody so I don’t miss it!
