Acorn Squash and Mushroom Tacos with Microgreens

Thank you Chicano Soul Food for the inspiration for this recipe. Can’t wait for you to start up again to enjoy your amazing tacos! In the meantime, everyone, make your own tacos and check out this article in which Sergio talks about Chicano Soul Food’s roots.

This flexible recipe is inspired by a recurring craving for the amazing pipian acorn squash tacos served at the Carbon Sink Convergence by Chicano Soul Food. Their pipian salsa (made with tomatillo and pepitas) was earth-shaking for me, as I had never had the opportunity to taste it before. It is southern Mexican deliciousness and my family is full of norteños (much love to all my relatives in Sinaloa and Sonora). This not being tomatillo season, though, I’ll leave the pipian recipe for another day. The simple act of pairing acorn squash with mushrooms in a taco is treat enough (yes, this was also earth-shaking for me!). I don’t see the winter squash pile up in my kitchen anymore wondering what to do with it. Instead, I savor the day I can make some tacos with it! Maybe this week, you too, have a stash of winter squash you haven’t gotten to yet. And maybe you, too, will delight in trying these tacos topped with a fresh bunch of this week’s spicy microgreens mix. Here goes—

INGREDIENTS

1 acorn squash (kabocha would also work here!)

1 box of fresh mushrooms (or more!), try cremini, white button, portabella or shitake

tortillas de maíz (corn tortillas, try La Fe’s corn tortillas—they’re the only affordable non-gmo option that I could find and they hold up well to the fire!)

microgreens (This week’s spicy microgreens mix goes great in a taco!)

your salsa of choice (My current favorite is just crushed chiltepin soaked in lemon and sprinkled generously with salt and pepper. Next on my list, if I’m in a pinch, would be the salsa de molcajete or the green salsa from Murphy’s Market. They get it right!)

INSTRUCTIONS

You can do this two ways—Cut the acorn squash in half, scoop out the seeds, rub with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake until soft. Then you can scoop out the squash to put it in your tacos. This method is less ‘work’ but more time in the oven, and an easy way to leave the skin off for those who prefer not to eat it.

The other way, takes a little more effort, but less time in the oven, gives the squash a chance to crisp and is best if you’re willing to eat the acorn squash skin, which, is full of good-for-you fiber! (Check out this take on which varieties of winter squash skin to eat.) Just slice up the squash into thin slices (maybe 1/2 inch) after scooping out the seeds. Then lay out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Bake at 400 degrees until soft (go longer if you want the crisp!)

Slice up the mushroom (i usually get four slices per mushroom) and put in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in the oven at 400 degrees alongside the squash and bake for about 10 minutes until slightly crisped.

Warm up your corn tortillas and serve up your tacos with the squash, mushrooms, microgreens and salsa of choice (or just a squeeze of lemon)!

Citrus Roasted Root Veggies with Spicy Radish Microgreens

This sweet tang of these crispy root veggies is irresistible to our discriminating little ones. And, it packs in the vitamin C, which we all need in plentiful quantities to fight the bugs going around this season—beyond the orange, both turnips and radish microgreens contain high amounts of vitamin C. In fact, ounce-per-ounce, radish microgreens contain almost double the amount of vitamin C of an average orange. Let us know if this recipe pleases your crowd!

Ingredients:

6 cups root veggies, chopped into roughly 1-inch cubes (turnips and carrots are what we have this week. You can also include beets, potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips…the list goes on!)

3 tbs olive oil

1 tbs honey

zest of 1 orange (zest it before chopping it to squeeze the juice, and save the zest for the end)

juice of 1/4 orange

2 tsp tarragon

1 tsp rosemary

1/2 teaspoon black pepper (more or less to taste)

1 tsp salt (more or less to taste)

juice of (another) 1/4 orange

radish microgreens

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450

4. In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, honey, 1/4 orange juice, herbs and spices.

5. Add the root veggies to the large bowl and toss to coat.

6. Spread on baking sheet (lined with parchment paper for easy clean-up)

7. Bake for 35 minutes or until they look crispy on the outside and cooked through so they are soft in the middle.

8. Remove from oven and top with radish microgreens, orange zest and a splash of orange juice.

Another quick recipe—check out this Carrot and Turnip Mash perfect for babies and adults alike.

Quick Veggie Ramen

Quick Veggie Ramen

If you grew up like me, ramen is one of the comfort foods that takes you back. For me, it was Top Ramen that represented my first taste of independence when my formerly stay-at-home mom went to work and I proudly fed myself RAMEN! Sometimes, I even put ketchup on it. My more ‘sophisticated’ self now still longs for those days eating noodles and watching Mr. Belvedere sprawled out on my mom’s bed. So, transforming my ramen experience from noodles and a flavorful powder into something with healthy stuff in it is a beautiful thing. Here’s my current version of a ramen dinner night (it looks like a long recipe, but it’s actually pretty quick to make!)—

Ingredients:

Sesame seed oil

1 onion (thinly sliced)

2-inch piece of ginger (sliced, more or less as desired)

1-inch piece of fresh turmeric (or 1 tsp dry powdered)

Two handfuls dried shitake mushroom

6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

4 tbs sunflower seed butter

8 tbs soy sauce

2 veggie bouillon cubes or 4 cups veggie broth

1 handful nutritional yeast

ramen noodles (it’s up to you how much, but think along the lines of four servings)

1 bunch of bok choy (thinly sliced)

1 box tofu (cut into cubes)

Miso to taste

The Toppings (any or all!)—

other veggies you’ve got around (such as carrots, green onions, cilantro)

microgreens (whichever are around! I especially like the spicy ones in this dish, like radish and cress)

toasted sesame seeds

lemon or lime

hard boiled eggs

Instructions:

Saute onions, ginger, turmeric and mushrooms in sesame oil for a few minutes.

Add garlic and saute for another minute.

Add sunflower seed butter and soy sauce and saute for another minute.

Add veggie bouillon plus 6 cups water OR 4 cups veggie broth and two cups water, nutritional yeast and bring to a boil.

Add bok choy, tofu and ramen and simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in miso paste to taste.

Add toppings and serve

Potato Tacos with Microgreens

Potato tacos with pea shoots over our City Heights skyline—life is good.

INGREDIENTS: 

potatoes

olive oil

paprika

salt and/or vegetable broth

corn tortillas

carrots

microgreens (our current favorites for this are broccoli, daikon radish or kohlrabi)

1. Boil potatoes until cooked

2. Strain then mash with a little olive oil, paprika, salt and/or vegetable broth

3. Fill warm tortilla with mashed potatoes and top with shredded carrots, and microgreens. 

My four-year-old is always excited to choose whether he wants his taco folded in half or rolled. I enjoy putting lemon and chiltepin on mine...What do you put on your tacos?