Chipotle Roasted Cauliflower Tacos with Pickled Red Cabbage
My kids call these “Top Notch Tacos” because they are above and beyond the basic vegetarian refried bean tacos that we often have as an everyday meal. This version has a few extra steps and requires a little more effort, but the sumptuous flavors make it worth the effort. They are a great choice to make together during a special family fun night in the kitchen.
Ingredients
Quick pickled red cabbage:
2 cups thinly sliced or shredded red cabbage
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
Pinch of sea salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
Water
Corn Tortillas:
2 cups masa harina (stone ground whole corn flour)
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 ½ cups hot water
Black Bean filling:
1 15-oz can low sodium black beans, well drained
¾ cup frozen corn, thawed
1 bunch scallions, white part plus a small amount of green, washed and finely diced
½ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Roasted Cauliflower:
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp chipotle powder
Pinch of sea salt
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
¼ of a red onion, thinly sliced
Instructions
Make pickled red cabbage (may be made the day before and stored in airtight container in the refrigerator): Combine cabbage, black pepper, sea salt, cumin, oregano, garlic, and apple cider vinegar in medium lidded glass container. Add enough water to barely cover cabbage, then seal container with airtight lid and shake until well mixed. Place container in refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour and up to several days.
Preheat oven to 450°
Prepare the tortilla dough: combine masa harina and sea salt in a large bowl. Add hot water and stir until well mixed.
Knead dough with clean hands for a few minutes until smooth and no longer sticky. Form dough into a large ball in bowl and press a sheet of plastic wrap over surface of ball. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
While dough is resting make black bean filling: combine black beans, corn, scallions and cilantro in a medium bowl and stir to mix. Cover and set aside at room temperature.
Make roasted chipotle cauliflower: In another medium bowl combine olive oil, chipotle powder and sea salt. Stir in cauliflower florets and red onion and toss until vegetables are well coated.
Spread cauliflower in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil. Roast in oven until cauliflower is tender and browned, about 15 minutes. Turn once during cooking.
While cauliflower is roasting, cook the tortillas: This works best with an “assembly line” of people. One person rolls the dough into balls roughly the size of golf balls. A second person flattens the dough balls. Using a tortilla press, cut a piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper large enough to be folded in half on the open tortilla press. Place plastic wrap on the bottom side of the press and put the dough ball in the center. Fold the plastic wrap over the dough ball and lower the top of the tortilla press, folding the lever down to flatten the tortilla. Open the press, unfold the protective layer, and gently turn out the tortilla onto your hand. Alternatively, tortillas can be flattened using two small cutting boards or a board and a heavy pan. Place the plastic wrap or waxed paper on a flat cutting board, place dough ball in the center, fold plastic wrap over, then place a second heavy board or flat pan over the top and press down firmly to flatten to about 1/8” thick. Unfold the protective layer and turn out the tortilla onto your hand. Plastic can be reused multiple times. Remove any excess bits of dough between uses. A third person cooks the tortillas after they are flattened. Heat a heavy cast iron skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with a thin layer of avocado oil. Position as many tortillas as will fit in a single layer in pan without overlapping. Heat tortillas for 1-2 minutes on one side then flip and cook another 1-2 minutes on the other side until golden brown. As you take tortillas off the skillet, stack them on a plate and cover with a clean kitchen towel.
Assemble the tacos: Spoon black bean filling onto tortillas. Top with roasted cauliflower and garnish with pickled red cabbage. Serve immediately.
