Butternut Squash and Black Bean Tacos with Pickled Onions and Pimentón Chimichurri

If I could sum up the majority of my eats in Southern California, it would be....tacos. Fish tacos, chicken tacos, chicken and mole tacos, even mini Wagyu beef and tuna tartare tacos. And I enjoyed each and every one of them. But tacos do not always have to come with fish, chicken, or meat to make them delicious. Nor do they have to be stuffed with just beans and rice to make a passable vegetarian option. I have stuffed these corn tortillas with slices of slightly sweet roasted butternut squash, a creamy schmear of black beans, quick pickled red onions, plump avocado, and drizzled it all with a bright, spiced sauce reminiscent of chimichurri.

I hope no one is offended with me taking a little culinary and poetic license and calling this a chimichurri. It may seem like a far cry from the herby green steak condiment of Latin America, but believe me when I say it packs a similar punch. Traditional chimichurri is practically a vinaigrette with a base of oil and vinegar and lots of garlic and herbs like oregano, parsley, and sometimes even cilantro. I borrow from that concept, swapping smoked paprika for parsley and being generous with the cilantro. I happen to love the combination of smoked paprika and butternut squash, and think this works quite well in these little tacos. I think you may even find other uses for this addicting sauce. Let me know what you end up pouring it on.

The pickled onions that I include here are easy to make and will add new dimensions to many of your favorite dishes. Toss them on sandwiches, chop them and add them to your grainy salads, or garnish a burger or sausage with them.

These tacos are vegetarian as written, but can easily be made vegan by substituting a plain vegan yogurt for the sour cream. If you just must have meat, any simply grilled meat could work, and be generous with the chimichurri. I'm also wishing I would have had some queso fresco slices to add in there to really up the ante.

Served alongside thinly sliced cabbage tossed with salt, olive oil, and a hint of lime juice, these tacos will change your idea of what vegetarian tacos have to be.

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Tacos with Pickled Onions and Pimentón Chimichurri

Tacos:
1/3 medium butternut squash, peeled and seeded and sliced in 1/4 inch slices
2 t. olive oil
1 14.5-ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 T. sour cream
1 lime, zested and juiced
1/2 t. ground cumin
scant 1/2 t. salt
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
Handful fresh cilantro, rinsed to remove any sand and dried, and leaves separated
1 recipe Quick Pickled Red Onions, recipe below
1 recipe Pimentón Chimichurri, recipe below
8 of your favorite corn tortillas

Roast the squash. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Toss the butternut squash with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and arrange slices in single layer on baking sheet. Roast for about 25-30 minutes or until tender and a little brown around the edges. Remove from oven and set aside.

In the meantime, prepare the black beans. Place the drained and rinsed black beans in a bowl. Add the sour cream, zest and juice of 1 lime, the ground cumin, and salt. Mash the beans with a fork to your liking. I like mine a little chunky, but you can mash them to a smoother puree if you like.

Get all of your ingredients ready. Warm and soften the tortillas by wrapping them in a moist paper towel and microwaving them for 20-30 seconds. Begin assembling the tacos. Smear the black bean mixture on the tortilla, top with a few slices of butternut squash, then avocado, the pickled onion, drizzle with chimichurri, a few cilantro leaves, and drizzle with more chimichurri if desired. Enjoy! Serves 3-4 people.

Quick Pickled Onions
1 red onion, peeled and sliced thinly
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. water, microwaved for about a minute
1 T. honey
1 1/2 t. salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, stirring to coat evenly. Allow the onions to pickle and slightly wilt for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. This makes a lot more than you need for these tacos, but these onions should last about a week in the fridge so you can find some new uses for them.

Pimentón Chimichurri
3 garlic cloves
1 c. loosely packed cilantro, washed and dried to remove any sand (some stems are fine!)
1 1/2 t. smoked paprika
1 1/2 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. red chili flakes
1/2 t. salt
3 T apple cider vinegar
3 T. extra-virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a mini food processor or blender and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Makes about 1/2 cup.

Winter Einkorn Bowls with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Squash, Tempeh, and Lemon Tahini Drizzle

I tend to eat a lot of bowls, bowls of nourishing goodness. Sara Forte, from Sprouted Kitchen, writes a beautiful post on the subject of "bowl foods" that you can find here and is even coming out with a cookbook devoted to the topic. For me, bowl foods are usually born out of a necessity to use up bits and pieces of leftover raw or cooked ingredients, especially grains, legumes, and vegetables. I love all of the different textures that come together and honestly, I love the satisfaction of using up all of my leftovers and not having anything go to waste. It's also a fun challenge to use up a hodgepodge of ingredients in my fridge and to resurrect them into something yummy and cohesive. This bowl in particular was once born out of a necessity to use up leftovers, but since then, I have made this combo many times intentionally because the flavors just worked so well together. The earthy Brussels sprouts are balanced by the sweet winter squash. The walnuts provide a buttery crunch, and the einkorn and tempeh provide bulk and protein. The lemon tahini sauce brings it all together.

Einkorn, also known as farro piccolo, is an heirloom wheat berry that is very similar to the spelt berry in both taste and texture; it's chewy, slightly sweet, and very satiating. It's also a terrific source of protein, iron, and B vitamins. You can find it at your local Whole Foods or online at Jovial Foods. If you cannot readily purchase einkorn, feel free to substitute any grain of your choice or even brown rice, being sure to follow the cooking instructions on the package.

Winter Einkorn Bowls with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Squash, Tempeh, and Lemon Tahini Drizzle

Tempeh:
1 8oz. package tempeh, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
1 T. dijon mustard
1 1/2 T. maple syrup
1 t. low sodium tamari or soy sauce
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil

Vegetables:
1 lb. Brussels sprouts, bottoms removed and quartered
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil

Einkorn:
1 c. einkorn
2 c. water
salt

Lemon Tahini Drizzle:
2 T. tahini
2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 T. water
salt, to taste

Garnish:
1/2 c. walnuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure that two oven racks are placed towards the middle of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. On one baking sheet, spread tempeh pieces out in single layer. In a small bowl, mix the marinade ingredients together. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the marinade and set aside. Brush the remaining marinade evenly over the tempeh. Set pan aside.

On the other baking sheet, spread Brussels sprout quarters on one half and butternut squash pieces on the other half. Drizzle all with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and toss each half separately. Try to get all of the vegetables in a single layer to maximize their roasting. Place vegetable pan and tempeh pan in the oven, and bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping pan positions halfway through and tossing vegetables around so they can roast evenly.

Meanwhile, make the einkorn. Place the water in a pot and bring to boil. Add the einkorn and a sprinkle of salt, and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 30-35 minutes or until the grain is tender and the water has been absorbed.

As the vegetables roast and the einkorn cooks, prepare the lemon tahini drizzle. In a small bowl, mix the tahini, lemon juice, water, and reserved 1 tablespoon of the tempeh marinade. Set aside.

Toast the walnuts over medium-low heat on the stove top for 8-10 minutes or in a small pan or skillet in the oven for 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit or until golden brown. Roughly chop and set aside.

When all of the components are ready, assemble the bowls--grains + vegetables + tempeh + walnuts + lemon tahini drizzle. You're welcome to do it individually, which can be nice when you're having people over, or I've also mixed everything together in a bowl, so that I have a ready-to-pack lunch for the busy week. Serves 4.