Super Yum Mexi-Veg Tacos!

Ingredients

• 1 bunch cilantro
• 2 limes
• Your favourite can of refried beans (or make your own*)
• 1/2 cup dry quinoa
• 1 cup water
• 2 peppers (red, green, whatever is fresh and local)
• 1 large sweet onion
• Taco blankets! (whole wheat wraps are best—the big ones!)
• Fresh salsa (make your own, or buy the good fresh stuff)
• FOR THE ROASTED YAM FRIES
• 2-3 yams, halved and cut into long skinny pieces like fries
• small glug of olive oil
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp my secret ingredient for roasted yams (Montreal steak spice)
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp of your favourite chili powder
• FGP (fresh ground pepper!)

Equipment

• Oven
• Deep sauté pan
• Baking sheet
• Small pot
• cutting board and knife
• measuring cup and spoons

Here is how:

First, roast the yam fries. These are awesome on the side or in your tacos.

1. Preheat oven to 450° F.
2. Toss sliced yams in a small glug of olive oil then set aside.
3. Mix together cornstarch, steak spice, garlic powder, chili powder and FGP in a bowl.
4. Lay out the oiled taters on a sheet and toss on the dry mixture to coat.
5. Bake in a single layer with space around them. Turn once after about 25 minutes and let them get nice and brown.

Next—Taco Guts

1. Sauté the peppers and onions in a smatter of olive oil, dash of chili powder, touch of salt: cook the onions first for a while then add your red peppers in a little later so they are still sweet and kind of crunchy. When they are close to being ready, squeeze lime over them and add some chopped cilantro and set aside.
2. Heat up your refried beans in a small pot on the stove.
3. Quinoa is super quick and easy—make it like rice: ½ cup of quinoa + 1 cup of water in a small pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. 
4. Once this is close to being done, squeeze the juice of a half a lime and add a bunch of chopped cilantro.

TA-DA!

Chuck it all together and squeeze more lime and shove it down your gullet! (but chew slowly please, we all know that digestion starts in the mouth!)

Additional info:

*Make your own refried beans with one can of black, pinto or kidney beans, chili powder and 1 cup of salsa. Heat these ingredients in a pan on the stove, mash it up and add lime juice. 

Try Fresh Salsa (Olé!) if you want to make your own salsa.