Fall Street Tacos

These easy tacos make beautiful use of fall vegetables and can be dressed up or down to suit your mood. Throw in some shredded chicken for protein, drizzle crema on top, or omit the cotija and honey to make it vegan. But whatever you do, don’t skip the carrot-habanero salsa — its zing is what takes this dish over top.

Yield: All recipes serve 2 people

Chef Notes: Play fast and loose without sacrificing flavor!

If you are short on time, feel free to make any following changes:

• Swap in canned beans and reheat them on stove.

• Use pre-cut butternut squash (fresh or frozen); if frozen, broil rather than roasting.

• Up your protein by add shredded rotisserie chicken.

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Components

• Beans

• Butternut Squash Filling

• Carrot-Habanero Salsa

• Pickled Red Onions

• Tortillas

• Cotija

• Cilantro

• Optional: Shredded Chicken

• Optional: Crema

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Mise

Make the Pickled Red Onions▸ 

• Thinly slice TK red onions and place in a bowl

• Add TK c water, TK c vinegar, TK sugar, TK salt, and TK spices to a pot. Heat until brine is simmering and salt and sugar have dissolved.

• Pour the hot brine over the onions, then set a plate directly on top of the onions to keep them submerged

• Once cool, pour the onions and brine into a jar and keep in the fridge

Cook the Beans▸ 

• Add dry beans to a pot along with water to cover, and aromatics

• Bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes, then lower heat, cover, and simmer until tender (this may take up to an hour)

• Once beans are tender, season with TK salt and remove from heat

• Strain the cooked beans, removing the aromatics, then spread onto a tray to speed the cooling process

• Once cool, season with additional salt to taste

Make the Butternut Squash Filling

• Peel and halve butternut squash

• Scoop out innards and cut into ½ inch cubes

• Toss in butternut squash in bowl with oil, salt, cumin, chili powder, then place on sheet tray and roast in 450˚F oven until lightly charred and fork-tender

• Remove from oven and set aside

Make the Carrot-Habanero Salsa

• Place carrot, habanero(s), onion, and garlic on sheet tray and broil on high until lightly charred

• Remove from oven, let cool slightly, then place in blender along with ¼ c vegetable stock or water

• Purée until salsa is thin enough to drizzle easily, but still coats a spoon, gradually adding more liquid if necessary

• Season with salt, a splash of white vinegar, and a squeeze of lime; if sauce is too tart, add a little honey for balance

Finish

Finish the beans by placing in an ovenproof dish, sprinkling with cotija, and running under the broiler until beans are hot and cheese is melted.

Warm corn tortillas in oven.

Scoop butternut squash filling into tortillas.

Garnish tacos with carrot-habanero salsa, pickled red onions, cotija, and cilantro.

Serve beans on the side.

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