Crispy Cauliflower Tacos with a Creamy Red Pepper Sauce
Deep into the second month of sheltering-at-home with my husband and 19-year old son, I realized two things about our homemade tacos. First, tacos are personal. On any given day, someone in my family will rummage around in the fridge, fold a tortilla around some leftovers, and come up with a completely different taco than I would. (My son: shredded chicken, avocado, and bacon. Me: smashed chickpeas, roasted red peppers, and feta.) Second, even though we were getting pretty good at making these impromptu tacos, inevitably, the results were just okay. While the tacos hit the spot when we were hungry, I wanted a taco that was everything a taco should be: crispy and creamy, fresh and crunchy, with layers of flavor and a spicy kick. And, I wanted my taco to be packed with the brain-healthiest foods.
So, while everyone else in quarantine has been baking sourdough bread and rolling out pasta, I’ve been obsessed with making tacos. My favorite taco to date gets the crispy-creamy element just right with pan-fried slabs of cauliflower and a smooth roasted red pepper sauce. It has layers of spiciness from the chili powder-dusted cauliflower, to the chipotle peppers in the sauce, and pickled jalapeños on top.
Cauliflower provides sulforaphanes and flavonols
The star of the tacos is cauliflower. Like other cruciferous members of the Brassica family, cauliflower is rich in the disease-fighting compound sulforaphane. Sulforaphane has been found to activate a pathway that makes antioxidants more available, quell harmful oxidative stress in the brain, and boost the production of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) that enhances brain cell growth and repair.
Cauliflower also provides fiber and at least two key flavonols—quercetin and anthoxanthin—that have been linked to a lower incidence of stroke, probably due to their vasodilatory effects. Because these flavonols are water soluble, they are often lost to the cooking water when steaming or boiling cauliflower. Pan-frying cauliflower is a brain-healthy technique that keeps the flavonols from seeping out.
Sugar snaps are a fresh addition
Sugar snap peas, one of my favorite spring vegetables, are a fresh addition to tacos. Besides adding a pleasant crunch to these tacos, sugar snaps are rich in iron, vitamin C, fiber and beta-carotene—a key antioxidant for brain health.
Chiles provide brain-boosting capsaicin
Chile peppers, either fresh or dried and ground, add more than just heat. Good quality chiles are rich in capsaicin, along with vitamins C, K, and B-6. (I wrote about the brain-boosting properties of capsaicin here.) I use chili powder, a blend of different chiles along with supporting spices like oregano, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder, to season the cauliflower steaks. When purchasing chili powder, look for a brand that lists ground chile peppers as its primary ingredient, with little or no added salt. Also, check the expiration date. The complex flavors of ground chiles, as well as the capsaicin content, fades with age.
Choose corn tortillas for more fiber and flavor
I favor good corn tortillas for my tacos, especially those made from non-GMO yellow corn, or corn in combination with other whole grains (like quinoa and wheat) which makes them softer and more foldable. Corn tortillas have a lower glycemic index than flour ones, helping contribute to a more stable blood sugar. They are a good source of fiber and other nutrients, too, but reading package nutrition labels is key. Avoid any tortillas with added sugar (such as sucralose), unhealthy fats (hydrogenated palm and soybean oil), or other unfamiliar ingredients that sound like chemicals. Blue corn tortillas, if you can find them, are rich in brain-healthy flavonoids, phytonutrients that reduce oxidative stress.
My favorite tortilla (from Food For Life Ezekiel 4:6) is a 6-inch corn tortilla with a short ingredient list: just organic sprouted corn, sea salt, and lime. The small size means built-in portion control, plus a higher ratio of veggies and toppings to tortilla. Plus, each tortilla provides 1 gram each of fiber and protein, and contains no added sugar or saturated fats. But tacos are personal, as I mentioned before, so choose whatever tortilla you love. This recipe is highly flexible, so you can mix and match the fillings, sauces, and extras to take your own brain-healthy taco from good to great.
Servings |
people
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- 1 small head cauliflower about 1½ pounds
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon avocado or extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup water
- For the Tacos
- ½ cup Creamy Red Pepper Sauce recipe follows
- 4 Corn tortillas warmed
- 1 cup sugar snap peas sliced thin on the bias
- Cilantro leaves for serving
- Crumbled feta cheese for serving
- ¼ cup pickled jalapeño peppers
- 1 lime cut into 4 wedges
Ingredients
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- Wash and trim the cauliflower, removing any outer leaves. Using a knife, separate the head in half from the top to the stem. Slice into 3-by-3-inch pieces, each about ½-inch thick. (Slicing the cauliflower creates a flat surface to enable a crispy exterior, and keep them from falling out of your taco. It's fine to just break into florets if you prefer.) Toss in a bowl with the chili powder and salt.
- To cook the cauliflower, heat a large nonstick skillet (that has a tight-fitting lid) over medium heat. Add the oil, and when it starts to shimmer add the cauliflower pieces, separating them so they do not touch. Once they become brown and crispy on one side, after about 3 minutes, flip them over. Cook until brown and crispy, then carefully pour the water into the skillet and cover. Remove from the heat and let the cauliflower steam in the pan for 1 to 2 minutes, or until easily pierced with a knife.
- To build your tacos, divide the red pepper sauce, cauliflower, sugar snaps, and jalapenos between the tortillas. Top with cilantro, feta, and a couple pickled jalapeños. Serve each plate with a lime wedge.
Find the Creamy Red Pepper Sauce here.
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