the apron side of life: roasted sweet potato tacos

I guess since I've made this dish three times in the last month and a half, I probably better share it with you. I first had this when I was at my friend, Jamie's, when we first moved into our house and a few of us ladies were waiting for our husbands to be done with work on a Friday evening (oh, the life...) I never even saw the recipe that day, but it was so good I thought about it the whole weekend and finally gave in and made it for the first time that following Monday (so I guess I've had it four times in the last month and a half...hmm...time for some new recipes...?)

I modified a few things, due to our taste for spicy things, the fact that my avocado wasn't ripe, and at that point didn't know where the soft corn tortillas were in the commissary, but I am very pleased with the results. (obviously, since I can't seem to stop making them) And forgive me, but if you are one who needs exact measurements, this might be frustrating for you. It's a really simple recipe, but adjusted depending on ingredients and preferences.

Roasted Sweet Potato Tacos

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1/4 of a red onion, diced
1 1/2 cups of sweet corn
1 1/2 cups of black beans

(okay, to be honest, I don't really measure the corn and beans...I almost always use dried black beans for cooking, soaked overnight and then cooked for 45 min before adding them to this dish, but the amount of corn and beans you use depends on how many people you're trying to feed-this amount is good for the two of us, plus leftovers for one meal) I bet if you are canned vegetable person, one can of each will be just fine.

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/2 cup red cabbage, shredded
crumbled cotija cheese (what I would call Mexican feta...comes in a large, round block...you only need a little bit for this recipe, but it keeps for a month or so)
cilantro
1 avocado
1 spoonful of greek yogurt
1 lime
pinch of red pepper
salt, pepper
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2-3 T olive oil
soft or hard corn tortillas

Preheat oven to roasting temperature, 400-450 degrees F. Spread the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Add a couple pinches of salt, almost a full teaspoon of cumin, and about half as much cinnamon to the potatoes. Stir and place in the oven. Stir at least once while cooking, until soft, about 20-30 minutes.

While the sweet potatoes are roasting, dice up the red onion and the jalapeno.

You will also have time to crumble the cotija cheese, dice/shred the cabbage and cut up the cilantro. These can all be placed in separate serving dishes. 

For the avocado dip-cut up the avocado and place in a food processor or bowl to blend. Add the juice from half a lime, a pinch of salt, a spoonful of greek yogurt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Blend/mix until smooth. Taste test and add what's missing. Add a couple shakes of red pepper for some spice. Put in serving dish. (you can also use simple diced up avocado chunks, but this is good for a tangy addition)

warm up some olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add the red onion and jalapeno and saute for 5-7 minutes, until soft and starting to brown. Add corn and black beans, and cook until warmed through. At this point, take out the sweet potatoes (if you haven't already) and add them to the skillet, along with the juice from the other half of lime, stirring for a couple minutes until the flavors have blended together.

Warm up hard or soft tortillas in the oven for 2-3 minutes, until ready to serve.

Serve sweet potato mixture in tortillas and top with avocado dip, red cabbage and cotija cheese.

I love serving this with a green salad. 

And there ya have it! Let me know if you try this recipe, which can be good for "Meatless Mondays" or "Taco Tuesdays" or no-name Wednesdays ;)