Taco Tuesday

Make these delicious Tacos the family will love…any day of the week 🙂

COCONUT + PAPRIKA ROASTED SWEET POTATO + EGGPLANT TORTILLAS WITH SPRING ONIONS, AVOCADO + SPICY, SMOKY TAHINI SAUCE

Makes around 10–12 tortillas

For the roasted sweet potato and eggplant:

• 3 tbsp coconut oil

• 2 medium sweet potatoes (around 500g / 1lb 1.6oz)

• 1 large eggplant (around 300g / 10.6oz)

• 1 1/2 tsp salt flakes

• 1 tbsp sweet paprika

To serve:

• 10–12 fresh tortillas

• 3 spring onions, finely sliced

• 3 avocados, sliced

• spicy, smoky tahini sauce

• chilli sauce or smoked paprika, optional

• coriander, optional

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.

2. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

3. In a small saucepan, melt the coconut oil until it has become liquid.

4. Cut the sweet potato into medium-sized cubes.

5. Cut the eggplant into large cubes.

6. Place the sweet potato, eggplant, coconut oil, salt and paprika in a medium bowl and toss well to coat the vegetables evenly.

7. Tip the vegetables onto the lined baking tray, scraping all the oil and paprika from the bottom of the bowl and pouring it onto the sweet potato and eggplant.

8. Put the tray into the oven and roast for 40 minutes or until the sweet potato and eggplant are tender and golden. Turn the vegetables once, halfway through.

9. Serve hot or warm, wrapped in fresh tortillas with sliced spring onions, sliced avocado and spicy, smoky tahini sauce.

For the sauce (makes around 1/2 cup)

• 1/4 cup tahini

• 3 tbsp cold water

• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

• 2–4 tsp tabasco sauce or chilli sauce, optional

• 1/2 tsp honey

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• salt and pepper

1. In a small bowl, stir together all the ingredients until the sauce is smooth and well mixed.

2. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding a little more salt to make the flavours pop, or a little more chilli if you like it spicy!

3. Store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to a week

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PULLED PORK TORTILLAS WITH RADISH, ROCKET, MINTY YOGHURT + FETA CHEESE (makes around 12–16 tortillas)

For the pulled pork:

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1kg / 2lb 3oz pork shoulder

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 large red onion, sliced

• 2 tbsp sweet paprika

• 2 tbsp ground cumin

• juice of 2 oranges (about 3/4 cup)

• 1 1/4 cups water

• 1 tbsp honey

• 2 tsp salt flakes

To serve:

• 12–16 fresh tortillas

• 5 or 6 thinly sliced radishes

• 3–4 cups rocket leaves

• 1 batch minty yoghurt

• 1 block of feta cheese

• smoked paprika or chilli sauce to serve, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C / 320°F / Gas Mark 3.

2. Heat an oven-proof baking dish (with a lid) on the stove top over a medium heat.

3. Once the dish is hot, add the olive oil and the pork shoulder, and cook the pork on each side for 5 minutes, until the meat is golden brown and sealed.

4. Add the onion slices, garlic and the paprika and cumin to the dish, and fry for 3–4 minutes or until the spices are fragrant and toasted.

5. Add in the orange juice and water. Give it a little stir.

6. Drizzle the top of the meat with honey and sprinkle with salt.

7. Bake in the oven, with the lid on, for 3 hours, turning the meat once after an hour or so.

8. Shred the meat with two forks, stirring in the dark juices that have formed in the pan.

9. Serve hot or warm, wrapped in fresh tortillas with sliced radishes, rocket, minty yoghurt, a sprinkling of feta cheese and a dusting of smoked paprika or some chilli sauce.

For the yoghurt: (makes around 1 1/2 cups)

• 1 cup natural yoghurt

• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

• 1 tsp honey

• salt and pepper, to taste

• 1 cup loosely packed mint

1. In a small bowl, mix together the yoghurt, vinegar, honey, and salt and pepper.

2. Finely chop the mint and stir into the yoghurt.

3. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

4. Store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 3 days.

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BLACK BEAN TORTILLAS WITH CUCUMBER + MANGO SALSA, GUACAMOLE + HERBS (makes around 12–14 tortillas)

For the beans:

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 onion, diced

• 1 garlic clove, crushed

• 1 1/2 tbsp sweet paprika

• 1 1/2 tbsp cumin powder

• 300g / 10oz jar tomato paste

• 400g / 14oz can black beans

• 1 1/4 cups water (you can use the tomato paste jar to measure)

• salt and pepper

To serve:

• 12–14 fresh tortillas

• 1 batch mango and cucumber salsa

• 1 batch guacamole

• manchego cheese, optional

1. Heat a deep frying pan (with a lid) over medium heat.

2. Pour olive oil in the pan.

3. Fry the onion in the pan for 3–4 minutes, or until it starts to brown.

4. Add the crushed garlic, paprika, cumin and tomato paste to the pan and fry without stirring for 2 minutes, or until fragrant.

5. Stir everything together and fry for 1 more minute.

6. Drain the can of black beans and rinse the beans.

7. Add the black beans to the pan, and stir.

8. Add the water to the pan, and stir well.

9. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes with the lid on, or until the sauce has thickened.

10. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

11. Serve hot or warm, wrapped in fresh tortillas with salsa, guacamole and a shaving of manchego cheese.

For the salsa: (makes 3–4 cups)

• 1 mango

• 1/2 large continental cucumber

• 1/2 red onion

• drizzle of olive oil

• drizzle of red wine vinegar

• salt and pepper

1. Remove the cheeks from the mango and dice the flesh.

2. Cut the cucumber into small cubes.

3. Dice the red onion.

4. Toss the mango, cucumber and red onion in a small bowl, drizzle with olive oil and red wine vinegar, and add a pinch of salt and pepper. ///

For the guacamole: (makes around 2 1/2 cups)

• 3 ripe avocados

• juice of 1 lime

• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes

• 1 cup mixed fresh green herbs (such as coriander, parsley, mint, basil, dill), loosely packed

• salt and pepper

1. In a small bowl, use the back of a fork to mash the flesh of the avocados.

2. Stir through the lime juice.

3. Cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters.

4. Roughly chop the herbs.

5. Stir the tomatoes and herbs into the avocado, along with a little salt and pepper.

6. Taste, adding more salt and pepper or lime juice if desired.

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CINNAMON SUGAR TORTILLAS WITH GRILLED PINEAPPLE, MEXICAN CHOCOLATE SAUCE + ICE-CREAM (makes 8 dessert tortillas)

For each dessert tortilla:

• 1 cinnamon sugar tortilla

• a few pieces of grilled pineapple

• 1–2 tbsp chocolate sauce

• pinch of salt flakes

• dusting of cayenne powder, optional

• 1 scoop vanilla ice-cream

• 1 tbsp toasted coconut flakes, optional

1. Place a cinnamon sugar tortilla on a plate.

2. Top with a few pieces of pineapple.

3. Drizzle with chocolate sauce.

4. Sprinkle the chocolate sauce with salt and cayenne powder, if using.

5. Top with a scoop of ice-cream.

6. Sprinkle with the coconut flakes.

For the cinnamon sugar tortillas: (makes 8 tortillas)

• 1 cup caster sugar

• 2 tbsp powdered cinnamon

• 1 cup vegetable or grapeseed oil for frying

• 8 white corn tortillas

1. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon until well combined.

2. Tip the cinnamon sugar onto a plate.

3. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan over a medium–low heat for a few minutes, until a piece of bread dropped into the oil sizzles gently and gets small bubbles around the edges. The oil should not smoke.

4. Gently lower one tortilla into the hot oil using metal tongs.

5. Allow to fry for one minute on each side, or until the tortilla is crisp, bubbly and slightly golden.

6. Drain any excess oil from the tortilla and place it on the plate lined with cinnamon sugar.

7. Cover the tortilla liberally with cinnamon sugar before gently dusting off any excess.

8. Put the cinnamon sugar tortilla on a serving plate.

9. Repeat this process with the remaining tortillas.

For the grilled pineapple: (makes 3–4 cups)

• 1 large pineapple

1. Remove the top, bottom and skin from the pineapple.

2. Cut the pineapple into quarters lengthways, and cut out the core.

3. Cut the pineapple into triangles around 2.5cm / 1″ thick.

4. Heat a frying pan over medium heat until hot.

5. Fry the pineapple in the pan for about 1 minute on each side, until golden.

For the chocolate sauce: (makes 3/4 cup)

• 100g / 3.5oz dark chocolate, chopped

• 20g / 0.7oz butter

• 1 tsp powdered cinnamon

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• 1/2 cup cream

• little pinch of salt

• pinch of cayenne, optional

1. Place the chopped dark chocolate into a small bowl.

2. Add the butter, cinnamon and maple syrup.

3. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until the cream just boils.

4. Pour the hot cream into the bowl over the chocolate and butter.

5. Allow to sit for 2 minutes.

6. Whisk the ingredients together until they are completely smooth and silky.

7. Add in a little salt and cayenne to taste.

8. Drizzle the sauce while it is still warm.

9. The sauce will store in a glass jar in the fridge for 3 days. Warm it gently in a small saucepan over low heat before using.

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