Roasted Cauliflower and Plantain Tacos

I woke up last weekend and thought, TORTILLAS. 

The thing about thinking tortillas so fiercely is that you’re likely to make tortillas from scratch. 

Of course, once you start making tortillas from scratch it’s hard to not.  They’re so fresh and tender, such little clouds of soft corn, well…  there’s no going back. 

This is an invitation and a warning.  Make the tortillas.  You’ll never stop. 

Here’s what you’ll need for taco town: 

•  masa harina (instant corn masa that you can find in most grocery stores) for making tacos from scratch. It’s really so easy and totally fun – just get yourself a tortilla press! 

•  cauliflower cut into bite-size chunks and plantain sliced to bite-size too.  We’ll roast these darlings with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika to tender and sizzling. 

•  fresh cilantro and fresh basil to make a quick pesto.  Lemon and olive oil, shallots and garlic, salt and pepper for the pesto too! 

• avocado, lime wedges, and extra cilantro for topping the tacos. 

This recipe is from our friend Maggie’s lovely new book A New Way To Food! We made her Cacao Brownie Bark last month. 

It’s all so satisfying. Let’s make! 

First we’ll roast up the vegetables. 

I think the cauliflower and plantains make cozy pan-mates so place them side-by-side in a more or less single layer. 

Drizzle generously with olive oil.  Two or three tablespoons will do! 

Sprinkle with salt and fresh cracked black pepper and smoky paprika.  

Give the cauliflower a toss to coat in the oil and seasoning.  Give the plantains a toss to coat as well.  Ease everything into a single layer and bake until tender and golden, giving each side a flip of two while roasting. 

While the filling roasts, we’ll make the tortillas!

To the instant corn masa add salt.  That’s it – just a little kick to bring up the flavor. 

Add water to the corn mixture and stir.  As the masa starts to absorb the water the mixture will come together. Once it binds around the spoon, gather it in the bowl and knead gently with your hands.  You’ll want the mixture to be moist but not sticky wet.  

Gather the masa into a disk and cover the bowl with a damp towel.  Rest for 30 minutes (the masa, not really you unless you need to), and allow the masa to absorb the liquid.  

Divide the rested dough into 12 equal parts, ball em up and press them between the plates of your tortilla press. Use either parchment paper or a plastic bag to cover the metal plates, making the tortillas easy to remove once pressed. 

Press many and allow them to rest on a clean dish towel  before light frying them.  

One more step! 

It’s all wonderfully worth it.  

Pulse together a pesto.  Cilantro and basil to start.  Shallot and garlic for fun. 

Lots of lemon, salt and paper, and olive oil.  Blended to bright green, smooth and emulsified.  

The recipe makes enough sauce for the tacos and for your scrambled eggs the next morning.  

It’s just smarts. 

Toast up the tortillas on the gas stovetop before taco-making.  A little char is what we’re looking for. 

Top with roasted cauliflower and plantains – a few pieces of each. 

Top each taco with a slice or two of ripe avocado. 

Drizzle with pesto and tear a few fresh herbs across the top.  

Stand around the kitchen counter with a few friends and eat these tacos straight over the sheet pan.  We’ve come so far we don’t even have time for plates.  

Have a few – we are WELL. 

Photos with Jon Melendez.

Recipe inspired but and lightly adapted from A New Way To Food by Maggie Battista. 

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