Elote, aka Mexican street corn, is ludicrously delicious! Since it’s virtually unavailable outside of Mexico and Southern California, I dreamt up this incredible taco to bring a taste of Mexico straight to your home kitchen. I like using low-carb, high-protein tortillas here to balance out the carbiness of it all, but they’ll taste amazing with any type you choose. To save even more time, look for pre-sliced butternut squash in the refrigerated section of the produce aisle.
Servings: 2-3 Time: Prep: 10 minutes, Cook: 20 minutes
Recipe by: Carrots and Flowers
Ingredients
Tacos
- 1 medium butternut squash
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) avocado or olive oil
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) agave
- 1/2 – 1 tsp chili, depending on how spicy you want it
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 4 ears of corn
- 3 green onions
- 1 tbsp oil (avocado or olive)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 small jalapeno
- ¼ cup (25 g) vegan parmesan shreds
Super Easy Guacamole
- 2 large ripe avocados
- 2 limes
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp cumin
For Serving
- Large handful cilantro
- 2 purple cabbage leaves
- Tortillas of choice (I recommend low-carb, use corn for GF option)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Poke several holes in the squash with a fork, then microwave it for 2 minutes to make peeling easier. (You can skip this step, but skipping will increase prep time.) Meanwhile, measure the dry spices. Peel the squash, cut it in half lengthwise, then slice each half into ½ inch half moon shapes.
2. Lay the squash in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and agave. Season with salt, chili powder, garlic powder, and cumin. Rub the squash until well coated. Roast the squash for 20-22 minutes, until tender. (It’s ok if the oven isn’t all the way hot yet.)
3. Peel the corn if the husks are still on. Cut the kernels from the cob into a large bowl. Dice the green onion, mince the garlic, and finely dice the jalapeno.
4. Put 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Mince the garlic.
5. Put the green onion, garlic, and jalapeno in the pan. Stir. Add the corn and cook for 2 minutes undisturbed. Mash the avocados in a bowl.
6. Stir the corn, then cook for another 5-6 minutes, stirring every so often, until the corn begins to brown. Add the vegan parmesan and remove from heat.
7. Mix the lime juice, salt, cumin, and red pepper flakes with the mashed avocado. Wrap tortillas in foil, warm them in the oven for 2-3 minutes. Chop the purple cabbage and cilantro.
8. Build your tacos with roasted squash, elote corn, and a scoop of guacamole. Garnish with cilantro, purple cabbage, and optional vegan yogurt.
Reprinted with permission from 30 Minute Vegan Dinners by Megan Sadd, Page Street Publishing.
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