Yam and feta tacos

Photo credit Ken Kaushansky

Prep time: approximately 25 minutes

Serves 4 people

Prep time: approximately 25 minutes

A few years ago, a friend and colleague of mine got engaged.  Before starting a meeting, we were chatting, and she told me that she really wanted a wedding with tons and tons of homemade tacos, but couldn’t make it happen because she would be otherwise…. occupied that day.  It took me about 10 seconds to volunteer to be the taco cook, fully expecting she wouldn’t actually let me do it.  It was truly an honor.  We forgot to bring the potholders to the venue, and had to use random stuff we scavenged to get things out of the oven unscathed.  Josh and I danced to the song for long-married-couples in the kitchen when we fell a few minutes behind schedule, but other than that it went smoothly.  Here is the vegetarian taco recipe I created for the event.

Two medium sized, or one large yam(s) (1.5 lbs)

2 red bell peppers

2 poblano peppers

1 jalapeno pepper

1 t chili powder (hatch chili powder is my favorite) 

¼ t cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)

½ t salt

½ t pepper

1t olive oil

6 oz feta cheese, crumbled or cut into ½ inch cubes

1 avocado, cut into half-inch chunks

3 limes, cut into wedges to serve on the side

20 taco-sized corn tortillas

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the yams, bell peppers and poblano peppers into cubes, approximately ¾ inch wide.  Dice the jalapeno peppers. Toss all with chili powder, cayenne, olive oil, salt and pepper and add to a baking sheet.  Bake for ~15 minutes until  both yams and peppers are fork-tender and beginning to brown.

Warm the tortillas by wrapping in foil and putting in the oven at the same time as the yams and peppers. Once cooked, fill tortillas with the yam/pepper mixture and sprinkle with feta cheese and chunks of avocado.  Serve with limes on the side.

Substitutions:  

If you do not eat dairy, omit the feta and add serve with a dairy-free sour cream