Vegan Grain Free Tacos

I love tacos, who doesn’t right? Most taco shells are made from corn. During nutrition class, I was really sad to find out that corn is actually a grain (not a vegetable) and also that it is one of two of the most genetically modified and pesticide full crops out there. Why is this? Corn is massively overproduced because of all the food additives that can be derived from it…even citric acid! Like isn’t citric acid supposed to come from oranges or something, not necessarily. This is just one example of a food additive that is in almost everything. Unless the package says grain free, it’s likely that the citric acid is coming from corn. Tip for all you paleo people out there and others allergic to corn. But how is that even possible? Heavy heavy processing of food that the body does not know what to do with. Pesticides and additives can also inhibit normal detox of the body by the way. Luckily I discovered a grain free hard shell taco by Siete. They are made from cassava, which is a tuber that grows in the ground! Siete also makes soft tortillas from other flours like almond, chickpea, cashew, cassava, etc. You can find them at most major health focused grocery stores, I get mine at Natural Grocers.

So the vegan part. Vegan tacos come together so fast and are so delicious. I made a couple different versions recently and both were delicious! Two things were on my mind, I want some protein going into these tacos and I want something fresh and green to tone down the spice I’m about to add.

To incorporate protein I used garbanzo beans and black beans for one recipe, and then a simple homemade hummus for the other. Both were great. I found the hummus to work really well for glueing the other ingredients to the shell so less fell out. I loved the black beans and garbanzo beans whole for their texture and flavor.

For greens, I chiffonaded spinach for one recipe and used sunflower seed sprouts for the other. Ps not sure if that is actually a word but basically what you do is stack some spinach leaves on top of eachother then roll them up tight and slice them with a knife. When they unroll, you will have long strips and you will feel super fancy! You’re welcome.;)

Okay so for the seasoning, I decided to think outside of the box and use some new harissa seasoning that I picked up. I used the Frontier brand which has a nice blend of organic chiles, cumin, garlic, and even a touch of peppermint! Super yummy and not too spicy.

I hope you can enjoy these recipes and make your own version of vegan tacos! Share pictures and tag me when you do! Also, I don’t measure anything when it comes to tacos so use these recipes as a guide to unleash your own creativity! 🙂

VEGAN HARISSA TACOS 2 WAYS

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Roasted Delicata Squash and Hummus Tacos

Ingredients: 

• Delicata squash
• Homemade hummus or store bought
• Harissa seasoning (I used Frontier brand)
• Honey 
• Sunflower seed sprouts
• Avocado, diced
• Fresh lime juice
• Cilantro, chopped
• Tahini, optional but delicious
• Siete Grain Free hard shell taco shells
• Avocado oil or coconut oil (melted) for the pan 
• Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a glass pan, lay down a sheet of parchment paper and drizzle in a couple tablespoons of avocado oil or coconut oil. Set aside. 

Wash your squash. Slice the both ends off of the delicata squash and then slice it in half lengthwise. Scrape the seeds out using a spoon. Reserve to roast later or discard. Place each half on their flat side and slice into thin half moons. Place in the pan and sprinkle with harissa seasoning, plenty of salt, and pepper and about one tablespoon of honey. Toss to coat evenly with the oil then spread out so that the squash is in a single layer ideally. Roast for about 30 minutes flipping around the 20 minute mark. 

While the squash is roasting, prepare all the other ingredients: make the hummus, dice the avocado, chop the cilantro. 

TO ASSEMBLE: Spread a good layer of hummus on each side of the taco shell. Add the squash, avocado, and sunflower seed sprouts. Drizzle with tahini and sprinkle with cilantro, then squeeze plenty of fresh lime juice on top. 🙂

Enjoy! 

PS. The tahini was a goof up because I forgot it in the hummus when I made these, but to be honest it ended up being the perfect addition to these tacos! 

Triple Bean Tacos

Ingredients: 

• Garbanzo beans, canned or cooked yourself*
• Black beans, canned or cooked yourself*
• Dragon tongue beans (or regular string beans) **
• Harissa seasoning (I used Frontier brand)
• Coconut oil or avocado oil 
• Spinach
• Honey 
• Avocado, optional
• Fresh lime juice
• Siete Grain free hard shell tacos
• Salt and pepper

Wash the dragon beans and snip the ends off. Chop into one inch pieces. 

In a cast iron pan heat the oil. Coconut oil will give you a more buttery mouthfeel. Once the oil is hot add the beans. Add a little water just to coat the bottom of the pan and place a lid on to steam the beans briefly. Steam for a few minutes until al dente then remove the lid. 

Add the harissa seasoning to taste, honey, salt, pepper, and both the garbanzo and black beans. Cook for about 2 minutes longer. 

Meanwhile mash the avocado with plenty of lime juice and salt. Chiffonade the spinach by stacking multiple leaves on top of eachother then rolling up. Slice lengthwise into thin strips. 

To assemble the tacos: 

Spread a good amount of smashed avocado on each side of the tortilla. Place the bean mixture inside followed by the spinach. Finish with more lime juice and enjoy! 

NOTES: 

*I love the Eden brand beans because they are organic and pressure cooked which breaks down the lectins and makes it easier for your gut to digest the beans

**Dragon tongue beans are a beautiful purple and white speckled bean variety. They are less stringy than regular beans but can be cooked the same. 

Healthy Wishes Friends!

Abby