Fried Avocado and Roasted Sweet Potato Tacos

Tacos. They're quick, easy, and delicious if you do them right. What prompted me to create these tacos was the Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo, which I didn't realize for some time was actually a celebration of a victory that the Mexicans won in a battle over the French. For many, it's an opportunity to embrace Mexican food and the culture, and tacos are just one of those things everyone loves to come together for.

I decided to go simple with these and use a fruit and vegetable that I grew up constantly eating in Zimbabwe -- sweet potato and the avocado. I wanted to add texture and depth to the flavor for both, so I roasted the potatoes after tossing them in a combination of spices that I thought would enhance the natural flavor, including one of my favourite spice blends very common in Zimbabwean kitchens. As for the avocados, I coated them in panko breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. I also used rice seasoning, which many people I don't realize can add great flavour to most savoury dishes. I used Robinson's, which is a South Africa brand and tastes great. All the toppings I included in the recipe add to the overall taste and texture to compliment the tacos.

I hope you enjoy these and make them a staple in your home; I certainly have!

Ingredients

Olive oil

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon taco seasoning or your favorite spice blend (I used Royco Usavi mix)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 Hass avocado, a bit under ripe/not too soft

1 egg, beaten

Lime juice

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 tablespoon spice for rice

1 teaspoon steak seasoning

3 taco flour tortillas

1/4 cup red cabbage, shredded

2 tablespoon corn

Cilantro

Limes

1 small thinly sliced radish

Feta cheese

Remoulade

Instructions

In a bowl, toss the cubed sweet potato with enough olive oil to coat with the first set of spices. Bake at 375F for about 25 minutes, turning/stirring once. Remove and set aside, don't overcook.

Slice avocado thickly, drizzle with lime juice.

Mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan, rice spice and steak seasoning. Drench the avocado in the egg, then the breadcrumb mix.

Coat the inside of an air fryer with cooking spray, and place each avocado piece separately. Spray with oil. Cool at 350 for 3 minutes on one side and 4 minutes after flipping. (You can also fry in a shallow pan of vegetable oil, then drain on paper towels).

In a non-stick pan, with some cooking spray, toast the tortillas until slightly crispy.

Assemble tacos with all your toppings and the feta and remoulade. Squeeze a bit of fresh lime over each taco. Enjoy!

Fish Tacos with Acorn Squash and Brussels Sprouts

Who doesn’t love tacos? Taco Tuesday is a huge thing in my household, and one of my favourite tacos are fish tacos. I don’t mean a bit bits of pieces coated in breadcrumbs, I’m talking a whole grilled or pan-seared fillet. This ensures you get a good dose of protein and makes the fish the star of the show along with anyother sauces you serve the tacos with. This is the second in a set of meals using MSC Bluefish certified hake. I got the fillets from Walmart in the frozen seafood section, but it’s wild-caught and sustainably fished. I made a recipe with the recipe fillet, here.

If you’re a conscious eater like myself and want to make the best decisions for your body and the environment, check out this shopper’s guide and check out my Instagram page!  

I wanted to make these seasonal and so used fall vegetables to serve as a side along with the tacos or incorporate them into the taco as your plate.

Brussels sprouts are filling, delicious and nutritious and were my first choice for greens to add to the tacos. Make sure when you are preparing them that you cut them sprouts into quarters, this will make them easier to eat and help prevent breaking down the tacos.

As for the gourd, I used acorn squash because I like the mild taste to help focus on the fish and the shape, but you can use butternut squash diced into bite-sized pieces. 

Is hope you enjoy these fall inspired tacos.

Ingredients

3 full hake fillets, thawed

2 tablespoon fish spice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice

2 tablespoons + 1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon garlic powder

Cooking spray

Fall vegetables:

1 small acorn squash

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 cup brussels sprouts

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 teaspoon fenugreek powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons cooking wine

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup sweet potato nectar (or natural sweetener)

Herbed garlic butter sauce:

2 tablespoons fresh dill

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Flour tacos

Instructions

Season your thawed fish fillets. Pat them dry with paper towels first, especially the skin to make sure you get a crispy texture when you fry them. Brush or drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and lemon juice on both sides of the fish.

In a small bowl mix your spices and season all the fillets evenly. You can rub on the blend with your hands.

While your fish soaks in the flavours, prepare your vegetables. Slice the acorn squash in half, and remove the seeds and fibres. Slice into 1 inches pieces.

Slice and quarter the Brussels sprouts, add both vegetables to a large bowl. Add all the seasoning, cranberries, soy sauce, cooking wine, sweet potato nectar and olive oil. Mix until everything is evenly coated.

Place the veggies on a baking sheet with parchment paper (cover entirely to prevent burning from the running juices). Bake at 400F for about 30 minutes, carefully turning over the pieces every 10 minutes until the acorn squash has softened and the Brussels sprouts are cooked through.

Heat the 1/4 cup olive oil and fry the hake fillets skin down for about 5 minutes. Flip over carefully and cook until the fish is opaque and white, with crispy skin, about 3 minutes. Remove the fillets from the pan, set aside.

Add the butter, salt, pepper, and chopped herbs to the pan to make your sauce with all the remaining bits and juices from the fish. Stir until everything is well mixed, set aside.

Char your flour tacos for about 15 seconds on each side Directly on the stovetop.

Assemble your tacos! Place the fish fillets and vegetable on top of your tacos and brush the hake with the butter sauce. Serve with fresh cilantro, remoulade sauce, feta, avocado and corn!