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I am always looking for interesting taco fillings. I experimented recently with roasted vegetables. The key is to cut the vegetables small (1/4-inch cubes) and roast them well with taco seasoning. I don’t like to use premade taco seasoning because of the high salt. It is super easy to make your own using this recipe. I use corn tortillas and a topping of just shredded cabbage mixed with lime.

Roasted Vegetable Tacos

1 medium onion

1 zucchini

1 yellow squash

3 large carrots

8 ounce container of white mushrooms or baby bellas

3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons taco seasoning

½ teaspoon salt

 

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Cut the vegetables into a ¼ inch dice. This takes a few minutes but your work will be well worth it in the end. It is a good time to practice your knife skills!
3. Toss the cut vegetables with the olive oil, taco seasoning, and salt. You can do this in a large bowl or plastic bag.
4. Place the vegetable mixture on a sheet pan lined with foil. This makes clean up easy.
5. Cook the vegetable mixture 45 min to 1 hour stirring half the way through.
6. Assemble the tacos on warmed tortillas.

 

Makes 6 Tacos

Serving Size: 1/6^th of recipe

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

 

Nutrition Information per Serving (for taco filling only – add about 50 calories if using a corn tortilla):

Serving Size: 1 taco

Vegetables: 1/3 cup

Fruits: 0 cups

Calories: 92 calories

Carbohydrates: 7 grams

Fiber: 2 grams

Protein: 2 grams

Fat: 7 grams

Sodium: 219 mg

There have been many (many) blog posts about the simplicity and deliciousness of roasting vegetables. They are good hot, room temperature, or cold in salads. While tossing some vegetables in a little olive oil and throwing them in the oven is super easy, there are some basic rules that will take you from good to great as a master vegetable roaster. Here are my top 5.

Top Five Rules of Roasting:

1. Use a good pan. If you have a sturdy rimmed baking sheet you are all set. If you have a flimsy baking sheet from your first apartment or one that does not have a 1-2 inch rim, it is time to make a small investment and get one. Choose one that is as large as possible to fit in your oven.
2. Don’t overcrowd the pan. If your vegetables are overlapping, you will create steam and this is a whole different cooking method. You want to get some brown on the vegetables, this can’t happen if they are steaming. Even if you have to do two batches, don’t put too many vegetables in at once.
3. Toss the vegetables in oil in a bowl or plastic bag prior to putting them on the baking sheet. This will allow for an even coating of oil on all of the nooks and crannies of the vegetables. I also find this helps me not use too much oil in my attempt to get the vegetables coated. It does take a few minutes but it is worth it.
4. Use foil to line the baking pan – shiny side up. The shiny side will help with browning. The foil will also help with clean up.
5. Flip the vegetables (if needed) only when they are good and brown. Impatience will result in a less than desirable vegetable. You want that caramelization to happen – this takes time. If the vegetables are not coming up from the pan/foil, they need more time.