Sweet & Spicy Chipotle Roasted Cauliflower Tacos with Wilted Kale & Garlic Maple Aioli

I'm going to begin this post with this, I love tacos. I absolutely love them. They're quick, they're filling, they're so versatile and they're downright delicious. Especially when you've got this amazing vegan garlic maple aioli to put on them. This sauce alone could make anything taste good. It's definitely a classic go-to in my kitchen.
Okay, "Here's the deal, Sparky." I'm not going to play around like I'm on top of things all the time. We get a farm box every other week and sometimes we don't get to everything right away. So sometimes we have a case of weird-wilty-fridge-kale. Nothing wrong with this.
Don't panic. Keep it together, man! This is the hippie lovin' life. This is the real deal. You are certified Hilzey-cool, now. This recipe is perfect for that wilted green you haven't gotten around to using!

This particular dish is gluten-free as well as vegan, but that's a given. I hope this inspires you to have weekly taco night in your home. Or even have some friends over for dinner! Tacos all around! They will be licking their fingers and their plates and asking (strangely with large eyes not making contact) if you "have any more tortillas..." while they raid your kitchen for more aioli, greens and that spicy beautiful cauliflower. The recipe doubles easily, so don't worry about it so much. Okay, now. Okay. Let's get weird!


Prep: 15 minutes ||  Serves: 2  || Total time: 35 minutes

What you'll need:
1 small cauliflower head or about 1 cup cauliflower broken or cut into tiny florets
1-2 teaspoon chipotle powder
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tsp liquid aminos (should be a staple in your kitchen)
1 bunch kale, about 2 cups finely chopped (stems and all, that's right... them are healthy for you!)
1/2 small sweet onion, minced
4 corn tortillas
2 Tbsp vegenaise or vegan mayo
1/4-1/2 pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp raw coconut vinegar or apple cider vinegar
garlic powder
sea salt
extra virgin olive oil
micro greens or lettuce
Daiya or nondairy cheese for topping (optional)



- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Break or cut cauliflower into tiny florets and place in a glass or ceramic bowl.
Drizzle 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil over the cauliflower. Sprinkle on chipotle powder, anywhere from 1-2 teaspoons depending on how spicy you'd like. As well as 1/4 tsp sea salt. Stir together.
*I used 2 heaping teaspoons because I really enjoy the contrast between the spicy roasted cauliflower, earthy greens and black beans and sweet dressing. 
When your oven is ready, place the bowl uncovered in the oven (you'll get beautiful caramelization on florets this way) and bake for about 20 minutes.

- In a large pan, add 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add onion, precut kale and liquid aminos.
Sautee on medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until onions turn translucent and kale looks wilted and deepens in green color. *You can use any type of green you have on hand for these tacos. Collards, mustard greens, variations of kale, whatever you want. Just get into it.
At this point, add 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp raw coconut vinegar or apple cider vinegar, black beans, and 1 Tbsp water to skillet.
Stir, cover, and turn to low heat. Leave it alone for a bit. You're done here.


Garlic maple aioli:
2 Tbsp veganaise or vegan mayo
1/4-1/2 tsp pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp lemon juice

- Whisk all ingredients together and set aside.


- At this point you can probably take out your cauliflower to let cool. Try one floret. It should be crispy but allover quite soft, not crunchy.
- Place your corn tortillas directly onto the oven rack at 400 degrees. I like to do them for about 2-3 minutes on each side so they warm and brown a bit, but aren't too hard.
- Take out your tortillas when they're the way you like them. You'll know. Don't think too much about it.

Now it's time to plate! Lay down aioli first, then plate your greens, onion and bean mixture. Then your gorgeous chipotle cauliflower!
Top with Daiya cheese and micro greens or lettuce.
*For added health and omegas, you could add avocado, crushed walnuts, hemp seeds or sunflower seeds! 




- Hilzey

Baked Vegan Falafel Wrap with Micro-Greens and Pro-biotic Pickles

Some days, my desire to eat Mediterranean is just too irresistible. I think it's my inner Lebanese (if only I had that hair, though. Seriously). However, I don't always have the supplies on hand to create a perfectly classic Middle Eastern meal. I can, however, count on making something like this filling, quick, cost-friendly and simple wrap. I generally have all of these supplies on hand, too. Putting a few staples in your home like tahini, chick peas, parsley (perhaps a plant) and falafel mix will do you a world of good!
This recipe will hopefully give you ideas for a flavorful, fast and healthful lunch. The wonderful thing about something like this is you could prepare it earlier in the day (leaving out the greens and any toppings that might dampen the wrap) and bring them in a separate container, adding them when you're ready to eat.

Okay, let's get started already. I hate long, weird, pointless intros. (wishing I had great hair flip) Let's go!


Hummus
2 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup tahini paste, or more if you prefer!
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp sumac, or more if you prefer!
1 Tbsp purified water
1 tsp salt

- Food process or blend all ingredients until you get a smooth, even consistency. You may need to add another Tablespoon or lemon juice or water if you like your hummus ultra smooth and classically Middle Eastern.
*right now this hummus is not too tahini-heavy, and not too sumac-heavy. It's a delicate balance of all ingredients. So make it as is, and tweak if you wish. 



Quick no-grain fresh tabbouleh 
1/2 cup tomatoes
1/2 cup parsley
1/2 cucumber
2 Tbsp lemon juice

- Dice tomatoes, parsley and cucumber. Add lemon juice and let chill in the fridge until you're ready to plate.
*If you want to spend a little more time here on this no-grain fresh tabbouleh and have a cauliflower laying around, cut the cauliflower into small florets (about 1-2 cups) and pop them into the food processor. Pulse manually until they resemble a small grain. Mix into the no-grain tabbouleh and sprinkle with sea salt. 



Falafel 
Falafel mix (you can find this at basically any store, we bought ours at a health food market)
1 cup falafel mix
1 cup water

- Mix falafel and water, let sit for 30 minutes (important).
Roll into small balls, pat to flatten a bit and then place on baking sheet.
Bake for 15-20 minutes at 450 degrees.
*You may fry these in a pan, also. Just fill with a few Tablespoons of oil, crank up the stove top heat to high and get weird with it!






Nutrient dense topping options: (health up your wrap!)
pickled red onion 
pickled radish
pro-biotic pickles (I use Bubbies brand) 
micro-greens
sprouts
avocado
hemp seeds
julienned assorted colored peppers


- I opted to use micro-greens from our farm box in this wrap with Bubbies pickles (for brightness) to balance out the earthy falafel. Any of the toppings listed above would go brilliantly, particularly the pickled onion.
- You're ready to plate everything. There is no rhyme or reason to this... just make it look like you want it to look! I'm just here to give you ideas and basics. I do suggest laying out the wrap and putting hummus down first to hold everything together! But congratulations, you've made yourself some lunch. "Four gold stars for you. I was testing you, you passed."

-Hilzey