Roasted Poblano and Sweet Potato Tacos

The inspiration behind this veggie taco comes from watching the Netflix show The Chef Show Season 1 Volume 3.  Jon Favreau and Roy Choi stop by the Border Grill to speak and cook with co-owners Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger; they are known for their modern Mexican cuisine. 

In our household, we are very much a predominately meat eating family, but there was something about their tacos that inspired us to try it at home! This is fairly easy to make and is a great way to get your veggies in.

Ingredients for green salsa:

6-7 roasted tomatillos (remove husk before)

1 roasted jalapeno/ or half a roasted serrano (de-seeded if you don't like spicy)

1/2 roasted white/brown onion (remove skin before roasting)

2-3 garlic cloves (you can roast this too if you want)

a small bunch cilantro

salt to taste

Ingredients for Tacos:

(makes enough for 2 people)

2 roasted poblanos

~4-5 cups of diced sweet potatoes (the ones we buy in the store are so tiny.. so size will vary.. this will probably make about 10 tacos)

olive oil

salt and pepper (to taste)

cotija cheese

5-6 corn tortillas

some shredded melting cheese (monterey jack, cheddar cheese, "Mexican" cheese, etc)

green salsa

crema

Directions for salsa:

1. Roast the tomatillos, onions, jalapenos/serranos, garlic (optional). They do not have to be super charred like the poblanos (see below). Remove core/de-seed to all that is applicable and add to blender. 

2. Add cilantro and garlic to the blender.

3. Blend ingredients.

4. Salt to taste.

Directions for tacos:

1. Roast poblanos (these are the large green chiles) over a fire until the skin chars everywhere. (I use my gas stove at home.. it sets off the fire alarms occasionally. My boyfriend uses the bbq outside.) (For my Mexicans, it is similar to what you would do for the chiles in chile relleno. For my Filipinos, it is similar to what you would do with the eggplant/talong in tortang talong. And for the Spanish out there, it is similar to what you would need to do to the tomato/red bell peppers you would use in Romesco sauce).

2. Once charred, throw it in a plastic bag and close it up. Come back to it after it has cooled down and peel the charred skin off . You will also need to de-seed it and take off the stem. Chop into small taco sized pieces. While you wait to peel and de-seed work on Step 3.

3. Peel the sweet potatoes and also chop into small bite sized pieces. Toss in olive oil, a lot of salt, and pepper. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F. I would roast for 20 minutes and keep checking on them after that... test with a fork.. eat one.. see if it is to your liking. Mix the chopped poblanos and sweet potatoes together.

4. For the corn tortillas, heat on a skillet. Then I like to throw some shredded cheese onto my non stick pan and let it melt. After, I throw the tortilla on top and let it cook until it is easy to take out with a spatula. You want the cheese to harden a little.

5. Assembly: corn tortilla on the bottom (you can choose which side is in/out...I usually choose cheese on the inside so my hands don't get greasy). Fill the taco with some of the poblano/sweet potato mixture, and then top the filling with some cotija cheese, salsa, crema, and lime. Avocado would also be great on this too.

The thing about this recipe is you don't have to use the exact numbers listed for anything! Do you like your salsa spicy? or more garlicky? Then add more. Do you like less sweet potatoes and more poblanos? Then go for that too. Do you want to add some roasted corn? or black beans? Go for it! I would like to say these are more guidelines than anything. I would say, though, do not skimp on the lime, salsa, or cotija cheese for toppings!