chili maple butternut squash tempeh and roasted corn tacos__________________________________________Taco night, fall style! Ground beef or pork works well if you are not plant-based/vegetarian/vegan. I love tempeh for any kind of filling, be it tacos, stuffed peppers, soup, you name it. It's a valuable non-meat protein source and absorbs flavors seamlessly.
Ingredients
- 2 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/2 block tempeh, crumbled
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
- 2/3 cup frozen roasted corn
- 2 cups slaw mix (I used Trader Joe's Cruciferous Crunch blend)
- 4-6 corn or wheat tortillas
- queso, salsa, avocado, cilantro, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix olive oil, maple syrup, and spices in a small bowl. Toss half the marinade onto the butternut squash and spread squash onto the baking sheet. Try not to crowd the pan. Place the crumbled tempeh in a ziploc bag, add the rest of the maple marinade, seal the bag, and toss around until incorporated. Set aside.
- Bake butternut squash for 15 minutes, toss, then continue baking for 10 more minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
- In the last 10 minutes of the squash's baking time, heat a skillet over medium. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil, swirl around, then dump in the tempeh and brown for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. It will not darken as much as meat since it does not contain anywhere close to the fat content of beef or pork, but it will crisp up.
- As the tempeh cooks, prepare your roasted corn. I use a frozen pre-roasted variety that requires nothing more than a stint in the microwave to prepare. You may roast your own corn if you are feeling ambitious!
- Once all components are complete, build you tacos! Start with 2-4 tbsp of slaw (I just eyeball it, honestly), some squash, a few spoonfuls of tempeh, roasted corn, and finally garnish with whatever sounds tasty. I used vegan queso and salsa on mine.