I’m a firm believer you can never go wrong with tacos for dinner (#tacotuesday is more like #tacoeveryday in our household).
They’re easy, delicious, satisfying, crowd-pleasing and can be surprisingly healthy.
Like these spiced sweet potato tacos with avocado cilantro “crema.” If your meals normally consist of meat or other animal proteins these tacos are a great way to mix in a plant-based option as the sweet potatoes are starchy, sweet, filling and an incredible source of fiber and essential nutrients like vitamin A, beta-carotene and magnesium.
They’re also a great post-workout food (lots of potassium) and I especially love having them for dinner as the magnesium helps to relax muscles and calm nerves and anxiety.
Because the vitamin-A in the sweet potatoes is fat soluble (meaning the nutrients are better absorbed in your body when paired with a fat) this avocado cilantro “crema” rich in healthy fats from both the avocado and the pumpkin seeds is the perfect accompaniment (health-wise and taste-wise). Holy flavor bomb!
And if you’re still a little weary of a meal sans meat — let the MLH’s (meat-lovin’ hubby’s) very enthusiastic two thumbs up sway you — this is one of his fave weeknight meals.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention these tacos only take 30 minutes to make and taste great as leftovers (hello meal-prep goals). They’re also relatively inexpensive and are a crowd-pleasing option that almost anyone can enjoy (i.e. very anti-inflammatory and paleo/gluten-free/dairy-free/vegan, etc).
Happy cooking!!
xx //
Lauren
Spiced Sweet Potato Tacos with Avocado Cilantro "Crema"
Ingredients
Spiced Sweet Potatoes
- 2 large (or 4 small) sweet potatoes, rinsed, dried and chopped into small bite-sized pieces
- 2 tbsp avocado or coconut oil
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
- black pepper to taste
Avocado Cilantro "Crema"
- 1 large (or 2 small) avocados, pitted and chopped
- 1 cup cilantro
- ½ heaping cup toasted pepitas (i.e. pumpkin seeds)
- 1 lime, juice squeezed
- 3 tbsp avocado or olive oil
- 3 tbsp water
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ jalapeno, seeds removed
- ½ tsp sea salt
- black pepper to taste
Toppings
- Butter lettuce wraps or Siete Grainless tortillas
- Toasted pepitas, lime juice and cilantro for topping
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a baking pan toss together spiced sweet potato ingredients and roast for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- While sweet potatoes are roasting, toss avocado cilantro crema ingredients in a food processor and blend until creamy. If pepitas need to be toasted just heat a touch of oil on a stovetop pan over medium heat and stir around for 5-10 minutes until toasted. This step isn't required but I think it adds another level of flavor to the sauce. Don't forget to leave out a few tablespoons of pepitas for a crunchy taco topping.
- Get your toppings ready (lime, pepitas and cilantro) and steam or warm tortillas if using.
- Top tortillas or lettuce wraps with sweet potatoes, avocado cilantro "crema" and toppings of choice.
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