Portabella Zucchini Tacos

They say that love shows in the gestures–
A dash to the airport, a big diamond ring;
They say that this is what’s romance–
All that glitters,
All that sparkles,
All that’s bright and glossy,
(You know, those sorts of things).

True, you proposed: it was poetry,
All of your neat lines of verse, for me, arranged.
You made me a picnic and hid it,
A cooler packed with food and a ring,
Then you asked me,
And I said yes, and remember?
Right there, how everything changed?

It’s true, life is beautiful,
(We are happy,
We are together,
And free.)

But, also true, life is painful,
And we’ve walked through dark times just the same.
What of the times pacing the halls?
The nights of long talks?
The physical pain,
The wounded hearts,
The disappointments,
The crying out, over and over,
To God’s name?

It makes me think it’s love in the small and the hard things,
(Maybe the small and the hard things the most).
The dishes, the laundry,
The trash, the yard.
The kind words,
(When you want harsh words),
The soft words,
(When you want hard).
The long talks,
(When you are tired).
The stretched out arm,
(When you want to run).

Could love look like nights in the kitchen?
Like daily dinner?
Like, simply, life?

She said, “What we need is love that’s not tired,”
What she said is, I guess, what I think.

Love shows itself in daily somethings,
Somethings as simple as this.

Portabella Zucchini Tacos
Makes four to six tacos

As the recipe is written, you’ll probably have kale slaw and yogurt sauce leftover, and, after what happened the day after we ate these tacos, I have to give you this tip as to what to do with them: Toast + this spiced yogurt sauce + this leftover kale salad = OH MY! THE BEST! DO IT SOON.

Ingredients:
for the portabellas:
2 portabellas, stems and gills removed
2 tablespoons coconut oil, softened or melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
A few shakes of red chili flakes

for the zucchini:
2 green zucchini squash (mine were a little under a pound in total weight)
2 tablespoons coconut oil, softened or melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
A few shakes of red chili flakes

for the kale slaw:
4 cups chopped green curly kale
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 small onion, chopped
The juice of one lime (about 3 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

for the yogurt sauce:
1/4 cup yogurt
2 cloves of garlic, grated
1/2 teaspoon cumin
A few shakes of cayenne
Salt, to taste

Directions:
Start by preheating the oven to 425F and prepping the vegetables. Slice the two portabellas vertically into matchsticks and combine in a bowl with coconut oil, salt and red chili flakes. Then, spread the portabella matchsticks on a rimmed baking sheet or in a 9X13 dish.

Next, slice up the zucchini vertically into matchsticks as well. Combine in a bowl with coconut oil, salt and red chili flakes. Layer these onto a second baking sheet or a 9X13 dish. Slide both dishes into the oven and set the timer for 25 minutes.

Make the kale slaw by combining four cups of chopped kale, diced tomatoes, chopped onion, lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Massage everything together and set aside.

Make the yogurt sauce by combining yogurt with grated garlic, cumin, cayenne and salt, adjusting to taste as you like.

To make the tacos, layer roasted zucchini and portabellas, then kale slaw, then yogurt sauce.