Garlic Ginger Vegetarian Tacos With Sweet and Spicy Cabbage Slaw

Recap of this past week: Monday morning we found out we’re having a boy (!), Tuesday we found out my computer’s hard drive might be broken (!), Wednesday we found out it was just the cable that goes to the hard drive (!) and today we found a fresh bin of organic fruits and vegetables delivered to our front door. That’s life, isn’t it, filled with surprises that delight us, discourage us and change our schedules sufficiently to remind us we’re not in control, a theme I keep coming back to this year. Right now, I’m mostly feeling the blessing it is to get to see that I don’t run the universe (or the way a day goes or even how happy and healthy this little guy inside me seems to be doing so far) as well as thankful for the miniature moments that surprise me in the midst of life, like a Wednesday warm enough to take off my jacket or the way nothing makes a girl feel richer than a table filled with fresh food to eat.

Because nothing beats a set of tacos, these garlic ginger vegetarian tacos are the first meal we made with our Green Bean box. The basic idea is to mix together a cabbage slaw—just chopped up cabbage tossed with a little yogurt, some freshly grated ginger and garlic, honey and salt–and then combine that with a hash of spiced sautéed vegetables and avocado mash in warmed tortillas you can hold in your hand. We make meals like this a lot, I mean the hodge-podge kind, but what I liked best about this particular version was the ginger kick. I love fresh ginger. We’ve started keeping it in the fridge every week. When I saw that I could swap out something in my Green Bean bin for a couple knobs of gnarly fresh ginger fingers instead, it was an easy choice. You can put it in drinks, in tea and cookies, in potatoes, in butter chicken, and in soup. The smell is pungent and spicy, the texture is fibrous but easy enough to grate and the flavor is both comforting (good for nausea!) and hot (the way it’s nice for things to be this time of year). When it cooks with the garlic and then the vegetables, the kitchen smells Asian, like a pho broth or the beginnings of a thick curry dish. When it’s combined in the tacos, it’s a sweet and spicy meal that showcases ginger’s best.

Garlic Ginger Vegetable Tacos with Sweet and Spicy Cabbage Slaw
Makes four tacos or enough for 1 to 2 people

We made just enough for the two of us for a light meal, but you could easily double or triple it for a larger crowd. Use your biggest skillet and be prepared for things to cook down.

Ingredients:
For the cabbage slaw:
1 cup shredded cabbage
2 tablespoons yogurt
1-inch knob of ginger, peeled and grated
1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the vegetables:
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2-inch knob of ginger, peeled and grated
1 large clove garlic, peeled and grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup sliced sweet peppers
1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
1 cup sliced broccoli florets
1/2 cup vegetable or other broth

For the tacos:
4 organic corn tortillas, plus oil for warming in a skillet
1 avocado, peeled and mashed

Directions:
Start by making the cabbage slaw: combine all its ingredients in a large bowl, toss and adjust salt as you like. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt coconut oil. Add grated ginger, grated garlic, salt and crushed red pepper, stirring spices into the oil and letting them toast a few minutes. Add peppers, mushrooms and broccoli and cook two or three minutes more; then add the broth. Continue cooking over medium heat until warmed through and most of the liquids have evaporated, about 10 to 15 minutes.

To make the tacos, place a quarter of the vegetable mixture in each tortilla (warmed in a skillet with oil if desired) and top by mashed avocado and some of the cabbage slaw. Serve immediately.

About Shanna Mallon

Shanna Mallon is a freelance writer who holds an MA in writing from DePaul University. Her work has been featured in a variety of media outlets, including The Kitchn, Better Homes & Gardens, Taste of Home, Houzz.com, Foodista, Entrepreneur, and Ragan PR. In 2014, she co-authored The Einkorn Cookbook with her husband, Tim. Today, you can find her digging into food topics and celebrating the everyday grace of eating on her blog, Go Eat Your Bread with Joy. Shanna lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with Tim and their two small kids.

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