Category, DifficultyIntermediate
California Walnut Street Tacos
Yields5 Servings
Prep Time30 minsCook Time40 minsTotal Time1 hr 10 mins
 1 head cauliflower, small, chopped
 1 cup California walnuts, chopped
 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
 ¾ cup onion, minced
 2 tsp garlic, minced
 1 medium jalapeno, seeded and minced
 ½ cup water
 ¼ cup tomato paste
 2 tsp chili powder
 1 tsp cumin, ground
 1 tsp oregano, dried
 ½ tsp salt, or to taste
1

Preheat oven to 475ºF. Coat cauliflower with 1 tbsp. olive oil; place on a baking sheet and roast for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

2

Reduce oven temperature to 350ºF and toast walnuts for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add to pan with cauliflower.

3

Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic and jalapeno and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in water, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano and salt; cook until mixture is thick and excess water has cooked off. Stir in cauliflower mixture.

4

Spoon mixture into warmed tortillas and top with cabbage, cheese, walnuts and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Optional: Cauliflower mixture may be pulsed in a food processor so that it resembles the texture of ground meat.

Meat add in option: For a non-vegetarian dish add in (1 lb) 93% lean ground beef and cook through until brown.

Make It A Meal: Serve with a fruit salsa and sliced avocados

Walnuts are high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. They are also both tree nuts and drupes, which means that they are a fruit whose fleshy layer surrounds the shell and holds a seed inside. Examples of drupes are walnuts, almonds and pecans as well as peaches, plums and coconuts.

 

Ingredients

 1 head cauliflower, small, chopped
 1 cup California walnuts, chopped
 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
 ¾ cup onion, minced
 2 tsp garlic, minced
 1 medium jalapeno, seeded and minced
 ½ cup water
 ¼ cup tomato paste
 2 tsp chili powder
 1 tsp cumin, ground
 1 tsp oregano, dried
 ½ tsp salt, or to taste

Directions

1

Preheat oven to 475ºF. Coat cauliflower with 1 tbsp. olive oil; place on a baking sheet and roast for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

2

Reduce oven temperature to 350ºF and toast walnuts for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add to pan with cauliflower.

3

Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic and jalapeno and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in water, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano and salt; cook until mixture is thick and excess water has cooked off. Stir in cauliflower mixture.

4

Spoon mixture into warmed tortillas and top with cabbage, cheese, walnuts and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

California Walnut Street Tacos