In Tacolicious, Sarah Deseran, co-owner of the popular San Francisco restaurant, shows us her approach to tacos with a California twist.
Drummed up by our intrepid recipe tester Lauren Godfrey, this nontraditional taco, sweet with squash, earthy and nutty with kale, and crunchy with fried pumpkin seeds (pepitas), is—shhhhh—vegan. Don’t tell anyone, but because it is so tasty, no one will care. The cashew crema can be replaced by store-bought crema or our Cumin-lime crema, but after polling both vegetarian and carnivorous friends, everyone preferred the nutty and rich nondairy cashew version (which must be made with raw cashews to work). To prepare the butternut squash, use a sharp peeler to remove the tough skin before slicing it in half and scooping out the seeds and fibers. Lazy cook’s tip: Some markets sell butternut squash already peeled and seeded and ready to go.
Directions
- To make the crema, soak the raw cashews in room-temperature water to cover for at least 1 hour. Drain and reserve.
- Toast the cumin in a small, dry, heavy skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Transfer to a spice grinder, let cool, and grind finely. In a blender, combine the cashews, cumin, lime juice, water, and salt. Start the blender on the lowest speed and gradually increase to the highest speed.
- Blend for at least 1 minute, until a creamy consistency. Pour into a serving bowl and set aside.
- To make the pumpkin seeds, heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, add the pumpkin seeds and sauté for about 2 minutes, taking care that they do not burn. The seeds will begin to puff up and pop. Once they appear toasted, immediately pour them into a bowl. Toss with the cayenne and salt and set aside.
- To make the filling, heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 3 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute more. Add the squash and sauté for 6 to 7 minutes, just until the squash begins to soften. Season with the chile powder and salt.
- Add the kale and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute, until it begins to wilt.
- Remove from the heat, taste, and adjust the seasoning with salt if needed.
- Serve with the tortillas, crema, pumpkin seeds, onion, cilantro, and salsa. To assemble each taco, invite guests to spoon about 1/2 cup of the warm filling into a tortilla and top with some crema and pumpkin seeds. If guests want more toppings, they can finish off their tacos with onion, cilantro, and salsa.
Reprinted with permission from Tacolicious copyright © 2014 by Sara Deseran with Joe Hargrave, Antelmo Faria and Mike Barrow. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.
