Recipe: Danny Trejo's Roasted Cauliflower Tacos

In his upcoming cookbook, "Trejo's Tacos: Recipes and Stories from L.A." (Clarkson Potter), coming in Spring 2020, actor, restaurateur and food truck owner Danny Trejo offers 75 "badass" recipes, including this award-winning vegan taco recipe. 

Danny Trejo's Roasted Cauliflower Tacos

Makes 8 tacos

Ingredients:

1 medium head cauliflower
2 tablespoons pure olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ear corn, shucked
8 6-inch corn tortillas
½ cup Vegan Cashew Crema
½ cup Pickled Red Onions
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation:

• Roast the cauliflower - Preheat the oven to 375°F. Remove the cauliflower florets from the thick stem and break the florets into bite-sized pieces. Scatter the cauliflower florets on a rimmed 11 x 17-inch sheet pan, drizzle with the oil, season with the salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast the cauliflower until it is tender, about 30 minutes. Then raise the heat to 425°F and continue to cook until the cauliflower is lightly browned, about 10 minutes more. Set aside.
• Char the corn - While the cauliflower is cooking, turn a gas burner to high and place the ear of corn directly on the rack over the flame. (If you don't have a gas oven, you can broil the corn.) Cook until the corn is charred in spots, turning it occasionally with tongs, about 2 minutes per side. Set the ear of corn aside to cool until you can handle it.
• In a medium mixing bowl, hold the ear of corn vertically and slice downward on each side to remove the kernels, letting them fall into the bowl. Discard the cob and use your hands to break the clumps of corn into separate kernels. Set aside.

Make the tacos:

• Preheat the oven to 250°F.
• Stack the tortillas, wrap them in aluminum foil, place them in the oven, and let them warm until they're fragrant and pliable, about 15 minutes.
• Remove the tortillas from the oven. Unwrap the stack and line up the tortillas, assembly-line-style, on your work surface.
• Spoon 1 tablespoon of the Vegan Cashew Crema in the center of each tortilla. Place several florets of roasted cauliflower on top of the crema and top them with some corn. Drizzle with more crema and garnish with the pickled onions and chopped cilantro.

Vegan Cashew Crema

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups raw unsalted cashews
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1 lemon
1½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus extra to taste

Preparations:

• Place the cashews in a blender jar and cover them with 1½ cups of water. Set the cashews aside to soak for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. The longer they soak, the softer they'll get, making for a creamier result.
• Pour off the water and add the lime juice, lemon juice, and salt to the cashews. Puree until creamy and smooth. Taste and adjust with more salt, lemon, and/or lime juice if needed. Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

From the book "Trejo's Tacos: Recipes and Stories from L.A.: A Cookbook" by Danny Trejo with Hugh Garvey. Copyright © 2020. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Penguin Random House. Reprinted by permission.   

       
For more info:

• "Trejo's Tacos: Recipes and Stories from L.A.: A Cookbook" by Danny Trejo with Hugh Garvey (Clarkson Potter), in Hardcover and eBook formats, available April 2020; preorder via Amazon
• dannytrejo.com