Miso Eggplant & Squash Tacos with Greens
Adapted from Lily Diamond
This recipe easily scales up for cooking for more people. If you don’t have Japanese eggplant, slice your eggplant to mimic that width. Other squash types can substitute for kabocha (anything but spaghetti!).
Miso Eggplant
2 cups thickly sliced Japanese eggplant - cut in half lengthwise and then 1/2 inch pieces, or other eggplant, sliced to mimic the width of a Japanese eggplant
2 tablespoons miso
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Cilantro Kabocha Squash
2 cups steamed kabocha squash chunks from a 1 1/2 pound squash
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon miso
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (or more for stronger spice)
leaves handful fresh cilantro
Sriracha Sour Cream
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons sriracha hot sauce
Taco Fixings
6 small flour tortillas
2 cups fresh tender greens (such as mizuna, bok choi, arugula, spinach, turnip greens, radish greens, etc.)
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
2 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas) lightly toasted
Preheat oven or toaster oven to 425ºF.
In a small bowl, mix miso, coconut oil, and toasted sesame oil. Place eggplant slices in a medium bowl and massage with the miso mixture. Place on a baking sheet and roast in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, checking at 10 to see how they’re doing. When they’re bubbling and browned, and can be easily pierced with a fork, they’re done. Remove from the oven and set aside in a bowl.
While the eggplant is roasting, Fill a large pot with an inch of water and place a metal steamer inside. Turn heat to high and cover with a lid. Halve your kabocha squash and deseed it, then cut into thick slices for steaming. Remove lid and put squash in the steamer, distributing evenly. Toss in one peeled clove of garlic. Replace lid and let steam 15-20 minutes, until squash is tender. Then remove from heat.
Once squash is done, remove the metal steamer using tongs and run cold water over the squash. Drain water, and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh into a blender. Add the clove of garlic, miso, coconut oil, vinegar, soy sauce, and cayenne. Blend until smooth, then turn off blender. Add cilantro and blend again for another 20 seconds or so—don’t over-blend the cilantro! Empty into a bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix the sour cream and sriracha, and set aside for plating your tacos. Place toasted sesame and pumpkin seeds in another bowl. In a third bowl, set out your washed greens.
Gently warm tortillas as you like, either on a cast iron griddle, or in foil in an oven (or toaster oven).
When you’re ready to assemble your tacos, start with a smear of cilantro kabocha, top with miso roasted eggplant, and then add your greens, seeds, and sriracha sour cream.
