Holy Molé!
Three cheers to healthy, flavor packed dinners that feeds up to 4 people. Family meal or leftovers for 2, anyone?
Let’s hop into the creation of this recipe.
When carrots are shredded and cooked, they transform into an entirely different entity; our friend couldn’t even recognize the filling as carrots, which is a great thing if you dislike carrots as much as Kim does. Shredded carrots are complimented by chopped red onion, a healthy dose of fresh garlic, and a spice mixture that includes cacao powder, cumin, paprika, and a touch of cinnamon and cayenne. The cacao powder and cinnamon create a savory flavor profile that is uncommon to most palates; “sweet” spices elevate this savory meal to the next level.
As most tacos boast spoonfuls of sour cream – which we don’t eat, of course (not even the substitutes) – and guac, we opted for a dressing that’s creamy, tangy, and avocado-y. Spiked with lemon and cilantro, this dressing takes the place of both sour cream and guacamole. Plus, it’s made from avocados, so you know it finta’ be delicious.
As you can tell, we’ve shown more commitment to avocados than we have each other… couple goals? Maybe. Maybe not.
Sliced radishes adds a kick of fresh spice that rounds out this dish. Serve your tacos in almond or cassava flour tortillas (this recipe from Kaylie of Paleo Gluten Free Eats is an easy, delicious, vegan recipe of amazing cassava tortillas) or on top of crisp leaves of romaine lettuce, dubbed “taco boats.” Both serving styles are equally as satisfying and healthy.
If there’s a dish you’ve always wanted to see veganized, submit it here, and we’ll head to the lab, break out the test tubes, and whip out our culinary gadgets, so that in a couple of weeks there’ll be a recipe dedicated all to you.
All the best,
Ryan & Kim
Holy Molé Tacos
Shredded carrot molé takes the place of meat in these simple, flavorful, dinner tacos.
Ingredients
Carrot Filling:
- 5 cups shredded carrots (about 8 medium carrots)
- 1/4 red onion, finely diced
- 4 large cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
- 3/4 c mushroom broth
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Molé Mix:
- 2 tbsp cacao or cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 cayenne pepper
Avocado Cilantro Dressing:
- 1 medium ripe avocado
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp chopped garlic (about 1 large clove)
- 1 tsp chopped cilantro
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 c water + more as needed
Serving:
- almond or cassava tortillas / romaine leaves
- chopped cilantro
- thinly sliced radishes
- shredded romaine lettuce
Directions
- In a small bowl, mix together all the molé ingredients using a fork or whisk. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add olive oil, shredded carrots, diced onion, and garlic.
- Cook for 6-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the carrots reach desired tenderness; took us 8 minutes, stirring only three times throughout the process.
- Then, stir the mole spices into the carrot filling until the spices are no longer visible, about 1 minute. Add mushroom broth, stirring constantly, and cook for another minute. Turn heat to low until ready to serve.
- While the carrots cook, place all dressing ingredients in a personal sized blender or food processor and blend until smooth. If the consistency is too thick, add another 1/4 c of water or enough so that it’s pourable.
- If using tortillas, heat them in a pan over medium high heat for roughly 7 seconds per side. If making romaine taco boats, skip this step.
- For tortilla serving, top in this order: shredded lettuce, mole filling, radishes, cilantro, and dressing. For romaine boats, simply leave out the shredded lettuce and follow the rest accordingly.
- While best when fresh, mole mixture will can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.
- ¡Salud!
NO EGGS OR HAM 
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