Pumpkin, charred kale & onion tacos

Back in November I went for a mini foodie tour of Philly. I indulged in much gelato from Capogiro, ice cream at The Franklin Fountain, and lots of cheese and other goodies from Reading Terminal Market. (Can you tell I like dairy?) But for me, the standout dish was the seasonal pickle special at Village Whiskey - pickled pumpkin and charred kale served with toasted sourdough and ricotta.

 It was so simple, but so magical! The sweet pumpkin paired with slightly bitter charred kale, the vinegar cutting through the richness of the ricotta, and the satisfying crunch of the toast. SO GOOD! I haven't stopped thinking about it!

Inspired by that dish I came up with these tacos to satisfy my craving. No need to pickle anything - the tang comes from a sweet balsamic drizzle. If you can't find a fresh pumpkin, use a more readily available squash - like butternut - or even a sweet potato.

Pumpkin, charred kale & onion tacos

with ricotta and balsamic drizzle

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp pure maple syrup

3 cups fresh pumpkin, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces

2 Tbsp olive oil, plus 1/2 tsp, divided

3/4 tsp smoked paprika

1 small bunch kale, stemmed, leaves coarsely chopped

1 yellow onion, sliced

1/4 cup roasted pepitas

salt & pepper

fresh whole milk ricotta

corn tortillas

1. To make the balsamic drizzle, pour the balsamic vinegar and maple syrup into a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and let simmer until it has reduced by about 1/2 and has a slightly syrupy consistency, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

2. Preheat oven to 425F. On a lightly oiled baking sheet toss the cubed pumpkin with 1 Tbsp olive oil, smoked paprika and season generously with salt and pepper. Spread pumpkin evenly over the baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven, stirring occasionally, until pumpkin is soft and brown in spots, about 20-30 minutes. Transfer pumpkin to a large bowl and set aside.

3. Set your oven to broil and set an oven rack about 3 inches below your broiler. Toss the kale leaves onto the same baking sheet you used for the pumpkin. Massage 1 Tbsp of oil into the kale leaves and season lightly with salt. Spread evening over the pan and then top the kale with slices of onion. Place kale and onion into the oven and broil for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is starting to brown and the kale is blackened in spots. Remove from oven and transfer to the bowl with the pumpkin. Gently mix the pumpkin, kale and onions together and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

4. To assemble, spread a dollop of fresh ricotta onto a corn tortilla, top with the pumpkin and kale mixture, a drizzle of the balsamic glaze and sprinkling of roasted pepitas. 

Korean Beef Tacos with cabbage and kohlrabi slaw

Would you like something to fill those homemade corn tortillas with? I have the perfect, easy slow cooker recipe for you!

I know you still might be thinking that making your own tortillas is too much work and not worth the trouble. Or maybe you think it's a weekend project and not something you could do on a weeknight. This recipe will take care of itself after throwing the ingredients in your slow cooker and slicing a couple veggies so that all you have to worry about is the 20 minutes it will take you to cook up your tortillas. 

You'll be rewarded with soft, warm tortillas topped with savory, melt-in-your-mouth beef and some bright, crunchy quick-pickled veggies. An impressive meal for any night of the week!

Korean Beef Tacos

For the cabbage & kohlrabi slaw:
2 cups cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups kohlrabi, cut into matchsticks
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
4 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

For the beef:

3lb beef shank, or short ribs

1 Tbsp canola oil

10oz bottle lower sodium soy sauce

1 cup water

1/2 cup sake

2 scallions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1-inch piece ginger, minced

1 stalk lemongrass, minced (discard the thick outer leaves)

2 Tbsp sriracha

3 Tbsp rice vinegar

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp fish sauce

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

For the finished tacos:

tortillas

fresh cilantro

extra sriracha

1. For the slaw: Mix the rice vinegar, sugar, salt and red pepper flakes in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved. Add the sliced cabbage, kohlrabi and red onions and toss until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, tossing a couple times. Can be made the day before.

2. For the beef: In a large pan (or if you have a slow cooker bowl designed to go over direct heat, use that) heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Sear on all sides until golden brown and set aside on a plate. 

3. Add all of the remaining ingredients for the beef to the bowl of the slow cooker and mix well. Add the beef and submerge in the liquid. Cook on low for 8 hours, or until the beef is fall apart tender. Remove the meat from the slow cooker and shred or break into chunks, reserving some of the cooking liquid, skimming the fat, to drizzle on the final tacos if desired. 

4. Pile the beef on the tortillas, drizzle on a bit of the reserved cooking liquid, top with the cabbage and kohlrabi slaw, cilantro and sriracha if desired. Enjoy!