Vegan Thai Tacos with Roasted Sweet Potato, Red Pepper, and Peanut Sauce

I'm lucky enough to work from home and sometimes I can't help but make myself a lunch that is a little more exciting than a standard salad/soup affair. A few weeks ago I found myself with a random array of ingredients on hand - some sweet potato, a few corn tortillas, the remains of a bunch of cilantro - and I decided to make roasted sweet potato tacos. But not just any tacos - Thai inspired tacos! A lot of the ingredients in Mexican food and Thai food are similar - spicy peppers, cilantro, garlic - and I thought it would be a great fusion lunch to help breathe some excitement into my day.

This meal is pretty fuss-free and very hearty. The recipe below makes enough for two people (and the leftover roasted veggies are great over grains or salad greens, too).

Vegan Thai Tacos with Roasted Sweet Potato, Red Pepper, and Peanut Sauce

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 White or orange sweet potato/yam, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 T olive oil
1 Red bell pepper, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 Anaheim chile, chopped
6 Taco sized corn tortillas
3 Cloves garlic, sliced very thinly
1/2 Cup cilantro, chopped
Peanut Sauce
Oil for frying
Salt and Pepper
Crushed roasted, unsalted peanuts for garnish
Lime wedges
Vegan Peanut Sauce (I used this one from Post Punk Kitchen)

1. Preheat oven to 425°
2. In a glass baking dish, add sweet potato/yam, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Roast sweet potato for 20 minutes, stirring once.
3. Add red bell pepper and roast until potatoes and peppers are tender and browned (10-15 minutes more), stirring occasionally. Remove from oven.
4. Add about 1/2 inch of canola oil or other high-smoke point oil to the frying pan. Once the oil is hot, add the sliced garlic. Fry until crispy, about 1 minute. Don't let the garlic start to brown too much or it will be very bitter. Remove the garlic from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined cooling rack.
5. Empty all but approximately 1 T oil from the frying pan. In two batches, fry the tortillas lightly, about 30 seconds on each side.
6. Assemble the tacos: use the tortilla as the base. Add roasted sweet potato and red bell pepper, drizzle with peanut sauce, and garnish with cilantro, crushed peanuts, and fried garlic. Squeeze a little lime juice over everything and enjoy!

For more adventures in food check out my Instagram! Recent culinary adventures include Bulgur Fried Rice with Tempeh and a Miso Dressing, and light and fluffy vegan biscuits.