The Barrel Room | Crispy Cauliflower Tacos Recipe

Crispy Cauliflower Tacos with Avocado Crema

These crispy cauliflower tacos are stuffed with peppers and cheese and then topped with an avocado crema. Pair with either a Pinot Grigio or Pinot Noir for a winning combo.

Ingredients

Serves 4 - 6
Tacos
• 4 cups cauliflower - cut into small florets
• 1 red onion - thinly sliced
• 10 mini peppers - or 1 red pepper - seeded and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup black olives - sliced
• 1 cup red enchilada sauce plus more for brushing
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
• 12-16 corn tortillas - room temperature
• 3 scallions - thinly sliced
• Cilantro sprigs
• Pickled onions
Lime wedges

Avocado Crema
• 2 ripe avocados
1/4 -1/2 cup sour cream or greek yogurt
1/2 cup cilantro - chopped
2 T fresh lime juice
Salt to taste
Splash of your favorite hot sauce

Directions

1. Clean and thinly slice the peppers. Prepare the onion and cauliflower. In a large skillet over medium high heat add 1-2 T of olive oil. When hot, add onions, peppers and salt and cook until softened and caramelized about 6-8 minutes. Place in a bowl and set aside.

2. In the same skillet over medium heat, add 2-3 T of olive oil. When hot, add the cauliflower and salt and cook until starting to caramelize and soften - about 5-7 minutes. Add the enchilada sauce and a 1/3 cup of water. Reduce heat to medium and summer until cauliflower is al dente’ and sauce has thickened, 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool. Add the pepper mixture, olives and scallions to the cauliflower mixture - toss together.

3. To make avocado crema - in a small bowl, mash avocados and add all other ingredients - taste and adjust as needed. Refrigerate until ready to use.

4. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Heat a skillet over medium heat, add a bit of olive oil and heat all the tortillas on both sides just to soften them - place on a parchment lined sheet pan (you may need two sheet pans if you’re cooking more than 10). Spoon the cauliflower mixture and a sprinkle of cheese into each tortilla, fold other half over to close, press seams together and turn over. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Brush the top with extra enchilada sauce, bake in the top third of the oven for 8 minutes, turn each tortilla over and bake another 10 minutes or so until crispy to your liking. Remove from oven and place on a serving platter. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, fresh lime wedges, avocado crema and pickled onions.

Featured Pairings

Edna Valley Vineyard Pinot Grigio V22 750ML

Our Edna Valley Vineyard California 2022 Pinot Grigio is a bright, sunny wine perfect for summer. Aromas of honeysuckle and lime blossom lift from the glass, leading to juicy layers of sliced white peach and pear. The stone fruit notes lead to a refreshing, crisp finish. Harvest Notes Our Pinot Grigio is made from 72% of grapes from California's Central Coast and 28% from the Central Valley. The 2022 growing season was mild, starting with rainfall that quenched the soil. In September, warmer temperatures hastened harvest, which began two weeks sooner. Overall, harvest 2022 yielded slightly less quantities of fruit with optimal color and flavor concentration. Winemaking Notes After harvesting, the grapes were immediately pressed to extract the juice without pulling any color from the skins. The free-run juice was then fermented and aged in 100% stainless steel tanks at very cool temperatures. To create the most fruit-forward expression of the grapes, we allowed the yeast more time to convert the sugar into alcohol.

J Vineyards California Pinot Gris V23 750ML

Our California Pinot Gris is delightfully aromatic, approachable and bright. Generous aromas of jasmine and honeysuckle offer a fragrant, floral introduction, while the crisp and inviting palate is highlighted by layered hints of white peach, pear, kiwifruit and lime zest. A fleshy mid-palate with vibrant citrus and mango characteristics adds depth before the crisp, mouth-watering finish. The wine’s lively acidity makes it an ideal partner for food. Try this alongside a green mango salad, Thai chicken kabobs or spicy grilled shrimp.

Hahn Arroyo Seco Pinot Noir V21 750ML

Our 2021 Hahn Appellation Series Arroyo Seco Pinot Noir is ruby red in color, with aromas of black cherry, ripe red berry and subtle hints of vanilla and warm spice. On the palate, soft and delicate flavors of cherry and raspberry are followed by creamy nuances and spicy minerality, culminating in a pleasantly long finish. VINEYARDS Grapes for this wine are sourced from Ste. Philippe Vineyard – our certified sustainable estate vineyard in the Arroyo Seco appellation of Monterey County. Located south of the Santa Lucia Highlands, Ste. Philippe sits in an ancient, dry riverbed with well-drained, sandy loam soils. Coastal influence and cool winds from Monterey Bay contribute to an extended growing season which ensures complexity and intensity of the fruit. WINEMAKING Picked in early morning, the Pinot Noir grapes were destemmed into stainless steel tanks and fermented for about two weeks. During that time, the wine was pumped over several times daily to maximize color, aromatics and flavor extraction. After the juice was pressed on the skins, it was settled and racked into French oak barrels to age for 11 months

Storypoint Pinot Noir V21 750ML

Storypoint Pinot Noir captures the elegant, silky, fruit-driven blend from renowned California wine regions. Our stylish Pinot Noir reveals concentrated notes of blackberry jam, dark chocolate covered cherries and baking spice. On the finish, our Pinot Noir offers oak-driven layers of toffee and espresso.

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Crispy Cauliflower Tacos with Avocado Crema

Ingredients

Directions

Featured Pairings