I'm big on tacos. I mean, pretty much I haven't met a taco I haven't liked. But I also know that a few things — tasty toppings, quality tortillas, real...
I'm big on tacos. I mean, pretty much I haven't met a taco I haven't liked. But I also know that a few things — tasty toppings, quality tortillas, really amazing salsas — can make a taco stellar.
On a taco-eating trip to Baja California, I veered away from tacos and became completely obsesed with the tostadas at La Guerrerense (especially the octupus ones). And every tostada was even better when topped with their toasted chile and peanut salsa that was spicy, smoky, crunchy — pretty much it was instant love. Since then, I reverse engineered that salsa and put it on everything from grilled chicken to seafood and, most recently, these squash tacos.
peeled, seeded, and small dice
divided, half finely chopped and the other half cut into wedges
divided
plus more for coating the squash
plus a pinch for the squash
stemmed (seeds removed if you want it less spicy)
stemmed (seeds removed if you want it less spicy)
or piloncillo sugar
for garnish
for garnish
Roast The Squash: Heat oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Combine squash, the diced onion, 4 garlic cloves, a pinch of the oregano, a drizzle of oil, pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper and toss to combine. Roast, turning occasionally, until squash is knife tender, about 30 to 35 minutes. If desired, toss the squash with green onions before serving.
The quash can be roasted up to 4 days in advance – store refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to use. Make a ton of the squash because you can then use it to top salads, on pizza, or just as a simple side dish.
Make The Chile Peanut Salsa: Heat a small pan over medium heat and add the chiles. Toast until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil. When chiles are ready, place chiles in a bowl then cover with 1/2 cup boiling water and set aside while you make the rest of the salsa, at least 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-low heat. Add peanuts, sesame seeds, 4 garlic cloves, and onion wedges, and cook, stirring, until onions are soft and sesame seeds are lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, and transfer to a food processor; let cool to room temperature.
Reserve chile-soaking water and set aside. Add chiles, vinegar, oregano, and salt, to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add honey, a pinch of salt, and water as needed until the consistency is the same as yogurt. FYI, the salsa will be looser when it's hot but it will firm up once it cools down. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve at room temperature.
FYI this salsa is a medium-hot heat. It can me made up to 4 days ahead of time; store refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to use. Oh, and this salsa is really good with chicken and seafood too.
Serve The Tacos: To make tacos, fill tortillas with roasted squash, a spoonful of salsa, a pinch of green onion (if desired), and a squeeze of lime and serve.
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