Sweet Potato & Longaniza Tacos {She Made/Ella Hace}

For the past couple of months I have been obsessed with sweet potatoes. Like crazy obsessed.  Normally around this time of year, I find myself cooking with apples and pumpkins...and sweet potatoes.  But so far this season apples and pumpkins have not made one single appearance in my kitchen.  It's been all sweet potatoes, all the time, with lots of yummy sweet potato treats left and right.  (Spoiler alert: you'll be seeing some of those recipes here on the blog.)  So it was no surprise that I suggested to girlichef that we feature sweet potatoes as our star ingredient this month for She Made/Ella Hace. 

Since most of the time we eat sweet potatoes it's in something sweet, I knew I wanted to create something savory, because there's just something so incredibly awesome about sweet potatoes in savory dishes.  They add a heartiness and sweetness that just takes your dish to a whole new level.

I had some homemade longaniza that we bought in Zacatecas last week just waiting to be used up.  For those of you unfamiliar with longaniza it's very similar to chorizo in flavor, but unlike chorizo that is made with ground meat, longaniza is made with finely chopped meat.

Hubby and the kiddies were a little skeptical when I told them I was making savory Sweet Potato Tacos, but I knew that once they tasted them they'd love them.  And well, these tacos helped prove that I'm rarely ever wrong.  To quote my husband, "These tacos were AWESOME!"  They're like a cross between Papas con Chorizo (potatoes w/ chorizo) and Tacos al Pastor.  In fact, I think I'm going to start calling these my Fall Tacos al Pastor, or something along those lines.  All I know is that these are quickly on their way to becoming a fall favorite.

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Sweet Potato Tacos w/ Longaniza 

Ingredients: 

  • 1/2 medium onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 lb. longaniza or chorizo
  • 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 orange
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon paprika
  • Red onion, finely chopped
  • Fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  • Corn tortillas

Directions: 
Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and saute 1 minute.  Add the longaniza and saute until almost fully cooked, about 10 minutes.  Add the sweet potatoes, cumin, and paprika and cook for 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper.  Squeeze the juice of one orange over the sweet potato and longaniza filling.  Cover skillet and reduce heat to low.  Let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are tender and the orange juice has evaporated.

Spoon filling onto warm corn tortillas.  Garnish with chopped red onion and cilantro.  Top with your favorite salsa.  Enjoy!!! 








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Now be sure to visit girlichef's blog to check out her Coconut Sweet Potato Pie w/ Spiced Graham Cracker Crust.

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4 comments

  1. I'm always obsessed with sweet potatoes - and I can see these tacos becoming an easy addiction, too! I can't wait to see all of the recipes you've been cooking up! Thanks for the awesome topic this month, amiga. :)


    ...now, if only I could get my hands on some Longaniza.

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  2. You have me really confused by looking at the photos. Either that is the worlds largest cilantro leaf or those are tortillas that are as big as a 10 peso coin.
    Based on the size of the chopped red onion, the small pieces of potato and that huge leaf the taco shell appears to be about 2 inches across. the smallest ones I have seen made are about 4 inches in diameter, so there is something you need to set me clear on......
    Also, I have been looking around for a recipe for cajeta candy, not the syrup, might you have a favorite?
    (The kind they sell on the side of the road in places that is about 5 or 6 inches in diameter)
    Thanks

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  3. Hola Tancho!

    So sorry for the confusion. I think I stumbled upon the world's largest cilantro at the mercado this week. The leaves were too big and beautiful to chop, so I just added a whole leaf. Huge, aren't they?! Surprisingly they're also full of flavor.

    As for the cajeta candy, I will ask around to see if I can find you the recipe. :)

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  4. Sweet potato tacos sound soooo good. I have to drive a ways to get decent chorizo;( I think I'd use a little bacon or grilled pork to mix with the sweet potatoes? What do you think? Also, at one of my favorite taco trucks (sadly also a good 2-hour drive) this time of year they serve the enchiladas with roasted, chopped sweet potatoes on top.

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