Cornmeal Baked Avocado Tacos

These vegan gluten free Cornmeal Baked Avocado Tacos have just the right balance of sweet and spicy.

Since Cinco de Mayo is in a couple of days, I decided to make some Cornmeal Baked Avocado Tacos. I’ve been meaning to make these for awhile, and finally got around to it this week. These were inspired by some tacos I tasted on vacation in San Diego.

There was a restaurant in walking distance to the place we were staying that had vegan options. I ordered avocado tacos, not realizing they came breaded. Not thinking, I had a bite, then realized the batter probably contained gluten. Even though I told the waiter ahead of time that I was vegan and gluten free, it didn’t register to him that I could not eat the item that I ordered. The bite I did have was enough to make me want to create my own breaded avocado tacos. Luckily, there was another taco on the menu that I ordered that tasted just as good.

These Cornmeal Baked Avocado Tacos are very different than the tacos that I ordered, but just as good, if not better. First, I changed out the breading to cornmeal, because I love the crunch it gives. Their tacos came with pico de gallo and grilled veggies. I decided I wanted to make a cilantro lime sauce and corn salsa to go with mine, mainly because I have already made Mini Tempeh Tacos with Pico de Gallo, and wanted something different.

I usually make Mexican inspired dishes that are spicy, but these are very mild. I ended up adding sriracha sauce to mine for some kick. If you want to add more spice to the recipe, you could use serrano peppers in place of the jalapeños in either the cilantro lime sauce or the corn salsa (or both).

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Cornmeal Baked Avocado Tacos

Makes 8 tacos

Ingredients

• cilantro lime sauce
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 2 tablespoons chopped jalapeño
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons key lime juice (4 limes)
• 1/2 cup water + water to soak cashews
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper
• corn salsa
• 1/2 cup corn
• 1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeño
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon key lime juice (2 limes)
• salt and pepper
• tacos
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• salt and pepper
• coconut oil spray
• 2 avocadoes, sliced
• 3-4 tablespoons unsweetened plain almond milk
• 8 corn tortillas
• sriracha or hot sauce (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Cilantro lime sauce: Soak cashews in enough water to cover them for at least an hour.  Drain water. Blend cashews, fresh water, jalapeño, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a high speed blender or NutriBullet until smooth and creamy.
3. Corn salsa: Combine corn, bell pepper, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a container. Let sit in fridge to combine flavors.
4. Tacos: Set out a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray coconut oil spray on it. In a small bowl, combine cornmeal, cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper. In another bowl pour almond milk. Take sliced avocado slices and carefully put into the almond milk, then the cornmeal mixture. Lay pieces on the oiled aluminum foil. Bake at 450° for 5 minutes, then flip and bake for another 5 minutes.
5. Warm tortillas on stovetop or in microwave. Place avocado slices on corn tortillas. Spoon corn salsa next to avocado slices. Drizzle cilantro lime sauce and sriracha or hot sauce (if using) on top.