Black Bean Butternut Squash Tacos with Cilantro Cream!

I live in a dry desert where good avocados are hard to find. We have plenty in the grocery store from either the US or Mexico, creamy Haas avocados, but they're expensive and with avocados it's you're always taking a risk. The other kind of avocados we get comes from Ethiopia. These aren't expensive but each one that I've bought was either over-ripe or under-ripe when I cut into it. I eventually gave up on them. 

But my avocado struggle is over now that I've discovered this cilantro sauce! I got the idea from Earthy Andy's Instagram story then went to the kitchen and whipped up what might be cilantro sour cream. Whatever it came out to be, It was heavenly creamy and flavorful. I'm not a big fan of cilantro, but ohhhhhhh yum!! I no longer need to wait for my avocados to ripen if I want to have Mexican food. Hehe.

Black Bean Butternut Squash Tacos & Cilantro Cream

Ingredients

• 1 medium red onion finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 small squash diced into small squares
• 1 medium tomato finely diced
• 2 chili peppers (yellow, red, orange) finely diced
• 1 small head of cauliflower
• 2 (15 oz) cans of black beans rinsed and drained
• 1 small handful of cilantro 
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• Chili pepper, black pepper, and salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander 
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• Cayenne pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano

Cilantro Sauce

• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• Black pepper to taste
• Cayenne pepper to taste
• 1/2-3/4 cup water*
• A handful of cilantro
• Salt to taste

For Serving

• salsa
•  cooked brown rice
•  corn tortillas
• lime wedges

Steps

1. In a large saucepan, saute the onions with a few tablespoons of water
2. Add all the spices 
3. Cook the onions for about 5 minutes, adding 2 spoons of water so it doesn't stick
4. Add the garlic and saute then add the squash
5. Add the tomatoes, cauliflower, and chili peppers
6. Cook until the squash is soft then add the black beans
7. Lastly, add the cilantro and leave a few for garnishing
8. To make the sauce, simply mix all the ingredients in a blender except for the water, add it gradually. Blend until creamy

*Add the water gradually until you reach your desired consistency.