Portabella Tacos with Roasted Butternut Squash and Chili Lime Brussel Sprout Slaw

I am not a huge fan of mushrooms…especially when they are the poorly prepared focus of a vegetarian meal.  I will never order a portabella "burger" because the texture and flavor will often be disappointing.  That being said, if you are like me, you may be skeptical about this recipe.  The key to cooking mushrooms so that they have a "meaty", chewier texture, is to bake them with their marinade on a lower temperature for a longer period of time.  This way, the mushroom soaks up the marinade, creating a lot of flavor, while cooking it longer on a lower temperature almost dries the mushroom out so you get a really great texture.

Portabella Tacos with Roasted Butternut Squash and Chili Lime Brussel Sprout Slaw

• Corn tortillas (or tortillas of your choice)

For the Portabellas:

• 1/3 cup soy sauce or tamari
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• pinch of cayenne (or more to taste)
• 6 portabella mushrooms, wiped with a damp towel and stems removed

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Whisk together the soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, smoked paprika and cayenne in a large bowl.
3. One at a time, dunk the portabella into the marinade. 
   
4. Place all the portabellas on a parchment lined sheet tray.  Pour the extra marinade into the caps. 
     
5. Bake for about 30 minutes until the marinade has soaked into the mushrooms, and they are slightly dried up. 
   

For the Butternut Squash:

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled and medium diced (~ 4-5 cups)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• pinch of cayenne

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, toss the butternut squash with  olive oil, salt and cayenne.
3. Spread them out on a parchment lined sheet tray.
4. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until golden. 
   

For the Brussel Sprout Slaw:

• 3 cups brussel sprouts, grated or finely sliced
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• Juice from 1 lime

1. In a medium bowl, mix the brussel sprouts with olive oil, salt, crushed red pepper and lime juice. Set aside. 
   

Optional Toppings

Chipotle Mayo:

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 teaspoon adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

Quick Pickled Red Onions

** I make a large batch of these and keep them in my fridge to add to salads, sandwiches, tacos, rice bowls etc.  

Heat up the tortillas and assemble the tacos!