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Taco Tuesday: Sweet Potato Black Bean Falafel Tacos + Kale Slaw + Tahini Sauce

Corrie Anderson

Aside from being healthy and worthy of the mid-chewing 'mmmmmm's' (I'm thinking specifically of the scene in What About Bob? where Bob is eating corn at the family dinner table), my favorite recipes have three things in common: 

  1. They make great leftovers

  2. They are easy and relatively quick

  3. They keep me satiated for a long time

What more could you ask for, really?

This recipe has been on heavy rotation and can be served in several different ways, aside from just grabbing them and walking out the door, of course... 

The first time we at the patties over a kale salad, with the tahini sauce as dressing. That was BANANAS. 

Then I had them with fried eggs and the yolk drenched the patties, making a gooey/crunchy delightful breakfast. 

Finally, we had them as tacos. Wowowowow. So in honor of Taco Tuesday, I am so excited to share this recipe with you! 

One of my major goals for my second marathon, has been to focus more on recovery. Last year it was all about getting the miles in. Now I have the confidence to run the miles, but need the bonus of a good recovery to improve my performance during the week, during long runs, and of course, on race day! 

Part of a good recovery plan involves nutrition. Eating enough protein to help your body repair muscle damage by stimulating muscle protein synthesis, and carbohydrates to fully restore muscle glycogen.  This recipe is a great candidate for recovery support! 

I know all that stuff, but the problem is, after long runs I am hungry for about ten minutes and then have no appetite until late in the afternoon. Not good! You know what IS good? This recipe, and I totally scarfed it down after our 18 miler this past Saturday. A WIN! So my plan is to have delicious food ready and waiting for me when I walk in the door! 

Make these delicious little falafels and let me know what you think! Leave me a comment below! Take a pic and post it on Instagram, tag me @corrielanderson, use #itsallofit, so I can your beautiful creation!! 

SWEET POTATO BLACK BEAN FALAFEL TACOS WITH KALE SLAW AND TAHINI SAUCE

Recipe Author: Corrie Anderson
Recipe Type: Vegetarian, Dinner, Recovery Food
Serves: 4 - 6

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 – 3 medium sized sweet potatoes

  • 1 can black beans, rinsed

  • ½ cup + ¼ cup wheat germ, separated respectfully

  • ½ cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans

  • ½ cup chopped red onions

  • ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro

  • ¼ cup hemp seeds

  • 1-tablespoon mustard (spicy is good)

  • 1-teaspoon chili powder

  • Freshly ground pepper

  • Sprinkle Kosher salt

KALE SLAW

  • 2 cups lucinato kale, chopped into strips

  • 1 carrot, shredded or cut into thin strips

  • 1/2 lemon

TAHINI SAUCE

  • 2 tablespoons tahini

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • freshly ground black pepper

  1. Rinse off sweet potatoes and use a fork to poke several holes around the sweet potatoes, a couple on each side should do the trick. Wrap the sweet potatoes in paper towels, and stick them in the microwave, for 4 minutes, turn them over and cook for 4 more minutes. This cooking time may vary depending on your microwave; you will know the sweet potatoes are done cooking when they are pretty squishy. You should be able to peel off the skin pretty easily. If not, you can scoop out the flesh into a big bowl.

  2. Add black beans to the sweet potato and mash with a fork. (They won’t mix together perfectly, that’s a-ok!) Next add ½ cup wheat germ, chopped walnuts, red onions, cilantro, hemp seeds, mustard, chili powder, black pepper, and salt. Mash until ingredients are well incorporated. Add the leftover wheat germ to a small (shallow if possible) dish or plate.

  3. Use an ice cream scooper or a large spoon to scoop out a small ball of the mixture. Make it into a ball and then flatten it. Dunk patties into wheat germ, and set aside until you're ready to throw those babies on the pan. If mixture feels hard to manage, you can add more wheat germ or stick the bowl in the fridge for a couple minutes.

  4. Add olive oil to a medium sauce pan over medium heat (I'd recommend using a non-stick pan if you can!). Cook patties until they are slightly browned on each side, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Add olive oil as needed.

  5. To serve, stuff tortillas with falafel patties and slaw, drizzle with tahini sauce. Enjoy!!

  • Kale Slaw: Cut kale into thin strips. Add kale and carrots to a bowl and squeeze half a lemon, be sure to cover as much ground as possible here. Massage gently!

  • Tahini Sauce: Add all ingredients to a small jar/bowl and shake/whisk vigorously. You could also throw it in a blender or magic bullet if you have one.