Sweet Potato Tacos

I can't believe it's Taco Tuesday again already!  Time is seriously just flying by - it's just about half way through June.  It's unreal, I know.  I feel like it was just Friday...and then Saturday...and then Monday went by like that.  Oh, and I'm talking about May 😂 Wasn't it JUST Cinco de Mayo?  Now the 4th of July is right around the corner and odds are we're still going to be semi-quarantined.  Even though I'm back at work now, I'm going to continue to post and share with you all.  My job pays the bills, but cooking, health & wellness are really my passion.  It's been such an amazing experience to step away from work and focus my time on the things I love.  As fate would have it though, it's back to reality for me.  ✌

You're probably thinking that sweet potato tacos are tacos with sweet potato in them.  That's what my husband was picturing when I told him I was making sweet potato tacos.  But what if I told you that the sweet potato was the taco?  Well, I've stuffed sweet potatoes before and we love tacos, so I figured why not use the sweet potato as a vessel?  Ryan said it wasn't a taco, but what really is a taco?  We made tacos with a jicama shell a few weeks ago, so why not sweet potato?  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  I'm calling it a taco, but you can call it whatever you want.  What really matters is that it was delicious and healthy.

Since I've started studying nutrition, one of the biggest things I've learned is that beef isn't very good for you.  To put it simply, beef is full of "bad fats."  Unlike fish and avocados, which are filled with "good fats," the fat in beef is the artery clogging "bad fat" kind.  What am I doing with this information?  Well, I'm trying to be more aware of the foods and types of fats I'm putting in my body.  Don't worry, my food philosophy of everything in moderation is still intact.  I'll still be enjoying the occasional steak, but I look at my food a little differently and more in-depth than I ever have before.  So rather than using 2 lbs of ground beef in this recipe, I used 1 lb ground beef and 1 lb ground turkey.  This way, I was still able to get the tasty flavor of the beef without all the guilt.  Ground turkey is a lean meat so its a much healthier substitute for beef.  You could make this recipe with all ground turkey or beef if you want!

Total Time: 35-40 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

6 medium sweet potatoes

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground turkey

3 1/2 tsp cumin

3 tsp cayenne

4 tsp paprika

1 tbs olive oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Top with guacamole, salsa, cilantro, lime and cotija cheese.

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Poke holes in the top of the sweet potatoes with a fork and microwave on high for 6 minutes.
2. Slice the potatoes about 3/4 of the way through and bake for 18-22 minutes, until soft all the way through.
3. While the sweet potato is baking, add the olive oil to a large pan over medium heat.  Add the ground beef and turkey and cook for 3-5 minutes, until lightly browned.  Add the spice mix and stir to combine.  Continue to cook until cooked through, an additional 5-8 minutes.
4. To plate your tacos, add the desired amount of meat mixture to the center of the sweet potato taco.  Top with salsa, guacamole, cilantro, lime juice and cotija cheese.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 570

Protein: 45g

Carbs: 39g

Fat: 26g

*Nutrition information includes one sweet potato with all the fixings