Remember the marinara sauce I blended with tofu a few months ago? And how I went on + on + on about how I couldn’t stop shoveling it into my mouth with a spoon? And then I waited for you to call me crazy but you did just the opposite. You couldn’t get the spoon out of your mouth either!

I’m hoping that is what happens with this recipe as well.

If the avocado didn’t make the pesto creamy enough, adding a block of tofu sure will. If the thought of a cube of tofu still freaks you out, you can add white beans instead. Not quite as silky + smooth but just as tasty.

This adds protein, fiber, and other nutrients to the meal without adding much work at all. No grilling, or baking, or broiling. Just blending. And it keeps that luscious, rich quality of the original pesto without having a pile of protein to chew through. Sometimes it’s all about the noodles and the sauce!

Maybe a little kale, too. Which I just realized [when referring back to the marinara post] that I also added kale to that bowl of pasta. I love kale pasta apparently!

Adding tofu or beans dulls the flavor so there are a few other ingredients you’ll need to add.

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White Bean or Tofu Creamy Basil Pesto Sauce

vegan, gluten-free // yields ~3 cups

~8 servings of pasta (gluten-free if needed)
1 complete batch of Creamy Avocado Basil Pesto Sauce
1 block extra firm tofu or 2 cups of cannellini [white] beans
1/2 cup loosely packed basil
1/4 – 1/2 cup cooking liquid from pasta
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cook desired amount of pasta according to package directions.
Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water, reserving the cooking liquid.
Drain the liquid from the tofu or beans. If using tofu gently squeeze some of the liquid out with a kitchen towel. If using beans rinse + drain them.
In a blender [or food processor] add the pesto sauce, tofu or beans, basil, oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt + pepper.
Blend until smooth adding in the cooking liquid until the desired consistency is met. I used 1/2 cup.
Over medium-low heat add your noodles and stir in the desired amount of cream sauce. Add more cooking liquid if desired for a thinner consistency.
Stir in sautéed or grilled veggies if desired. To keep things really simple add in raw spinach and stir gently until it has wilted.
Top with salt, pepper, fresh tomatoes, and a squeeze of lemon. Add mozzarella or parmesan cheese if desired.

And if pasta is not your thing, grill up a bunch of veggies and dunk them in a bowl of this creamy basil goodness.

Ashley

iPhone capture

This meal is the epitome of summer.

Every single ingredient is grilled and all of the veggies are currently in season. I even grilled the tortillas just for kicks.

Okay. Pardon me. I did not grill the limes.

To ensure a consistent + flavorful blend of spices I measured out what I typically use for taco night + mixed them all together.

Feel free to use this blend or make something even simpler.

Say, garlic + smoked paprika + cumin.

Or, chili powder + cumin + garlic + cayenne.

It’s all up to you.

I kept the salt + pepper out of this mixture, so I could add a light sprinkle to all of the veggies separately.

I went fairly light on the seasoning to really let these fresh summer veggies shine. But if you want a bolder flavor, then go right ahead.

Does this platter look familiar?

I just looked on the bottom and it was actually made in England and has a little drawing of a ram in the center. No clue what line this is from, but I’m in love with it! Any ideas?

I really just can’t get over this gigantic platter of grilled veggies + avocado. Hand me a fork and I’m good to go. I really don’t need much else.

Like I said up above even the corn tortillas hit the grill. I started with soft corn tortillas. However, if you don’t want the added steps, feel free to buy a pack of shells and you’re all set.

However #2, I recommend the grilling.

Because I’m obsessed with lime salted tortilla chips, I rubbed these babies down with lime, salt, and a little oil. A minute on each side on the grill and they were done. After folding them over and cooling they crisp right up while still maintaining a slightly chewy tortilla texture.

If you’re wondering how long it took for me to prep, cook, style, and shoot this recipe it was 1 hour and 45 minutes. The photo editing took 1.5 hours.. Then, writing the post took about 1.5 hours, with the most time spent on typing up the recipe.

How long did it take to eat three tacos for lunch?

About 8 minutes.

De-voured.

Warning!

Try not to freak out by the length of the recipe instructions. If you’re a seasoned grill master, this recipe will be cake. If you’re new to grilling, I tried to be as clear + concise as possible.

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Fresh Grilled Veggie Tacos

vegan, gluten-free // yields 12-15 stuffed corn tortillas, serves 4-6

2 avocados
2 large red bell peppers
3 medium zucchini [~7” long]
1, 8oz package baby portabella mushrooms
1 pint cherry tomatoes
3 ears of corn
2 medium/large red onions
12-15 soft corn tortillas
2-3 limes
sunflower/safflower/olive oil
salt + pepper

Prep: Total prep time: 20 minutes

Keep your tortillas wrapped in a damp towel until ready to grill. Take out about 8-12 skewers depending on their length. If using wood skewers soak them in water while you’re prepping the veggies. Preheat your grill to medium/med-high, 400*. Prep the spice mix below.

Slice your zucchini in 1/2 round sections. Leave the peppers + tomatoes in tact. Gently wipe your mushrooms with a damp kitchen towel or paper towel and remove the stems. Shuck your corn. Cut the ends off your onions then slice into round slabs about 1/2-3/4” thick [refer to photo 5]. Slice your avocados in half lengthwise + de-pit right before grilling. Make sure your taco seasoning mix, oil, salt, and pepper are all handy.

Skewer the zucchini through their green ends and not through the soft center. Skewer the tomatoes lengthwise. Skewer the mushrooms through the center. [Refer to photo 4.]

Grilling: Total cook time: 20-25 minutes

Peppers – Lightly oil. Grill for 4 minutes per side, turning 4 times, keeping the pepper on its side.

Corn – Lightly oil. Sprinkle on the spice mix below and the salt + pepper, then rub it into the corn. Grill for 3 minutes per side, turning 4 times.

Zucchini – Lightly oil. Sprinkle on the spice mix below and the salt + pepper. Grill for 5-6 minutes, turning twice, flat side face down.

Onions – Lightly oil. Sprinkle on salt + pepper. Grill for 5-6 minutes per side, turning twice, flat side down. Flip with a spatula to keep the rings in tact.

Mushrooms – Lightly oil. Sprinkle on the spice mix below and salt + pepper. Grill for 3 minutes per side, turning twice.

Tomatoes – Lightly oil. Sprinkle on the spice mix below and salt + pepper. Grill for 3 minutes per side, turning twice.

Avocado – Lightly oil. Sprinkle with salt + pepper. Grill for 4 minutes, flat side down.

Corn Tortillas – Towards the end of the veggie grilling, rub the corn tortillas with a light amount oil [on both sides], a few squeezes of lime juice, and a sprinkle of salt. With your grill lid open, grill for 60-90 seconds, flip once and grill for another 60-90 seconds. You want them just starting to stiffen but still pliable. Immediately fold them in half gently to form like a taco shell[don’t pinch them together]. Lean them on one another and let them sit for 2-3 minutes until they become stiff.

Assembly:

Slice the corn off the cob by standing it up on its end and slicing down over a cutting board. Coarsely chop the pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Serve mixed together in a large bowl or place each ingredient in a separate bowl and serve with the tortillas + grilled avocados. Fill with desired ingredients, and add more salt, pepper, or taco spice mix if desired. Serve with lime slices.

notes: When I say to lightly oil everything, my favorite way is by lightly spraying the veggies with oil from my Misto can. The next best way is using a sauce brush and dipping it in a bowl of oil then lightly coating. You can also use your hands to make sure it’s not too heavily coated.

Taco Spice Mix