Summer Squash Tacos on Whole Wheat Tortillas

It's a good day when Ryan walks in as I'm cooking dinner and says, "Oooh, smells good."

Now, this may lead you to believe that every time it smells good, it tastes good. But I generally take it one step too far in the healthy direction: "You were doing so good with this recipe until you busted out the soba noodles." "Why'd you have to add flax seeds to this?" "I think it's good, just... dense. Did you sub whole wheat flour again?" "Are you sure you should've made this without any oil at all?" "How many vegetables did you put in there?"

Cast iron makes this so much better; I also like to use my invisible hand to stir.

This, however, is a meal that manages both the delicious and healthy factors. For real. This is like, have your cake and eat it too. Or, have your tacos and eat them too. You get the point.

Tiny bowl of spices.

Last night's harvest: two zucchini, two pattypan squash, one bell pepper, one jalapeno, and one banana pepper. Add to that a little store-bought supplements (onion, baby portabellas, and tortillas), and you've got a meal. In attempting to stay ahead of the zucchini and pattypan harvest, I've used a combination of them here. But you can use one or the other if you like.

Summer Squash Tacos on Whole Wheat Tortillas
1 medium zucchini, chopped
2 medium pattypan squash (or two small yellow squash), chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
5 baby portabella mushrooms (or one large portabella), chopped 
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons white wine, vegetable stock, or water
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
6 to 8 whole wheat tortillas*
non-fat plain Greek yogurt, shredded cheese, chopped fresh spinach or lettuce, and salsa for garnish

Prep the vegetables. Mix the dry spices together in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat for about two minutes. Add one tablespoon of the canola oil, and after about 15 to 20 seconds, add the onions. Saute the onions until they become golden brown, stirring frequently. Toss in a pinch of salt. Add the bell pepper and jalapeno and saute for a couple of minutes, just until the peppers have color.

Next, add the mushrooms to the pan. They will release some of their own liquids; once the mushrooms have cooked down, add the second tablespoon of canola oil and the white wine. Stir everything well.

Add the zucchini, squash, and spice mix and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until the squash are very tender. The liquid should all cook out and you'll be left with a nice taco filling.

Fill the tortillas with the sauteed vegetables and top with garnishes of your choice. (Pictured: arugula, spinach, non-fat plain Greek yogurt, shredded monterey jack, salsa verde.)

*This recipe will make enough for 6 super-stuffed tacos or 8 normally-stuffed tacos. If you want to make it 8 super-stuffed tacos, add a can of drained black beans just before the squash.