When you think of Tex-Mex cuisine, you undoubtedly think of tacos, fajitas, burritos, and other main dishes that showcase steak, ground or shredded beef and pork.

And while meat certainly adds great flavor and gusto to Tex-Mex dishes, Tex-Mex also moves easily to vegetarian.

Take a look below for two easy vegetarian Tex-Mex recipes.

1. 1. Use Shredded Hearts of Palms for Tacos

There’s just something about shredded beef in a taco – it’s delicious! To get that “shredded” feeling in a vegetarian taco, swap hearts of palm for beef.

You will need (to make 6-8 tacos):

• One-half of a chopped medium, yellow onion
• Two minced garlic cloves
• One tablespoon of olive oil
• One can of hearts of palm. Drain completely and shred them.
• Three-quarters cup of chile sauce.
• Six to eight soft tortillas

To prepare:

• Using a medium-sized skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté the garlic and onions until they are semi-transparent.
• Then add the shredded hearts of palm into the skillet. Do so for just a few minutes, as this lets them absorb the onions’ flavor.
• Next, stir in the chile sauce. Turn the heat down to medium-low and let the skillet fully heat up. This should take about five to seven minutes.
• Stuff mix into tortillas and add garnish as you desire.

2. Use roasted root vegetables in your fajitas

Steak is delicious in a sizzling hot fajita, but so are roasted root vegetables (carrots, turnips, beets, and more).

Root vegetables such as carrots can make a delicious vegetarian fajita dish.

You will need (to make four servings):

• Four large carrots
• Three large turnips (or beets) and watermelon radishes
• Four small sunchokes (you may know them as Jerusalem artichokes)
• Two tablespoons of olive oil
• One-half tablespoon of fresh lime juice
• One teaspoon of smoked paprika
• One teaspoon of coriander
• One teaspoon of sea salt
• One teaspoon of garlic powder
• One-half teaspoon of cumin
• Two or three dashes of cayenne pepper (this is optional, depending on your taste for spicy).
• Soft tortillas (corn is best)
• A baking sheet and parchment paper

To make:

• Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
• Then make sure your scrub the vegetables well. Peel them (if desired) and slice them into thin strips, similar to the vegetables in a “regular” fajita.
• Take a small mixing bowl. Combine the spices (whisking them is best).
• In a large mixing bowl, toss the vegetables with the lime juice and olive oil, coating the vegetables evenly.
• Cover the baking sheet with parchment paper and distribute the vegetables evenly upon it.
• Bake the sheet for 40 minutes or so. Flip/turn the vegetables after about 20 minutes. You’ll know the vegetables are cooked when they start to brown.
• Warm the tortillas, place the vegetables and any additional toppings you desire and enjoy!

We have several delicious vegetarian dishes waiting for you here at Mattito’s. Take a look at our menu and then come visit a Mattito’s location nearest you.

Image courtesy Simon HowdenFreeDigitalPhotos.net