Tarzan is a character known to almost everyone, an iconic comic book hero. And one of the most famous actors to ever play Tarzan in the movies was the champion swimmer Johnny Weissmuller. Today, June 2, is the anniversary of happens to be Weissmuller’s birth. In honor of this most famous of Tarzans, we are featuring in this article veggie Tex-Mex dishes, because everyone knows that Tarzan was raised by apes, which are well known for their plant-based diets.

Weissmuller himself also advocated natural lifestyles and even opened a chain of health food stores.

So, for all you Tarzan and Johnny Weissmuller fans out there, here is a delicious and healthy all-veggie Tex-Mex dish – Spring Veggie Tacos. This recipe is from McKell Hill on the website nutritionstripped.com.

You will need:

• One cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
• One cup chickpeas (can use canned, well rinsed)
• One large sweet potato, diced into chunks (should yield 2 cups)
• One-half cup water
• Two tablespoons coconut oil (for cooking)

For the Taco Spices:

• One tablespoon chili powder
• Two teaspoons ground cumin
• One-half teaspoon garlic powder
• One-quarter teaspoon onion powder
• One-quarter teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• One-half teaspoon dried oregano
• One-half teaspoon paprika
• One teaspoon sea salt
• One teaspoon black pepper
• One whole small red onion (yields ½ cup), sliced into thin strips
• One large red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
• One large green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
• One large yellow bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
• One tablespoon coconut oil
• Two cloves garlic, diced

• A pinch of sea salt

To prepare:

• First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the chopped sweet potatoes with one tablespoon of coconut oil and a dash of the cinnamon and cumin for 30-45 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
• Set aside the baked sweet potatoes for later. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, prepare everything else.
• In a food processor or blender, pulse the chickpeas and walnuts together to create a coarsely chopped mixture.
• In a medium heated skillet, add one-half tablespoon coconut oil, chopped walnuts, beans, and seasonings.
• Stir to warm through and combine the mixtures, adding a little bit of water as needed to bring the mixture together.
• Cook for about five minutes.
• Add the baked sweet potatoes last and only to toss around in the spices with everything else.
• Take the skillet off of the heat and put everything a large serving bowl.
• Sauté the onions, garlic, and bell peppers in coconut oil on medium heat until they are softened, and add.

You can use this filling to stuff corn or brown rice tortillas.

If you’d like to celebrate your birthday today – or any day – visit a Mattito’s location near you soon. We’ll make sure to put a candle in your flan!