In college we went on a zucchini kick. It wasn’t necessarily intentional—we just liked zucchini and it turned up in nearly every dinner dish we made, adding a deliciously slightly sweet flavor and a bit of a meaty texture. Burritos, pasta, wraps, sandwiches, it was there. Now, as registered dietitians, we appreciate zucchini even more, knowing it is a nutrient-powerhouse, thanks to its’ fiber, phytonutrients, vitamin C and eye protective nutrients (lutein, zeaxanthin and beta-cryptoxanthin). So the other night when we made a new gluten free taco dish, old reliable happened to be in the house and we just had to add it- -putting a new twist on tacos.
And although we’re registered dietitian nutritionist who appreciate wholesome carbs (you better believe you read that right 😉 !), we don’t mind that this scrumptious taco swaps them for a just as satisfying, lower calorie surprise! Instead of the traditional white or wheat tortilla say hello to this gluten-free zucchini taco shell that is stuffed with yummy, kickin’ flavors like cayenne-seasoned tilapia, red cabbage, tomatoes, and cilantro! Packed with protein, this dish is super satisfying!
Psst… looking for more healthy recipes? Please feel free to search this site! And here are a few to try…
One-Pot Black Bean Quinoa Chili with Avocados
Gluten-Free Tilapia Tacos with Zucchini Tortillas
Makes two tacos
Ingredients
For the zucchini tortillas:
1 cup zucchini, shredded
1 egg (we use Eggland’s Best because they use an all vegetarian hen feed and their eggs have 25% less saturated fat and 5X the vitamin D of other eggs)
1 tsp. oregano, fresh, chopped
1 tsp. fresh, chopped basil
6 Tbsp. gluten free flour
For the filling:
3 ounces tilapia (approx. 1 medium filet)
Dash red cayenne pepper (adjust for personal preference of spiciness)
1/4 cup cabbage, shredded
1/4cup tomato, diced
4 heaping spoonfuls plain Greek yogurt (about ½ cup)
Sprinkle cilantro
1 lime, squeezed for juice
Directions
For tortillas
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and set aside a baking sheet covered in wax paper.
- Squeeze out excess juice from the shredded zucchini with your hands and discard juice.
- Mix zucchini, egg, oregano and basil in a bowl.
- Using a spoon, mix in flour, adding a few tablespoons at a time until all mixed in.
- On a cutting board, sprinkle flour and divide the zucchini mixture in half.
- Flatten each part of zucchini mixture to a thin, round tortilla shape that is no thicker than 0.2mm thick.
- Place the two tortillas on covered baking sheet and place in oven.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
- Set aside on a baking rack after they are done.
For the filling:
- Thaw out fish if frozen.
- Spray a skillet with cooking spray and turn on stove to medium heat.
- Cook the fish in the skillet. Add a dash of cayenne pepper while the fish is cooking (careful, it may make you sneeze/cough if you get too close!)
- After the fish is done cooking, cut the lime in half and squeeze juice over the meat.
- Add approximate measurements of toppings such as the fish, cabbage, tomatoes, Greek yogurt, lime juice, and cilantro. (the nutrition facts are for those measurements but you can add more or less to account for your own personal tastes/cravings!!).
- Dig in and enjoy!
Nutrition facts (for one taco)
Calories: 198, carbs: 23g, fat: 6g, saturated fat: 1g, protein: 21g, sodium: 100mg, fiber: 2g
Nutrition facts (for two tacos)
396 Calories, 45 g carbs, 12g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 42 g protein, 200 mg sodium, 4 g fiber
The Nutrition Twins work with Eggland’s Best to help people get more nutrients from their food.
- For the zucchini tortillas:
- 1 cup zucchini, shredded
- 1 egg (we use Eggland's Best because they use an all vegetarian hen feed and their eggs have 25% less saturated fat and 5X the vitamin D of other eggs)
- 1 tsp. oregano, fresh, chopped
- 1 tsp. fresh, chopped basil
- 6 Tbsp. gluten free flour
- For the filling:
- 3 ounces tilapia (approx. 1 medium filet)
- Dash red cayenne pepper (adjust for personal preference of spiciness)
- ¼ cup cabbage, shredded
- ¼cup tomato, diced
- 4 heaping spoonfuls plain Greek yogurt (about ½ cup)
- Sprinkle cilantro
- 1 lime, squeezed for juice
- Thaw out fish if frozen.
- Spray a skillet with cooking spray and turn on stove to medium heat.
- Cook the fish in the skillet. Add a dash of cayenne pepper while the fish is cooking (careful, it may make you sneeze/cough if you get too close!)
- After the fish is done cooking, cut the lime in half and squeeze juice over the meat.
- Add approximate measurements of toppings such as the fish, cabbage, tomatoes, Greek yogurt, lime juice, and cilantro. (the nutrition facts are for those measurements but you can add more or less to account for your own personal tastes/cravings!!).
- Dig in and enjoy!
