Day 339: When in Doubt, It's Taco Time

This is one of my favorite work night dinners.  It's takes little time and effort to bring it together and it's so yummy.

I normally make tacos with ground turkey since it's leaner than beef and cook it as suggested on the McCormick's taco seasoning packet.  After slicing some iceberg lettuce, chopping some ripe tomatoes, grating some sharp Tillamook cheddar, making guacamole, and warming up some tortillas, it was chow time.  If you want, you can save time by buying salsa and guac at the store rather than preparing the tomatoes and avocado yourself.

Guac is easy to make, though, and if you've never tried, you really should.  Here's my recipe:

1 large ripe avocado

Juice from 1 lime

1T light sour cream

10-15 generous shakes from the Frank's Red Hot bottle

Salt to taste

Scoop the avocado out onto a cutting board and mash it with the back of a fork.  Transfer it to a bowl and mix it with the rest of the ingredients.  I told you it was easy!

Day 318: Triple Threat - Tasty, Pretty, and Easy!

With a giant vat of leftover slaw in my fridge, I wanted to do something more creative than just serve it as a side dish (every day for the next week!). Fish tacos are often served with some shredded cabbage over the top and I've been meaning to try to make them myself for ages, so that's what we had for dinner tonight.

I used a mild white fish, similar to red snapper. I cannot remember what type of fish it was, I'll update this once I do! After patting it dry, I sprinkled ground cumin, dried oregano, and S&P on each side and rubbed it into the flesh. Then, after heating up a thin coating of canola oil in a non-stick pan, I pan fried the fish for about 2.5 minutes per side, transferred it to a plate, and flaked it apart with a fork.

Of course, I also made some guacamole. I like my guac a little bit chunky, so I scoop out the flesh onto a cutting board and mash it with the back of a fork. I then transfer it to a bowl and mix it with the juice of a lime, 2 heaping tsps of light sour cream, a few good shakes of Frank's Red Hot, and S&P.

Our final taco accompaniment was pickled red onions. These are so easy to make, can last in the fridge for several weeks, and add a nice little tanginess to fish tacos. All you do is thinly slice a red onion and submerge it in red vinegar. Leave it for at least 1/2 hour before you consume.

I assembled my tacos as follows: a good smear of guacamole over the top of a warm corn tortilla, about 1/2 dozen slices of pickled onion, a couple of spoonfuls of fish, and the slaw on top. This was such a tasty meal and so quick and easy to prepare. Even if you don't have leftover slaw, you can still just slice up some cabbage and maybe use a few additional slices of pickled onion. Yum!!

Day 304: Rivers of Cheese

Is there such a thing as too much cheese.  I think not!  

Tonight I made enchiladas using leftover chicken from a soup I made over the weekend.  I shredded the meat and mixed it with 1/2 of a finely minced and sauteed onion and a can of black beans (rinsed).

I heated a can of enchilada sauce over low flame and added a couple of dashes of cayenne pepper to up the spiciness.  Once it was warm, I dipped a corn tortilla in the sauce and then placed some of the chicken mixture across the middle of it.  I sprinkled some shredded cheddar cheese on top of the filling and rolled the tortilla as tightly as I could without tearing it.  I then laid the enchilada, flap side down, into a baking dish that I had coated with some of the enchilada sauce.

After repeating this exercise with five more tortillas, my dish was packed full.  I sprinkled some more cheese over the top, then poured the remaining enchilada sauce over everything, and then sprinkled what was left of the cheese on top of that.

The dish was baked for 20 minutes at 350 degrees and when I pulled it out of the oven, beautiful rivers of cheese flowed between each enchilada, the tortillas were softened, and the filling was warm.  Perfecto!

One of my favorite things about this dish is that it can be made with any filling and cheese you like.  You can also adjust the spice level by buying milder or hotter sauces or by adding cayenne pepper.  It's a great way to use leftovers you have on hand and it's easy to make and comes together quickly.  And...there are the rivers of cheese to consider!!

Day 241: Tasty Turkey Tacos Tonight

There isn't much to say about tacos, other than - they're tasty.  They're easy to make.  And, if you make them with ground turkey breast, they are a downright healthy dinner!

I use good old McCormick reduced sodium taco seasoning packet and follow the instructions except - I cook up 1.25 to 1.33 lbs of ground turkey instead of an even pound.  I find that the amount of water on the envelope and the seasoning itself is enough to go around.  I also try to simmer the meat in the sauce for as long as possible for the most concentrated flavor.

Other regular items on our taco table are shredded lettuce, chopped vine ripened tomatoes, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and homemade guacamole.  My guac recipe is:  one avocado, juice of 1/2 a lime (or more, depending on the size of the avocado), 1 T reduced fat sour cream or fat free greek yogurt, and 8-12 shakes of the Frank's Red Hot bottle.

The beauty of tacos is that there's no right or wrong way to enjoy them.  Beef or turkey, tortillas or hard shells, tomatoes or salsa - do it your way.  And if you have a unique slant to your tacos, do tell!

Day 177: Satisfying a Two Day Old Craving

I mentioned on Friday that I was craving tacos.  But we got home way too late that night to start playing around with making guacamole, chopping tomatoes, and shredding cheese.  Then last night we attended a friend's holiday party and finally, tonight I was able to give in to my savory desires.

My tacos aren't anything particularly special, but my husband and I do love them.  I always use ground turkey rather than beef and cook it following the directions from the McCormick's taco seasoning mix envelope.

I also always make my own guacamole:

1 medium to large avocado

2 heaping tsp of reduced fat sour cream

Juice from 1/2 a lime

12-15 shakes from the Frank's Hot Sauce or Tabasco bottle

My favorite trick is to turn the avocado out on a cutting board and to mash it with the back of a fork.  Then I move the mashed avocado to a bowl, add the rest of the ingredients, and mix together.  Taste and add more of whatever you think you need.  Keep in mind that taco seasoning tends to be on the salty side, so adding more salt to the guac is usually unnecessary.

Another important tip is to use a good high quality sharp cheddar.  I like Cabot or Tillamook.  Use the large holed side of the grater to get the most flavor from your shredded cheese (this is highly recommended vs. buying pre-grated cheese which can be dry and flavorless).

As you can see from my photo, I skipped the taco shell tonight.  It's a lot of extra calories that aren't always worth it.  Of course if you're craving the crunch or just prefer not to eat something resembling dog food, then go for the shell.  Bearitos make good ones.

Day 165: Boy Do I Regret That!!

I know, I know.  That is one nasty looking pile of food!!  I assure you that this was not my dinner and mine alone tonight.  We had a little outing with clients after work and we shared all kinds of appetizer plates at - you guessed it - Pedro's Restaurant & Cantina in Santa Clara, CA.

Some of the food was good (shrimp, chicken wings, guacamole).  Most of it was fair (everything pictured on the giant plate above).  And nearly all of it was not stuff I should be eating while on my quasi-South Beach diet.  Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

In any case, the food wasn't the priority tonight.  My co-workers and clients had a great bonding session, complete with margaritas, beer, and good laughs.  So come to think of it, this meal was a true success.