When posed with the question "What do you want? Bean and portobello burgers or tacos?" Don laughed. I knew what his answer would be.
So tonight is taco night!
We get corn tortillas from a Mexican Mennonite place here in town. They make them fresh, with no preservatives, and they are excellent for anything we used to use whole wheat bread for. I love cheese melted between them, or peanut butter and banana...man, I'm hungry.
I prefer to make my taco seasoning because it gives me a chance to control what is in it. It's not difficult and doesn't use any crazy exotic ingredients - most people I know have all the components. Why would you WANT to eat something out of a package (containing who knows what?) that you can make so easily (and quickly)?
I brown my ground sirloin, add a bit of water and the below seasonings, and let it simmer on low for an hour or so. I'm sure this would work with TVP as well, but I can't stand the stuff.
I heat up the corn tortillas in a dry frying pan, and pack them with meat, cheese, tomato and sour cream (and avocado and fresh cilantro, if we have them handy). That's how we like them.
Taco Seasoning
1 tblsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder (or 1 clove fresh, grated in)
1/2 tsp onion powder (or 1/2 a fresh onion, finely diced)
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried cumin
Pinch salt
I taste after a bit and adjust the above, to taste.
I'd love to get my mitts on some ground chipotle. That would make my taco seasoning extra delicious!
By the way, if you don't have smoked paprika, you can use "regular" paprika.
Showing posts with label taco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label taco. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Good For You Taco Dip...
...or at least better than a traditional taco dip.
I found this recipe from Eat, Shrink and Be Merry for a taco dip...and, although I don't love the show (too much of the "this is baaaaad, you must eat thiiiisss) type stuff, I do really enjoy the Podleski sisters' cookbooks, and know that most of the dishes that they come up with are pretty darned good.
This is their Macho Nacho Dip.
It's very, very good...and has some adjustments from the traditional, fat laden taco dip (which I LOVE). Some of these things might sound kind of disgusting (hello...mushy peas in the guac?!?!) but this is really, really good!
It takes a bit of work to put together, and needs a couple of hours (at least) to set up, but it's worth it. The original recipe apparently serves 15, but I made some adjustments to fill an 8" casserole that fed the three of us, with leftovers. Here's my recipe, with the mods I made.
Beans Layer
1 can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup sour cream
1 small can green chilis (keep liquid)
2 tblsp low sodium taco seasoning
Throw it all in a blender, puree until smooth. Place in bottom of dish you're using (I used a round glass casserole, about 8"). Pop in fridge while you work on the second layer.
The Green Stuff
1/2 cup frozen sweet peas, thawed
1 large avocado
Juice of 1 lime
1 clove garlic, grated
1/4 cup finely minced red onion
Salt & pepper
In food processor (or food mill) blend up peas, avocado, and lime juice. Dump in a bowl and stir in grated garlic and onion, taste and adjust salt and pepper. Spoon and smooth onto bean layer in casserole. Put back into fridge.
The Creamy Stuff
1 cup sour cream
1 package light cream cheese with garden vegetables, room temp
You can mix these up by hand, but I like making it super creamy, so back to the food processor you go with these two beauties. Blend them together until smooth. Spread onto green layer in casserole. Pop back into fridge.
The Red Stuff
Some salsa you like (jarred, homemade, whatever)
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
Layer salsa over creamy layer, sprinkle on the cilantro.
At this point, I covered it with plastic wrap and left it in the fridge for a couple of hours to set up. You CAN add the cheese and veggies before letting it set, I think that's how the original recipe specified, but I don't like soggy cheese and veggies.
Cheese and Veggies
1 cup grated cheese (sharp cheddar, monterey jack, whatever you like)
Sliced black olives
Sliced green onions
(red bell pepper, shredded lettuce, whatever veggies you want to add)
Throw everything on top, and serve with chips.
I like the multigrain tortilla chips (though I wish they weren't so damned salty!), and I love heating them up a little in the oven. It makes them a smidge crispier and fresher tasting.
This went over very well.
I found this recipe from Eat, Shrink and Be Merry for a taco dip...and, although I don't love the show (too much of the "this is baaaaad, you must eat thiiiisss) type stuff, I do really enjoy the Podleski sisters' cookbooks, and know that most of the dishes that they come up with are pretty darned good.
This is their Macho Nacho Dip.
It's very, very good...and has some adjustments from the traditional, fat laden taco dip (which I LOVE). Some of these things might sound kind of disgusting (hello...mushy peas in the guac?!?!) but this is really, really good!
It takes a bit of work to put together, and needs a couple of hours (at least) to set up, but it's worth it. The original recipe apparently serves 15, but I made some adjustments to fill an 8" casserole that fed the three of us, with leftovers. Here's my recipe, with the mods I made.
Beans Layer
1 can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup sour cream
1 small can green chilis (keep liquid)
2 tblsp low sodium taco seasoning
Throw it all in a blender, puree until smooth. Place in bottom of dish you're using (I used a round glass casserole, about 8"). Pop in fridge while you work on the second layer.
The Green Stuff
1/2 cup frozen sweet peas, thawed
1 large avocado
Juice of 1 lime
1 clove garlic, grated
1/4 cup finely minced red onion
Salt & pepper
In food processor (or food mill) blend up peas, avocado, and lime juice. Dump in a bowl and stir in grated garlic and onion, taste and adjust salt and pepper. Spoon and smooth onto bean layer in casserole. Put back into fridge.
The Creamy Stuff
1 cup sour cream
1 package light cream cheese with garden vegetables, room temp
You can mix these up by hand, but I like making it super creamy, so back to the food processor you go with these two beauties. Blend them together until smooth. Spread onto green layer in casserole. Pop back into fridge.
The Red Stuff
Some salsa you like (jarred, homemade, whatever)
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
Layer salsa over creamy layer, sprinkle on the cilantro.
At this point, I covered it with plastic wrap and left it in the fridge for a couple of hours to set up. You CAN add the cheese and veggies before letting it set, I think that's how the original recipe specified, but I don't like soggy cheese and veggies.
Cheese and Veggies
1 cup grated cheese (sharp cheddar, monterey jack, whatever you like)
Sliced black olives
Sliced green onions
(red bell pepper, shredded lettuce, whatever veggies you want to add)
Throw everything on top, and serve with chips.
I like the multigrain tortilla chips (though I wish they weren't so damned salty!), and I love heating them up a little in the oven. It makes them a smidge crispier and fresher tasting.
This went over very well.
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