What's for Dinner? v10.46: Tacos!

Always popular, especially on Tuesdays, Tacos are one of those easy meals that don’t require a lot of cooking. Unless you choose to of course! You can fill them with all kinds of different things depending on your preference and then top them accordingly. I like to go with a simple ground meat filling but I’ve also done chopped chicken breast and leftover pulled pork is muy delicioso. Toppings for me usually include shredded cheese, salsa, lettuce, avocado, and the big one for me is sour cream. I have to have sour cream! Hard shells or soft, I tend to prefer soft flour tortillas but every now and then I crave the hard corn tortilla shells. Refried beans are a nice addition, or a good side along with some Mexican rice.

Now, if you have used a package of taco seasoning you might be surprised how easy it is to make your own. I just wing it but there are good recipes for making your own. If you look at the ingredients in those little packages from the store you probably have noticed you already have most of the spices at home. And by making your own you control the amount of salt and avoid the extra preservatives and cornstarch.

Here’s a simple one that can be multiplied and kept in a jar:

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• ¼ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp paprika
• 1½ tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients and store in air tight container. *This is equivalent to one package of taco seasoning. It is smart to multiply the quantities of this recipe by 4 and use 3 tablespoons of mixture each time you need it.

I use this for ground beef or turkey. I also like to add a drained can of black beans to the meat mixture if I’m not using refried beans.

Speaking of beans, here’s a good sounding recipe for crock-pot Mexican beans:

Slow Cooker Mexican Beans

Recipe from: Created by Cathy Pollak for NoblePig.com | Serves: A Slow Cooker full of Beans

Ingredients

• 4 cupsdry Peruano beans
• 4 teaspoonschicken bouillon
• 1/2 cupbutter

• 2-(7 oz cans)Herdez salsa verde
• cilantro for garnish, optional

Directions

• Sort through dry beans to remove all stones and any other debris. Place beans in a large bowl and cover with water at least 2" above beans. Soak for 12 hours. Dump water and rinse beans in a colander.
• Add beans to a 6-7 quart slow cooker. Sprinkle chicken bouillon on top of beans. Cover beans with water, at least 1" above beans. Add butter. Cook beans on high for 3 hours. Add salsa verde and cook one hour more. Garnish beans with cilantro if you like.
• Serve a bowl with warm tortillas or enjoy by themselves.

I’m currently looking to find these Peruano beans so I can try this recipe and a friend suggested this:

Rancho Gordo

They sell them under the name Mayocoba Beans.

A nice change of pace is to make fish tacos or grilled veggie tacos too! What is your favorite taco?

If you would like to contribute to WFD please send me a kos message or reply to my tip jar here. We have lots of openings and love to hear from new posters about their food and cooking!

So join us at the table and share what’s for dinner at your place tonight!