Staples (the Kind You Can Eat) - Episode 4
This week I had a craving, and that craving could only be cured by TACOS! Well, that and tortilla chips covered up with salsa and sour cream. Anyway...
Tacos are such a versatile meal, and almost always doable, no matter what you have on hand. All you really need are a few spices, some kind of "shell", and the filling! Let's take a minute to look at the different approaches to tacos made simple.
Shells
The standards, of course, are hard and soft. I personally prefer the soft taco shells because they are a tad bit less messy. You can get these in a kit, or spend a lot less money and just buy the tortillas (you're stuck with a kit if you want crunchy ones, though, unless you want to fry your own!). Flour tortillas come in many sizes: 6" for tacos, 8-10" for burritos and fajitas, and 12-14" for wraps. I keep the 6" ones on hand for tacos, burritos, wraps, etc.
In addition to the regulars, you can also find kits containing gorditas (thicker and chewier than soft tacos. The Taco Bell kit comes with awesome sauces!), combos (soft/crunchy combo shells; really it's just a regular kit with a new idea. I'm sure they charge more for the extra thought), and salad bowls (mmmmmmmm taco salad!).
"Meat"
Naturally, hamburger comes to mind. Turkey and chicken also come in about here. Of course, I love them all (and prefer ground beef), but as you all well know, I'm still on my vegetarian detour. So, for this post, we'll focus on some meat alternatives.
1. Refried beans: you can buy them in a can and they taste awesome. I suppose you could make your own as well, but I've never done it before. Too much work. Also, you could add them to meat to make it taste awesome (and pack on the calories!). Refried beans are NOT always vegetarian...make sure you check the label on the can!
2. Beans: I've used black beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, and kidney beans before in tacos. I prefer black beans because they're smaller, although chickpeas (garbanzos) have an awesome flavor. Just season with some chili powder, S&P, cumin, and coriander and you've got a nice base for your taco. If you want it a bit less slippery, mash 'em up.
3. Soyrizo: It's vegetarian churizo. It's delicious. Fry this up with some onions and tomatoes, along with a couple eggs (for texture) and you've got a great, protein-packed base for any mexican dish. We had these as gigantic burritos with our friend Jeff (who completed both the cinnamon challenge and the three minute hot wing challenge).
4. Fish: Ok, so it's not technically vegetarian, but I'm allowing myself fish for my diet. Of course, the only good fish taco I've ever had was deep fried, so it's a bit on the unhealthy side. Maybe we should stay away...
5. TVP/Protein crumbles: TVP has made a comeback. We can get it at our local natural Food Store dried and GMO free (genetically modified organisms). Morningstar Farms makes frozen "protein crumbles" which are the same idea, only colored and flavored with salt. Regardless, reconstitute your TVP and fry up like hamburger. Add some onions and tomatoes for texture (it needs it!). Add your seasoning. Although it tastes pretty good, I don't enjoy the texture of stand-alone TVP--I much prefer it mixed in with something else.
Now, regardless of your choice, you need to season your base. You can always use the prepackaged "taco seasoning" at the store (costs about a dollar), or season on your own. My personal blend includes: chili powder, cumin, S&P, cilantro, parsley, coriander, and garlic powder. Add a little water to make it really stick.
Toppings
Toppings for tacos fall into three categories: sauce, veggies, and cheese. When I was a kid, we had a compartmentalized dish that sat on our lazy susan and my dad used to fill the spaces with taco toppings. It was fun to spin it around! Now, I go for a much simpler approach: whatever's in the fridge, straight from the container!
Veggies (chopped/sliced to smaller than bite sized): lettuce, black olives, tomatoes, onions, peppers, jalapenos.
Cheese (shredded): cheddar, "mexican blend" (really, it's cheddar with chili powder mixed in)
Sauces: salsa, "taco sauce", ranch, sour cream
Assembly
Once you have all your ingredients prepared, how do you put them together? Each one of us has a method. I, personally, use a technique taught to me by a friend, and she calls it "Jen Style". Place ingredients into your taco shell in this order: sauces, beans, "meat", cheese, veggies (lettuce last). Eat and make a mess! *Note: we always made ground turkey for our tacos and served refried beans, too)
Sides
As if tacos weren't enough, what do you serve with them? Why, rice, of course! You can buy Spanish rice or yellow rice in a kit, but I prefer to make my own. It's a great side dish, and it's also an awesome meal all on its own.
Cook rice as directed (white, brown, or jasmine...never use Minute Rice), season the water with chicken bullion and 1/2 tsp turmeric. Once cooked, add 1 can black beans and 1 can diced tomatoes with chilis. Add chili powder, cumin, S&P, garlic powder to taste. Add another 1/2 tsp turmeric for color if necessary.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, that's all for today! Another update coming Saturday. Remember, if you try this and you like it, leave a comment! If you try this and don't like it, leave a comment! And if you have anything to add, leave a comment! I'd love to hear your ideas! Happy cooking!
Tacos are such a versatile meal, and almost always doable, no matter what you have on hand. All you really need are a few spices, some kind of "shell", and the filling! Let's take a minute to look at the different approaches to tacos made simple.
Shells
The standards, of course, are hard and soft. I personally prefer the soft taco shells because they are a tad bit less messy. You can get these in a kit, or spend a lot less money and just buy the tortillas (you're stuck with a kit if you want crunchy ones, though, unless you want to fry your own!). Flour tortillas come in many sizes: 6" for tacos, 8-10" for burritos and fajitas, and 12-14" for wraps. I keep the 6" ones on hand for tacos, burritos, wraps, etc.
In addition to the regulars, you can also find kits containing gorditas (thicker and chewier than soft tacos. The Taco Bell kit comes with awesome sauces!), combos (soft/crunchy combo shells; really it's just a regular kit with a new idea. I'm sure they charge more for the extra thought), and salad bowls (mmmmmmmm taco salad!).
"Meat"
Naturally, hamburger comes to mind. Turkey and chicken also come in about here. Of course, I love them all (and prefer ground beef), but as you all well know, I'm still on my vegetarian detour. So, for this post, we'll focus on some meat alternatives.
1. Refried beans: you can buy them in a can and they taste awesome. I suppose you could make your own as well, but I've never done it before. Too much work. Also, you could add them to meat to make it taste awesome (and pack on the calories!). Refried beans are NOT always vegetarian...make sure you check the label on the can!
2. Beans: I've used black beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, and kidney beans before in tacos. I prefer black beans because they're smaller, although chickpeas (garbanzos) have an awesome flavor. Just season with some chili powder, S&P, cumin, and coriander and you've got a nice base for your taco. If you want it a bit less slippery, mash 'em up.
3. Soyrizo: It's vegetarian churizo. It's delicious. Fry this up with some onions and tomatoes, along with a couple eggs (for texture) and you've got a great, protein-packed base for any mexican dish. We had these as gigantic burritos with our friend Jeff (who completed both the cinnamon challenge and the three minute hot wing challenge).
4. Fish: Ok, so it's not technically vegetarian, but I'm allowing myself fish for my diet. Of course, the only good fish taco I've ever had was deep fried, so it's a bit on the unhealthy side. Maybe we should stay away...
5. TVP/Protein crumbles: TVP has made a comeback. We can get it at our local natural Food Store dried and GMO free (genetically modified organisms). Morningstar Farms makes frozen "protein crumbles" which are the same idea, only colored and flavored with salt. Regardless, reconstitute your TVP and fry up like hamburger. Add some onions and tomatoes for texture (it needs it!). Add your seasoning. Although it tastes pretty good, I don't enjoy the texture of stand-alone TVP--I much prefer it mixed in with something else.
Now, regardless of your choice, you need to season your base. You can always use the prepackaged "taco seasoning" at the store (costs about a dollar), or season on your own. My personal blend includes: chili powder, cumin, S&P, cilantro, parsley, coriander, and garlic powder. Add a little water to make it really stick.
Toppings
Toppings for tacos fall into three categories: sauce, veggies, and cheese. When I was a kid, we had a compartmentalized dish that sat on our lazy susan and my dad used to fill the spaces with taco toppings. It was fun to spin it around! Now, I go for a much simpler approach: whatever's in the fridge, straight from the container!
Veggies (chopped/sliced to smaller than bite sized): lettuce, black olives, tomatoes, onions, peppers, jalapenos.
Cheese (shredded): cheddar, "mexican blend" (really, it's cheddar with chili powder mixed in)
Sauces: salsa, "taco sauce", ranch, sour cream
Assembly
Once you have all your ingredients prepared, how do you put them together? Each one of us has a method. I, personally, use a technique taught to me by a friend, and she calls it "Jen Style". Place ingredients into your taco shell in this order: sauces, beans, "meat", cheese, veggies (lettuce last). Eat and make a mess! *Note: we always made ground turkey for our tacos and served refried beans, too)
Sides
As if tacos weren't enough, what do you serve with them? Why, rice, of course! You can buy Spanish rice or yellow rice in a kit, but I prefer to make my own. It's a great side dish, and it's also an awesome meal all on its own.
Cook rice as directed (white, brown, or jasmine...never use Minute Rice), season the water with chicken bullion and 1/2 tsp turmeric. Once cooked, add 1 can black beans and 1 can diced tomatoes with chilis. Add chili powder, cumin, S&P, garlic powder to taste. Add another 1/2 tsp turmeric for color if necessary.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, that's all for today! Another update coming Saturday. Remember, if you try this and you like it, leave a comment! If you try this and don't like it, leave a comment! And if you have anything to add, leave a comment! I'd love to hear your ideas! Happy cooking!