Taco Tuesday

You know the drill: If it's Tuesday (and it is), then it's time for another Taco Tuesday. Today's offerings include Spicy Shrimp Tacos and Dessert Tacos. Enjoy!

SUPERSTUFFED STEAK SOFT TACO

This was on the Runner’s World website (from Devin Alexander, posted on March 4, 2008), and begins, “Learn how to make this healthy dish in less time than it would take you to go through the drive-thru.”

Serves one.

View this online at https://www.runnersworld.com/nutrition-weight-loss/a20793128/superstuffed-steak-soft-taco-recipe/.

Ingredients

4 ounces top round steak

1 eight-inch-diameter low-carb flour tortilla

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt-free Mexican or Southwest seasoning

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Pinch of salt, or to taste

Olive-oil spray

2/3 cup finely shredded romaine lettuce

1/4 cup chopped tomato

1 ounce shredded Cabot's 75% light cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon red taco sauce

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Place the steak between two sheets of wax paper. Use the toothed side of a meat mallet to pound both sides of the steak until it's 1/3 inch thick. Cut it into 1/4-inch strips.

Wrap the tortilla in foil and place directly on the oven rack to warm for five minutes.

Mix together the Mexican seasoning, garlic powder, and salt. Add the steak strips and toss to coat evenly.

Preheat a nonstick skillet to medium-high. Mist it lightly with spray. Add the steak strips in a single layer and cook two to four minutes.

Place the tortilla on a plate and spoon the steak strips over half. Top evenly with the lettuce, tomato, cheese, taco sauce, and cilantro. Fold in half.

The Nutrition Facts: Calories Per serving: 320; Fat: 14 g; Carbs: 17 g; Protein: 40 g

SOFT BLACK BEAN TACOS WITH SALSA AND CABBAGE

This comes from Martha Rose Shulman, also in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Martha wrote, “Canned black beans and lots of cabbage combine in a quick, utterly satisfying one-dish taco dinner. They can be served open-faced or folded over.” Yield: 4 servings; Time: about 20 minutes.

This was featured in “Quick One-Dish Meals, Some Cooking Required” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola or grape seed oil

1 teaspoon medium-hot chili powder (more to taste)

1 teaspoon ground lightly toasted cumin seeds (more to taste)

2 cans black beans, with liquid

Salt to taste

8 corn tortillas

1 cup fresh or bottled salsa

3 ounces either queso fresco, feta, or sharp cheddar, grated or crumbled

2 cups shredded cabbage

Preparation

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add the chili powder and ground cumin. Allow the spices to sizzle for about half a minute, until very fragrant, and stir in the black beans and 1/2 cup water. Cook, stirring and mashing the beans with the back of your spoon, for 5 to 10 minutes, until thick and fragrant. Be careful that you don’t let the beans dry out too much. If they do, add a little more water. Remove from the heat.

Heat the tortillas, two or three at a time, in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, or in a microwave. Top with the black beans, salsa, cheese and cabbage. Fold the filled tortillas over if desired and serve. Alternatively, one at a time, place a tortilla on a plate, top with the beans and cheese and heat through for 30 seconds to a minute in a microwave. Then top with salsa and a generous handful of cabbage, and serve.

Tip

Make fresh salsa with 2 or 3 chopped roma tomatoes, 1 or 2 jalapeños or serrano chiles, a little chopped onion or shallot if desired, salt, a squeeze of lime juice, and chopped fresh cilantro.

BLACK BEAN AND POBLANO TACOS

This comes from David Tanis in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. David wrote, “There are many kinds of tacos, some piled high and overstuffed and some more minimal, meant to be more a snack than a meal. These little tacos are in the second category, similar to what you might find in a Mexican market for a quick bite. Savory black beans and roasted poblano chiles make a satisfying vegetarian version. Fresh soft corn tortillas, hot off the griddle, are essential.” Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

This was featured in “The Unstuffy Taco” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1/2 pound black beans, rinsed and soaked 4 to 6 hours, or overnight if possible

1 small onion, halved

1 bay leaf

1 large sprig epazote (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

4 poblano chiles

Soft corn tortillas

1/2 pound fresh mozzarella or Oaxacan-style string cheese, shredded

1/2 pound queso fresco, available in Latino groceries

8 ounces crème fraîche or Mexican crema

Preparation

Drain beans, put in medium pot, add water to cover and bring to a boil over hight heat. Add onion, bay leaf, epazote and salt and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 1 hour, longer if necessary, adding water occasionally if liquid falls below surface of beans. When beans are tender, taste and adjust salt. Keep beans warm in their broth.

Meanwhile, roast poblano chiles over a charcoal grill, under the broiler or directly on a gas stovetop burners until skins are completely blackened and blistered. Set chiles aside to cool, then split lengthwise. Scrape away skins and seeds with a paring knife. Cut cleaned chiles into 1/2-inch ribbons, transfer to small bowl and season lightly with salt.

To serve, warm the tortillas on a hot griddle or cast iron pan over a burner. Put 2 warm tortillas side by side on a small plate. With a slotted spoon, place 2 tablespoons beans on each tortilla. Top with a few shreds of mozzarella and 2 or 3 strips of poblano. Crumble a little queso fresco and drizzle about 1 teaspoon crème fraîche on each taco.

SPICY SHRIMP TACOS

I found this, along with five other taco recipes, on the Runner’s World website (posted on June 26, 2018), though it’s originally from the Prevention test kitchen.

This one begins, “Flavored with a zesty spread and cool pickled vegetables, these shrimp tacos have half the saturated fat and twice the protein of a fried fish taco.”

Serves: 4; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes

This can be found at https://www.runnersworld.com/nutrition-weight-loss/a21946015/healthy-taco-recipes/. They were originally from: Prevention US.

Ingredients

1/3 c white vinegar

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp grated ginger

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 c grated carrot

1/2 c grated daikon radish

1/4 c mayonnaise

2 tsp Sriracha sauce

1 tsp less-sodium soy sauce

4 lg butter lettuce leaves

12 oz med shrimp, cooked, peeled, and deveined

1 jalapeno, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp cilantro leaves

Directions

Stir together 1/3 cup hot water, vinegar, sugar, ginger, and salt in medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Submerge carrot and radish; let sit 10 minutes.

Mix mayonnaise, Sriracha, and soy sauce in small bowl. Spread over 4 lettuce leaves. Add shrimp and jalapeno. Top with pickled carrot-radish mixture and sprinkle with cilantro.

Per serving: 175 calories, 22 g protein, 7 g carb, 1 g fiber, 3 g sugars (1 g added sugars), 6.5 g fat, 0.5 g sat fat, 176 mg cholesterol, 480 mg sodium

TACO CHILI

This was posted on the Vegetarian Times website on January 6, 2001. Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients

2 cups soy crumbles

1/2 cup canned soybeans

15-oz. can corn, drained

2 (28-oz.) cans diced tomatoes

30-oz. can chili beans

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium green bell pepper, diced

2 pkgs. taco seasoning

1 1/2 tsp. chili powder

Preparation

In large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 to 45 minutes.

Serve with low-fat shredded cheese and tortilla chips.

DESSERT TACOS

This yummy recipe from Kraft Recipes begins, “Discover a real party pleaser with these scrumptious Dessert Tacos. These Dessert Tacos include fruit, cinnamon, pudding and toasted coconut.”

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes; Yield: 10 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Coconut Cream Flavor Instant Pudding

1-1/4 cups cold milk

1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

10 flour tortillas (4 inch)

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

1 Tbsp. sugar 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries and quartered strawberries)

1/4 cup BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut, toasted

Directions

Heat oven to 325°F.

Beat pudding mix and milk in medium bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir in COOL WHIP.

Refrigerate 1 hour.

Meanwhile, brush both sides of tortillas with butter; sprinkle with combined sugar and cinnamon. Fold in half; place between cups of inverted muffin pan. (See Note.)

Bake 18 to 20 min. or until lightly browned; cool completely (in pan).

Spoon pudding mixture into taco shells; top with fruit and coconut.

Kitchen Tips

Substitute

Prepare using JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding.

How to Toast the Coconut

Heat oven to 350°F. Spread coconut onto bottom of shallow pan. Bake 5 to 7 min. or until lightly browned, stirring frequently.

Note

When preparing the taco shells, place 3 of the folded tortillas down each long side of inverted muffin pan. Then, place 2 folded tortillas on each of the 2 short sides.

Size Wise

Balance your food choices throughout the day so you can enjoy a serving of these dessert tacos with your family.