Taco Tuesday

If you love tacos as much as I do, you don't mind that it's another Taco Tuesday. Today's offerings include Easy and Warm Farmstand Chili Tacos and Beef Taco Boats. Enjoy!

STEAK CARNITAS MEAT IN THE CROCKPOT

I originally found this at NoshOn.it; the link to this is at http://noshon.it/recipes/crockpot-steak-carnitas-tacos/ and takes you here. (Bless this Mess, run by “food lover, chicken wrangler, house builder, goodness seeker, mom of 5” Melissa Griffiths, looks like a really good place for more recipes. Check it out!)

This recipe Serves 6-8.

Ingredients

For the spice rub:

1 T. chili powder

1 1/2 tsp cumin or smoked cumin

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or more to taste

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 lbs flank steak

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

Serving Options:

Corn tortillas

Shredded lettuce

Grated cheese

Tomato

Sour cream

Salsa

Instructions

Mix all of the spice together in a small bowl for the spice rub. Rub the spices into each side of the steak, using all of the mixture.

Place the spice rubbed-steak in the bottom of the crock pot. Place the chopped onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno on top of the steak. Cook for on low for 7 to 8 hours.

After the cooking time has lapsed, remove the steak from the crock pot and shred with two forks. Serve immediately or return to the crock pot for a few hours until you are ready to eat.

Serve on corn tortillas with your favorite topping.

Notes

Flank steak is generally a tougher, and therefore cheaper piece of meat. It's a great candidate for the crock pot. I actually have used everything from elk steaks, lamb, and pork and loved them all in this recipe. Use what you have on hand or what's on sale... if it's a leaner cut of meat you may need to add a bit of beef stock at the end to make sure it doesn't dry out before cooking.

SUMMER TACOS WITH CORN, GREEN BEANS AND TOMATILLO SALSA

This is from Martha Rose Schulman, in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Martha wrote, “Another way to use the versatile green bean in summer cooking. Cut into one-inch lengths and add to a mix of corn, chiles and green tomatillo salsa. Green beans are such a reliable and versatile summer vegetable. I serve them on their own, of course, but I also throw them into various pasta dishes and salads, and here I’ve used them in a taco filling. Cook the beans first, just until tender, then cut them into one-inch lengths and add to this sweet and spicy mix of corn, chiles and green tomatillo salsa.”

Serves 4; Time: 20 minutes

This was featured in “Vegetarian Taco Night” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1/2 pound green beans, topped and tailed

4 ears corn

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small red or white onion, finely chopped

Salt to taste

1 serrano chile, minced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 recipe fresh tomatillo salsa (also, recipe follows)

8 warm corn tortillas

1/4 to 1/2 cup crumbled feta, queso fresco or goat cheese

Preparation

Bring a large saucepan full of water to a boil and salt generously. Add green beans and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, drain and cut in 1-inch lengths.

Cut the kernels off corncobs. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt, the corn and chile, and continue to cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until corn is tender. Stir in green beans and cilantro, and about 1/4 cup of the salsa (more to taste). Remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Top warm tortillas with corn and bean mix. Sprinkle cheese over the corn and add more salsa if desired.

Tip

Advance preparation: You can make this filling a few hours before serving, but the fresher it is, the better. Reheat gently in a pan.

QUICK FRESH TOMATILLO SALSA

This also comes from Martha Rose Schulman, in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. For this one, Martha wrote, “Tomatillos, which are closer botanically to the gooseberry than to the tomato, have a wonderful acidic tang. To get the best out of them they should be simmered or grilled for about 10 minutes, until they’re soft and the color has gone from pale green to olive. You can use them for a quick, blended salsa (like the one in this recipe) and also for a cooked salsa, which has a rounder, seared flavor. Use on tacos, or as chip or vegetable dip, or alongside grilled chicken or pork.”

Of course, if you’re a vegetarian, as I am, you can forget the grilled chicken or pork, but this salsa does work well alongside a variety of entrees.

Yield: 2 cups, serving 8; Time: 45 minutes

This was featured in “Summer Tacos” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed

2 to 4 jalapeño or serrano chiles, seeded for a milder salsa, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup chopped onion, soaked for 5 minutes in cold water, drained and rinsed

1/4 to 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro (to taste)

Salt to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon)

1/4 to 1/2 cup water, as needed

Preparation

Place the tomatillos in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping them over halfway through, until softened and olive green. Remove from the heat. Transfer to a blender. Add the chiles, onion, cilantro, and 1/4 cup water to the blender and blend to a coarse puree. Transfer to a bowl, add salt, and thin out as desired with water. Taste and adjust salt, and set aside for at least 30 minutes before serving, to allow the flavors to develop.

TURKEY TACO SOUP

This comes from Laurel Randolph, one of the writers on The Spruce. Laurel wrote, “Taco soup is an easy, one-bowl version of everyone's favorite dinner: taco night. All of the ingredients simmer together to make a robust, flavorful soup that's especially good with a side of crispy tortilla chips. And with only one dirty pot and a few dirty soup bowls, it's totally carefree. The typical ground beef is replaced with shredded turkey for a lighter meal—or you can replace it with cooked chicken, if that's what you have on hand.

“We love to make this soup after Thanksgiving, when we have leftover turkey to use up and we want to do as little cooking as possible. It's a great way to repurpose cooked, shredded breast or dark meat to create a totally different dish. No one will be complaining of leftover fatigue with this recipe.”

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: Serves 3 - 4.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola (or grapeseed oil)

1 small red onion (diced)

1 green bell pepper (diced)

1 jalapeño (seeded and minced)

3 garlic cloves (minced)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes (with juice)

1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans (rinsed and drained)

1 cup packed shredded cooked turkey

3 cups turkey or chicken broth

Salt and pepper

1 avocado (diced, or sour cream for serving)

Optional: Chips (for serving)

Directions

Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the oil followed by the onion. Sauté for 2 minutes.

Add the bell pepper, jalapeño and garlic. Sauté for 2 more minutes.

Add the chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes and juice, pinto beans, turkey and broth, and stir. Season with salt and pepper.

Turn up the heat and bring to a simmer.

Turn the heat to low and let simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Serve topped with diced avocado or a dollop of sour cream and tortilla chips.

BEEF TACO BOATS

These are from Lauren Miyashiro on Delish. Lauren wrote, “Your new favorite way to eat a taco.”

Yields: 4; Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes

To view this online, go to https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a53019/beef-taco-boats-recipe/.

Ingredients

4 medium flour tortillas

Uncooked rice

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 lb. ground beef

1 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. paprika

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Shredded lettuce

1/2 c. shredded cheddar

Pico de gallo

Guacamole

Sour cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Shape a large piece of foil (smaller than the size of your tortillas) into a boat. Place one tortilla inside foil boat so that the perimeter of tortilla comes up the sides. Repeat to make 4 boats. Fill each boat with rice.

Bake until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool in foil until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Add ground beef, chili powder, and paprika and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until beef is no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Drain fat.

Remove rice and foil from tortilla boats and fill each with ground beef. Top with lettuce, cheddar cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole, and sour cream.

EASY AND WARM FARMSTAND CHILI TACOS

This is from Stephanie Lang, MS, RDN, CDN, who wrote for VeryWellFit. Stephanie wrote, “These chili tacos offer a rainbow of color—red (tomato), orange (sweet potato), yellow (summer squash), green (zucchini, green olives), and purple (pinto beans, red onion)—all from plant-based ingredients, making for an antioxidant-rich Mediterranean-style meal.

“All the ingredients get mixed together and baked in the oven, allowing for a relatively hands-off cooking experience. The finely chopped green olives add umami, a meat-like savoriness to the recipe. Use umami-enhancing ingredients like mushrooms, soy sauce, miso, tomato paste and olives to deepen the flavor of vegetarian dishes.

“Pinto beans provide the main source of protein in these tacos. Make this dish on Meatless Monday, or any day of the week, for a plant-based family favorite.”

Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Servings: 6 (2 tacos each).

To view this online, click here.

Note:This recipe adheres to recipe guidelines and cancer prevention recommendations outlined by the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Ingredients

1 medium zucchini, cubed

1 medium yellow squash, cubed

1 small sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 medium jalapeno, de-seeded and finely chopped

1/2 medium red onion, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon chili powder, divided

1/2 cup green olives, rinsed and finely chopped

1, 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes

1, 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

12 6-inch corn tortillas

6 tablespoons non-fat plain Greek yogurt or sour cream (1/2 tablespoon per taco)

Preparation

Heat oven to 400 F.

Mix together the zucchini, squash, sweet potato, jalapeno, and red onion with the olive oil and half the chili powder and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, then toss with a spatula.

Add the green olives, diced tomatoes, and pinto beans to the vegetable mixture with the remaining chili powder and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until everything is heated through and the vegetables are tender.

Stir in the cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Warm the tortillas by wrapping in a clean towel and microwaving for 15 to 30 seconds, or heat individually over a flame on the stove top.

Spoon the vegetable-bean mixture into the tortillas and serve with extra cilantro and a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt.

Ingredient Variations and Substitutions

If any of the vegetables or beans in this recipe are not your cup of tea (or chili), you can easily replace them with a food that you prefer. Perhaps you'll want to swap the pinto beans for chickpeas. Chickpeas are nutritionally similar to pinto beans, with the exception of being higher in vitamin A, calories and omega-6 fatty acids, and lower in omega-3 fatty acids.

Try using plain Greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream; it has a similar consistency and flavor but contains more protein.

Cooking and Serving Tips

Make enough of this recipe and serve it differently for 5 tasty meals! Try the tacos one night, a warm bowl of chili the next, and Tex Mex migas for a flavorsome and colorful breakfast. On the weekend, enjoy leftovers piled onto a whole grain roll (like a sloppy joe) or served cold atop greens for a salsa-like touch to your favorite salad.

Chili can be stored in the freezer for 4 to 6 months. Scoop your leftover chili into an airtight container, write the packaged and use-by dates on the top, and store. Not only will you have a quick meal to defrost and heat up in the future, but you can revisit your delicious farmstand seasonal vegetables in the winter and spring.