Taco Tuesday

Hope no one minds that it's time for another Taco Tuesday. Today's yummy offerings include Buffalo Turkey Tacos, Steak Tacos, and Lime Cilantro Portobello Tacos. Enjoy!

TURKEY CLUB RANCH TACOS

This is from Old El Paso, and begins, “Have your club sandwich a bold new way on a bold ranch taco!”

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 15 minutes; Servings: 5

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 lb lean ground turkey

1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso™ taco seasoning mix

1/2 cup ranch dressing

10 Old El Paso™ Stand ‘N Stuff™ bold ranch flavored taco shells

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons salsa

6 slices bacon, crisply cooked, diced (about 1/2 cup)

Make it FRESH toppings, as desired (see below)

Directions

In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add turkey; cook until starting to brown on both sides, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with taco seasoning mix. Cook until turkey is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Stir in ranch dressing.

Heat taco shells as directed on package. Step 3 Meanwhile, in medium bowl, mix mayonnaise and salsa. Divide turkey mixture among warmed shells, and top with bacon. Add FRESH toppings. Top with salsa mayo to complete taco.

Expert Tips

If you prefer ground chicken to ground turkey, feel free to substitute, following the same directions as above.

Ideas for Make it FRESH toppings: diced avocado, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, thinly sliced green onions, shredded cheese.

BUFFALO TURKEY TACOS

Makes 8 servings

Source: Jennie-O

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/1341.shtml

Ingredients

1 (16-ounce) package JENNIE-O Lean Ground Turkey

1/3 cup hot pepper wing sauce

8 hard corn taco shells, heated as specified on package

1 cup shredded lettuce

2 tomatoes, diced

1 avocado, sliced

1/2 cup blue cheese dressing

Directions

Cook turkey as specified on package. Always cook to well-done, 165F as measured by a meat thermometer.

Add hot pepper sauce. Stir to combine.

Fill tacos shells with lettuce, turkey mixture, tomatoes and avocado.

Drizzle with blue cheese dressing.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 220; Protein: 14 g; Fat: 13 g; Sodium: 260 mg; Cholesterol: 45 mg; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Dietary Fiber: 3 g; Sugars: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 13 g

STIR-FRY VEGETABLE TACOS

This one also comes from Vegetarian Times, and begins, "Spice up these tacos with sliced pickled ginger, crushed wasabi peas, and sriracha chile sauce, for garnish." Yield: Serves 4.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients:

3 Tbs. peanut oil

2 cups shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced (6 oz.)

1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed

1 cup frozen shelled edamame

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

3 Tbs. white miso

2 Tbs. orange juice

2 tsp. rice vinegar

2 cups broccoli slaw

4 6-inch corn or flour tortillas, warmed

2 Tbs. sliced green onions

Instructions:

Heat oil in nonstick skillet over high heat. Add mushrooms, sugar snap peas, edamame, and cayenne pepper; cook 7 to 9 minutes, or until vegetables start to turn golden, stirring occasionally. Transfer to bowl, and cool 10 minutes in refrigerator.

Meanwhile, whisk together miso, orange juice, and rice vinegar in small bowl. Drizzle over mushroom mixture. Stir in broccoli slaw. Fill tortillas with vegetable mixture, and garnish with green onions.

Nutrition Information: Calories: 272; Protein: 8 g; Total Fat: 13 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 35 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 386 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 10 g

STEAK TACOS

This recipe begins, “Your slow cooker makes Mexican-style magic, turning flank steak fork-tender and infusing it with irresistible flavors for the best steak tacos you ever ate.”

http://www.diabeticconnect.com/diabetic-recipes/general/2664-steak-tacos

Ingredients

1 lb raw lean flank steak (I use semi-frozen steak)

1 packet Taco Seasoning Mix

1 medium onion

4 oz chopped green chilies

1/2 cup (or more) sliced bell pepper

6 Corn tortillas

Directions

Cut steaks in half; rub with taco seasoning. Place in a crock pot coated with nonstick cooking spray. Top with onion, bell pepper and chilies. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until meat is tender. Remove steaks and cool slightly; shred meat with two forks. Return to crock pot; heat through. Spoon about 1/2 cup meat mixture down the center of each tortilla. Top with cheese, tomato and sour cream. Fold ends and sides over filling.

Nutritional Facts: Servings 6; Yield 6 servings – 210 Calories; 9 g fat (48.1% calories from fat); 17 g Protein; 16 g Carbohydrate; 2 g Dietary Fiber; 39 mg Cholesterol; 186 mg Sodium.

LIME CILANTRO PORTOBELLO TACOS

I first found this at Nosh On.It, along with several other vegetarian taco recipes (you can check out all nine here). This one is from Sarah Yates Mora, who has a cool blog called A House in the Hills, where she posted this recipe.

Sarah started off this recipe by writing, “I don’t want to come across all braggy braggerson, but i made those tortillas. with my BARE HANDS! ok, my bare hands and a tortilla press.” She continued on by writing that “making tortillas is mind blowingly simple. like, really really really simple. i had NO IDEA.” (I love her enthusiasm!)

Anywho, the link to this recipe on her blog is https://ahouseinthehills.com/2013/7/10/lime-cilantro-portobello-tacos/. I seriously suggest checking it out!

Ingredients

2 large portobello mushrooms

3/4 cup shredded purple cabbage

1 avocado

1 bunch cilantro

1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced and de-seeded (unless you want some extra kick in which case leave the seeds be!)

1/3 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 cup masa

grapeseed oil

Directions

Rinse and thoroughly clean two large portobello mushrooms.

Prepare mushroom marinade by combining olive oil, fresh squeezed lime juice, 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro and 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt.

You’ll want to marinate the mushrooms for as long as possible, preferably 8 or more hours. I started mine in the early evening and made them for an early lunch the next day. To marinate, place mushrooms and marinade in a large plastic ziplock, give them a few shakes and refrigerate.

When mushrooms are marinated you’ll grill them (I used a grill pan) over medium heat until cooked through (a couple of minutes on each side)

To make tortillas:

Combine 3/4 cup masa with 1/2 cup of hot water and knead with hands. Add more water if needed, or add more masa if mixture seems too wet. You’re looking to achieve the consistency of brand new play-doh. You’ll know you’re spot on when you’re able to pull a full tortilla out of the press. I played around for a bit to get it just right, but it only took fussing with the mixture a little bit at a time to get there!

Lightly coat a cast iron pan in grapeseed oil and heat on medium low.

Cover the top and bottom of the tortilla press* with large ziplock bags or saran wrap. Roll a ball of masa dough about 1 1/2″ big in the palm of your hands in place in the center of the press.

Gently use the top press to flatten the tortilla, then peel away and add to the pan.

Cook for 30 seconds or so on each side.

Continue with the rest of the dough (this amount of masa makes roughly 7 tortillas) until all are dough is used. Keep cooked tortillas warm by wrapping in a damp tea towel and placing in a dutch oven over LOW heat.

* if you do not have a tortilla press, use your hand or a rolling pin to flatten tortillas!

To make tacos:

Assemble tacos by laying tortillas with slices of the grilled portobellos, slices of avocado, cilantro, cabbage and jalapeno. Squeeze with lime juice. Serve hot and enjoy!

MAPO TOFU TACOS

I also found this at Nosh On.It, along with other vegetarian taco recipes. (You can check them out here). This one is from Alice Choi and her wonderul blog, Hip Foodie Mom.

Alice wrote, “While in college, mapo tofu was one of the first dishes I learned to make. . . well, kind of. You have to remember, I was in college and needed to eat quickly so I could go back to playing or studying or whatever I was doing so I was hardly ever in the kitchen cooking. Ever.”

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes; servings: 5 - 6.

To view this recipes online, as well as the rest of Alice’s description of this recipe, go to https://hipfoodiemom.com/2013/02/07/mapo-tofu-tacos/. And while you’re there, check out the rest of the site. I think you’ll be glad you did!

Note: You can double the ingredients for the mapo sauce in order to have a bowl of the sauce on the table if dipping is desired while eating.

Ingredients

For the baked tofu:

1-2 cups all purpose flour

2 eggs; slightly beaten

about 2 cups panko breadcrumbs

1 - 19 oz container of firm tofu; cubed not small cubes but slightly larger ones; should make about 30 tofu cubes

For the mapo sauce:

1 tablespoon soy bean paste

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1-2 tablespoons szechuan sauce start with 1 tablespoon

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

2 gloves garlic minced

1/2 cup water

Salt to taste; if needed

For the tacos:

corn or flour tortillas I actually preferred the flour tortillas for this even though they are photographed with the corn tortillas

shredded carrots

shredded cabbage

scallions; diced for garnish

sriracha sauce

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare a lined baking sheet with foil, a non-stick baking sheet or parchment paper.

Set-up the dredging area: Place the flour in a medium bowl and place the eggs in another bowl and whisk with a fork for about 20 seconds. Place the panko in a third bowl.

After you have cut your tofu, pat dry each one in paper towels to drain the excess water/liquid. Dip each tofu cube into the flour, then in the eggs and then lastly into the panko. You want each cube lightly breaded with panko. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then flip each tofu cube and bake for another 10 minutes.

While your tofu is in the oven, prepare the sauce. Heat a medium sized sauce pan over high heat. Add all of the sauce ingredients (start with 1 tablespoon of the szechuan sauce) and mix well for a couple minutes. Taste and add more szechuan sauce or water or salt if needed and bring to a slight boil. Turn the heat to medium-low and let simmer for an additional 4 - 5 minutes. Gently stir and blend well.

When the sauce and tofu is ready, prepare your tacos. Heat the tortillas slightly in a toaster oven and assemble: place your warm tortilla on a plate, place 3-4 tofu cubes on top, pour the mapo sauce over the crispy tofu cubes, add the shredded carrots, then the cabbage (you can drizzle some more mapo sauce over the cabbage if desired) and garnish with the diced scallions and drizzle on some sriracha sauce if needed. Serve immediately.