Taco Tuesday

If you love tacos as much as I do, you won't mind that it's time for another Taco Tuesday. Which to try first...Hmmm. There's something fishy about the first one (Southwest Chipotle Fish Tacos), one that I almost had to keep to myself, because it's "nacho" tacos (aka "not your tacos" - Chicken Nacho Tacos), and an interesting mix on one taco (Chicken-Watermelon Tacos). Whatever you decide on will probably be the right one, no matter what. Enjoy!

SOUTHWEST CHIPOTLE FISH TACOS

This is from Hidden Valley. Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Servings: 4

To view this online, go to https://www.hiddenvalley.com/recipe/southwest-chipotle-fish-tacos/.

Ingredients

8 frozen fish fillets

1/2 pound coleslaw or shredded cabbage

1/4 cup Hidden Valley® Spicy Ranch Dressing

8 corn tortillas

1 cup salsa

Directions

Prepare fish fillets according to package directions.

In a medium bowl, toss coleslaw and dressing until well-combined.

Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds or until warm.

To assemble, place 1 fish fillet on each tortilla, top with coleslaw and salsa. Serve immediately.

Notes: For safe meat preparation, reference the USDA website.

For dips, make and enjoy your dip creation. Then, refrigerate within 2 hours or discard.

CHILI-LIME MUSHROOM TACOS

This comes from Taste of Home, and begins with this note from Greg Fontenot (The Woodlands, Texas), "I used to make this dish with beef, but substituting with portobella mushrooms turned it into my family's vegetarian favorite. It's quick, nutritious, low fat and tasty."

Prep/Total Time: 25 minutes; Makes: 4 servings

View this online at https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chili-lime-mushroom-tacos/.

Ingredients

4 large portobello mushrooms (about 3/4 pound)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into strips

1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon grated lime zest

2 tablespoons lime juice

8 corn tortillas (6 inches), warmed

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

Directions

Remove stems from mushrooms; if desired, remove gills using a spoon. Cut mushrooms into 1/2-in. slices.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; saute mushrooms, red pepper and onion until mushrooms are tender, 5-7 minutes. Stir in garlic, seasonings, lime zest and juice; cook and stir 1 minute. Serve in tortillas; top with cheese.

Health Tip: Making these tacos with lean ground beef adds almost 4 grams of saturated fat per serving. That’s a good reason for a meatless taco Tuesday!

SOUTHWEST TURKEY TACOS

This yummy taco recipe is from Old El Paso, and begins, "Lean ground turkey, veggies and savory salsa meld in the slow cooker to make this deliciously easy taco filling."

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 6 hours 20 minutes; Makes 12 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/southwest-turkey-tacos.

Ingredient

1 package (20 oz) extra-lean ground turkey

1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 cups Old El Paso™ Thick ‘n Chunky salsa

1 can (15 oz) Progresso™ black beans, drained

1 can (11 oz) whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained, rinsed

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 boxes (4.6 oz each) Old El Paso™ taco shells (24 shells total)

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

3 cups chopped lettuce

3 medium tomatoes, chopped (1 1/2 cups)

Preparation

In 12-inch skillet, place turkey and onion; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until turkey is no longer pink.

Spray 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In cooker, mix turkey mixture, salsa, beans, corn and chili powder.

Cover; cook on Low heat setting 6 to 7 hours.

To serve, heat taco shells in oven as directed on boxes. Stir cilantro into turkey mixture. Spoon about 1/4 cup mixture into each warm taco shell; top with lettuce and tomatoes.

Expert Tips

This taco mixture is also delicious served over rice and topped with chopped fresh cilantro.

Top with fat-free sour cream, if desired.

CHICKEN-WATERMELON TACOS

This is from the Food Network.

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/chicken-watermelon-tacos-3364575.

Ingredients

4 tomatillos, husked and rinsed

1 large jalapeno pepper

1 small red onion (1/2 cut into large chunks, 1/2 thinly sliced)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (skin removed)

Juice of 2 limes, plus wedges for serving

Kosher salt

2 cups chopped watermelon

1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro

3/4 cup crumbled Cotija cheese (about 3 ounces)

Freshly ground pepper

12 corn tortillas

1 avocado, chopped

Directions

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the tomatillos, jalapeno and red onion chunks. Cook, turning, until blistered, 5 to 6 minutes for the onion and 7 to 8 minutes for the tomatillos and jalapeno. Transfer to a cutting board; cool slightly. Chop the tomatillos and onion; seed and chop the jalapeno.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatillos, chopped onions and half of the jalapeno. Cook until the vegetables release their juices, then add the chicken, the juice of 1 lime and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Keep warm over low heat.

Toss the watermelon, 1/2 cup cilantro, the sliced red onion, the remaining jalapeno, juice of 1 lime, 1 tablespoon olive oil and half of the cheese in a bowl. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet.

Add the remaining 1 cup cilantro to the chicken mixture. Divide among the tortillas; top with the watermelon salad, the remaining cheese and the avocado. Serve with lime wedges.

BEEF TACOS WITH MANGO SALSA

This comes from Old El Paso, and begins, "Family taco night gets a summery twist with this easy beef taco topped with Monterey Jack cheese, shredded red cabbage and a fresh mango, red onion salsa."

Prep Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Makes 10 servings.

To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/beef-tacos-with-mango-salsa.

Ingredient

1 ripe medium mango, seed removed, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)

2 tablespoons chopped red onion

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 teaspoon honey

1 lb ground beef (at least 80% lean)

2/3 cup water

1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso™ Original Taco Seasoning Mix

1 package (10 count) Old El Paso™ Stand ‘N Stuff™ Taco Shells, heated as directed on package

1 1/4 cups Old El Paso™ Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (5 oz)

1 1/4 cups shredded red cabbage

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Preparation

In small bowl, mix mango, red onion, lime juice and honey. Set aside.

In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in water and taco seasoning mix; heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened.

Divide warmed beef mixture among heated taco shells. Top with cheese, cabbage, mango salsa and cilantro.

Expert Tips

No red cabbage? Use shredded green cabbage. If shredded cabbage has larger pieces, chop into smaller, more bite-size pieces.

To peel a mango, first stand the fruit on its end, and use a knife to cut straight down on either side, avoiding the large seed in the middle. Slice horizontally and crosswise on the flesh to make diced mango. To save time, purchase already peeled and sliced mango.

Nutrition: 1 Taco Calories 230 (Calories from Fat 110); Total Fat 12g (Saturated Fat 6g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 45mg; Sodium 340mg; Total Carbohydrate 18g (Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 6g); Protein 12g

% Daily Value: Vitamin A 10%; Vitamin C 15%; Calcium 15%; Iron 8%

Exchanges: 1/2 Starch, 1/2 Other Carbohydrate, 1 Medium-Fat Meat, 1/2 High-Fat Meat, 1/2 Fat; Carbohydrate Choice: 1

CHICKEN NACHO TACOS

This comes from Campbells, and begins, "These tasty tacos combine a few on-hand ingredients with canned chicken and fiesta nacho cheese soup to make a delicious dish super-simple!"

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Serves: 4; Calories: 300/serving

To view this online, go to https://www.campbells.com/recipes/chicken-nacho-tacos/.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbells® Condensed Fiesta Nacho Cheese Soup

8 taco shell, warmed

1 cup shredded lettuce

1/2 cup chopped tomato

Directions

Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and chili powder and cook until the onion is tender, stirring often.

Stir the soup and chicken in the skillet and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling. Spoon the chicken mixture into the taco shells. Top with the lettuce and tomato.