Taco Tuesday

It's time for another Taco Tuesday, when we explore how to make tacos beyond just the taco-shell-ground-beef-tomato-lettuce-and-cheese version. (Not that there's anything wrong with that version, especially if that's how you like your tacos. I ate enough of them that way over the years!)

But if you're looking for something with a little more zip to 'em, check out today's tacos, including the Slab Bacon Tacos with Burned Scallion Crema, the Baja Shrimp Tacos With Creamy Slaw, or any of the other offerings in today's post. Enjoy!

CHICKEN TACOS WITH CHIPOTLE

This comes from David Tanis in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. He wrote, “For good tacos, you need fresh, hot tortillas and a zesty filling. Canned chipotle chiles will do the trick with their smoky heat; it's an easy way to get flavor fast. Look for small cans with “chipotle chiles in adobo” on the label. And Mexican groceries generally have better-quality tortillas than the ones you find in supermarkets; it's worth seeking those out and heating them gently over steam, or by toasting them in a dry cast-iron pan. You can also use this recipe with precooked chicken, which makes this already quite simple recipe as easy as falling out of bed.”

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 1 hour.

This was featured in “Chicken Tacos Let You Think Fast” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

For the Tacos:

4 large bone-in chicken thighs, about 1 1/2 pounds

3 scallions, left whole

1 bay leaf

1 thyme branch

3 black peppercorns

1 allspice berry

2 cloves

Kosher salt

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 or 3 chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped

3 tablespoons adobo sauce, from the can

1/2 cup broth (use broth from simmered chicken)

8 fresh corn tortillas

For Garnish:

1 small white onion, finely chopped, soaked in ice water for 10 minutes and drained

Thinly sliced serrano chile

Thinly sliced radishes

Sliced avocado

Crumbled queso fresco or mild feta cheese

Crème fraîche or Mexican crema

Cilantro sprigs

Dried oregano

Lime wedges

Preparation

Put chicken thighs in a saucepan and cover with 3 cups water. Add scallions, bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, allspice, cloves and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Simmer for 30 minutes, then remove chicken and cool. Shred chicken with your fingers, discarding chicken skin and bone. Strain broth and reserve. You should have about 2 cups shredded chicken.

Put olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced yellow onion, season with salt and cook until softened and a bit browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook for 1 minute more. Add chopped chipotle chile and adobo sauce and stir to combine. Add shredded chicken, salt lightly and stir to coat. Add chicken broth and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes, until sauce has thickened somewhat. Keep warm.

Heat the tortillas over steam or by your favorite method, keeping them soft and pliable.

Build the tacos quickly: Put a spoonful of the saucy chicken in the center of each tortilla. Top with a teaspoon of chopped white onion, a few slivers of serrano chile, some radish and avocado slices, a teaspoon of queso fresco and a teaspoon of crème fraîche. Add a few cilantro springs and a small pinch of oregano. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.

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.

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.

TACO LASAGNA

This is from the Food Network. It starts off, "Equal parts lasagna and taco, this dish is comfort central, with layers of classic taco meat and toppings nestled between tender lasagna noodles and melty cheese. Use your favorite salsa to build the sauce -- milder to keep it kid-friendly or spicier to liven it up."

Active Time: 40 minutes; Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes; Makes 8 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/taco-lasagna-3666644.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon canola oil

1 pound ground beef sirloin

2 tablespoons chili powder

Kosher salt

Two 16-ounce jars salsa

1 pound no-boil lasagna noodles

Two 16-ounce packages part skim mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded

1 large beefsteak tomato, diced

1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar

1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips

Directions

Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the ground beef and sprinkle with the chili powder and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, breaking apart chunks of meat with the back of a spoon, and stirring often, until meat is crumbled and browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the salsa and 1 cup of water, bring to a simmer and cook until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Spread a quarter of the meat sauce over the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Lay a third of the noodles over the sauce, overlapping slightly and breaking them to fit, if needed. Leave a 1/2-inch space around the edges of the baking dish. Top the noodles with another quarter of the meat sauce and a third of the mozzarella. Make another layer with a third of the noodles, a quarter of the meat sauce and a third of the mozzarella. Repeat, making a final layer with the remaining third of the pasta and quarter of the sauce, making sure that the top layer of noodles is completely covered in sauce. Top with the remaining third of the mozzarella.

Cover loosely with foil and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the noodles are tender when pierced with a knife, about 1 hour. Remove the foil and cook 15 minutes more. Let rest 10 minutes. Dollop with sour cream and sprinkle with lettuce, tomato, Cheddar and chips.

BAJA SHRIMP TACOS WITH CREAMY SLAW

This is from Real Simple, and begins, " For these tacos, we took a couple extra steps to keep the batter for the fried shrimp light: 1) We cut the flour with a little cornstarch, which prevents it from getting tough (because cornstarch has no gluten), but you can substitute rice flour or arrowroot; and 2) Bubbles in the seltzer add air, so the batter stays crisp and light. Pro tip: Whisk your batter over an ice bath to preserve more seltzer bubbles, and then keep it cold until ready to use.

"A tangy cabbage slaw topping balances the richness of the fried shrimp, and then lime, hot sauce, and sliced scallions seal the deal."

Hands On Time: 25minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Yield: 4 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/baja-shrimp-tacos-creamy-slaw.

Ingredients

For the slaw:

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1-1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

3/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage (about 6 oz.)

2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage (about 6 oz.)

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

For the tacos:

Vegetable oil

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup seltzer or club soda

1 large egg white

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

8 6-in. flour tortillas, warmed

Lime wedges, hot sauce, and sliced scallions, for serving

Directions

Prepare the Slaw: Whisk mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt, and cayenne in a large bowl, add both cabbages and cilantro, and then toss to combine. Let stand at least 20 minutes.

Prepare the Tacos: Pour oil into a large heavy-bottomed pot to a depth of about 2 inches, affix with a deep-fry thermometer, and then heat over medium-high to 350°F.

Combine flour, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl, and then make a well in the center and whisk in seltzer and egg white until just combined.

Dredge a half-pound of shrimp in batter, shaking off excess, and then carefully lower into hot oil and fry, turning occasionally, until golden and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer fried shrimp to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, and then repeat with remaining shrimp.

Divide shrimp evenly among tortillas and top with slaw, hot sauce, and scallions. Serve with lime wedges.

SLAB BACON TACOS WITH BURNED SCALLION CREMA

This is from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Sam wrote, "This is candied bacon, essentially, on corn tortillas with a creamy, smoke-flecked sauce that tastes of scallion and lime. I like it with pineapple salsa as well, and a salad of cilantro, mint and soft lettuce. You could make it with your standard sliced bacon from the market, but it’s far superior with the thick-cut variety or, best of all, with a chunk of uncut bacon that you can slice as thick as you like."

Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 45 minutes

This was featured in "The Expandable Feast", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018991-slab-bacon-tacos-with-burned-scallion-crema.

Ingredients

For the bacon:

2 tablespoons chile powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds slab bacon, cut into 1/4-inch slices

For the crema:

1 bunch green scallions, trimmed and cut into large pieces

1 jalapeño

1 to 2 limes

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

For serving:

Corn tortillas

Lime wedges

Pineapple salsa (see recipe)

Preparation

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix the chile powder, ground cumin, brown sugar and black pepper together in a large bowl, and then add the bacon slices, tossing to coat them with the spice mixture.

Arrange the coated bacon slices on a sheet pan, ideally one fitted with a wire rack. Roast in the oven until they are caramelized and starting to crisp at the edges, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven, chop the bacon into large dice and keep warm. Reserve the bacon fat for another use.

While the bacon cooks, make the crema. Put the scallions and jalapeño in a large dry sauté pan and cook over high heat, tossing occasionally, until the scallions and jalapeño have blackened at the edges, approximately 10 to 12 minutes.

Put the scallions and jalapeño in the bowl of a food processor, and blitz them with the juice of 1 lime, then add the sour cream and mayonnaise, and blitz the mixture until it is smooth and flecked with blackened bits. Season to taste with the salt and, if you’d like the mixture thinner, the juice of the second lime. Scrape into a bowl, and reserve.

To serve, warm the tortillas in the dry pan, one or two at a time, and reserve them in a tortilla warmer or clean dish towel. Fill them with the diced bacon and a slash of the crema, along with quartered limes and, if you like, salsa, cilantro, mint and hot sauce.