Taco Tuesday

As strange as it might seem, I don't think I had too many tacos, if any, before moving to Florida in my late teens. My kids, on the other hand, had tacos all through their youth. Usually, they were in crisp taco shells with ground beef, shredded cheese, tomatoes, and, maybe, some lettuce, not much more.

While the ground beef/cheese/tomatoes/lettuce taco may still be what many people think of, there are so many ways to fix the humble taco. Here are six taco recipes, including Southwest Chipotle Fish Tacos and Spicy Quinoa Tacos. Enjoy!

CHIPOTLE CHICKEN QUESADILLAS

This comes from Old El Paso, and begins, "This Chipotle Chicken Quesadilla recipe serves up some ridiculous flavor for your shredded cooked chicken. Finely chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce bring tons of smoky, spicy goodness to this dish. Simmer the chicken and spices, then layer it all into your tortilla with buttery, easy to melt Old El Paso™ Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese. Bring the heat with your choice of salsa to make these quesadillas a new family favorite at the table."

Prep Time: 35 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes; Makes 3 servings

View this online at https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/chipotle-chicken-quesadillas.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1/2 large onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup frozen corn

1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (2 oz)

1 tablespoon finely chopped chipotle chile in adobo sauce (from 7-oz can)

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

6 (8-inch) Old El Paso™ flour tortillas

6 tablespoons Old El Paso™ Salsa

Preparation

In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, onion and corn; cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes or until bell pepper and onion is softened. Remove from heat; stir in chicken, cheese, chipotle chile and cilantro.

Brush one side of each tortilla with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. With oiled side down, spread 2 tablespoons salsa onto each of 3 tortillas. Spread about 1 cup of chicken mixture on each tortilla over salsa. Top each with remaining tortillas, oiled side up.

Heat 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook 1 quesadilla at a time 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until tortilla is golden brown and cheese is melted. Cut each quesadilla in half.

Expert Tips

The rotisserie chicken sold at almost any grocery store is perfect for this recipe.

Chipotle chiles are smoked, dried jalapeños. They are often sold canned in a vinegary tomato sauce called “adobo.” They can be quite hot, so feel free to adjust the amount used to suite your taste. The one tablespoon of chiles in this recipe gives a medium-hot result.

EASY MICROWAVE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

This is from Old El Paso, and begins, "After only one taste of these microwave enchiladas, you will find yourself wondering why you’ve never thought to bake homemade enchiladas in the microwave before! In just 20 minutes, get this delicious dinner on the table without any unnecessary hassle or stress. These cheesy chicken enchiladas are packed with delicious ingredients - Old El Paso™ mild enchilada sauce, Old El Paso™ Taco seasoning, rotisserie chicken and of course tons of Mexican cheese! Garnish these traditional-style enchiladas with cilantro and sour cream to give them the perfect finishing touch."

Pre Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Makes 4 servings

You can view this online at https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/easy-microwave-chicken-enchiladas.

Ingredients

1 can (19 oz) Old El Paso™ mild enchilada sauce

2 cups shredded deli rotisserie chicken

1 tablespoon (from 0.85-oz package) Old El Paso™ chicken taco seasoning mix

1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (6 oz)

8 corn tortillas (6 inch)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

3/4 cup sour cream

Preparation

In medium bowl, mix 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce, the chicken, seasoning mix and 3/4 cup of the cheese.

Spray 8-inch square (2-quart) microwavable baking dish with cooking spray. Place 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce in bottom of dish. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, fill with heaping 1/4 cup chicken mixture, and roll to seal; place in baking dish seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Pour remaining enchilada sauce over tortillas; top with remaining 3/4 cup cheese.

Microwave uncovered on High 9 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and enchiladas are heated through. Garnish with cilantro; serve with sour cream.

Expert Tips:

This recipe uses our mild sauce that is packed with flavor without being too spicy. If you want to add a little heat to this recipe, use either Old El Paso™ medium or hot enchilada sauce instead of mild.

Our preference is to use a Mexican cheese blend for the additional flavor from the combination of cheese, but you can also use shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese if you don’t have Mexican cheese available.

If you have leftover rotisserie chicken, use it the next day to make quick and easy Chicken Quesadillas!

Keep your guests happy by making a delicious Mexican taco salad dip appetizer to enjoy before dinner. As a bonus, this recipe is made in the microwave too! We love this easy and delicious dip that is easy to assemble and only takes about 10 minutes of total microwave cooking time.

SPICY QUINOA TACOS

This is from Katelyn Drake in the Share Reader Recipe in Vegetarian Times (April/May 2015, page 12). Serves 6.

Ingredients

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 small onion, diced (1 cup)

1 rib celery, diced (1/2 cup)

1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp)

1 Tbs. ground cumin

1 Tbs. chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 15-oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

1 15-oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

2 medium carrots, diced (1 cup)

1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels

12 6-inch corn tortillas

Directions

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and cook 5 minutes, or until soft. Add garlic, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne, and saute 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes with liquid. Cook 2 minutes, then stir in quinoa, carrots, and broth. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 to 25 minutes, or until quinoa is tender and liquid is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Mix in black beans and corn. Serve in tortillas.

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

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

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.