Taco Tuesday

It's time for another Taco Tuesday. Today's offerings include Baja Shrimp Tacos with Creamy Slaw and Chicken Chili Tacos. Enjoy!

Note: Since Thursday is Thanksgiving, I'll be taking the day off. But I will be back on Friday with more posts.

BLACK BEAN AND POBLANO TACOS

This comes from David Tanis in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. David wrote, “There are many kinds of tacos, some piled high and overstuffed and some more minimal, meant to be more a snack than a meal. These little tacos are in the second category, similar to what you might find in a Mexican market for a quick bite. Savory black beans and roasted poblano chiles make a satisfying vegetarian version. Fresh soft corn tortillas, hot off the griddle, are essential.” Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

This was featured in “The Unstuffy Taco” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1/2 pound black beans, rinsed and soaked 4 to 6 hours, or overnight if possible

1 small onion, halved

1 bay leaf

1 large sprig epazote (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

4 poblano chiles

Soft corn tortillas

1/2 pound fresh mozzarella or Oaxacan-style string cheese, shredded

1/2 pound queso fresco, available in Latino groceries

8 ounces crème fraîche or Mexican crema

Preparation

Drain beans, put in medium pot, add water to cover and bring to a boil over hight heat. Add onion, bay leaf, epazote and salt and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 1 hour, longer if necessary, adding water occasionally if liquid falls below surface of beans. When beans are tender, taste and adjust salt. Keep beans warm in their broth.

Meanwhile, roast poblano chiles over a charcoal grill, under the broiler or directly on a gas stovetop burners until skins are completely blackened and blistered. Set chiles aside to cool, then split lengthwise. Scrape away skins and seeds with a paring knife. Cut cleaned chiles into 1/2-inch ribbons, transfer to small bowl and season lightly with salt.

To serve, warm the tortillas on a hot griddle or cast iron pan over a burner. Put 2 warm tortillas side by side on a small plate. With a slotted spoon, place 2 tablespoons beans on each tortilla. Top with a few shreds of mozzarella and 2 or 3 strips of poblano. Crumble a little queso fresco and drizzle about 1 teaspoon crème fraîche on each taco.

CHEESY CHICKEN TACOS

This is from Lindsay Funston on Delish. Total Time: 30 minutes; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Level: Easy; Serves: 9 tacos.

Click here to view this online.

Ingredients

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

1 tbsp. ground cumin

kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 c. Shredded chicken

1 can green chilis

1 c. Favorite Salsa

1 Can Refried Beans

9 hard taco shells

1 1/2 c. shredded pepperjack

Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350º. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook until tender, 6 minutes, then add cumin and season with salt and pepper. Stir until combined. Add chicken, green chilis, and salsa and stir until combined and heated through.

In a baking dish, spread a thin layer of refried beans (to help the taco shells stand up!). Spoon remaining refried beans into the bottom of a taco shell and top with chicken mixture. Place in baking dish. Repeat with remaining taco shells and ingredients, tightly standing up the taco shells in the dish.

Top all over with cheese.

Bake until cheese is melted, 10 minutes.

Garnish with cilantro and serve.

CHICKEN CHILI TACOS

This is from The TODAY Show. Prep Time: 10 minutes; Servings: 4

To view this online, go to http://www.today.com/recipes/chicken-chili-tacos-t28111.

Ingredients

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 1/2 cups prepared pico de gallo or salsa

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 1 1/2 limes)

2 teaspoons cumin seeds, lightly toasted

2 cloves garlic. minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

12 taco shells (crisp or soft/flour or corn)

Preparation

Place the chicken, pico de gallo or salsa, lime juice, cumin seeds and garlic in a slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. (You can also cook on high for 3 hours.)

Allow to cool a bit. Scoop the chicken out with a big slotted spoon and place it in a large serving bowl. Use two forks to pull the meat apart. The chicken will shred easily. Stir in some cooking juice from the pot and top with the cilantro.

Place the shredded chicken, your taco shells and desired fixings on the table and let everyone put together their perfect taco.

BUFFALO STYLE TACOS

Makes 8 servings

Print Friendly: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/bin/print.cgi?ID=1341

View recipe with photo: 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

BLACK BEAN TACOS WITH ROASTED PEPPERS AND ONIONS

This comes from Vegetarian Times. This one begins, “For a fast meal that’s a surefire crowd-pleaser, these tacos fit the bill.” Yield: Serves 8.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients:

Roasted Peppers and Onions

3 red bell peppers, thinly sliced (3 cups)

1 large onion, thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)

1 Tbs. olive oil

Tacos

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)

6 cloves garlic, minced (2 Tbs.)

2 15-oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-oz. can diced organic fire-roasted tomatoes

1 Tbs. chili powder

1 Tbs. ground cumin

1/8 tsp. hot sauce, or more to taste

16 organic corn taco shells, warmed

Toppings

3 cups shredded lettuce

1 16-oz. container prepared salsa

2 large tomatoes, diced (2 cups)

2 avocados, diced (2 cups)

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup low-fat sour cream

Instructions:

To make Roasted Peppers and Onions: Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss peppers and onion with oil on large baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Roast 15 minutes, stir, and roast 15 minutes more, or until vegetables are tender and peppers are beginning to blacken. Transfer to small bowl.

Meanwhile, to make Tacos: Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until soft. Add garlic, and cook 1 minute more, or until fragrant. Stir in beans, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, hot sauce, and 1 cup water. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. Mash beans until filling is thickened, but chunky, and most beans remain intact. Adjust seasonings, if necessary. Transfer to serving bowl. Pass taco shells, filling, Roasted Peppers and Onions, and Toppings around the table.

Nutrition Information: Calories: 482; Protein: 16 g; Total Fat: 22 g; Saturated Fat: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 57 g; Cholesterol: 17 mg; Sodium: 665 mg; Fiber: 12 g; Sugar: 14 g

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.