Taco Tuesday

It's time for October's last Taco Tuesday. Today's yummy offerings include Garlicky Shrimp Tacos and Crispy Cheddar Chicken Taco. Yum! Enjoy!

SLOW-COOKER CHICKEN TACOS

This recipe, by Lindsay D. Mattison on Taste of Home, is originally from Tracy Gunter of Boise, Idaho. It begins, "This slow-cooker chicken tacos recipe is anything but boring or bland. Fresh lime juice, chili powder, salsa and corn give the tender chicken a burst of fresh flavor.

"This is the only shredded chicken recipe you need for tacos. Seriously, it’s that good! The chicken breasts become juicy and tender as they slow-cook in a chili-lime seasoning. Then, adding corn and salsa takes the slow-cooker chicken taco recipe to the next level. Everything comes together to create a colorful, zesty filling that tastes amazing. If you end up with leftovers, the chicken is also fantastic for other Mexican chicken recipes like burritos or salads."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 5-1/2 hours: Yield: 6 servings

To view this recipe online, go to https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/lime-chicken-tacos/.

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed

1 cup chunky salsa

12 fat-free flour tortillas (6 inches), warmed

Optional: Sour cream, pickled onions, shredded lettuce, sliced avocado, shredded cheddar or Cotija cheese, and lime wedges

Directions

Place chicken in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Pour lime juice over chicken; sprinkle with chili powder. Cook, covered, on low until chicken is tender, 5-6 hours.

Remove chicken. When cool enough to handle, shred meat with 2 forks; return to slow cooker. Stir in corn and salsa. Cook, covered, on low until heated through, about 30 minutes. Place filling on tortillas; if desired, serve with sour cream, pickled onions, lettuce, avocado slices, cheese and lime wedges.

EASY FISH TACOS

This recipe, by the Taste of Home editorial team at Taste of Home, is originally from Jennifer Palmer, Rancho Cucamonga, California. For this recipe, Jennifer wrote, "Searching for a lighter alternative to traditional fried fish, I came up with this crispy, crunchy fish tacos recipe. It's a hit with friends and family."

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Yield: 4 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/fantastic-fish-tacos/.

Ingredients

1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 teaspoons fat-free milk

1 large egg

1 teaspoon water

1/3 cup dry bread crumbs

2 tablespoons salt-free lemon-pepper seasoning

1 pound mahi mahi or cod fillets, cut into 1-inch strips

1 tablespoon canola oil

4 corn tortillas (6 inches), warmed

Toppings:

1 cup coleslaw mix

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend

1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

Directions

For sauce, in a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, lime juice and milk; refrigerate until serving.

In a shallow bowl, whisk together egg and water. In another shallow bowl, toss bread crumbs with lemon pepper. Dip fish in egg mixture, then in crumb mixture, patting to help coating adhere.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add fish; cook 2-4 minutes per side or until golden brown and fish just begins to flake easily with a fork. Serve in tortillas with toppings and sauce.

TACO LETTUCE WRAPS

This is from Kristina72913 on Allrecipes. Kristina wrote, "Easy taco lettuce wraps."

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Yield: 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/274968/taco-lettuce-wraps/.

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey

1 (16 ounce) package frozen corn

1 (15 ounce) can black beans

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix

romaine leaves, rinsed and dried

Directions

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir ground turkey in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in corn, black beans, diced tomatoes, and taco seasoning. Bring to a simmer and cook until heated through, 10 to 12 minutes.

Lay lettuce leaves on a flat surface and fill with turkey and bean mixture.

Cook's Note:

I make my own taco seasoning mix, but store-bought works

VEGAN TACOS

This recipe is by Taqueria Los Gorditos and was in the September 2009 issue of Bon Appetite. Makes 6 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1/2 onion, sliced

2 teaspoons chopped seeded jalapeño chile

1 12-ounce package soy chorizo (sometimes labeled Soyrizo), casing removed

1 15.4-ounce to 16-ounce can vegetarian refried black beans

12 corn tortillas, warm

Diced onion

Chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onion and jalapeño; sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add soy chorizo and cook until beginning to brown in spots, stirring often, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook beans in heavy small saucepan over low heat until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Stack 2 warm tortillas for each of 6 tacos. Spread scant 2 tablespoons beans over each stack. Top with soy chorizo mixture, dividing equally. Sprinkle with diced onion and cilantro.

GARLICKY SHRIMP TACOS

This is from Kay Chun at The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Kay wrote, "A nod to gambas al ajillo, the immensely popular Spanish tapas dish of garlic prawns, this recipe tucks garlic shrimp into festive tacos that can be on the dinner table in 30 minutes. There are very few ingredients involved, but they all pack a punch. The quick-cooking shrimp are seared and finished in olive oil that’s infused with lots of fragrant garlic and rich smoky paprika. Be sure to save the robust oil that’s left in the skillet and enjoy it drizzled over your tacos. Dress them up with crisp sliced radishes, creamy avocado, spicy pico de gallo and fresh, herbaceous cilantro, plus a final squeeze of lime to brighten all the flavors."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 4 servings

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025852-garlicky-shrimp-tacos. While you're at it, if you haven't already signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend it. Great recipes, guides, and more.

Ingredients

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon lime juice, plus wedges for serving

Salt

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp (about 2 dozen)

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Warm corn tortillas, sliced avocado, sliced radishes, pico de gallo and cilantro leaves, for serving

Preparation

In a small bowl, combine sour cream and lime juice; season with salt. Mix well and set aside.

In a 12-inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high. Season shrimp with salt and add half to the skillet; sear for 1 minute on each side and transfer to a plate. Repeat with 1 tablespoon of the oil and the remaining shrimp.

Adjust heat to medium-low. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, the garlic and paprika to the skillet and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add shrimp (and any accumulated juices) and cook, turning and basting, until opaque, just cooked through and nicely coated in the sauce, about 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp and sauce to a shallow serving bowl.

To build tacos, pile a few shrimp in the center of each tortilla and drizzle with some of the garlic oil. Top with avocado, radishes, pico de gallo, cilantro and lime crema. Serve with lime wedges.

CRISPY CHEDDAR CHICKEN TACOS

This is from Rick A. Martínez in The New York Times cooking newsletter. For this recipe, Rick wrote, "These quick tacos use leftover or store-bought rotisserie chicken, and have a satisfying crispy Cheddar frico called a costra (crust) that is common both in taquerias in the northern half of Mexico and in the southwestern United States. In some taquerias, you can order a taco using only the costra as the shell without a tortilla. In this recipe, the tortilla and costra are layered together to wrap a simple but delicious shredded chicken and chipotle filling."

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes; Yield: 8 tacos

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025276-crispy-cheddar-chicken-tacos. While you're at it, if you haven't signed up for The New York Times cooking newsletter yet, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, guides, and more.

Ingredients

1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced (lengthwise, from root to stem end)

1 cup hot water (tap water is fine)

Salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

2 cups shredded, cooked chicken, warmed

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped, plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce

6 ounces medium Cheddar, Monterey Jack or queso Chihuahua, grated

8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Sliced avocado, salsa and lime wedges, for serving

Preparation

Set an oven rack in the middle position; heat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, stir the onion, hot water and 1 teaspoon salt until the salt has dissolved. Let sit for 5 minutes. This will soften the onion and lessen any bitter or harsh flavors. Rinse the onion under cold water and drain. In the same bowl, toss the onion with the oregano, lime juice, orange juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt; reserve.

In a separate bowl, quickly toss together the chicken, peppers and adobo sauce, making sure the chicken is completely coated. Season with salt. Cover and keep warm.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat (do not use foil or the cheese might stick). Arrange cheese in 8 equal mounds on the prepared baking sheet. Spread each mound evenly to about 3 inches wide, and space at least 1 inch apart. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and deep golden brown in spots and around the edges, about 14 minutes. Remove from the oven and place 1 tortilla over each cheese crust and return to the oven to heat the tortillas, about 2 minutes.

Use tongs to carefully remove each tortilla with its costra, flipping each one onto a plate so that the cheese is facing up. Top with chicken, onions, avocado, salsa and a squeeze of lime.