Taco Tuesday

It's time for another Taco Tuesday. Today's offerings include Chicken Tacos with Chipotle and Fish Tacos with Avocado Salsa. Enjoy!

GRILLED STEAK TACOS WITH CHERRY TOMATO-AVOCADO SALSA

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “In this supremely summery taco recipe, chile-rubbed grilled steak is topped with a spicy tomato-avocado salsa before being rolled into warm corn tortillas. Grilling the onions, garlic and jalapeño for the salsa adds a concentrated sweetness, while lime zest keeps everything sharp and bright. If you don’t have access to a grill, feel free to use your broiler.”

Yield: 8 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Steak:

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2-1/2 teaspoons New Mexican or other mild chile powder

1-1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 large garlic clove, finely grated or minced

Finely grated zest of 1 lime (cut lime into wedges for serving)

2-1/2 pounds skirt steak (usually 2 steaks)

For the Salsa:

1 white onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch-thick slices

2 large garlic cloves, unpeeled

2 jalapeños

1 quart cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 avocado, diced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves and stems

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, more to taste

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste

Corn or flour tortillas, for serving

Sliced radishes, for serving

Mexican crema or sour cream, for serving (optional)

Preparation

Prepare the steak: In a small bowl, mix together the salt, chile powder, coriander, cumin, garlic and lime zest. Rub mixture all over the steaks, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or preferably overnight.

Prepare the salsa: Light the grill or heat to medium-high (or heat the broiler). Grill onion, garlic and 1 jalapeño until tender and charred on all sides, 5 to 10 minutes (or place on a broiler pan and broil). Remove from heat until cool enough to handle, then roughly chop onions, peel garlic and remove seeds and stem from jalapeño.

Transfer grilled onion, garlic and jalapeño to a blender or mini food processor. Halve the fresh jalapeño and seed it, if desired, then add it to the blender. Process to a chunky paste. Scrape into a serving bowl and toss with tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, lime juice and salt.

Add more charcoal to the grill, if needed, and grill the steaks until done to taste, about 2 minutes per side for rare (or broil). Let meat rest on a cutting board covered with foil for at least 7 minutes. Meanwhile, grill or broil the tortillas until warm.

To serve, slice the meat across the grain, and serve with the warm tortillas, radishes, lime wedges, salsa and crema. Let people assemble their own tacos at the table.

CHICKEN TACO BAKE

This is from Everyday Diabetic Recipes. It begins, "There's enough of a fiesta in this casserole to excite anyone's taste buds. Our Chicken Taco Bake is a Tex-Mex lovers dream and it's healthier for you too, 'cause it's made with lots of spinach, fresh salsa, and reduced-fat cheese."

Cook Time: 35 minutes; Serves: 6; Serving Size: 3/4 cup

To view this online, go to https://www.everydaydiabeticrecipes.com/Casseroles/Chicken-Taco-Bake.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons canola oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 12-ounces) cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1-1/2 cup fresh salsa, divided

4 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch strips

1/4 cup reduced-fat, shredded Mexican blend cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8- x 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add chicken, pepper, onion, and garlic and cook 8-10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in spinach, chili powder, and cumin.

Evenly spread 1/2 cup of salsa in bottom of baking dish. Top with half of the tortilla pieces and half of the chicken mixture. Spoon 1/2 cup of salsa over the chicken. Repeat layers with tortilla pieces, chicken mixture, and salsa. Cover with foil.

Bake 30 minutes, uncover, and sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5 minutes more, or until cheese is melted and hot in center.

Notes

Add a pop of color and taste by garnishing with some chopped cilantro and avocado slices!

CRISPY TOFU TACOS

This is from Alexa Weibel in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this, Alexa wrote, "There are plenty of crispy tofu recipes, but few truly deliver on the promise, since tofu has a tendency to steam because of its high moisture content. But time can do the trick in the oven, creating brittle edges and a chewy texture with little effort. Squeeze out as much excess liquid as you can from your block of tofu, grate it coarsely, season it fearlessly, then roast it until sizzling. The key step is to drizzle the tofu with a combination of olive oil and tomato paste toward the end of cooking, which crisps the edges and lends a deep umami flavor, so much so that this tofu could almost be mistaken for seasoned ground beef. A swipe of avocado mayo, loosened with lime juice and electrified with zest, adds richness and tang, and quite literally holds the tacos together. Choose your mayonnaise and tortillas wisely and the whole dish is vegan."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour; Total Time: 1-1/4 hours; Yield: 8 to 10 tacos

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026900-crispy-tofu-tacos. While you're at it, if you haven't already signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, guides, and more.

Ingredients

2 (14- to 16-ounce) blocks firm tofu

1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne (the lower end is mild; the higher end tingly but not spicy)

Salt and black pepper

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 ripe avocados

2 tablespoons mayonnaise (vegan, if desired)

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest and 3 tablespoons juice

8 flour or 10 corn tortillas, warmed

Minced red onion, thinly sliced radishes and chopped cilantro, for serving

Preparation

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare your tofu: Drain it, squeezing out any excess moisture over the sink (your tofu may break into chunks). Coarsely grate the drained tofu onto two large (11-by-17-inch), foil-lined sheet pans. (The tofu will crumble chaotically, and that is fine!) Drizzle the tofu in each pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon soy sauce. In a small bowl, mix the cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper; sprinkle half the seasonings over each pan and toss to coat. Spread the mixture in an even layer.

Roast the tofu, stirring halfway through and rotating the pans, until the tofu sizzles, darkens and crisps, 30 to 35 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix together the tomato paste with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Drizzle the mixture over the tofu, adding half to each pan, then toss to combine, spread into an even layer and roast again until the tofu audibly crackles and develops a slight crunch, 10 to 15 minutes.

While the tofu roasts, prepare the avocado cream: In a small food processor (or blender), blend the avocados, mayo, lime zest and juice until creamy; season generously with salt.

Swipe the warmed tortillas with the avocado cream, then top with tofu mixture, red onion, radishes and cilantro. Serve immediately.

FISH TACOS WITH AVOCADO SALSA

Recipe Yield: Yield: 4 servings.Serving size: 2 tacos

Source: The Heart-Smart Diabetes Kitchen: Fresh, Fast and Flavorful Recipes Made with Canola Oil from the American Diabetes Association

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/fish-tacos-with-avocado-salsa.

Ingredients

1/4 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled

1/4 cup cornmeal

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp chili powder

4 fish fillets (1 lb), such as tilapia or cod, rinsed, patted dry, and cut into 8 strips total

2 Tbsp canola oil

1/4 tsp salt

8 corn tortillas, warmed

1/2 medium avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced

1/2 cup fresh pico de gallo, salsa verde, or picante sauce

1 medium lime, cut into 8 wedges

Directions

Combine flour, cornmeal, onion powder, and chili powder in a shallow dish, such as a pie pan. Coat fish with mixture.

Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add fish; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned and fish flakes with a fork. Place on a serving platter and sprinkle evenly with salt.

Place fish in warmed tortillas, and top with equal amounts of avocado and pico de gallo. Squeeze a lime wedge over each tortilla.

Notes:

Experts recommend eating seafood at least twice a week, so take a break from the standby beef taco and go with fish.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 375; Fat: 14 g; Saturated Fat: 2.2 g; Fiber: 5 g; Sodium: 335 mg; Cholesterol: 75 mg; Protein: 27 g; Carbohydrates: 37 g

GROUND BEEF TACOS WITH SPICY SHELLS

This is from Delish and begins, “Line taco shells with lettuce leaves so the filling stays put inside.”

Total Time: 25 minutes; Prep Time: 25 minutes; Level: Easy; Serves:4

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. ground coriander

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1 1/4 lb. ground beef (at least 90% lean)

3 tbsp. tomato paste

2 tsp. low-sodium beef bouillon base (we used Better than Bouillon)

8 small yellow corn tortillas (see box, below)

8 butter or iceberg lettuce leaves

2 tomatoes, chopped

Shredded cheddar, for serving

Directions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, coriander and chili powder and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Increase heat to medium-high, add the beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring 2 minutes. Add the bouillon base and 1 cup water and gently simmer until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

While the beef is browning, prepare the spicy taco shells (see tip, below). Line the tortillas with lettuce, fill with the beef, and top with the tomatoes and cheese, if desired.

PER SERVING 494 CAL, 28 G FAT (7.5 G SAT FAT), 92 MG CHOL, 154 MG SOD, 33 G PRO, 29 G CAR, 5 G FIBER

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 “Chichen 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.