Tag: tacos

Carne Asada Tacos With Mango Pinnaple Pico de Gallo and Chimichuri

Carne Asada Tacos

I love skirt steak, but the price has gotten out of hand in the past few years. That is why I was very excited other day when I came across some skirt steak on sale at the grocery store. Carne asada is a term that translates to “grilled meat” in Spanish, and is a marinated meat dish that is often made with skirt steak. Carne asada makes a great taco filling, and I love tacos.

Of course you can’t just have meat in your tacos, you need toppings. Chimichurri is an herb based sauce that originates from Argentina that goes great with steak.  It adds earthiness and a touch of heat to cut the richness of the beef.  It is super easy to make, you just finely chop the ingredients and mix. No cooking necessary.  I made it even easier, using the mini food processor attachment that came with my immersion blender.

I also wanted something fresh and bright with a touch of sweetness in my tacos.  Pineapples and mangos just happened to be a good price at the produce store, so I decided to use them to make a pico de gallo. Pico de gallo is a fresh salsa, that is way better than anything you get from the grocery store in a jar. Again, super easy, just chop and mix! No cooking necessary!

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Carne Asada Tacos
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Carne Assada Tacos
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Argentine, Mexican, South American, Tex-Mex
Keyword: Taco, Tacos
Servings: 2 Servings
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • Juice of 1 Orange
  • Juice of 1 Grapefruit
  • 5 Cloves Garlic Roughly Chopped
  • 1 Small Onion Roughly Chopped
  • 1 Handfull Cilantro Roughly Chopped
  • 1 lb Skirt Steak
  • 12 Small Corn Torillas Street style size
  • Chimichuri See recipe below
  • Pineapple Mango Pico de Gallo See recipe below
Instructions

  1. Combine the orange juice, grapefruit juice, garic, onion, and cilantro in a large ziplock bag. Cut the steak in manageable pieces and add to the bag.

  2. Place the bag with steak and marinade into the fridge for 3 hours to overnight.

  3. Remove the steak from the marinade and pat dry with a paper towel.

  4. Fire up your grill or place a cast iron skillet on the stove over high heat. Cook the steaks on each side until you get a good sear. Do not cook skirt steak past medium or it will be tough.

  5. Let yout steak rest for 5 minutes. While the steak rests lightly grill or broil your torillias, until they just start to get some color.

  6. Cut your steak into 3 inch long pieces. Then slice thinly against the grain.

  7. Construct your tacos with two tortillas each so they don't fall apart. Add your meat and top with the pico and chimichuri. Serve immediately.

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Mango Pineapple Pico de Gallo
Prep Time
15 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 

A fresh salsa that is quick and easy to make.  It is great for brightening up a dish by bringing a pop of acid.

Course: Dip
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 1 Mango Diced
  • 1/4 Pineapple Diced
  • 3 Plum Tomatoes Diced
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper Diced
  • 1 Small Red Onion Diced
  • 1 Cup Fresh Chopped Cilantro Substitute with parsley if you don't like cilantro
  • 1 Jalapeno Diced, optional
  • 1/4 Cup Lime Juice
  • Salt and Pepper To taste
Instructions

  1. Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.  Let chill in the refrigerator for an hour for the flavors to come together before serving. 

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Chimichurri
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Chimichurri Sauce
Prep Time
15 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 

Chimichurri is a great sauce from Argentina usually served on grilled meat. It consists of earthy flavors of herbs combined with sharp flavors of chili, garlic, onions, and vinegar and is great for taming rich and heavy dishes.

Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Argentine, Latin, South American
Keyword: Chimichurri
Servings: 2 Cups
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 1 cup Cilantro or Parsley Chopped finely
  • 5 cloves Garlic Chopped finely
  • 1 Scallion Chopped finely
  • 1 Tbsp Red Chili Flakes
  • 3/4 cup Olive Oil
  • 1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Kosher Salt To taste
Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and stir to combine. 

Mojo Chicken Tacos

Mojo Chicken Tacos

This coming Thursday is Cinco de Mayo, a holiday that celebrates the Mexican army defeating the French in the battle of Battle of Puebla in 1862. It is not Mexican Independence Day. That is September 16. To many on this side of the Rio Grande, it is a great excuse to eat Mexican food.  Mojo is a term used for several sauces, depending on the region you are in. It originated in Canary Islands where it consists primarily of Olive Oil and chili peppers.  For this recipe I chose the Cuban version of Mojo. In Cuba, Mojo is often made with juice from sour oranges and used as a marinade for chicken (or pork).

Making Mojo at Home

For this recipe I decided to go with my favorite handheld food format, the taco. As sour oranges can be hard to find, I approximated that flavor by spiking regular orange juice with lime juice. Being kosher, I went with chicken for my protein, but if that is not something you are worried about you could go with a roasted pork loin or pulled pork shoulder (AKA pork butt).

A word of caution about using acidic marinades or tender meats like chicken: Don’t let the chicken marinate more than three hours.  Two hours would probably be ideal.  If you leave the chicken in the mojo marinade to long the acid will begin to “cook” it. (And by cook I mean denature the protein, but let’s not get too technical.) You could end up with a gross, mushy texture. I recommend serving these with pickled onions and pico de gallo, but feel free to top your tacos as you see fit.

What is your favorite Mexican dish? Let us know in the comments below.  Don’t forget to check out some of our other Mexican recipes:

Fish Tacos With Mango Peach Pico De Gallo

Loaded Jicama Fries Two Ways

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Mojo Chicken Tacos
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Mojo Chicken Tacos
Prep Time
2 hrs
Cook Time
15 mins
 

Chicken tacos with a little Cuban flare

Course: Dinner, Lucnh
Cuisine: Cuban, Latin, Mexican
Keyword: Chicken, Chicken Tacos, Mojo, Mojo Chicken, Tacos
Servings: 2 Servings
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
Marinade
  • 2 Cup Orange Juice
  • ½ Cup Lime Juice
  • ½ Cup Olive Oil
  • 3 Cloves Garlic Finely Chopped
  • 1 Medium Onion Finel Chopped
  • 1 tbsp Dark Brown Sugar
  • ¼ Cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro
  • 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes Optional
Tacos
  • 1 lb Whole Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
  • Salt To taste
  • Pepper To taste
  • Cumin To taste
  • Smoked Paprika To taste
  • 6 Small Street Taco Sized Tortillas
  • Pico de Gallo For topping your taco
  • Pickled Red Onions For topping your taco
Instructions
Marinade

  1. In a medium sauce pot combine the orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, brown sugar, garlic, onion, cilantro, and red pepper flakes. Place over medium heat and bring to simmer until the the sugar is dissolved. Place in the fridge until cool to the touch.

Chicken

  1. Add your whole boneless chicken breast to the marinade and place back in the fridge for two hours. Do not marinate the chicken for too long as the acid from the juices will begin to "cook" the chicken.

  2. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Season with the salt, pepper, paprika, and cumin to taste

  3. Heat up your grill or grill pan over high heat. Cook your chicken breasts, about four minute on each side.

Taco Assembly

  1. Slice your chicken into bite sized pieces and add to your tortillas. Top with pico de gallo and pickled onions and serve.

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Mojo Chicken Tacos
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Pico de Gallo
Prep Time
15 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 

A fresh salsa that is quick and easy to make.  It is great for brightening up a dish by bringing a pop of acid.

Course: Dip
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 3 Plum Tomatoes Diced
  • 1 Green Bell Pepper Diced
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper Diced
  • 1 Yellow Bell Pepper Diced
  • 1 Small Red Onion Diced
  • 1 Small White Onion Diced
  • 1 Cup Fresh Chopped Cilantro Substitute with parsley if you don't like cilantro
  • 1 Jalapeno Diced, optional
  • Salt and Pepper To taste
  • 1/4 Cup Lime Juice
Instructions

  1. Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.  Let chill in the refrigerator for an hour for the flavors to come together before serving. 

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Mojo Chicken Tacos
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Pickled Red Onions
Prep Time
2 mins
Cook Time
3 mins
Total Time
5 mins
 

This is a quick recipe when you need a topping to add some acidity to a dish. It goes well on tacos, hot dogs, hamburgers, and can even be used in a salad.

Course: Condiment, Side Dish, Topping
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Keyword: Onions, Pickled Onion, Pickles
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 2 Large Red Onions Sliced Thin
  • 2 Cups Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Pickling Spice You can get this from the store, or come up with your own blend.
Instructions

  1. Add all the ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil. Allow to cool and use to top tacos, burgers, or hot dogs.

Fish Tacos With Mango Peach Pico De Gallo

Fish Tacos

Fish Tacos

The “Three Weeks” are upon us and we are fast approaching the “Nine Days“.  During the Nine Days many Ashkenazi Orthodox Jews refrain from eating meat and poultry. Fish is often the go to protein for many people during that time. I love tacos! Tacos are the worlds most flexible food. You can fill a taco with almost anything. You can top a taco with as much or as little as you would like.  So for the Nine Days why not go with the ever popular fish tacos?

For fish tacos I would stay away from any fish that are too oily, like mackerel. Stick with a basic firm fleshed white fish like cod.  In the Chicagoland area we have something called “White Fish”.  I am not sure exactly what species is it , but seems to work well for fish tacos.  In a pinch you can use tilapia, but it often comes frozen or previously frozen and thawed, and I find it has a slightly “fishy” taste, so I tend to avoid it.

Talking Tortillas

As for a tortilla I went with a basic medium sized corn tortilla. If you really want to get fancy you can make you own tortillas. I recommend my recipe for poblano tortillas. If you want something more suited for an appetizer or hor d’oeuvre you can use a small “street Taco” sized to tortilla. I like the texture you get from corn tortilla, but if you prefer a flour tortilla go for it. Like I said, tacos are flexible.  

Peach Pico

With summer upon us, peaches are in season. Mixing the peaches with the brightness of mango, the heat of jalapeno, and sharpness of the red onion makes a great balanced pico de gallo to top your fish tacos. Note that I don’t include tomatoes in my pico , as I abhor raw tomatoes (but love ketchup), but if you like them feel free to add them in. Also, with fish tacos you have the opportunity to use real dairy. A basic crema is super easy to make.  I just combine standard sour cream with the zest and juice of a lime, but  you can use crème fraîche or add some other flavors, have fun with it. 

Check out some of our other meat and poultry free recipes:

Meatless-stuffed Eggplant with Cilantro Tahini Sauce

Spinach Ravioli With Alfredo Sauce

Tostito Tacos

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Fish Tacos
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Fish Tacos With Mango Peach Pico De Gallo
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
 

A tasty taco, great for when you want something a little lighter or can't have meat.

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Snack
Cuisine: baja, Mexican, Tex-Mex
Keyword: Fish Taco
Servings: 3 Tacos
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
Fried Fish
  • ½ lb Firm Fleshed White Fish Such as Cod Skin removed.
  • 1 Cup All Purpose Flour Divided.
  • 1 Cup Beer Nothing fancy or too heavy.
  • 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper Powder
  • Salt and Pepper To taste
  • Neutral Oil for Frying Such as vegetable or canola. This is NOT the time to use your fancy extra virgin olive oil.
  • 3 Medium Sized White Corn Flour Tortilla
Mango Peach Pico De Gallo
  • ½ Cup Fresh Diced Mango
  • ½ Cup Fresh Diced Peach
  • ¼ Cup Diced Red Onion
  • ¼ Cup Diced Jalapeno
  • Juice of One Lime
  • ¼ Cup Fresh Cilantro Leaves Stems removed
  • 1 tsp Salt
Crema
  • 8 oz Sour Cream
  • Juice and Zest of One Lime
Instructions
Mango Peach Pico De Gallo

  1. In a mixing bowl combined the mango, peach, onion, jalapeno, salt, lime juice, and cilantro. Mix with a large spoon until all the components are well distributed.

Crema

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine the sour cream with the lime juice and zest.

Fish Tacos

  1. In a mixing bowl combine the cayenne pepper powder and half the flour (½ cup) with the beer (1 cup). Stir until there the mixture forms a thin batter. The batter should be fairly runny. Put the batter aside to allow the flour to hydrate and the gluten to relax.

  2. Cut your fish in to 1"x4" strips. If your fish has skin remove it.

  3. Add enough oil to a frying pan to come about a ½" up the side, and place on the stove over medium heat. Allow the oil to come to 350°F

  4. In a shallow dish add the salt and pepper to the remainder of the flour (½ cup) and stir to distribute. Lightly dust your fish strips in the flour, then dip in to the batter and allow the excess to drip off. You only want a thin coating of batter.

  5. Fry until golden brown on each side. It should only take a about 2 minutes per side, but cook to desired color not time.

  6. Once your fish is fried remove the pan from the fire and use the burner to toast your tortillas. Place each tortilla directly on the grate flipping every five seconds until they just begin to char around the edges and start to get some dark spots. Alternatively you can place them under the broiler on low for a few seconds to achieve the same effect.

  7. Place a piece of your fish in your tortilla, top with the mango peach pico de gallo, drizzle on some crema, and enjoy.

 

 

Spicy Thai Basil Chicken Tacos

Thai Chicken TacosWhy Thai

Rachel and I both started small container gardening this year. Both of us had limited success.  One thing that did grow well for both of us was basil.  We figures why not do a basil ingredient challenge as we both already had it on hand. I grew three types of basil, but my Thai sweet basil grew the largest by far. Although traditionally Spicy Thai Basil chicken is made with Thai holy basil, the Thai sweet basil works just fine, or you could even even use regular basil if that is all you can get your hands on.

Tasty Tacos

Traditionally this dish is served with rice, but I wanted to go in another direction.  Originally I thought about making this in to a noodle dish, but eventually settled on the what I believe to be the most universal of all dishes, the taco. In my opinion tacos are really the words greatest food. There really isn’t anything you can’t throw in a tortilla for a quick meal making is a great vehicle for my spicy Thai basil chicken.

Spicy Chicken

While the recipe calls Thai chilies, you can definitely substitute other chilies like serranos or jalapenos if that is what you have or leave the chilies out all together if you are not a fan of spicy food. Pro tip: if you want to cut the spice level of a chili pepper remove the ribs and seeds. Also, don’t forget to wear disposable gloves so your hands and eyes don’t burn.

Don’t forget to check out Rachel’s Bail recipe: Tornado Potatoes with Spicy Basil Oil

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Spicy Thai Chicken Tacos
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Spicy Thai Basil Chicken Tacos
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
 

Spicy Thai Basil Chicken Tacos - A delicious fusion of a Thai classic and a Mexican favorite. Your taco Tuesday will never be the same.

Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Fusion, Mexican, Thai
Keyword: Basil, Chicken, Tacos, Thai
Servings: 6 Tacos
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 2 Boneless and skinless chicken breast
  • 4 Cloves Garlic
  • 4 Dried Thai Chilies Stems removed and roughly chopped
  • 3 tbsp Vegetable Oil For frying
  • 1 Large White Onion Sliced thin
  • 1 Large Green Bell Pepper Sliced thin
  • 1 Large Red Bell Pepper Sliced thin
  • 1 Cup Basic Brown Sauce See recipe below
  • 12 Thai Basil Leaves
  • 6 Fresh Thai Chilies Stems removed
  • 6 Small Corn Tortillas
Instructions

  1. Grind the garlic and dried chilies in to paste and set it aside. Ideally use a mortar and pestle for this, but you a food processor, blender, or even a knife will do in a pinch.

  2. Roughly chop the the chicken in to the size of small pebbles. Don't chop it so fine that is like ground chicken as the texture makes a difference.

  3. Add the oil to the wok (or a large skillet) and place over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and chili garlic paste. Cook, stirring continuously, until the chicken starts to brown.

  4. Remove chicken to a bowl, and add the onions and peppers. Cook, stirring continuously until the onions starts to brown.

  5. Lower the heat and add the chicken back to the wok along with the brown sauce. Continue to cook until the sauce is slightly thickened.

  6. Add the basil and the fresh chilies and continue to cook until the chilies begin to soften and the basil is wilted.

  7. Toast the tortillas in a dry frying pan or under a broiler until they begin to brown. Top the tortillas with the chicken and vegetable mixture and enjoy.

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Spicy Thai Chicken Tacos
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Basic Chinese Brown Sauce
Prep Time
2 mins
Cook Time
8 mins
 

A classic Chinese sauce (at least in America)

Course: Condiment, Sauce
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: Brown Sauce
Servings: 4 Cups
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp Corn Starch
  • 1/4 Cup Cold Water
  • 4 Cups Beef Broth Homemade would be ideal but store bought will work
  • 2 Cloves Garlic Minced
  • 1 tbsp Fresh Ginger Grated
  • 1/4 Cup "Oyster" sauce See recipe below
  • 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 2 tbsp Sesame Oil
  • 1/4 tsp White Pepper
Instructions

  1. In a small bowl combine the corn starch and the water. Stir until fully combined to create a slurry.

  2. Add all the rest of ingredients to a saucepan over medium heat. Add the corn starch and water slurry and stir to combine thoroughly.

  3. Allow the mixture to come to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Allow the sauce to cook until reduced by 25%.

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Spicy Thai Chicken Tacos
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"Oyster" Sauce
Prep Time
2 mins
Cook Time
3 mins
Total Time
4 mins
 

Oyster sauce is a thick sweet brown sauce that will add some caramel notes to any dish. It is usually made by reducing the liquid from oysters, I use oyster mushrooms to preserve the moniker and give the dish an umami boost.

Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: Oyster Sauce
Servings: 1 Cup
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
Instructions

  1. Add all the ingredients except the corn starch and water to a small sauce pot over low heat,stirring constantly. 

  2. Mix the corn starch and water in a separate bowl to form a slurry.  Once the sauce begins to bubble stir in the corn starch slurry and cook until the sauce is thickened and remove from heat.

Recipe Notes

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Fish Tacos With Mango Jalapeno Salsa and Fresh Red Cabbage and Daikon Slaw

Fish TacosFish Tacos

Fish is usually Rachel’s territory, but with the “Nine Days” upon us, I decided to try my hand at fish tacos. I do have to admit, fish is not my favorite food. If it is really fresh I will eat it, but it must be a variety that doesn’t taste too “fishy”. I tend to stick with lightly flavored, white fleshed fish like cod and tend to stay away from more oily fish like mackerel.

As I have said before I personally consider tacos the world’s most perfect food. Tacos really are a great platform for almost any type of protein. Growing up, my mom never made fish tacos, so I didn’t try fish tacos until I was in my late 20’s. Years ago, my wife and I were on vacation in LA and we went to lunch at Fish Grill. We ordered fish and chips and fish tacos and shared the two dishes.

This was probably the first time I had ever ordered fish at a restaurant. The food was excellent. My theory is there are are two things that make a good fish restaurant, it should be close to the ocean, and busy. That way you know the fish can get there fast, and isn’t sitting around too long.  Also, don’t forget as Anthony Bourdain was fond of saying, never order fish in a restaurant on Monday.  Being in LA and very popular, Fish Grill checked all of the boxes. I wanted to recreate that experience at home.

California Cuisine

The goal here was to create a recipe inspired by that meal, all while making it easy and gluten free. I didn’t want to mess with a wet batter so I went with a breading. By using cornmeal instead of breadcrumbs I was able to keep the dish gluten free. The cornmeal also adds a great texture and nutty flavor. The slaw adds texture as well as some acidity and the salsa adds sweetness and a touch of heat. Both of these really help capture the great freshness of California cuisine.

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Fish Tacos
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Cornmeal Crusted Fish Tacos With Mango Jalapeno Salsa and Fresh Red Cabbage and Daikon Slaw
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
30 mins
 

A fresh take on fish tacos. The salsa adds sweetness and heat, while the slaw adds crunch and acidity.

Course: Dinner, Lucnh, Snack
Cuisine: American, California, Mexican, Sea Food, Tacos, Tex-Mex
Keyword: Fish Taco
Servings: 4 people
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
Fish
  • 1 lb Firm Fleshed White Fish Cod works well, but tilapia or any white fish will work in a pinch
  • 2 Cups Yellow Corn Meal
  • 2 Large Eggs Beaten
  • Vegetable Oil For Frying
  • Salt and Pepper To taste
  • Chili Lime Seasoning I use the one from Trader Joe's, but in a pinch a mild chili powder will work
  • Corn Tortillas I like the 4.5'" mini tortillas but any taco sized tortilla will work
Crema
  • 1 Cup Sour Cream
  • Zest and Juice of 1 Lime
Salsa
  • 1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes
  • 1 Large Mango Diced
  • 2 Jalapenos
  • 1/4 Cup Cilantro Stems removed and roughly chopped
  • 1 Lime
  • Salt To taste
Slaw
  • 1/2 Cup Shredded Red Cabbage
  • 1/2 Cup Shredded Green Cabbage
  • 1/2 Cup Shredded Carrots
  • 1/2 Cup Shredded Daikon or Radish
  • 1 tbsp Kosher Salt
  • 1/4 Cup Rice or Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Whole Mustard Seed
  • 1 tbsp Celery Seed
Instructions
Salsa

  1. Place the cherry tomatoes and jalapenos on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Place in a cold oven and set to bake at 375°F. Roast until the tomatoes begin to burst and the jalapenos start to blister.

  2. Allow the tomatoes and jalapenos to cool. Remove the stems and seeds from the jalapenos,

  3. Roughly chop the tomatoes and jalapenos and add to a mixing bowl. Add the mango, cilantro, and salt. Add the juice from the limes and lightly stir to evenly distribute the ingredients.

Slaw

  1. Combine the 2 cabbages, daikon, carrots, salt, vinegar, mustard seed, and celery seed in a large bowl and stir to combine.

Fish

  1. Cut your fish into 1/2" by 3" strips and season with salt and pepper.

  2. In a bowl, combine the chili lime seasoning and the cornmeal.

  3. Dip each piece of fish in the egg and then in the cornmeal.

  4. Place a cast iron skillet or large frying pan over medium heat and and add a 1/2" of oil.

  5. Fry your fish until golden brown on each side.

Crema

  1. Mix the juice and zest of a lime with the sour cream.

Assembly

  1. Lightly brown your tortillas in a skillet.

  2. Place some of the slaw on the bottom of the tortilla, then add 1-3 pieces of fish depending on the the size of your tortillas. Top the fish with the salsa and drizzle on the crema. Enjoy!

Like this recipe? Check out some of our other fish recipes

Spicy Moroccan Salmon with Pickle Slaw

Smoked Salmon and Avocado Stacks

Wild Salmon Sweet Potato Sliders with Garlic Chive Mayo

Spicy Salmon Tamales

 

 

Cinco De Mayo: Italian Beef Tacos On Poblano Tortillas Topped With Pickled Red Onions and Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Cinco De Mayo: Italian Beef Tacos On Poblano Tortillas Topped With Roasted Tomatillo Salsa and Pickled Red Onions

Italian Beef TacosI personally consider tacos the world’s most perfect food. There really in no wrong way to make a taco. Crunchy or soft, flour or corn, they are all good in my book.  As for proteins, tacos are a great way to use up leftover chicken or roast, skirt steak i(one of my favorites), or of course you could simply use ground beef. You could always go vegetarian with refried beans or soy based immitation meats. When it comes to toppings the sky is the limit. Salsas of every flavor and color are classic, slaws are an excellent addition, and I love pickled vegetables of almost any type.

The way the ingredients come together is nothing short of magical. Tacos are one of the world’s best hand-held complete meals.

With Cinco de Mayo being this week, Rachel and I decided to do a taco challenge.  But I couldn’t just make tacos, I needed to take it up a notch. I needed to make my own tortillas, but I couldn’t just make boring tortillas.  To put my own spin on tortillas I added roasted poblano peppers to the tortilla dough. Poblano gives the tortillas a little bit of fruity heat and a green tint.

For my protein I went with a Chicago classic, Italian beef. This humble dish uses cheaper cuts of beef with a heavy dose of spices and herbs to create flavor. You also slice it thin to create a softer texture.

Finally I topped my tacos with a spicy green tomatillo salsa and pickled red onions to add some freshness and brightness. I have included a recipe for each part of my taco, but as far as final construction just layer all the ingredients as you see fit.

Don’t forget to check out Rachel’s taco post: Cino de Mayo: Tostitos Tacos

Recipe: Poblano Corn Tortillas

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Italian Beef Tacos
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Poblano Corn Tortillas
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
10 mins
 

Sure you could buy tortillas at the store, but they are pretty easy to make. By adding in roasted poblano peppers you get a little more flavor than a regular tortilla.  Poblanos have a nice fruity flavor with just a touch of heat.

Course: Hangover Food, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: Latin, Mexican, Tex-Mex
Keyword: Mexican Food, Taco, Tortilla
Servings: 12 Tortillas
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 2 Cups Massa (AKA Corn Flour)
  • 1 1/2 Cups Water
  • 1 tbsp Salt
  • 4 Large Poblano Peppers
Special Equipment
  • Tortillas Press (Or a rolling pin if you must)
  • Cast Iron Skillet or Heavy Frying Pan
  • Food Processor or Blender
  • 2 Pieces Wax or Parchment Paper
Instructions

  1. Set your oven to 400°F. Place the poblano peppers on a lined baking sheet. Roast until they start to blister, turning to make sure they cook evenly on both sides.

  2. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Once cooled, remove the stem, seeds, and skin. The skin should come off easily by scraping with a knife. Add the poblanos to the food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

  3. Add the massa, blended poblano, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Slowly stir in the water, adding a little at a time, until the mixture is the texture of play dough.

  4. Roll the dough into balls a little larger than a golf ball. Place the balls one at a time between two pieces of parchment or wax paper and press the ball in to a flat disc using a tortilla press or a rolling pin.

  5. Place the skillet over high heat and cook the tortillas on each side until they start to brown.

Recipe: Italian Beef

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Italian Beef Tacos
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Italian Beef
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
Cooling Time
30 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 10 mins
 

A Chicago classic thought to have been originated by Italian immigrants who brought home tougher cuts of beef which they then cooked slowly with herbs and spices, cooled, and sliced thin to make sure there was enough to go around. You can place the meat on your favorite roll or even in a taco, although a soft Italian roll is traditional.

Course: Main Course, Meat, Sandwich
Cuisine: Chicago, Italian
Keyword: Beef, Italian Beef
Servings: 4 People
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs Roast Beef From the Chuck/Shoulder A Scotch or French roast works nicely
  • 1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
  • 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
  • 1/2 Cup Dry Red Wine
  • 4 Cups Beef Stock Homemade would be best but store bought will work in a pinch
  • 6 Cloves Garlic Peeled and Smashed
  • 1 Large Red Onion Sliced thin
  • 1 Large Green Bell Pepper Sliced into 1/2 inch wide strips
  • 1 Large Red Bell Pepper
  • 1 tbsp Red Pepper Flakes Optional
  • Salt and Pepper To taste
Italian Seasoning (Or you con just buy it premixed from your local supermarket)
  • 2 tsp Dried Oregano
  • 2 tsp Dried Thyme
  • 2 tsp Dried Parsley
  • 2 tsp Dried Rosemary
  • 2 tsp Dried Basil
  • 2 tsp Dried Marjoram
Special Equipment
  • Large heavy pot of Dutch oven
Instructions

  1. Add all the ingredients to the pot. Preheat the oven to 350°F and roast until tender but not mushy.  Remove the meat from the liquid, but save the liquid for later. Allow the meat to cool for 30 minutes and slice thinly.

  2. Put the slices back in the liquid in the pot and put on the stove over medium heat.  Cook until the meat is hot again. Serve on a soft Italian bun dipped back in the cooking liquid.

Recipe: Pickled Red Onion

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Mojo Chicken Tacos
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Pickled Red Onions
Prep Time
2 mins
Cook Time
3 mins
Total Time
5 mins
 

This is a quick recipe when you need a topping to add some acidity to a dish. It goes well on tacos, hot dogs, hamburgers, and can even be used in a salad.

Course: Condiment, Side Dish, Topping
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Keyword: Onions, Pickled Onion, Pickles
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 2 Large Red Onions Sliced Thin
  • 2 Cups Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Pickling Spice You can get this from the store, or come up with your own blend.
Instructions

  1. Add all the ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil. Allow to cool and use to top tacos, burgers, or hot dogs.

Recipe: Tomatillo Salso

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Italian Beef Tacos
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Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 

Tomatillos look like small green tomatoes with a husk on them, but they have a much firmer texture. This salsa depends on them for body and jalapenos for some heat.  If you don't like it spicy you can use bell peppers instead of the jalapenos.

Course: Dip, Sauce, Side
Cuisine: Mexican, South American, Tex-Mex
Keyword: Salsa, Tomatillios
Servings: 1 Quart
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 6 Large Tomatillos Stems and husk removed
  • 1 Large Onion
  • 2 Jalapenos (Or bell peppers if you don't like it spicy) Stems and seeds removed
  • 6 Cloves Garlic
Special Equipment
  • Blender or Food Processor
  • Parchment paper lined backing sheet
Instructions

  1. Place all the ingredients on a parchment paper lined sheet pan and roast at 400°F until the vegetables start to brown.

  2. Blend until desired texture is achieved.

If you like this recipe, you should check out our tamale recipes as well: A Tale of Two Tamales: A Lesson in Leftovers and Spicy Salmon Tamales

 

Cinco de Mayo: “Tostitos” Tacos

For the love of tacos

I love tacos.  Well, to be fair, most tacos I eat are more “Tex-Mex” then truly authentic Mexican cuisine.  But I’ll take what I can get.  If I ever decided to open a kosher restaurant (and if I do, please send help ASAP), I would open an upscale taco bar.  Jury is still out though if it would be a dairy or meat taco joint. But just image for a second – tacos with different mole sauces, pickled everything (jicama, onion, jalapeno, radish), homemade salsas with garlic confit and roasted tomato pico de gallo, and SUPER fresh fish tacos with crunchy slaw and a bright kick of lime.  So the sky’s the limit when we’re talking tacos.

This week’s challenge!

And that brings me to this week’s #MYV challenge …TACOS, (duh), just in time for Cinco de Mayo! Clearly I could have gone in a thousand different directions with this one.  Perhaps a personal favorite that I posted a while back, my raw walnut tacos, or maybe even a “fajita” taco! Since my husband loves chicken with grilled peppers and onions, if I can stuff that in a tortilla, he’ll eat it!  And bonus, there are veggies in it too!

The perfect meal – a childhood favorite

While my brain searched for the perfect, not-overly-complicated taco, I kept coming back to my mom’s home-cooked “Tostitos” dinner.  To this day I have no clue why we called it “Tostitos” (maybe because we would buy giant family-sized bags of the Tostitos tortilla chips for serious salsa-dunking), but this was basically a “make-your-own-(soft)taco” night.  Probably the easiest meal my mom ever made for us (and she made amazing meals), but hands down, this was my favorite.  Okay, maybe her pasta with homemade pesto and grilled salmon rivals the top spot.  But Tostitos nights – those were and still are the meals I crave!

It couldn’t get any simpler.  My mom would put out bowls of toppings. The table would be topped with our small white cereal bowls with navy blue trim – one bowl of salsa (from the GIANT jar we had in the fridge at all times), shredded cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, homemade guac, a plate of (probably flour) tortillas and a huge frying pan of refried beans. That was literally all she had to cook – just those creamy, pinto beans.

I would put a tortilla on my plate, slather it with beans and cheese, pop it in the microwave and pile on all the toppings I could fit, and devour immediately.  Meanwhile, mid-bite, I would inevitable always have hot cheese juice running down my arm.  But boy don’t I know it – it’s worth the mess.

Welcome newbies!

One thing I noticed as I got older is that we never had sour cream in our house.  Like ever.  I’m not sure if it was just one person who didn’t like it or we just never thought to buy any, but now it’s one of the new additions I’ve added to my version.  You can’t really have a (possibly supremely spicy) taco without the rich sour cream added in to a crunchy cabbage slaw to cool down the heat.

And on top of the sour cream addition, in my opinion, cilantro is just the best herb to have ever graced this planet (alright basil, I can’t live without you either).  Last but not least, a final topping of pickled jalapenos.  And this meal is complete.

Updating a classic

So this is my version.  A nod to my favorite childhood meal.  Instead of the melty cheese, we have a crispy, cheesy taco “shell” (did you know that cheese can crisp up like that when you cook it?).  Instead of canned refried beans, we have dried pinto beans, cooked low and slow with cumin, garlic and onion.  And for the record, this recipe is not quite keto-friendly, but it’s close (you can definitely use soy beans to make it low-carb).  And instead of jarred salsa (which I LOVE btw), homemade pico de gallo – fresh tomato, yellow onion, jalapeno, cilantro and fresh lime juice.

Hooray for shortcuts!

And even if you’re a crazy busy human, like most of us are, you can definitely make this quick and easy dish using store-bought salsa, some pre-bagged shredded cabbage or iceberg lettuce (I love shortcuts too), and even packaged tortillas (I won’t tell).  Tacos are all about experimenting with levels of spice and heat, and this version features eating my favorite meal in a slightly deconstructed way.

Now THAT is something I can really sink my teeth into.

And, thanks mom. 🙂  Seriously, Tostitos night was the best – so simple, yet so freaking delicious. Just in time for mother’s day – a perfect tribute to my mom’s crazy-good homemade meals.

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Cheddar cheese taco shells
Servings: 6 taco shells
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 9 oz. Pre-shredded cheddar cheese Personally, I used a bag of pre-shredded cheddar and mozzarella mix
  • 1/2 tsp Trader Joe's onion salt Totally optional but I love this onion mix and I flavor EVERYTHING with it practically! I like adding a little extra oomp to the shells
Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 375F.

  2. If you'd like your shells to be all the same size, trace about 3, 6-inch circles on the parchment paper

  3. Measure about 1/3 cup of the cheese onto the circles and sprinkle with the onion salt

  4. Bake for 5 minutes until the edges begin to brown

  5. While the cheese is cooking, set up a taco shell drying station. Lay a wooden spoon across 2 soup cans and place a plate topped with a paper towel underneath.  You might have to make a few taco crisping stations, or cook one shell at a time (you can do this also in a pan on medium heat, versus an oven too).

  6. This is where you have to move fast, because as the cheese is cooling, it will harden quickly.  Remove the cheese from the parchment paper using a spatula and place over the wooden spoon to crisp

  7. Let the cheese cool and crisp up, about 5 minutes

  8. Place on a plate and add your favorite taco fixings!

 

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Slow cooker refried beans
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 1 Yellow onion, peeled, halved and roughly chopped
  • 3 cups Dried pinto beans, rinsed Or use black beans, or great northern beans! If you used canned beans, just make sure to rinse them 3 times to remove as much of the salty starchy liquid as possible
  • 2 Garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 5 tsp Salt
  • 2 tsp Pepper
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Cumin I like cumin, so if you're not a big fan, start with 1/8 tsp and you can always add more if you like
  • 2 cups Vegetable stock Optional (or just add 9 cups of water)
  • 7 cups Water
  • 1 4 oz. can Diced green chiles
Instructions

  1. Place the onion, dried beans, green chiles, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, stock and water in a slow cooker.  (Don't worry about the size of the chopped onion and garlic - you'll puree it when it's done cooking so I just roughly chopped the onions and cut the garlic cloves in half)

  2. Cook on HIGH for 8 hours or on LOW for 12 hours (or 4 hours on HIGH if using canned beans)

  3. Drain the bean mixture into a colander and strain out as much water remaining as possible

  4. Using a potato masher or an immersion blender, blend or mash the beans until you get the desired consistency.  

 

 

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Creamy Slaw
Prep Time
10 mins
Total Time
10 mins
 
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup Mayo
  • 1/2 cup Sour cream
  • 1 14 oz. Bag of shredded coleslaw mix
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 4 Green onions, thinly sliced Optional
  • 3 tbsp Fresh lime juice
Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients into a medium-sized bowl and mix well.  Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving with your tacos (can be made 1 day in advance, keep chilled)

 

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Guacamole
Prep Time
10 mins
Total Time
10 mins
 
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 3 Avocados, pitted, flesh scooped out
  • 1 Lemon, halved and juiced
  • 1 Garlic clove, peeled and minced
  • 1/2 Yellow onion, finely diced
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions

  1. Add the avocado to a mixing bowl and mash well with a fork

  2. Add in the garlic, onion, tomatoes, salt, pepper and lemon juice and mix well.  If you're not eating it right away, take the avocado pit, press it in the middle of the guac mix, and cover it tightly with plastic wrap, to remove as much air as possible so it doesn't brown as quickly (you can also drizzle some more lemon juice on top to slow the browning process).

  3. Dunk with crunchy tortilla chips or add a dollop to your tacos!

 

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Pico de Gallo
Prep Time
10 mins
Total Time
10 mins
 
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 3 Yellow onions, diced You can use red onion if that's what you have on hand!
  • 12 Roma tomatoes, diced If your tomatoes are extra juicy, squeeze out some of the pulp before adding to the bowl
  • 3 Jalapenos, ribs and seeds removed, diced
  • 2 cups Fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 Lime
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp White pepper
Instructions

  1. Dice the onion, tomato, jalapeno and cilantro and add to a large mixing bowl

  2. Slice the lime in half and squeeze both halves into the mixing bowl

  3. Add the salt and white pepper and mix thoroughly

  4. Make sure you taste it to adjust any heat levels, adding more salt or jalapeno if needed.

Don’t forget to check out Daniel’s latest taco recipe: Cinco De Mayo: Italian Beef Tacos On Poblano Tortillas Topped With Pickled Red Onions and Roasted Tomatillo Salsa