scrappington
Pearl Clutcher
in Canada
Posts: 3,139
Jun 26, 2014 14:43:10 GMT
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Post by scrappington on Oct 16, 2014 15:11:18 GMT
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Post by micpea on Oct 16, 2014 15:26:17 GMT
The go to in our house is chicken tacos. I purchase Perez hard shells (they're super light), cook & shred chicken, add spinach/lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream & Newman's Peach Salsa....(there is no other salsa in our house....husband doesn't allow it). Whenever we have a big group of people for a get together, these are always requested.
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Post by SunnySmile on Oct 16, 2014 16:38:06 GMT
Wow! So many great ideas! And now I'm craving tacos! I've tried frying my shells before, but they come out hard to bite through instead of crunchy. I find I have to cook them so long that it seems like they are almost burned before they get crunchy. What am I doing wrong?
A friend gave me a bunch of tomatillos from their garden. I made salsa verde and canned it. I have never had it before, so I honestly don't know if I'll like it. I have a jar in the fridge, and I thought I would mix it with pork for carnitas in the crock pot one day soon.
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Post by arizonastamplover on Oct 16, 2014 16:41:47 GMT
So we do them differently. We use carne asada meat that has been marinated. We can usually get it at the grocery store, although they don't always have it. We also can get it at the local market that sells Mexican food. I cut up cilantro and white onion and mix it together to go in the taco. I may also use shredded cheese, sour cream, and guacamole, just depending. For the taco shell, we use butter lettuce, or anything else that can be made into a cup (like what they use in the PF Changs lettuce wraps). We try to go lower carb, and these taste delicious and fresh without feeling like you are eating fried food. These are actually on the plan for this weekend
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Post by Miss Lerins Momma on Oct 16, 2014 16:46:35 GMT
We just do ground beef with taco seasoning, hard shells, lettuce, tomatoes.
I did make them last time in the crock pot, browned the taco beef in there vs frying it on the stovetop. It was so much easier, gonna do it that way again!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 2, 2024 2:11:47 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2014 16:47:52 GMT
Ground beef with penzys taco seasoning and a can of rotel. Everyone loves them. If I need more liquid I add a bit of beer. Toppings vary but always tomato, lettuce, green onion, black olives, guacamole, cheese, sour cream and salsa. Mecican rice and refried beans on the side.
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Post by padresfan619 on Oct 16, 2014 16:48:11 GMT
I usually use ground turkey and taco seasoning. Garnished with lettuce, onion and cheese. And I fry my own shells.
If I'm making black bean tacos I put the beans and the cheese in the shells and then cook them in the oven. I can do it a bunch at once that way.
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Post by lostwithout2peas on Oct 16, 2014 17:01:17 GMT
I do it the way my mom taught me how. I get ground turkey, mom used to use ground beef, and press it onto half of the thin corn tortilla (la suprema are the best) in a somewhat thin layer. After I do that to about 2 dozen or so I season with garlic salt and pepper. I get a large pan with about a quarter of an inch of oil nice and hot, and fold the tacos slowly in the oil so they won't cracked. Fry both sides, and them put them in a 13x9 pan with a paper towel to drain while I fry up the others. We add shredded cheese, lettuce, and we make a can of crushed tomatoes spiced up with chopped onions, oregano, garlic salt, peper, amd then a homemade salsa made with El pato. Add a squeeze of lime or lemon and served with a side of beans and rice!
I also make chicken tacos the same way, with shredded chicken put into the corn tortilla and then fried.
Soft Tacos are made with ground turkey browned amd crumbled up amd then diced potatoes added and steamed with the turkey.I then get the corn tortilla and light fry it just till its soft, not crunchy. Lay out the tortillas on a plate add turkey and potatoes, top with the same toppings as above.
Then there are rolled tacos. You can add shredded chicken, shredded beef, amd even mashed potatoes. Roll them up in corn tortillas, pin them together in 2's with a tooth pick and deep fry. Serve with a side of beans and rice. You can top the tacos themselves with guacamole, shredded cheese, lettuce and salsa. I've also had rolled tacos in Mexico where they smear them with mayo, they add lettuce and salsa! Sounds horrible, but is actually really good! My mom likes them that way most of the time.
I sometimes wish I could buy the pre made taco shells, but my family would revolt! Lol!
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scrappington
Pearl Clutcher
in Canada
Posts: 3,139
Jun 26, 2014 14:43:10 GMT
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Post by scrappington on Oct 16, 2014 17:07:25 GMT
yeah now we are having taco's tomorrow.
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Post by lorieann13 on Oct 16, 2014 17:13:58 GMT
Wow! So many great ideas! And now I'm craving tacos! I've tried frying my shells before, but they come out hard to bite through instead of crunchy. I find I have to cook them so long that it seems like they are almost burned before they get crunchy. What am I doing wrong? The oil has to be VERY hot. If it is not hot enough it will take for every to fry the shells and they will be brick hard from all the greese they absorb instead of light and crispy. I will let my oil set up for a good 5-8 min.
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Post by mztfied on Oct 16, 2014 17:20:01 GMT
I use two corn tortillas for each taco. I spray lightly my iron skillet. Lay two corn tortillas in the pan. "Fry" til they are beginning to soften. Sprinkle cheese on one tortilla. Top with the other tortilla. Fold over and continue to fry. Fill and eat.
Just a bit different.
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BarbaraUK
Drama Llama
Surrounded by my yarn stash on the NE coast of England...............!! Refupea 1702
Posts: 5,961
Location: England UK
Jun 27, 2014 12:47:11 GMT
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Post by BarbaraUK on Oct 16, 2014 17:36:45 GMT
Lots of great ideas here to try when we have tacos!
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Post by ajsweetpea on Oct 16, 2014 17:58:03 GMT
I generally don't use taco seasoning because I don't care for the taste. I cook ground beef (you could use ground turkey too, but my family doesn't like it for tacos, so I defer to them, although I personally would be fine eating ground turkey tacos... I like the taste of ground turkey in almost anything because I am weird like that... I think it can taste dry but it works for most dishes if you season it up good) and add a can of Rotel and a can of Pinto beans and then season it up using chili powder and salt. I think cumin would taste good too. I top with shredded cheese, lettuce and Valentina hot sauce. We also like the green salsa from Trader Joe's. I warm hard taco shells up in the oven. I think they taste better than room temperature taco shells!
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Post by melanell on Oct 16, 2014 18:01:17 GMT
We typically use soft tortillas unless one of the kids ask for the hard shells. Sometimes DH makes the tortillas and sometimes we buy them. If we buy them we heat them up in a skillet.
Our standard make your own taco bar includes any combo of the following: black beans, re-fried beans, seasoned tofu cubes, seasoned ground turkey, seasoned shredded chicken, shredded cheese, salsa, guacamole, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, mixed greens, or baby spinach, diced black olives, diced green onions, brown rice, sauteed mushrooms, diced peppers, queso, and sour cream.
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PLurker
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,739
Location: Behind the Cheddar Curtain
Jun 28, 2014 3:48:49 GMT
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Post by PLurker on Oct 16, 2014 19:12:13 GMT
Insides vary in meat and toppings. We now make our shells/tortillas. I discovered tortilla flour ($3 ish a bag) in spanish/mexican food aisle. It's basically ad water, stir, press or roll out balls and heat about 30 seconds a side in a hot pan. Even my picky eater DS likes them best. They will even make them. They mostly prefer soft but can be fried in oil for crispy. Really good and easy.
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Post by Merge on Oct 16, 2014 19:40:09 GMT
Tacos are a staple for us, but we only use soft tortillas. And only freshly made. The big grocery stores here make fresh flour tortillas in the bakery.
We use ground beef or black beans, but also love shredded chicken or pork. Easy to dump some meat and a jar of salsa in the crock pot in the morning, and when you get home it's ready for shredding and eating. My favorite is pork cooked in salsa verde, shredded and served in soft corn tortillas with cilantro, avocado, onion and a little lime juice.
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Post by Crazyhare on Oct 16, 2014 19:45:51 GMT
I use half ground beef and half black beans.
I brown my beef and drain it. Then add in a can of tomatoes, black beans ( usually 2 cups I had cooked from dried and frozen) and a packet of Trader Joes taco seasoning. I let that simmer for a while.
Then put into shells or on flour tortillas and top with toppings.
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queenofkings
Full Member
Posts: 283
Jun 26, 2014 15:26:41 GMT
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Post by queenofkings on Oct 16, 2014 20:26:59 GMT
I only use La Tiara taco shells. They are thin and crispy.
I like Lawry's seasoning mix.
I mostly do the standard ground beef. But I also like shredded chicken. And the last two times I've made tacos, I substituted lentils for the ground beef and put in extra seasoning. They were pretty tasty!
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Post by peasful1 on Oct 16, 2014 21:10:59 GMT
Fish/seafood tacos are the favorite here (tilapia, shrimp or langostino) with cabbage & jicama slaw and lime white sauce in soft tortillas. Occassionally I'll use shredded chicken with grilled onions & peppers, cheese & sour cream (more like a fajita but we call them tacos ). Do you have a recipe for the slaw and white sauce? Sounds delicious.
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Post by bc2ca on Oct 16, 2014 22:46:16 GMT
Fish/seafood tacos are the favorite here (tilapia, shrimp or langostino) with cabbage & jicama slaw and lime white sauce in soft tortillas. Occassionally I'll use shredded chicken with grilled onions & peppers, cheese & sour cream (more like a fajita but we call them tacos ). Do you have a recipe for the slaw and white sauce? Sounds delicious. I kind of wing it, but the recipe from Bon Appetit is very close to what I make. We like it more crunchy & dry, than wet. cabbage & jicama slaw
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Post by SunnySmile on Oct 16, 2014 23:05:26 GMT
@charliegirl, in your first example, are you putting the ground beef on the tortilla raw or precooked?
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Post by jenettycakes on Oct 17, 2014 0:07:28 GMT
Only fry here. Have never used purchased hard shells before.
Last 6 years I've been on a chicken taco kick so I'll usually use a rotisserie chicken that I shred and season with salt, pepper & cumin as well as pico de gallo - let simmer while I do my shells. Then it's American style with shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes....sour cream and avocado slices if I have them. And lots of Pico Pico.
Mmmn I want tacos now.
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Post by jenjie on Oct 17, 2014 2:11:46 GMT
Ours are pretty boring. Packet seasoned meat with cheese and maybe some rice or salsa. But one thing I'll do once in awhile to switch it up, and my family likes it, is to make nachos. Meat and cheese on tortilla chips heated in the oven.
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Post by Crack-a-lackin on Oct 17, 2014 2:47:27 GMT
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde Makes 4-5 cups Ingredients • 2 lbs. tomatillos, husks & stems removed • 4 garlic cloves • 1 medium onion • 1/2 lb. Anaheim green chile peppers; may substitute other large green chiles such as New Mexico or poblano; or, use 2 4-oz cans chopped green chiles from the Mexican aisle of the grocery store • 2 small or 1 large jalapeno • 1/2 cup cilantro, loosely packed • 1 teaspoon cumin • 1 teaspoon black pepper • 1 teaspoon white pepper • 1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican) • 1 teaspoon kosher salt • 2 T cider vinegar • 1/4 cup lime juice Directions OVEN ROASTING: Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place veggies in single layer on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes until tomatillos & peppers are charred, softened, and oozing juices. PEEL, STEM & SEED the green chiles. Stem & seed the jalepenos (skin can be left on); or leave seeds if hotter salsa is desired. Leave skin on tomatillos. BLEND INGREDIENTS: Add roasted veggies (including juices that collected after roasting) and remaining ingredients to a blender or food processor; blend until desired consistency--anywhere from slightly chunky to pureed. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. TO FREEZE, transfer salsa to freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 6 months. Allow at least 1/2" headspace for expansion when frozen. Nutritional Info. for 1/4 cup portion of salsa verde: 23 calories, .5 g fat, 4.4g carbs, 1.3g fiber, 6g protein; Weight Watchers PointPlus: 0 Thanks for the recipe! That sounds great.
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garcia5050
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,728
Location: So. Calif.
Jun 25, 2014 23:22:29 GMT
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Post by garcia5050 on Oct 17, 2014 5:50:08 GMT
@charliegirl, in your first example, are you putting the ground beef on the tortilla raw or precooked? I was taught to use precooked ground beef. I heat up some tortillas, put a rounded tablespoon of meat into the tortilla, seal the edges with two toothpicks (not a roll, just folded in half) and fry on both sides.
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Post by lostwithout2peas on Oct 17, 2014 12:56:24 GMT
@charliegirl, in your first example, are you putting the ground beef on the tortilla raw or precooked? The ground beef is raw SunnySmile
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scrappington
Pearl Clutcher
in Canada
Posts: 3,139
Jun 26, 2014 14:43:10 GMT
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Post by scrappington on Oct 17, 2014 13:07:04 GMT
As I was getting all the ingredients for tonite's meal..thanks to this thread. I realized what we put in them. We fry onions and red, green yellow peppers and add to the meat. What ever peppers look good. It stretches the meat out and we love veggies.
Sometimes we do rice as well. Danity makes a really good Mexican rice. I did not like the ol elpaso one at all. Yes our tacos really sound like fajitas a bit.
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anniebeth24
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,544
Jun 26, 2014 14:12:17 GMT
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Post by anniebeth24 on Oct 17, 2014 13:07:11 GMT
Made yummy chicken taco filling yesterday. In crockpot, I put three frozen thighs and one frozen breast, one can of chopped green chiles, one taco seasoning packet, about a half cup chicken broth, one chopped onion and two whole garlic cloves. Shredded up the chicken and drained it (lots of juice - could be soup but I don't know?).
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oh yvonne
Prolific Pea
Posts: 7,996
Jun 26, 2014 0:45:23 GMT
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Post by oh yvonne on Oct 17, 2014 13:22:31 GMT
This is how we make tacos in our family We never use pre-made taco shells, and never use taco 'seasoning' mixes. To me, those are fast food, Taco Bell style tacos, and if I'm craving that taste, then I just go to TB and buy them. I fry the ground beef up in a pot, toss in some fine diced onion and a crush garlic clove or two. Drain the extra fat. Add salt/pepper/ground cumin and garlic powder if I didn't add fresh garlic. Then I add 1 or two small diced peeled potatoes. Depending on how much ground beef I'm cooking. I like a higher ratio of beef to the potatoes, but we love the potatoes too. Add enough water to cover the mixture, then cover and simmer until the potatoes are done. While the meat is cooking I fry the corn tortillas in small skillet until softly crisp. I don't like them fried till they are super crunchy, but some people like them that way. Salt them, drain on paper towels. When it is time to assemble the taco, I just use a slotted spoon to drain any extra liquid before I fill the shell, then top with finely shredded lettuce, I like regular grated good cheddar, small diced tomatoes and home made salsa. Rice and some refried beans on the side. Good stuff. Oh and a quick tip for those of you who make refried beans out of the can (and who doesn't?), if the beans come out in like, a solid thick paste (ew) add some liquid to the beans while you fry them up in the skillet. Water works great, just add until you have the right consistency. My mom uses milk, I don't care either works fine for me. I thought that was kind of a no brainer until a friend saw me do that and she was amazed, she never knew to do that. Just thought I'd share..
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Post by Dictionary on Oct 17, 2014 14:04:07 GMT
I think I am in the minority here but I always use soft tacos (warmed in the oven). I prefer the ones from LaTortilla Factory. They feel close to homemade. I like both the white and yellow corn ones, not flour (although I don't think they make a flour one.) I didn't care for the flavored ones like Jalapeno, etc.
For Meat;
Typically we grill a chicken or I make Carnitas and use leftovers and then we also eat a variety of fish (grilled or fried) and last night had shrimp.
For toppings;
Typically use refried, pinto and sometimes black beans. (I heat my pinto and black beans in chicken broth)
I make my own salsa (pico de galleo) so depending on the meat could be basic with tomato or pineapple, last night it was mango.
Then I will make a crema from sour cream..just add either lime juice, garlic powder, cumin and a touch of salt or use adobo (minus lime juice).
Use shredded cabbage, lettuce or jicama slaw.
And also offer some cilantro, limes, avocado and occasionally Spanish rice and cheese.
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