Taco Tuesday!
When my youngest daughter was a senior in high school, we lived in Pebble Beach, CA. There was a Jack-in-the-box fast food restaurant near our home there and, every Tuesday, they had a 2 tacos for 99 cents special that she just adored!! I could never understand how she could enjoy those tacos, which were basically a hard corn shell filled with drippy grease, but she loved them!
However, she usually only went there if she was working on Tuesdays. Thus was born the family Taco Tuesday tradition....if she was going to be home, I always made sure to have some kind of taco and my husband and I have continued that ever since (although, it's not EVERY Tuesday anymore....:)
I absolutely love the traditional taco with spiced hamburger meat, lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream and guacamole and I would never dis that! But, sometimes you just need something different. So, after a lot of research and experimentation, I've come up with some different types of tacos that I think you'll really enjoy!
Let's start with pork and cabbage tacos...
Pork and Cabbage Tacos recipe
1 1/2 pounds pork loin
1 large onion, sliced thin
2 large poblano peppers, sliced thin
1/2 head cabbage, sliced thin
2 Tablespoons each of olive oil and butter
4 cups GF chicken broth
1 Tablespoon each of garlic powder and red pepper flakes
Place pork loin in a large pot with chicken broth, garlic powder and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 2 hours, or until the meat falls apart. Remove meat, reserving broth, and shred with a fork. (Add some of reserved broth if meat gets too dry).
Add oil and butter to pot. Saute onions and peppers until completely soft and caramelized; add cabbage. Stir and cook, covered, until cabbage is wilted and soft. Add meat. Heat through. Serve on corn tortillas, topped with sour cream. Serves 6.
Now, for something so totally different...you'll love it!!
Vietnamese Style Tacos
1 1/4 pounds round steak
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon powdered ginger
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
black pepper, to taste
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 bag cole slaw mix
1 bag shredded carrots
Red onion, cilantro, cucumber slices
Mix fish sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, sugar, honey, sesame oil, pepper, and 1/2 red onion and place in a large ziploc bag or container. Add steak and coat thoroughly. Place in refrigerator and marinate for at least 6 hours (24 is best). While meat is marinating, make a dipping sauce from the following and allow to sit for 4-6 hours before serving:
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 Serrano peppers, diced
Remove from marinade and grill on a hot grill. Cut into strips. Serve on fried corn tortillas with other ingredients as toppers.
Remove meat from marinade and grill on a hot grill until done. Serve on fried corn tortillas with toppers of cole slaw mix, shredded carrots, red onion, cilantro and cucumber slices. Dip in sauce. Serves 4-6.
Now, this next recipe isn't for a taco, but it's something fun to serve along with any kind of taco-type foods....I made these up one night when I was having a large group of people over and we were having a Mexican buffet for dinner. I put these out as an appetizer and didn't tell anyone what was in them and just watched :) They were all surprised by the punch they kicked! I call them "vaqueros", which is the Spanish word for cowboy (or "jeans", if you're from Spain). I like the "cowboy" translation :)
Vaqueros Recipe
6 ounces Wilton's dark chocolate candy melts
100 GF pretzel sticks
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Melt chocolate and add spices. Blend well. Dip 1/2 of the pretzel stick into mixture and place on parchment paper to harden. Makes 100.
So, there it is....a fun new way to celebrate Taco Tuesday!! Studies show that children thrive in environments where there are traditions for them...these traditions help mold and shape them, as well as give them anchors of safety in a constantly shifting world. Maybe Taco Tuesday( or Wienie Wednesday, or French Fries Friday, or Sushi Saturday) could become one of your family traditions :)
However, she usually only went there if she was working on Tuesdays. Thus was born the family Taco Tuesday tradition....if she was going to be home, I always made sure to have some kind of taco and my husband and I have continued that ever since (although, it's not EVERY Tuesday anymore....:)
I absolutely love the traditional taco with spiced hamburger meat, lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream and guacamole and I would never dis that! But, sometimes you just need something different. So, after a lot of research and experimentation, I've come up with some different types of tacos that I think you'll really enjoy!
Pork and Cabbage Tacos recipe
1 1/2 pounds pork loin
1 large onion, sliced thin
2 large poblano peppers, sliced thin
1/2 head cabbage, sliced thin
2 Tablespoons each of olive oil and butter
4 cups GF chicken broth
1 Tablespoon each of garlic powder and red pepper flakes
Place pork loin in a large pot with chicken broth, garlic powder and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 2 hours, or until the meat falls apart. Remove meat, reserving broth, and shred with a fork. (Add some of reserved broth if meat gets too dry).
Add oil and butter to pot. Saute onions and peppers until completely soft and caramelized; add cabbage. Stir and cook, covered, until cabbage is wilted and soft. Add meat. Heat through. Serve on corn tortillas, topped with sour cream. Serves 6.
Vietnamese Style Tacos
1 1/4 pounds round steak
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon powdered ginger
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
black pepper, to taste
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 bag cole slaw mix
1 bag shredded carrots
Red onion, cilantro, cucumber slices
Mix fish sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, sugar, honey, sesame oil, pepper, and 1/2 red onion and place in a large ziploc bag or container. Add steak and coat thoroughly. Place in refrigerator and marinate for at least 6 hours (24 is best). While meat is marinating, make a dipping sauce from the following and allow to sit for 4-6 hours before serving:
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 Serrano peppers, diced
Remove from marinade and grill on a hot grill. Cut into strips. Serve on fried corn tortillas with other ingredients as toppers.
Remove meat from marinade and grill on a hot grill until done. Serve on fried corn tortillas with toppers of cole slaw mix, shredded carrots, red onion, cilantro and cucumber slices. Dip in sauce. Serves 4-6.
Now, this next recipe isn't for a taco, but it's something fun to serve along with any kind of taco-type foods....I made these up one night when I was having a large group of people over and we were having a Mexican buffet for dinner. I put these out as an appetizer and didn't tell anyone what was in them and just watched :) They were all surprised by the punch they kicked! I call them "vaqueros", which is the Spanish word for cowboy (or "jeans", if you're from Spain). I like the "cowboy" translation :)
Vaqueros Recipe
6 ounces Wilton's dark chocolate candy melts
100 GF pretzel sticks
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Melt chocolate and add spices. Blend well. Dip 1/2 of the pretzel stick into mixture and place on parchment paper to harden. Makes 100.
So, there it is....a fun new way to celebrate Taco Tuesday!! Studies show that children thrive in environments where there are traditions for them...these traditions help mold and shape them, as well as give them anchors of safety in a constantly shifting world. Maybe Taco Tuesday( or Wienie Wednesday, or French Fries Friday, or Sushi Saturday) could become one of your family traditions :)
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