Taco Tuesday is our "thing." Every week Andy and I look forward to working together to make our tacos and guac better than ever! Follow the steps below to create your own fun-filled Taco Tuesday!
This recipe is not anything new or crazy or even super original or different. In fact, I wanted to make it as simple as possible, so I'm thinking this is how most already do taco night. If you are looking for "world's best taco recipe" or "the ultimate guacamole," this might not be the post for you. However feel free to try out our convenient, easy to follow steps that make our Taco Tuesdays so enjoyable.
At the end of this post, I will include how I prepare my meal in order to make it a tad more healthy.
Shopping List:
1 pound wild ground buffalo (you can use any ground meat; we use buffalo because it is high in protein)
1 bag of shredded lettuce (or a head to shred yourself)
1 bag of Mexican blend shredded cheese
1 container of light sour cream
1 can of seasoned low sodium black beans
1 box of brown rice (we get the quick rice that can be ready in 10 minutes)
1 bag of Mission Flour Street Tortillas (we like the small ones for portion control, but any tortilla vessel will suffice)
1 packet of El Paso taco seasoning (you can use any brand or make your own blend from spices in your cabinet)
1 bottle of Trader Joe's Chili Lime seasoning (or whatever you would like to season your rice with)
Guac is extra:
3 ripe avocados
1 roma tomato
2 cloves of garlic
1 small jalapeño
1 small red or yellow onion (we only use half then use the other half for another recipe on another night)
1 lime (we use half for guac and half for beer)
Kosher salt (or any kind of salt you prefer)
Prep Time: about 30 minutes, depending on how fast you chop
Cook Time: about 15 minutes
Instructions:
If you are interested in making guacamole, you will want to start chopping before cooking because everything cooks pretty quickly. We always start by chopping half the onion and the jalapeño into very small chunks. I like to save a few jalapeño slices to top my tacos. Next cut the roma tomato into small chunks. We do not use the slimy middle part of the tomato because it makes the guac watery. Next mince the 2 cloves of garlic. We have a really cool garlic mincing tool that makes this a breeze, and it is fun. We save the avocado cutting for last because they tend to make our cutting board really slippery. I like to use a special avocado tool, but Andy prefers a knife. Either way, cut around the seed of the avocado, remove the seed and peel, then cut the avocado into chunks based on how chunky or smooth you want your guacamole. Combine all the ingredients into a medium sized mixing bowl, squeeze half of the lime over the bowl, and smash! Andy uses a potato masher which is genius. I don't know why I never thought of that! Using a fork works too, but it takes longer and can get messy. Salt to taste, unless you want to avoid extra sodium.
If you are working alone, you can put aside the guac until dinner time. We have an awesome guac lock container that literally keeps guac green and fresh for days!!! If you are cooking with a partner, you could start the actual cooking while the chopping is taking place. That way you can eat sooner!
We start the rice first because that takes the longest at a whopping 10 minutes! Just follow the instructions on the box. The Lowe's Foods brand we buy says to bring water to a boil, add the rice, turn down to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. When most of the water is absorbed, add a few sprinkles of the Trader Joes's Chili Lime seasoning. Once all the water has been absorbed or cooked off, add a few more sprinkles and a small pad of butter. Sorry I don't usually measure this out, so it is difficult to say exactly how much we use. Andy said, and I quote, "This rice is the bomb!" I also caught him eating it straight out of the pot while putting away leftovers.
While the rice is cooking, brown the ground meat on medium heat. We like the buffalo because it is really high in protein and has very little fat. Once browned, drain the fat, and add the packet of taco seasoning. Stir the seasoning in and add a fourth of a cup of water. Turn down the heat and let sit uncovered while the rice finishes cooking.
The beans are super easy and quick if you get them canned. Just bring them to a boil and then let sit covered on a low-medium heat until they are warm. I usually put the beans on after I had the seasoning to the meat and let them sit for 5 minutes or so.
Once everything is cooked, you can build your tacos! Andy eats anywhere from 2-4 tacos, a couple spoon fulls of black beans, and one cup of rice. I usually stick with 2 tacos, a cup of rice, and a half a cup of black beans.
On days I want to eat a tad lighter, I build a taco bowl:
2 cups shredded lettuce
65 grams of cooked ground buffalo
20 grams of Mexican blend shredded cheese
1/2 cup of chili lime brown rice
1/4 cup of seasoned black beans
1 tablespoon of light sour cream
1/4 cup of the homemade guacamole
Topped with a few jalapeño slices and a lime wedge
I just add each ingredient into a bowl and stir. The mixed up end product is not very pretty, but it is delicious and very filling. This combination rings in at just about 500 calories according to my food logging app.
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