Taco Salad

Taco Salad
1 pound grass fed ground beef
Taco Seasoning (see recipe below)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Lettuce, torn into small pieces
Arugula
Tomatoes, diced
Sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Tacos (I used leftover tacos that I had in the cabinet, warmed them in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes)
Sour cream
Salsa
Guacamole
Use about 2 tablespoons of seasoning per 1 pound of ground beef.  Brown ground beef and then add seasoning and about 1/2 cup of water.  Cook until seasoning is absorbed.  Add a couple of spoonfuls of black beans to the pan of meat.  This will help to warm them up.  Break tacos in half and place on a plate, I used 2 tacos per plate.  Add lettuce and arugula.  Place a couple of spoonfuls of taco meat, add cheese, diced tomatoes.  Top with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole.  I also broke up another taco into small pieces and sprinkled on top of the salad.

Taco Seasoning

2 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon cumin

2 teaspoons salt

1-1/2 teaspoons ground pepper

There is enough seasoning for 2 different meals.  

Tacos with Homemade Taco Seasoning

I have found that I really like my homemade taco seasoning.  You can add some kick to it if you like but it has great flavor and I think tastes better than the store bought mix.

Here is the recipe for the taco seasoning:

2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoons ground pepper

There is enough seasoning for 2 different meals.  Use about 2 tablespoons per 1 pound of grass fed ground beef.  Brown ground beef and then add seasoning and about 1/2 cup of water.  Cook until seasoning and water is absorbed. 

The tacos are store bought organic corn tacos.  The toppings included vegetarian refried beans, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, salsa and avocado.  

Here are some helpful tips:
I grind my own cumin, it has such a better freshness to it.  I place about 1 tablespoon or so of cumin seed into a coffee grinder (be careful not to use the same one you would make coffee in).  Grind seeds until it turns into a fine powder.  Remove cumin powder to a small spice jar.  To clean your grinder just add some rice (white or brown, doesn't matter) to it and grind.  Dump rice out and wipe out grinder, you may have to do this a couple of times to get the smell out and for it to be clean.

I like to slice the lettuce for tacos and the easiest way to do this is to use a plastic knife.  Using a plastic knife to cut the lettuce will help the lettuce to not turn brown.

Taco Night

Tonight I had a hunger for tacos.  I make my own taco seasoning which is so much better than the stuff you buy in the store. 

Here is the recipe for the taco seasoning:

2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoons ground pepper

There is enough seasoning for 2 different meals.  Use about 2 tablespoons per 1 pound of grass fed ground beef.  Brown ground beef and then add seasoning and about 1/2 cup of water.  Cook until seasoning and water is absorbed.   I love making this because you can tweak it to your tastes. 

The tacos are store bought organic corn tacos.  The toppings included vegetarian refried beans, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, salsa and dried cilantro.  

Just in case you are wondering the fork isn't actually stuck into the taco, the taco is actually resting on the fork so that the taco doesn't fall over.  

Taco Salad

I like to make my own taco seasoning instead of buying pre-made seasoning.  Here is what I do:

2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoons ground pepper

There is enough seasoning for 2 different meals.  Use about 2 tablespoons per 1 pound of ground beef.  Brown ground beef and then add seasoning and about 1/2 cup of water.  Cook until seasoning is absorbed.    I love making this because you can tweak it to your tastes.

I used organic corn tortillas to use in the bottom of the salad.  I pre heated the oven to about 375 degrees Fahrenheit and then put the tortillas on a cookie sheet and cooked them until they were crisp.  Once crisp let them cook and then break them into the bottom of a bowl.

I added lettuce, beef, grated cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

I could have added black beans, refried beans, corn or any other ingredients in this salad.  I guess you can say I was lazy and wanted to keep it simple.