Taco Tuesday! ***updated for Whole30

Taco Seasoning "Sand" Art

Taco Seasoning:

 

In a quart sized jar, combine:
     1 cup Dried Minced Onions
     8 Tbsp chili powder
     8 tsp paprika
     4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
     6 tsp oregano
     6 tsp marjoram
     4 Tbsp Real Salt
     1 tsp pepper
     8 tbsp Arrowroot powder or organic cornstarch 
     4 Tbsp Dried Minced Garlic
     4 tsp cumin

Use 2 Tbsp of seasoning and 1/3 cup of water per pound of ground meat.

Taco Sauce:

     1 #10 sized can of plain tomatoes  (whole peeled, diced, fresh, whatever.)
     3 1/4 cups water
     3 1/4 tsp chili powder
     1/4 cup cumin
     3/4 cup onion, chopped
     3/4 cup vinegar
     6.5 tsp granulated garlic
     4 tsp real salt
     3 tsp paprika
      1 tsp Cayenne (more or less to taste)

Puree in a blender then simmer over med/low heat for 30 mins to meld the flavors together. 
This freezes well in smaller portions, and keeps well refrigerated for several weeks.

Whole30 Veggified Tacos:

Season your meat with salt, pepper,  garlic & cumin, and then brown it in a large pan. Once it's almost done, add lots of veggies, like leeks, onion, shredded carrots, diced zucchini &/or squash, and season again.   Once the veggies are cooked down some,  add taco seasoning.  I usually cook up a big batch so that I can freeze some for quick dinners other nights. 

Tacos for the Freezer: 

***this was written pre-whole30, so keep that in mind.  Several of the ideas can still be used,  just omit the non-compliant ingredients.  

I buy a big package of ground beef, or turkey (or venison if its deer season) and cook it all up with onions and peppers, add the taco seasoning according to how many pounds of meat there was, add black or kidney beans and red lentils (you could do corn, shredded veggies like carrots, zucchini,  squash, leeks, etc. if you'd like.)

Freeze it in 2 cup portions.

Then it's a quick dinner to start:

     Tacos
     Taco salad
     Taco boats
     Taco stuffed baked potatoes
     Loaded nachos
     Frazer family Mexican bake 

     Mexican quiche.  I add fresh peppers, banana peppers, pepper jack
       cheese, and follow this "recipe".  I like to serve it on a bed of lettuce
       with sliced tomatoes & black olives.  And sometimes top it with sour
       cream or guacamole.

     Sam's Santa Fe Enchiladas adapted from this recipe. But use real cheese,
        and bake in the oven.  

     Cheeseburger macaroni  (excellent with gf pasta)

     Taco cornbread muffins

     Queso we sometimes add black beans and/or corn

Almond (or Cashew) Butter Chicken

Almond Butter Chicken with a side by side taste test of zoodles and Cumin Cauli-Rice

Almond (or Cashew) Butter Chicken

1. Cut 3 chicken breasts into bite sized chunks & place in a bowl. 
 

2.  Add:
     3 tsp real salt***
     Zest and juice of 1 lime
     1" ginger, peeled and grated
     6 cloves of garlic, minced
     2 tsp cumin
     1 tsp granulated garlic
     1/4 tsp Cayenne (more or less depending on your heat tolerance.)
          Stir and let sit while you...

3. Chop these veggies:
     1 leek, sliced
     2 bell peppers, cut into strips
     3 carrots thinly sliced into half moons (or spiralized)
     1 small head broccoli or 2 cups frozen**

4. In a saucepan, warm:
     1 cup nut butter
     1 cup full fat coconut milk
     2 cups chicken stock
     1 tsp salt***
     1 tsp granulated garlic*
     1 tsp cumin*
     1/4 tsp Coriander*
     1/8 tsp cardamom*
     1/4 tsp tumeric*
          Whisk until smooth.

5.  Heat a very large saucepan with coconut oil.  Once it's hot, pour the chicken in and sear on a sides.  Once browned, add your veggies** and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through.

6. Add the sauce and simmer until the flavors combine, and it starts to slightly reduce.   If it gets too thick, feel free to add more stock.

7.  Serve over cumin cauli-rice, or zoodles.  Drizzle with sesame oil.  Garnish with toasted cashews, thinly sliced green onions and/or cilantro if desired.  Kenny gave his a really healthy few shakes of crushed red pepper, too.

*you may substitute curry powder for these spices, if you'd like.
**if using frozen broccoli wait until just before you add the sauce to prevent it from getting mushy.
***I realize that it seems like an INSANE amount of salt,  but I put that much to make up for the omission of lack soy sauce

Kaitlyn  (5) took a picture of her plate too.

AND, if you're wondering who won the side by side taste test at the beginning, look no further.  Kenny's favorite was the cumin cauli-rice, but everyone else preferred the zoodles.  The slurp factor definitely played a role in the decision for the kids.  

Stuffed Poblanos

Stuffed Poblanos 

Sauté some veggies in coconut oil.

Add ground beef (mine was browned and frozen)

Season well with sslt, pepper, garlic, cumin, oregano and Ancho chili powder. 

Slice Poblanos in half, scoop out the seeds and membranes. 

Stuff the peppers with your filling. 

Spoon enchilada sauce on top and Grill or Bake until the peppers are cooked to your desired taste/texture.

Stuffed Poblanos:

2 Tbsp coconut oil

1 handful of Leeks  (or onion)

1 handful of Peppers

1 zucchini

4 cloves of garlic

 Salt

Pepper

1/2 tsp Granulated Garlic

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp oregano 

1/4 tsp Ancho chili powder

1.5 cups of ground beef*

Poblanos 

Enchilada Sauce

Melt your oil in a pan. Add veggies and seasonings and cook until softened.  Add your beef and stir until flavors are well incorporated.  Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.  

Slice the Poblanos, removing the seeds and membranes.  Stuff with your filling, and spoon Enchilada Sauce over top. Place on the grill and cook until the peppers are cooked to your liking.  (Or bake 400° for 25-20 mins)

I try to stay prepared and make dinner time less hectic by doing things ahead of time.  When. I buy ground beef, I cook it all up and leave some plain and bag it up in 1.5 cup portions for my freezer.  If you don't have meat already cooked, start by browning your meat, then add your veggies.  Just be sure to season each step of the way.  

If the enchilada sauce is too runny, feel free to cook it down some more.  I froze it the last time I made it, and it seperated a bit, so I let it simmer until it was the desired thickness. 

Potsticker Burgers over Asian Slaw

Potsticker Burgers over an Asian Slaw

I LOVE dumplings, potsickers, spring rolls, lumpia, etc.  However, since becoming gluten free, I haven't been able to have any since they're all wrapped in gluten!  Then I came across a recipe on pinterest for potsicker burgers over an asian slaw, and I was THRILLED!  I adapted it a bit and created this recipe, but the idea is not my own.  It has become a new favorite for us.  We used to love that cabbage salad with toasted nuts and crunchy ramen noodles (**cringes**), and the slaw in this recipe reminds me a lot of that salad. 

Potsicker Burger over Asian Slaw

Asian Slaw:

You can use whatever you have on hand, but this is what I included this time. Shredded broccoli stems would have been a good addition as well, but I didn't have broccoli this time.  Amounts are roughly estimated.  Buying a bag of coleslaw mix is also an option.

• 3 cups chopped cabbage
• 1 red pepper thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced, or shredded
• 4 green onions, sliced

Prepare cabbage, pepper, carrots and radishes and toss together in a bowl.  Set aside 2 cups to go into the burger mixture, then add the green onions, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Dressing:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. ginger, minced
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. gf soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. fish sauce
• 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
• 2-3 green onions, sliced

Place all ingredients into a Mason Jar and shake until well combined.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Toasted Nut Mix: 

I completely eyeball this, and use different nuts each time depending on what I have in my cabinet.

• 2 Tbsp. butter, or coconut oil
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds
• 2 T sesame seeds
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a pan on the stove over medium heat until the nuts/seeds become fragrant or toasted.  Or you could melt the butter and combine it all and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 mins.

Burgers:

• 2 lbs. ground turkey meat 
• 2 cups asian slaw mix (above)
• 1 egg
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. ginger, minced
• 4 Tbsp. gf soy sauce, or coconut aminos
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
• 3 green onions, sliced
• olive or coconut oil for cooking

In a large bowl combine the egg, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and green onions.  Whisk together, and then add the turkey and slaw mix, stir until well incorporated.

Heat a pan over medium heat with a bit of oil.  Add burgers and cook completely, about 4-5 mins per side depending on how large you make them.

To Serve:

Place some slaw on a plate, sprinkle with some nuts, put several burgers on top then drizzle with dressing, and enjoy!  

The original recipe combines everything but the burgers ahead of time, but I prefer the slaw to stay crunchy, especially if there are leftovers.  

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