Turkey Suiza Tacos

I really love tacos. I love suiza enchiladas too. The other day a saw a chef season ground beef with salsa for tacos. I immediately thought about trying green salsa to season ground turkey. And how should I top them? With classic suiza ingredients of course. Well let me tell you this turned out to be AMAZING!!! My dear sister was here the first time I made them and was less than enthusiastic about a turkey taco, but she loved them. The secret to these tacos is definitely the saucy turkey filling. The addition of cumin and green salsa makes the turkey delicious all on it's own but adding the cool and spicy garnishes really puts these tacos over the top. I love the combination. Melty cheese, seasoned turkey, pickled onions, spicy jalapenos, creamy sour cream, cool avocado and cilantro. It is so dang good together. But I am here to tell you build them your way. If you don't like spicy forget the jalapenos. Hate onions skip them. I tried these tacos many ways with different combos of toppings and the saucy turkey is always the tasty part. 

It's Taco Tuesday! How about giving them a try?

Turkey Suiza Tacos
Serves 4

Ingredients

Drizzle of olive oil (I used a jalapeno flavored one)
1 lb. 93% lean ground turkey
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste 
1/4 tsp. black pepper, or to taste
Dash of red pepper flakes
1 cup green salsa, taco sauce or salsa verde
8 small flour tortillas
1 to 2 cups queso, Monterrey or mozzarella cheese, shredded
Pickled Red Onions << Click here for recipe
6 Tbsp. sour cream 
2 Avocados, peeled and sliced
Cilantro, to garnish
1 jalapeno, sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions

Preheat broiler. Put onions to pickle. Place a skillet over medium high heat, drizzle with olive oil. Add turkey and season with cumin, salt and pepper. Brown, breaking up any large pieces of turkey until there is no more liquid in the pan. Add green salsa and continue to cook stirring to combine. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed by the turkey. Keep on low until ready to assemble tacos.

Place cheese on each tortilla. Place on a sheet pan under the broiler just until cheese begins to melt (about 2 to 3 minutes) and remove. Place some turkey over the top of the cheese. Top with pickled red onions, sour cream, avocado slices, cilantro and sliced jalapenos. Serve with wedges of lime.

These are the key ingredients that make the turkey so saucy good!

A melty cheese! 

The broiler melts the cheese and warms the tortilla all at once.

Linking to:
God's Growing Garden: Tuesdays with a Twist
Dizzy, Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday
The lazy Gastronome: What's for Dinner?
The Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd You Do This Weekend?

Birthday Taco Dinner

For my Birthday I decided I just wanted to hang out and have some tacos. Doesn't that sound relaxing? And tasty! Mom and I took those special ingredients from our shopping trip to the Super Mercado and turned them into a fantastic Birthday Taco Dinner. She found the menu in a cookbook from America's Test Kitchen called The Best Mexican Recipes. She chose Lentil and Chorizo Soup, Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Jicama Slaw and Hibiscus Tea. We just took our time and followed the recipes for the most part; making only minor adjustments. We started with the tea, then the soup, finishing with the tacos just before dinner time. It was pretty easy and we enjoyed talking while we cooked.

The soup recipe probably had the most steps. But some of the steps were new techniques for me. The recipe started by brining the lentils in warm salted water. This was the secret to making the lentils keep their shape in the soup. The other step that made a big difference is that they cooked the chorizo in the casing. Which really helped to make the chorizo easy to slice at the end. The soup was delicious, it had great flavor and texture. I loved the smoky flavor, all the veg and the bright vinegar to finish. Very good! I will definitely make this soup again.

Lentil and Chorizo Soup

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

1 lb. brown lentils, picked over and rinsed

Kosher salt and black pepper

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 lb. Mexican-style chorizo sausage, pricked with fork several times

1 onion, chopped fine

3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces

3 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, minced

2 Tbsp. ancho chile powder

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

7 cups water

2 bay leaves

1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar, plus extra for garnish

Directions

Place lentils and 2 teaspoons salt in heatproof container. Cover with 4 cups boiling water and let soak for 30 minutes. Drain well.

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium high heat until shimmering. Add chorizo and brown on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to plate. Reduce heat to low and add onion, carrots, 1 tablespoon cilantro, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to fat left in pot. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very soft but not brown, 15 to 20 minutes. If vegetables begin to brown, add 1 tablespoon water to pot.

Stir in chile powder, garlic, cumin, and cloves and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in water, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to simmer. Add lentils, browned chorizo with any accumulated juices and bay leaves, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently until lentils are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Discard bay leaves. Transfer chorizo to cutting board, let cool slightly, then halve lengthwise and slice 1/4 inch thick. Stir chorizo into soup and simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes. Off heat, stir in vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro. Season with salt, pepper, and extra vinegar to taste. Serve.

The Tacos were great too. What I loved was the combination of the sweet jicama orange slaw, the spicy shrimp and the crema. I L-O-V-E-D the crema! That was a big take away, there is a big difference between Mexican crema and sour cream. Crema is much more complex. It is a little sweeter and even richer than sour cream. I think I will use it more often now. We did decide we prefer flour tortillas instead of the corn the recipe called for. The corn tortilla just over powered the delicate flavors of the taco ingredients. All you could taste was the corn. The flour tortillas was great with everything, you could taste all the ingredients. It really was a great taco.

Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Jicama Slaw

Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen

Makes about 8 tacos

Ingredients

1 lb. jicama, julienned or shredded

1 tsp. orange zest plus 1/3 cup juice

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

3 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped

Kosher salt

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 Tbsp. oregano, minced

1-1/2 tsp. chipotle powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 lbs. extra-large shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed

8 flour tortillas (or corn, I like flour better)

1 cup Mexican crema

Lime wedges

Directions

Soak four wood skewers in water for 30 minutes or more.

Combine jicama, orange zest and juice, onion, cilantro, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Whisk oil, oregano, chile powder, garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in large bowl. Pat shrimp dry with paper towels, add to spice mixture, and toss to coat. Thread shrimp onto four skewers.

Preheat grill on high heat for 10 minutes. Place shrimp on grill and cook (covered) until lightly charred on first side, about 4 minutes. Flip shrimp, and cook until opaque throughout, about 2 minutes. Transfer to platter and cover with aluminum foil.

Grill tortillas, turning as needed, until warm and soft, about 30 seconds; wrap tightly in foil to keep soft.

Slide shrimp off skewers onto cutting board and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Serve with tortillas, jicama slaw, crema, and lime wedges.

Hibiscus tea was something we tried at a local restaurant a few months ago. Ki Mexico serves a great Hibiscus Tea, it is so delicious. It is sweet, tangy and has a hint of spice. So when we decided we wanted to make it at home I wanted to add some spice. So we took a little from two recipes, one from the ATK cookbook and the other this recipe for Agua de Jamaica. It turned out so good! This is something I will do many many more times. The hibiscus is naturally tart and fruity so when you steep it with sugar, cinnamon, ginger and allspice; it adds sweetness and warmth. Such a perfectly refreshing drink with a beautiful red color.

Hibiscus Tea

Makes 2 quarts

Ingredients

2 quarts water

3/4 cup sugar (or more if you like it sweet)

2 oz. (about 1-3/4 cups) dried hibiscus flowers

1/2 cinnamon stick

3 slices of fresh ginger

4 Allspice berries

Lime wedges to serve

Directions

Put 4 cups of the water and the sugar in a medium saucepan. Add cinnamon, ginger slices, and allspice berries. Heat until boiling and the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat. Stir in the dried hibiscus flowers.

Cover and let sit for 20 minutes. Strain into a pitcher and discard the used hibiscus flowers, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice berries.

Add remaining 4 cups of water to the tea, and chill. Serve over ice with a wedge of lime.

Linking to:
The Lazy Gastronome - Taco Tuesday Blog Hop

Saturday Trip Around the World

Recently Mom, dear sister and I went on a little adventure. We were looking for Hibiscus flowers to make tea. It took us to a little shopping center in Broadmoor where we enjoyed a Vietnamese lunch and shopping in a Super Mercado. They were right next door to one another. It was like a quick trip around the world.

Danh's Garden is a nice Vietnamese restaurant that offers a large selection of Vietnamese and Thai dishes. They have everything; spring rolls, noodle soup, pho, fried rice, stir-fries and bubble tea. We ordered fresh spring rolls, Tom Yum Soup with Vegetables, Basil Fried Rice with Chicken, and Basil Shrimp. Oh and we split a Milk Bubble Tea three ways. All very tasty.

When we finished lunch we went next door to Carniceria Super Mercado La Ranchera. They have a great selection Mexican herbs and spices, fresh meats and produce that you can't find in your typical grocery store. They even had a freezer with paletas (popsicles). We found the Hibiscus Flowers and decided to buy two bags. We also found some fresh Chorizo for my Birthday Taco Dinner. More about that in my next post. Dear sister had to have Bistec (thin beef steaks) to marinade for tacos. Mom and I had to buy the Nopals (Cactus Paddles) again for tacos. We all agreed we would not have a problem eating Mexican food two days in a row.

The Bistec was perhaps the most challenging. I just struggle with cooking thin cuts of beef on the gas grill. I think I need to break down and get a charcoal grill. They were very tasty because I used the marinade from my Mexicana Beef Tacos. But they never got those smoky grill marks you look for from grilling. We topped them with some Spicy Avocado Cream, Pickled Red Onions, Cilantro and Cotija Cheese. We made the Spicy Avocado Cream from a jar of jalapeno salsa dear sister brought back from Canton and an avocado. It was a big surprise how spicy and flavorful just those two ingredient turned out. It was so good. Creamy and spicy. I put it on everything until there was not a drop left. 

Then there was the nopals. I loved the cactus! We grilled it with some corn and made tacos. We adapted this Grilled Cactus and Corn Salad recipe into our own taco recipe. Again we loaded these tacos with Spicy Avocado Cream, Pickled Red Onions, Cilantro and Cotija Cheese. This was my favorite of the tacos. I loved everything about them. They had great texture and flavor. Cleaning the cactus was work but the tacos made it worth it. The next day Mom and I made a quesadilla with all the leftover steak, cactus and corn. That was Mom's favorite. I think she would do everything again just for another quesadilla. All in all this was a successful dinner and a fun trip. I look forward to going back to both of these little Broadmoor spots. If for nothing else to get more tacos ingredients. Now for the recipes.

Grilled Cactus and Corn Tacos
Serves 4

Ingredients

4 nopales, or cactus paddles
2 small to medium cob of sweet corn
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Lime, cut in half for juice
8 corn tortillas
Spicy Avocado Cream (recipe below)
Pickled Red Onions (recipe below)
Cilantro, coarsely chopped
Cotija cheese, crumbled
Lime, cut into wedges

Directions

Pre-heat the grill to medium-high heat for 10 minutes.

Clean and prepare the nopales. Trim or cut the edge off each paddle; trim the stem end too. Use a small knife to trim each of the needle locations flush with the rest of the paddle. Brush the cactus and corn with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Grill the nopales and corn until soft and slightly charred. The nopales should take about 5 minutes on each side; cook the corn for roughly the same time rotating several times. Let cool, then cut nopales into thin strips about 1/4 inch and cut corn kernels off the cob.

In a large bowl, combine nopales, corn, juice of half a lime, cilantro, and a light drizzle of olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Warm tortillas on the grill flipping often until soft and warm about 30 seconds or in the microwave again for about 30 seconds.

To serve place a spoon of cactus and corn mixture in each tortilla. Garnish with pickled red onion, spicy avocado cream, cilantro and cotija cheese. Just before eating, squeeze a little fresh lime juice over each.

Note: The cactus and corn mixture could be served as a salad or side dish as well.

I grilled extra corn. Dear sister loves corn.

Spicy Avocado Cream
Make about 2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup jalapeno green salsa (We used Green Fudge brand from Canton)
1 large avocado, seeded and peeled

Directions

Place ingredients in a blender and blend until well combined.


Pickled Red Onions
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Makes about 1/2 to 1 cup

Ingredients

1/2 cups white vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 red onion, thinly sliced

Directions

Place first 3 ingredients and 1 cup water in a pint or quart size mason jar. Stir until sugar and salt dissolve. Place onion into jar; pat down to make sure onions are covered with vinegar mixture. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Place in refrigerator until ready to use. Can be made 2 weeks ahead.

Linking to:

The Lazy Gastronome - Taco Tuesday Blog Hop

Thai Coconut Vegetable Soup

The other day I was at the store picking up the ingredients to make a pot of Hot and Sour Vegetable Soup. I was reaching for bamboo shoots when I saw the coconut milk. That is when the wheels started turning, what if I added coconut milk to the soup? I got both and I just kept thinking. By the time I got home I had decided that adding coconut milk would make the soup more Thai style. So I did some research. Most of the soup recipes I saw included ginger, lemon grass, fish sauce, herbs (basil or cilantro), chili paste, and coconut milk. Well I did not have lemon grass but I had everything else. So I went for it. I think it turned out amazing. I used a combination of lemon and lime juice to compensate for the lemon grass. I would not call the soup authentic at all but it was surely delicious. I did keep the simple cooking method or the Hot and Sour Soup. It is pretty much a dump and stir recipe. Ready in 10 minutes. I loved all the Thai flavors of curry, fish sauce and ginger. I think next time I may peel and slice the ginger in thin threads. I think I would enjoy leaving it in the finished soup. I loved the creaminess of the coconut milk too. It really balanced all the red curry heat. This is another great soup option. I see making it again soon.

Thai Coconut Vegetable Soup

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

Coconut oil spray

1/4 cup onions, diced

4 slices fresh ginger

1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped plus more for garnish

4 cups unsalted chicken stock

16 oz. package frozen stir fry vegetables (I used a sugar snap blend with carrots and mushrooms)

1 cup sliced mushrooms(I used reconstituted Shiitake, stem removed)

2 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce

2 Tbsp. fish sauce

2 Tbsp. Thai red curry paste

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 – 2 tsp. brown sugar

1 tomato, seeded and cut into strips

13.66 oz. can lite coconut milk

1 green onion, sliced

1 jalapeno, sliced

Lime, cut into wedges

Directions

Spray a soup pot with coconut oil, sauté onions, ginger and 1 Tbsp. cilantro over medium high heat. When onions begin to soften add chicken stock. Bring chicken broth to a boil, add frozen veggies, mushrooms and turn off heat. Add remaining ingredients except jalapeno, remaining cilantro and lime wedges; stir to blend. Remove ginger slices. Serve garnished with jalapeno slices, additional cilantro and a lime wedge.

Sheet Pan Jalapeno Shrimp Tacos

Sometimes I think I must live under a rock. I recently discovered Sheet Pan Suppers for the first time; only a year behind the rest of the world. I saw the Domestic Geek make 3 meals in one of her YouTube videos. I was very excited and immediately made the Chicken Fajitas. I loved it! I started telling friends like James at Aim'em and Claim'em Smokers. He made his twist and posted a video for Sheet Pan Tacos (Pork). I continued to talk about it with my Mom and jot down recipe ideas. Well last night I made my own twist. I have been wanting to try shrimp tacos made like the Mexicana Beef Tacos I already posted. So I adapted the idea to the sheet pan technique. It turned out so good! Sheet Pan Suppers are so easy! I covered the sheet pan with foil for easy clean up. I bought the peppers and onions already sliced. The only thing I had to do was slice the jalapeno and peel the shrimp. The vegetables cook perfectly, tender but still very fresh tasting. The tomatoes slump and release some of their juice so the tacos are messy in a good way. Now these are spicy, that is why I called them Sheet Pan Jalapeno Shrimp Tacos. I left the seeds in the jalapeno and they do pack some heat. But you could remove the seeds or leave out all together if you do not like spicy food. I really enjoyed the jalapenos with the tomatoes, lime and cilantro. Such a great flavor combo for the shrimp. The shrimp cooked perfectly on the sheet pan too. They have that snap or pop you look for in properly cooked shrimp. It was so good! But you know what? There was something familiar about this dish or pan. They reminded me of a dish I made years ago from Real Simple called Roasted Tomatoes with Shrimp Feta. It was made in a baking dish but very similar to the sheet pan suppers. So maybe I don't live under a rock after all? I hope you will give this sheet pan supper a try. I hope you love the flavors and easy clean up as much as I did.

Sheet Pan Jalapeno Shrimp Tacos

Serves 4; Makes approx. 8 Tacos

Ingredients

3/4 lb. of sliced bell peppers (red, green and orange) and onions (red and yellow) blend

1 jalapeno, thinly sliced

1 pint grape tomatoes

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. garlic powder, or to taste

1/4 tsp. cumin, or to taste

3/4 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste

1/2 tsp. black pepper, or to taste

1 lb. 26/30 shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

2 Tbsp. lime juice

8 small flour tortillas

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange bell pepper, onions, grape tomatoes and sliced jalapenos on a sheet pan. Season with olive oil, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss everything together so it is evenly coated. Place on middle rack of oven and roast for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl season shrimp with more olive oil, cumin, garlic powder and pepper. After the 20 minutes is up; remove sheet pan from oven and arrange the shrimp, cilantro, and lime juice on top. Place back in oven for another 10 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked. Serve with warm flour tortillas. 

Linking to:
The Lazy Gastronome: Taco Tuesday

Spaghetti Squash with Sofrito and Beans

I have heard sofrito is to Latin and Puerto Rican cuisines as the trinity is to Cajun cuisine. So many recipes I have collected from recipe boards and Pinterest start with sofrito. As I understand it each Puerto Rican family has their own sofrito recipe. Sofrito is usually a saute of onions, garlic, peppers, cilantro and tomatoes. It is added to everything from stew to beans. I have always wanted to try it for myself. This week I decided to finally give it a try. A long time ago during an online search, I saw a menu item called Spaghetti Squash with Sofrito and Beans. There was just a description no recipe or photo. For some reason it has been in the back of my mind as something I wanted to try one day. Well now I have gone and done it. And it is really good too. I love sofrito! It adds a sweet and tangy flavor to the beans. Dear sister remarked that it was similar to caponata. The onions, peppers, garlic and tomatoes really sweeten the sauce. The olives and capers add zippy acidity. This sofrito and beans is delicious on the spaghetti squash but I think it would be great in so many other ways. I think it would be great over rice, it would make a great side, a dip with corn chips or a filling for tacos or empanadas. I look forward to more experimenting with sofrito.

Spaghetti Squash with Sofrito and Beans

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped (plus more for garnish)

8 oz. can no salt added tomato sauce

1-1/2 tsp. Sazon seasoning

3/4 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp. black pepper, or to taste

1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can low sodium red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup pimiento stuffed olives, sliced

1 Tbsp. capers

2 small spaghetti squash

Directions

Heat a 3-1/2 quart saucepan over medium high heat. Add olive oil, onion, green and red peppers; sauté until onion is translucent. Add garlic, continue to sauté until fragrant. Add tomatoes, cilantro, tomato sauce and seasonings, stir to combine and bring back to a simmer. Add beans, olives and capers, cover and simmer on low while preparing the squash. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

To prepare spaghetti squash: Cut squash in half. Scoop out seeds and discard. Place cut side down in a microwave safe dish, add 1/4 cup of water and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave for 8 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes (You may have to do each squash or half separately). When squash is cool enough to handle, pull the squash into spaghetti like threads. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve: Top each spaghetti squash half with a serving of sofrito and beans. Garnish with additional cilantro if desired.

Linking to:
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
Love Bakes Good Cakes: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends
Reasons To Skip The Housework: STH Link Party
God's Growing Garden: Tuesday with a Twist
Spatulas On Parade: Wonderful Wednesday
Dizzy Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday
Ramblings of a (Bad) Domestic Goddess: Healthy Living Link Party

Pancake Tacos

This recipe was inspired by brown sugar bacon. I watched a few videos on the Brown Sugar Bacon BLT where they made this bacon. When I tried the bacon for myself it screamed pancakes to me. It has a sweet, salty, nutty flavor sort of like pecans. I knew it would be just delicious with pancakes. Well since I am taco obsessed right now I decided to use the pancakes for taco shells. All that was left was deciding on the rest of the fillings. Since it is pancakes and bacon then it should be breakfast right? So eggs? Maybe cheese? But what kind of cheese? And I can't forget the salsa! I decided on scrambled eggs, goat cheese and an apple salsa. After all goat cheese is mild and creamy and it goes well with eggs and apple. The scrambled eggs and goat cheese were so creamy, a great contrast to the crunchy bacon and apple salsa. The salsa turned out to be the biggest surprise, such a delicious combination. The honey, lemon, green onion, and cilantro really makes the apple salsa. It is the perfect crunchy topping for these pancake tacos. I can't wait to try it on a salad one day too. It is great with the bacon. I know both would make a great salad. Now believe me when I say this is a filling breakfast. Huge in fact, so get really hungry before you make it.

Pancake Tacos
Serves 2

Ingredients

Shake and Pour Pancake Mix

Apple Salsa:
1 pink lady apple, chopped
Juice of one lemon
1 green onion, sliced
1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 tsp. honey
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Red pepper flakes, to taste

8 slices low sodium center cut bacon
Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp. Butter, divided
4 eggs, beaten
2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
Maple syrup, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

Prepare pancake mix according to package directions and set aside.

Combine salsa ingredients and set aside.

Place bacon in a pan over medium heat. Cook until you start seeing a little brown color on the bacon (see first bacon photo), flip and sprinkle with brown sugar. Cook the second side until slightly brown, flip and sprinkle with brown sugar. Watch carefully the bacon will brown (or burn) fast now that it has brown sugar on it. Flip one more time to caramelize the sugar. Remove from pan and set on paper to drain.

In another non-stick pan, melt a little butter over medium heat. Pour enough pancake batter to make a 6" pancake. When you see bubbles on the surface of the pancake check to see if brown and flip. Cook until second side is brown. Place on a foil lined baking sheet and put in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter until you have four 6" pancakes.

In another non-stick pan, melt remaining butter over medium low heat. Add beaten eggs and season with salt and pepper. Gently stir eggs until soft curds form, continue to cook until eggs are set and remove from heat.

To assemble the tacos, start with a pancake, place two pieces of bacon inside, add a fourth of the eggs, top with crumbled goat cheese and apple salsa. Drizzle with a little bit of maple syrup.

after first flip with brown sugar sprinkle

with maple syrup drizzle

Linking to:
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
My Turn for Us: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends
Tornadough Alli: Throwback Thursday Link Party
Reasons To Skip The Housework: STH Link Party
The Lazy Gastronome - Taco Tuesday Blog Hop

Mesquite Grilled Tacos

IT'S TACO TUESDAY! I have to admit I have become a little obsessed with tacos lately. I look at everything and wonder would that make a good taco? I have always loved them but when I found a YouTube channel called Aim'em and Claim'em Smokers doing Taco Tuesdays; I started having them every week. You have to check out James' channel it not only delivers a delicious taco every Tuesday. He is also a very experienced BBQ fanatic. He shares all his tips and techniques for grilling, barbecue and smoking. He has also graciously made his version of two of my tacos on video to share with his subscribers. Go check him out!

Okay now for another delicious taco! This taco gets it inspiration from a meal dear sister had at a local restaurant called The Oyster Bar & Grille. The restaurant is so good! It is sort of an island or coastal twist on Mexican food. Check them out too! They grille all their delicious food with Mesquite. She had Mesquite grilled tuna and buttered grilled veggies with fresh pico. Now doesn't that sound like it would make a great taco meal? It does, oh boy it does! I used a smoking tray you can buy at the store to get that Mesquite flavor. It is so easy you unwrap it and toss it on the grill. The wood chips inside start to smoke and they impart delicious flavor to whatever you are grilling. I grilled zucchini, squash and a red poblano as a side. I grilled both shrimp and tuna for the tacos. I also made a spiced butter to bathe everything in. Many Mexican restaurants serve a spiced butter with their grilled meats. It was amazing! The Mesquite smoke and the butter has to be my favorite part of this recipe. The veggies and shrimp seemed to absorb the most smoke. The butter is flavored with chicken bouillon, garlic and wine! It was great with everything including the pico. Such a great combo. I can't wait to try these tacos with beef or chicken too. That butter and Mesquite are too good not to give it a try. I will caution, do not marinate the tuna and shrimp for more than the time it takes to heat the grill. The lime juice will start to cook them. Check out the photos below you can see the tuna changing color just after 10 minutes. I hope you will give these tacos a try. I loved telling you about them just as much as eating them.

Mesquite Grilled Tacos

Serves 2

Ingredients

12 shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 tuna filet

Juice of 1/2 of a lime

Drizzle of Olive oil

Several dashes of Maggi Seasoning Sauce

Spiced Salt (or salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes)

Mesquite Smoker Tray

2 wooden skewers, soaked

4 small flour tortillas

Pico de Gallo

Spiced Butter (recipe below)

Directions

Place skewers to soak for 20 minutes.

Pre-heat grill on high for 10 minutes. Place smoker tray on grill while pre-heating.

Drizzle shrimp and tuna filet with olive oil, lime juice and maggi seasoning. Turn to coat with marinade. Season both side of tuna and shrimp with spiced salt and set aside. Just before grilling thread shrimp on skewers.

Grill shrimp and tuna for 2 minutes each side for a total of 4 minutes. The tuna will be medium rare, if you prefer it medium or well adjust cooking time. Remove from grill and rest while warming the tortillas. Top or brush with spiced butter.

Place a skillet on high heat, when hot warm the tortillas on both sides until warm and blistered.

To serve place grilled shrimp or tuna in a warm flour tortilla. Top with Pico de Gallo and serve with a ramekin of melted spiced butter.

Do not over marinate the tuna and shrimp!
Ten minutes is just right.

Spiced Butter

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter with canola spread

1 tsp. chicken bouillon granules (Knorr)

1 clove (1/2 tsp.) garlic, minced

1/16 tsp. black pepper

1/16 tsp. red pepper flakes

4 leaves cilantro, minced

1/4 cup white wine (Chardonnay)

Directions

In a medium sized bowl combine all ingredients except wine, whisk to combine. Slowly incorporate wine whisking until thoroughly combined. Place in a container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Linking to:
Love Bakes Good Cakes: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends
The Lazy Gastronome: Taco Tuesday Link Party