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?

Masonable Mondays #3 - Cheese Balls

Welcome to Masonable Mondays #3! Today we are doing after work snacks. I hate to admit this but at some point in my life I could make dinner out of wine and a cheese plate. I don't do that now! Well not often. But I do enjoy the idea. So this week I decided to make a cheese board in a mason jar. I filled each mason jar with juicy green grapes. Then I made two savory and flavorful mini cheese balls to suspend in a fruit cup. I made one with blue cheese and pistachios and another with jalapenos and bacon. You can't get board with these flavors. I packed the top fruit cup with some whole wheat Ritz crackers. This after work treat is definitely something to rush home to. Or take your snack outdoors. This Masonable would make great picnic food to share with friends. I hope this inspires you to roll some cheese balls of your own. Be sure to share your creations. I always love more #Masonable ideas.

Cheese Ball Masonable
Serves 1

Supplies

1 wide mouth pint Mason jar
2 empty fruit cups

Ingredients

Grapes
Cheese Ball of choice
8 round crackers

Directions

Add grapes to the bottom of the mason jar. Add fruit cup and place cheese ball in cup. Add lid and stack crackers on top of lid. top with inverted fruit cup and secure with mason jar ring. Store in refrigerator until ready to eat.

The first cheese ball I made was based off of a blue cheese cheesecake we have made for the Christmas holidays several times. It is savory and "funky" in a good way. I love the blue cheese, green onions and pistachios. It is very flavorful. Dear sister thought this one was her favorite. She said it was the more exciting of the two cheese balls. I have to agree.

Blue Cheese Balls
Makes 6 Balls

Ingredients

4 oz. 1/3 light Neufchatel cheese, softened
1/2 cup reduced fat blue cheese crumbles
1 green onions, finely chopped
kosher salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes, to taste
4 Tbsp. pistachios, shelled and finely chopped
Handful of parsley, finely chopped

Directions

Combine Neufchatel cheese, blue cheese and green onions in a small bowl. Season with salt and peppers. Mix well so all ingredients are evenly distributed. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Divide mixture into six and roll into a balls. Place in a shallow dish of pistachios and parsley; roll to coat pressing to cover each ball with nut and herb mixture. Serve with crackers and fruit.

Note: You can roll this recipe into as many cheese balls as you like. Make one cheese ball or even 8 mini cheese balls with a pretzel stick like a lolly pop.

The next cheese ball is both spicy and savory. It is reminiscent of a jalapeno popper. The center is creamy cream cheese, Mexican blend cheese and pickled jalapenos. A classic combination of yummy ingredients. To finish, each cheese ball is rolled in crispy, salty bacon. Why? Because bacon is always a good idea.

Jalapeno Popper Cheese Balls
Makes 6 Balls

Ingredients

4 oz. 1/3 light Neufchatel cheese, softened
1/2 cup 2% Mexican cheese blend
2 Tbsp. chopped pickled jalapenos
kosher salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes, to taste
6 slices bacon, pre-cooked and finely chopped

Directions

Combine Neufchatel cheese, cheese blend and jalapenos in a small bowl. Season with salt and peppers. Mix well so all ingredients are evenly distributed. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Divide mixture into six and roll into a balls. Place in a shallow dish of bacon and roll to coat pressing to cover each ball with bacon. Serve with crackers and fruit.

Note: You can roll this recipe into as many cheese balls as you like. Make one cheese ball or even 8 mini cheese balls with a pretzel stick like a lolly pop.

Linking to:
Ramblings of a (Bad) Domestic Goddess: Turn it Up Tuesdays
Carole's Chatter: Food on Friday - Cheese

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

Peach Pico de Gallo

This post started out as a taco idea, but I soon discovered that one ingredient stood out as the best part of the taco. The Peach Pico de Gallo was definitely the star. The taco was okay but nothing to drool over. The crunchy, sweet and juicy topping was something to get excited about. How did the new pico come to be? Well I wanted to make a fruit topping for a mustard grilled pork taco. I used my usual Pico de Gallo recipe and substituted 3 peaches for some of the tomatoes. I also used a yellow bell pepper instead of the green. This is what makes the peach pico crunchy. I omitted the garlic altogether and added some agave nectar to adjust the sweetness of the peaches. It really turned out amazing! It is great with chips for a sweet and salty snack. It complements BBQ flavors well. It is also delicious with pork, chicken, fish and shrimp. I also tried some on a ground turkey taco that I had seasoned with Piri Piri Barbecue Sauce. Very good! Definitely a great use of all those summer peaches available now. I will definitely make another batch before summer is gone. I hope you will too.

Peach Pico de Gallo
Makes about 5 cups

Ingredients

3 large peaches, pitted and diced
1 roma tomato, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 small red onion, diced
Juice of 1 lime
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp agave nectar, or to taste
Handful of cilantro, chopped
Kosher salt to taste

Directions

Chop all ingredients and combine in a large bowl.  Add lime juice, oil, vinegar and cilantro. Stir to combine and season with salt to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Serve with chips, BBQ, pork, chicken. shrimp, or fish. Try it as a salad topper too!

Mexicana Beef Tacos

I think I have found that secret ingredient that makes restaurant tacos and fajitas so tasty. It is called Maggi Seasoning Sauce! For years my dear sister has said she thought they used soy sauce in their marinades. She was not far off. We now know it is Maggi. It is similar to soy but it has more of a smokey note. When you taste it you will immediately think, that's it! It has a very familiar and memorable flavor. Now that I have convinced you that you need Maggi Sauce, don't fret if you can't find it. One chef says you can substitute equal parts soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. I found my bottle at the international grocery. It is also available online too.

You might be wondering how did I discover this secret? It was totally by accident. I bought the Maggi Seasoning Sauce to make another recipe. When I did a taste test of my new purchase I knew I had found a new flavor secret. I could not wait to experiment. Now I did not make the recipe I bought it for, I decided to try to recreate some tacos I had at a restaurant in Bossier City. The Carne A la Mexicana at El Mariachi are so delicious! They are served fajita style with the tortillas on the side just like the Alambre Chicken Tacos. It is a simple but favorful plate piled high with grilled skirt steak smothered in tomatoes, onions and peppers. They serve it with rice, refried beans, a dollop of sour cream and guacamole. They are so good! What I like about these tacos is it eats like ground beef, meaning it is easy to eat. No pieces of steak or veggie that you can't bite through. But then it taste smokey and fresh like fajitas. It is not heavy on cumin or chili powder the spices commonly found in ground beef tacos. As a bonus if served straight up without sides and toppings they are very healthy too. 

Well, I feel like I have nailed the flavor perfectly. The marinade makes the skirt steak smokey and savory. The pico adds fresh tangy and saucy flavor. I used my homemade Pico de Gallo but your can use store bought or your favorite recipe. If you like spicy add more jalapeno to the pico. It will be great! What I am still missing is their secret to grilling the skirt steak. They get a perfect crust and a medium rare center. So I am still practicing and perfecting the grilling. But I could not wait to share these tacos with you. They are so good! Trust me you have to try these on your next taco night.

Mexicana Beef Tacos
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 lb. skirt steak
Juice of 1 lime (3 Tbsp.)
3 Tbsp. Maggi Seasoning Sauce
3 Tbsp. vegetable or olive oil
2 tsp. chipotle hot sauce
Black pepper, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste
3 to 4 cups Pico de Gallo
8 small flour tortillas

Directions

Place skirt steak in a food storage bag. Combine lime juice, Maggi sauce, oil and hot sauce, whisk to emulsify. Pour over steak, seal storage bag removing as much air as possible. Place in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Flip bag over every 30 minutes if possible during the 2 hours.

Remove the steak from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. Pre-heat grill to high heat for 10 minutes. Pat steak to remove excess marinade and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes a side. Remove from grill and let it rest 20 minutes. Cut steak into 1/2” dice and set aside.

Heat a large skillet to medium high to high heat. Add Pico de Gallo and sauté until most of the moisture has evaporated. Add the steak and sauté until heated through. 

Place a skillet on high heat, when hot warm the tortillas on both sides until warm and blistered. To serve place beef mixture in warm flour tortillas.

Note: You can add additional toppings of you choice. I have tried cheese, sour cream and guacamole all delicious.

Print It

Linking to:
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
Love Bakes Good Cakes: Freedom Fridays with All Bloggy Friends
God's Growing Garden: The Great Blog Train
The Lazy Gastronome: Taco Tuesday Link Party

Piri Piri Salmon Tacos

I'm bringing Piri Piri back! Yes I am at it again, going to see how many times I can mention Piri Piri in a post. No really, I decided to put all the delicious Piri Piri seasonings, sauces and condiments to use tonight for tacos. I used salmon tonight but I look forward to trying many other varieties of fish and shrimp. The salmon is deliciously smokey from the Piri Piri Seasoning. The Spicy Cilantro Coleslaw adds fresh, sweet heat with the honey and jalapenos. The Piri Piri Mayo is creamy and spicy. It is the Piri Piri Sauce that is in there. I love the sweet flavor of the red bell pepper but it also brings the heat of the bird's eye chilies. It is funny that each component is spicy on their own but when you put it all together it to not too much. It is just right, great flavor and heat. I will definitely make these tacos again. I can't wait to roast a whole side of salmon and make these for Mom. It comes together so easily. This morning I made the Piri Piri Sauce first, then the Piri Piri Mayo and put them both in the frig to blend. Then about an hour before I was ready to eat put the coleslaw together. With all the components ready the cook and assemble was so fast. Another great, fast and healthy dinner thanks to Piri Piri.

Piri Piri Salmon Tacos
Serves 1

Ingredients

5 to 6 oz. Salmon filet
Piri Piri Seasoning, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste
2 to 3 flour tortillas
2 to 3 tsp. Piri Piri Mayo
Spicy Cilantro Coleslaw
Cilantro, to garnish

Lime wedge

Piri Piri Sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Grease a baking sheet with a little olive oil. Place salmon on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil. Season salmon with salt and Piri Piri Seasoning. Bake for 6 minutes, remove from oven and flake with a fork.


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

To serve spread each tortilla with Piri Piri Mayo, top with Spicy Cilantro Coleslaw, salmon, a squeeze of lime, cilantro and more Piri Piri Sauce. 

Linking to:
My Turn for Us: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends
The Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd You do This Weekend?

Spicy Cilantro Coleslaw

I don't remember how this recipe came about. I seem to remember making it for a BBQ dinner with the family. It was a huge hit with Mom and dear sister back then. I love the sweet heat in this slaw. The honey and rice vinegar adds just a hint of sweetness. They also balance the heat of the pickled jalapenos. The cilantro is also a great ingredient in this slaw, adds lots of flavor and freshness. This slaw is so fresh and light, perfect for a BBQ, fried fish or on tacos. That is my plan for this slaw tonight. It is going to add crunch to my Piri Piri Salmon Tacos. So I hope you will give it a try and don't forget to check out the tacos too.

Spicy Cilantro Coleslaw

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

1 bag coleslaw mix

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 Tbsp honey

1/4 cup pickled jalapenos, chopped

Directions

Whisk vinegar, oil, salt, honey and jalapenos in a large bowl. Add cilantro and coleslaw mix; toss well to coat and let flavors blend about 30 minutes. 

Linking to:
Carole's Chatter: Food on Friday - Picnic Food
My Pinterventures: Summer Salads Party

My Turn for Us: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends