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

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

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

Chorizo Potato and Egg Tacos

Yummy! Yummy! Breakfasts tacos! Or in our case lunch. Dear sister was off today and I had a very light work load today at home. So I finally got around to making these delicious Chorizo Potato and Egg Tacos. I have dreamed about them ever since I discovered my love for chorizo. When I lived in Texas it was common to see potato egg and sausage tacos on breakfast menus. They were so good! I just knew chorizo would take them to a whole different level. I started with the chorizo, I knew cooking it would render some tasty fat to cook the potatoes in. I precooked the potatoes a bit in the microwave to give them a head start. They browned crispy in the chorizo fat absorbing all the flavor. Last thing to prepare were the eggs, fluffy and cheesy with the addition of a Mexican cheese blend. Everything was so good together in a warm tortilla. With the spicy chorizo they don't even need salsa. They are great on their own. Perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I will definitely make them again for years to come.

Chorizo Potato and Egg Tacos

Serves 2                                  

Ingredients

1 medium Idaho potato, peeled and diced

1/2 (9 oz.) tube of pork chorizo

1 tsp. vegetable oil (optional)

Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

4 small flour tortilla

1 tsp. butter

3 eggs, beaten

4 Tbsp. Mexican cheese blend, divided

Directions

Place potatoes in a microwave safe bowl. Rinse potatoes with water until water runs clear. Drain water from potatoes, cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 3 minutes.

Place a pan over medium heat. Add chorizo to pan, cook stirring often until the chorizo is reddish brown with crispy edges. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add a little oil to chorizo fat if necessary and return pan to heat. Drain potatoes and add to pan in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper. Brown on one side for 5 minutes and then flip potatoes and brown for 5 more minutes. Continue cooking flipping potatoes until brown and crispy on all sides about an additional 5 minutes. Remove from pan and taste for seasoning adjust if necessary.

Place a dry skillet on high heat, when hot warm the tortillas on both sides until warm and blistered. Place in a clean dish towel to keep warm.

In pan used to cook chorizo and potatoes, lower heat to medium low. Add butter to pan; when melted pour in eggs and sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. of cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Stir eggs gently folding until just set, remove from heat.

To assemble the tacos, place two tortillas on each plate. Place 1/4 of the potatoes, chorizo, eggs and remaining cheese on each tortilla.

Linking to:
My Turn for Us: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends
Reasons to Skip the Housework: STH Link Party #81
The Lazy Gastronome: Taco Tuesday Link Party

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

Crawfish Enchiladas

Someone PLEASE! PLEASE tell me what is the best way to plate and even photograph enchiladas! It is so difficult! Yesterday when I made these enchiladas I gave up trying to get a photo and just ate. I put the leftovers in the frig. This morning I tried again. They were cold and much easier to serve. The results are much, much better; but you still can't tell there are two enchiladas on the plate. If you have any tips I would love to hear them.

Well back to the food! These are not a Cajun or Mexican recipe I got from Maw Maw or a Mexican grandmother. This is just something I made up many years ago. I think it might have even been a pantry and frig raid. You know those nights when you make something out of what you got. They turned out so good. There was something about Louisiana crawfish, the trinity of veggies, the cream of mushroom soup and the enchilada sauce that almost replicates an ettouffe. But then again you can still taste the chilies in the enchilada sauce. Oh and the cheese! That's definitely more Mexican than Cajun. These crawfish enchiladas might be the best of both worlds. I hope you will give them a try. This is a delicious way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a little bit of Louisiana style.

Crawfish Enchiladas

Serves 4 to 5

Ingredients

1 to 2 tsp. olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 ribs celery, sliced

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

Handful of fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 lb. frozen crawfish tails, thawed

1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup

1 can red enchilada sauce (mild)

1 to 2 cups Italian cheese blend, shredded

8 to 10 small flour tortillas

Kosher salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes, to taste

Parsley, to garnish

Directions

Set crawfish aside to thaw. Preheat oven to 375°. Next chop the all veggies into a small dice. Heat a skillet over medium high; add a tsp or more olive oil and sauté onion, celery and bell pepper. When onion is translucent add mushrooms. Sauté a little longer until mushrooms are soft. Add crawfish and heat through. Then add cream of mushroom soup and 1/3 can of enchilada sauce. When heated through add a hand full of cheese and stir to melt cheese. Take off stove and roll a spoon or two of filling in flour tortillas. Place in baking dish. Reserve some filling pour over top of enchiladas. Top with the remaining enchilada sauce and some more cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve garnished with parsley. Delicious with a green salad and avocado as a side.

Print It

Just for Laughs! 

Below is my first serving of enchiladas I tried to photograph. 

It was the best photo too!

Linking to:

Reasons to Skip The Housework: Skip The Housework Link Party
Dizzy Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday

Love Bakes Good Cakes: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends