Taco Night

October 4 is National Taco Day! I love Tex-Mex! This recipe does make a lot of food, but a secondary dish (which I will share later) is made using up all the leftovers!

Taco Meat:

3 lb ground turkey (or beef)
2 TBS dried onion flakes
2 tsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp powdered beef bouillon (or 1 pkt Goya powdered beef bouillon)
2 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp sugar
1 cup water (a little more depending on cooking time)

Brown meat until no longer pink. Drain (if necessary).

In a small mixing bowl, combine the dried onion, flour, bouillon, garlic salt, cumin, paprika, chili powder, red pepper flakes, and sugar. Sprinkle onto browned meat. Add water. Simmer on low 20-30 minutes (while beans and rice cook). Add water a little at a time while cooking, if necessary.


Frijoles Negros (Black Beans):
2 cans black beans (drained & rinsed)
2 TBS bacon grease
1 cup water
1 tsp chicken bouillon
1 tsp sazon cilantro y achiote
1/8 of an onion (finely sliced or minced)
1/2 cup chicken broth (or water)

Heat bacon grease in a medium saucepan until sizzling. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and allow to simmer until ready to serve. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Add more broth or water if necessary.
(If you prefer refried beans, smash beans gradually each time you stir until desired consistency)


Arroz Amarillo (Yellow Rice):

2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 yellow onion (diced)
1/4 green bell pepper (diced)
1 Roma tomato (diced)
1 tsp chicken bouillon (I make my own chicken base that I use, I can share that recipe later on).
1 tsp sazon cualantro y achiote (Goya makes a version of this you can get from the grocery store, but I have a recipe for this as well)
1 cup long-grain or Basmati rice
2 cups water

Heat olive oil in medium saucepan. Sauté onion and bell pepper until soft. Stir in tomato, bouillon and sazon. Cook for one minute. Stir in water. Bring to a boil. Stir in rice, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Check the rice for doneness at this point. If rice is still a bit crunchy, replace the lid and turn off the flame. Leave pan on the same burner, and allow to set for another 5-10 minutes. Fluff before serving.



Toppings & Extras:

Soft taco shells, hard taco shells or tortilla chips (my husband sometimes likes to make a huge pile of stacked nachos)
Shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterrey jack, Colby jack, queso fresco, whatever you like)
Shredded lettuce
Diced tomatoes
Diced onions
Cilantro
Salsa
Pico de gallo
Sour cream
Nacho cheese sauce
(Really whatever you like!)

*If you want to cut some carbs, make a taco bowl with meat, beans & rice with some toppings thrown in there.