EVERYBODY LOVES TACOS!
You know how I feel about tacos. It’s the only food shaped like a smile.
~Danielle Sanchez-Witzel & Michael Pennie, My Name is Earl, 2006 episode
FUN & EASY!
Now that you have some leftover chicken in the refrigerator (from yesterday’s soup) waiting for something interesting, try tacos. Or, forgo the chicken and have the vegetarian version. Tacos are a great way to involve everyone in the dinner-making process where they can put together the taco of their dreams. Variations can be as numerous as the imaginations around the table.
While I usually don’t focus on the amusement value of food, per se, making and eating tacos is fun! If you want to entertain, serve tacos and your party will be memorable. In my experience, kids love tacos. Engage them early in the kitchen goings-on and entire families benefit.
Here’s the plan: fill bowls with each of a dozen ingredients, put them in the center of the table, and let everyone select what they want to put in their own tacos. Quantities are easy to judge: use small bowls for 1 to 4 servings, medium bowls for 5 to 8 people, and large bowls for more than 8. Fill the bowls with fresh vegetables, none of which have to be cooked.
There is nothing mysterious about tacos, except maybe what exactly is in those refried beans? You could make your own, but I don’t and my guess is that you won’t either. The grocer’s shelf has a variety of brands in regular or vegetarian, so have them in your pantry in a pinch.
It’s a salad in a shell, containing:
- Whatever vegetables you like or have on hand
- Refried beans, and if you wish, meat
- Yogurt to add moisture, especially if you don’t have any salsa
- Top with cheese
Please feel free to improvise! Radishes, broccoli and celery leaves are additional taco candidates. Layer taco fillings in this order to keep ingredients inside the shell:
- Refried beans go on the bottom
- Then leaves (lettuce, cilantro, arugula)
- Then strips of vegetables (green onion tops, bell pepper)
- Followed by grated carrot
- Insert slices of cucumber, mushroom & avocado between the shell & the other fillings. An easy way to use a very ripe avocado is to slice it in half, remove the pit, and eat it right out of the peel ‘cup’ with a spoon.
- Top with yogurt and/or salsa.
- Sprinkle with cheddar, Reggiano, feta or goat cheese; bleu if you like more of a taste challenge.
SHELLS
You can use hard taco shells or soft tortillas, best if warmed prior to filling. They cool quickly so heat in small batches. Choose small shells or large. Smaller shells are easier to eat, especially for small hands, and soft tortillas resist falling apart a little better. Hard or soft, large or small: your choice!
The thing to watch carefully is warming the taco shells. Use a toaster oven or conventional oven and remove with tongs. They heat very quickly (one to two minutes) so keep an eye out that the edges don’t burn. Wrapping in foil will guard against burning and will hold in the heat as they are passed around the table.
Taco dinners are colorful with lots of different textures. Experiment with different fillings, just to see what tastes most interesting, and make a note of successful combinations for the next time.
SALSA
When summer rolls around, offering the wonders of the tomato world, we’ll make fresh salsa. Although it is not difficult to make, prepared salsa in jars at the grocery is quick, and isn’t mucked up with a lot of preservatives, salt and sugar. Select mild, hot or yowza! Many children don’t tolerate a lot of heat so you may want to have two degrees of salsa. Buy mild and add chili or jalapeno peppers (but not the seeds!) for those with a more robust taste. Prepared salsa is easy enough to jazz up. Add any or all of the following: fresh cilantro leaves, chopped garlic, green onion, red or green bell pepper (or yellow for more color), hot sauce, lime juice.
LET THE TACOS BEGIN!
PREPARATIONS also Listed on Left Sidebar
