Taco Tuesday

I love tacos... savory spiced meats with fresh crunchy veggies and lots of salsa, yumm! Unfortunately most taco seasoning mixes have junky ingredients in them which takes the happy out of my Taco Tuesday fun. So I decided that it was high time I create a spice mixture to replace those seasoning packets. It won't be perfect for everyone so feel free to make tweaks and changes to it as everyone prefers slightly different combinations of ingredients in their 'perfect taco meat' (which is why there are at least 10 versions of taco seasoning at the grocery store and not a one of them tastes like the others) but I've been enjoying it in my lunches recently.

Before I get into the spice mixture I want to stop over in the mix-ins area of taco meat for a moment. Depending on what you are looking for taste-wise and the amount of added veggies you want to have in your meat there are many options for veggie mix-ins to cook with your taco meat. Some are:

• diced mushrooms (LOVE this, if you've never had mushrooms in your Tex-Mex food you are missing out man)
• diced onion
• diced peppers of many varieties
• shredded carrot
• shredded zucchini
• diced tomatoes or tomato puree
• salsa (another favorite of mine)
• and more!

I personally use mushrooms and salsa (I pretty much always have these on hand and tacos can be a bit of a last minute dish for me, like pancakes! Sometimes I just get a craving and think 'why not?') as my go to. They are what I used last week but there are so many options! Try one, try them all, try mixtures of them, try new things altogether and tell me how they turn out! If you are new to adding veggies to your taco meat I would suggest that the smaller the dice the better for beginners so perhaps start with shredded and pureed veggies and then move up to a little chunkier portions later on. Personally I'm not a big fan of diced bell peppers in my taco meat due to the texture/bite so this may be something that you add later on as well if you are like me.

Another thing I do to add nutrition and flavor is use stock or broth instead of water when simmering my spices in with the meat. Something I noticed when checking out various recipes and packages of seasoning mixtures (other than the crazy amounts of additives and the fact that most have gluten) over the last 6 months or so was that bullion, or similar flavoring agents, was a common addition. It isn't necessary to use broth but it does help with that missing element from the flavor palate of the store bought packets, especially when using lower fat meats, such as poultry, that can be a bit lackluster on the flavor side and dry out easily. 

The procedure I use when making my (Tex-Mex/restaurant style) tacos is simple. I understand that these are not traditional tacos and while I do love those as well I was trying to replicate the simple 'brown meat and add a spice packet and water' style of taco meat with this recipe.

1. Cook the meat. I use beef and chicken most often but the possibilities are limitless.
2. Add all other ingredients to the pan, including enough liquid to simmer for about 30 minutes on low with (1/2 to 1C is plenty. When using salsa or purees I decrease the amount of broth as I typically work on a time crunch around dinner time).
3. Add mushrooms towards the end of cooking. Feel free to add these earlier with the other veggies but I like the texture of adding them a few minutes before the end personally.
4. Once mixture is at the consistency you want (most of the liquid will be gone but not all moisture) remove the pan from heat.
5. Eat your yummy taco meat on salads, grain free taco shells, baked sliced potatoes/root veggie chips, rice (if you include rice in your plan), etc. with even more fresh veggies like tomato, lettuce, or onion. If you include dairy you can put a little cheese or sour cream on them... maybe a little cilantro if you like cilantro. Options, so many options! :D

If you have a bit more time you can toss everything in the pan at once and let it simmer for longer so that the spices will really infuse into the meat as it cooks. This is what I ended up doing when making chicken tacos last week as I was doing meal prep and had more time. I did a quick shred at the end and had some wicked good taco meat on my hands. It's all a matter of time and preference. This isn't a recipe for tacos so much as a quick guideline on options for yummy tacos for those who aren't used to making tacos at home or are looking to try adding veggies to their dinners.

Ok, seasoning time! This seasoning mixture makes about 4 dinners worth of spice mixture (depending on how much spice mixture you prefer). I typically use 2-3 Tbsp per pound of meat. Just mix it up and store it in an airtight container between uses.

• 1.5 Tbsp Dried Onion Flakes
• 2 tsp Garlic Salt
• 1.5 tsp Ground Cumin
• 2 tsp Paprika
• 5 Tbsp Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 2 tsp Seasoning Salt (there is a good recipe here if you don't know how to make it)
• 2 tsp Onion Powder
• 2 tsp Garlic Powder

Basic Roasted Chicken

Roasted chicken can be quite complex but it doesn't have to be. This staple in the kitchen can be completed in about 2.5 hours with minimal hands-on time and makes a wonderful dinner. I made two chickens at once in a roasting pan with about 10 minutes of prep from start to finish and kept it very simple for this recipe (the recipe and instructions below are for one chicken). I wasn't at home when I made the chickens above which means that I didn't have fresh garlic or herbs... so I just used minced garlic, salt and pepper for the seasoning and stuffed the chickens with onion alone. It was a hit even without the herbs and fresh garlic. Also, since I went very simple I didn't need to tie the legs together but if you are going to be using stuffing you might consider doing so. I'm all about simplicity and using what I have available whenever possible so most of my recipes are easily adapted for a wide range of options, this chicken included.

INGREDIENTS:

• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• garlic- either dried minced garlic or fresh, to taste
• 1 3-5 lbs whole chicken with the giblets and neck removed (if included)
• 1 stick of butter
• 1/2 onion, rough chopped
• fresh herbs of choice, optional

NEEDED:

• roasting pan
• small pan/bowl to melt butter
• basting brush, optional

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Chop your onion and garlic (if using fresh).
3. Melt the butter.
4. Stuff herbs and onion into the cavity of the chicken. I tend to save any that does not fit inside to rub on the chicken after I salt and pepper it.
5. If you are using fresh garlic rub it onto the chicken. If not then you will add your dried garlic with the salt and pepper.
6. Sprinkle salt and pepper onto the chicken and place it breast side down into the roasting pan.
7. Baste the chicken with half of the melted butter.
8. Bake the chicken for 15-20 minutes.
9. Reduce the oven's temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
10. Baste the chicken with the remaining melted butter and continue baking at the reduced temperature for 1.5-2 hours depending on the weight of the chicken. (Do not consume under-cooked chicken. Please check internal temperature of chicken.)
11. Allow the chicken to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving it in order to maintain the moistness of the meat.

Back to Basics: How to Make Ghee

"Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in ancient India and is commonly used in South Asian cuisines, traditional medicine, and religious rituals." -Wikipedia

In today's world there are a lot of people who cannot tolerate dairy, myself included. One of the good things about ghee is that, when it is prepared correctly, the milk proteins are removed. This means that many people who cannot tolerate butter can tolerate ghee. Basically, it is the best of both worlds: the benefits (and taste!) of butter without the casein and proteins that you may react to.

You can find ghee in the store:

... but I suggest you make it yourself if you have lactose intolerance as I have found that it is very easy and a lot more of the milk proteins seem to be removed when I make it myself than when I purchase it at the store. The exception to this would have to be Tin Star Food's ghee. I have heard awesome things about their ghee from people who do not tolerate dairy well. This isn't to say that other brands' ghee isn't great, I just haven't tried it so I don't want to speak to it. The brand of ghee you see above ended up making me decide to stop being lazy and make some ghee at home again. That's good for you guys though because you can now see how I make it!

INGREDIENTS: 

• butter (grass-fed butter is a little more difficult to find but is the best due to the higher quality... more vitamins for one!)

EQUIPMENT:

• small pot
• cheesecloth
• glass container for storing ghee

PROCEDURE:
1. Place butter in sauce pan over low heat. I couldn't find grass-fed unsalted butter so I am using a salted variation.

2. Check on butter regularly over the next 2-3 hours, stirring as necessary. It does take a long time to make but you don't have to stand over it the whole time. I often put it on and then go clean my house or do homework, checking on it about every 20-30 minutes. 

3. When you see the milk solids have settled to the bottom and begun to brown so your liquid butter has become golden in color it is time to remove it from the heat. When it gets close to this point though I suggest you stick close to your pot to make sure you only slightly brown the solids verses burning them. I should have left this batch on the stove for a few more minutes so that the milk solids would brown a bit more but I was running behind. It still came out beautifully though.

4. Strain the liquid through cheesecloth into a non-plastic container (I have melted a plastic one before... oh the mess!). The milk solids will remain in the cheesecloth while your ghee will strain through the mesh to the container beneath.

5. Place your ghee in a container. If it has been prepared properly you won't need to refrigerate it and it will last for months!

The unrefrigerated ghee is on the left but if you do store it in the fridge it will look like you see on the right.


One thing to understand about ghee is that the flavor is more intense than the butter you started with. I would suggest adding a little at a time to your dish when first learning to cook with ghee for this reason. Another, awesome, thing to know is that the smoke point is incredibly high so it is great for high heat cooking like sautes and stir fries! I have heard it said that 'you flavor with it like butter but cook with it like oil' and I find that to be fairly accurate but I tend to use less ghee than butter when flavoring with it due to my personal preferences on taste.