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

Seasoned Baked Chicken... Taco, Cajun, Italian, You Pick!

Once again we look at chicken. This easy recipe has about 5 minutes of hands on time and is ready before I've finished my evening 'chores' making it a go-to meal when I was married. I've had it on salads, as a protein main with steamed or sauteed veggies, and sliced cold in a wrap... it was pretty tasty any way I tried it. Feel free to mix it up and try this with other spice combinations, the recipe listed below uses Taco Seasoning mix but there are other options. See the "Mix It Up" note at the bottom for two alternate versions that I have already tried out myself.

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs Chicken

Enough taco seasoning to coat the chicken (1/4 C or 1-2 packets of clean taco seasoning or this)

NECESSITIES:

Large bag or deep bowl for coating chicken

Baking Dish

PROCEDURE:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Wash and pat dry your chicken pieces. You can use whatever kind of chicken your family prefers. Since I usually use this on salads I will often use chicken breast for the sake of being easy but that isn't the only cut that this will work with.
3. Place seasoning, home made or a clean store bough variety,  into the large bag. I usually start with half of my seasoning mixture so that I can add in more later and don't use more than I necessary.
4. Add chicken pieces in a few at a time and shake the bag to give them a good coat of the seasoning mixture. Remove the chicken and place it in the baking dish. 
5. Continue this process until all chicken is covered and placed in the baking dish.
6. Bake chicken until the juices run clear when cut. If you are using chicken breasts it usually takes 20-30 minutes but the time can vary depending on what cut of chicken you are using, if it is bone in/out, and etc.
7. Let chicken rest for a few minutes then serve. My favorite way to serve this is on a salad so I will slice up the chicken and add it to a big salad with lots of varied greens and veggies.

MIX IT UP: You can do this with a Tbsp of almond meal and Italian seasoning as well. Just add a little melted butter or ghee drizzled over the top for a delicious pairing with zucchini pasta or other Italian inspired meal!

Want a Cajun version of this? Just sub the taco seasoning for cajun spice mix and you've got the beginnings of one of the tastiest ceasar salads I have ever had. Yumm!

The possibilities are endless! :D