Tinkering With Taco Night

[elleng]

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/23/tinkering-with-taco-night/

[Warpy]

1. Bean tacos

aren't all that interesting, no matter how you spice the beans up with cumin, onion and garlic. It's just mush in the middle and there's not a whole lot you can do to disguise that fact.

However, put in some soaked, spiced bulgur and you'll swear you're eating a bean and meat mixture. Just pop in some finely chopped raisin to make the whole thing complete.

The type of carnivore who whines if there is no meat on the table has downed these with gusto and nary a moan except in delight.

[Duer 157099]

2. This will sound even more sacreligous, but

growing up, we used to make bean tacos using VanCamps beans. Their sweetness makes for a very different kind of taco. Fried corn tortilla, beans, shredded sharp cheddar cheese and some sour cream. Different but really tasty, imho.

[Warpy]

3. I used to eat baked bean sandwiches

and tortillas instead of bread is not much of a stretch.

[EFerrari]

7. That's a brilliant idea! I have to try the bulgar.

[tigereye]

4. we make em with ground turkey, and add all the fixings- black beans or

black bean salsa, salsa, tomatoes, and sauteed mushrooms, onions and red or green peppers. Plus the hard whole grain? corn taco shells. Yummy and so easy for Monday night dinner.

[NJCher]

5. Make your own nacho chips

I have been making homemade nachos---the chips themselves. They are really good if you have them in small batches when they're warm. If you cook up too many, they become rubbery. But not to be believed fresh!

It started when I was at the Latino grocery store not far from here buying some corn tortillas. We usually use flour but that day I was buying corn. I could see they had a big stack of corn tortillas on sale--for a lower price than the small. So I bought them, not knowing how I would ever use them all up. I got the idea to make my own nacho chips from them and just sprinkle salt on them. I did that and also Googled "homemade nacho chips." Someone else had thought of it, too.

Another essential thing is to have your salsa, sour cream (actually, we use the Guatamalen queso cream), and guacamole ready. Also fresh chopped coriander. Then make up your chips, and voila! I find putting two cut-up-in-wedges tortilla shells in about 4 T of corn oil does it. I sprinkle it with Dos Ancles barbecue salt.


Cher

[pengillian101]

6. YUM! n/t

[tigereye]

8. coriander! that's what we should add- don't know why I didn't think of it

:hi: