My family loves tacos. I don’t. I am not a meat eater, and Mexican spices have never been a favorite flavor of mine. The texture of refried beans, sour cream, salsa and guacamole dripping down my chin don’t hold any appeal for me either. I won’t talk about calories here, but seriously, this isn’t usually the diet plate.
I created this super clean, simple version of a taco, which is the way I would want to eat it, IF I wanted to eat it! You can even substitute the beef for mushrooms, and have a great vegetarian version.
They seem to love them, and this unrecipe even sneaks a few vegetables into B’s diet, which is a win all the way!
Cleaned Up Tacos:
Beef Filling:
Dice 2 garlic cloves and one small shallot.
Spray a large pan with cooking spray, and sauté the garlic and shallot with 1 pound of ground beef (I buy grass fed, organic beef with the lowest available fat content, which is a much healthier alternative to basic grocery store ground chuck).
Season it with a large dollop of ground cumin, some cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Add a little Tabasco sauce if you like it hot. Cook until brown.
Sprinkle the meat mixture with a little cornstarch (a tablespoon or so) and stir to coat. Add a little water (about 1/3 cup), and return it to the stove, mixing it well to be sure that no clumps form. This should form a thick sauce.
Toppings:
Shredded lettuce: Be creative: I used arugula
Chopped avocado
Chopped tomatoes: I used assorted baby heirloom tomatoes cut up
Shredded Jack cheese
If you really love the classic fillings, feel free to add all the goopy accouterments you like. I won’t judge!
Assembling:
Heat a whole-wheat tortilla on the gas flame of the stove for just a couple of seconds per side.
Add the meat filling. Top with vegetables and cheese. Fold in the sides, and roll it up.
Eat and enjoy!
