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Fast & Easy Dinner: Grilled Shrimp Tacos

partysugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 08:00:56 -0700

Happy Mexican Independence Day! Although many Americans confuse Cinco de Mayo with Mexico's independence, it's actually celebrated on Sept. 16. To commemorate the occasion, how about offering your family these quick yet delicious shrimp tacos? Served on warm soft tortillas with a simple sour cream-cumin sauce, these shrimp are plump and succulent. Although the recipe requires that you grill the shrimp, it also explains how to cook them under the broiler. If you have extra time on your hands, consider making a homemade Mexican fiesta complete with pico de gallo, guacamole, and salsa. Get the uncomplicated shrimp taco recipe now.

Celebrate Tuesday With Free Tacos, Courtesy of Jack

YumSugar — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:50:35 -0700

Taco Tuesday promos are, in my opinion, the best thing to ever happen to Tuesday, an otherwise uneventful day of the week. And for no apparent reason, fast-food chain Jack in the Box wants to get in on the action with its own version. Today only, print out this coupon, bring it into a store near you, and walk away with two free tacos - no purchase necessary.

Although I haven't been there since trying the chain's cheesy macaroni bites last year, I'm thinking tonight I'll head over to my local Jack to score a deuce. Will you do the same?

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Shrimp Cocktail With a Taco Kick

YumSugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:30:13 -0700

Until I discovered this recipe, I'd never considered eating raw corn off the cob. But since devouring these chile-rubbed shrimp with avocado-corn salsa, I've been adding raw corn to all of my salads. Now that you're a pro at cutting corn off the cob, try enjoying Summer's sweet bounty in a spicy shrimp taco.

Though the recipe is designed as a shrimp cocktail, I rolled up the salsa and shrimp in warm corn tortillas and served it with a side of black beans. The chile rub is richly decadent but not fiery, and it's easy to make on any type of indoor grill though I used a stove-top grill pan. Don't let the ingredient list intimidate you, either. Because the shrimp and salsa can be prepared in advance, this can be a fast and easy dinner, perfect for Summer nights. So try it for yourself.

Fast & Easy Dinner: Jamaican Curried Tempeh Tacos

partysugar — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 07:50:40 -0700

Just because a meal is meatless doesn't mean it can't be filled with flavor. This vegan recipe is jam-packed with tropical seasonings and varied textures. The onions and tempeh are slightly caramelized before being coated in cilantro, curry powder, and fresh ginger. Red pepper and mustard greens provide a necessary crunch that balances out the softness of the tempeh. The finishing touch, a sprinkling of peanuts, makes this dish subtly salty and oh-so-satisfying.

To look at the recipe, read more.

Jamaican Curried Tempeh Tacos
From Vegetarian Times

Ingredients

1 Tbs. peanut oil
1 small sweet onion, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, diced (1 cup)
1 8-oz. pkg. tempeh, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
2 Tbs. chopped cilantro
2 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 Tbs. lime juice
1 tsp. grated lime zest
4 6-inch corn or flour tortillas, warmed
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup curly mustard greens, finely chopped
2 Tbs. chopped peanuts, optional

Directions

Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until onion is softened.
Stir in tempeh, pineapple juice, cilantro, curry powder, and ginger. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook 5 minutes, or until pineapple juice evaporates and tempeh starts to brown, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat, stir in lime juice and zest, and season with salt and pepper.
Fill tortillas with tempeh mixture. Add red bell pepper and mustard greens. Top with peanuts, if desired.

Serves 4.

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Monday's Leftovers: Portobello and Zucchini Tacos

YumSugar — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 07:50:19 -0700

One of my favorite ways to liven up tired weeknight favorites is to give them a seasonal twist. Switch up the same old vegetarian tacos by swapping canned beans for farm-fresh roasted vegetables.

Slip leftover portobello mushroom caps and slices of roasted zucchini squash between warm corn tortillas to add a delicate earthiness to your meal. Add in spicy red onion and juicy fresh salsa, and your Mexican meal is complete.

For a tasty, wholesome meal, read more.

Portobello And Zucchini Tacos
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

5 medium portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed, sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 medium zucchini, cut into 2-by-1/2-inch sticks
1 medium red onion, halved and sliced 1/4-inch thick
12 (4 1/2-inch) corn tortillas
6 ounces (1 cup) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup fresh salsa

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss mushrooms with 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/4 cup water; season with salt and pepper. On another rimmed baking sheet, toss zucchini and onion with remaining teaspoon oregano and tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper.
Place both sheets in oven. Roast, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are browned and fork-tender, 25 to 30 minutes (zucchini may cook faster than mushrooms).
Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium-high heat, warm tortillas according to package instructions (they should be lightly browned but still soft). Wrap loosely in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
To serve, fill each tortilla with mushrooms, vegetable mixture, shredded cheese, and salsa.

Serves 4.

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8 Dishes That Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

partysugar — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:50:45 -0700

Cinco de Mayo is next Tuesday and I plan on cooking up a Mexican fiesta this weekend! If I can throw together a party in the office, you can certainly whip up your own celebration at home. For inspiration, I've rounded up my favorite dishes. From margaritas to nachos, here is everything you need para celebrar el Cinco de Mayo!

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Fast and Easy Dinner: Fish Tacos

partysugar — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:30:21 -0700

Sometimes Mexican food can be too rich and heavy. Not so with these fish tacos. They're high in flavor, but don't weigh you down. The recipe stuffs a soft flour tortilla with flaky white fish, a quick creamy guacamole, and a crunchy cabbage slaw.

Although it calls for red snapper, any firm white fish works wonderfully. Sound delicious? Wait till you read the recipe! Do so when you read more.

Fish Tacos
From Food & Wine

Ingredients

2 Hass avocados - halved, pitted, and peeled
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt
1 small jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
5 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 small head of napa cabbage, shredded (4 cups)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
2 pounds thick red snapper fillets with skin, cut crosswise into ten 2-inch-wide strips
Ten 7-inch flour tortillas, warmed
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
Hot sauce, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving

Directions

Light a grill. In a medium bowl, mash the avocados, sour cream, jalapeño, red onion, cilantro and 3 tablespoons of the lime juice. Season the guacamole with salt and pepper and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the guacamole.
In a large bowl, toss the cabbage with the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and the remaining 2 tablespoons of lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.
Brush the fish with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over moderately high heat until lightly charred and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer the fish to a platter and pull off the skin.
To assemble each taco, spread a dollop of guacamole on a tortilla. Top with a piece of fish, a few tomato slices and a large spoonful of the cabbage slaw. Serve with the hot sauce and lime wedges.

Serves 10.

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Sunday Dinner: Lighter Beef Tacos

YumSugar — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 06:00:36 -0700

Now that Spring is here, spend less time in your kitchen and more time outside enjoying your lush new surroundings. Dinner doesn't have to be heavy on the time or the calories for it to taste good, as evidenced by this recipe for piquant, spicy beef tacos. If you're looking for a gratifying meal that'll be ready in 20 minutes, then read more.

Lighter Beef Tacos
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

1 teaspoon vegetable oil, such as safflower
1 large onion, chopped
2 bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3/4 pound ground beef sirloin
12 soft corn tortillas (6-inch)
Store-bought salsa and shredded iceberg lettuce, for serving

Directions

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion and bell peppers; cook until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1 cup water; cook until water has evaporated and vegetables are softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add beef. Cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Season taco filling with salt and pepper. To serve, spoon filling onto tortillas, top with salsa and lettuce, and fold to enclose.

Serves 4.

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Tasty Tacos With Chile Verde

YumSugar — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:15:59 -0700

Over the weekend the weather in San Francisco was exceptionally nice; it was the perfect time to enjoy a delicious homemade Mexican meal with icy cold beers and a few wonderful friends. I had a couple days to plan, so I opted to make a slow-cooked chile verde, which combines the complex flavors of melt-in-your-mouth pork, sauteed onions, tangy tomatillos, and a variety of roasted chiles. Prepping all of the ingredients takes a couple of hours, but the work and patience required to make this dish are worth it. I served the moist scrumptious chile verde on corn tortillas with cilantro, sour cream, and fresh lime. To get started on this distinctive Mexican dish, read more.

Chile Verde Tacos
Original Recipe

Ingredients

5 poblano chiles
5 anaheim chiles
3-4 pounds pork butt
1/2 white onion, roughly chopped
1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
12 tomatillos (roughly 5-6 pounds)
1 cup homemade chicken stock or store-bought chicken stock
1 jalapeno, roughly chopped (optional)
1 jar prepared salsa verde (optional)*
12-20 corn tortillas
8 ounces sour cream
1 bunch cilantro
2-3 limes, sliced in wedges (optional)

Directions

Preheat the broiler. Place poblano and anaheim chiles on a cookie sheet. Roast the chiles on all sides. Be careful the chiles can burn quickly. If there are sides that are too hard to roast in the broiler, use metal tongs and the open flame of the stove to finish the roasting process.
Let peppers cool slightly and use a knife or paper towel to slowly peel the skin off of all the peppers. Set aside.
Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Brown all sides of the pork about 3-4 minutes per side. Place the pork in a Crock-Pot.
Reduce heat to medium and saute the onions and garlic in the pork fat until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Add to the Crock-Pot.
Remove the papery covering on the tomatillos. Place the tomatillos in a food processor. Add the skinned poblano chiles and anaheim chiles. Puree until smooth. Add to the Crock-Pot.
Add chicken stock to the Crock-pot. Simmer in the Crock-Pot on low for 10 hours. Add jalapeno, if desired and cook for another 2-4 hours until the pork falls apart. You might need a fork to break apart the pork. Add the salsa verde, if you need more liquid. You can cook this for shorter amount of time but I think the longer it cooks the better it tastes.
Heat tortillas in a pan or oven. Serve the tortillas warm with the pork and sour cream, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges.

Serves 6-8.

*I prefer Herdez, which can be found in your local grocery store in the Hispanic food section.

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Delilicious: Build Up an Appetite With a Taco Bar

LilSugar — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Tots of all ages love to build. While blocks may be the most common material used to create towers and castles, you can easily channel your lil one's enthusiasm to the dinner table with a meal that is meant to be creatively constructed. Taco bars allow you to present a variety of items to your finicky eater, while allowing him to build his own masterpiece.

YumSugar has a number of taco recipes ranging from fish and meat to vegetarian from which you can create the base of your meal. Then, simply fill bowls with various toppings from which your family can choose. Possible fillings can include rice, corn, salsa, beans, cheese, tomatoes and more. Offer up both taco shells and tortillas to give your budding chefs an opportunity to compare the textures and then watch them build the entree on their plates. For those kids who need a little encouragement to try something new, create a contest to see who can include the most colors in their taco or who can build the tallest one.

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