Taco Meltdowns

The above picture is all you will get out of this post because a certain 3 1/2 year old had a slight peanut butter and jelly vs. noodle freak out while I was cooking this up. However, this picture is my favorite part of cooking this recipe! One of my favorite smells, behind Lily as a baby/post bath now, and right above the just perfect stink of the dogs is onions and garlic sautéed with butter or olive oil. That smell alone will drive me wild!

When I was pregnant with Lily I was placed on the fat woman diet since I was gaining weight so fast. At first it sounded like a death sentence but then it ended up being one of the best things that could have happened. I followed the diet in the "What to Expect" books, which I only recommend for the recipes, the rest will freak you out, making you afraid to look at styrofoam or drive your car. Anywho, as someone who has grown up loving tacos and taco salad, usually made with the traditional Old El Paso seasoning mix, I was thrilled to see this recipe! It is so so so simple and I think tastes even better! I have done this recipe a million times and it never fails. Below is my version of what is in the book.

Beef Taco Filling

1 lb lean ground beef

1 small onion, diced

1 orange bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 can of kidney or black beans (rinsed if not organic)

1 clove of garlic

2 T. chili powder

1/4 t. cumin

pinch of oregano

olive oil

1/4 cup of water, as needed

Spray a large skillet with olive oil (I use a Misto) or add about 1/2 T. of olive oil till the skillet is coated. Add onion and peppers and cook until softened on medium heat. Once browned add the garlic and ground beef, cooking until the meat is a dark brown, about 5 minutes. Add the beans, chili powder, cumin, oregano and water if some moisture is needed. Simmer for 10 minutes until all the flavors are blended.

Notes:

When I make the filling for tacos I leave out the peppers. It tends to be a bit much going on for a simple taco filling. I discovered yesterday when I was making this that the dark red kidney beans I have from Publix are mixed with high fructose corn syrup! GROSS! I am working my way through using up a lot of stuff in the pantry before switching over everything and this made it to the top of the Whole Foods list! I felt that rinsing the beans helped to lose some of the grossness that they were canned in. Sometimes if we are feeling a bit crazy, or if I know for sure Lily won't be eating any, I dash in some Tabasco or red pepper flakes. You can add more chili powder to your liking but this is the minimum I would suggest.

I like to serve the filling for a salad over red leaf lettuce and garnish it with sour cream, shredded cheese, salsa (we use Paul Newman, medium) and guacamole if I have made some.

For tacos, I like to serve the filling in warm wheat tortilla's, garnished with everything above! The best part about this filling is that it tastes better after a few days when the spices have had a chance to settle in.