Taco Night
May 23rd, 2007 by FiddledeedeeAfter living in San Antonio for many years, I grew to love and appreciate Mexican food. There was actually a time in my young life, when I considered Taco Bell
good Mexican food. But after a visit to Mi Tierra’s in downtown San Antonio, I was forever cured. And spoiled. I left San Antonio behind, but not my love of a good Tex Mex restaurant.
With three kids in tow, our only dining options nowadays involve a well-lit menu and drive-thru service. Yo quero Taco Bell. No thank you. I’ve learned to make my own Mexican food. And while it can’t compete with Mi Ti’s, it’s passable. And unlike my dining experiences here on the eastern coast involving what they consider Mexican food, no one has to hold my hair while I yak. I’m just sayin’.
Am I making you hungry yet?
The point to this post, and yes believe it or not there is a point, is that I’d like to share my recipe for homemade Taco Seasoning. This is the mild version. You can add red pepper flakes to make it hotter. I’ve found that the hotter version, at least in our house, just gives Junior the scoots. And nothing spoils Taco Night at our house faster than a two year old with the scoots. Again. Just sayin’.
I use this taco seasoning to spice up lean ground beef for tacos, burritos and chalupas, or to add to tomato sauce for enchiladas. Oh, and if you have any seasoned meat left over, throw it in with your scrambled eggs the next morning and serve in a whole wheat tortilla.
Fiddledeedee’s Taco Seasoning
2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
1 1/2 Tablespoons Cumin
1 1/2 Tablespoons Paprika
1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
Just shake it all up in a ziploc, and store unused portion in the fridge until your next taco night.
Guacamole
Ripe Avocados
Lemon Juice
Garlic Powder
Salt & Pepper
Mash it all up. Add seasonings to taste. I have no idea about quantities. I just keep adding until it tastes good.
My cookbook will be out next year.
Whole Wheat Pita Chips
2 -3 Whole Wheat Pitas, whole
Spray lightly with Canola Spray
Sprinkle both sides with salt and garlic powder
Cut into wedges
Bake on cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.
Now serve with a Margarita. I don’t have a recipe for you for that one.
Buenos Nachos everyone! For more Works For Me Wednesday ideas, head over to Rocks In My Dryer. Muy pronto.
Posted in Works For Me Wednesday | 22 Comments »
May 23rd, 2007 at 1:45 am
Your guac looks like mine, except sometimes I add a diced tomato and/or onion. But just keep squeezing that lemon and shaking that garlic until it tastes right.
And cumin is my secret ingredient for almost everything Mexican. Except Rotel dip and guac.
May 23rd, 2007 at 4:01 am
I live overseas and had to come up with my own taco seasoning too. I found the key ingreds to be garlic (I have to use fresh but I cook it with the meat) and cumin and chili powder. But now I’m out of chili powder! I looked it up online and found one of its main ingreds is cumin. Go figure!
Do you make your own salsa too? I’ve figured out a tasty pico de gallo type recipe. It doesn’t keep at all but that’s ok as there are never leftovers. Do you use pita bread for burritos or can you get tortillas?
May 23rd, 2007 at 6:16 am
Thanks for the recipes; we love Tex Mex around here (my husband grew up in Texas)! I’ve recently discovered the joys of making my own taco seasoning.
May 23rd, 2007 at 6:30 am
My ex is Mexican and his darling mother taught me how to cook the real thing. Want some recipes?
May 23rd, 2007 at 6:50 am
What?? Taco Bell isn’t the real thing? Adios, Baja Steak Chalupa with Guacamole. I’m makin’ my own guaq. (Which I originally spelld quag. Shows you how Mexicano I am!)
May 23rd, 2007 at 7:31 am
Well, you know that I’m over crispy tacos right now, but if you’re ever down this way, I’m up for a trip to Mi Tierra.
May 23rd, 2007 at 7:39 am
I was just trying to make homemade taco seasoning last week. I think I got all those ingredients (and then some), but I see I didn’t put in enough. Thanks for the hint!
May 23rd, 2007 at 8:15 am
My dad was stationed in San Antonio in the late 80’s. Our favorite place was Alamo Cafe! I remember those hot buttered tortillas to this day, and I was only 8. I’ve been addicted to Mexican food ever since, even after craving only Mexican during two pregnancy’s. So glad I can still eat it when NOT pregnant! (Can’t say the same for peanut butter.)
May 23rd, 2007 at 9:00 am
Yuuummmmm!! It’s just after breakfast but I seriously am craving some Mex food. Great tip!
May 23rd, 2007 at 9:23 am
Thanks for these great recipes! I lived in Austin for 6 years and have been missing Tex-Mex ever since! New York has everything–except good Tex-Mex. I complain about this regularly to my husband.
Can’t wait to try your taco seasoning recipe!
May 23rd, 2007 at 9:30 am
I love me some good Mexican food! This sounds wonderful. While living in NM I found that you just through just about anything into a burrito shell. Its filling, cheap and good!
May 23rd, 2007 at 9:48 am
You had me til the whole wheat pita chips… that just sounds wrong.
May 23rd, 2007 at 11:23 am
I’m up for a trip to Mi Ti’s anytime! Yummy. We are so spoiled here in Texas to the real thing (real Tex Mex, that is . . .). If life ever leads us to the east coast, I might just die off!
Thanks for the recipes.
May 23rd, 2007 at 2:22 pm
The next time you get to Dallas we are SO going out for Mexican food!
May 23rd, 2007 at 3:04 pm
someone was asking about salsa….
i make my own. let me figure out the right #s and I will get it posted this evening.
but for an easy mexi tasting casserole we do have one of those…
i use either chicken or beef for the meat 1-1.5 lbs w/ground beef i brown it; w/ chicken i cheat and use canned
dump the meat, 1 can of red enchilada sauce, 1 can of green ench sauce, 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, 1 can of diced green chiles(or diced chiles and tomatos) i also add a diced white onion but thats a matter of choice.
in a 9X 13 casserole dish put a layer of tortilla chips(am going to try the whole wheat next time)
then pour all the sauce mixture over them
another layer of tortilla chips
bake at 350* for about 20 mins till warmed all through then put a layer of cheese on top(i use either mexi blend or some mixture of sharp cheddar and pepper jack) bake till melted
we usually serve this with mexi corn or rice or some variation of it.
May 23rd, 2007 at 8:07 pm
salsa-i am completely by the eye/taste cooker guys sorry for lack of real measurement
i use 3 med. to large tomatoes.
1 good size white onion
5-8 cloves of garlic
2 jalapeno peppers skins only i take out the seeds
1 banana pepper same for these
about 20 stalks of cilantro
1 tbs lime juice
i usually just quarter everything and put it all in the food processor till its just about pureed.
if you like it less liquidy i saw on rachael ray to take the center part w/ the juice and seeds out of the tomatoes as well but havent tried it this way yet.
if you dont like it as hot/spicy leave out one jalapeno and a lil of the cilantro…..
this pretty well fills my lil 3 qt chopper and i rarely have much left over….the kids beg for this
May 23rd, 2007 at 9:07 pm
You are the bestest friend a girl could ever want. I dub you “Domestic Goddess of the Week”.
I must try your recipes. We love Mexican food here.
May 23rd, 2007 at 10:27 pm
You make me laugh!!!!! I just read the post about the Evil O’s.
Incredible sense of humor… Seriously, you could make big bucks with it… or maybe you already do.
I’ve gotta try that taco seasoning. My husband isn’t cracked over the packs in the store, but we do love Mexican food!!!
May 23rd, 2007 at 10:43 pm
great recipes…thanks
anyth9ng hotter and we get the scoots here to and believe me, even though no mexican was involved, yesterday was full of them.
Love the blog
May 23rd, 2007 at 11:18 pm
I’m ALWAYS in the mood for Mexican food. Day, night, seven days in a row I could eat it.
Love the guacamole recipe–I’ll try that for sure.
May 24th, 2007 at 6:11 am
Dee–
you seriously crack me up. seriously.
–K
May 24th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
I can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted a good taco seasoning recipe…AND one that doesn’t have salt enough for me to retain more water than a dbl humped camel! Thanks for sharing!
Blessings,
Melissa