Mexican Salads: Beef Taco Salad Recipe

Beef Taco Salad Recipe

1/2 pound ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
2 cups kidney beans, cooked or canned
6 cups Romaine lettuce, or a combination of green leaf
1 - 15 ounce can black olives, halved
1/4 cup green chilis, chopped
3/4 cup cheddar and/or mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 cup salsa, your choice
8 ounce bag tortilla chips


How To Make Taco Salad

Brown ground beef in a skillet until cooked through. Drain off fat and stir in taco seasoning. Set aside to cool.

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl and toss.

Pour salsa over the top and mix in.

Just before serving, stir in cool hamburger and tortilla chips.

Best eaten the same day. Refrigerate leftovers.

Serves 8-10 as a salad. Serves 6 as a main dish salad.

Cinco de Mayo Nachos

Cinco de Mayo Nachos

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 ounce corn chips
2 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
5 tablespoons bean dip
1 tablespoon guacamole
Sliced jalapeno

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange the corn chips on a baking sheet. Divide bean dip by spooning evenly onto each chip. Follow by sprinkling with cheddar cheese. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve topped with guacamole dip and garnish with jalapeno.

Cinco De Mayo: Steak Quesadillas

Steak Quesadillas

Ingredients:

FOR THE BLACK-BEAN SALSA

1 can (15 1/2 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
2 plum tomatoes, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Coarse salt and ground pepper

FOR THE QUESADILLAS

1 strip steak (8 ounces and 1 inch thick)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3 teaspoons olive oil
4 flour tortillas (10-inch or burrito-style)
1 1/2 cups grated pepper jack cheese (6 ounces)
1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, combine black beans, cilantro, tomatoes, avocado, lime juice, and cayenne; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Rub steak with oregano; season with salt and pepper. In a 10-inch skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over high. Add steak to skillet, and cook, turning once, until browned and still rare, 2 to 3 minutes per side. (Steak will cook a little longer in the quesadillas during baking.)Transfer steak to a cutting board; let rest 5 minutes before slicing 1/4 inch thick.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds. Brush one side of each tortilla with remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Place 1 tortilla, oiled side down, on each of two baking sheets.

Dividing evenly, layer with half the cheese, then onion and steak, ending with remaining cheese.

Top with remaining tortillas, oiled side up. Press lightly to seal. Bake, turning over once (with a wide spatula), until lightly browned and crispy, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board; cut each quesadilla into 6 triangles. Serve with black-bean salsa and sour cream.