I love Tacos!! No, I don’t think you understand I love Tacos! In fact if you are subscriber to my blog you may find that there will be a ton of recipes for tacos with steak, brisket, fish, shrimp, tofu, lamb… (oh yes I once made a ground lamb meat taco and it was unbelievable), pork and chicken. But tonight, lets talk Turkey! I’m not one of those seasoning packet kind of girls, some of my recipes take a little time and little bit of cooking and browning. But the outcome, oh my, the outcome. I mean I’m not gonna sit here and toot my own horn, but my ex literally came over the next day all the way from working way out in Diamond Bar to come have a second helping of tacos when we started dating. I would have to use at least 2-3lbs of meat so he could have left overs from then on. They are kid friendly, as I have made them for a ton of kids I have babysat for and their parents. Okay so here goes!
Mommy’s Taca Turkey Tacos
(Why the Taca? Well my Aunt Nannie was creole and you know creole people make up all kinds of names for things, especially when they get old. She called Tacos, Tacas with an ‘A’. LOL! I miss her so, that I use some of her sayings to feel better)
Ground Turkey (White Meat)
Olive Oil
Cilantro
Fresh Garlic
White Onion
Roasted Salsa
Salt
Lemon Pepper
Cumin
Oregano
Chili Powder
Black Pepper
Mince your onions & garlic. Roughly chop the cilantro. Saute onions & garlic in olive oil. (I use a big pot because I use a lot of meat. I also add a little salt to my onions & garlic to open up the flavors a bit). Saute until the onions are translucent and add cilantro. Saute and then add ground turkey. Add all seasonings. With turkey, you may need to add more seasonings because the meat is very bland. Once the meat is brown and crumbly add your salsa. Stir and let simmer for a bit.
Now as far as trimmings I don’t use the average stuff. For the lettuce topping I’ll replace it with shredded cabbage or dark leafy greens. I like thinly shredded colby or white crumbly queso. I chop avocados, no tomatoes. When in LA, I use a variety of tortillas. I love the handmade tortillas my grandma gets in East LA. I also love the Brown Rice Tortillas from Trader Joes. When I was in Texas HEB had these handmade small corn & flour tortillas they made fresh. They didn’t last long, not a lot of preservatives in them, but you end up eating them up before they go bad anyway! HEB also has a mild Roasted Salsa I LOVE!! When in LA I get my salsa from Deli-Mex. Ask for Abraham, tell him Valerie’s daughter sent you! His salsa is made fresh daily and is the best salsa I’ve ever had. When we lived in Monrovia, and we came to the valley to see my mom, Steven had to stop there or he would make me stop and bring some back home! And then he would just eat it straight with chips for a meal!! LOL! In Atlanta, a store called Boxcar Grocer has a really good brand they sell called Zocalo Salsas. They have a really good Chipotle Salsa. Spicy and delish!
If you are having a dinner party a great little set up is making up a taco bar. Have a big bowl of salad with some of my homemade dressing (see recipe below), black beans, rice and the fixings. You can spray the tortillas with a little of the Pam’s Organic Olive Oil Spray and place them in the oven for a few minutes to warm them up. Then cover them and put out for self-serve.
Homemade Salad Dressing (I stole this from my big sis, Essence)
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Honey
Flax Seeds or Poppy Seeds (for texture)
Combine Olive Oil, Balsamic vinaigrette & Honey in microwave safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds and then whisk together. The heat helps it mix. Everything is to taste. If you like a sweet dressing, more honey & less vinegar. If you like a savory, tart dressing, less honey & more vinegar.
