Taco Seasoning

I know I said I would have a post up on Friday, but I'm finding it hard to come up with writing something on Fridays, so I may just have to say "I'll post something once a week". We'll see.

Anywho, onto the recipe. I can't remember if it was when I got my first apartment (about 5 years ago) or if it was when Dylan and I got our first apartment (just over 2 years ago), but we got one of those huge jugs of taco seasoning. You know, the kind you can get from Sam's Club and the like. At the end of last year, we finally used it all up. (We make a lot of tacos and stuff with taco seasoning in it...)

I've been doing some research and trying to eat healthier, so instead of buying pre-made seasoning to replace ours, I decided to make my own. That way I could control the sodium content (which is great considering my family's heart history) and I would know exactly what went into it. And, once I scoured online for taco seasoning recipes, I realized that I always have these ingredients on hand! Fantastic!

The taco recipe I'm sharing with you guys today is adapted from Forkful of Comfort's recipe. I didn't have any ground coriander on hand, and I didn't think I needed corn starch, as I usually don't make saucy taco meat.

 Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Makes enough seasoning for 1 pound of ground beef.

My Take

I think this tastes way better than the kind we originally had. On the plus side, I can control how spicy it is and the saltiness as well. And, as I said before, I pretty much always have these ingredients on hand, so if we do run out of taco seasoning, it's not too hard to whip up a batch. One thing I did notice, though, was that even though it says it makes enough for a pound of beef (or turkey), I didn't actually have to use that much. So for me, it goes a lot further than what it says. Yay!

All ready to use

Oops....

Well, I forgot to put a post last Friday.

Ok, I didn't forget, I just couldn't think of anything to write. I do have one in my drafts folder, but I'm having a hard time writing it. I'm thinking I just need to write another recipe and let that one lie for a bit.

So, sorry. No recipe for last week. But I'm hoping to have one this week. Not sure what, exactly, but we'll see. I'm thinking of trying a chicken tortilla soup in the slow cooker, so we'll see how that goes. That could be the winner this week.

So again, sorry. But come back Friday for a new recipe. :)

Chile Colorado Burritos

Find the original here

 I found this recipe via Pintrest, and it just looked too good to pass up.I knew this was going to be one of those Pins that I just *had* to try. And so, the other night, I did. It didn't turn out quite like I thought it would, but I have some ideas to make it better next time.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds stew meat or other beef cubed
• 1 large can mild (red) enchilada sauce (at least 19 oz.)
• 2 beef bouillon cubes
• 1/2 can refried beans (optional)
• 5-7 burrito size flour tortillas
• 1 cup or so of shredded cheddar cheese

Directions 

Place the beef, enchilada sauce, and bouillon cubes in a large heavy sauce pan. Bring it to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Let it simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the meat is very tender (flakes off when you stir it). 

Heat up the refried beans and spread them out over the tortilla. Then, using a slotted spoon, dip out some beef and place it into the tortilla. Wrap it up like a burrito. Place it onto a cookie sheet or an oven-safe plate. Cover the burrito with the enchilada sauce and some cheese. Put it in your broiler, and broil until the cheese is nice and bubbly, about 2-4 minutes.

I also added some extra toppings

My Take
  
There were several ways on the original blog of how to cook this, but I chose the stove top way as I don't have a Dutch oven, and I thought of making it too late to cook it in the slow cooker. Next time, though, I'll be trying it in the slow cooker with a different kind of meat.

I'll admit, I forgot to set a timer while letting it simmer, but I'm nearly positive that I let it cook long enough. Even so, the meat (I used 2 pounds of stew meat) never really got that super tender. I'm not sure if it was because of the cooking time or because of the meat. The meat itself was tender, but it never got to the "flaking" stage. Next time, I may attempt to do something like my pulled pork and cook it for awhile in the crock pot, shred it, then cook it for a bit longer in the sauce. 

The original blog also said something about tasting it after it was done cooking and adding salt if needed. Mine did not need any salt, and it even tasted a bit too salty. I used the low-sodium beef bouillon cubes, so I don't completely understand where the salty taste came from. Probably because I used canned enchilada sauce instead of making my own. I'll probably do that next time. I also added a bit of homemade taco seasoning because in the comments, people were saying they couldn't taste the enchilada sauce, so I was hoping this would help. 

Also, if you don't feel like turning the oven on, you can also just melt the cheese in the microwave. However, the tortilla will be a little mushy, as it can get a little bit crispy when broiled. But the taste is all the same.

Ooey gooey goodness

Overall, this was a very good dish, and something I'll definitely make in the future.  

Happy New Year

I'll be seeing you more in 2013. First blog post is in the process of being written right now. Be looking for it soon. :)