My Blog List

Sunday, June 30, 2013

A new approach to taco salad

Normally, when I make taco salad I use Ranch Style beans and a packet of taco seasoning and leave out the usual Catalina dressing--don't much like it, and I always have it left over in the fridge until I decide to throw it out. But lately I'm on a huge kick of avoiding prepared foods. I have a list of companies that Monsanto has dabbled their chemical hands in, and I avoid those products. So no more Ranch Style beans, even though they were a beloved Fort Worth product until ConAgra bought them out. And no Catalina dressing--in fact, no bottled dressings except Newman's Own--and no packet seasonings.
So I went online in search of a taco seasoning mix--it isn't mine, so I don't feel free to share it, but it had chili powder, paprika, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, cumin oregano, cayenne and black pepper. For proportions, check http://www.diylife.com/2008/04/10/taco-seasoning-from-scratch/
It's for a pound of ground meat, but I used it on a pound and a half, and it was great. Then I added tomatoes, avocado, forgot the onion (oops!), and romaine. Since Elizabeth was eating with us, we took out her portion before adding the cheese and dressing (she's gluten- and dairy-free). Then I added grated cheddar and the dressing.
Dressing was a bit of a problem. I looked at several recipes online that called for picante sauce, of which I'm not particularly fond (bad thing for a Texan to admit, I know). But I found one with a sour cream base, Italian salad dressing  (I used Newman's Own Vinaigrette), lemon juice, minced onion (forgot it again), a tiny bit of chili powder and salt and pepper. Find it at http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1715,152165-25199,00.html. We decided it was delicious and just right.
Served with a platter of fresh, Texas-grown corn on the cob. No dessert needed. Yum!
 

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