Taco Tuesday

It's time for another Taco Tuesday. (Yay!) Today's taco recipes include Grilled Asparagus & Avocado Tacos and Ice Cream Tacos. (Yes, you read that right!) Enjoy!

GRILL VEGETARIAN TACOS

This was on the Runner’s World website (by Meghan Kita, posted on June 28, 2013), and begins, “Ivy Stark, runner and executive chef for Dos Caminos in New York City, loves this healthy, filling recipe.”

The article begins, “Unless you're a no-meat athlete, your grill likely cooks hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken breasts, or steaks almost every time you fire it up. Sure, you'll throw on some veggies as a side dish, but the meat tends to take center grate.

“...You'll need to oil your grill and your avocadoes really well to ensure that they don't stick. The asparagus, you can just toss in oil before grilling. It's time-consuming to make your own refried beans, but they'll come out much fresher — and much less metallic-tasting — than ones from the can.”

GRILLED ASPARAGUS AND AVOCADO TACOS

Recipes by Ivy Stark, executive chef at Dos Caminos

View this online at https://www.runnersworld.com/nutrition-weight-loss/a20846612/recipe-grilled-asparagus-and-avocado-tacos/.

Ingredients

12 corn tortillas

12 teaspoons cucumber pico de gallo (recipe below)

12 ounces refried white beans (recipe below) OR store-bought refried beans

12 spears grilled asparagus

2 ripe hass avocados, grilled (oil them AND the grill really well to prevent sticking) and cut into twelve slices

12 teaspoons queso fresco

Directions

Warm the corn tortillas by placing them on a warm griddle for 30 seconds.

Place 1 ounce beans into each of the tortillas.

Cut asparagus in half and place on top of beans.

Place 1 slice of grilled avocado in each tortilla.

Top avocado with 1 teaspoon of cucumber pico de gallo in each taco.

Sprinkle with queso fresco. Serves 4.

CUCUMBER PICO DE GALLO

Ingredients

2 kirby cucumbers, ends trimmed and then peeled

1/2 small red onion, finely diced

2 roma tomatoes, finely diced

1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

1 serrano chile, finely chopped

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon olive oil

salt

Directions

Finely dice the cucumbers, combine with the remaining ingredients, and season with salt.

Let stand 30 minutes before serving.

REFRIED WHITE BEANS

Ingredients

1 cup dried cannellini beans

2 serrano chiles, split

1/2 gallon water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 medium yellow onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons lemon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

Directions

Wash the cannellini beans in a colander under the faucet.

Spread the beans out on a sheet pan or counter and sort through. Discard any stray dirt, stones, or shriveled beans.

Bring the water to a boil in a medium stock pot. Add the beans and the serranos.

Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook, skimming foam from the top occasionally, approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes.

To test for doneness, taste three or four of the smaller beans. They should be cooked through and creamy inside.

Drain the beans, and reserve the liquid.

Mash the beans, along with about a tablespoon of the bean cooking liquid, with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon until creamy but not completely mashed.

Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onion with the oregano and salt until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Add the mashed beans and cook, stirring occasionally. Cook until the liquid evaporates and the beans form a mass that pulls away from the sides and bottom of the pan, about 10 minutes.

Puree in the blender, while adding the lemon olive oil in a steady stream.

Season with salt to taste.

GREEK CHICKPEA TACOS

I found this, along with five other taco recipes, on the Runner’s World website (posted on June 26, 2018), though it’s originally from the Prevention test kitchen.

This recipe begins, “Bring the Mediterranean diet to taco night: This dish delivers probiotic-rich Greek yogurt, stomach-soothing mint, and 10 grams of fiber per serving for healthy digestion.”

Serves: 4; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes

This can be found at https://www.runnersworld.com/nutrition-weight-loss/a21946015/healthy-taco-recipes/. They were originally from: Prevention US.

Ingredients

1 can (15 oz) unsalted chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp dried oregano

4 whole wheat pitas (6" diameter), warmed

2 c mixed spring greens

1 large tomato, diced

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 c pitted kalamata olives, sliced

1/2 seedless cucumber, peeled and grated (reserve and dice extra cucumber for garnish, if desired)

1 c plain Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint + leaves for garnish

1 clove garlic, minced

Directions

Mash chickpeas with 1 Tbsp lemon juice, olive oil, and oregano in medium bowl. Spread one-quarter of mixture on each pita. Top with greens, tomato, onion, and olives.

Combine cucumber, yogurt, mint, remaining 1 Tbsp lemon juice, garlic, and a pinch of kosher salt in medium bowl. Drizzle over taco fillings. Top with mint leaves and diced cucumber, if desired.

Per serving: 429 calories, 17 g protein, 58 g carb, 10 g fiber, 6 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 16.5 g fat, 3.5 g sat fat, 8 mg cholesterol, 696 mg sodium

CRISPY VEGETARIAN TACOS

This yummy taco recipe comes from Kraft, and begins, “Make next Monday the most delicious meat-free Monday ever with these Crispy Vegetarian Tacos. Explore the recipe to learn more about these tasty tacos.” Of course, you can also use this for Taco Tuesday!

Prep Time: 25min.; Total Time: 25min.; Servings: 6 servings, 2 tacos each

To view this recipe online, click here.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. oil

1 Tbsp. KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing

1/2 cup chopped onions

1-1/2 cups frozen whole kernel corn

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed

12 TACO BELL® Crunchy Taco Shells, warmed

2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce

1 tomato, seeded, finely chopped

2 green onions, chopped

1 cup KRAFT Mexican Style Shredded Four Cheese with a TOUCH OF PHILADELPHIA

Directions

Heat oil and dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add onions; cook and stir 5 min. or until lightly browned. Add corn; cook 2 min., stirring occasionally. Stir in beans; cook and stir 1 to 2 min. or until mixture is heated through.

Fill taco shells with lettuce, bean mixture and remaining ingredients.

ICE CREAM TACOS

I can hear it now: Ice cream tacos??? Are you crazy?

Well, maybe. But this recipe is definitely something that makes for a perfect dessert – especially on Taco Tuesday.

This is from Leah Maroney, who, besides writing for The Spruce Eats, has her own blog, Mini Pie Kitchen.

For this recipe, Leah wrote, “Move over Choco Tacos, these homemade ice cream tacos are in town. You only need flour tortillas, ice cream, and chocolate chips to make these babies a reality.

“Get a little crazy and make your own ice cream or your own waffle cone shells. Or keep it simple and use the store-bought kinds. You really can't go wrong.

“Ice cream tacos are a fun party treat or spin on popular on-the-go ice creams. Just make sure to serve and eat them quickly!”

Total: 4 hrs 35 mins; Prep: 4 hrs 35 mins;Cook: 0 mins; Yield: 6 ice cream tacos (serves 6)

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

6 flour tortillas (6-inch)

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon sugar

10 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

6 scoops vanilla ice cream (or other ice cream of your choice)

Garnish: sprinkles

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Make 6 foil logs that are large enough so that the tortillas can drape over them to form a taco shell shape. Lay them on the parchment paper and drape the tortillas over each log.

Melt the butter in the microwave. Brush the butter over the top of each tortilla. Then sprinkle each tortilla with the sugar.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Remove them from the oven and allow to cool. Then place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 15 minutes or until very cold.

Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl for 30 second increments, stirring in between until it is completely smooth and melted.

Remove the bowl from the microwave and brush the melted chocolate on the inside of each shell until coated. Place the shells back in the freezer and freeze for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the chocolate has hardened completely.

While the shells are hardening again, take the ice cream out of the freezer and allow it to soften slightly. Fill each shell with a large scoop of ice cream to the top edge of the shell. Squeeze the shell slightly to disperse the ice cream, being careful not to break the shell.

Place it back onto the baking sheet and freeze again for 1 to 2 hours, until very firm.

Reheat the chocolate in 30 second increments until melted. Pour it into a loaf pan. Dip the top of each taco in the chocolate quickly, covering the ice cream and the top edges of the shell. You need to work quickly so that the ice cream does not mess. Spoon more onto the top of the tacos if needed and then sprinkle generously with sprinkles.

Place them back on the parchment paper and freeze again until the chocolate is completely hardened and then serve!

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