Taco Tuesdays!

I love taco night. Making a big pile of tacos for friends (or just yourself) is satisfying and fun. As this was one of my favorite dinners growing up, I submit my mama's fried taco method for your consideration.

As you can see from the pictures, this is NOT a fancy meal. No special ingredients are required. Get yourself some tortillas*, some Mexican cheese, the meat of choice (I like ground turkey here, but beef or chicken or chorizo works just as well) and fixins.

Fixins may include:

• diced tomatoes
• cilantro
• red onion
• hot sauce
• avocados
• lime wedges
• jalapeno rings, or fresh jalapenos
• etc...

* Note: the tortillas can be controversial. I like small flour tortillas, and this method calls for frying them up to make them crispy. Of course you can use hard taco shells and watch your meal crumble all the way down your shirt, or you can use corn tortillas. It's up to you. But try it my way and see if you don't like it a lot!

1. Make the meat filling: sautee up your ground meat in a little bit of oil and once the pink has gone, start adding spices to taste. I like cumin, Mexican oregano, smoked paprika, chile powder, garlic and the kitchen sink. Be sure to use more seasoning than you think you need as the filling should be quite highly spiced. You only use a bit for each taco. Once the spices have been stirred in and the meat looks close to done, add the secret ingredient -- v8! Yep, a glug of the magical veggie elixir will bring the whole thing together and give it a little looser feel. To a pound of meat I usually add about 3/4 a cup, but eyeball this to ensure it's not soupy and not dry Goldilocks.

Meat filling:


2. Fill the tacos: put a small layer of cheese on one tortilla (don't overfill!) and top with a spoonful of meat. Try to get all the stuff out to the edges but leave a little space so they don't overflow and make a mess.

3, Fry the tacos: Heat up a sturdy pan (I use cast iron) over medium high heat. Once it's hot, add a slick of canola (or peanut or vegetable) oil. Just enough to coat the pan, not a puddle. Now place your taco, open faced, into the pan. It should sizzle right away if the pan is hot enough, but if not it's not a huge deal. Like pancakes or crepes, the second or third one will be better. Fry for 2-3 minutes and check the underside for color. Once it starts to get very lightly brown the cheese should have started to melt, and you can fold the taco in half, making it into the traditional half-moon shape. (Variation: you can also leave it open-faced the whole frying time, and add fixins while still flat. Then just fold it or roll it up once garnished. My mom always folded so that's what I do.) Continue frying for a few more minutes, flipping from side to side, until golden brown and delicious. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. You can pop the plate into a low oven to make a batch for the family. Or you can just gobble them up as you go which is what I often do.

4. Garnish: this part is completely up to you. I add the tomatoes, onions, cilantro tangles, hot sauce and avocado if I have it.

5. Devour. Repeat.


Buen Provecho! Enjoy!

In honor of my mama: sausage rolls!

It's Christmas time .. and there's no need to be afraid. Let's make sausage rolls and welcome people into our homes for treats and cheer!

A traditional British treat, sausage rolls are ubiquitous around the holidays. I always know it's the festive season when my mom starts rolling out the pastry and getting the whole thing happening. So, it's a "semi-home made" recipe, nothing from scratch, but absolutely delightful and worth the time it will take you.

Get a package of puff pastry from your grocer's freezer section. We like Pepperidge farms. Let it come to temp while you heat the oven and mix up the sausage. Grab a Jimmy Dean sausage chub and put in a bowl. Add a ton of black pepper, some sage (or poultry seasoning) and any other flavors you like. Consider garlic, chili, thyme, or whatever you fancy. Mix it all up and get ready to roll!

Roll out the pastry on a board, your goal being to stretch it to a longer shape than the square it typically comes in. Then cut the pastry into long strips. The only tricky part is getting the sausage into a thin log shape to fit into the pastry. Mom makes several strips of puff pastry, about 12 inches long and 6 inches wide. Roll sausage mixture into a rope and place along the pastry. It helps to flour your hands at this point, so you can manipulate the sausage but not mangle it. Once the sausage is placed on the pastry, roll over the edges and crimp down with a fork. It looks kind of like a long white snake at this point. Brush with egg wash (just an egg beaten with a touch of water) and then cut into 2 - 3 inch pieces. Mom likes to score the top with a sharp knife to make them pretty. Bake in the 350 degree oven until puffed, golden and with oozy sausage goo coming out (about 20 minutes, but just keep your eye on them).

Now, dont' be a fool, LET THEM COOL before shoving in your pie hole. Eat as many as 12 at a sitting, no more. Best with spritzies to wash them down.