Steak Tacos

I've not ever had great success making steak tacos, but this marinade gave the steak such a yummy flavor - we both loved it. The original recipe calls for blending the marinade together and cooking on the grill, but I just put the marinade in a gallon-sized bag, then sliced the steak and pan-fried it. It was simple, easy to clean, and delicious.



Easy Steak Tacos
Source: Spend With Pennies

Ingredients: 
▢1 ½ pounds flank steak
▢8 small corn tortillas or flour tortillas, warmed
▢toppings as desired

(favorite topping: sliced grape tomatoes)

Marinade

▢2 limes juiced
▢1 T frozen orange juice
▢2 tablespoons olive oil
▢2 cloves garlic minced
▢2 tablespoons soy sauce
▢¼ cup cilantro packed
▢1 teaspoon cumin

Directions: 

Place steak in gallon sized bag, add marinade ingredients, and squish together a little bit.  Marinate at least 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Cook about 4-5 minutes per side (125 to 130°F for medium-rare).
Rest steak about 5-7 minutes before cutting. Cut steak into 1/2" slices across the grain and then cut into bite sized pieces. 

OR slice raw steak in strips. Heat butter in skillet and add steak. Cook until cripsy, remove from pan. Cook sliced grape tomatoes in same pan. 

Serve in warmed tortillas with desired toppings such as grilled grape tomatoes, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream and cilantro.

Mexican Haystacks

I looove this dish. It's got all the flavors that we love, but it's freshened up in a different application. Plus, the addition of the mango on top of the taco meat and rice is so refreshing (don't skip this ingredient - the mango really makes it!) This isn't the prettiest picture because we'd basically eaten all of the food before I remembered that I needed to take a picture so I just added the few remaining things that I had - but we've made this at least 4-5 times and never gotten a picture - so I knew I just needed to take a picture to get it on the blog, because this recipe is a keeper for sure! (We've also made this when guests were over and it was a huge hit.)  

Mexican Haystacks

Source: Adapted from Whole and Free and The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients:

3 cups uncooked rice

1 bunch fresh cilantro

1 lb ground beef
2 TBS taco seasoning (chili powder, onion salt, garlic powder, cumin)

1 onion, chopped
¾ cup water
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

salt & pepper to taste
2 cups salsa

Toppings: diced mango, diced avocado, black beans, corn, shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, salsa

Directions:
Start rice in a rice cooker. In a large skillet, brown ground beef and chopped onion. Add taco seasoning, salt, and pepper. When browned, add salsa and cream cheese. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer until cream cheese is melted. Add a tablespoon of water at a time until desired consistency is reached.  In the meantime, chop the cilantro, avocado, and mango and prepare remaining toppings. When the rice is done, stir in almost all of the fresh cilantro, leaving just enough to garnish each dish. 

Plate with rice on bottom, then meat mixture, then any of the desired toppings. 

Mexican Rice

A delicious side dish, but bulky enough for a meatless lunch or dinner. Yum! 

Mexican Rice
Source: The Peaden Life

Ingredients:
1/2 Onion, diced
3 cups Rice, cooked
1 can Diced tomatoes, drained
1 can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Corn, drained
1/2 cup salsa (to taste, more can be added for desired consistancy)
Salt & Pepper
Cumin
Chili Powder
Garlic Powder
Onion Salt
Paprika
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Directions:
In a large frypan, saute onion in a small bit of oil. Add rice, tomatoes, black beans, and corn and stir together. Add salsa. Season with about 1/2 tsp each of cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion salt, and paprika.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Top with cheese and serve.