In our family, one of my Mom’s frequent Sunday meals was Old Fashioned Swiss Steak. We lived a block from Church and sometimes walked, and I remember coming home to this Old Fashioned Swiss Steak in the oven. Just the smell, when we walked in the door, was enough to get our mouths watering!
Old Fashioned Swiss Steak
A menu of some of my favorite (over 50) make ahead meals (or portions of), sides and other items that freeze well. Click on the tag “freezes well” when you see it on a recipe – it will lead you to others! Note: When storing in plastic, only fill plastic with cooled to room temperature ingredients and don’t reheat food items in plastic unless it is specially formulated to be used in such a manner.
Bear with me please as I am updating this post = I apologize for the missing photos!
An obligatory visit to the Taco House in Arnold’s Park, Iowa is a long-standing tradition for those who flock to the “Iowa Great Lakes” during the summer. One local’s review on Yelp said “Crowds, mess, long lines, and sometimes indifferent food served up by surly local teenagers in the middle of Northwest Iowa doesn’t necessarily give one hope of a culinary high adventure!” I hafta add unless you are getting their Pueblan-style shredded Chicken, Tinga de Pollo.
I have a deep and abiding love of Mexican food, and one of those loves is Ranchero Sauce. Ranchero is a “garden” sauce of tomatoes, peppers and seasonings, easy to make and so versatile. It can be used in so many ways, it should be one of those “back pocket” recipes everyone (imho) should know.
Simple Classic Ranchero Sauce
Seriously, sometimes it seems there’s nothing more American than a taco! At least the versions with pressed shells and a packet – and truth be told, my kids inhaled those and I crave one every now and then. But if you’re looking to upgrade your taco game, check out these Picadillo tacos. They bring something that’s been lost to time in much of the US. They start with tradition.
Picadillo Tacos
Yep, tradition is the special ingredient here. While Picadillo evolved over centuries, rooted in Spanish and Mexican, and Latin American cuisine, these tacos will take about 30 minutes to make, and you’ll probably have most of the ingredients on hand.
Picadillo is a dish with many variations, so feel free to play with this recipe to suit your taste. This recipe isn’t hot as written, but I often jazz it up a bit, especially as my family is pretty much (Oh, I hope so! Crosses fingers…) finally grown. I seem to remember more a couple of years when my son looked at every food with suspicion, and I had to leave out the green olives or risk rebellion – a few dashes of the brine flew under his vegetable-hating radar.
These Picadillo Tacos are shown with a hard shell, freshly made, a bit crunchy, a bit chewy, there really is nothing like it! If you’ve only had the boxed variety of a hard shell, one made at home with a corn tortilla will blow you away. Use flour if you must.
Just a bit fussy, they are worth every single minute it takes to lovingly fry them. Best, of course, like anything fried, made at the last possible minute. Simple fried tostadas can be turned out very quickly if you’d rather shortcut, and these are wonderful in a simple soft tortilla, too. Directions are below for the hard shells.
Believe me, any way you make these, this Picadillo will be a huge hit! And isn’t it fun to have options to play with your food? With tacos, nothing is set in stone: you get to choose your shells, customize your filling, and best of all, add in all your favorite toppings!
If I have one on hand, I often add a bit of jalapeno or some red chili flakes to the Picadillo, or use a ground Chipotle powder instead of chili powder. Our favorite salsa? The Pico de Gallo on my Chipotle Chicken Copycat recipe.
Picadillo Tacos
A taste of Tradition, American style.
Add ground beef to skillet, breaking it up as it cooks. As soon as a bit of the fat melts and coats the skillet, add the onions and continue to cook until the meat is cooked through and the onions are softened. Drain the mixture, discarding fat.
Clear a bit of space in the center of the skillet and add garlic and spices, and allow to toast until fragrant, stir together. Sprinkle in flour and toast, stirring for a minute or two, then add potato, tomato, olives, and water or stock.
Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until mixture is thickened.
Hard Taco Shells:
Fill a small frying pan with oil to the depth of about 1/2 inch. Heat to about 350 degrees. Gently place tortilla in oil and leave it for about 10 to 15 seconds. Using a spatula and tongs, lift one side up and hold at an angle with the tongs while gently holding the side of the tortilla that is still in the oil down with the spatula.
Cook until the tortilla begins to crisp and lightly brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Carefully turn and repeat. Drain as much oil as possible off the taco and move the shell to a paper bag lined sheet tray. Best results are achieved when the shell is held in the “open” position to slightly cool before setting it down.
Did you know a potato masher makes short work of ground meats? And those scoops help perfectly portion?
