Worth a Second Look: Taco Salad

Do you have any potlucks or parties that you need a dish for?

About a 1 1/2 years ago I posted my favorite Potluck dish...Taco Salad.  I think that this dish is worth a second look.  Last week my co-workers and I had a big potluck.  The theme was salads.  Each of us was to bring one of our favorite salads.  Hands down, I knew I would make this Taco Salad.

I actually got this recipe from a friend of my, way back when, who brought it to another potluck!  This is the perfect traveling salad.  Let me tell you, we had rice salads, green salads, chicken salads, bean salads, and my taco salad.  I do say that my travelled the best because of the use of cabbage instead of lettuce.  Lettuce tends to wilt and get soggy from the other ingredients and the dressing.  If you use cabbage, as in my salad, (and leave the dressing off) you can keep this salad all put together in the frig for several days without any problems!

This is a salad that you can alter on a whim.  By keeping the basis of the salad the same (cabbage, taco meat, tomatoes) you can vary the rest of the ingredients to suit your taste buds.  It is easy to make this salad for a crowd.  Use a whole head of cabbage and a 1lb of ground beef.  The rest of the ingredient and amounts are up to you!

Not only does this travel well and is the perfect potluck or party dish....but it tastes great too!

Hope you try this...it's worth it!
Enjoy!


With this particular salad I used:
cabbage
taco meat
chopped tomatoes
sliced jicama
cheddar cheese
cucumbers
pinto beans
crushed tortilla chips
Catalina dressing


To check out the recipe and original post click here.

Farmstyle Buttermilk Pancakes

Time for some old fashioned comfort food.  Farmstyle...

When I was a little girl my mom and dad would drive across country from California to a little town in Oklahoma to visit relatives.  My Grandmother lived in a little one main street town with a small population.  I recall that she had chickens and geese that would chase you, and a cellar out back in the ground for tornadoes.  Just like the Wizard of Oz.  Every visit we would go to another town to visit my Mom's Aunt Grace.  They lived on a lot of property.  Sort of a ranch I guess.  They visits would be full of family coming from all over Oklahoma and lots of stories and of course food.  Seems so long ago and a world away from today.

The other day I was going through my mom's recipes and found a recipe written in Aunt Grace's handwriting.  How special these old recipes are.  Family treasures to be sure.  This one was for what she called Farmstyle Buttermilk Pancakes.  I love pancakes.  I think they may be my favorite weekend breakfast food!  

The recipe looked so straight forward that I had to try them to see how they would turn out.  Would they be tall and fluffy?  Tender, and a little tangy?  Oh boy are they!

This is my new go to recipe for pancakes.  So much that we had them twice in one week.  For breakfast on the weekend, and again for dinner during the middle of the week.  They are that good.  Imagine with my aunt's own fresh eggs, and milk.  They would be even more heavenly.

Try them for yourselves and see.

Enjoy!

Farmstyle Buttermilk Pancakes

By Aunt Grace

1 c flour

2 T sugar

1 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1 c buttermilk

2 T vegetable oil

1 egg

In a medium bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine. Make a well in the middle and add the oil.

In another bowl whisk together buttermilk and egg.

Add to dry ingredients and mix together until just moistened. Batter will be lumpy.

On a pre-heated cast iron skillet, ladle batter onto skillet for each pancake. Cook until golden brown and holes begin to appear on top. Turn on the second side and cook until golden brown.

Cilantro Lime Flank Steak with an Avocado Poblano Salsa

How about a little Latin flair on the grill?

MGG and I decided to make something quick and tasty on the grill to go along with my Southern Slaw.

Slaw goes with everything right?  So why not pair it with some wonderful flank steak and some homemade salsa!

I found this dish browsing on the internet and it sounded so simple, with straightforward flavors that would pack a punch.  So I promptly printed out the recipe and checked my kitchen for the ingredients. With the exception of the poblano pepper I had everything else on hand, including the flank steak in the freezer.

Latin dishes are very prevalent in LA and they became part of our family's routine meals when we ate out.  I love the flavors so much that I often cook dishes with Latin flavor to satisfy my cravings (cravings that are strong and often!).  MGG just said to me "You sure do like Mexican food, don't you."  He didn't grow up here so he doesn't understand the cravings...

However, he loves the flavors.  So much so that he just bragged over this dish.  He was "Mmmnning" through most of the meal.  That always make you feel good don't you think?

The end result of this wonderful dish?  This is a keeper!  Such a great recipe that is easy to put together.  This will be one of your new go to grill recipes.

Enjoy!

Cilantro Lime Flank Steak

serves 4 

1 pound beef flank steak
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup lime juice
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons snipped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder or chili powder

Score both sides of steak in a diamond pattern by making shallow diagonal cuts at 1-inch intervals. Place steak in a resealable plastic bag

In a small bowl, stir together the water, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, oregano, and chipotle chile powder. Pour marinade over steak in bag. Seal bag; turn to coat steak. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Remove steak from the marinade. Place steak on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium heat. Grill for 17 to 21 minutes or until medium doneness (160 degrees F).

Thinly slice beef across the grain. Top with Avocado Poblano Salsa. 



Avocado Poblano Salsa

1 poblano pepper
1 yellow, red, or green sweet pepper
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/3 c finely chopped red onion
2 T cilantro, roughly chopped
1/2 t lime zest
1 T lime juice
salt & pepper to taste
1 small avocado, halved, seeded, peeled, and chopped

In a medium bowl, combine peppers, tomato, red onion, cilantro, lime peel, lime juice, salt and pepper; gently toss to combine. Stir in the avocado.Serve over grilled steak.


recipes adapted from Better Homes and Garden