Tuesday is upon us once again which means the delicacy that is a good taco is in order. Taking a new turn tonight, though, with the traditional dish, we decided to stuff those tacos in a pocket versus a shell. They almost look fun to eat as they are to say 10 times fast.

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Taco Pockets

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Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 pounds ground sirloin or ground turkey breast

  • 1 small onion, finely chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped

  • 1 tablespoon (a palmful) ground cumin

  • 1 tablespoon, (a palmful) dark chili powder

  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce

  • 1 teaspoon (1/3 palmful) coarse salt,

  • 1 tablespoon (1 turn around the pan) vegetable oil,

  • 4(12-inch diameter) soft flour tortillas

  • 1 cup mild taco sauce

  • 1 heart of romaine lettuce, shredded

  • 2 small plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

  • 2 cups shredded monterey jack

Accompaniments:

  • Cut fresh seasonal vegetable pieces and strips

  • Assorted organic tortillas like blue corn, red corn, or black bean

  • Prepared mild salsa, for dipping chips and veggies, recipe follows

Directions

Combine ground meat with onion, garlic, spices, and salt and form 4 patties. Pan-fry patties in 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat for 7 minutes on each side.

To make a taco pocket, blister a flour tortilla on a hot griddle pan for 30 seconds on each side. Place tortilla on a dinner plate and spread the surface with 1 /4 cup mild taco sauce. Pile shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and a handful of cheese in the center of the tortilla. Top veggies and cheese with a cooked taco burger patty and wrap tortilla up and over patty on all four sides. Turn square pouch over and cut from corner to corner, making 2 taco pockets that will not crumble and drip like traditional tacos.

Serve taco pockets with cut fresh seasonal veggies, assorted tortilla chips, and mild salsa for dipping.

So Mild Salsa:

  • 1 tablespoon (1 turn around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped

  • 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon (1/3 palmful) ground cumin

  • Salt and pepper

  • 1 (15-ounce) can chunky style crushed tomatoes

Heat a small saucepan over moderate heat and add oil, onions, peppers, and garlic. Season vegetables with cumin, salt, and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, until vegetables are just tender.

Remove the pan from heat and add canned tomatoes. Stir salsa to combine and transfer to a small serving bowl. Serve salsa at room temperature or chilled with veggies and assorted corn tortillas for dipping.

Yield: 2 cups salsa

Source