Grilled Salmon Tostada Salad

I love the Costco coho salmon, but you always need a plan B because you get so much. This is a nice light grilled salmon tostada salad with a little smashed avocado and sour cream.

Ingredients:

Trader Joe's Flour tortillas

1/2 head shredded ice burg lettuce

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

6 diced green onions

1/2 bunch chopped cilantro

1 large or 2 medium avocado's 

Lite sour cream

Preparation:

First prepare the tostada bowls. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. I've used a lot of different tortilla brands and I highly recommend Trader Joe's. They're healthy, meaning no trans fat and taste great.

Place the tortilla's into the metal mold and bake at 400 degrees for 6 - 7 minutes. At this point, the tostada bowls are almost finished. Take the tostada bowls out of the oven and turn off the oven. Remove the tostada bowls from the metal mold and place them back into the oven directly on the wire rack and cook for another 10 minutes. At this point you will have a wonderful crispy crunchy tostada bowl.

Preheat a stove top grill pan to medium high. Brush some olive oil on each piece of salmon, season with salt and pepper and cook 4 minutes. After 4 minutes, rotate the salmon 90 degrees. This will give the salmon the nice cross hatched grill marks. Cook the salmon for another 4 minutes and turn the salmon pieces and repeat and you're done.

  

Shred the lettuce and place into the tostada bowl. Add some shredded cheese, green onions, cilantro and a few pieces of grilled salmon. Add some smashed avocado and sour cream and garnish with some chopped cilantro. 

Chicken Burrito

I remember when this style burrito which is called a wet burrito was becoming really popular in San Francisco. It's a regular burrito covered in enchilada sauce and cheese and put under the broiler until the cheese melts. The combination is awesome and if you've never had a wet burrito, do so soon!

Ingredients:

Flour tortilla's from Trader Joe's. No bad oils!

1 diced chicken breast

1 can black beans

1 cup cooked Rice or Mexican rice

1/4 cup Monterrey Jack cheese

1/2 bunch diced green onions 

1/4 bunch chopped cilantro

1 medium tomato

Sour cream

Preparation:

When I make burrito's, I toss everything into a medium sauce pan to make the filling. I start with black beans, heat them up and give them a quick smash to make them thick. Next, add the chicken, rice, cheese, green onions, cilantro and tomato. Mix all the ingredients and heat to to serving temperature.

Take a 1 gallon Ziploc bag and put in 1 tortilla. Place into the microwave for 15 seconds. Remove the tortilla to a plate and place about 1-1/2 cups burrito filling. Add some sour cream and roll up into the burrito shape. Spoon on some enchilada sauce and top with more cheese and place under the broiler for about a minute until the cheese melts. Garnish with chopped cilantro and a couple lime wedges.

Shredded Chicken Taco's

I love most Mexican food, but I haven't made shredded chicken taco's because I thought it was just to plain. Basically shredded chicken simmering in it's own broth, but boy was I wrong. This is so darn delicious that I'm making it again next week. The thing that takes it over the top is the fresh Pico de Gallo from O-Hana Salsa. O-Hana Salsa is a local company here in Bend and all of their salsa's that I've tried are amazing.     

 

Ingredients:

6" corn tortillas
1/2 cup shredded cheese
2 large boneless chicken breasts
2 avocado's
2 tablespoons lite sour cream
1/2 cup fresh Pico de Gallo salsa
Chopped cilantro
1 lime cut into wedges

Preparation:

Take a 10" sauté pan and add 1 cup of water. Add the chicken breasts, cover and cook on low for 20 minutes. Remove the chicken and let cool for 10 minutes. Take 2 forks and finally shred the chicken breasts. Please the chicken back into the sauté pan with broth.

 

To make the guacamole, take a medium bowl and add the flesh from the 2 avocado's. Add 2 tablespoon's lite sour cream, 2 tablespoons of the Pico de Gallo salsa and a little salt. Mix well and take one of the avocado pits and place into the guacamole which will keep the guacamole from turning brown.

 

To assemble your shredded chicken taco, heat the tortillas and place on a serving plate. Add some shredded cheese. shredded chicken, fresh chopped cilantro, guacamole, Pico de Gallo salsa. Serve with lime wedges and black beans.

 

Grilled Rib Eye Steak Taco's

You know when you've got that 1 killer rib eye steak in the freezer, but you need to serve 3 people, soft taco's are the ticket. In this taco, the grilled steak and smashed avocado are the stars. Add a little shredded cheese, cilantro and a squeeze of lime...Ya!

Ingredients:
1 - 10oz rib eye steak
Tortilla Land uncooked flour tortillas
Shredded iceberg lettuce
Shredded cheese
2 ripe avocados
Chopped cilantro
Limes

Preparation:

Take the avocados and remove from the peel and add to a medium bowl. Take a fork and roughly smash the avocados. Add a little salt and pepper to taste. Prepare the shredded lettuce, cheese and limes and set a side.

 

Heat your grill to high heat. Coat the steak with olive oil and generous salt and pepper. If your steak is 1" thick, follow these instructions. Place the steak on the grill 45 degrees to the grate. Cook for 3 minutes 30 seconds. Flip the steak and cook for another 3 minutes 30 seconds. After a total of 7 minutes the steak should be on the rare side of medium rare. Cook 1 extra minute if you like medium. Place the steaks on a plate and tent cover with aluminum foil for 3 - 4 minutes. After the steak has rested, dice into bite size pieces and place in a bowl and set a side.

 

Take you stove top griddle and heat to medium. Place 2 flour tortillas on the griddle and cook for about 1 minute per side. When done place the tortillas in your taco holder.

 

Next add some shredded lettuce, rib eye steak, shredded cheese, avocado and garnish with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime. 

Grilled Skirt Steak Taco's

I'm loving these taco's. Easy to prepare and so authentic with the uncooked corn tortilla's made fresh.

Ingredients:
Tortilla Land uncooked corn tortilla's
1 skirt steak
Shredded iceberg lettuce
1 diced Roma tomato
1/8 cup diced yellow onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 large smashed avocado
Lite sour cream
1 lime

Heat the barbecue to high. Add some salt and pepper to each side of the skirt steak, a little spray olive oil and place the grill. Cook the skirt steak about 4 minutes per side or until medium rare. When done place on a plate covered in foil for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, slice into thin strips and then cut into bite size pieces.

 

Heat a 12" sauté pan or flat top griddle to medium high. Add 2 tortillas and cook for about 1 minute per side, no need for butter or oil. Place the tortilla's on a plate or taco rack if you have one. 

 

To serve, start with a little shredded lettuce across the bottom of the tortilla's and add some grilled skirt steak. Next, add a little diced yellow onion, chopped cilantro, diced tomato, shredded cheese, mashed avocado, lite sour cream. Squeeze the lime over the taco and you're ready eat enjoy and awesome taco.

 

Find my black bean recipe here:

Black Beans

Fish Tacos 2.0

Wow, this is an awesome fish taco! Better than Rubio's? Yes, I think so! The crunch of the fish and cabbage, the tasty white sauce, avocado, salsa and lime... yumm! The uncooked corn tortilla's from Tortilla Land really makes the difference.
 

Ingredients:
Tortilla land uncooked flour tortilla's
Frozen battered fish fillets
Shredded Cabbage
Shredded Mexican blend cheese
Sliced avocado
Lime wedges

Salsa:
1 diced Roma tomato
2 tablespoons diced red onion
1 diced garlic clove
1 tablespoon rough chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon diced jalapeño pepper (optional)
Squeeze of lime

White Sauce:
1/4 cup light sour cream
1/4 cup plain non fat Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon Tapatio hot sauce

Preparation:
Heat the over to 450 degrees and place the frozen fish on a baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes turning once. While the fish is cooking, prepare the rest of the ingredients. 

 

Prepare the salsa first because the longer it sits around the better it will taste. To make the fresh salsa, combine the tomato, onion, garlic and cilantro in a bowl and mix well. Add a squeeze of lime and a dash of salt. If you like some heat, add some jalapeño pepper to the salsa. Take a small jalapeno pepper and sliced in half, removed the seeds and rinsed in cold water to reduce some of the heat. Dice the jalapeño pepper and add 1 teaspoon to the salsa. 

 

To make the white sauce, combine the light sour cream, Greek yogurt and hot sauce. If you have a plastic squeeze bottle, put the white sauce in that because it will be easier to put on the taco.

 

To make your fish tacos, heat a 12" sauté pan or flat top griddle to medium high. Place 2 tortilla's on the heat for about 30 seconds per side. Place the tortilla's into a taco holder and add some shredded cabbage. Take one of the fish fillets and cut in half lengthwise and place on top of the cabbage in the taco. Sprinkle on some cheese and fresh salsa. Place an avocado slice on one side of the fish and squeeze some white sauce on the other side of the fish. Sprinkle on a little more cheese and a squeeze of lime. Repeat the process for the second taco and you're done.   

Ground Beef Tostada

I used to love the .59 cent tostada at Taco Bell. I haven't had one in many many years, but I really had a craving for a simple tostada. To make the tostada I like the tostada shells from Guerrero and red taco sauce from La Victoria. The red taco sauce is mild and almost reminds me of enchilada sauce.

Ingredients:
Refried beans
Ground beef
Trader Joe's taco seasoning
Shredded iceberg lettuce
Chopped tomato
Diced yellow onion
Sliced black olives
Cilantro

Preparation:

To make a quick taco meat, fry your ground beef and add some Trader Joe's taco seasoning. Their seasoning comes in little packets and is very tasty. Mix the taco seasoning with the
cooked ground beef and your done.

 

To assemble your tostada, place a tostada shell on a serving plate. Spread some refried beans onto the tostada shell. Add ground beef, shredded lettuce, tomato, onion, olives, shredded cheese and chopped cilantro. Drizzle on some taco sauce and you're done. Avocado and sour cream are nice upgrades if available.

Fish Tacos

I love Rubio's fish tacos. We don't have Rubio's in the Northwest and I don't get to California that much anymore, so I'm on the quest to make the perfect copy cat Rubio's fish taco with black pepper beans. Stay tuned...

This recipe is a solid fish taco, but it's not Rubio's. The key to this taco being so good is the uncooked flour tortilla. When you cook the tortilla yourself it takes the taco to a whole other level. Second, you have to find the right battered frozen fish fillets. This time I use Haddock. It had the right batter, cooked up nice, but I didn't think the flavor was all that great. Next time I'll stick with battered cod.
 

Ingredients:
Tortilla land uncooked flour tortilla's
Frozen battered fish filets
Shredded lettuce
Shredded Monterey jack cheese
1/2 bunch chopped cilantro
1 large avocado
1/2 cup light sour cream

Preparation:
Heat the over to 450 degrees and place the frozen fish on a baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes turning once. While the fish is cooking, prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Take the avocado and combine with the light sour cream. You can completely mix in the avocado or leave slightly chunky depending how you like it. Shred 1/4 head iceberg lettuce and set a side. Chop the cilantro and set a side.

To make the fish taco's heat a 12" sauté pan to medium high. Toss on two 6" flour tortilla's and cook about 30 seconds per side. Please the tortilla's into a taco holder. Add some shredded lettuce and a crispy fish fillet. Top the taco with the avocado sour cream sauce, cilantro, jack cheese and a couple dashes of hot sauce.

Serve with black pepper beans:

Street Taco's

Why would I be blogging again about a ground beef taco, well I'll tell you why. I found a new brand of tortilla's from Tortilla Land. They are uncooked corn tortillas and they are as authentic and good as any fresh tortilla you'll ever find! Now, add a little shredded lettuce, seasoned ground beef, diced yellow onion, chopped cilantro, salsa Americana, lite sour cream and topped with a little shredded cheese.......WOW Killer!

Ingredients:
Tortilla Land uncooked corn tortillas
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef
Taco seasoning
Shredded lettuce
1/2 yellow onion
Chopped cilantro
Mashed avocado
Lite sour cream
Fresh salsa
Shredded cheese

Preparation:
Place the ground beef into a 10" sauté pan and cook on medium high to brown the beef. As the meat cooks, add the taco seasoning. I like Trader Joe's taco seasoning. The meat will be done cooking in about 8 minutes.

Heat a 12" sauté pan to medium high. Add 2 tortillas and cook for about 1 minute per side, no need for butter or oil. Place the tortilla's on a plate or taco rack if you have one. 

 

Start with a little shredded lettuce across the bottom of the tortilla. Next, add a couple tablespoons of the ground beef and top with diced yellow onion, chopped cilantro, fresh salsa, mashed avocado, lite sour cream and a little shredded cheese. Squeeze the lime over the taco and you're ready eat enjoy and awesome taco.

Ground Chicken Tostada

I could seriously eat this 4 nights a week...Being able to make your own healthy tostada bowl is really fun and makes you feel like your eating out at a restaurant.

 

Ingredients:

Trader Joes Flour tortillas

1 pound ground chicken

1 packet Trader Joes taco seasoning

1/2 head shredded ice burg lettuce

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup diced tomato

1/2 cup dice yellow onions

6 diced green onions

1/2 bunch chopped cilantro

Sliced black olive 

1 avocado

Lite sour cream

Lime wedges

 

Preparation:

First prepare the tostada bowls. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. I've used a lot of different tortilla's

and highly recommend Trader Joes. They're healthy, meaning no trans fat and taste great.

 

Place the tortilla's into the metal mold and bake at 400 degrees for 6 - 7 minutes. At this point, the tostada bowls are almost finished. Take the tostada bowls out of the oven and turn off the oven. 

 

Remove the tostada bowls from the metal mold and place them back into the oven directly on the wire rack and cook for another 10 minutes. At this point you will have a wonderful crispy crunchy tostada bowl.

 

Next prepare the taco meat, in this case ground chicken. Add the ground chicken to a 12" sauté pan and cook the meat breaking up into small pieces. Add the Trader Joes taco seasoning mix and cook until done, about 10 minutes.

 

Shred the lettuce and set a side. Dice the tomato, yellow inion, green onion, cilantro, black olives and avocado and set a side.

 

To serve, place your tostada bowl on a plate. Add some shredded lettuce to the bowl. Next, add the ground chicken taco meat. Next, add a tablespoon of the diced the tomato, yellow onion, green onion, cilantro, black olives and shredded cheddar cheese. Top with diced avocado and sour cream. Squeeze on a little lime and your ready for an awesome meal.

Grilled Salmon Taco Dinner

This is my idea of the perfect grilled salmon taco. Keep it simple with a little cole slaw, salmon, avocado and sour cream with a sprinkle of cheese. This is a great dinner when having guests over!

Ingredients:

Salmon filets

Green cabbage cole slaw

Avocado

Lite sour cream

shredded cheese

Tortillas

Black Beans

Mexican rice

Preparation:

First, make your cole slaw because the longer you let it sit around the better it will be. Here's my recipe:

Cole Slaw

Next make your Mexican rice. I've made this a few times, it's really awesome and so easy. I'll post the recipe to my blog one day soon. In the meantime, here's how you do it. Take your rice cooker and add 1 cup basmati rice and 1-3/4 cups water and one 7oz can of Embasa Salsa Mexicana. Let the rice cooker do it's job. When done fluff with a fork.

Next, make the black beans, Here's my recipe:
Black Beans

Next cook the salmon. Take your salmon filets and cut them into strips about 1" wide and grill on an indoor grill pan for 3-4 minutes a side.

Assemble your salmon taco by heating a 6" tortilla and putting the heated tortilla in a taco holder if you have one, if you don't have one go to amazon and get some, they're awesome. Add some cole slaw, salmon, avocado, sour cream and cheese and your ready to go.

Chicken Fajitas

 I haven't made fajitas in years and they're so good and easy to make. I remember when I was a kid, one of my friends dad always made fajitas out at the Stinson beach. We'd be out trying to surf or boogie board and then come in from the water freezing cold and have hot fajitas, everyone loved them. The key to this dish is keep it simple; grilled chicken breast, bell pepper, spring onion, red onion, sour cream, a dash of hot sauce and lime.

Ingredients:
1 Chicken breast
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 yellow bell pepper
6 spring onions
1/2 red onion




Preparation:

Take your chicken breast and cut it in half so that it's twice as thin and place in a zip lock plastic bag. Crush the garlic and add to the chicken with a tablespoon of olive oil and marinate for 30 minutes. Grill the chicken on an indoor grill pan or your BBQ. When finished grilling, cover the chicken and set a side.

Cut the bell peppers and red onion into strips. Cut the spring onion into bite size pieces because the spring onions can be tough to bite through.

Heat a 12" sauté pan to medium and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When hot add the peppers and onions and sauté until translucent, you still want a little crunch to the vegetables. While the vegetables are finishing up, cut the  chicken into thin strips and add the vegetables, toss and your done.

 

My favorite tortilla's are made by La Tortilla Factory. The are a hand made style corn and flour tortilla with no hydrogenated fat. They have a couple of different tortillas to choose from, yellow corn, white corn and white corn with green chili.

Heat the tortillas up in a sauté pan and add some of the fajita mixture, top with sour cream, hot sauce and a squeeze of lime.

Ground Beef Soft Taco's

A simple ground beef taco is a wonderful thing. When you eat out at a really authentic Mexican place, the taco's are served on warmed tortilla's and 2 - 3 tablespoons of meats and topped with a little fresh salsa.

I start with warmed fresh tortilla's, a little lettuce on the bottom, ground beef, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, salsa fresca, sour cream, couple of slices of avocado and a wedge of lime.

Ingredients:
Fresh corn tortillas
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon McCormick original taco seasoning
1 tablespoon Wondra flour
Shredded iceberg lettuce
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Salsa fresca
Avocado
Lite sour cream
1 lime

Preparation:

Place the ground beef into a 10" sauté pan and cook on medium high to brown the beef. The key to my taco meat is to leave the ground beef in medium size chucks, like the size of marbles. As the meat cooks add the taco seasoning and flour. The flour will soak up the juices and hold the meat together. The meat will be done cooking in about 8 minutes.

Heat a 12" sauté pan to medium high. Add 2 tortillas and cook for about 1 minute per side, no need for butter or oil. Place the tortilla's on a plate or taco rack if you have one. Start with a little shredded lettuce across the bottom of the tortilla. Next, add a couple tablespoons of the ground beef and top with shredded Monterrey Jack cheese, salsa fresca, sour cream, avocado and a wedge of lime. Squeeze the lime over the taco and you're ready eat enjoy and awesome taco.

Side dish serving suggestion:
Black Beans

Chipotle Chicken Tostada

I have been a long time follower of chef Rick Bayless from Chicago who had a television show called: "Mexico, One Plate at a Time." His famous Chicago restaurant is called Frontera Grill and I actually had dinner there one time and it was awesome. So, naturally when I see this new line of products from Frontera at Safeway, I'm going to try them out.

 

Ingredients:
Boneless skinless chicken thighs
Frontara Chipolte Garlic Skillet Sauce
1/2 yellow onion
Corn totillias
Salsa fresca (diced tomato, yellow and  green onion)
Sour cream
Avocado

Preparation:

Dice the onion and saute in a 12" saute pan. Cut the chicken thighs into bit size piece and add to the saute pan. When cooked through, add the chipotle garlic sauce and bring up to temp.

Bake your corn tortillia in the oven for 6 - 8 minutes at 400 degrees to achieve the perfect totasda bowl. Place the tortillia bowl on a plate and add some the chipotle garlic chicken, salsa fresca, avocado, sour cream and finish with some shedded cheese. Serve

with cole slaw and black beans.



Crunchy Grilled Chicken Tacos

This is my version of a simple crunchy grilled chicken taco. It consists of traditional Mexican ingredients that taste great together, such as green onion and cilantro, yumm! I'm not going to go into the preparation of the chicken, black beans or guacamole, but you can search my blog for the recipes. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Grilled chicken breast
Black beans
shredded green leaf lettuce
Shredded cheese
Green onions
Cilantro
Guacamole
Hot sauce, Tapitio or other.
Trader Joes Stone Ground Taco Shells

Preparation:

Place the taco shell into to a taco holder. Add a tablespoon of black beans, some grilled chicken, a little shredded lettuce tot he taco shell. Next add green onion and cilantro and top with guacamole and hot sauce.

Garlic Shrimp Soft Tacos

 

Here we go, my first blog post, May 1st 2013.

These taco's are so good you'll think you just arrived in Cabo....

 

Ingredients:

1 pound uncooked shrimp, shelled and deveined.

4 cloves of garlic, diced fine or use a garlic crusher

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ripe avocado
Red onion

Lite sour cream

Shredded cheese
Tortilla's

1/2 head green cabbage

1/2 cup Mayonnaise

2 tablespoon white rice wine vinegar

 

Preparation:

Make the coleslaw first because it's better when it sits around for a while. Shred the cabbage and put in a large bowl. Combine with the vinegar and mayonnaise and salt. Mix well and set aside.

 

In a small bowl combine the diced avocado and red onion and set a side. 

Dice the garlic and add to the shrimp and let marinate for 30 minutes. Preheat a 12" sauté pan and add the olive oil. Next add the shrimp and garlic to the sauté pan and cook for 2 minutes until the shrimp are pink and no longer translucent.

Heat a 10" sauté pan to medium hot. Add a few drops of olive oil and heat the tortilla for 30 seconds on each side. Place the heated tortilla in a taco holder if you have one. Start building your taco by adding some coleslaw to the bed of the tortilla. Next, add the shrimp and lay them up against one side of the tortilla. Place the diced avocado and red onion mixture next to the shrimp. Add a sprinkle of cheese. Top the taco with sour cream. Serve with a lime wedges.