Sitting amidst the chaos that is moving houses is not the perfect setting I’d envisioned to share this recipe with you. But if you think about it, it is fitting in a way : all the separate components coming together in the end in perfect harmony (which will hopefully be the case with the home situation!)

Who doesn’t like tacos, like seriously? This recipe has a few different elements, which are all super simple to rustle up and put together (fun too!) and can all be made in advance, which is always a bonus.

As you can tell from the recipe, this is a relatively low fat option – no cheese, low fat yogurt for the purple cabbage slaw, and no butter. The truth is, you really don’t need it. The yogurt offers a slight tanginess which counters the richness of the beans and beef, and I actually prefer it to dousing it in heavy mayonnaise, to be honest.

I shall leave you with that, and will keep you updated with the move and such. I mean frankly, I can’t be talking about these tacos all day.

Oh wait, actually I think I can.

INGREDIENTS: (For 8 – 10 shell fillings)

8 – 10 taco shells (you could alternatively use flour/corn tortillas)

Beef :

250 grams minced beef

½ green pepper, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp chilli powder

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground cumin

Freshly ground black pepper & salt

Re-fried beans:

1 cup red kidney beans

1 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 ½ tsp paprika

1 cup chicken stock

A few sprigs of coriander leaves, finely chopped

Salt

Purple cabbage yogurt-slaw :

1 small head of purple cabbage, finely sliced

1 carrot, grated

¼ cup yogurt (I used low-fat)

Freshly ground black pepper & salt

Guacamole :

2 ripe avocados, cubed

1 green chilli, finely chopped

¼ cup onion, finely chopped

A few coriander leaves, finely chopped

A small pinch of paprika

Lime juice

Salt

Salsa :

2 small ripe tomatoes, finely chopped

¼ cup onion, finely chopped

A few coriander leaves, finely chopped

Lime juice

⅛ tsp sugar

Salt

 

METHOD:

For the beef:

Sweat the onions, green pepper, and garlic in olive oil for a few minutes until tender and cooked through. Add the beef mince and brown well, breaking up any lumps with a spatula. Add ground cumin, coriander powder, paprika, pepper and salt. Cook until the meat is browned and cooked through.

For the re-fried beans:

Soak the kidney beans overnight and cook with plenty of water until tender. Using a potato masher, mash the beans to a slightly mushy consistency.

Sweat the onions and garlic in olive oil until lightly browned. Add the paprika and salt, and tip in the beans. Toss to combine and loosen the consistency with chicken stock. Add the chopped coriander leaves.

For the purple cabbage yogurt-slaw:

Finely slice the purple cabbage, and grate the carrot. Season with salt and pepper, and add enough yogurt to get a coleslaw consistency. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the guacamole:

 Mash up the avocados with a fork. Add the green chilli, coriander leaves, onions, lime juice, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle a pinch of paprika over the top and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the salsa:

Combine the chopped tomatoes, green chilli, coriander leaves, and onion. Season with salt, pepper and sugar. Squeeze over the lime and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to use.

 

To serve, warm the taco shells and fill in whatever order you like! I followed this : Bottom-most layer was re-fried beans, topped with the slaw, beef, guacamole and salsa respectively.

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *