Tacos are a favorite here at the farm. My bean LOVES tacos, especially from Taco Bell. I, however, don't like her ingesting a ton of processed, preservative, fat-filled foods. Seriously, all the hard work I put into making homemade, organic, nutritious baby food was for naught...sigh. If left to her own devices, my child would exist on Swiss Rolls, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Easy Mac, and Taco Bell. Rather than have weekly "Come to Jesus" meetings about her poor dietary choices, I have learned to adapt and create healthy, homemade versions of her favorite fast foods. I sneak in veggies when I can, keep the sodium content low and the fat content low, and use clean, healthy ingredients.
As always, easy and low-key are the names of the food games here on the farm. Meal planning is a must for me, especially during kidding season. My go-to is creating one-pot meals for the crockpot. Although tacos are technically not one pot because they require so many toppings and assembly, cooking the meat on a low setting in the crock pot is a great way to have an easy, ready-made meal on hand when the day is busy and time gets away from us. You may ask why I don't utilize the store-bought taco kits. To be completely transparent, I do in a pinch. There are weeks that meal prep takes a backseat to what we have going on here. However, in most cases, I try to make meals from scratch and keep our processed food intake to a bare minimum.
The recipe I am sharing today can be made in the crockpot or a skillet. If I am using the crockpot, I add black beans to the meat during the last hour of cooking to increase its nutritional value and sneak in a bit of extra fiber. My daughter is a picky eater, but she does like beans of all kinds, which is great. I have been known to replace iceberg lettuce with thinly chopped spinach. However, this did not go over well, and I resorted to mixing the two to keep the peace. I also use fresh tomatoes for vitamins B and E and offer sour cream to increase her calcium intake. Sometimes, I replace the low-fat farm-raised ground beef with ground turkey, but this is also met with disdain. When considering how the turkey is raised and processed versus the farming practices of our friends who raise beef, beef is a healthier, more humane option. Know your farmer.
Without further adieu, here is my recipe for homemade tacos.
Homemade Tacos
Ingredients:
1 lb. Lean Ground Beef
1 15 oz. Can Black Beans, Drained and Rinsed
1 Small Onion, Finely Chopped
2 tsp. Cumin
2 tsp. Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp. Oregano
1/2 tsp. Paprika
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 TBLS. Tomato Paste
1/4 Cup Water
Directions:
Combine all ingredients except the black beans in a crockpot. Mix well. Cook on the lowest setting for 6-8 hours. For the last hour of cooking, add the black beans, cover them, and allow them to cook for an additional hour.
Serve hot with warm corn or flour tortillas, fresh chopped tomatoes, cheddar cheese (I like Pleasant Lane Farm's Farmhouse Cheddar), finely chopped lettuce, and sour cream.
I hope you enjoy my take on a healthier version of a family favorite. It's not Taco Bell; it's better...insert a smile and a wink. On this rainy March day, stay safe, be smart, eat healthier versions of your favorite fast foods, and keep washing your hands.
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