Tacos!

I've been fastidiously avoiding trans-fat for at least two years, I haven't eaten red meat in at least five years, and I have eaten at Taco Bell once in the past three years. (On which occasion, I had a 7-layer burrito and some kind of nacho thing with a salty orange slime on it that Taco Bell insisted was "cheese.") So, my taco choices have been very limited. When you start reading labels on every item you buy in the grocery, you will find that all mass-produced taco shells are made with partially hydrogenated oil. I haven't looked for them in the natural foods stores but I would wager most of my earthly possessions that they would be way too expensive for our budget.

When we get the craving for Mexican food (read: several times a week), we eat either tortilla chips with melted cheese & chopped veggies & olives on top or quesadillas made with Wild Oats' whole wheat tortillas, mozzarella cheese, and veggies with a chopped lettuce, salsa, sour cream, and guacamole salad on the side. We eat a lot of these dinners. Or we go out for Mexican food, which, like all restaurant food, is a total diner's roulette anyway, so I don't even try to control it.

But now, I can add.....tacos! I found a great tip the other day on making your own taco shells, which I did tonight, and they were a big hit with the whole family.

We buy corn tortillas at Aldi for less than $2.00 per pack of 30. They store very well in the refrigerator. To make the taco shells, fry the corn tortillas on one side for about 20-30 seconds, then flip to the other side. After you flip them, fold one side in to make a taco shape. Fry for 20-30 seconds, then flip the whole taco over to get the other side. Fry 20-30 seconds and you're done! Sprinkle a little salt on the hot taco shells if you want.

They have a delicious texture. They are chewier than regular taco shells, but more flavorful as well. We filled them with chopped pinto beans, tomatoes, onions, and green peppers, then topped with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and salsa. Somehow, I stopped myself at 2 1/2 tacos, though I could have easily eaten twice as many. Yum!