Steak Tacos with Onion-Tomato Jam

Mmmmm, Tacos

I am a sucker for tacos.  I love them, in all kinds of varieties.  I love the traditional beef or chicken tacos I get from our local taqueria.  I love the fancy tacos from the gourmet food trucks that pop up all over the Bay Area.  Crispy tacos, soft tacos, corn tortilla, flour tortilla, vegetarian tacos, meat tacos, fish tacos, it doesn't matter, there is just something about food wrapped up in a handy shell that appeals to me.  This weekend we were on a taco spree.  Fish tacos for dinner Friday night and on Saturday we had lunch at the Oxbow Market in Napa- home of C-Casa Taqueria and their ridiculously delicious tacos.  Pancho had a steak taco with caramelized onions & blue cheese crumbles.  I had a Duck taco with Serrano Chilies.  They were both amazing.  One would think come Sunday we would be taco'd out, but no, tacos were exactly what we were  craving.

With apologies to anyone who is in a cold climate right now, the weather here in the Bay Area has been fantastic (It's been in the mid to upper 60's for days, and sunny, really really sunny), which has made me want to pull the cover off the grill & fire it up.    Pancho and I rarely eat red meat, so steak tacos are a treat- perfect for Sunday dinner.  I had some tomatoes from the farmers market and a ton of onions, so ended up making these delicious steak tacos with onion-tomato jam.

I didn't get a chance to post the recipe Sunday night, but since it's Taco Tuesday, this recipe seems apropos!  


Steak Tacos with Onion-Tomato Jam
For the Chipotle sauce
1/4 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
1 1/2 tsp Chipotle powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 1/2 tsp lime zest
1 tbsp lime juice
1 1/2 tsp cilantro
pinch of salt
For the Jam
1 large onion, sliced thin
1 cup small grape tomatoes (or any kind of small sweet tomato)
1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
For the Steak
8 to 10 oz lean steak, (flank steak or tri-tip work great)
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil
For the Tacos
Soft Flour Tortillas
Fresh Arugula
1 avocado, diced
Cotija Cheese

1. Season the Steak.  Season both sides of the steak with some garlic powder, salt & pepper.  Brush with a little olive oil and set aside. 
2. Create the Onion Jam.  I use the term Jam loosely here, it's not really a jam, but because the onions & tomatoes cook down so much, they end up with a jam-like texture.  Heat up some olive oil in a medium sized sauté pan over medium heat.  Add in the sliced onions and cook over medium heat for at least 20 minutes or so, until the onions are very soft and starting to turn a deep golden color.  Add in the whole grape tomatoes, season with some salt, and continue to cook over medium heat for another 10 to 15 minutes.  The tomatoes will eventually burst open releasing their juices.  When this happens, mash down the tomatoes and stir well with the caramelized onions and remove the heat
3. Create the Chipotle Sauce.  While the onions are cooking make the chipotle cream sauce.  In a small dish combine the Greek yogurt, the lime zest, the cilantro, the juice from 1/2 a large lime, the cumin, the chipotle powder & some salt.  Mix well.  Feel free to add as much chipotle powder as you like.  Pancho doesn't like things too spicy so I only add about a 1 tsp.
4. Grill the steak.  Get the grill super hot (about 400 F) and then grill the steak until it is medium rare, flipping once while grilling.  How long you grill it depends on how thick the steak is and how well you like it done.  We like ours fairly rare, and I had a 1 1/2" piece of meat, so I cooked it about 4 minutes a side.  Once the steak is grilled to your liking, remove it from the heat and let it sit for at least 5 minutes.  If the weather is not right for grilling you can cook the steak just as well using a cast-iron grill pan on your stove top.  Once the steak has rested for a few minutes.  Slice it into thin strips.
5. Assemble the Tacos.  Heat up the tortillas ( I like to throw mine on the grill for a minute after I remove the steak).  Spread some of the onion-tomato mixture down the middle of the warmed tortilla.  Add a layer of the sliced steak, top with the chipotle cream sauce and then crumble some cotija cheese over the top.  Finally, add a couple pieces of diced avocado and a squirt of fresh lime juice.  If you want to add some green to the tacos, a layer of arugula works well on top of the steak.
6. Serve!  I served my tacos with some simmered black beans on the side (recipe below).  

Simmered Black Beans

Olive Oil

1 can black beans, rinsed & drained

1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 small onion, diced

1 tbsp cumin powder

1 small jalapeño, diced (optional)

Salt & Pepper

1. Sauté the onions & garlic.  In a small pot sauté the onions in a little olive oil over medium heat until they begin to soften, about 4 or 5 minutes.  Add in the garlic and continue to cook for another minute or so. Add in the cumin powder, some salt & some pepper & stir well.   If you are adding jalapeno, toss it in now.
2. Add in the Beans & Tomatoes.  Add the drained beans and the can of the fire-roasted tomatoes (juice & all).  Stir everything together well.
3. Cover & Simmer.  Cover the pot & simmer over medium low heat for 15 to 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, remove the lid & let simmer with the lid off for an additional 5 minutes.  
4. Serve!  These make a great side dish for the tacos above, and are also good over rice as a main dish.  When I make them as a main dish I like to add 1 green bell pepper, diced, as well.  I just add the diced peppers in when I add the garlic.

No wine with these babies!.  Taco's must be eaten alongside cold Mexican Beer.  Negra Modelo or Dos Equis Ambar are always a good choice.

Bon Apetit!

Spicy Black Bean Soup

I studied Equine Science in College, which was basically a way for me to hang out in a barn and still go to school.  I grew up riding horses, and being a horse nut, so when I found out there were actual programs at real universities devoted to the 4 legged creatures I was obsessed with, it sounded like a dream come true.  What I didn't learn until I got there was that the Equine Science program, at least at Colorado State University where I ended up going to school (Go Rams!), was part of a larger Agriculture Department, and, that I would be required to take several "meat science" classes, in addition to all the horse related stuff.

Meat Science classes were not something I had signed up for.  To this day I wish I couldn't look into a field of cattle and name the breed I am looking at, and I really wish I couldn't tell you how to slaughter those same steers.  I wish I didn't know how to "estimate" the degree of marbling and amount of back fat on a cute little lamb, and what that lamb looks like underneath it's fluffy coat & skin.  I would pay good money, no, GREAT money, to forget the smell of a large working pig farm.  I have serious issues with factory farmed poultry- Poultry Science may have been the most disturbing class I ever took, and I took some disturbing classes, including one called Live Animal & Carcass Evaluation, or, "Alive & Dead" as we affectionately called it.  That class didn't even come close to Poultry Science.  For years after I finished with school I was a vegetarian.

The lure of the humble burger eventually pulled me back into the meat-eating world, there really is nothing quite like a big, juicy, hot off the grill cheeseburger.  I think it might qualify as my favorite food.  I eventually made my peace with what I know about the meat industry, and now I make consumer choices I can live with- about where I buy my meat and from whom. I share all this with you because while I am still quite content to eat vegetarian meals on a very regular basis my husband is not.  I am always trying to find meat-free options that he will like and will satisfy my conscience.  I know I've mentioned it before, but he thinks dinner without some sort of cooked animal is just not dinner.  I once tried to pass off a portabella mushroom as a "burger".  After just one bite the gig was up and he wanted to know where the burger was.

I have found one thing that he will eat for dinner without caring that there are no animals involved- Spicy Black Bean Soup.  It's one of the most simple soups to make, it's rich & delicious, and incredibly healthy, plus meat free.  Since it was raining off and on all day today, a hearty soup was the perfect choice for dinner.  I chopped up some avocado, along with a little swirl of non-fat greek yogurt to top it off and had a yummy vegetarian dinner that even my carnivorous husband loved.

Spicy Black Bean Soup
Olive Oil
2 15oz cans black beans (undrained)
1 10oz can diced tomatoes with chilies (like Ro-Tel)
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
7 to 8 cloves of garlic, minced
1 to 2 Tbsps cumin
1  to 2 tsp chipotle powder
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 avocado, cut into chunks
Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream

1. Saute the Veggies.  Heat up some olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy bottom pot.  Add in the onions and cook for about 5 minutes.  Add in the garlic and cook for another minute.  Add the green & red peppers, season with salt & pepper and continue to cook until the veggies have all softened, about 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Add the Beans, Tomatoes and Spices.  Add the 2 cans of black beans and the can of diced tomatoes with chilies to the soup pot.  Add the cumin & chipotle powder.  We really like the flavor of cumin, so I tend to add a lot of that.  We like the soup medium spicy, so I generally add only about a tsp of chipotle powder.
3. Add the Chicken Broth and Puree.  Add a cup of the chicken broth and let the soup simmer, covered, over medium low heat for about 15 minutes.  Remove the pot from the heat and using an immersion blender puree the soup until smooth.  If you don't have an immersion blender, well. just get one, they are the best.  But seriously, if you don't have an immersion blender you can puree the soup in a food processor or regular blender, it's just much faster and easier to do it right in the soup pot with an immersion blender.  Add up to an additional 1/2 cup of chicken broth, if desired, to thin out the soup after it's been pureed.
4. Serve!  I chop up a fresh avocado to serve in the soup, and add a dollop of fat-free greek yogurt, which is my standard substitution for sour cream.  For a Latin twist on Grill Cheese & Tomato Soup, serve the Black Bean Soup with a cheese quesadilla on the side! 

Black Bean & Squash Tacos

I can't quite figure out when "Taco Tuesday" became a thing, and I don't know if it is a nationwide phenomenon, but here in the Bay Area, everyone I know seems to participate in "Taco Tuesday".  So, since it's Tuesday, dinner at the Munoz's is of course Tacos.  Although, these aren't your standard tacos.  As much as I love the old seasoned meat, cheese, tomato & lettuce in a crispy corn shell combination, I've eaten enough of those in my lifetime where it just seems so boring.  These tacos, with smoky black beans and spicy roasted squash have a ton of flavor, can be made in no time flat, and combine 2 of my favorite ingredients- black beans & butternut squash.

Today is also Election Tuesday, and all I will say on this subject is Go Vote.  I could say a lot more, but I don't think I want to use this blog to jump up on a political soap box.  I could go on about how I am a die-hard democrat.  About how I believe in universal health care, in social security & medicare & even welfare, although I do feel that the current welfare system needs a really good tune-up.  About how I have liberal social views- I firmly believe in gay marriage, women rights, abortion rights, a strong separation of Church & State.  About how I am pro-military, I believe choosing to serve your country in the armed forces is one of the greatest things someone can choose to do, or about how I believe we need to stop the current tax & spend system and learn to live within our national budget.  Or about how I believe in a persons right to bear arms, although, why someone needs a machine gun to defend their home or practice their sharpshooting skills escapes me.  I could go on about all these things, but instead of getting into a political debate on a blog, I went to the polls and voted for the candidates that best supported my ideals.  And whatever you believe in, whether you agree or disagree with me, you too can go to the polls and vote for the person that you feel best represents your ideals.  That's how it works in this democracy and it's just one of the things that make our country great.

Anyway, enough of that, I am stepping down from the political soap box I had no intention of stepping up on and getting back to something that everyone can agree on- the awesomeness of tacos.    And these tacos, while far from traditional, are seriously, seriously delicious.  No matter if you are a Democrat, a Republican, a Libertarian or even a sign carrying member of that wacky Tea Party, I guarantee you will agree.

Black Bean & Roasted Butternut Squash Tacos

1/2 cup 2% plain greek yogurt*

Lime juice

fresh cilantro

Chili powder
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 or 4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can seasoned black beans (I like Bush's)
1 cup fresh or frozen sweet corn
1/2 can of Mexican style stewed tomatoes
1 small Jalapeño, seeded & diced
2 1/2 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Chipotle powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Spicy roasted squash cubes (I used the extra's I made from last night's Squash & Sausage Risotto)
Cotija Cheese*, crumbled
Corn Tortillas

*You can use sour cream instead of the Greek Yogurt, but the yogurt really gives the sauce a great flavor and is much healthier than sour cream.  Cotija cheese is basically the Mexican version of Feta so if you can't find Cotija you can substitute with Feta.

1. Make the Cilantro Lime Sauce.  In a small bowl mix together the yogurt, lime juice, some finely chopped fresh cilantro and a little chili powder in a small bowl.  Season with some salt & pepper.  How much cilantro, lime juice and chili powder you use is really up to you.  I like a lot of lime (the juice from 1/2 of a big lime), not a lot of cilantro and just enough chili powder to give it a small kick.  Keep the sauce refrigerated until ready to use. 
2. Prepare the Beans.  In a saute pan cook the onions in a little olive oil, over medium heat, for about 5 minutes.  Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute.  Add in the corn & jalapeno and cook for about 2 minutes.  Add the can of seasoned black beans (undrained) and the stewed tomatoes.  Add the chipotle powder, cumin, salt & pepper and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
3. Heat up the squash.  If you are using previously prepared roasted squash, pop them in the microwave for a minute or so to heat up
4. Assemble the Tacos.  Warm up the soft corn tortillas and fill with the black beans and the squash.  Top with the cilantro lime sauce and a little bit of cotija cheese.
5. Serve!  I usually make some Spanish rice to go along with the tacos, and to drink, some cold Mexican beer, Negra Modelo or Pacifico are always good.

In the interest of full disclosure, I do have one confession to make.  While this is a vegetarian dinner, my husband thinks that a dinner without cooked animal meat is an abomination.  To satisfy him, I just brown a package of ground turkey with a packet of store bought taco seasoning.  When I assemble the tacos I put a layer of the Turkey in the bottom of his taco.  He's happy and I can have my vegetarian variety.  

Bon Appetit!