Summer Tacos with Chorizo and Avocado

It's grilling season and that means cooking up meats on the grill of all sorts. Of course there are lots of ways to enjoy those meats but tacos are always a top favorite in my book.

Now there are many many many recipes for tacos that are out there and I'm here to give you a simple and easy fresh recipe you can make anytime of year and doesn't rely on you having a grill available.

These tacos are easy and fresh and delicious. They are made with a combination of beef and chorizo sausage which gives them a really great flavor and lots of spice. The garnish is simple fresh tomatoes and avocado and scallions and simple red California style taco salsa.

Forrest's Beef and Chorizo Tacos with Fresh Toppings 

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground chorizo
3 ripe avocados diced
3 ripe tomatoes diced
1 small red onion small dice (optional)
6 scallions chopped including green parts
1 jar Trader Joe's regular red salsa
Cilantro leaves picked
16 small corn white corn tortillas

Method

In a bowl with you hands mix the beef and the chorizo together
In a pan cook the meat until just cooked crumble into large pieces
Toast the tortillas in a little oil
Fill the tortillas with the meat and garnish with the avocado and tomato onions and scallions and top with the salsa and cilantro.
Enjoy!

Homemade Beef Hash with a Fried Egg and Horseradish Sauce

Breakfast is the best meal of the day. No really it is. While in California recently I had homemade real roast beef hash and I was reminded how good this can be. It was made with the crusty bits from the Prime rib the restaurant serves and came with eggs and a delicious hollandaise that was amazing.

My home version of this can be made with any scraps of beef that you might have. Left over steak, Roast Beef, even Short Ribs which is what I used. The key is to have shredded potatoes which you can make easily with a grater or buy in a bag. And the other key is to flavor the beef and potato mixture with lots of garlic and thyme and seasoning salt really well. I returned from my European vacation with a bottle of Maggi seasoning in tow. It's a flavoring salt that adds a depth of flavor to all sorts of things. It's really good.

I also skipped the hollandaise and opted for a sour cream based horseradish sauce that just really amped up the dish. Below is the recipe. Go crazy!!

Homemade Beef Hash and Eggs

4 eggs which you will fry sunny-side up or use a ring mold like I did and cook to fit directly on the stack of hash you will make.

2 cups potatoes shredded
1 cup really finely diced onions
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 /2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon Maggi or Season salt
1 few shakes of worchestershire sauce
1 1/2 cup chopped left over beef

Fry potatoes and onions till crispy and brown
Add beef and seasonings
mix well.
When heated through and ready to serve press mixture into 4, 4 inch ring molds set on 4 plates
Top with the fried eggs
Garnish with paprika and chopped parsley
Serve with horseradish sauce
( note you can just served this on a plate without a ring mold works just fine)

Horseradish Sauce

1 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons drained prepared horseradish
Salt and pepper to taste

Cinco De Mayo Trailer Trash Queso

Ok it's almost that time of year when everyone goes a little Mexican crazy. I get it, tacos, burritos, margaritas and chips and salsa are all awesome. And Cinco de Mayo is our excuse to enjoy them. It's incredible.

Queso Dip is one of those things that represents all the things I love about Tex-Mex foods. Tex-Mex is honestly my go to flavor profile for Mexican food. It's just like the all American Mexican food. And as much as I love original versions of ethic foods, I love the American versions of a variety of ethic foods because I'm American and I grew up with them, And I refuse to be sorry about it cause lets face it, delicious is delicious.

So every food blog on the web (well not every) has a version of this dip. And there's a reason. It's delicious. I mean it's as white trash and easy as you can get, but it's delicious. Did I say it's delicious. it's the sorta, gotta make a lot and don't plan on eating anything else for dinner sort of good.

White Trash Nachos

1 pound block Velveta Cheese cut up into cubes
1 can hormel Chili NO Beans
1 jar Pace's Picante Sauce or Rotel

Pour into a pot together and slowly bring up to simmer on low. Let it all melt together stirring slowly and cook until all melted and well mixed together.

Get yourself some Frito Dippers and dig in. Oh my goodness it's good.