Beef Tacos with Avocado Cucumber Mango Salsa

Homemade grilled tacos. Quick-grilled beef on warm tacos with a bright salsa.

Quick-quick, supper's on the table

During the summer, it seems that getting supper on the table is more about "quick assembly" than real cooking. Oh sure, we might have to cook one thing or another, but only as a contribution to the supper assembly line. Salads. Cold suppers. Meat from the grill. Ahhh, the ease that summer delivers.

This taco supper was quick and easy and decidedly tasty. It offers a million riffs: pork or chicken rather than beef. Red cabbage or lettuce instead of Napa cabbage. A whole new set of salsa ingredients. And those are just the "obvious" changes. Ah, the ease that summer delivers.

ALANNA's TIPS There's enough meat to fill eight tacos. The whole wheat tortillas were especially good when warmed through on the grill. Yum.

BEEF TACOS is adapted from The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life by Ellie Krieger. My friend Linda sent a copy of this new cookbook home with me awhile back, promising, "You'll like it." Ha! Not only do I like it, it's the one cookbook I wish had my name on the cover! The ingredient lists are short, it's full of health-conscious ingredients, it calls for fresh ingredients, it doesn't sacrifice flavor for health. I've returned Linda's copy but now have my own. Look for more recipes. It's a winner.

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Send a favorite recipe to recipes@kitchen-parade.com.
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QUICK SUPPER:
BEEF TACOS with AVOCADO CUCUMBER MANGO SALSA

Some assembly required
Hands-on time: 35 minutes
Time-to-table: 45 minutes (faster if there's an inside chopper and an outside griller)
Enough for 4 or 8 tacos
    MEAT
  • 1 pound flank steak or sirloin steak
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Pinch cayenne pepper
  • Salt to taste
    SALSA
  • 1 ripe avocado, chopped
  • 1/2 an English cucumber, chopped
  • 1 fresh mango, cubed
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • 1/4 cup chopped red pepper
  • Juice of a lime
  • Chopped fresh cilantro
  • Salt to taste
    FIXIN'S
  • Napa cabbage, chopped thin
  • Whole wheat tortillas, warmed on the grill for a minute or two

MEAT Rub the meat on both sides with the garlic, spices and salt. Cook on the grill until done, about 7 minutes a side. Let rest 5 minutes, then slice thin.

SALSA Combine all ingredients. If making ahead, add the avocado just before serving so that it doesn't turn mushy.

ASSEMBLY (see?) Top each tortilla with Napa cabbage, then beef slices, then salsa.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE (not including tortillas since they vary so widely)
Per Serving, with 4 Servings: 345Cal; 34g Protein; 17g Tot Fat; 5g Sat Fat; 17g Carb; 6g Fiber; 94mg Sodium; 62mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 7 points
Per Serving, with 8 Servings: 173Cal; 17g Protein; 8g Tot Fat; 2g Sat Fat; 8g Carb; 3g Fiber; 47mg Sodium; 31mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 3 points

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Alanna Kellogg
Alanna Kellogg

A Veggie Venture is home of "veggie evangelist" Alanna Kellogg and the famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.

Comments

  1. Anonymous7/16/2008

    I know what to call this: supper.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Avocado and rare beef... I'm just going to curl up in my happy place (the kitchen) and drool!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mmm... This was yummy. We didn't have steak on hand so I followed the recipe exactly using Tilapia instead of beef and drizzled it with FF yogurt. It was a nice low point alternative. Thanks for the recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  4. This was very good. I added a jalapeno to the mango salsa.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thank you for taking a moment to write! I read each and every comment, for each and every recipe. If you have a specific question, it's nearly always answered quick-quick. But I also love hearing your reactions, your curiosity, even your concerns! When you've made a recipe, I especially love to know how it turned out, what variations you made, what you'll do differently the next time. ~ Alanna