say hola to tacos!

In college my roommates and I would send one another email surveys. We would fill out questions about our favorite movies, actors and actresses, what we wore the previous day, and our weekend plans. I remember one such survey that asked what your favorite cuisine was. One of my roomies was really into sandwiches at the time and she answered that her favorite cuisine was "ham and cheese on a bagel, dipped in ranch." We still tease her about this a little.

I'm pretty sure I answered Mexican because Mexican Food is my most favorite cuisine EVER. I even joined the facebook group "Mexican food gets me out of bed in the morning" because, you know, it kind of does. I think I could eat Mexican food every day and never get sick of it. I love tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, tortas, burritos, tostadas, you name it! However, most Mexican foods involve tortillas, rice, and/or refried beans. For the first few days of being on the no starch diet I didn't eat any Mexican food, and I missed it. I knew if I was going to be successful on the no starch diet I would have to find ways to recreate my favorite foods. Therefore, I quickly realized that tacos without the tortillas taste awesome, and so does taco salad.



To make tacos/taco salad first find a salsa without any added starch or sugar. The taco and fajita seasoning mixes that I have found all contain some form of starch, so I tried marinating the meat in salsa and garlic powder and it turned out excellent. I have had luck finding salsas without sugar/starch at Target and Trader Joe's.

Marinate your meat of choice in salsa. To help the flavor penetrate the meat, poke your meat a few times with a knife. Drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of garlic powder, salt, and pepper. You can also add the juice and zest of a fresh lime if you choose.



Saute onions, garlic, and bell peppers in a pan.



Slice your marinated meat into thin strips and add to the sauteed pepper/onion mix.



To assemble the "tacos" just dish up the meat/pepper/onion mix and top with cheese, salsa, sour cream, sliced avocado, chopped tomatoes, and diced cilantro. Or pile everything on top of lettuce to make a taco salad. Enjoy!