Gluten Free Mexican Food - What could be better?

In the past, my darling hubby and I have often defaulted to dinner at any one of our local Mexican restaurants on nights when making dinner at home seemed like a chore. I will even admit that at times, Taco Bell served our purposes. I know, I know.... you've never heard of foodies eating at Taco Bell. However, my darling hubby will be the first to tell you that gourmet food and cheap eats all have their respectable place in one's life. Sometimes you want the 5 year aged Gouda with the well formed salt crystals and other times you want the string cheese from your childhood. 


Going gluten free has made this tradition a bit more of a challenge. Apparently a corn tortilla isn't always as it appears. Taco Bell is the first to admit, via the nutrition information on their company website, that their products are not appropriate for those who are gluten free. I've quickly learned to heed their warning and have found that the more I know about the food I eat, the more my symptoms are controlled. Since controlling them is my immediate goal, I'm making nearly all of our meals at home.


This evening, I was still in my post vacation stupor didn't really feel like jumping into the kitchen to whip up a three course dinner for my loving family. Still, we had to eat, and our beautiful toddler was asking for cheese - her favorite standby for a "snack", which is fine except that it was dinner time. So, feeling the pressure to provide a tasty and somewhat healthy dinner for my family, I again turned to my pantry.


Fortunately, I found there a new package of corn tortillas (that really are made with corn and little else), a can of black beans, a can of "hot" tomatoes with chilies and an onion. In the fridge, I found a pound of mild ground chroizo and a variety of cheeses. Inspired, I created the filling described below and used it to make quesadillas. However, you can use this tasty filling for tacos, one component of a hearty taco salad or add a little taco sauce and create a lose interpretation on huevos rancheros. Finally, I've made a similar mixture in the past, added it to a pizza crust covered with taco sauce and then covered the mixture with a Mexican cheese blend to create a pretty yummy taco pizza. By now, you're probably beginning to understand that this is one simple pantry recipe that you can use multiple ways. It also freezes well, so if you have leftovers and are no longer in the mood for Mexican food, just place it in a freezer bag and freeze for up to six months.


Recipe 
To a heavy bottom skillet - approximately 10" - over medium heat, add the following:

• 2 tsp olive oil (not extra virgin)
• 1/2 lb ground chorizo (or other ground meat of your choice)
• 1/2 of a medium onion
• 1/2 of a medium green pepper (may substitute a colored pepper or a can of green chilies)

Allow mixture to cook until the meat is cooked through and the onions and peppers are soft. Then add:

• 1 15 oz can black beans, drained
• 1/2 15 oz can diced tomatoes with chilies added (mild, medium or hot)*
• 1 tbsp gluten free taco seasoning (I use Simply Organic)**

*Note:  Remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon so as to not make your filing too wet. If you are using the filling for huevos rancheros, you do not need to complete this step and may want to consider adding the entire can of tomatoes.

**Note:  If you use another ground meat - beef, chicken, turkey, pork - you will want to use the entire packet of taco seasoning. I only added a little to this particular mixture as I was using the highly flavored chorizo.

Turn the heat to low and allow the mixture to cook and the flavors to meld for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and use as you wish.


~Enjoy!