Chili-Beef Tacos

I've never liked that weird reddish powder taco seasonings. I always thought it tasted too strong, was way too salty and turned my taco meat a weird color.  I've tried to make my own several times, but often the recipes call for a lot of obscure Mexican seasonings that I didn't have on hand, so I skipped them.  It was never quite right.  I found this recipe on Weight Watchers and thought what the heck, I'll give it a try.  I was really surprised at how easy it was and how flavorful it was with just a few ingredients.  Besides, it's better for you than that other stuff.  We used crunchy corn tacos, but you could use it anyway you want.

Makes about 6 full tacos...

2 Tbsp chili powder 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp olive oil 1 small onion, minced 2 cloves garlic, minced 8 oz ground beef 8 oz canned tomato sauce 12 oz can kidney beans 6-8 store bought taco shells 4 tbsp light sour cream 4 tsp chopped cilantro 1. Toast chili powder and cumin in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 2. Add olive oil, and stir constantly until a paste of formed. 3. Add onions and saute until soft 4.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes 5. Add beef, cook until brown all the way through 6. Add tomato sauce and beans and simmer for about 5 minutes. Assemble your tacos and sprinkle with fresh cilantro.

Root Beer Glazed Pork Chops

These are quite easy and very impressive at the same time. Serve along side mashed or baked sweet potatoes.  You can roast the chops or grill them, your choice. I roasted mine because we were out of propane for the grill!

2 Cups root beer
2 Cups veal or beef stock
4 16 oz bone-in pork chops
4 teaspoons creole seasoning
4 teaspoons olive oil

1. Combine root beer and stock in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer until a thick syrup forms, down to about 1 cup. This will take about an hour.

2.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Season pork chops with creole seasoning on both sides.  Drizzle each chop with 1 tsp of oil.

3.  Roast until cooked through, 150 degrees on an instant read thermometer, about 12-15 minutes. 

4.  Once pork is cooked, transfer to plates.  Drizzle the glaze on each chop and serve. 

If you don't have creole seasoning, you can make your own:

Combine paprika, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano and thyme.  Add a little bit of cayenne pepper if you want it spicier.