Taco Tuesday - Beef Chorizo Tacos with Red Cabbage

This recipe is a recent addition to our Taco Tuesday rotation. I found it in the March issue of Cooking Light, and I love how simple it is to make. I pretty much follow the recipe exactly, but I do swap out soft corn tacos for hard ones because I like the crunch with the ground beef. 

The Topping

I actually start by making the topping. I take a big bowl and whisk up the vinegar, oil, and salt. Then, I chop up the red cabbage and put it directly in the bowl and toss. Normally I'd add some chopped cilantro, but since we didn't have any on hand I swapped in some chopped chives from the garden.

The Filling

I start by browning the ground beef in a skillet. While it's cooking, I prepare the vinegar/spice mixture in a small measuring cup, and then pour it right into the skillet and let it cook until the liquid almost evaporates. Done! 

The Side

Sometimes I like to do mini cornbread muffins with our tacos. I usually bake a batch from a box and freeze a quart size bag's worth to bring out later. When it's time I just let them thaw and then microwave for a bit. This night I also added black beans to our meal. 

Red Cabbage Slaw

Ingredients

1 Tbs. vinegar

1 Tbs. olive oil

1/4 tsp. salt

4 cups thinly sliced red cabbage

1/3 cup cilantro leaves 

Directions

Combine first three ingredients in a big bowl and stir with a fork or whisk. Add in cabbage and cilantro and toss until coated. 

Beef Chorizo

Ingredients

1 lb. ground sirloin (or regular ground beef)

5 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 Tbs. vinegar

2 Tbs. olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. paprika

2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. black pepper

Directions

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown beef (about five minutes). While beef is browning, mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl (or measuring cup). Stir the vinegar/spice mixture into the beef and cook another couple minutes until liquid is almost evaporated. Serve on your choice of tortilla or taco shell!