I Love Tacos but...

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  • soulofgrace
    soulofgrace Posts: 175 Member
    edited November 2015
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    ...Spanish-Mexican cookbook. Only in New Mexico are these things related at all. While Spanish food had had some influence on Mexican cuisine (use of rice, for example) Mexico has multiple rich, complex food cultures that have absolutely NOTHING to do with Spain. My Mexican friends do not recognize my Spanish cooking as anything but foreign.

    Another New Mexican checking in here! Órale! Our cookbooks are "New Mexican," a style all its own....the blending of three food cultures, Spanish, Mexican and Native American...we pay homage to all. Tacos are filled with whatever you like/have on hand. I prefer the soft corn tortillas. I love a calabacitas taco....maybe whatever leftover meat I have in the fridge. Local food here is as hotly contested as politics or religion.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Mexicans do, in fact, eat hard-shelled tortillas. They come flat, in bags that are about 2' long. Like this:

    IMG_3129.jpg

    I am cringing at the idea of a Spanish-Mexican cookbook. Only in New Mexico are these things related at all. While Spanish food had had some influence on Mexican cuisine (use of rice, for example) Mexico has multiple rich, complex food cultures that have absolutely NOTHING to do with Spain. My Mexican friends do not recognize my Spanish cooking as anything but foreign.

    Of course you shouldn't be eating from a taco truck if you are serious about tracking your nutrition. Tacos are dead simple to make at home where you can track what goes in them.
    That's exactly what I bought before I learned to make my own.

    Making tortilla shells is really not that hard and they're better fresh, so I make my own now. :)
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
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    ...Spanish-Mexican cookbook. Only in New Mexico are these things related at all. While Spanish food had had some influence on Mexican cuisine (use of rice, for example) Mexico has multiple rich, complex food cultures that have absolutely NOTHING to do with Spain. My Mexican friends do not recognize my Spanish cooking as anything but foreign.

    Another New Mexican checking in here! Órale! Our cookbooks are "New Mexican," a style all its own....the blending of three food cultures, Spanish, Mexican and Native American...we pay homage to all. Tacos are filled with whatever you like/have on hand. I prefer the soft corn tortillas. I love a calabacitas taco....maybe whatever leftover meat I have in the fridge. Local food here is as hotly contested as politics or religion.

    I'm not from New Mexico...but I know that the question is...red or green?

    Tell me more about calabacitas tacos porfis.
  • soulofgrace
    soulofgrace Posts: 175 Member
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    ...Spanish-Mexican cookbook. Only in New Mexico are these things related at all. While Spanish food had had some influence on Mexican cuisine (use of rice, for example) Mexico has multiple rich, complex food cultures that have absolutely NOTHING to do with Spain. My Mexican friends do not recognize my Spanish cooking as anything but foreign.

    Another New Mexican checking in here! Órale! Our cookbooks are "New Mexican," a style all its own....the blending of three food cultures, Spanish, Mexican and Native American...we pay homage to all. Tacos are filled with whatever you like/have on hand. I prefer the soft corn tortillas. I love a calabacitas taco....maybe whatever leftover meat I have in the fridge. Local food here is as hotly contested as politics or religion.

    I'm not from New Mexico...but I know that the question is...red or green?

    Tell me more about calabacitas tacos porfis.

    The question is red or green, but the answer is often "Christmas," meaning both. :)

    Here in NM, when you hear "calabacitas," most likely its the side dish loosely made of summer squash and/or zucchini, corn, onions and green chile. I like to add black beans. I bet it would be good with some pepitas sprinkled on top. Some people like it with queso fresco crumbles. Delicious in a soft corn tortilla!
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    They are so darn high in calories even the soft shell chicken ones, and the worst part is I get mine out of a taco truck and don't know the nutrition info... How do you deal with food when there is no way to figure out calories? Also please Friend me if your looking for friends! I am!
    High in calories? I can have two tacos on corn tortillas with lettuce, Fresca salsa, chicken or beef, for a total of about 500 calories. I don't have cheese on mine, and you can use one tortilla for each taco instead of two.

    They are even less calories when I make them at home.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    Use plain greek yogurt instead of sour cream. It's amazing!

    This.
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
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    mhaskins08 wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    Make them yourself

    I've never eaten a taco so what's in it? Bet you could adapt to a lower calorie version

    +100

    I make a ground turkey version

    I like shrimp and salsa verde.
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    i eat tacos all of the time living here in New Mexico...i don't find them to be particularly high calorie.

    I even eat greasy jimboys tacos occasionally and the calories are lower than I would have thought.
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
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    robertw486 wrote: »
    As someone who lives less than an hour from the border, it's really funny to watch you all discuss tacos :tongue:

    You have no idea how I would kill to have real tacos again. There are some decent food trucks around here, but nothing like I got in Texas, SoCal, or south of the border.

    Someone was complaining about the lack of real tacos in our small town. I told her to go to the town where I work, just an hour away.

    I'm in northern CA.
  • _celesse
    _celesse Posts: 75 Member
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    I usually can squeeze out 4 tacos for about 600cals depending how I make them. I have no idea how you guys can eat like 2 and not go back for more. I have nearly no control when it comes to tacos. But, it's not really the calories that bother me - it's the sodium. I love sauces on my tacos and they're usually chock full of the stuff.
  • theknoxie
    theknoxie Posts: 19 Member
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    Hey I agree with making them yourself. I too am addicted to tacos too.. I usually make them with low fat turkey or boiled chicken, lettuce wraps, low fat cheese, and plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream! You won't tell the difference and I get full too!
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
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    ...Spanish-Mexican cookbook. Only in New Mexico are these things related at all. While Spanish food had had some influence on Mexican cuisine (use of rice, for example) Mexico has multiple rich, complex food cultures that have absolutely NOTHING to do with Spain. My Mexican friends do not recognize my Spanish cooking as anything but foreign.

    Another New Mexican checking in here! Órale! Our cookbooks are "New Mexican," a style all its own....the blending of three food cultures, Spanish, Mexican and Native American...we pay homage to all. Tacos are filled with whatever you like/have on hand. I prefer the soft corn tortillas. I love a calabacitas taco....maybe whatever leftover meat I have in the fridge. Local food here is as hotly contested as politics or religion.

    I'm not from New Mexico...but I know that the question is...red or green?

    Tell me more about calabacitas tacos porfis.

    The question is red or green, but the answer is often "Christmas," meaning both. :)

    Here in NM, when you hear "calabacitas," most likely its the side dish loosely made of summer squash and/or zucchini, corn, onions and green chile. I like to add black beans. I bet it would be good with some pepitas sprinkled on top. Some people like it with queso fresco crumbles. Delicious in a soft corn tortilla!

    Interesting! That sounds good...is it kind of like rajas?

  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,390 Member
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    OK, this thread got my cravings going.

    Tonight we did Talapia and chicken soft tacos, Spanish rice, black beans, refried beans... and all the other goodies. And I freaking killed those tacos! And if I ate a normal portion, the entire dinner would have been around 650 calories, and that's without trying to stay low anything. I actually ate a lot more, since I was recovering from a solid bike ride....
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
    edited November 2015
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    As someone who lives less than an hour from the border, it's really funny to watch you all discuss tacos :tongue:

    I grew up a stone's throw from the border - could literally see Mexico from any hilltop around our neighborhood, and could be in Tijuana in 20 minutes.

    My favorite tacos are 1) lengua (tongue), 2) cabeza (cheek meat) and 3) tripitas (tripe/stomach). 'Street taco' style, on small, grilled corn tortillas topped with cilantro, chopped onions and red sauce so hot that it makes the sweat run down the back of your neck. Tripitas tastes almost like bacon, and who can't love a bacon taco???

    Tacos de lengua, mmmmm!:

    serveimage?url=http:%2F%2Fwww.tacomatrix.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Flengua-tacos-from-el-gallo.jpg&sp=87a1dfa95e6aaf283e7218a0a1850e4d
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
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    Tongue is our favorite too! hmotqa8ka30q.jpg
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    euwwww

    and I say that as an offal lover

    I also like pickled tongue

    but that comes in slices

  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    euwwww

    and I say that as an offal lover

    I also like pickled tongue

    but that comes in slices

    Lol, once it's shredded it just looks like really tender beef, but I totally agree that it doesn't look good! I have another pic of my husband holding the entire tongue next to his face.
  • catt952
    catt952 Posts: 190 Member
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    queenmunchy that is one of the worst things i have seen lol
  • soulofgrace
    soulofgrace Posts: 175 Member
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    ...Spanish-Mexican cookbook. Only in New Mexico are these things related at all. While Spanish food had had some influence on Mexican cuisine (use of rice, for example) Mexico has multiple rich, complex food cultures that have absolutely NOTHING to do with Spain. My Mexican friends do not recognize my Spanish cooking as anything but foreign.

    Another New Mexican checking in here! Órale! Our cookbooks are "New Mexican," a style all its own....the blending of three food cultures, Spanish, Mexican and Native American...we pay homage to all. Tacos are filled with whatever you like/have on hand. I prefer the soft corn tortillas. I love a calabacitas taco....maybe whatever leftover meat I have in the fridge. Local food here is as hotly contested as politics or religion.

    I'm not from New Mexico...but I know that the question is...red or green?

    Tell me more about calabacitas tacos porfis.

    The question is red or green, but the answer is often "Christmas," meaning both. :)

    Here in NM, when you hear "calabacitas," most likely its the side dish loosely made of summer squash and/or zucchini, corn, onions and green chile. I like to add black beans. I bet it would be good with some pepitas sprinkled on top. Some people like it with queso fresco crumbles. Delicious in a soft corn tortilla!

    Interesting! That sounds good...is it kind of like rajas?

    I've never had rajas, but it does look very similar. Poblanos are very mild and sweet, so they can be the star of the dish. For calabacitas we use New Mexico Big Jim chile peppers which can be pretty hot, so they are not such a large component of the dish. My ratio would be something like 1/2 squash, 1/4 onion and 1/4 chile if I get mild chile...less if I have medium hot. I usually leave out the corn and go with red peppers instead for sweetness and color. I use oregano, cumin and garlic for seasoning.
  • randomsue
    randomsue Posts: 179 Member
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    scolaris wrote: »
    Also: rock your homemade taco world by subbing chorizo for ground meats or learn to make a crockpot version of carnitas or shredded beef.

    This^^would be truly amazing. Chorizo tacos!! Would love 3 please. :)