Frugal Tacos

I love to make my own spice and seasoning blends, and I love to find ways to use up miscellaneous refrigerator items or leftovers. Tacos are great in both departments. Whenever I buy or harvest heads of romaine, I cut off the bottom quarter or so (the crispier, core part) that I don’t want in my salad, wrap it, and save it until I have three or four. They might brown a bit, but they don’t spoil nearly as fast as the more leafy greens. When sliced thinly, it’s the perfect slightly crunchy addition to a taco without resorting to iceberg or some other nutritionally bereft lettuce.

Then I just use a tablespoon or two of my own taco seasoning blend on some ground turkey, use up some overripe or bruised tomatoes (cutting out the bad spots, of course), grate a little cheddar, and add a dollop of sour cream or cottage cheese.

Here’s my recipe for a mild taco seasoning in bulk. It tastes great, is very cheap, and has no added chemicals or MSG. It makes a little over 1/2 cup. I store my spice blends in small 4 oz Gerber Baby juice bottles or food jars (someone kindly collected and donated them to me through Freecycle; I love that site!) You can add cayenne or more crushed red pepper to taste if you like it spicier. All the various spices make such a pretty presentation in the bowl, at least until stirred!

1/4 cup chili powder
2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp coarse sea salt
1 Tbsp black pepper
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried oregano

In small bowl, mix all ingredients. Refrigerate in airtight container up to 6 months.