The older I get the more I enjoy all thinks Mexican. I also have very fond memories of travelling to Puerto Vallarta before Will and I got married and started a family. Just thinking of those trips had me go searching for my scrapbook (you know back in the day when we actually had printed pictures, not just digital stored on our phones or in the Cloud!). I delighted myself with the memories of the trip with my parents I think in Feb 1998 (?) just before I met Will. I thought about sharing a couple pictures, but truly, looking at that person… I almost don’t recognize her and she just feels like someone that I used to know. But that’s ok. I turned out pretty good anyways.
As a teenager (late teen of course to be of legal drinking age) I enjoyed tequila until that time I was overserved and could not stand the smell of it for YEARS. As an adult, I moved to Victoria and met our besties who one day put a shot of tequila back in front of me, and bam, it was like “where have you been on my life?”. More recently, as I enter my “mature” years, I am branching out and trying Palomas and Margaritas…you know, giving the straight shot of tequila a break of sorts. Just a few weeks ago, a work friend gave me Margaretta making lessons when she heard I didn’t know that triple sec was actually an ingredient. I know, I don’t even know what to say about that other than I can’t possibly be expected to know everything, right? One final admission: until that lesson, I don’t know that I have ever ordered or drank a Margarita in my life.
And in case you are asking what a Paloma is? It’s that refreshing cousin to the Margarita, perfect for the hot summer days that the West Coast is currently experiencing. That Mexican summer cocktail comprised of grapefruit juice, lime juice and of course……tequila, all in a salt rimmed glass. Oh, and because I am all about “rules” (remember, the right sauce with the right pasta!), it must be served in the right glass… use a highball or Collins glass, with lots of ice.
So back to the Margarita. That same friend who provided me with the lessons teamed up with another work mate and a bunch of us indulged in some day drinking last weekend. It was a contest to see who made the best Margarita. Well, it is confirmed. When it comes to tequila, and specifically Margaritas, there isn’t a bad margarita so far. They all bring something different depending on whether you spice it up or make it fruity. And I think it probably all depends on the fruity version. I don’t step out of my comfort zone too much. I am a simple kind of girl willing to indulge in the simple of fruits: grapefruit, blackberry or raspberry being my all-time favorite, otherwise strawberry, peach, and of course mango… I could do all of those. But please, definitely no fru-fru additions: no basil, no mint, no hibiscus, and definitely no heat please. No bougie Margarita for me. What I do know now though is, that the Margarita lessons and our Margaritaville Sunday has now made me a believer (aka lover) of this Mexican Classic. It had me circle February 22nd on the calendar to start celebrating Margarita Day, and has even inspired an upcoming post featuring Cinco de Mayo and the enchilada.
Ok, so that’s the Tequilla, the Margarita, now for the Taco Salad.
My Taco Salad: Will is a big fan, but I tend not to make this salad very often as it makes a lot. It’s not really a side dish and I tend to serve it up as a meal on a hot summer day when I am looking for something different. It’s easy to take to a party by having everything ready and packaged separately and then assembling it last minute just before dinner. It’s really your classic taco in a salad form. I cannot say who or when I got this recipe, but it is one simple salad that I pull out of the vault about one a year to mix things up.
So, try the taco salad, try the tequila (in its purest form: in a shot class with salt and a lime wedge) and try the Margrita and let me know what your favorite it. Even change up the Margarita and try it with a sugared rim instead of a salted rim and tell me what you think!
Until Cinco de Mayo friends, bottoms up!
Taco Salad
Ingredients
- 1 head lettuce
- 1/2 pint tomatoes, chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 pkg taco seasoning
- 3 cups grated cheddar cheeese
- 1 small Kraft Catalina salad dressing
- 1 bag tortilla chips, crushed
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef. Remove any excess fat. Add taco seasoning as per directions. Set aside.
- Wash lettuce and tear into pieces in a large serving bowl. Add tomatoes and onions.
- Add ground beef and cheddar cheese to salad mix. Stir together.
- Add salad dressing.
- Add crushed tortilla chips.
- Mix together and serve immediately.