cooking
to beat the clock:
You
Gotta Know When to Fold ‘Em
With
a recipe for
Stir-Fried Beef and
Asparagus Tacos
Tortillas would seem to be the ideal vehicle for quick meals. Not only are they easy to work with, they offer a variety of fillings or toppings, and kids love them. Hey moms, what are you waiting for?
If you think tortillas can only be filled with beans and rice or carnitas (roasted pork), think again. Just about any food is a candidate for a tortilla filling, whether that filled tortilla becomes a burrito, fajita, or taco. I found that out 10 years ago from Victoria Wise and Susanna Hoffman, authors of The Well-Filled Tortilla Cookbook. Wise and Hoffman pretty much take the approach that anything that tastes good, such as Moroccan-style beef or Cambodian-style ground pork, can be stuffed into a tortilla. “Once you start with a concept of a tortilla as an edible platter, then it translates easily across cultural lines,” Wise said. That makes sense since most cultures already have their own wraps, whether crepes for Chinese mu shu or pita for Middle Eastern dishes. So let your imagination run wild.
But first, a little primer on the tortillas themselves. Tortillas are primarily made with corn or flour, though they can be seen (usually in the dairy section of supermarkets) with spinach or other vegetables added. I happen to think corn tortillas aren’t terribly palatable unless freshly made. (Don’t even ask about those U-shaped tacos on supermarket shelves.) So I use flour tortillas, ideally whole wheat or lower-fat ones.
The smallest tortilla is used for tacos, which are filled and folded in half. The largest tortillas are filled and folded like an envelope for burritos. Fajita-size tortillas are somewhere in the middle. Whichever kind of tortilla you use, warm them up briefly before putting in the filling, and don’t overfill the tortilla or it will burst.
In the following recipe, several substitutions are possible. Green beans, zucchini or broccoli can be substituted for asparagus. Pork, lamb or chicken can be used in place of beef. You could also use leftover cooked beef. If using leftover beef, slice as for the flank steak or tri-tip, and add with the water chestnuts.
Stir-Fried Beef and Asparagus Tacos
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1 tablespoon pickled sliced jalapeno peppers or 1 fresh jalapeno pepper
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1 small to medium sweet onion, about 6 ounces
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One 7-ounce jar roasted red bell peppers
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¼ cup packed cilantro leaves
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Salt and freshly ground black pepper
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1 pound skirt steak, tri-tip steak or flank steak
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1 tablespoon peanut or canola oil
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8 ounces mushrooms
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1 pound bunch thin asparagus
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One 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts
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1 tablespoon sherry
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1 tablespoon soy sauce
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12 taco size flour tortillas
1)With the motor running, drop the pickled jalapeno down the chute of a food processor. (If using fresh jalapeno, stem and seed first.) Push down the sides of the bowl with a rubber scraper. Peel and halve the onion. Cut one half into 3 chunks. Add the chunks to the food processor and pulse until chopped. Drain the red bell peppers. Add to the food processor along with the cilantro and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse just until well combined but still somewhat chunky. Pour into a small bowl. Set aside.
2)Put a 12-inch saute pan, wok or Dutch oven over high heat. Cut the beef into strips 1-1/2 inches by 1/2 inch. Add the oil to the pan. Season the beef with salt and pepper to taste and add to the pan. Cook, stirring a few times, for about 3 minutes, just until beef starts to lose color. Remove to a platter.
3)Meanwhile, cut the remaining onion half into thin half moon slices. Slice the mushrooms. Add the onions and mushrooms to the pan when the beef has been removed. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and onions to the beef.
4)While the mushrooms and onions cook, put the bunch of asparagus on its side, cut off and discard the bottom 1-1/2 inches. Cut the remainder crosswise into 1-inch long pieces. Add to the pan when the onions and mushrooms have been removed. Cook for 1 minute.
5)While the asparagus cooks, open and drain the can of water chestnuts. Add to the pan along with the beef, onions, mushrooms, sherry and soy sauce. Stir well and cook just until the mixture is heated through, about 2 minutes.
6)Meanwhile, warm the tortillas in a microwave oven for 30 seconds on high. To serve, let diners put 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the beef and asparagus mixture and 1 tablespoon of the red pepper salsa in each taco. Then fold. Makes 12 tacos.
Serves 4
Per serving: 558 calories, 32 grams protein, 51 grams carbohydrate, 25 grams fat, 8 grams saturated fat, 76 mg cholesterol, 710 mg sodium.