My boyfriend doesn’t like taco seasoning, and I crave taco’s once in a while. I love the crunchy crispy shells and love the seasoning. For the longest time — I’m talking a year or more, I haven’t made them.

Then, it hit me.

I don’t have to make real tacos! I can make my very own version! So, I did.  Last week was an experiment but it turned out so well that I had to write this blog entry to remind myself how tasty it was, and that it needs its own page on my recipe section.

I was debating at the grocery store, whether or not to get lean ground beef or lean ground chicken. I’m not a huge beef eater and only like them in hamburgers, but then that’s rare that I eat burgers. Whatever. I ended up picking up a lean ground sirloin beef. Whoops—apparently that’s much more pricier than regular ground beef. I picked up what looked the most lean. Know what I mean? Ha.

I fried it up in the frying pan and added some Italian seasoning, chicken seasoning, and some other kind of  beef seasoning. Basically, I had no idea how to season the beef so I added everything I could find that I knew tasted good with chicken—even though I wasn’t cooking chicken.

I cooked it up, and then once it was all browned, I put it on a paper towel and dried off all the grease. While it was cooling off on the plate, I put 1tbsp of cream cheese and 2-3tbsp of salsa. I know, weird mix right? Then as it was sizzling on the pan, I put the beef back in with it so it got all coated. Added some chopped peppers and tomatoes and called it done.

On an empty plate I put a bed off fresh crunchy iceberg lettuce then topped it with the meat mixture, added some shredded mozza and some fancy mexican chips!

Here’s the turnout!

The chips I used I think I found in the Asian aisle of the grocery store, even though it clearly says Mexican chips. So good, and not salty at all! Perfect mix for the imitation tacos!

I love these corn chips. They’re not all that flavorful on their own (think, not too salty, a little grainy) but with some ground meat it’s best kind. Plus you don’t need Nikon binoculars to read the ingredients on the back. Key.

I think you should re-create it. You too Mom, I think the little boys (my nephews) would love making their own (mess).

Tuesday nights supper. Ignore the green globby grossness of it all. I swear it was the greatest ‘pesto’ I’ve ever made. It was made mainly with a bunch of spinach, parmesan cheese, garlic, oil and pine nuts. Bake’r in the oven for a bit and boom. Nice chicken that smells the kitchen and apartment with yumness.

The chunk of white stuff is mozza cheese by the way. lol

Last night I made chicken parmigiana for the FIRST time, ever. Ever! I think the only time I’ve had it before then was in my lean cuisine. Oh wait. Boyfriends mother made it for me the very first time I met them, and had supper at their house. I raved about it so much she sent down a recipe for me to re-create my own. Oh was it ever DISGUSTING. You see, our oven musn’t be accurate with the temperature.

The recipe called for a cooking time of 50-60 minutes, I left it in for 65 minutes. The chicken I used I put in raw (I assumed you were supposed to do this) and let it cook with the sauce and whatnot. Either way, it completely ruined my taste for any chicken parmigana again. We used frozen chicken breasts that I thawed in the fridge for two days. Once the chicken was “cooked” (not pink lol) it was spongey. I’ve been having issues with cooking frozen chicken for ages now, and it’s difficult to make it not spongey, especially in the oven. Usually I have to leave it on the grill (George Forman style, but not) for FIFTEEN MINUTES. I’m was so turned off, I barely ate anything for supper last night. Sigh…

We’re buying a meat thermometer this weekend.

The boyf ended up doing a ‘scientific experiment’ with the spongey chicken in the microwave and ended up burning the bottom of it for cooking it so long. It was still spongey. I swear I feel like I’m turned off chicken, at least for a few days.

On a happier note, if you subscribe to my other blog, you may or may not have already noticed that I booked a hotel room for the Boyfriend and I for a weekend getaway to Niagara Falls coming up!!! Isn’t that super exciting? It’s a discounted rate with a free $45 gift certificate to The Keg! Go visit my site to find out more info, and if you’re eligible to get a deal too. I even gave the link to one of my co-workers. The boyf and I are thinking of going to the water park the next morning. Hello waterproof cameras coming right up!