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Orange Cream Gelatin Dessert

Orange Cream Gelatin Dessert is an easy dessert that you can make from a few items in the pantry and freezer at any time of the year. It works well for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mother's Day, bridal or baby showers, etc. It is sweet and rich, yet somehow also seems light and refreshing. It is a rather nostalgic dessert as it reminds me a little of an orange push-up ice cream treat from my childhood. Plus, it is a molded gelatin dessert, which always reminds me of the past. As with other gelatin and fruit dishes, someone might call this a "Jello salad" in the United States. However, this recipe uses an entire quart of orange sherbert in addition to gelatin, so I can not bring myself … Continue Reading about Orange Cream Gelatin Dessert

You are here: Home / Recipes / Sides / Salad / A Simple Taco Salad a.k.a Taco Haystack
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A Simple Taco Salad a.k.a Taco Haystack

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It stikes me as rather odd that a simple taco salad now holds many memories and takes me back to practically another lifetime. I have no concept of how many taco salads I have consumed in my lifetime, but I do know that there were many. Almost all of them were ordered in restaurants and cafeterias; most of them served in edible tortilla bowls. It was not until the food service/cafe at the college where I worked started serving them as a lunch special. It was there that they served what they called a taco salad that was like a large taco-in-a-bag without the bag.

Ben, the cook, would crush tortilla chips on to your serving plate and then pile on the ground beef, cheese, and whatever other toppings you wanted. I would later come to find that this type of taco salad is also called a haystack…a taco haystack in this case. The term haystack means different things to people depending on where you live, predominant religions in your area, and whether you are cooking sweet or savory haystacks. To me, sweet haystacks are a couple of different types of candy. On the other hand, savory haystacks have a starch, a protein, and vegetables.

I was more familiar with an Amish/Mennonite savory version and the taco haystack is more the Seventh Day Adventist version (except it may have meat). They are both piled on a plate like a haystack and good for serving a crowd.

taco salad

This is a very flexible dish. You can add and omit ingredients to suite your preferences. Don’t eat red meat? Use chicken instead of beef. Vegetarian? Make it without the ground beef.

Recipe: Taco Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste
  • Homemade Taco Seasoning, to taste
  • 2/3 c. water
  • Tortilla Chips or Doritos
  • black beans (canned or cooked from dried)
  • cheese, shredded (Monterrey Jack, Colby Jack, Pepper Jack, Cheddar, etc.)
  • chopped or torn lettuce (Romaine, leaf, iceberg)
  • salsa
  • sour cream*
  • guacamole*

Instructions:

  1. Place ground beef in a skillet on med-high heat and cook until completely browned.
  2. Drain, if necessary.
  3. Add salt and taco seasoning mix to taste.
  4. Add water and cook until the water is gone and the seasoning has incorporated with the ground beef.
  5. Taste the beef and adjust the seasoning if needed. Add more water if you add more seasoning and allow the water to evaporate/absorb before removing from the heat.
  6. If using canned black beans, drain and rinse.  If using beans you have cooked from dried, drain/strain before using in the salad.
  7. On the serving plate, crush the desired amount of chips. Add the meat, beans, cheese, lettuce and other toppings as desired.

Notes:

* toppings are all optional

Black olives, tomatoes, pinto beans, picante sauce, sliced avocados, canned chilies, and pickled jalapenos are a few of the other ingredients you could include in the salad.

Copyright © 2015.
Recipe by Paula, A Simple Home Cook.

Recipe: Homemade Taco Seasoning

Ingredients:

  • 1 – 1 1/2 tsp. adobo seasoning
  • 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp. cumin, ground
  • 1 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp. chipotle powder
  • 1/2 tsp. dried oregeno
  •  1/2 Tbsp. minced dried onion

Instructions:

  1. Mix ingredients thoroughly.
  2. Add desired amount to beef or chicken.

Copyright © 2015.
Recipe by Paula, A Simple Home Cook.