Saturday, September 21, 2013

Steak Soft Tacos with Corn-Avocado Salsa...Featuring Laura's Lean Beef

A few years back, we decided to cut down the amount of beef that we eat. We had read that beff was higher in fat and cholesterol than other sources of protein, so we did it for health reasons. However, we recently discovered a healthier option that lets us enjoy beef more often: Laura's Lean Beef! They offer a full line of beef that's naturally leaner, vegetarian fed and raised without antibiotics or hormones. Healthier beef is a great idea, but the bottom line for me is this: how does it taste? Laura's Lean Beef recently sent me free product coupons to try their beef out in my kitchen. We tried the 92% lean ground beef, stew meat and sirloin steak. The results? All three were tender, flavorful and juicy. Great taste and healthier? Score! I used the lean ground beef to make a delicious Asian-Pacific Burger earlier this month, and I used the sirloin steak to make some fabulous Steak Soft Tacos with Corn-Avocado Salsa.
The steak is cut into thin strips and seasoned with lime juice and a Mexican spice blend, then quick cooked in a skillet. The meat is spooned into warm corn tortillas and topped with caramelized onions, shredded low-fat cheese and a zippy homemade salsa featuring corn and avocado. This recipe makes six filling soft tacos, which is enough for 3-4 people.

Steak Soft Tacos with Corn-Avocado Salsa
a Weekend Gourmet Original
Ingredients:
  • 6 flour tortillas
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 1 lb. Laura's Lean Beef sirloin steak
  • 2 tbs. Mexican seasoning [I used McCormick Gourmet Strip Steak Fajita seasoning]
  • 4 tbs. olive oil
  • 1/2 a lime
  • 1 cup 2% shredded cheddar cheese
  • For the salsa:
    • 1 cup corn kernels
    • 1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced
    • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
    • 1/2 avocado, peeled and diced
    • Juice of half a lime
    • Cilantro to taste
    • Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Step 1: Slice the sirloin into thin strips and place in a bowl. Add 1 tbs. olive oil, the juice of half a lime, the Mexican seasoning and salt & pepper to taste. Stir to combine and let the beef marinate while you prep the salsa. To make the salsa, combine salsa ingredients in a small bowl and set aside in the fridge to let the flavors mingle while you prep the rest of the taco ingredients.
Step 2: Add 1 tbs. olive oil to non-stick skillet over med-high heat. Cut the onion in half, then into thin strips. Cook until caramelized, about 10 minutes. While the onions cook, add the remaining olive oil to a second non-stick skillet over med-high. When the pan is hot, add the marinated steak strips and cook until they are browned and cooked med-rare. This took about 5-7 minutes for me.
Step 3: Just before assembling the tacos, wrap the flour tortillas in 2-3 layers of paper towels, and wet slightly with water. Heat in the microwave for 45 seconds, until they are steamed and soft. To assemble the tacos: add the steak, caramelized onions, cheese and avocado-corn salsa to the tortillas and fold over. That's it...this is a filling all-in-one meal!
If you think lean beef means tough and flavorless, think again.These tacos are so good! The steak was spicy, juicy and tender. The onions were slightly sweet, and the corn-avocado salsa had a nice kick from the lime juice and cilantro. Feel free to add chopped jalapeno to the salsa if you want it to be more fiery. From start to finish, these tacos took just over 30 minutes to prepare. That makes them a great weeknight dinner these busy Fall evenings. As a bonus, any leftover salsa makes a fabulous partner for scoop tortilla chips later in the evening!

Disclosure: Laura's Lean Beef sent me free item coupons to facilitate developing the recipe for this post. McCormick also provided me with complimentary seasoning packets. I received no further compensation, and all opinions are my own.

No comments:

Post a Comment

I love hearing your feedback!!!