Roast Turkey & Veggie Mexican-Style Hard Shell Tacos
Cubes of your Thanksgiving turkey are totally transformed into a fabulous filling for tacos.
Assertive seasonings are needed to create just the right smokey and a little spicy infused flavor. I love Mulato Dried Chiles (dried poblano) typically used in Mexican mole sauces with a delicate smoky flavor.
The tacos are mildly spicy – adjust to your liking.
The recipe has as many vegetables as turkey – so I’m keeping things healthy!
Ingredients
(I used white meat)
(I used 1/2 green & 1/2 yellow)
(can toast cumin, then grind)
Instructions
Place the Mulato chiles in a small bowl and add very hot water to rehydrate them, let stand 10 minutes until softened. Remove from the water and discard the stems and seeds, mince the chile.
In a large skillet add 3 teaspoons of olive oil – raise the heat to medium-high. Add the cremini mushrooms and stir until golden. Add the onions, carrots and zucchini with the next 1 teaspoon of olive oil, and stir for 5 minutes on moderated heat until they are crisp-tender, 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, cumin, oregano and paprika, stir for 2 minutes to release their flavors.
Stir in the marinara sauce, bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.
Add the turkey cubes and the Mulato chiles. Stir all well, cover and cook at low simmer for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.
Taste for salt – I added 1/2 teaspoon.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil or parchment paper.
Lay out 10 hard taco shells.
Fill each one with a potion of filling – about 3/4’s full.
Stack them so they are somewhat upright.
Add a portion of cheese to each.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until the corn shells are very crispy and the cheese has melted.
Cubes of Avocado, Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt, Fresh Cut Herbs (Cilantro or Parsley), Thinly Sliced Scallions, Salsa, Thinly Sliced Jalapeño or Roasted Corn Kernels.
* Mulato Chiles (dried Poblanos) The flavor profile of Mulato chiles is a bit sweet with hints of smoky chocolate, licorice, cherries and coffee.
The are a mild-medium spice chile. This chili is most popular in Mexican mole.
I love it’s deep color and unique smokey flavor.
Substitutes for Mulato Chiles:
Use another type of dried mildly spicy dried chile – or a good quality chili powder in your pantry. Note that some chili powders have other ingredients than just chiles.
Ancho chiles have a similar flavor to Mulatos. You can also use some chopped chiles from canned Chipotle in Adobo for a blast of smokey heat.
See Blog for more photos and information.
This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.
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