Laura Fuentes - The Taco Tuesday Cookbook: 52 Tasty Taco Recipes to Make Every Week the Best Ever

52 TASTY TACO RECIPES TO MAKE EVERY WEEK THE BEST EVER Laura Fuentes
Founder of MOMables.com It might seem obvious that I love tacos. I mean, who sets out to eat tacos once a week for a year and then write a book about it? That would be me. I spent almost two years eating tacos weekly, if not two or three times per week. Whenever I went out to eat, Id always order tacos and then make notes on my phone about what was in the taco so I could remember when recreating it at home. And my camera roll on my phone? I am afraid to tell you how many taco photos are in there. Im crazy for tacos.

I like tacos for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Theres something about having a vessel like a tortilla to hold together all of the decadent flavors of a taco fillingand of course the accompaniments and the sauces drizzled on top. Its the whole package. Unlike most Americans, however, I didnt grow up eating tacos. Im from Spain, so I had never even heard of a taco until I moved to the United States in my teens. I remember my first taco experience quite clearly.

It was taco day at my high school cafeteria in California. That day I had forgotten my lunch, something my mom so neatly packed every day. So, I went to the cafeteria and saw tacos on the menu. If youre not familiar with cafeteria tacos, they are nothing to write home about. What I found that day was barely seasoned, greasy ground meat in a soggy tortilla, topped with wilted lettuce and shredded cheese. Yes, it was as bad as it sounds.

I couldnt understand what the big deal about taco day was all about, and this experience solidified that idea. Its also important to note that I did not grow up eating Mexican food or spicy food. So whenever I went out to eat with my mom or friends, Mexican food was never on the horizon for me. When I did go, the only thing I would order was plain chicken nachos: chips + cheese + grilled chicken. The end. How exactly does one become taco-obsessed after the worst taco experience ever? Allow me to tell you about my first real taco experience.

From that day on, my love for Mexican food was born. I was thirteen years old. I went to Sea World with my mom, my first American friend, Ashley, and her dad. After a long day seeing the sights, we were all starving. We were unfamiliar with the area, and after leaving the park my mom said that it would have to be Mexican food or Mexican food because there was nothing else around. But Mom, I dont like Mexican food! I remember telling her.

She calmly replied that it was either Mexican tonight or waiting until food the next day. So Mexican food it was. I ordered the mixed taco platter because I didnt know what else to do. I was convinced that the food would be very spicy and that I wouldnt like it. And I was set to prove to my mom that all the things I always thought about tacos were true: they were simply not for me. When the large platter of tacos arrived at the table, I looked at the variety of fresh ingredients stuffed inside crispy corn and soft tortillas.

They were nothing like the cafeteria tacos I was so disappointed with a few months earlier. These tacos were well seasoned, with a smoky flavor I now appreciate from my Arriba! Seasoning (shown ). I started with the flaky grilled fish taco, and with each bite, I savored the freshness of the seafood. I moved on to the shrimp tacos, which were perfectly grilled and blackened. My mouth watered with the short ribs beef taco, not to be undermined by the perfectly juicy chicken taco. Before I realized it, I was hooked.

Years later, I still order tacos on the menu every time I go to a Mexican restaurant. They are my gauge to see if the restaurants food is average or if there something special about the seasoning, the condiments, and all the other fresh ingredients that can easily be packed and stuffed inside a crispy taco shell or soft tortilla. When it comes to tacos, I prefer a crispy taco shell even if the eating is messier and I cant stuff as much inside. My family, however, prefers the softer texture that only a flour tortilla can provide, so having both on hand is always a good idea. In this book, youll notice a mix of corn, flour, and crunchy tacos throughout. Its up to you how you choose to enjoy your tacos. When the idea for this cookbook was born, I already had dozens of taco recipes on my websites, LauraFuentes.com and MOMables.com.

The hardest part of putting together this book was narrowing it down to 52 main taco recipes (one for each week of the year) that were never published before. I probably could have made it every day instead! Maybe that will be the sequel. I sincerely hope you take on the weekly tradition of Taco Tuesdays in your home and share your creations from this book with the #TacoTuesdayBook hashtag on Instagram.

Few things are more exciting to eat than a delicious fresh, homemade taco. When your taste buds meet the contents of a generously stuffed tortilla, thats when the party really gets started. I should know, since Ive eaten my share of tacosand I keep wanting more.

In this cookbook, youll find everything you need to make Taco Tuesday the best night of the week. Each recipe has been carefully crafted to create a satisfying meal for you, your family, and friends. Because really, tacos are best consumed with loved ones. The tacos are organized by type of fillingbreakfast inspired, vegetarian, chicken, beef, pork, and seafood. I believe this is the best assortment of tacos out there, all at your fingertips. Whenever possible, Ive made sure to include helpful tips in the recipes to make prep and cooking a breeze, so even if your weeknights are a little hectic, you can make taco night possible! Youll also find some of the recipes featured in this book on my MOMables YouTube channel.

With this book and the videos, taco night is sure to become your most requested night of the week!

Theres much more to tacos than the filling. In this book, youll find a wide variety of tacos that came together by the simple act of playing around with the ingredients and reinventing them in tasty ways. Breakfast tacos made with eggs, vegetarian tacos featuring my favorite veggies, chicken tacos, beef tacos, pork tacos, and seafood tacos regardless of which taco filling you choose, theres a variety of ingredients to make everyone happy. Add or swap out some of the toppings or sauces, and you can reinvent any of the 52 recipes into a brand-new taco. The sauces also make terrific salad dressingsall you have to do is add a little water to thin it out! The recipes in this book can be mixed and matched with the taco builders as well. In the end, my go-to taco builder is always either a crunchy corn tortilla or a grain-free tortilla.