Taco Tuesday is trite. I just care that it was good.

Main Course / June 19, 2014

I’m not sure how we got to the point where we had to theme every night of the week for eating or drinking. Maybe it started with TGIF and went down hill from there. Really, can’t we just take it as it comes? Do we always need a favorite, a title, a process to help us choose which food we eat which night? (Is my voice getting higher???)

My husband grew up eating spaghetti every Wednesday and of course fish every Friday, and I’m pretty sure there was a pork chop that came around most Mondays. And now I can’t get him to do anything regularly. It ruined him forever. He makes sure EVERYTHING is different every day. Sure, I had roast most Sundays, and I regularly requested lemon meringue pie for my birthday, but overall, food was an adventure in my house, and there WERE NO RULES.

Which is why I kind of hesitate to post a TACO recipe I created on a TUESDAY. Aaacckk. How did that happen? At least it isn’t a MEATLESS MONDAY recipe. Those make my eyes roll. (Unless it’s one I have downloaded, repinned, or “hearted” on Instagram, you’re excluded of course. Ha!) I mean what’s next? WAGYU BEEF WEDNESDAYS, THUMBPRINT COOKIE THURSDAY and heaven forbid, FLOURLESS FRIDAYS?

But then I realized, I am breaking my own rule, the one about there being no rules. So whatever happens on Tuesdays is fine, even if I have inadvertently followed a culinary acronym that gives me a shiver. Heck, this came together in minutes and was fun, spicy and fresh. You might even want to try my BLACK BEAN AND ARTICHOKE TACO CUPS WITH MANGO DRESSING AND HERBED RICE to see for yourself. And if you make it, you might fill the tortillas with something else, and not even call it a TACO, so what the heck and I freaking out for????

Let’s just say, my husband is waiting for SILENT SATURDAY — with a side of SHHHHH…ain’t gonna happen.

Black Bean and Artichoke Taco Cups

With Mango Dressing and Herbed Rice

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 medium garden fresh tomato diced
2 large scallions angle diced
2 C lettuce
4 small four tortillas or corn
1 C herbed rice cooked (I used Lipton Herb and Butter Rice in the packet)
½ can black beans rinsed
½ can artichoke hearts drained and cut into quarters
2 T mango habanero sauce
¼ C taco sauce
2 oz goat cheese
Juice of one lime
Salt and pepper

Direction:

Shred lettuce and assemble with tomatoes, scallions, artichoke hearts and black beans. Or create the balance of ingredients you prefer. For dressing add the mango sauce to half the taco sauce,with salt and pepper, and the lime juice and toss the ingredients together. In the meantime, form the tortillas inside a muffin tin and bake in 375 degree oven for about 8 minutes, or until they hold their shape but not crunchy. Remove and let sit for about 2 minutes then take out of tins and let sit.
To assemble, place some of the rice at the bottom of each tortilla, fill with the lettuce mixture, top with the goat cheese and garnish with an artichoke wedge. You can drizzle some more of the taco sauce on top.And you can warm them in the micro for a bit if you prefer. No more than 20 seconds each.

Variations:

Use cheddar instead of goat cheese. Add cooked hamburger or pork to the lettuce mixture. Usecabbage instead of lettuce. Use your imagination!