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Taco Twists




Source of Recipe


Posted by Mary Ellen/Home Cooking


Recipe Link: http://members4.boardhost.com/HomeCooking/

List of Ingredients




8 ounces pasta twists (rotini)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 large onion (for about 1 cup chopped)
2 1/2 cups Basic Mexican Beef, fully thawed (recipe below)
2 14 1/2-ounce cans chili-style chopped or diced tomatoes
1/4 cup finely shredded cheese of choice (such as cheddar, taco blend or Monterey Jack), or more,to taste


Recipe



1. Bring 2 1/2 quarts of unsalted water to a boil in a 4 1/2-quart Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the twists and cook until just tender, about 7 to 9 minutes. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium heat in an extra-deep nonstick skillet. Peel and coarsely chop the onion, adding it to the skillet as you chop. Add the beef and tomatoes, and stir and cook until the mixture comes to a boil.

3. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the pasta is done. Serve at once over hot, drained pasta twists, topping each serving with 1 tablespoon shredded cheese (or more, to taste).

Makes 4 servings.


Basic Mexican Beef

2 pounds 97-percent lean ground beef
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water

1. Brown the ground beef over high heat in an extra-deep, 12-inch nonstick skillet, stirring frequently to break up the meat. As the meat browns, add the chili powder, cumin, onion powder and garlic powder.

2. When the meat is brown, reduce the heat to medium. Add the ketchup and water, and stir to mix well. Continue to cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of water evaporates.

3. Freeze the meat mixture in 1 1/4-cup portions in three freezer-weight plastic bags.

4. To defrost the frozen meat, run the plastic bag under hot tap water to loosen the packaging. Remove the meat from the bag, and place it on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave, uncovered, on the defrost setting, following the manufacturer's instructions, until the meat is fully defrosted. The meat mixture is now ready to use in a recipe.

Makes 3 3/4 cups.

Note: The beef mixture can be used for other Mexican dishes, such as burritos, nachos and tostadas