CEiMB: Steak Tacos With Avocado-Tomato Salsa

Welcome to week two of Craving Ellie in My Belly! Do you feel lighter yet? No...me either but then again Heather...its only WEEK TWO!! hehe...I wondered if I should have weighed myself before just to see if it does work.

This week, CB of I♥food4thought chose Steak Tacos With Cucumber-Avocado Salsa (pg. 184-185). Naturally, being a native Texan, I love me some steak, tacos, and avocado. Especially the avocado. I swear I could eat them by themselves by the pound. There is nothing better than a fresh, ripe avocado so creamy and smooth. yum!!!!

The only problem with this delicious meal was the cucumber. I despise...no that's to strong. I dislike cucumbers. Unless they are pickled, then they are fine. Fresh and raw...not happening. Because of my avocado love and my cucumber hate, I decided to forgo the cucumber and use tomato instead. I fixed my favorite version of guacamole. Chunky avocado, tomato, some salt, and a healthy squeeze of lime. Delicious!

Unfortunately, the grocery store I went to (Wal-Mart) only had smooshy over ripe Hass Avocados. Ugh...not cool. The only non mushy variety they had were a kind called Brooks Avocado. Not sure if that is the grower or actual kind. I wasn't sure of it at first since it was completely green. But according to the sign, it was perfectly ripe. The flavor wasn't as creamy and smooth as I like but it was still quite tasty.

I didn't have any trouble getting the seed out. It was very loose, no whacking required!

I had a difficult time at the meat section. Ellie calls for top sirloin steak for the tacos and it was about $4.98 a pound. Now I'm on a budget (I've mentioned it before I think ;) ) so extra meats is usually out of the question. But this week, after looking at the selection before me, nothing looked all that great. Except for the top sirloin naturally. I decided to splurge and get it. I froze half of the package for later.

I was surprised to see that cinnamon was listed as an ingredient. I know its used alot in savory dishes but I haven't used it much outside of baking. I must say that it was a delicious addition to the rub. It took on a more spicy flavor than sweet. I'll definitely be trying it again on other meats.

I always love the pictures in magazines and books where beef is sliced thin and medium rare. But I am not a medium rare type person so I rarely have anything under medium well. This time though, I wanted that beautiful color so I went with 5 minutes a side. I almost panicked however when the second side was 4 minutes in and it looked a little to black. I took it off and let it rest so all of the juices would redistribute. I sliced into it (and actually got THIN slices!!!) and it was WAY to rare for my liking. I tossed the slices back into the pan for a quick cook. Then it was perfect.

To keep somewhat with the recipe, I used the corn tortillas. I usually go with flour but I know corn is better for you. I'm still not a fan of them after this taco. The first taco was fine but the second completely fell apart when I was eating it. I had a fork handy so not all was lost. Still delicious.

I cheated a tiny bit and added some low fat sour cream (as Ellie suggests! Not non fat!). No cheese though which was hard but since I allowed the sour cream, it was okay. I really enjoyed these tacos. In a flour tortilla, they would have been perfect. Next time...next time. And the extra squirt of fresh lime right before I ate them was sooooo yummy!

Next week is my pick!!! I decided to go with the Banana Cream Pie (pg 276). I love banana cream pie so I'm excited to try a healthier version. See you next week!

For more Steak Tacos, check out the CEiMB site for our member list.

Steak Tacos With Avocado-Cucumber Salsa

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon chili powder
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* A pinch cayenne pepper
* 1 1/4 pound top sirloin steaks cut 1-inch thick
* 12 small corn tortillas (5 to 6 inches in diameter)
* 3 cups shredded red cabbage
* 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
* 1 lime, cut into wedges
* 2 cups Avocado Lime Salsa, recipe follows

Directions

In a small bowl stir together chili powder, garlic, cinnamon, salt and cayenne pepper. Rub spice mixture on both sides of steaks.

Grill or broil steaks for 5 to 6 minutes on each side for medium rare, turning once. Remove from grill and let meat sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Carve into thin slices.

Warm tortillas by placing them on the grill, for about 30 seconds, turning once. Or place 6 tortillas at a time between 2 moist paper towels and microwave for 45 seconds. Wrap in cloth napkin or place in a tortilla warmer to keep warm.

Place the carved steak, warm tortillas, cabbage, cilantro, lime and Avocado Lime Salsa in serving dishes and let diners make their own tacos at the table.

Avocado Lime Salsa:

1 large cucumber peeled, seeded and cut into chunks (about 2 cups)

2 avocados, cut into chunks

1/2 red onion, diced

2 limes, juiced (about 1/4 cup)

Salt

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

2 jalapeno chiles, chopped, plus more to taste

Place cucumber, avocado and onion in a large bowl and add lime juice and salt. Add cilantro and chiles and toss gently.

Yield: 2 cups (1 serving is 1/3 cup)

Source: Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger. It is also available at Food Network.com