Saturday, April 30, 2016

64. Buffalo Turkey Tacos with Cabbage, Carrot, and Celery Slaw and Gorgonzola

Yum
Buffalo Turkey Tacos with Cabbage, Carrot, and Celery Slaw and Gorgonzola Collage

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So . . . due to the fact that I have been super busy at work (with end-of-the-year travel and performances), I had to take a little hiatus from my taco project.  When school gets out, I'll have some ground to make up.  I'm only a little behind.  I should be all right, but we'll be eating tacos A LOT this summer!  I've come too far to quit - I have to reach my goal of 100 original taco recipes in a year.

I made this recipe about two weeks ago.  Yes.  That's how behind I am.  My husband was attending an art conference down in Tucson.  I decided to go along.  My parents and my younger sister (along with her husband and two boys) live down in Tucson, so I thought it would be a fun weekend for me as well.

If you've read any of my other recipes, you'll notice that the plates in these photos are different!  (Finally, right?)  Well, I made these tacos for a Friday lunch at my parents' house.  It was fun to have my mom, my dad, my sister, and one of my aunts taste test them for me.  I love to make tacos for people that are not already sick of them!  Ha ha.  :)

I decided to keep this one fairly simple, as I was cooking in someone else's kitchen.  I made a quick Trader Joe's run, basically bringing everything with me.

I had originally planned on making Buffalo chicken tacos (with ground chicken), but Trader Joe's didn't have any ground chicken, so I went with turkey.  I'm sure ground chicken would be just as delicious!

When I get Buffalo wings, I always opt for blue cheese dressing over ranch.  If you're a blue cheese lover, I would highly recommend the Gorgonzola garnish.  If you hate blue cheese . . . well . . . there's also a layer of white cheddar, so you should be set.  Yes.  Double cheese.  No apologies for that.  :)

These came together pretty easily - they were a great lunch option!  Here's the recipe:

Buffalo Turkey Tacos with Cabbage, Carrot, and Celery Slaw and Gorgonzola


Serves about 4 to 5 (15 to 16 tacos)

Ingredients:


For the cabbage, carrot, and celery slaw:


2 cups shredded cabbage
1 and 1/2 medium carrots, shredded (assorted colors, if you wish)
1 celery stalk, cut lengthwise into strips and then finely chopped
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp. salt

Ingredients for Cabbage, Carrot, and Celery Slaw for Buffalo Turkey Tacos

For the Buffalo turkey filling:


1 tbsp. olive oil
2 to 3 tbsp. butter
2 medium garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1.5 lb. ground turkey
1/2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
3/4 cup Frank's Red Hot sauce (original)
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. chili powder of your choice

16 crunchy taco shells

Trader Joe's Crunchy Taco Shells

A few ounces of finely shredded white cheddar cheese

Shredded White Cheddar Cheese for Buffalo Turkey Tacos

A few ounces of  crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Instructions:

1.  Make the slaw:  Place all of the slaw ingredients into a medium bowl.  Toss well to combine.  Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.  Cover and set aside.

Cabbage, Carrot, and Celery Slaw for Buffalo Turkey Tacos
I love the colors from the carrot medley that I bought at TJ's, but orange carrots would be just fine!  
2.  Make the turkey filling:  Heat the olive oil and 2 tbsp. of the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the onion, lower the heat a bit, and cook until the onion is soft and somewhat browned, about 8 to 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for about one minute, or until fragrant.   Add the turkey, chili powder, salt, and pepper and increase the heat to medium.  Cook, stirring and breaking apart with a spatula, until the turkey is completely done.  Add the hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce and simmer gently until most of the liquid has been reduced/absorbed, about 10 minutes.  If the mixture seems dry or you want it extra rich, you can add an additional tablespoon of butter.  Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.  Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Turkey Filling for Buffalo Turkey Tacos with Cabbage, Carrot, and Celery Slaw and Gorgonzola
Yes, I know it looks greasy, but it's really not that bad.  It's just a strange look with the hot sauce!
3.  Prepare the shells:  Preheat an oven (or toaster oven) to 375 degrees.  Place the desired number of shells on a baking sheet.  Toast until hot and just starting to brown - about 1 to 3 minutes.  This could vary depending on your oven, so watch them carefully.  They can go from browned to burned very quickly!

4.  Assemble the tacos:  For each taco, place a shell on a plate.  Fill with some of the turkey mixture.  Top with a sprinkle of the white cheddar cheese.  Finish with some of the slaw and crumbled Gorgonzola to taste.  (The Gorgonzola can be skipped for blue cheese haters!)   Enjoy!

Buffalo Turkey Tacos with Cabbage, Carrot, and Celery Slaw and Gorgonzola

Well, these were pretty much perfect.  Spicy, crunchy, rich . . . We all enjoyed them quite a bit!  Three tacos seemed to be right on as a generous lunch portion.  I will admit - the filling is a little buttery/saucy, but they're supposed to be Buffalo tacos, right?  Just enjoy them and don't worry about it!  :)

Buffalo Turkey Tacos with Cabbage, Carrot, and Celery Slaw and Gorgonzola (2)

I do wish that I had been able to get better pictures.  It was impossible to get these tacos to stand up!  Since I wasn't at home, I didn't have my little taco holders.  With crunchy taco shells, it does help to have them!  These aren't the exact ones that I have, but they're very similar:



It definitely helps make the pictures turn out better!  :)  Oh, well.  They were still delicious, even if the pictures were a bit sloppy!

I will definitely be making these again.  They're one of my quickest taco recipes thus far.  If you ever feel like driving out to Jack in the Box and getting tacos, well . . . don't.  Make these.  You'll be glad you did!

As I type this, I am currently working on recipe number 65.  It smells amazing!  It involves pork, rosemary, apples, and white wine.  Stay tuned . . .

Feel free to comment on this recipe!  Did you try them?  What did you think?

Thanks for reading!

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