October 4 is National Taco Day and in honor of this day, we are providing you with recipes for anti-inflammatory versions of this Mexican treat for the whole day. They may not all be tacos but you will definitely get your fill of anti-inflammatory Mexican goodness for the day! You will be able to eat “tacos” for breakfast, lunch and dinner to satisfy this cultural snack craving.
According to NationalDayCalendar.com the history of tacos predates the arrival of Europeans in Mexico but National Taco Day began in 2009. Anthropological evidence shows the native people living in the lake region of the Valley of Mexico ate tacos filled with small fish. At the time of the Spanish conquistadors, Bernal Diaz del Castillo, documented the first taco feast enjoyed by Europeans. Hernan Cortes arranged this meal for his captains in Coyoacan. It is unclear why the Spanish used the word taco to describe this native food. One suggested origin is the word ataco, meaning stuff or to stuff.
A little piece of taco trivia: In 1964, Roberto L. Gomez established The National Taco Council. The council sent a 55-pound taco to President Johnson in 1967.
Today, tacos go beyond delicious. Many are filled with lean meats and vegetables. Grilled fish and shrimp tacos add a whole other profile. People eat taco pizza, veggie tacos, slow cooker pork tacos. The list is endless.
We are going to satisfy your craving for tacos by providing you with 3 anti-inflammatory versions of this delicious Mexican treat that come straight from The Official Anti-Inflammatory Diet Masterclass. You don’t need the calories and carbs that go with the flour and corn versions of taco shells. You’ll see why in our recipes.
Mexican Breakfast Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large sweet potato cut into cubes
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ lb spicy breakfast sausage
- ½ colored bell pepper chopped
- Red pepper flakes to taste
- 6 eggs
- 1 avocado peeled, pitted and chopped
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium skillet. Add sweet potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft. Once cooked through, sprinkle sweet potatoes with cumin and chili powder and toss to coat.
- Meanwhile, in a second skillet, cook breakfast sausage, chopping as you cook. Once cooked through, remove sausage, retaining grease. Add sausage to sweet potato skillet with bell pepper and red pepper flakes if desired. Cook on low heat until bell peppers are cooked to desired tenderness.
- Fry eggs to your liking in grease from sausage, adding salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide sweet potato and sausage among plates, topping with eggs and avocado.
Notes
- If you prefer scrambled or poached eggs, cook eggs as you like and serve as stated in the recipe.
- Top meal with homemade salsa (or no added sugar) if you like to start your day with a kick.
Taco Salad
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs ground beef
- ½ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- Pinch chili powder more if you like the spice
- Pinch cayenne pepper more if you like the spice
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 3 cups romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 medium avocado diced
- 2 medium tomatoes diced
- 3 green onions chopped
- 16 large pitted black olives chopped
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef until fully cooked. Drain well.
- Add cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Mix into drained ground beef until well coated.
- Place ¼ of the romaine lettuce on a dinner plate. Top with equal portions of avocado, tomato, onion, black olives and ground beef.
Jerk Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries divided
- ½ cup fresh pineapple chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped
- 2 Tbsp mango chutney
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 2 tsp fresh jalapeno seeded and minced
- ¾ tsp salt divided
- 1 lb chicken breast cutlets
- 2 Tbsp olive oil divided
- 3 tsp jerk seasoning see recipe in our Notes below
- 8 crisp romaine leaves or Napa cabbage leaves
Instructions
- Coarsely chop ½ cup blueberries and place in a small bowl with remaining 1 cup whole blueberries. Add pineapple, cilantro, chutney, lime juice, jalapeno and ¼ tsp salt; toss to combine. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
- Preheat grill to medium-high. Rub chicken cutlets evenly with 1 Tbsp oil.
- In a small bowl, mix jerk seasoning and ½ tsp salt; sprinkle mixture evenly onto both sides of chicken.
- Brush 1 Tbsp oil on grill grates and place chicken on grates. Grill, uncovered, until grill marks appear and chicken is cooked through, about 3 – 4 minutes per side. Remove chicken from grill; cover and let rest 10 minutes.
- Slice or shred chicken. Divide evenly among lettuce leaves. Spoon blueberry salsa onto chicken. Garnish with cilantro leaves if desired.
Notes
Homemade Sour Cream
Equipment
- Blender or Food Processor
Ingredients
- ¼ cup cashews soaked 1–2 hours
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup water
- ⅔ cup ice
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Taco Seasoning
Ingredients
- ¼ cup chili powder
- ¼ cup cumin powder
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 Tbsp Kosher or Himalayan salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper or to taste - optional (for a kick!)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Jerk Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp cayenne pepper or to taste
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 2 tsp coconut palm sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients; store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
If you’re still hungry for more Mexican goodness, don’t forget about our post on National Burrito Day – you will find anti-inflammatory recipes for a Mexican Burrito Bowl and Homemade Guacamole.
Want more free anti-inflammatory recipes, downloadable resources and efficiency tips and tricks from a professional chef? Of course, you do! Click here for the secret sauce!
