Gluten-Free Copy Cat Double Decker tacos

        While I love my new life of being healthy and eating only home-cooked meals. (I have Celiac and haven't eaten out in 2 years). I miss fast food. I admit it. Not just the convenience, but it's the forbidden fruit. I know I can't have it, so I crave it sometimes. (Anyone who has been on a diet knows this). 

        Here's my GF version of a double decker taco.

What you need:

Crunchy Taco Shells

Gluten-Free Flour Tortillas*

Refried beans

Dairy-free cheese 

Recipe for Ground Beef:

1 pound ground beefDiced green bell pepper
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder 
Red pepper flakes
Taco Sauce

Brown the Ground beef in a shallow skillet, no need to add oil if you use a 80/20 blend. Season well with garlic powder, salt & pepper. Add red pepper flakes and gluten-free taco sauce to taste. When the meat is mostly browned, you can add the diced bell pepper.

Optional Toppings:

Avocado slices

Jalapeno slices

Lettuce

Tomato

Shredded cheese

I defrost my flour tortilla in the microwave for 10 seconds or so, I then heat the tortilla on my cast iron comal griddle to cook it through. Spread with beans & cheese and then add your crunchy taco shell. Fill with meat and the toppings you like and it's better than any drive thru.

*Udi's Gluten-free flour tortillas are what makes this so delicious, I know there might be other brands of tortilla but this is the best I've tried.

Serve with Rice

Recipe for Mexican Rice:

1 cup of rice
1 8 ounce can of tomato sauce
Vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups of water
Salt, 1 teaspoon
Pepper, 1 teaspoon 
Garlic powder, 1 teaspoon
Chicken bouillon, 1 tablespoon


Heat oil in a shallow sauce pan that has a lid, add rice and brown the rice on high or medium heat. Once the rice starts to brown, turn off the stove. Add tomato sauce, water and spices, turn stove back on and bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Cover for fifteen minutes. DO NOT OPEN the lid until the time is up. 
Voila! 
Perfect Mexican rice, my mom's recipe and probably my all-time favorite side-dish.

dinner tonight: taco salad

One of my staples and it's also great for entertaining; Taco Salad. People can add their own toppings and if kids are eating as well, they don't have to add the spicy salsa. My 9 year old cousin Isabel is disappointed if she and her sisters come over and we aren't having this for dinner.

Ingredients: 
Ground beef
Mexican rice
Pinto beans
Guacamole
Salsa
Shredded lettuce
Diced tomatoes 
Tortilla chips*


Recipe for Guacamole:
5 ripe avocados
Juice of half a lemon
2 roasted jalapenos diced
Salt, 1 teaspoon
Pepper, 1 teaspoon
Garlic powder, 1 teaspoon

Peel & mash avocados, add spices, lemon juice & jalapenos. Stir to combine, leave one pit of an avocado to keep it green. You can take out the seeds of the jalapenos if you don't like it too spicy.

Recipe for ground beef:
1 pound ground beef
1 medium russet potato shredded
Diced green bell pepper
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder 
Red pepper flakes
Taco Sauce**

Brown ground beef, season well with garlic powder, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes & about three tablespoons of gluten-free hot sauce of your choice. La Victoria sauces say gluten-free on the bottles and they have all kinds of red and green sauces in mild or hot. I also add diced green bell peppers once the meat is almost done, and even add a shredded russet potato, gives the meat great texture & stretches it out for a crowd.

Recipe for Mexican Rice:
1 cup of rice
1 8 ounce can of tomato sauce
Vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups of water
Salt, 1 teaspoon
Pepper, 1 teaspoon 
Garlic powder, 1 teaspoon
Caldo de pollo chicken bouillon***, 1 tablespoon


Heat oil in a shallow sauce pan that has a lid, add rice and brown the rice on high or medium heat. Once the rice starts to brown, turn off the stove. Add tomato sauce, water and spices, turn stove back on and bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Cover for fifteen minutes. DO NOT OPEN the lid until the time is up. 
Voila! 
Perfect Mexican rice, my mom's recipe and probably my all-time favorite side-dish.

*Most tortilla chips are gluten-free, but always double check. I love Santitas White corn tortilla chips.

**Taco seasoning packets are usually full of sodium & may contain wheat, so using gluten-free taco sauce is a great way to get that flavor. 

***Bouillons are dangerous and can contain gluten. Always check ingredients. You can use gluten-free chicken broth instead of water.

easy gluten-free lunch

        Figuring out what to eat for lunch once I started my gluten-free life was a bit of a challenge. I was used to eating out, or eating something easy like a sandwich or a frozen burrito.

        Good gluten-free corn tortillas are a staple in my diet. I use Guerrero white corn tortillas. I use them for Quesadillas with my dairy-free almond cheese alternative and whatever meat leftovers from dinner the night before as a great quick lunch. Or I heat up deli meat, like bologna or roast beef and eat that with a corn tortilla.

        This is a white corn tortilla with a few slices of Hillshire Farms roast beef that I heated in a skillet and seasoned with a little pepper. A few slices of avocado and jalapenos make this perfect and delicious. I highly recommend you give it a try if you're looking for an easy and tasty lunch.