i literally ate these for like an entire week for lunch/dinner. this easy-to-make meal totally fits all of the food and foto requirements : healthy, simple, colourful, and delicious!
i chose buffalo meat for these taco boats for a few reasons. i’ve been eating more buffalo meat over beef in general, lately. for one, i am grateful that i can find it in the frozen section where i shop. also, i watched a short documentary on two different buffalo meat companies and it was just so interesting to listen to their commentary. these people really really respect the buffalo and what the animal does for our land, soil, and as a food. the animals graze on huge pastures/grasslands and are even “harvested” on their own land, as to show respect and pride. no confinement lots here!
as you may know, i’m a huge advocate for choosing local, organic, naturally and humanely raised and treated animal products for consuming. if you aren’t yet convinced, i recommend watching the movie “food inc.” or any other documentary in its category. do your own research and decide for yourself. if you live in an area with access to grass-fed beef or buffalo, i highly suggest you make the switch. do a little research on the benefits of eating grass-fed and pasture-based animal products. i suspect a lot more information will arise as time goes on. i don’t pretend to be an expert on these subjects, i just speak from personal experience when it comes to food. it’s something i will always be passionate about. as a woman, as a foodie, as a photographer, and as someone with over a decade of experience in the organic food industry.
and now that i’m done with that rant – here’s the recipe! 😉
– 1 pound grass-fed ground beef or buffalo
– taco seasoning of choice
– tomatoes
– avocado
– red onion
– black olives
– shredded cheese
– romaine lettuce
– corn chips
a sad day came, recently… the day i decided to give up my favourite corn chips. i hardly ever eat corn-based food, but sometimes you just need a good corn chip! i loved this brand because of two simple facts : 1. they have had the same packaging and marketing for over 10 years. 2. they’re a family-owned company with simple ingredients and they don’t want publicity. however, when trying to do some research online, i couldn’t find anything regarding the use of GMOs in their products. since corn is one of the top 5 GMO crops out there, i tend to be pretty picky about what i eat with corn in it. that also applies to canola, wheat, soy, and sugar beets. most of which i tend to just avoid entirely.
anyway, i decided to stop buying and supporting these chips {after i ate them with this yummy meal!} until they switch to non-gmo corn or at least have some transparency on either their packaging or their website… it was hard, but there are some things i just stand firm on.
{end of second rant}
begin by browning your meat in a large skillet under medium to high heat and add in your seasoning about 2-3 minutes prior to finishing. while your meat is cooking, you can chop up your veggies… i decided to use the lettuce leaves as my “shell” and make little boats out of them…
all the fixins’…
annnnnnd… grab a lettuce leaf and start the piling!
cooked and seasoned beef/buffalo… then cheese – mmm, so melty….
then tomatoes… then onion…
then olives… then avocado… {are you salivating yet?!}
then your salsa of choice {jalapeno cilantro, for me}… and finally, crumble up some corn chips and let them fall into your boat…
and since it’s thirsty thursday, washing this down with a few coronas makes it oh-so-nice. i love these little ones, ’cause i can drink a few and not feel guilty. 😉
serve immediately on your patio at sunset… to enhance the mood, and probably flavour of your food… 😉
nom nom NOM!
food & foto 
Beautiful! Now I want buffalo tacos…
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Yum, I would love to try buffalo one day. I am lucky to live in New Zealand where our green pastures feed our meat and dairy industry. We have no choice between grain fed or grass fed, it is all grass fed. I wonder, since grass fed is what I used to, if I would be able to taste the difference if I met a grain fed meat? It sounds like buffalo have a beautiful natural life. One that all animals should be permitted.
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hi bunny! 😉
i bet it’s so wonderful to live in a place where the animal ethics are so spot-on you don’t even have to think about what it is you are eating.. as you said. that must be so nice. i hope some day our country follows suit to those countries who have a clean food system. i often wonder if i could tell the difference side-by-side as well.. and after distinguishing my palate so strongly over the years, i venture to say i possibly could. i hope you get the opportunity to try buffalo someday soon!! 🙂
thanks for reading… and for stopping by and commenting!
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From what I have read, if you are used to grain fed, grass fed can be unpalatable due to being more gamey and less fatty. I’ve since found out are some NZ farms who raise their beef on grass and finish their beef on grains so that they get some fatty marbling. Interesting concept.
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yes, we do that here in the states as well. most pasture-based farms will have a combination of mostly pasture grasses/alfalfa/hay and finish with grain… but it seems the 100% grass fed is a new “fad” and many people look for it. i agree, it did take me a while to adjust to the more “gamey” flavour, but now i literally crave it – probably in part due to the much higher nutrient quality.
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I find the best beef has been properly aged. The steak is dark brown rather than red. The flavour and texture is wonderful. You can’t find aged steak at the supermarket here, only at the butchers.
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yum. i’ve actually never tried an aged steak… i assume you mean dry-aged? some specialty stores here sell them… for a pretty penny. i’ve always wanted to try one!
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I completely agree about corn based products. We don’t even eat corn on the cob anymore. Sorry to hear about your favorite chips.
We went to the Annex in Carbondale the other day. Lovely new(er) organic place. I bought some bread cheese there. Can’t wait to try it.
Be well my friend.
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