Technology of the Taco Pantry

You know what I hate? Technology. Not all technology….just when it makes life more difficult. You know little things like when you are doing the self-checkout at the grocery store and the machine won’t read your barcode because it is crinkled. Wasn’t it just easier to type in the barcode than to wait for some grocery store technician to come and override the system?

Or the minute you are trying to take a picture with your cell phone and it wont allow you because it claims you have no memory. When I had a film camera, I KNEW when I needed more film and never missed a shot!

And how about when you try to write a blog about your very exciting life in the food world and the software locks up. Locks up to the point that you can’t put up a post or even add a picture. Locks up so much that you can’t even type in a line to say sorry I didn’t write a post because I am having technology difficulties.

When I have issues with software etcetera, I will 100% take ownership that my computer background is lacking. I’ve learned the basics over the years but I am sort of at that point where I need to do more. (Besides yell at a machine, press the buttons harder and turn it on and off six times thinking that will help.)

It is kind of like a beginner cook trying to make a difficult recipe and yet not having all the ingredients to make it work. It may turn out to be edible but it probably isn’t right.

I wish technology was like a magic technology pantry. I wish when things didn’t work correctly that I could just go into this pantry and pick out a handful of things that I know will work. Add a little code here; type out a new password there and Ta-Dah….everything is perfect!

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way so I hope everyone is patient in the next week or so as I am trying to figure out what is going on with my software and computer.

Until then, do YOU have a magic food pantry? Do you have a group of ingredients that you always have on hand so that dinner is easier? (Yep, this is my creative “reboot” into making this about food today!)

I have a handful of ingredients that guarantee that if I am craving a Mexican-ish dinner, they will be in the house. The list is easy:

• 1 pound of ground meat
• Corn
• Cheddar cheese
• Beans (black or refried)
• Salsas
• Flour tortillas
• Enchilada Sauce
• Diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• Extras that you can find in the fridge like olives, green onions, fresh cilantro, guacamole or salsa Verde.

With that group of ingredients, I can make tacos, enchiladas or Mexican Pizza. I would never consider this “real” Mexican food but it will help cease any cravings. (Plus it will keep you from making a bad food choice one day when you are out and you get hungry and think it is a good ideal to get a fast food taco and eat it in the car….it gets everywhere and gives you bad dreams….really bad dreams….about tacos…who take over the Earth…and try to eat YOU!!!)

I think tacos and enchiladas are pretty self-explanatory. (If we need a taco tutorial, please let me know.)

The Mexican Pizza was actually something I made last weekend with my niece to have a little fun with dinner.   I put all the ingredients out on the counter and we all built our own “pizza”. (When I browned the meat, I added a little enchilada sauce to make it taco-y. Plus I crisped up the flour tortillas so they’d have a solid bottom.)

I layered mine with a tortilla on the bottom; refried beans, meat, corn, tomatoes, olives and then I topped it with another tortilla and put the cheese on top. About 10 minutes in a 350-degree oven and it is done. We sliced them in quarters and served them with a couple different salsas. It was pretty impossible to not make them delicious! (If technology was involved, I’m sure this would have been a mess!)

The nice thing about having the magic pantry ingredients is that if you always have them in your house, on days you have no time to think about dinner (because you have been trying to fix your computer)….it allows you a few different options! (Wish me luck on getting this worked out this week or you may be seeing a blog on the best ways to heat up a can of soup!)