In addition to craving Chinese food lately, tacos have also creeped their way up to the top of my must-eat list. Nothing sounds better right now than a hot and crispy taco with tons of ice-cold toppings and infinite amounts of shredded cheddar cheese. RIGHT?!
At the same time, I also have a craving for fitting into my bikini next month, and have been attempting to cut back on carbs starting this week. It’s…not going well.
Everything has carbs!
Well, everything I like, anyway. Cereal, fruit, cereal, yogurt, cereal, popcorn, cereal, the 12-packs of King’s Hawaiian Sweet Rolls Ben won’t stop buying on his way home from work, and did I mention cereal?
Still wanting to satisfy my latest craving, I met myself halfway and whipped up a hot and crispy taco for dinner tonight, but traded carb-laden taco shells, for low-carb endive leaves.
I’m calling them Low-Carb Taco Boats, and they are JUST the ticket! The endive leaves are super crunchy and actually hold up better than regular corn tortilla shells, which can get soggy and fall apart. Plus their mild taste really lets the toppings shine through. PLUS I seasoned the meat with my own homemade taco seasoning. It’s SO simple and there’s no additives like caking agents you’ll sometimes find in store bought blends. Love that!
Start the taco boats by getting the endive “boats” ready. I picked up a pack of endive from Trader Joe’s that included two regular heads and one purple head. Since we’re need a pretty sturdy “boat” to hold all the taco fillings, I stuck to the regular endive as the purple is more delicate.
Cut the stem end off the endive and peel back the leaves, then wash and pat them dry. That’s it! Boats = ready.
Next, prepare the taco filling by browning 1lb ground beef.
Drain the cooked ground beef, return it to the pan, then hit it with single serving homemade taco seasoning – just enough for 1lb of meat, aka the equivalent of a store bought taco seasoning packet. My homemade version combines chili powder, garlic powder and onion powder with other seasonings like cumin, paprika and oregano. Sprinkle the blend in with 1/4 cup water then mix it with the ground beef.
Taco Boat assembly is next! Lay out a variety of toppings, taco-bar style, which could include tomatoes, salsa, cheddar cheese, green onion, red onion, and crumbled goat cheese.
Spoon some taco meat into the endive leaves, then add any combination of toppers that you like!
free email bonus
Dinner Made EASY
5 days of simple yet flavorful recipes that take the stress out of dinnertime!
Homemade Taco Seasoning
Description
Homemade Taco Seasoning is made with spice cupboard staples, and is free from additives, preservatives, and artificial coloring!
Ingredients
- 2-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon regular or smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
- 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
Directions
- Mix together seasonings, then add to 1lb cooked and drained ground beef with 1/4 cup water. Mix well.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Crunch-tastic, people – and so fun to eat!
I’m a soft shell girl all the way when it comes to tacos. It’s funny, yesterday, as I walked by the endives at the grocery store I was thinking to myself I really want to get them (because I do like them) but would they go to waste? Your post was just one day late. What a great idea!
Love your blog, I look forward to it everyday. It is nice that a fellow Iowan can add to the health of everyone! I am in small town Iowa so Trader Joe’s isn’t available but I will have to look for some endive…this recipe looks great! Love the low sodium, thank you for thinking overall health! We enjoyed the weather as well, nothing like running outside!
Thanks for the link to my HIIT article. Much appreciated. Great article and absolutely love the photos!
Those taco-boats look really delicious! Yummy, and they seem really easy to make. Definitely have to try it.
By the way, I have been your blog for quite some time now, and I gotta say, I love it. I really enjoy reading it. Keep it up ;)
Mmm…they look delicious! I’ve made taco’s with romaine lettuce, but now I must try endive!
I like your homemade taco seasoning idea, less sodium too. Will prob make a taco salad using these recipes too. Delicious! Thanks. And, your tacos look so cute on those square plates. Couldn’t resist eating them that way!
Clever idea! These look SO good! I have to go with soft shell tacos. My favorite taco ever is the garlic shredded beef from Fuzzy’s.
They load it with a ton of cilantro, queso fresco, tomatoes, lettuce, and wrap it up in a homemade tortilla. To die for! A must try if you ever find yourself back in the Dallas area!
Genius!!! I just started following your blog! I love it! Thanks for sharing your recipes, exercise tips, and sense of humor! I love the honest and real approach you take and it’s inspiring! This South Dakota girl can relate and is motivated by you!
Soft! With TS coming in a close second.
Great timing on the post; Missy and I just made tacos for dinner Monday night and I said that we should find a way to create our own seasoning…we will definitely have to try this soon. Thanks for the tip!
Now, if only this weather would last…
Thanks!! I’m going to try the workout today! :) Recipe great as always! I love the delicate bitterness of the endives!
I’ve used both cabbage and romaine as taco “shells”, but I never would’ve thought to use endives! Great idea!
These are so cool! Love the fact that the endive will stay nice and crunchy. Although I’m not gonna lie – I don’t know if could eat tacos without some chip and salsa on the side, which would defeat the low-carb part for me :-)
Nice workout! I’ve recently become a runner and I love running out on the streets of SF. But I tried running on the treadmill the other day and it was no fun – way too bouncy for me, especially when I’m used to the streets. Maybe I’ll just have to try again.
On another note, these are so freaking adorable. I could seriously eat a gazillion of these and not feel guilty at all.
These are definitely AWESOME!
What a cute meal!
what a smart idea! I have never cooked with an endive before. I actually didn’t even know what an endive looked like. I’m definitely sharing this with my coworker whose family is divided between gluten free and vegan. This could be both if tweaked a bit.
74?! I’m so jealous… although the warm weather is heading my way, we’re supposed to hit 70 on Thursday in PA. So crazy for March!!!! Tacos are yummy, I like hard and soft shells… and taco salads!
Crunchy, fried flour shells for me. Also, it’s not tacos without guacamole!
I love endive! I make special trips to Trader Joe’s to get them!
great way to make tacos on taco tuesdays. today is a great day to grab ice cream.