Make: Tacos

It's Taco Tuesday! American-style tacos are an easy, delicious dinner that pleases most everyone, and I have two tricks to make them even better.

Problem #1: "I prefer hard tacos, but the shells always fall apart with my first bite."

Solution: Load the meat into the shells BEFORE crisping them in the oven. This will make the shells perfectly crunchy and equally resilient—the best of both worlds.

Problem #2: "I want to make tacos tonight but I don't have a taco meat seasoning packet."

Solution: Stop buying those! All you need to make perfect taco meat is chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.

TAYLOR'S TACOS (couldn't resist the alliteration)

• Put about 1 pound of ground beef in a large skillet and brown it.
• Drain the fat. Don't put down the drain, unless you like paying for a plumber.
• Add about 1 tablespoon chili power, 1 teaspoon cumin, salt, pepper, and a few tablespoons of water. Taste and add more seasoning according to your preferences.
• Load meat into the shells, place on a baking sheet, and bake at 300° for about 3 minutes.
• Serve with chopped lettuce, chopped tomatoes, grated sharp cheddar cheese, plain Greek yogurt (sour cream substitute, I use whole fat), salsa, avocado, and hot sauce.

If I'm really doing it up, I'll round out the meal with sautéed onions & peppers and rice & beans. Olé!