National Taco Day: 5 Delicious recipes to celebrate!

Ingredients: 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 pound carne asada beef or flank steak, 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion, 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 avocados, peeled and seeded, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 3/4 cup yellow corn, 1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper, 4 soft tortilla bread

Directions:
1. Place oil, lime juice, cumin, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl, whisking to combine. Place beef, onions, and garlic into a large zip top bag and pour marinade inside bag. Close top of bag and with hands, massage beef with marinade to coat evenly. Place in refrigerator and marinade for 1 hour.

2. Heat oil in grill pan over medium heat. Grill beef until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes. Cut thin slices against the grain or on the bias.

3. Place avocado, lime juice, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl. Mash with a fork until well combined.

4. Place corn and peppers into a medium bowl, mixing to combine.

5. Place beef slices, a dollop of guacamole, and a spoon of corn and peppers into soft tortilla bread. Serve warm.

Recipe courtesy of Picky-Palate.com.

Ingredients: 1 large Sweet Potato, diced, Salt, Pepper, and Chili Powder Cumin (to taste), 1 cup Black Beans (drained and rinsed), 1/4 cup diced Yellow Onion, 4 flour Tortillas*,* 1/3 cup diced poblano pepper, Shredded Mexican Cheese. Optional garnishes: shredded lettuce, avocado, lime wedges, cilantro, sour cream

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

2. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Toss the sweet potatoes on the lined baking sheet with olive oil until lightly coated. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and chili powder, and cumin [you can also use curry powder]. Roast sweet potatoes for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Meanwhile, saute the diced onion for 5 minutes. Add the poblano and saute for 3 minutes. Stir in the black beans until heated through. Stir in the sweet potato. Season to taste.

4. Spoon into tortillas and top with cheese and your choice garnishes.

Tips: Dice your sweet potato pretty small so it roasts faster and leave the skin on for added nutritional benefits. Cook your own dried black beans to cut down on the sodium and store them in the freezer. When you need them, all you have to do is pull some out, dump them in the pan and heat through!

Recipe courtesy of Good Life Eats.

Ingredients: 2-3 (about 12 oz. total) medium red-skin or smallish Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups); 12-15 ounces Mexican chorizo sausage, store-bought (casing removed if there is one) or homemade; 1 small white onion, finely chopped; 4 ounces (2-3 medium) tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut into quarters; 1 garlic clove, peeled; 2 serranos or 1 jalapeño; 1 large ripe avocado; 12 warm, fresh corn tortillas

Directions:
1. For the filling: In a medium saucepan, bring about 1 quart of water to a boil. Add cubed potatoes and salt the water (about 2 teaspoons). Simmer until the potatoes are fully tender, about 10 minutes. Drain.

2. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, combine the chorizo and onion. Break up the clumbs of sausage. Stir regularly, until the onion is soft and the sausage cooked through, about 10 minutes. If the sausage has rendered more than a light coating of fat over the bottom of the skillet, pour out the excess or sop it up with a paper towel.

3. Add the potatoes to the skillet and continue to cook over medium heat. Stir often until the potatoes begin to brown, about 8 minutes. As the mixture cooks, mash everything together a little with the back of a spoon or a spatula. Scrape up any crusty bits of potato, so that it roughly holds together (it'll look like hash). Cover and keep warm over the lowest heat.

4. For the salsa: As the filling finishes cooking, make the salsa. In a food processor, combine the tomatillos, garlic and chiles. Pulse in the machine until everything is finely chopped. Peel and pit the avocado, add the flesh to the processor and pulse until everything is well blended. Scrape the salsa into a serving bowl, taste and season with salt, about 1/2 teaspoon.

5. Scrape the warm chorizo filling into a serving bowl and set on the table along with the salsa and warmed up tortillas.

Recipe courtesy of Hummingbird Appetite.

Ingredients: 2 (1/2-inch-thick) slices white onion, 1 package (8 oz.) mini sweet bell peppers, Cooking spray, 3/4 teaspoon salt (divided), 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (divided), 4 tilapia fillets (5 oz. each), 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas, 1 small jalapeño pepper (thinly sliced), 8 lime wedges (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat grill to high heat.

2. Arrange onion slices and bell peppers on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill onions for 12 minutes, turning after 6 minutes. Grill bell peppers 12 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove onions and bell peppers from grill, and let stand for 5 minutes. Slice onion rings in half. Thinly slice bell peppers; discard stems and seeds. Combine onion, bell peppers, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl.

3. Sprinkle fish evenly with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 3/8 teaspoon black pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add fish to pan, and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.

4. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Divide fish, onion mixture, and jalapeño slices evenly among tortillas. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Recipe courtesy of MyRecipes.com.

Ingredients (For the Tacos): 2 tablespoons corn oil; 1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup); 2 cloves garlic, chopped; 1/2 to 1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced; 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder; 1 teaspoon ground cumin, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 3/4 cup chopped canned tomatoes; 3/4 pound ground turkey; 1/3 cup chicken broth; 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped; Oil, for frying; 12 (5-inch) corn tortillas, preferably white, or prepared taco shells. Ingredients (For the Toppings): 1/4 head romaine or iceberg, thinly sliced; 3 ripe medium tomatoes, cored and diced; 1 to 2 Hass avocados, diced; 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, Sour cream, for garnish

Directions:
1. Put the oil, onions, garlic, jalapeno, and spices in a medium skillet, season with salt and cook over medium to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until tender, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the tomatoes and boil to thicken, about 2 minutes. Stir in the turkey and chicken broth, adjust the heat so the mixture simmers and cook until the turkey is cooked through and the mixture thickens but is not dry, about 12 minutes. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and cover.

2. To make the taco shells: Pour enough frying oil into a small skillet so it's about 3/4 of an inch deep; heat over medium to medium-high. Holding 1 edge of a tortilla with tongs, lay the other half in the oil, keeping it flat with a spatula. Cook until crisp, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Flip the tortilla over and repeat with the other half, holding the first side of the tortilla at an angle to make an open shell, cook for about 1 minute more. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

3. Put the fixings and meat in individual bowls and the taco shells on a platter. Serve, encouraging your diners to build their own tacos, with meat in the shell and the fixings on top.

Recipe courtesy of FoodNetwork.com.