Frugal Foodie Friday - Potato Tacos

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From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I usually struggle to find recipes for Frugal Foodie Friday. It can be difficult to find a dish that is both delicious and inexpensive, but this week several came my way, and I actually had trouble deciding which one I would share with you tonight. Produce is usually quite reasonable at our local Hispanic markets, but when I learned they had avocados on sale for the week, these potato filled tacos, which come from Serious Eats, became the obvious choice for tonight's feature. The Silver Fox and I had a version of these in Peru and we were both surprised at just how tasty this simple combination can be. This recipe is easier than many that are out there and it is simple enough to make for weeknight supper. I do have a couple of cautions to share with those of you who plan to try the tacos. Queso fresco is a very mild cheese and if you think you'd like something with a bit more punch, use any of the Jack cheeses in its place. While I love the avocado and tomatillo sauce that is served with the tacos, if you think it to be too mild for your taste, by all means, boost the quantity or type of chili that you use. These are best eaten while still warm and they are most excellent when served with an ice cold Mexican beer to help wash them down. If you are looking for something different to serve your family, this might be it. I hope you'll give the potato tacos a try. Here is how they are made.

Potato Tacos with Avocado and Tomatillo Salsa...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Serious Eats

Ingredients:
Avocado and Tomatillo Salsa
2 avocados
4 medium tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and quartered
1 large garlic clove, quartered
1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
Potato Tacos
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
4 ounces queso fresco, divided, crumbled, divided use
salt and black pepper
12 corn tortillas
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup Mexican crema, or sour cream
1-1/2 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded
Directions:
1) To make avocado salsa Cut avocados in half lengthwise, and remove large seeds. Scoop out flesh and place in blender along with tomatillos, garlic, chiles, cilantro, 1/4 cup water, and salt. Process until it is a coarse puree. Set aside. Tomatillos will keep sauce from turning brown.
2) To make potato tacos: Bring large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander. Mash potato in large bowl, or pass through potato ricer. Mix in half of the queso fresco. Season mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon two tablespoons of potato mixture into each tortilla. Fold each over, and secure each with one tooth pick, weaving in and out to keep each in a “U” shape.
3) To cook tacos: Pour oil into large 10-inch cast iron pan set over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add enough tacos as will fit in a single layer, probably three. Cook until crisp and golden on each side, about 30 seconds for each, flipping with pair of tongs. When done, remove tacos, draining off as much oil as you can. Place on paper towels and repeat process until all tacos are cooked. Serve tacos with salsa, crema, lettuce and remainder of crumbled queso fresco. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.









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