Tag Archives: Mexican Food

Taxco Mexican Grill

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Eating out is a special treat for our large family.  It isn’t cheap to take 8 people to a restaurant these days, especially since some of our kids (are older than 12 years and) are charged adult prices.  We have jumped from paying for 2 adult plates and 6 kid plates when they were younger to paying for 5 adult plates and 3 kid plates today when eating out.  That is a huge change.

We have also noticed prices in general increasing over the last several years, from food, fuel, clothing, travel, etc.  As costs have gone up, we have become more picky about quality, costs, and the whole experience.  We usually combine eating out with something special to enjoy, like a field trip, or a drive to see a new town, or new location to sight see, or a visit to a lake or the ocean, or for special celebrations such as birthdays.

Taxco Mexican Grill

On one of our recent trips we stopped and ate at a wonderful restaurant that serves Mexican food, Taxco Mexican Grill.  We found the experience to be pleasant, delicious and well worth it.  It is definitely a place we would recommend to other families.

The Taxco Mexican Grill is owned by a family who immigrated to the United States of America from Mexico.  They opened their first restaurants in Atlanta Georgia in 1983.  They have been very successful and now own a chain of restaurants in several states.  The staff was friendly and helpful.  Our waiter’s name was Zachariah and is pictured below on the left.  He is the nephew of the owner. He did a good job taking care of our table.

We did a little research and found the word Taxco comes from the name of a silver mining and tourist town in Mexico.  Taxco sits on the side of the Atatzin Mountain in the state of Guerrero Mexico.  The word Taxco has two meanings.  Taxco means “place of the ballgame” and the city hosts several sports such as basketball, volleyball, and tennis.  Taxco also means “where the Father of the water is” because of the waterfall near the center of the mountain town.

Food:

The food was delicious.  Since this was our first time here, and not sure if we would like it, we played it safe and ordered familiar dishes.  However, we loved the flavors so much that I am sure the next time we go, we will branch out and try more things we are not as familiar with.  Some of the delicious foods we ordered included:

Cheese enchilada with Spanish rice and beans:

Tostada with beens, lettuce, tomato, and guacomole:

Beef burritos with Spanish rice and beans:

Our six year old son ordered beef burritos.  These came in pairs of two and without rice or beans. He loved every bite!

From the kids menu, our nine year old boy ordered chicken and fries.  He is a picky eater, and most of the time will order something (not spicy, not covered in sauce, not touching other foods, etc) he is familiar with.

However, once he saw his brother’s burritos and asked for a bite, he quickly changed his mind.

He asked us to order him the same burritos too.  So we placed another order for two beef burritos and the staff brought it out to us quickly.  He loved the burritos and asked for seconds!  We could not believe it!  This goes to tell you just how good they are, because he has never asked for burritos before.

Steak fajita burrito topped with nacho cheese and served with Spanish rice and beans.

Pico de Gallo and sour cream:

The fresh made salsa is served in large bottles with a basket of crunchy warm tortilia chips.  Each person can choose from hot spicy salsa or mild salsa and pour the amount desired into small empty salsa dishes and refill them as needed.  We also ordered bowls of cheese dip too.

Some of our kids also enjoy mixing cheese dip and salsa together.

Everyone enjoyed the food.  We had nothing left over when they were through.

Costs:

The costs were very affordable and likely one of the cheapest places you might eat out and still enjoy fresh cooked food.  Burritos with rice and beans was $6.75 and  2 Beef burritos (no rice or beans) was $5.95.  Steak burrito with rice and beans was $12.25  A combo of beef burritos and tostada with rice and beans was $8.75  Kids cheese enchilada with rice and beans was $4.75  Kids chicken and fries was $5.25  I would say out of all the Mexican restraunts we have visited, this one was the best combination of costs, experience, and quality flavors.

Another way we keep costs down is drinking water when we go out.  We asked for glasses of ice water with slices of fresh lemon to drink.  Water is free, is more healthy compared to sodas, and it helps keep our costs down with our large family.  Having a slice of lemon in the water helps kids and adults enjoy the flavor and hides the taste of city tap water that public places serve. Our family much prefers spring water or well water, but that is not usually an option at restaurants so we just order waters with fresh lemon slices.  With 8 people in the family, ordering lemon water when dining out is a huge savings on our budget.

Experience:

The restaurant was clean and the atmosphere was comfortable.  The room was not crowded as many restaurants are, and there was plenty of space for our large family.  Our waiter, Zachariah, was prompt and courteous.  I asked his permission for a photo of himself to include in this story and he was happy to let me take it.  We enjoyed this experience and his outgoing personality helped make it enjoyable.

After dinner, we took a walk outside to enjoy the scenery.  There was a lovely pond with a deck, walking paths, fountains, and geese.

The restaurant actually has outdoor seating if you want to eat outside and enjoy the fountain while you eat.  We will have to try doing that next time.

After leaving the restaurant, we enjoyed watching the sunset and scenery at a nearby lake.

We enjoyed this outing.   It was a relaxing experience eating some of the flavors of Mexico and visiting the fountains and nearby lake.

I would encourage other families to find ways they can spend quality time together and enjoy life.  Spending time together builds relationships and taking time to enjoy nature, mountains, forests, parks, lakes, rivers, oceans, fields, and looking at the sky too, is refreshing to the body.  It sort of recharges your batteries so to speak.  It improves the quality of one’s life.  There is so much beauty to enjoy.

Ecclesiates 5:18

“Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.”

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Black Bean Taco Salad

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Black Bean Taco Salad is an easy quick meal to prepare and has been one of my favorites over the years.  It comes together so fast with fresh flavors and fun textures and is really a treat in the mouth and satisfying to the tummy.

I enjoy this taco salad for lunch or dinner.  It is super delicious and nutritious.  Some suggestions for different diet variations: If you are following a certain diet like Trim Healthy Mama, then you can serve this dish with blue corn chips or homemade baked Joseph’s pita / tortilla crisps / chips.  If you are following a diet like The Fast Metabolism Diet then leave out the chips and instead serve this salad with sliced veggies like cucumbers, jicama, or large wedges of peppers, etc. If you are following a Low Carb Diet, leave out the black beans and chips and serve with low starch veggie slices or just on romaine lettuce. If you are on a Nourishing Foods or Eat Fat Loose Fat plan, add in a spoonfull of geletain powder and a spoonful of coconut oil to your pan while it cooks and serve with full fat sourcream and fermented Pico de Gallo and serve with sprouted corn chips. All of these methods are delicious variations you will not be dissappointed with.

This meal comes together fast and takes less than ten minutes to throw together if you keep a batch of Pico de Gallo in the fridge or freezer and canned beans on hand for quick meals.  If not, then it will take you about another five minutes to chop those veggies and throw in the pot.  If cooking beans from scratch, you will need to plan ahead and soak them overnight and plan to cook for an hour on the stove the next day before using in this recipe as dried beans should always be soaked for at least seven hours and drained before cooking to neutralize the phytic acids.  This truly is a fast food meal.  I like to make a batch of Pico de Gallo ahead and keep it in the fridge and some in quick meal packs in the freezer for fast meals when I don’t feel much like cooking or making a big mess in the kitchen.

The best part of all in making this meal is that my kids enjoy it and they don’t complain about eating it, and that makes the effort of putting this nutritious meal together for them so worth it!

Black Bean Taco Salad

 

 

Black Bean Taco Salad

Ingredients:
1 cup Pico de Gallo (fresh or frozen). Check out my Pico de Gallo recipe at the bottom of this post.
1 can black beans drained and rinsed.
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder or a fresh clove of garlic minced
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
1/4 cup shredded cheese

Optional (for crunch) serve with:
1 cup tortilla chips or 1 cup sliced raw veggies

Directions:
In a pan heat the Pico de Gallo on medium heat until the onions are tender, add in beans, garlic and spices till heated through and no moisture from the veggies remains. Scoop the taco filling onto plate and serve with lettuce, cheese, and tortilla chips. Add sour cream or guacamole if desired.

Nutrition Data: Calories 415; Protein 25 g; Fat 11 g; Fiber 20 g; Carbs 58 g; Sugars 8 g; Vit A 6105 IU; Vit C 42.2 mg; Vit K 66.7 mcg; Calcium 303 mg; Iron 5.4 mg; Thiamine .6 mg; Folate 610 mcg; Magnesium 159 mg; and so much more. This meal is packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidents and is very nutrient dense. Data figured for the taco salad filling, plus lettuce and cheese, but without the optional chips or raw veggies.

This basic meal is very versatile. You can serve the taco filling in crunchy taco shells, on tostada shells, or inside soft tortillas too. It works for tacos, burritos, and enchiladas if you just change up the sauce or shell you are working with. I also love to add in already cooked rice for a delicious meal of rice and beans or to also fill a variety of shells. The kids love to add the taco filling, rice, cheese, and crunchy corn chips inside a soft tortilla shell for their own homemade version of FRITO BURRITOS from Taco Bell. If you want to use the taco filling as a dip, then just blend it in the blender until desired smoothness or chunckiness and serve with veggies or tortilla chips or spread on the inside of bread or tortillas for variety to sandwiches. Also for a creamy mexican soup, after blending the taco filling, this it with water or milk (real milk, almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, etc) and reheat the soup on top of stove, then garnish the soup bowl with sour cream, or more Pico de Gallo when serving if desired. This basic recipe is very versatile and you can get a lot of different meals from it.

Homemade Pico de Gallo

1 medium chopped onion (red or white)
2 medium chopped tomatoes with seeds removed
1 small chopped jalapeno with seeds removed
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or 2 Tbsp dried cilantro
1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime or lemon juice
1/2 tsp sea salt

Toss everything together and store in fridge or freezer and use for adding to meals (tacos, burritos, eggs, soups, etc.) or as a garnish. Pico de Gallo is basically a fresh salad made from uncooked salsa. It is traditional in Mexican cooking, comes together quick and easy and makes meals POP with flavor and texture. I highly recommend keeping batches of this awesome food in the fridge and freezer for various uses. I love to make quick breakfasts by adding a few tablespoons of Pico de Gallo in a skillet, sauteing with chopped spinach and then piling all of that inside a delicious omelet. The best omelets ever!!! If desired, you can also ferment Pico de Gallo in a glass canning jar for one to three days on the counter, and then for another week or so in the fridge before using just by adding in 2 Tbsp of liquid whey when preparing a fresh batch. It will turn out similar to Kimchi (Kimchi is a raw fermented Asian spicy salad) but without the cabbage and red chili peppers. It is amazing what you can do with ferments. The Lactobacillus in the liquid whey helps safely ferment the veggies and activates lots of enzymes and good bacteria that are beneficial to the digestive and immune systems. Whether you eat it fresh, cooked, or fermented, Pico de Gallo is YUMMY!!!

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Homemade Pico de Gallo

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If you have ever eaten Mexican or Hispanic food at an authentic Mexican restraunt, then you have probably enjoyed Pico de Gallo served either on top or on the side of your meal. It is traditional in Mexican cooking, and it comes together quick and easy and makes meals POP with fresh flavor and texture. Pico de Gallo is usually served raw and is the opposite of a cooked salsa. It is basically a fresh uncooked salsa so it is a salad. It is also sometimes called Salsa Fresco “fresh salsa” and also Salsa Bandera “salsa flag” because it’s colors are similar to the Mexican Flag. No matter what you call it, or how you serve it, it is delicious!

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Homemade Pico de Gallo

1 medium chopped onion (red or white)
2 medium chopped tomatoes with seeds removed
1 small chopped jalapeno with seeds removed
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or 2 Tbsp dried cilantro
1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime or lemon juice
1/2 tsp sea salt

Toss everything together and store in fridge or freezer until ready to use.

Nutritional Data:

I have figured the nutritional data for 1 cup or about 1/2 of the recipe. This recipe makes about 2 cups of salad. Many times you might only use a tablespoon or two if using this salad as a garnish, or inside of a shell, so adjust the data per the amount you use:

Calories 55
Protein 2 g
Fat 0
Fiber 3 g
Carbs 13 g
Sugars 6 g
Calcium 34.4 mg
Iron .6 mg
Magnesium 22.8 mg
Vitamin K 17 mcg
Vitamin C 28.5 mg
Vitamin A 1224 IU

and much more vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and antioxidents.

How I use Pico de Gallo:

I highly recommend keeping batches of this awesome food fresh in the fridge and frozen in the freezer for various uses. It can be used on various diet programs too such as Trim Healthy Mama, The Fast Metabolism Diet, Paleo, Lowcarb, Eat Fat Loose Fat, Nourishing Foods, etc. You just can’t go wrong having a batch or two of this dish on hand.

I use Pico de Gallo for many different meals both as a raw topping and as a cooked base for chili, tacos, burritos, bean dips, breakfast omelets, breakfast egg scrambles, soups, stir fries, spanish rice, etc. and also as a fresh topping or garnish on other meals (steak, salad, cucumber salad, etc). I love to make quick breakfasts by adding a few tablespoons of Pico de Gallo in a skillet, sauteing with chopped spinach and then piling all of that inside a delicious omelet. The best omelets ever!!!

Here is a great idea that enhances the nutritional value too. If desired, you can ferment Pico de Gallo in a glass canning jar for one to three days on the kitchen counter, and then for another week or so in the fridge before using just by adding in 2 Tbsp of liquid whey to the recipe when preparing a fresh batch. It will turn out similar to the Asian fermented Kimchi (you can make Kimchi with this by adding chopped cabbage and red chili peppers). It is amazing what you can do with ferments. The Lactobacillus in the liquid whey will grow at room temperature in the jar and will help safely ferment the veggies and it activates lots of enzymes and good bacteria that are beneficial to the digestive and immune systems.

Whether you eat Pico de Gallo fresh, fermented, or cook it as a base in different dishes, it is YUMMY!!!

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