Taqueria Nacional

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Two weeks ago, Liz and I checked out the newly opened Taqueria Nacional. Taqueria was a former Capital Hill joint and earned high marks from reviewers on Yelp.  They closed in early 2012 and were supposed to re-open in the late fall of 2012 on T Street just off 14^th Street. They finally reopened a few weeks ago and we are happy to welcome them to our neighborhood!  The space, both outside and in, is absolutely gorgeous.  Latin American style frescoes adorn the walls and a huge window opens to the bustling activity on the street.

The food is served in a line-style fashion, where you walk up, place your order and shuffle down the line specifying what toppings you want on your food.  Not only does Taqueria serve tacos, but they also serve tostadas, quesadillas, salads, and an array of delicious sides.  The menu is expansive and reasonably priced.

I sampled two tacos: one steak and one carnitas (pork).  The soft corn taco shells were steamed on the grill using a piece of cloth to cover them and maintain the steam.  I added cheese, lettuce, pico de gallo and a spicy green sauce to complete my meal.  The meat was incredibly flavorful and perfectly cooked, though I did prefer the steak over the carnitas. The toppings I added enhanced the flavors and tied the food together.  I did have to go back and ask for a bit more sauce, which I was charged $.50 for.  Next time I’ll just ask for extra in the line.  The tacos, although they appear small in size were incredibly filling!  Two was more than enough for a small lunch, and left me full until dinner time.  At a price of $7 for the entire meal, who could ask for more than that?

Liz wasn't super hungry, but decided to order two tacos anyways. Typical. She got the chicken and the egg taco. No one is ever the best judge when they are not hungry, but she really enjoyed her meal. Neither of us had ever seen scrambled eggs in a taco before, but mixed with chiles and guacamole, who wouldn't like it? Delicious. The chicken tacos were standard, but the owner (seen below) gave Liz a heaping portion. At a $3 price point, we were both really satisfied. 

Overall, we loved Taqueria Nacional and are excited to have an affordable fast dining option on the 14^th Street Corridor.  We can’t wait to go back and try some of their other offerings.  I know I will be ordering a salad the next time I’m there.  They looked huge and delicious.  A bar also features some delicious beverages including frozen margaritas and draft beers.  Welcome to the neighborhood Taqueria Nacional, we will definitely be back soon!



Mexican Lasagna

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I love Mexican food.  Seriously, it's probably second only to Italian on my list of favorite foods.  Fun fact: I actually used to work at local Tex-Mex restaurant Cactus Cantina while in college.  This experience solidified my fondness for all food from South of the Border.  So, when chatting with my friend, Jackie, she definitely gave me the inspiration to make this dish.  She had some odds and ends that she needed to use up and decided to throw them together in a Mexican Lasagna.  After perusing some recipes, I landed on this one as my guide.  

For this recipe I used:
1 1/4 pounds of ground turkey
1 large yellow onion cut into thin strips
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups low fat ricotta cheese 
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 jar chopped green chile peppers
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
pinch of salt
4-5 cups diced tomatoes/pico de gallo
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can corn, rinsed
12 corn tortillas
2 cups low fat shredded Mexican blend cheese

Before beginning your vegetable preparation, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 13X9 inch pan.  Then, mince the garlic, slice the onion thinly, and chop the cilantro.  Rinse the corn and black beans.  Dice the tomatoes (unless you are taking the easy way out and using prepared pico de gallo!).

Next, coat a frying pan with a dash of olive oil and add the ground turkey.  As it cooks, chop it into small pieces with a wooden spoon.  Once the ground turkey has finished cooking, set it aside in a bowl.  

Wipe the frying pan clean and add another dash of olive oil.  Cook the onion and garlic about five minutes until lightly browned and then add to the bowl containing the turkey, mixing well.

In a separate medium bowl, mix the ricotta, sour cream, cilantro, peppers, cumin, and salt.  Stir until well incorporated.

To prepare the lasagna, first spread a thin layer of tomatoes or pico across the bottom of the baking dish.  In light of keeping everyone well informed, for this particular recipe, I actually used salsa rather than diced tomatoes.  This resulted in a rather watery lasagna when I first cut into it.  The watery issue was resolved after it sat overnight in the refrigerator and ultimately wasn't a big deal, but when I make this again I will definitely use tomatoes or pico and top with the salsa instead.

Arrange the tortillas over the tomatoes. Spread a thin layer of the ricotta mixture over the tortillas.  If you use too much, this will quickly turn into a dip rather than a lasagna.
  

Top with a layer of the ground turkey mixture and cover with the black beans and corn.  

Last, spread the shredded cheese across the baking pan.  Repeat these layers again.

Cook for about 30 minutes in the oven.  I went with an uncovered baking dish, and didn't have any issues with burning, but if you do, cover with a piece of tinfoil.  Gratuitous oven pic!

This lasagna cost about $25 to make and lasted 5-6 meals. A great value at around $5 a meal.

Have you ever tried a variation on a traditional lasagna? 

El Chucho: Tacos for Hipsters & Giveaway Winner Announced

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First of all, we'd like the congratulate the winner of our first Cook Book Giveaway, Grace from Practicing Grace! We numbered the comments we received and used a random number generator to pick our winner. Please send us an e-mail to tell us which cook book you would like. Thanks to all of you who participated!

A few weeks ago, I had a serious craving for tacos. Lucky for me, there are a ton of places to find good ones around town! To satisfy this craving, I enlisted my friend Kristen to seek out one of the more authentic taco places in Columbia Heights, a historically Hispanic neighborhood in DC. After reading endless Yelp reviews, I finally decided on a little "hole in the wall" establishment named El Rinconcito Deportivo. Unfortunately, when we got there, we found the doors locked, lights off, and a legal notice tacked to the front door. 

As we peered down 11th Street, we realized we were only one block over from El Chucho - another Mexican restaurant that had caught my eye on Yelp. Considering the number of authentic Latin restaurants in the neighborhood, I have to admit it felt a little weird to be eating Mexican food in a place owned by a woman named "Greenbaum" but it was cold out and we were hungry so we just went for it. 

El Chucho is tiny, brightly colored, and filled with tequila. The only thing rivaling the number of tequila bottles on the walls is the number of 20-somethings donning plaid shirts and horn-rimmed glasses tucked inside. That said, this place is doing something cool. If you are looking for Coca-Cola products, you best take your business elsewhere. They serve traditional and modern Mexican dishes, as well as craft soda and a variety of fun cocktails. 

Kristen and I first started out with the guacamole and chips. El Chucho seems to use a pretty traditional guacamole recipe, but it was very tasty. The homemade chips were perfectly crunchy and didn't leave any grease on your fingers- my mark of a good chip! 

Image Courtesy of Food Spotting

We then got Huaraches. Huaraches are similar to a flatbread, made of masa flour, and fried until golden and crispy. These ones were extra crispy. They were topped with pickled shallots, queso fresco, and a flavorful leaf called epazote and served with a mole dipping sauce. Personally, I thought they were a little too crunchy, but the combination of toppings was delicious. The creaminess of the cheese really balanced the brininess of the pickled shallots. 

Next, we both got the Tacos De Pollo- chicken tacos. Each order came with two small tacos. The chicken was nicely marinated in a sofrito sauce of garlic, onions, peppers and tomato. They were topped with a little bit of cabbage and scallions that added just the right amount of crunch. These were delicious and totally satiated my taco craving. 

We felt we ordered the perfect amount of food for a very satisfying lunch. The prices were very reasonable, and the staff was pretty attentive. Although this place isn't the most authentic taco place in town, it certainly beats some of the alternatives (i.e. Lauriol Plaza or Alero) in depth of flavor and quality of ingredients. 

We'd love to hear from you; what do you think is the best taco place in DC?