Beef Tacos with Avocado Cucumber Mango Salsa

During the summer, it seems that getting supper on the table is more about quick assembly than real cooking. Oh sure, we might have to cook one thing or another, but only as a contribution to the supper assembly line. Salads. Cold suppers. Meat from the grill. Ahhh, the ease that summer delivers.

This taco supper was quick and easy and decidedly tasty. It offers a million riffs: pork or chicken rather than beef. Red cabbage or lettuce instead of Napa cabbage. A whole new set of salsa ingredients. And those are just the obvious changes. Ah, the ease that summer delivers.

QUICK SUPPER:
BEEF TACOS with AVOCADO CUCUMBER MANGO SALSA

MEAT

• 1 pound flank steak or sirloin steak
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Salt to taste

SALSA

• 1 ripe avocado, chopped
• 1/2 an English cucumber, chopped
• 1 fresh mango, cubed
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped red pepper
• Juice of a lime
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Salt to taste

FIXIN'S
• Napa cabbage, chopped thin
• Whole wheat tortillas, warmed on the grill for a minute or two

MEAT Rub the meat on both sides with the garlic, spices and salt. Cook on the grill until done, about 7 minutes a side. Let rest 5 minutes, then slice thin.

SALSA Combine all ingredients. If making ahead, add the avocado just before serving so that it doesn't turn mushy.

ASSEMBLY (see?) Top each tortilla with Napa cabbage, then beef slices, then salsa.

ALANNA's TIPS
There's enough meat to fill eight tacos.
The whole wheat tortillas were especially good when warmed through on the grill. Yum.

Adapted from The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life by Ellie Krieger. My friend Linda sent a copy of this new cookbook home with me awhile back, promising, "You'll like it." Ha! Not only do I like it, it's the one cookbook I wish had my name on the cover! The ingredient lists are short, it's full of health-conscious ingredients, it calls for fresh ingredients, it doesn't sacrifice flavor for health. I've returned Linda's copy but now have my own. Look for more recipes. It's a winner.