Home-style Taco Salad BeefMemorial DayHomestead Red Blend “For a slight twist on a family classic, I added blue cheese crumbles instead of a Mexican cheese blend since everyone in my family loves blue cheese. The wine mellows the flavor of the cheese, while the hearty salad enhances the wine’s cherry and cassis notes, calms the spice and alludes to a long, structured finish.” Kristy Ramirez, Director of Hospitality and Retail Sales Serves: 4 Ingredients: Salad 1lb ground beef 1 (1 ¼ ounce) envelope Taco Seasoning 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped 1 cup cherry tomatoes, diced 4 green onions, chopped 1 can (15 ounce) black beans, rinsed and drained 1 can (15 ounce) black olives, chopped 1 cup blue cheese crumbles 1 avocado, sliced Plain tortilla chips, crushed, for topping Catalina Dressing 1/2 cup red wine vinegar 1/3 cup ketchup 1/3 cup honey 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp soy sauce 1 tsp paprika ½ tsp onion powder ½ tsp garlic powder ½ cup AVV olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste Method of Preparation: In a blender, combine red wine vinegar, ketchup, honey, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, paprika, onion powder and garlic powder, then puree. With the blender running, slowly add in olive oil until combined, then add salt and pepper to taste. Set Catalina dressing aside. In a pan, brown ground beef until cooked. Drain grease, then add taco seasoning and mix thoroughly. Set aside to cool. In a large bowl, combine lettuce, tomatoes, onions, black beans, olives, blue cheese crumbles and cooled ground beef. Divide between plates and top with sliced avocado and crushed tortilla chips. Drizzle with Catalina Dressing.
