French Taco Salad.
Mon mari laughed when I told him we were having French Taco Salad for dinner.
He wanted to know what made it 'French'.
When I explained that I was making it with duck sausages and baked chevre he understood…. And quit laughing.
He still wanted to know why I called it French Taco Salad, rather than giving it a new name.
Simple.
My recipe; my blog…. I'll call it what I want!
I like to add rice or quinoa or couscous to salads to round out the meal. You can leave it out and have some crusty country bread, if you prefer.
Add more chile powder, chilies or jalapeños, Tabasco, whatever, to make it as hot as you like. This is a French Taco Salad – it isn't very hot 😉
Taco Salad, à la française
Preparation and cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 10oz (300gr) duck sausages substitute pork sausage
- 1/3 cup couscous
- 2/3 cup chicken stock
- 1 onion
- 1/2 green bell pepper
- 1 rib celery
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 3oz (90gr) cherry tomatoes
- 1 avocado
- 8oz (250gr) taco sauce
- 3oz (90gr) goat cheese
- 2 tbs bread crumbs
- 2 tbs olive oil
- Lettuce – enough for 2 main meal salads
- French Vinaigrette
- 1 1/2 tbs ketchup
- 2 tsp red wine or sherry vinegar
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 2 tbs salad olive oil
Instructions:
- Put couscous in a bowl
- Heat chicken stock to boiling. Pour over couscous, cover and set aside.
- Chop onion, pepper and celery.
- Mince garlic.
- Cut sausages into 1" lengths.
- Heat 1 tbs oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chili powder and sauté briefly (30 seconds).
- Add onion, pepper, celery and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, sausages and continue cooking until meat is done.
- Stir in taco sauce and remove from heat.
- Make vinaigrette:
- Mix ketchup, vinegar chili powder and mustard.
- Slowly add olive oil, whisking constantly.
- Tear the lettuce and into a large bowl
- Add vinaigrette and toss to coat.
- Divide and arrange on plates.
- Slice tomatoes and avocado.
- Slice goat cheese into 6 slices.
- Dip cheese rounds in oil, then in crumbs
- Place on baking sheet and bake, 400F (200C) for 2 minutes.
- Divide couscous and sprinkle on lettuce, divide sausage mixture and put on couscous.
- Top with hot goat cheese rounds.
- Artfully arrange tomato and avocado slices around salad and serve
Weather continues to be cold and damp.
Work continues on the dining room.
The built in cabinet has been refinished.
The walls have been painted and the trim around the ceiling is almost done.
The green trim around the door will be replaced.
And he got out the fancy, spinning, laser level today to start on the floor. As you can see there's a bit of a step from the door…. He has to make it even with the far wall, which is even with the bottom of the door.
As for me…. Mon mari decided it would be easier (ahem) for me to put the little wooden fence back around the base to keep the bunnies out – rather than for him to build a conrete wall.
And so it goes…. I've started.
p
Your house is certainly shaping up. Going to ge wonderful. Voter Mari is o be commended. Salad sounds great, quick question where do the Tacos fit in? Have I missed something?
Sorry about the typos votre mari of course. iPad let’s me down at times. Same excuse for missing letters
Gilli, taco salads are big in the US, meat, taco sauce, tomatoes, avocado and lettuce served in a big taco-shell bowl. I never eat the bowl…. anyway, that’s where my taco salads originated – and went downhill from there LOL
I’m all for French taco salads or whatever you want to call them!
Love these progress updates – and they must make you feel happy, too!
Katie – love the recipe – I would sub quinoa for the couscous – a great alternative. Love the refinished cabinet – a great color for the stain! We have crap weather too…sigh…dreaming of summer.
I’m with you Katie, call it what you want … but call me to the table for a big bowl 😉 I’d say duck makes most anything French! The floor leveling sounds like a challenge, oh my yes.
Fusion dishes are all the rage and it seems you have perfected one here !!
Haha well I don’t think chipotle will be serving this any time soon…it’s a little high end for them. But that is exactly why I’d rather have this than anything they serve!
Pam, we both love the goat cheese…
Zoomie, yes… slowly we’re getting there.
Ina, quinoa would be good…. That was the color of the cabinet – just cleaned up and varnished. It is gorgeous!
Tanna, every floor had to be leveled that way – and, yes, it’s a challenge. I’ll save you some salad – come on over!
manningroad – that’s it, it’s a fusion dish!
joanne, they don’t know what they’re missing LOL. Never been to one!