Hello Odyssey community!

As a new content contributor, and passionate foodie/home cook, I thought it would be best to literally give you a taste of my personality via one of my favorite, and fairly simple, recipes. And what could be simpler or more popular than tacos?

Well these aren't just any tacos. These tacos are elevated and given an extra kick, thanks to some home fried shells (you will wonder why you haven't been frying your shells the whole time) and a little habanero pepper!

I hope you enjoy and please check back next week for a really delicious accompanying dish, cilantro and lime butter bean puree!

Ingredients (Serves 2 - 4 people)

• 1lb ground bison. (can substitute with ground beef that is 80/20 or leaner)
• 2 habanero peppers deseeded and minced. (be sure to use latex gloves and still wash hands after cleaning the peppers. Also, it may be best to start with one pepper and increase to two by halves until you have an idea for the heat)
• 5 cloves of garlic minced.
• 1/2 medium white onion, diced.
• 3tbsp extra virgin olive oil. (EVOO for short)
• 1 packet of taco seasoning. (or 6tbsp homemade taco seasoning)
• 1 cup water
• Corn tortillas (as many as you and your guests can eat)
• 1 - 2 cups canola oil
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Warm a small - medium saute pan over medium to med-high heat. Once the pan is up to temp, add the canola oil. 1 - 2 cups is listed which varies based on the size of your pan. You basically want the pan to be half-full with oil. Allow the oil 2 - 3 minutes to come up to temp. If it starts smoking, turn down the heat under the pan.
   
   
2. Once the oil is to temp, slide one corn tortilla into the oil. The oil should start to sizzle and bubble as soon as the tortilla touches it, if it does not, your oil needs to be hotter.
   
   
3. Once the tortilla starts to brown around the edges flip it over using a pair of tongs. This is also an opportune time to shape the tortilla into a standard taco shell shape. You will most likely need to hold the tortilla with your tongs throughout this process in order to get the shape to hold. Allow the shell to brown and harden slightly.

4. Remove the fried shell using your tongs and allow any excess oil to drip back into the pan. Set the finished shell to the side on a baking sheet lined with paper towels and/or parchment paper and season with a pinch of salt on the inside of the shell while still hot and slightly oily.
   1. NOTE - Making the fried shells can be done several hours prior to preparing the taco meet. If you want your shells warm, put in an oven at 250*F for approximately 3 - 5 minutes. Be careful not to overbake the shells which will make them hard and brittle.
      
      
5. In a medium - large saute (or sautoir) pan heat the EVO on low to medium-low heat. Be sure to heat the pan before adding your oil. This keeps the oil from overcooking and becoming 'sticky.'
   
   
6. Add in the onions and habanero pepper. Stir until onion becomes soft/translucent.
   
   
7. Add in the garlic and allow garlic to simmer/sweat for 2 - 3 minutes but do not brown the garlic. This will make it bitter.
   
8. Once the garlic, onion and peppers have cooked into the oil add the ground bison or beef and mix all of the ingredients well. Increase the heat under the pan to a medium-low or medium and continue to cook until all of the meat is browned.
   
   
9. In a bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the water and taco seasoning and stir/mix well. Once mixed add the liquid taco seasoning to your pan. Allow to cook until almost all of the liquid has evaporated or absorbed into the beef.
   
   
10. Salt and pepper to taste, when satisfied remove the cooked taco meat from the burner and serve warm.
    
    
11. Most importantly, enjoy!

From here, it all comes down to toppings. When I serve these spicy and delicious southwestern delights I typically add fresh spinach and arugula with shredded gruyere cheese or crumbled queso fresco and lime juice. If you want to really impress your guests, you can also make a cilantro and lime pea/butterbean puree (check back next week for this recipe) as a topping or side for the tacos. However, I reiterate, toppings are totally your preference and you can certainly go with more traditional toppings depending on what you or your guests like most.

I hope you have fun whipping these together for friends and/or family. Food is just one of my many passions and is just one of the topics I will be writing on for Odyssey. Check back regularly for more articles, reviews, opinions, and posts from yours truly. Stay tuned and thank you for reading!