Serves: 4 (just multiply everything by 1½ to serve 6
Ingredients
1 pound ground turkey meat, preferably dark meat; or grass-fed ground beef; or crumbled tempeh
1 Tablespoon chili powder*
2 teaspoons cumin
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon turmeric (ok, not in store-bought packets, but really good for you!)
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon oregano
¾- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon arrowroot powder
¾ cup water (about 1 cup if you make tempeh)
Accompaniments: corn tortillas, guacamole, pico de gallo, shredded cheese, refried black beans, cilantro-lime slaw, shredded lettuce
Instructions
Mix all spices and salt together until well blended. If you're using corn tortillas, you can begin warming them until pliable on a dry griddle or skillet or over a low flame on the stovetop. I like to keep all of them warm in a clean kitchen towel.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground turkey to the skillet and cook, breaking up turkey into small pieces (I like to do this by pressing against the meat with a slotted spoon), just until cooked through. If there is any liquid in the pan, drain before proceeding.
Dissolve the arrowroot in ¾ cup cold water. Add the spice mixture to the meat and cook over medium heat for a minute. Pour the water and dissolved arrowroot over the turkey and cook until thickened, stirring occasionally.
Notes
*Not all chili powders are created equally. The one I use is by Simply Organic which has good depth of flavor with a little kick. If you don't care for any heat at all, you can cut back on the chili powder. If you like things spicy, feel free to add a few dashes of cayenne.
**The dry spice mixture can be made very far in advance, if desired. The mixture can be multiplied and kept in a glass container for several months. The ratio is approximately scant 3 Tablespoons of spice mixture to 1 pound of meat.
Recipe by Pamela Salzman at https://pamelasalzman.com/turkey-or-beef-or-tempeh-tacos/