Tacos

Much better than a pound of ground beef with a taco seasoning packet. These are delish. And the taco shells really do taste so much better when they're warmed in the oven. I got this recipe from a book called "First Meals" I checked out from the library. They're not just for kids though I promise, Justin and I both loved em. I also learned that you can freeze pancakes and warm them up in a toaster from that book. Have I been living under a rock to never have learned that? We throw away batter almost every time we make pancakes so I was excited for that little tidbit. Okay back to the tacos:

2 tsp vegetable oil
1 small onion
2 garlic cloves
1 green pepper (cored, deseeded, and finely diced)
1/2 lb lean ground beef
1 C canned chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
2/3 C chicken broth
1 1/4 C canned light red kidney beans
1 1/4 C canned dark red kidney beans
salt and freshly ground pepper
8 taco shells
lettuce
cheese

Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion and garlic, and saute for about 2 minutes. Add the peppers and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring until browned.
Stir in the chopped tomatoes, crushed red pepper, and chicken broth, then simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Stir in the kidney beans and cook for 3 minutes. Season to taste.
Meanwhile, warm the taco shells in the preheated oven for 2-3 minutes. Remove from oven, spoon in the beef mixture, top with cheese and lettuce (and whatever else you so desire).