That's Why I'm Giving You the Benefit of the Doubt

Half of my family is living white-flour tortilla free right now for various reasons.  I'm thinking maybe a new cuisine will emerge from the experience.  We could call it AMex (American Mexican) and get paid endorsements from the credit card company! 

I spoke with my dad and he's on the Paleo diet for health reasons and I'm not sure I mentioned he's 90 but he still comes up with great food ideas and even though he can be super grouchy to his kids from time to time (ahem), he loves food and I love food and believe we all do, so that brings us closer together.  My dad said he was not missing the flour tortillas because he now wraps everything in lettuce. Now I had several times made Asian lettuce wraps but it never occurred to me to make a taco using lettuce leaves. 

Big lights go off because of course all the possibilities begin swirling around in the mind.  I mean for years people have put stuff on endive and celery, wrapped cabbage, grape leaves, etc but it was the actual Mexican twist of the taco that I was so fascinated with because I had not been able to find a quick and easy dish to satisfy that particular craving while off the bread and the chips.  I immediately bought a huge head of iceberg because of the crunch and the coldness, it is wonderful with the spicy chicken and accoutrements.

I put everything on a plate as you would fajitas and allowed the eater to put each taco together and pick the lettuce slice.  It was fun food.

I was praising my dad's brilliance in the house all week as me and the Pnut gorged on these refreshing tacos only to find that my sister and her daughter actually had been making these while my father was visiting out in Queen Creek, Arizona earlier in the summer.  So funny because he let me go on at what a great idea it was on the phone.  Of course he doesn't hear so well and only listens selectively so I can't be sure my praises were comprehended.

But I give him props because he was a white tortilla and refried bean eating son of a gun forever and he switched over to a very lean, caveman diet and seems to be thriving.  I wasn't there during his transition and I'm sure it was no picnic to find stuff he approved of but from a distance I'll say it was impressive.

I guess either way the brilliance runs in the family.  Not sure if my sister thought of it or her daughter but these were such an awesome addition to the bad-fat-free dishes menu.  I say bad-fat because slowly we're adding back in some good fats like the avocado.