Food mashups and favorite recipe hybrids have likely been around since we figured out how to put food in our mouths. And it‘s hard to resist putting our own twist on things, experimenting, or getting creative with day-old leftovers.

Fortunately, with the advent of the internet, Instagram, and more, we can hear of others’ concoctions more rapidly and see them more effortlessly than ever. And what has this led to? A lot of fun, zaniness, and heck, great food inspiration.  

Meet the Taco Mashup

Take the famous Mexican taco, for instance. You start with ground meat, chopped lettuce, grated cheese, onions, and seasoning all stuffed into a crunchy taco shell—yum! But let’s mash this up and do something different with it. Here’s our version—the Fruitified Meat Taco presented with additional color and taste. You’ll need:

• 2 chopped white onions and oil to sauté; go ahead, chop and sauté

• 500 g ground meat of your choice—we suggest turkey, beef, or chicken; add to limp onions; cook until browned

• Taco Seasoning Mix—1 envelope or 50 mL plus 150 mL of water; mix water and spices then add to meat and onions and cook until extra liquid evaporates

  Now for the mashup

• grab a crunchy green or red-skinned apple—or both; get rid of the core and chop into tablespoon-sized chunks leaving the skin on

Next, add a dash of color

• 120 mL of frozen sweet or baby green peas

  If your nose scrunches at the sound of peas, so does ours. But sweet baby peas are mild—we promise. Run them under cold water and let them sit on the counter for a few minutes. You’ll add them only in the last minutes of cooking along with the fresh apple chunks. This way they’ll both keep their texture and their color. Let the peas and apples heat until just warmed through but not well cooked. Your mother will be so proud of you—eating your peas.

Test your mashup awareness

Now you’re ready to grab those taco shells, tortillas, or fajitas, according to your preference, and fill them up. Garnish with lettuce, tomato, grated cheese, and enjoy!

How about testing your mashup awareness while enjoying your delicious Fruitified Tacos? There’re some great zany mashups out there. You can test your FQ, foodie quotient, while you’re at it.

Win our FQ “foodie quotient” Award

If you know these answers without checking the internet you have an outstanding FQ and you’re entitled to Foragers of Cuisine’s “FQ of Distinction” award. And if no one else knows what that means it’ll be because you hold the world’s premier awarding of it. And to think it happened right here at Spine Online.

• name 3 Heinz mashup sauces that begin with either the letter M or H

• name 3 Pepsi mashup fruit flavors introduced in the last few years

• name the famous mashup burger that originated in NYC

• the inventor of the famous mashup burger is second-generation _____ what nationality?

If you can answer the last question without peeking, you’re an FQ brainchild. Want to know if you’ve won the award? Check your answers below. If you’ve got a perfect score, the award is yours. Consider it done!

Naomi J loves it when food, family, and friends come together. And all the moreso when faith is added into the mix. Faith in the Big Guy upstairs who designed and planned all those great things in the first place. Gotta’ love him! (And she does).