Taco Salad with Pancho's Dressing

When Tony and I can't decide on any new meals to try for the week, we usually fall back on one of our quick easy favorites like taco salads.  Our favorite part of this salad is the dressing.  I used to buy this dressing a lot when I lived in Memphis, but I don't have easy access to it since moving away.  I found a copycat recipe for it years ago, and have been making it often ever since.  Feel free to tweak the recipe to your tastes.  I usually end up adding a little extra vinegar and oil.  Also, it's better after it sits for a little bit so make it early in the day or a day or two ahead of time.  If you have any leftovers, it makes a great dip for tortilla chips...yum! 

For the taco shells, we use burrito-sized flour tortillas that we heat up in the microwave between damp paper towels (to make them easy to fold).  Once heated, we lightly ball up some aluminum foil and lay the heated tortilla over the foil ball.  We spray the tortilla lightly with cooking spray and place in a 300 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.  Our favorites for inside the shells include:

• Black Beans seasoned with cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder
• Shredded Iceberg Lettuce
• Diced Tomatoes
• Shredded Cheese
• Sour Cream
• Diced Avocado or Guacamole
• Pancho's Dressing