Meatless Taco Salad

I've been in a food funk here lately. With all the talk about pink slime, as well as other research into what is *really* in the food we absentmindedly buy at the grocery store, I've gotten to the point where I wish I was adept at mass gardening and animal farming so I could know exactly where my food is coming from.

I've been so disgusted by the pink slime reports lately that since last week, I've eaten NO meat at all. I've been in this daze, walking through the grocery store as well as driving down the road past all the fast food restaurants. Much of what I see is not an option in my head anymore, as disgusted as I am at the moment.

I don't plan to fast from meat indefinitely, but I do plan to cut red meat out of our diet now. We had already cut down significantly anyway on red meat, due to its strong link to colon cancer and heart disease. I figured we could get our protein elsewhere, you know? Ground turkey is a good substitute in most cases for ground beef, and recently we've been buying ground wild turkey from Whole Foods.

Anyway, with this has come more searching for tasty meatless recipes that we can live with. My big thing is trying not to sacrifice taste in eating healthier!

So, in this, I present you with a Meatless Taco Salad! We've decided to use some of the full fat products, particularly in dairy, to eat as little added crap as possible to the food. When fat comes out, something else (usually unnatural) goes in to preserve the taste. Ive decided that I'd rather have completely natural, even if that means more calories and fat.

********************************************************************

Ingredients

• 4 whole wheat tortillas (8 inches)
• 6 cups shredded romaine, or acceptable lettuce
• 1/2 cup no salt added canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 small tomato, chopped
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 2 tablespoons sliced ripe olives, drained
• Sliced jalapeno peppers, optional
• DRESSING:
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons ranch salad dressing
• 1 teaspoon taco seasoning found here
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, optional

Directions

• Place four 10-oz. custard cups upside down in a shallow baking pan; set aside. Place the tortillas in a single layer on ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake at 425° for 1 minute. Place a tortilla over each custard cup, pinching sides to form a bowl shape. Bake for 7-8 minutes or until crisp. Remove tortillas from cups to cool on wire racks.
• In a large bowl, combine the romaine, beans, tomato, cheese, onions, olives and jalapenos if desired. In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients. Pour over salad ; toss to coat. Serve in tortilla bowls.

Tex Mex Beef and Bean Dip

Tonight we're having taco salad, and you can find the healthy recipe here.

But I am also making Beef and Bean Dip. This dip has only 99 calories per 1/4 cup serving (plus 5 baked tortilla chips!) and 2.5 grams of fat. Lots of flavor for little guilt.



To make this dip you will need

1/2 lb ground sirloin (buy the 96/4 if you can)
2 tablespoons no salt added tomato paste
1 to 2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15 ounce) canned pinto beans (no salt added), rinsed and drained
1 (14 ounce) can of diced tomatoes (no salt added), undrained
3/4 cup of crumbled queso fresco
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
3 ounces of bite sized baked tortilla chips (about 60, like Tostitos Scoops)

Cook beef in large skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain well; return beef to pan. Add tomato paste and next 4 ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, or until thick, stirring occasionally.

Spoon meat mixture into a serving bowl; top with crumbled cheese and green onions. Serve with tortilla chips.

12 servings of serving size of 1/4 cup of dip and 5 chips

99 calories 2.5 grams of fat 7.3 grams of protein 11.7 grams carbs 216 (or less) mg of sodium

Healthy Taco Salad

This is a dish that I tweak and finagle every time I make it. I absolutely love mexican food and when you get rid of the fatty, greasy things like tortilla chips and refried beans, the ingredients used to make mexican foods are actually quite healthful. It's prevalent in tomatoes and onions, two things that are great for you. Onions have been shown to have cancer fighting properties and may possibly help reduce the risk of heart disease. Tomatoes have lycopene, which is also a cancer fighting anti-oxidant.

Of course, there is the cheese, which is laden with fat. But in moderation, cheese has a place in a healthy diet. Cheese is rich in protein as well as calcium.

The traditional fried shells for taco salads are full of grease; hence, they are full of horrible fat. But who says that taco salad must be served in a deep fried tortilla shell, or even over tortilla chips? After all, the term "salad" is in the name of this dish, and what is a normal base of salad?

Why, lettuce of course!!

Awhile back, I took a liking to green leaf lettuce. When spun in a salad spinner, this lettuce perks right up even if it came out of the fridge looking a tad wilted. From what I gather, it is also a bit better for us than iceburg. Never researched why that is; nonetheless, every diet and health show/book I've listened to has suggested other lettuces than iceburg.

After looking at taco seasoning packets, I realized that many of them had a lot of sodium.

So, I opted for making my own taco seasoning for the beef in my salad..

*********************************************

Taco Seasoning Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon flour
• 2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and set aside until needed.

************************************************************

Beef Taco Mixture Ingredients

• 1 lb of 96% lean ground sirloin
• 1/2 onion, minced (use a food processor)
• 1 can of red kidney beans, no salt added
• homemade taco seasoning
• fresh tomatoes
• fat free or low fat sour cream
• low fat shredded cheddar
• green leaf lettuce
  

1. Cook the beef and onion until beef is done
2. Add kidney beans and homemade taco seasoning, mixing well. Cover and let simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally

Spread the lettuce liberally on the bottom of a plate. Spoon taco mixture onto the lettuce. Top with fresh, diced tomatoes, cheese, and sour cream.

Yum! I was full before even finishing!