Taco Salad Goodness

Taco Salad is one of my favorite salads to eat. I grew up eating the ones my mom would make for us. Since it’s been so cold I haven’t wanted salads as much but they are a vital part of a nutrient dense eating plan. But even a regular taco salad can use improvement. Let’s see how we can take 15 minutes at a time and make a meal…

Taco Salad (New and Improved)

After dinner last night I took 15 minutes to cook up the meat with the spices. This taco meat recipe is adapted from Suzanne Somers’ book, Eat Great, Lose Weight.

2 tbl. olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

Cook on medium high until tender.

Add:

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 lbs. ground turkey

Cook until no longer pink.

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. paprika

2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cayenne

1 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Add spices then:

2 tbsp. tomato paste

¾ c. water

Stir in and cook until water evaporates.

I refrigerated the meat and had a plan for today’s dinner. I reheated the meat until warm (using a little water). While it was heating, I readied the salad ingredients which took about 15 minutes.

1 bunch Red Leaf lettuce (rinse, use salad spinner)

2 tomatoes, chopped small

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

For dressing, I used 2/3 c. Marzetti’s Ranch salad dressing (no msg) mixed with 3 tablespoons mashed avocado. Whisk together for avocado ranch dressing. Makes enough for 4 salads.

When meat is warm, sprinkle with chopped cilantro and a green onion.

Spread over salad fixings and top with salsa (I like raw salsa from Sam’s Club) and the rest of the avocado for quacamole.

For a little crunch, we use either baked Tostitos or throw some corn tortillas in the toaster oven until crisp. Cut up into chips and top salad.

This is appetizing, warm goodness! It’s low in saturated fat because of the turkey and you never miss the cheese. (Cheese is one of the most acidic foods you can put in your body.)

The Lord has created good food to satisfy our bodies and give it what it needs to function and heal itself. The more man does to it the further it gets from the original plan. All it takes is 15 minutes to infuse some key healthy additions to your already existing meal plan.

What can you do in 15 minutes tonight that will add nutrients to tomorrow’s dinner and make it easier to stick to a healthy eating regime?