Monday, December 26, 2011

Tackling a terrific taco salad

Eating Mexican or Tex-Mex out can get calorically dicey. That's one of the reasons I decided to start making my own taco salads at home--I can put more veggies and veggie items on it and control how much cheese I want on top. All these things mean it's healthier and fresh. Choosing to make your own taco salad can also spruce up a boring lunch or dinner routine.

Following is my recipe for a scrumptious taco salad. What you'll need and what to do:

  1. Tortilla chips--round, triangular, whatever floats your boat. Maybe if you're feeling frisky, try something like blue corn chips.
  2. Something leafy--the greener the better. I typically use baby arugula, baby spinach or a blend thereof, but most recently I bought Fresh Express Leafy Green Romaine and it was sooo tasty.
  3. Vegetarian refried beans--Yum! Veggies don't have to miss out for fear that those refried beans have been tainted with pork. Veggie refried beans are quite flavorful.
  4. Roma, cherry, grape, or beefsteak tomatoes--Whichever you choose, cut into slightly thick chunks.
  5. For more protein, I traditionally heat and crumble Gardenburger or Boca Burger on the stove and then add it to the salad. I've recently discovered using Morningstar Meal Starters Grillers Recipe Crumbles is also quite tasty and takes less time to heat on the stove.
  6. Top off this colorful creation with cheese. I recommend Trader Joe's fancy shredded lite mexican blend (only 80 cal per serving).
  7. Pop this bad boy in the microwave or oven. In my oven, which heats up pretty fast, I usually put  the salad in for 5-7 minutes at 350 degrees. Oven/microwave times may vary. Basically you want the cheese to melt but don't want to completely wilt your leafy green.
  8. Enjoy now! Or, add Sriracha/your fave hot sauce to top it off (optional). To add a bit of tang in a healthier fashion, I recommend using a dollop of Plain Greek yogurt in lieu of sour cream. Plain non-Greek yogurt works too.
The order of the steps above is typically the order in which I put the ingredients on the chips, but do what feels right for you.

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