Taco Salad...An Oldie but a Goodie

Yes...the fridge is STILL not operating at full capacity, so I continue to have to rely on what I have on hand and be minimalistic in what I buy since storage space in the outside fridge is limited.  It's hard to top a meal at Ruth Chris Steakhouse which we enjoyed the evening before, but at John's request and a quick trip to the grocery store, taco salad was served!

As I have mentioned, we really do try to cook healthy - using fresh fruits and vegetables when we can, and when it's not possible or if a shortcut is needed, we look for frozen or canned goods that don't have too many additives etc.  The shorter the list of ingredients, the healthier in general.  And when it comes to meat, for the most part, I just DON'T like ground turkey.  I don't like the color, and I really do think it tastes different.  For those of you who are turkey lovers, can you please tell me how it beats the nutritional value of this lean ground beef?  I truly am open to input...

So, start by browning the beef (or turkey or chicken or whatever you choose) with some chopped onion.  I prefer yellow onion, but all I had was a red one, and that was fine too.  As per the instructions on the taco seasoning packet, once it is browned, add some water (I think 1/2 a cup?) and the seasoning packet and continue to simmer. 

Sometimes I will make Mexican Rice homemade, but I do like the La Preferida brand, found in the ethnic part of the grocery store.

The rest is easy-peasy, and I did take quite a few shortcuts for this time. The toppings for taco salad are limitless.  I like to use chopped peppers, pico de gallo, corn and peppers, black beans, Mexican rice, cheese, avocado slices and a touch of sour cream.  And of course it's not complete without a light sprinkling of tortilla chips.  The key is to use a LOT of lettuce as your base, and then add a very small amount of each ingredient - otherwise you will load up on calories!  Just curious - who prefers shredded lettuce and who prefers regular?  I prefer the shredded for this for sure!

For the peppers and pico de gallo, I cheated and used those already diced compliments of Publix.  Sorry but it's tough to go from being waited on hand and foot to spending tons of time chopping in the kitchen, especially being a bit tired from our long walk and working in the yard!  I used canned black beans as well as canned corn and peppers (both warmed and drained). 

Here is the final result.  Tasty and delicious!  I logged it as 500 calories, but honestly, I think it's less than that, especially because I had a huge base of shredded lettuce on the bottom.