Lean and Green Taco Salad

Ingredients:
5 oz. Ground Turkey
1 Tbsp. Taco Seasoning
2 Tbsp. Salsa
1 cup romaine lettuce
1 cup iceberg lettuce
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1 tbsp. Water

STEP 1: Brown the Turkey

Actually… whiten the turkey. Unlike with ground beef, ground turkey doesn’t really get brown, it turns white. I buy prepackaged ground turkey. 20 oz. packages are pretty easy to find and you can just cut it in fourths, and throw the rest in a Ziploc until tomorrow. Throw 5 oz. in a skillet and chop it up as you brown it. After a few minutes, it will look something like this…

Step 2: Drain the fat and Add Water

To be honest, sometimes I don’t drain the fast. I do make a point of buying only super-lean turkey, so this part is up to you. I like to walk on the wild side. Either way, add 1 tbsp of water.
STEP 3: Add Taco Seasoning

The meal has been pretty bland to this point. You may be getting nervous. Don’t worry, just throw on 1 Tbsp of Taco Seasoning. I don’t use anything special, but have tried out all the cheap-o packets of taco seasoning you can find at your grocery store. Right now McCormick is my favorite.
STEP 4: Mix it all up and let it Simmer

Turn the heat on the stove to low and mix the seasoning and water with the meat until it is all evenly distributed. I like chopping the meat into tiny pieces while I cook it because it makes it a little more fun. Now, let the meat simmer for about 5 minutes. While it’s simmering…
STEP 5: Salad!

Get a big bowl and add your leafy greens. The recipe calls for iceberg and romaine, but I use whatever I have on hand. In this picture, it’s a cup of romaine and a cup of baby spinach. It’s hard to exactly measure a cup of greens, so I just throw in a large handful of each.
STEP 6: Tomatoes!

Dice 1/2 cup of tomatoes and throw those on your greens. I usually add a little black pepper to the tomatoes first.  This is starting to look like a meal!
STEP 7: Add meat and Salsa!

Your meat should now be spicy and delicious. Add that to the salad. Then on top of that, add 2 tablespoons of salsa. I’m a salsa freak so I try all kinds of different brands. I stay away from the big brands like Taco Bell or Old El Paso.

Now you’re all set. Make a big glass of ice water and dig in! I really love this recipe and don’t miss the ground beef at all.

Calories: 358, Fat Grams: 18, Cholesterol: 139, Carbohydrates: 9, Protein: 39