Taco Salad

I have strong opinions when it comes to making tacos. But more on that later. For now, since it is 106 degrees in Chicago (and that ain't no joke), I'm posting our cooling taco salad.

I got this idea from my mother-in-law's taco salad. Don't laugh -- I know taco salads are as common now as burgers and fries. But hers was a cute idea she had gotten from someone else: ground beef with taco seasoning, shredded cheddar, crumbled Doritos, scallions (which she had left out because of certain onion-loathing family members), iceberg lettuce and Western dressing. It is also because of this that we now put Western dressing on our tacos, but like I said, more on that later.

I changed things a bit to up the nutrition, lower the fat, and suit our veggie-lovin' tastes. Which is good, because I eat half the bowl by myself. The list below is the permutation we had last night:

Brown 1 lb. turkey meat with onions, drain, add plenty of house taco seasoning, salt, and about 3/4 cup salsa (add lastly). Use about half the meat mixture., and keep the rest for leftovers.
one or two handfuls crumbled light tortilla chips
about 1 cup shredded cheddar
defrosted baby corn (about a cup): Market Day frozen veggies are the bomb
chopped scallions
Romaine, mixed greens, or red lettuce (~ 2 cups)
diced avocado, salt and toss in a little lemon concentrate first
Just 2 Good! light Western dressing

That's about it... I have used ranch dressing once, but you just gotta try the Western. Nothing like it. Oh, and sometimes I add drained black beans, too.

I have the same problem with this salad as I have with tacos: I will eat until I am ready to bust. At least it's chocked-full of vitamins and fiber and stuff.