The Wife of a Dairyman ~ Eating Well Tacos

Today was such a damp, foggy, cold day here in Marin....too cold for the kids to go outside to play after school. So, to occupy some time, they helped me prepare dinner. We made Eating Well Healthy Tacos and had such a fun time doing it! Eating Well Tacos Ingredients • 12 EatingWell Crispy Taco Shells (recipe follows) • Lean & Spicy Taco Meat (recipe follows) • 3 cups shredded romaine lettuce • 3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, (3 ounces) • 3/4 cup diced tomatoes • 3/4 cup prepared salsa • 1/4 cup diced red onion Preparation 1. To assemble, fill each taco shell with (in any order): a generous 3 tablespoons taco meat, 1/4 cup lettuce, 1 tablespoon cheese, 1 tablespoon tomato, 1 tablespoon salsa, 1 teaspoon onion. Nutrition Per serving: 261 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 38 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrates; 24 g protein; 5 g fiber; 582 mg sodium; 272 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (40% daily value), Vitamin C (25% dv), Zinc (17% dv), Iron (15% dv). 2 Carbohydrate Serving Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 very lean meat Ingredients Lean & Spicy Taco Meat • 8 ounces 93%-lean ground beef • 8 ounces 99%-lean ground turkey breast • 1/2 cup chopped onion • 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles, preferably Rotel brand (see Tip), or 1 1/4 cups petite-diced tomatoes • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin • 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile, or 1 teaspoon chili powder • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano Preparation Place beef, turkey and onion in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain off fat. Wipe out the pan. Return the meat to the pan and add tomatoes, cumin, ground chipotle (or chili powder) and oregano. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 3 to 6 minutes. Tips & Notes • Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Reheat just before serving. • Tip: Look for Rotel brand diced tomatoes with green chiles—original or mild, depending on your spice preference—and set the heat level with either ground chipotle chile (adds smoky heat) or chili powder (adds rich chili taste without extra spice). Nutrition Per serving: 98 calories; 2 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 35 mg cholesterol; 3 g carbohydrates; 17 g protein; 1 g fiber; 243 mg sodium; 26 mg potassium. Exchanges: 3 1/2 very lean meat Ingredients Crispy Taco Shells• 12 6-inch corn tortillas • Canola oil cooking spray • 3/4 teaspoon chili powder, divided • 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 375°F. 2. Wrap 4 tortillas in a barely damp cloth or paper towel and microwave on High until steamed, about 30 seconds. (Alternatively, wrap in foil and heat in the preheated oven until steaming, 5 to 7 minutes.) Coat both sides with cooking spray; sprinkle a little chili powder and salt on one side. 3. Drape each tortilla over a panel on a baked-taco rack and bake until crispy and brown, 7 to 10 minutes. (Or see Kitchen Tip.) 4. Remove the shells from the rack and repeat Steps 2 and 3 with the remaining 8 tortillas. Tips & Notes • Make Ahead Tip: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat at 375°F for 1 to 2 minutes before serving. | Equipment: Baked-taco rack • Working with 6 tortillas at a time, wrap in a barely damp cloth or paper towel and microwave on High until steamed, about 30 seconds. Lay the tortillas on a clean work surface and coat both sides with cooking spray. Then carefully drape each tortilla over two bars of the oven rack. Bake at 375°F until crispy, 7 to 10 minutes. Nutrition Per serving: 114 calories; 2 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 23 g carbohydrates; 3 g protein; 3 g fiber; 124 mg sodium; 103 mg potassium. 1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch