Heart Healthy Taco Salad

music_jewel321 — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:46:06 -0800

Ground beef is not taboo on a heart healthy diet as long as you choose the leanest cut possible. I usually don't like to endorse a specific vendor, but in this case it's necessary. Laura's Beef packages ground sirloin that is 96% lean, and the company is endorsed by the American Heart Association. It's only about 50 cents more per pound, but that's reasonable if you are only going to use 1 pound in a recipe. For this Taco Salad, make your own Homemade Tortilla Chips, method provided below, and you will eliminate 75% of the fat and calories of the traditional store-bought or restaurant-ordered meal.

Image courtesy of myrecipes.com

5 cups torn iceberg lettuce
1 pound ground sirloin, at least 92% lean
15-ounce can black beans
14 1/2-ounce can no-salt-added chopped tomatoes, Mexican style
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon No-Salt salt
1/2 jalapeno, minced
1/2 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
Homemade Tortilla Chips, recipe below
Fat-free sour cream
1 handful chopped fresh cilantro

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef about 5 minutes or until no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Place beef in a colander and rinse under hot water. Drain well on paper towels. Wipe skillet clean with a paper towel to eliminate any extra fat that might be remaining at bottom of skillet. Return beef to skillet.

Meanwhile, warm black beans in a small saucepan until heated throughout.

Stir in remaining ingredients except cheese. Cook and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Arrange Homemade Tortilla Chips onto 4 plates, dividing evenly. Spoon beans over top of chips, then ground beef mixture, then lettuce, then cheese. Add a dollop of sour cream, and sprinkle cilantro overall. Serve immediately.

HOMEMADE TORTILLA CHIPS

10 5-inch corn tortillas
Vegetable cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 deg. F.

Place3 or 4 tortillas in a stack and cut them into 4 wedges. Repeat with remaining tortillas, making 40 wedges in all.

Spray a large baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray. Arrange tortilla wedges in a single layer on baking sheet. Spray lightly top of tortilla wedges. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until crisp. Cool before serving. Leftovers may be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Makes 4 servings, 2 cups per serving.

Nutrient information (with Homemade Tortilla Chips):
Calories: 273
Protein: 31g
Carbs: 23g
Cholesterol: 57mg
Sodium: 513mg
Total Fat: 6g
Saturated fat: 2g
Polyunsaturated: 2g
Monounsaturated: 1g

Chicken With Chipotle-Tomato Sauce and Penne

steen — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 08:37:00 -0800

8 ounces uncooked whole wheat penne
2 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups chopped onion
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
2 cups green bell pepper strips
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

Preparation
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

While pasta cooks, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Add onion and garlic; cook 2 minutes. Add bell pepper and mushrooms; cook 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in remaining ingredients; cook 6 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve over pasta.

The ingredients are all pretty common; most of mine were bought at Wal-Mart! It's also pretty cheap and it reheats well. I added a little extra chipotle for an additional kick.

My rat, Riddle, also loves this recipe since he gets to eat the veggie scraps and unused cooked pasta!

(Found on myrecipes.com / Cooking Light magazine)

YumSugar

Heart Healthy Taco Salad

Chicken With Chipotle-Tomato Sauce and Penne