Another Salad

Last night I made this for my whole family, and everyone ate it without complaining. Since this is fairly rare in our household, I think the recipe might be worth sharing. As you know, I have 2 teenaged daughters and usually at least one of them rejects anything I cook from scratch. This is a hearty salad, very filling, perfect for dinner. The amounts given will feed 4 hungry people, maybe more if your people are small!

Healthy Taco Salad:

1 pound ground beef, lean (or turkey, venison, buffalo, etc.)
1/2 of a large onion, finely chopped
1 TB olive oil
1 teas. ground cumin
1 teas. chili powder
1-2 TB taco seasoning
2-3 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
About 20 green Spanish olives with pimento
1/4 cup golden raisins

In a cast iron frying pan, saute onion in olive oil until softened and transparent. Add ground beef and spices with the garlic. Cook thoroughly until no longer pink. Add olives and raisins.

Dressing:

1 TB mayo (I use Hellmann's but you can make your own OR use Greek yogurt or sour cream)
1-2 TB chunky salsa (I like Pace brand best, just check for NO ADDED SUGAR)

Blend thoroughly. Quick, easy, delicious!

For the salad:

1-2 heads of Romaine lettuce
1-2 red peppers, chopped
1 container cherry tomatoes
1-2 large cucumbers or 4 Persian cucumbers, sliced
20 baby carrots, chopped
 A handful of fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese, lowfat (optional)
Avocado or guacamole would also be awesome as a topping! (optional)

To compose the salad, toss the chunky veggies in the dressing to coat. Shred the lettuce into a large salad bowl and top with the chunky veggies. Use about a quarter of the meat mixture per person and sprinkle warm meat over the salad. Top with fresh cilantro, guacamole, and shredded cheese, if desired. Makes 4 large salads, each 3 blocks. Enjoy with your family!