The Crucial Ingredient

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Weeknight Taco Salad

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I admit it: I am fickle and cannot help it. On occasion I know I need to eat and want to eat healthy, but can think of nothing that I would like to eat, so I must find a way to force myself (I know, I’m weird.) I was having such a mood this week, dead out of inspiration. So I went back to summers in my childhood, when the long light of the evenings  and heat encouraged activity, and the garden provided lush veggies. Mom would often make Taco Salad as quick, light, healthy, and kid approved dinner. The best thing about Taco Salad is the scent of the spice simmering as the beef is browning. That scent always makes me hungry and this week’s dinner was no exception and thus a great success.  

Ingredients

1 packet of taco seasoning (it is very easy to make your own, but for reasons of time I did not on this occasion. Sometime soon I will post a recipe for seasoning.)

1 lbs. ground beef

3 hearts of romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and torn to bite size

2 avocadoes, cubed

2-3 tomatoes, diced

½ cucumber, peeled and diced

1 can black beans

1 tsp. chili powder

3-4 stalks of celery, washed and chopped

Ranch Dressing ( I use Ree Drummond’s recipe for Ranch Dressing, except I use plain unsweetened goat yogurt and almond milk shaken with the herbs and spices to taste and consistency.)

Shredded cheese to taste

Favorite tortilla chips to taste

Favorite Salsas (I used my homemade Tomatillo Verde Salsa. Yet another recipe I’ll be posting soon.)

 

Directions:

Heat beans in small sauce pan with the chili powder. When warm through, strain away liquid.

While the beans are warming, brown the beef in a skillet, adding the taco seasoning when very little pink is visible. Continue to simmer until all pink has been cooked away and the seasoning has been well distributed throughout. Remove from heat.

just imagine the scent of spice wafting through the air.

just imagine the scent of spice wafting through the air.

While the beans are heating and the beef is browning, prep all veggies.

for easy cubing, cut a cross hatch pattern to, but not through the skin.

   for easy cubing, cut a cross hatch pattern to, but not through the skin.

Insert a spoon between the flesh and the skin to easily remove the cubes.

Insert a spoon between the flesh and the skin to easily remove the cubes.

 

In large salad bowls layer lettuce, crushed tortilla chips, taco meat, beans, cheese, and veggies.

its all coming together.

its all coming together.

Dress with the fresh ranch and the salsa. Serve and enjoy!

hearty, healthy, and delish, oh my!

hearty, healthy, and delish, oh my!

Taco Salad
Serves 3
A light, healthy, and quick dinner. Perfect for a weeknight
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Total Time
30 min
Total Time
30 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 packet of taco seasoning (it is very easy to make your own, but for reasons of time I did not on this occasion. Sometime soon I will post a recipe for seasoning.)
  2. 1 lbs. ground beef
  3. 3 hearts of romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and torn to bite size
  4. 2 avocadoes, cubed
  5. 2-3 tomatoes, diced
  6. ½ cucumber, peeled and diced
  7. 1 can black beans
  8. 1 tsp. chili powder
  9. 3-4 stalks of celery, washed and chopped
  10. Ranch Dressing ( I use Ree Drummond’s recipe for Ranch dressing, except I use plain unsweetened goat yogurt and almond milk shaken with the herbs and spices to taste and consistency.)
  11. Shredded cheese to taste
  12. Favorite tortilla chips to taste
  13. Favorite Salsas (I used my homemade Tomatillo Verde Salsa. Yet another recipe I’ll be posting soon.)
Instructions
  1. Heat beans in small sauce pan with the chili powder. When warm through, strain away liquid.
  2. While the beans are warming, brown the beef in a skillet, adding the taco seasoning when very little pink is visible. Continue to simmer until all pink has been cooked away and the seasoning has been well distributed throughout. Remove from heat.
  3. In large salad bowls layer lettuce, crushed tortilla chips, taco meat, beans, cheese, and veggies. Dress with the fresh ranch and the salsa. Serve and enjoy!
The Crucial Ingredient http://www.thecrucialingredient.com/

Coconut Curry Beef Stir-Fry

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Inaugural Recipe post!

I am delighted to be able to share this recipe with you. All told it came together in roughly 40 minutes. Not bad for a week night dinner.  I was feeling singularly uninspired and thought I’d take it easy with a healthy but probably boring stir-fry. Somehow boring didn’t happen. Shocking, right? The red curry paste started making eyes at the coconut milk, encouraged by lime juice and garlic, and curry powder suggested a party in my skillet. One thing led to another and this Coconut Curry Beef Stir-fry was born.

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Coconut Curry Beef Stir-fry

Serves 2 generously

Ingredients

2 Tbs. coconut oil

2 lbs. sirloin trimmed to bite size pieces, dried on paper towels.

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

3 cloves minced garlic

3 Tbs. red curry paste

5 Tbs. liquid aminos

1 tsp. sesame oil

4 tsp. curry powder

Juice of 2 ½ limes

1 can coconut milk (I used light, but full fat would be even richer)

2 Tbs. sriracha

1 head broccoli chopped

2 carrots sliced

3 mini red/yellow/orange bell peppers, finely chopped

3 stalks celery, finely chopped

1 jalapeno, deseeded and minced

 

Optional

Sesame Seeds

1 cup of black imperial rice

 

In a large deep skillet or wok, melt the coconut oil over medium low heat.  While oil is heating, bring rice and water to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 30 minutes.

Once oil is hot add sirloin, and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Allow meat to simmer for 3 minutes, then add garlic, red curry paste, liquid aminos, sesame oil, and curry powder.

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Stir and continue to cook until almost no pink is visible on the meat, another 3-5 minutes. Add the lime juice, the coconut milk, sriracha, and stir well.

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Add all veggies and cook for 6 minutes on high or until broccoli is fork tender.

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Ladle over the rice, and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!

2015-06-02 20.59.52

 

Coconut Curry Beef Stir-fry
Serves 2
a quick and easy curry for the weeknight, and readily adaptable to what ever might be on hand.
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
30 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
30 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 Tbs. coconut oil
  2. 2 lbs. sirloin trimmed to bite size pieces, dried on paper towels.
  3. ¼ tsp. salt
  4. ¼ tsp. black pepper
  5. 3 cloves minced garlic
  6. 3 Tbs. red curry paste
  7. 5 Tbs. liquid aminos
  8. 1 tsp. sesame oil
  9. 4 tsp. curry powder
  10. Juice of 2 ½ limes
  11. 1 can coconut milk (I used light, but full fat would be even richer)
  12. 2 Tbs. sriracha
  13. 1 head broccoli chopped
  14. 2 carrots sliced
  15. 3 mini red/yellow/orange bell peppers, finely chopped
  16. 3 stalks celery, finely chopped
  17. 1 jalapeno, deseeded and minced
Optional
  1. Sesame Seeds
  2. 1 cup of black imperial rice
Instructions
  1. In a large deep skillet or wok, melt the coconut oil over medium low heat. While oil is heating, bring rice and water to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 30 minutes. Once oil is hot add sirloin, and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Allow meat to simmer for 3 minutes, then add garlic, red curry paste, liquid aminos, sesame oil, and curry powder. Stir and continue to cook until almost no pink is visible on the meat, another 3-5 minutes. Add the lime juice, the coconut milk, sriracha, and stir well. Add all veggies and cook for 6 minutes on high or until broccoli is fork tender.
  2. Ladle over the rice, and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!
The Crucial Ingredient http://www.thecrucialingredient.com/