“Taco Transgressions”
We’ve now officially kicked off the Summer season which also means that many restaurants have also opted to incorporate lighter “Summer Menus” to take advantage of locally grown produce. Meals tend to be somewhat lighter in caloric intake as compared to the rich and creamy textures commonly associated with the winter months. Warmer months mean multiple social gatherings and where there are social gatherings, you may also find social foods such as an easy to share taco delight. It’s simple to make and can serve a multitude of people, however, there’s a hidden secret about the average, tasty ‘free for all’ salad and it all lies within the ingredients – no taco salad is created equal. A bowl of your personal typical taco salad may set you back up to 900 calories… for an appetizer!! “But why? I’m only eating vegetables” you may ask but if you’re loading your salad with high fat cheeses, high fat sour cream, salsa (from off of the shelf) that contains sugar, salty chips, high fat meat among other ingredients, you may as well have had a cheeseburger sandwiched between 2 donuts. We’ve done the work for you and have created a super healthy alternative that will have you patting yourself on the back. Take a look at how we’re swapped a few ingredients to recreate a favourite while adding even more nutritional value.
Prepare
Bring 2 cups of quinoa in vegetable broth (1:2 ratio) to a boil, letter simmer until desired texture
- Dice 1-2 whole tomatoes
- Cube 1-2 avocados
- 1 stalk of green onions (chopped)
- 1 can or corn (drained)
- Finely slice bean chilly
- 1 can of cooked black beans (or boil dried beans to desired texture)
- 1 small sprig of cilantro for garnish (optional)
Cheese Sauce:
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 cup of cashews
- 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Chopped garlic, onions, jalapeños
- A touch of water, and cumin
Throw cheese sauce ingredients in a blender and whiz till smooth. Warm the cheese if desired.
We layered:
- Sweet potato chips (from your local health food store)
- Red quinoa
- Cooked black beans
- Drained corn
- Fresh tomatoes and green onions
- Avocado
- Homemade cheese sauce
Let us know what you think and if you have any delicious healthy recipes you’d like to share, let us know, we’d be happy to feature it. Send your recipes to info@revitahealth.ca
By Melissa Smith @eat2liveplantbased for ReVitahealth
