Wholesome Goodness

Since my husband is a big fan of taco salads, we enjoy them almost weekly around here.  Recently, I’ve tried experimenting a bit with the taco meat because I need variety.  The same taco salad week after week is far too monotonous, but between switching out the vegetable topping combinations and tweaking the meat, I’m pretty happy.

I’ve been favoring this version lately because, in addition to being delicious, it helps us use up those darned zucchinis that are running out our ears right now.  Shredded, they’re hard to spot and even harder to taste, but they still boost your meal’s nutritional content.  (For more ideas on using up summer squash, go here for an earlier post dedicated to the topic.)

Turkey Taco Meat with Zucchini

2 pounds ground turkey
1 onion, finely chopped
1 to 2 zucchinis, shredded

3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt (Real Salt or Celtic Sea Salt are ideal)
2 teaspoons black pepper
1/2 cup water

In a skillet, brown the ground turkey with the chopped onion and shredded zucchini.  Drain and return to the pan.  Add the remaining ingredients and allow to simmer until the mixture thickens.  Serve hot or cold over a green salad with lots of vegetables.  A cilantro-lime avocado salad dressing, this green goddess dressing, or some homemade salsa works well to finish the salad.

The next “recipe” is just a way to reinvent taco salad night leftovers.  It also jazzed up our typical scrambled egg breakfast routine.  You can adjust the amounts to suit the number of people you’re feeding.  My husband really enjoyed this with some homemade salsa, and I’m sure cheese would be great too, though not the healthiest option.

Hearty Mexican Scrambled Eggs

A little butter or coconut oil
Several eggs, lightly beaten
A few spoonfuls of leftover taco meat (I used the recipe above)
Sea salt

In a pan over medium heat, warm the butter or oil, then add the taco meat and stir until warmed through.  Pour in the eggs and scramble until cooked but still moist.  Season to taste with salt and serve with salsa.