Taco-Less Salad (Gluten-Free!)

This is an easy and fun way for kids and adults alike to build their own taco salad. It tastes good, and they won’t even notice how healthy it is!

Meat Mixture

• 1lb naturally-raised or organic ground beef.
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine.
• 2 Tbsp. Burger & Taco Seasoning (see below).
• Optional: 1 cup grated zucchini.
• Optional: juice and zest of 1 lime.

Salad Ingredients

• 6 cups of mixed salad greens.
• 1 tomato, diced.
• 1 green or yellow pepper, diced.
• 1 to 1½ cups shredded lettuce, either head lettuce or romaine hearts
• 1 cup salsa.
• ¾ cup raw milk cheddar, grated.
• ¾ cup full-fat sour cream.
• Optional: diced avocado or guacamole.

Burger & Taco Seasoning

When I was growing up, my mom used spices sparingly, and drew from a rather narrow array of them. When I would come home to visit, I would cook up some favourite dishes with an abundance of seasonings. After watching me one day, she remarked, “So that’s how you make it taste so good!” Try this spice mix anywhere you want a little zest: add it to soups or stir-fries, prepare delightful burgers, make spiced nuts, or top your rice with this. Experiment, and enjoy the delicious flavours.

You can also create your own unique version with a little more kick, or less, as you wish.

• 2 Tbsp. chili powder. Try this one!
• 1 Tbsp. ground cumin. This is an excellent choice!
• ¾ tsp crushed red pepper flakes.
• 1 tsp oregano. Try this one!
• 1½ tsp garlic powder. Go for this great organic choice!
• 1½ to 2 tsp Herbamare. Try this great option!
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper. Grind this awesome organic pepper!

Combine all the ingredients in a small jar. A funnel can help make the task easier with no spillage. Shake to mix them well.

Double or triple the batch, and you will always have a spice mix on hand that is ready to go. Seasons 4 pounds of ground beef for burgers or 3 batches of Taco-less Taco Salad.

Directions

1. Sauté the ground beef with the onions in a large frypan, breaking the beef into smaller pieces and cooking it until the onions are soft and the meat is done.
2. Add the zucchini, if using. Add the spices, and cook briefly. Add the lime if desired. Taste and correct the seasonings. The meat mixture should be zesty and flavourful.
3. Place a bed of salad greens on each plate, and add the ground beef mixture.
4. Top the ground beef in turn with tomato, peppers, shredded lettuce, salsa, grated cheese, and then a good dollop of sour cream.

Serves 4 to 6.

Preparation Tip: Making your own spice mix avoids the additives and undesirable ingredients found in many commercial blends, such as MSG, refined salt, sugar, starches, chemicals, and preservatives. It also allows you to use higher quality spices than most manufacturers would use. Take less than 3 minutes to mix this up, use premium spices, and feel good knowing it is real, pure, and beneficial for you.

Gotta Have the Crunch? We like our taco salad just like this. However, if you just have to have a little crunch, try one of these ideas, adding a little to the top of each serving: six strips of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled OR eight organic corn chips, placed into a baggie and crushed with a rolling pin. Top your taco salad with the crispy bacon bits to satisfy your need for crunch.

Alternately, top your salad with crushed corn chips—enough for a little crunch, but not so much that you have to worry about the blood sugar impact. Be sure they are organic to avoid eating GMOs.

Vegan Taco Salad Option

Sauté the onions in 2 tablespoons of organic red palm oil. Substitute a can of black beans for the meat. Add them to the onions along with the zucchini, taco seasoning mix, and optional lime. I use Eden beans and include the water in the can, cooking it down to create a bit of ‘sauce’ for the beans (note: you must discard the soaking water and rinse the beans in other brands’ cans). Omit the dairy toppings and use a generous amount of Classic Guacamole.

You'll find this recipe and so much more in Janet Jacks' new book Share Goodness. Purchase it here for recipes from salad to dessert! And check out Goodness Me!'s Lifewatchers course to learn how to bring the healing power of food into your life.