Getting Going:
1. 1.5 lbs extra lean ground beef (we use the 96/4 variety).
2. 1-2 heads of iceberg lettuce (3 cups per person, shredded).
3. One can of fat-free refried beans.
4. Part-skim mozzarella cheese.
5. Fat-free sour cream.
6. Tabasco or other hot sauce (optional).
7. "Taco" seasonings (chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, etc.).
8. Baked Tostitos.
9. Ingredients for homemade guac and salsa:
- Avocado
- Onion
- Roma tomatoes
- Garlic
- Limes or lime juice
- Cilantro
- Jalapeños
- Salt
Kitchen supplies you'll need:
A cutting board
Knife
Large sauté pan
Wooden spoon
Measuring cups/spoons
Small sauce pan
Food processor
Strainer
Prep Steps and Cooking Instructions:
• It's best to make your guac and salsa ahead of time, or at least at the beginning of your prep, because they're best served chilled.
• The homemade salsa process is made almost exactly like the guacamole, minus the avocado. Our salsa is somewhere in the neighborhood of a 2:1 tomatoes to onion ratio, though you will have to adjust for personal preferences. Cut and seed your tomatoes and mix them with diced onion, jalapeño, garlic and cilantro. Start with 5-6 sprigs of cilantro; be careful, though, it can quickly overpower the salsa. Throw the whole mixture into your food processor and blend it to your desired consistency. Because we have a FP that only understands the command "liquefy," it resembles Chuy's salsa. Add lime juice and salt to taste.
• To make the guacamole, scroll down the page to the other recipe, lazy.
• Chop your lettuce. The easiest way to do this is to cut off the stem (is that what you call the bottom of the lettuce head? The neck, maybe?), then slice the lettuce into strips like you would an onion. Then chop those strips into halves or thirds.
• Warm the refried beans in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. They can burn easily, so keep an eye on them and stir occasionally. Once they're heated through, turn the heat down to low to keep them warm.
• Brown the beef over medium heat with some chopped onions and garlic thrown in. Season it liberally with paprika, cracked black pepper, chili powder, and cayenne. Throw in some other stuff, too, if it appeals to you. Once the meat is browned, drain it and set it aside, but keep it warm.
• Measure out into 1 oz. quantities both your cheese and chips. Go get that food scale from Wal-Mart. Seriously. It will make your low-cal life SO much easier.
The Assembly Line:
The meal made just over 3 gigantic servings. You really don't need directions for this part, but here's how we put it together:
Lettuce > Beans > Guacamole > Sour Cream (unless you're weird like Mark and hate sour cream) > Beef > Cheese > Salsa > Crumbled Tortilla Chips > Diced Tomato (optional)
And Enjoy!
Calorie Breakdown:
1.5 lbs Extra Lean Ground Beef: 780 Calories (260 per person)
Refried Beans - 80 Calories per half cup
Fat-Free Sour Cream – 25 Calories per serving (2 tbsp)
Guacamole - 30 Calories per tablespoon
Mozzarella Cheese - 80 Calories per ounce
Baked Tostitos - 120 Calories per ounce
Salsa - 5 Calories per tablespoon (approximate)
Lettuce - 25 Calories for 3 cups (even though you'll actually burn more calories eating it than it's worth! A classic negative-calorie food)
Tobasco sauce - NADA!
Total Calories per Serving: 625-675, depending on toppings.
Post Meal Thoughts/Impressions:
I was incredibly satisfied with this meal, as were Mark and our buddy, Kub, who ate with us. The sheer amount of food will keep even the fattest fatty happy, and the deliciousness of homemade guacamole and salsa are the proverbial icing on the Mexican cake. If you weren't told this was a lower-calorie version of taco salad, you'd never know. The flavors were spot-on, and the portions were enormous. Make this one at home, and you'll never get a fat-laden taco salad at a restaurant again.
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