Tacos

(from Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld)

Nonstick cooking spray

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 lb lean ground sirloin or turkey

1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes, with their juice

½ cup sweet potato, carrot, or butternut squash puree

½ (1.25 oz) packet of taco seasoning, with no MSG

1 package of taco shells (18 shells)

½ cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella or cheddar cheese

Toppings

½ lb cherry tomatoes, stemmed and quartered

½ cup canned or frozen corn kernels

¼ cup lowfat sour cream

3 large leaves Romaine lettuce, thinly sliced crosswise

½ small avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced

1 small red pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely sliced

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the oil. Add the meat, breaking it up with a spoon. Brown for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the tomatoes and their juice, vegetable puree, and seasoning mix. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the meat is no longer pink and the mixture begins to thicken, 10 to 15 minutes longer.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Fill the taco shells with the meat mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Stand the shells in a baking dish and bake until the cheese melts, 5 to 10 minutes. Add your favorite toppings.

*I love this recipe because not only is it healthy but it can serve 6 to 8 people which means for my family of 4, I can freeze half and have it ready to go for another day. I used ground turkey in my tacos and a frozen container of Golden Sauce (see recipe in blog) as my vegetable puree. I also added caramelized onions into the meat mixture…oddly enough my girls really like sweet onions, and I think it adds a little extra appeal for the grown ups. If you prefer soft tacos, heat flour tortillas in the microwave, scoop on the meat mixture, and then add cheese and other toppings…and be sure to have hot sauce on hand to add some flavor for the grown ups as well. The picture here shows the taco served with fried sweet plantains and cilantro lime rice.