Taco Salad That Won't Kill You

Yes, salad can be bad for you. That's been a recent item in the news, although how it's news when your floppy greens arrive in an oil-slicked taco basket, smeared with sour cream and piled high with queso, I'm not quite sure. But all that discussion of unhealthy salads sure did make me hungry for a version of my own.

So with one of Mr. Lemon's more practical Iron Chef game purchases (ground chicken), the leftover tomato puree from paella-fest and some onions, garlic and pepper from the CSA, well, it was spicy spicy taco time. I could have held back a little on the tomato to make this more like taco filling, but I figured the extra veggie couldn't hurt the ol' healthy eating effort.

Also on deck: tomato and raw corn salsa. Just a little PA Dutch dose of apple cider vinegar and sugar softened the corn's starchiness and brought out the sweetness of the tomato. And the leftover tomato-vinegar-sugar juice make a light dressing for the lettuce to boot.

Spicy Spicy (and healthy) Taco Salad

1 head of iceberg (yes, you need it's refreshing wateriness)

1 big garden rip tomato

1 ear corn

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons sugar

Olive oil

1/2 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium red pepper, diced

1/2 lb. ground chicken

14 oz tomato puree

1 heaping teaspoon cumin (heaping = throw it in!)

1 heaping teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (gives it the extra "spicy")

Salt and ground pepper

Cilantro, a handful washed and torn

Itty bit of cheddar cheese (optional)

In a larger saute pan, cook the onion, garlic and pepper until soft-ish in some olive oil over high heat. Push the veg. to the side and add your ground chicken. Salt and pepper heavily and cook, breaking it up as it gets firmer, until white through and through.

Add the tomato puree and all the spices. Bring to a boil and turn back the heat to let this simmer.

Meanwhile, get the salad and salsa ready: shred the iceberg and pile it high on the plate. Combine the chopped tomato and all its juices with the corn, sliced off the cob. (Save the cob for soup!) Add the vinegar and sugar (equal portions is the key), and let it meld together. I also added salt and pepper to help bring the flavors out. The corn will still be crunchy, though, so this is your greasy-taco-shell substitute.

Pile it high: iceberg + chili + salsa + torn cilantro + itty bits of cheddar.

Done.

Tally:

Fast and easy dinner

Spicy chicken chili is filling and flavorful without being greasy

Thriftier then going to Applebee's

Thai Chicken Salad

Like all good New Yorkers, Mr. Lemon and I have a stack of beloved take-out menus. Now that we're in full thrifty mode, we don't really order in, but we're still reaching for those take out menus for ideas of what to eat. So, what are we eating?

Larb.

Sure it doesn't *sound* good, but it is. Larb is one of those Thai restaurant gems that is surprisingly easy to reproduce at home. Really. This one is so easy and yet tastes EXACTLY like the dish from the pros. Plus, it's super healthy, beyond quick, and a great way to combine a little inexpensive protein with a whole lot of veggies.

We'll just call it Thai Chicken Salad.

Dressing

1 lime

1-2 Tablespoons Thai fish sauce

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/2 lb.-1lb. ground chicken or turkey works, too.

1 small onion, half sliced, half diced

1 red pepper, seeded and cut into slices

1 head romaine lettuce, torn

1/2 c. cilantro, minced

1/4 c. mint, cut into strips

Over medium high heat cooking the chicken and half the onion, diced. I usually add a tiny bit of olive oil to the pan to cut down on the meat sticking.

Meanwhile, make the dressing by combining Thai fish sauce, sugar and the juice of one lime in a large bowl. I try to balance the amount of lime juice to Thai fish sauce, so eyeball it. You can use this dressing separately on a salad with leftover flank steak, too, for another yummy combo.

When the chicken is cooked through, add it to the bowl with the dressing and toss. Let the mixture cool slightly. (If the meat is hot, it will wilt the salad.) On to the salad!

Make a salad with lettuce, onion, red pepper, cilantro and mint and scatter the chicken on top. The dressing on the chicken is salty, flavorful and delicious -- and enough for the whole pile of veggies.

Tally:

Easy, quick, make ahead=the perfect dish

Salad gets a salty kick from a fishy fridge staple

A delicious way to use up half a package of ground chicken or turkey

Banh Me

I mentioned that after the Chopped Liver vs. Pâté experiment, I found some other ways to use the leftovers.

One of the tricks I've picked up over the years, not just on the no-moneymoon, is to mix up national cuisines within the same week. It keeps me from ordering in more than I should (and now not at all), and it means the same ingredients and leftovers can feel a little less repetitive.

Fresh herbs play a huge part in how I switch up my cooking--but they also don't last very long in the fridge, so I buy them in pairs. For example, if in winter I buy mint, I'll also buy cilantro. Mint and cilantro partner in Thai food. Cilantro on its own brings a big flavor to Latin and Southwestern dishes. Mint on its own is lovely with fruit and finds its way into my attempts to go "Greek." In one week I've hopped three continents without leaving my apartment.

Mint and cilantro are also happy partners in Vietnamese food. Here's my pork-less take on the Banh Mi sandwich. These divine creations are known for their perfect combination of French and Asian ingredients. Pate and leftover baguette, please meet mint and cilantro. Wonder-herb powers activate! Take the form of a Banh "Me."

Or you can just spread pate on a split baguette. Add chopped mint and cilantro, sliced onions. You can also add in lettuce, thinly sliced red pepper, cucumber and carrot.

I was a little bummed I didn't have any roast pork or these veggies on hand, so I just stuck with the herbs. In turned out to be more than enough flavor for one sandwich.

Tally:

Leftovers make a splashy second appearance

Herbs offer some green goodness as well as major flavor

Inexpensive lunch option with lots of protein

Baguette = not so healthy. Oh well.