From listening to feedback, the recipes my readers like the most are ones that give ideas for complete meals.
And for many of you, complete meals that are quick and easy to make. So, I’ve decided to add a new blog category called ‘Quick & Healthy Meals’ for recipes that take less than 30 minutes to prepare from start to finish.
First up in this series is my simple-to-make and super flavourful Taco Salad.
I’m gluten free because of my auto-immune disease. I went off it the day I was diagnosed, and I don’t think I’ll ever look back.
Dairy for me is a love/hate relationship. I’m not into milk, but cheeses and cream in my coffee would be staples if my body agreed with it.
Many people get horrible feeling (and smelling) digestive issues from consuming dairy. That is not the case for me, which is why it’s a trickster in my life. I feel fine when I eat it. At the time.
The issue for me comes from inflammation. If I add dairy to my diet (like I just did over my honeymoon and the holidays) I come out on the other side puffy, weighing more, constantly bloated and honestly just feeling ‘older’. My joints get stiff, my face is a circle, my skin is less glowy and my clothes are tighter.
The beautiful bonus to this is that the second I smarten up, my body transforms back pretty quickly. So I try and have a 90% dairy-free life. If I’m at a special event I’ll go for it, otherwise I don’t keep it the house and I choose not to order it.
So, this salad (and many of my recipes) are gluten-free and dairy-free. You can easily adapt it to a version with real dairy and it would be just as delicious and healthy if dairy agrees with you.
Taco Salad
What You’ll need:
(Note: Use any veggies you like! Amount of vegetables needed isn’t specified. Depends in how many salads you want to make and how big you’d like them. Rest of toppings can top up to 4 salads.)
- Baby Kale, Spinach or Similar
- Cucumber
- Cherry Tomato
- Yellow (or any colour pepper)
- Other ideas: Pitted sliced olives, corn, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped onion, green onion. (basically…options are endless!)
- 1 Ripe Avocado
- 1 bag of Daiya Mozzarella Cheese Shreds (or any shredded cheese)
- 1lb Ground Turkey (Beef okay, too. For Vegans, use a meatless ground.)
- 1 pack of Mushrooms (pre-washed/sliced if possible)
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 1 pouch of Mrs. Dash Taco Seasoning (Note: I love this one because it’s salt free which reduces bloat and water retention, but you can use any taco seasoning!)
- 1 bag Organic Corn Chips (I use Luke’s Organics.)
- Fresh Salsa (homemade or the refrigerated brand in the grocery store)
What to do:
Step One:
Brown the Turkey. Once the Turkey is browned add Mrs. Dash Seasoning pouch and 3/4 cup of water (I usually add more as needed). I add mushrooms (optional) and minced garlic at this time too.
Step Two:
While meat is cooking, make individual salad bowls with desired vegetables that look like this:
Step Three:
When meat is cooked through and water is absorbed, top salad with 1/2 cup (or so) of meat/mushroom mixture.
(Note: If you are only cooking for yourself or have extra, save remainder of meat in air-tight container. Stays fresh for up to 4 days in the fridge.)
Step Four:
Add Toppings!
I used 1/4 cup of dairy free cheese, handful of organic corn chips, a few dollops of my favourite salsa and some sliced avocado.
Step Five:
ENJOY!
Simple & Optional Dressing:
Cilantro Citrus
- 2tbsp Olive Oil
- Juice from 1/2 a lime or lemon
- 1 squeeze from a ‘cilantro paste’ bottle (or small handful of fresh cilantro chopped, is great too.)
- Dash Garlic Power
- Dash Sea Salt
- Dash Pepper
Mix all ingredients in a ramekin, stir and pour on salad immediately. For fresh cilantro, use a blender to mix.
If you make this recipe I’d love you to share on Instagram or Insta Stories and tag me. @angelamcnally #angelamcnallyrecipes.
Or simply comment below and let me know how you liked it!
I’ll be posting lots of ‘Quick & Healthy’ complete meal recipes in the coming months, all healthy and easily adaptable to gluten-free and dairy-free. Keep checking back or sign up for my mailing list!
