This is one of my family’s quick and easy go to meals. Its my favorite salad. The ground meat in the spicy sauce makes this a very filling meal. We eat this year round. Sometimes I splurge for ground beef, but I usually prefer to use ground turkey. Ground turkey is more economical and better for us, and when it is in such a flavorful sauce, you can sometimes fool your family into making them think they are eating beef. When I was a kid, my mom would make my Dad tacos, and then break our taco shells on the bottom of the plate to make our taco salads. Now I just use tortilla chips for my taco salad. You can also halve the amount of meat used, and add a can of rinsed black or pinto beans.
Yield: Serves 4
For the Meat:
2 lbs ground beef or turkey
1 small can tomato paste
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon chili powder
a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup water or stock
Olive oil
Other ingredients
tortilla chips
pepper jack cheese
shredded lettuce
Pico de gallo
Guacamole
Sour cream
Salsa
Preheat skillet. Drizzle with olive oil. Add ground meat, and onions. Brown meat. Add garlic and spices. Add tomato paste and water or stock. Stir well and cook over medium heat until sauce has thickened.
Spread tortilla chips around plate, top with ground meat, sprinkle with cheese. Add lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa.