Audrey Johns, author of Lose Weight By Eating and Lose Weight With Your Instant Pot, shares her recipe for a healthy salad complete with a crunchy (baked) tortilla bowl.
"Halfway through writing this book, we moved from California to Boise, Idaho," Audrey says. "Now, I don't want to say the Mexican food in Idaho is bad—I probably just haven't found the right place yet—but I can say that it doesn't hold a candle to Cali's abundance of amazing Mexican food! I ordered a taco salad at a local restaurant here and it was served in a deep-fried shell that was dripping with oil, had hardly any vegetables, and was covered in cheese sauce. It was neither healthy nor tasty, and I couldn't even stomach it. I went home with a mean craving for a healthy, light taco salad, so I went to my kitchen and this yummy recipe was born."
Audrey uses her Avocado Jalapeño Dressing in this salad and also likes to swap in leftovers from her Instant Pot "Rotisserie" Chicken for the ground turkey.
Adapted from Lose Weight By Eating by Audrey Johns. Copyright © 2016 by Audrey Johns. Used with permission by William Morrow Cookbooks. All rights reserved.
- Two 8-inch whole wheat tortillas
- Olive oil spray
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- Pinch of kosher salt
- ¼ pound ground turkey
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 tomato, cut into medium dice
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup frozen corn, thawed
- ¼ cup Avocado Jalapeño Dressing
- 2 tablespoons sliced canned black olives
- 2 tablespoons shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 375˚F.
Place the tortillas in two oven-safe bowls (or use two 9x9-inch casserole dishes and ball up some foil in the corners of the dish to give the tortillas a bit of a bowl shape). Spray the tops of the tortillas lightly with oil and bake for 10 to 20 minutes, until you have browned, crispy tortilla bowls.
Meanwhile, spray a sauté pan with oil and place it over medium heat. Add the onion and salt and sauté for 10 minutes, or until the onion is soft. Add the turkey and cook for 10 minutes, or until browned, breaking it up as it cooks.
Add the chili powder, cayenne, garlic powder, oregano, and ¼ cup water. Mix well and cook for 10 minutes more, until the turkey is cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed.
Transfer the tortilla bowls to two plates and fill them with romaine, tomato, green onion, corn, and turkey. Drizzle the dressing on top and sprinkle evenly with the olives and cheese.
