Taco Salad (w/ Veggie Ground Round)

TUESDAY, AUGUST 18TH, 2009

2.5 stars (out of 5 - impressive looking, but difficulty eating it makes it very disappointing)

Ingredients:

2 (8") flour tortillas
1/3 pound of ground round (I used 1 pack Yves Veggie Ground Round)
1/3-1/2 cup water
4 tbsp chopped green onion
2 tsp chili powder*
1/4 tsp ground cumin*
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
4 tbsp sour cream
1/2 cup salsa (optional)

{*Note. I used a taco seasoning mix that we had in the cupboard because SB doesn't really like the chili taste so much. I'm sure the chili powder/cumin is also good, though!}

Veggie prep:

1. First, I placed the tortillas in our oven and baked for 10 minutes at 350F (depending on how crispy you want them... I think medium crispy is good!).

2. While they were cooking, I placed a saucepan over medium-high heat and added some olive oil. I then added the veggie ground round, water (bit by bit) and taco seasoning, and let simmer for 10 minutes. {If you are using real meat, cook until browned, drain and pat dry with paper towel, and return to the skilled adding water, green onions, chili powder, and cumin. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes}

3. For each salad I... cut a tortilla into 8 equal size pieces and placed them on a plate...

4. ... then added half of the shredded iceberg lettuce...

5. ... topped it with 1/2 of the meat sauce...

6. ... and added half of the tomatoes, green onions, and cheddar cheese.

7. Finally, I decided to add a little bit of sour cream, because I will take every opportunity to eat it with my meals!

Overall, I thought that these were just okay. I thought they looked VERY impressive, but in the end they were difficult to eat and to mix the different flavours. You would end up with one bite of lettuce, one bite of meat, one of tortilla.... I think you're better off making super-nice soft tacos with ground round.