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Taco-Tastic Turkey Filling:

By, Christina De La Rosa, DTR

This whole grain recipe comes from Christina De La Rosa, a Diet Technician who is working on also becoming a Registered Dietitian.  Christina is our new guest blogger, so tune in for her creative twists on healthy recipes.

I love all the recipe options she provides at the end of this Taco-Tastic, whole grain recipe.  Use this method to make a week’s worth of different dinners, and the best part…you only need one pan! 

Ingredients:

1 lb      lean ground turkey

1/2 cup whole grain quinoa, uncooked

2-3       medium carrots

1          medium onion (yellow or white)

1          medium bell pepper (any color)

1-2       medium zucchinis

1          can  of whole peeled tomatoes in juice (can also use fresh tomatoes if desired)

3-4       large cloves of garlic

1 T       olive oil

2 T       Mexican seasonings (or Taco Seasoning)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Wash all vegetables well, and then chop each into small-diced pieces, keeping them separate.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, adding ½ T oil when the pan gets hot.

3. Add onion, sauté until fragrant, adding carrot, then zucchini, then bell peppers, and then finely diced garlic (wait a few minutes between each addition to allow the pan to heat back up), finish with a dash of salt, cover pan and cook for about 10-12 minutes, until veggies are starting to become tender.

4. When veggies are tender and the onion is golden brown, add the ground turkey, chopping it up in the pan to separate it into crumbles, then cover and let cook about 10 minutes.

5. When the meat is near fully cooked (no longer pink), stir in the can of tomatoes with juice and add the seasonings, reduce heat to simmer, cooking for 5 more minutes, until bubbles start to appear.

6. Add the quinoa and stir well, coating each grain with liquid, cover and let cook around 15 minutes, until grains expand and become tender, taste to assure doneness, uncover and cook until liquids disappear.          

7. After the juices have cooked down, remove from heat and serve immediately.

Options:

• This recipe can be modified in many ways by using your own personal mixture of favorite veggies.
• Can be stuffed into peppers (bell, poblano, etc.), used as a taco filling (hard or soft tacos), or as a baked potato topper, add low-fat cheese or non-fat plain yogurt to any option.
• Or over a bed of mixed greens or vegetables for a tasty taco salad.
• Or over a baked potato and veggies for a hearty meal.
• Switch the Mexican/taco spices for Italian seasonings and use mix over pasta.
•  Or add this to a light broth to make a quick and easy soup.

Posted by admin on September 27th, 2010 | No Comments »