Last night was Taco Tuesday! It was another one of those evenings that involved two-hours of homework for my eldest daughter and a half hour for my youngest. Needless to say, I felt a bit harried and short on time when it came to making dinner. So, I opted for another 5-Minute Meal, my tried and true Quick and Healthy Walking Tacos.
This is one of my favorite meals because it has a veritable rainbow of fresh veggies, comes together in a snap, and is easy to dress up or down depending on the dietary needs of your family. You can make it completely vegan or you can add some shredded sharp cheddar cheese and a dollop of plain Greek yogurt to up the yum and protein factors. Without further ado, here is my recipe for Quick and Healthy Walking Tacos.
Quick and Healthy Walking Tacos
Equipment
- Microwave
- Cutting board
- Sharp paring knife
- large bowl
Ingredients
- 1 12 oz package organic frozen corn, in steamable bag
- 1 15 oz can organic black beans (you can cook your own, if you prefer)
- 2 avocados
- 2 tomatoes
- 2 red, orange or yellow bell peppers
Instructions
- Microwave the frozen corn according to the instructions on the bag. 3-4 minutes should suffice. Let rest for a minute so you don't burn yourself.
- Drain and rinse the can of black beans
- Wash and chop the avocados, tomatoes and peppers
- Dump all the ingredients into a large bowl and use a slotted spoon to stir gently.
- Optional—salt and pepper to taste. You can also add a squeeze of lime, some cilantro, and a dash of chili pepper if you desire. My kids aren't big on spices, so I don't usually add anything. I figure if you add salsa, that adds plenty of salt and additional flavor.
- Serve with organic corn chips and salsa. (My favorite is Newman's Own Salsa, Mild.)
Notes
I love how quickly this comes together. If you’re fast, you can have all the chopping done in the time it takes to microwave the corn and let it rest. In which case, it will literally take you less than 5 minutes to make this meal. (Quick tip: It helps if you have the produce washed ahead of time. When possible, I like to wash all my produce as soon as it enters the house so that it’s ready whenever I need it. I usually soak it in the sink for a few minutes with a half teaspoon of soapnut extract (here’s my recipe for homemade soapnut extract) and then rinse everything with water. It gets it squeaky clean without leaving any residue.)
Spice of Life
Another thing I love about this recipe is that can you alter the flavors to fit your tastes: if you love spicy foods, just add a squeeze of lemon and a dash of chilli pepper, some onion powder or even a dash of cayenne. You can toss in some freshly chopped cilantro if you like that. (I don’t. I think it tastes like ladybugs. Don’t ask. Had a mishap when making iced tea in which a ladybug fell in and steeped with the tea. I didn’t notice it until I drank my first glass and noticed the taste was waaay off. Haven’t been able to eat cilantro ever since.)
My kids don’t like spicy foods, so I usually limit mine to a dash of salt and pepper and some lemon if I remember. But let’s face it, when you’re in a hurry even the salt and pepper get forgotten sometimes. So, I typically just put a spoonful of mild salsa in and call it a day. My very favorite is Newman’s Own Mild Salsa.
Cost
This meal is also crazy cheap to make: it makes roughly 6-8 servings for about $10.
- $2 for 2 avocados
- $2 for 2 tomatoes
- $3 for 2 bell peppers
- $1 for 1 can of black beans
- $2 for 1 package of frozen corn
Even if you factor in buying a bag of chips and a jar of salsa, it’s still less than $20. You can’t feed a family of 4 fast food for less than that!
