Growing up, I ate Vietnamese food for dinner almost every night. A typical dinner consisted of rice, one meat or fish, one vegetable, and one soup dish. The occasional “American” dinner night, however, was a special treat for all of us. It meant, “thank lord, the weekend is finally here!” For those special nights, my mother would usually make dishes such as spaghetti or tacos. I remember helping her with all the taco toppings: lettuce, tomatoes, jalapenos, and cheese. What I remember most, though, was the Old El Paso Taco Kit. Ya’ll know what I’m talking about – that yellow rectangular box filled with everything you need to make tacos at home! From taco shells to the salsa packet, this kit was a little box of magic to me.

But as a more health-conscious adult now, I like to look at the nutrition box on most packages. (There are certain packages where I prefer not to know and just eat!) After looking at some taco seasoning packets in the store one day, I discovered they are LOADED with sodium! I decided, then, that I would make my own taco seasoning going forward.

So, I started experimenting with different taco recipes. Since I prefer to eat lean ground turkey over beef, I needed a recipe with lots of flavor to make up for the lack of fat content. I finally found the magic recipe – Alton Brown’s Taco Potion #19 (I’m not lying, that’s what it’s really called)! It is super easy to make and SO flavorful. Although I made a few tweaks to his original recipe, I kept all the spices the same.

Here are the tweaks I made to keep things a little healthier:

• ground lean turkey instead of beef
• extra virgin olive oil instead of peanut oil
• low-carb whole wheat flour tortillas instead of yellow corn tortillas
• light Mexican cheese blend instead of panela cheese

I portioned this recipe as a main entree serving two people, without other courses. If you plan on serving an appetizer or dessert, you may want to halve the recipe. Or, if you have a zest for eating like Michael and me, you’ll be fine with the full recipe!

Recipe
Yield: 10 tacos

INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 lb. ground lean turkey
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp. kosher salt
2 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
2/3 cup low-sodium beef broth
10 low-carb whole wheat flour tortillas
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped (optional)
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (optional)
1 lime (optional)
hot sauce (optional)
1 avocado, peeled and sliced (optional)
1 cup shredded romaine or iceberg lettuce (optional)
1/2 cup shredded light Mexican cheese blend (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the chili powder, cumin, cornstarch, paprika, coriander, cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoons salt, and red pepper flakes (optional) to make your Taco Potion. Set aside.
3. Add the turkey, garlic, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt to the onions. Use a large cooking spoon or spatula to break up the meat. Cook until browned, about 8 to 10 minutes.
4. During this time, make a quick salsa by mixing together the tomatoes, cilantro, juice of half a lime, and hot sauce (optional). Season with a little salt. Squeeze the remaining lime half over avocado slices to prevent them from browning.
5. Add the Taco Potion and beef broth to your turkey mixture. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
6. Stack the tortillas onto a plate and cover loosely with a damp paper towel. Microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.
7. Assemble tacos with toppings and serve immediately.