Turkey Tacos with Black Bean and Corn Salad and Yum-o! Southwest Ranch

Ingredients

For the tacos:
2 to 3 tablespoons EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
1 package ground all-white-meat turkey (about 1 1/3 pounds)
Salt and pepper
1 yellow onion, small diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 fresh jalapeño pepper, finely chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon chili powder (a palmful)
1/2 tablespoon cumin (half a palmful)
8 6-inch whole grain tortillas or hard taco shells

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, regular or low fat
1 heart of romaine lettuce, cleaned and shredded
For the black bean and corn salad:
1 tablespoon EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 10-ounce box frozen corn kernels or 2 to 3 ears fresh corn, kernels removed
Juice of 1 lime
1 15.5-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 scallions, thinly sliced
For the Yum-o! Southwest Ranch:
1 cup low–fat, store-bought ranch dressing
3 roasted red peppers or pimentos, peeled and seeded
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1 to 2 scallions, finely sliced
Freshly ground black pepper

Yields: 4

Preparation

Place a medium-size, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons EVOO, about two turns of the pan. Add the ground turkey, season with salt and pepper and cook for about 6-7 minutes, breaking up the pieces with the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher, until brown all over.

Add another turn of the pan of EVOO if the mixture is dry, then add the onion, garlic and jalapeño. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, then add the chili powder and cumin, and cook for another couple of minutes. If the mixture seems dry, add a couple tablespoons of water to loosen it up. Turn the heat off and set aside to keep warm.

While the turkey is cooking, prepare the salad: Place a medium to large skillet over medium-high heat, adding the EVOO. Add the garlic, onion and bell pepper to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes. When slightly tender, add the corn and cook for 3-4 minutes more, or until heated through and slightly golden brown in color. During the last minute of cooking, add the lime juice, black beans and scallions, and toss to combine. Set aside.

Add the ranch dressing, peppers or pimentos, chili powder, cumin, lime and cilantro to a food processor and pulse to combine until the pimentos are puréed. Empty the flavored ranch into a bowl and stir in the scallions. Season with pepper, to taste.

Serve the turkey with the whole grain tortillas or hard taco shells, some shredded cheddar cheese and lettuce, and a drizzle of Yum-o! Southwest Ranch. Serve the Black Bean and Corn Salad alongside.