Recently, while preparing my produce for juicing, I noticed that large Romaine leaves could make a great shell for a healthy taco. After I finished juicing, I grabbed some various food items already in my fridge and began experimenting.
Fortunately, I had some Pepper Jack cheese (already shredded), which always packs a nice little punch and who doesn’t love cheese (although you could go sans cheese for a vegan option). And on my recent visit to Trader Joe’s (a.k.a. one of my “Happy Places”) I had picked up some Mango Chutney. I have fond memories of my grandmother eating chutney when I was little. I had no interest in it then, but my taste buds have matured. 🙂 We eat a good deal of black beans for the texture and protein, so I had some already washed and rinsed in a container in the fridge. While juicing, I had the forethought to dice some cucumbers to put in something (I wasn’t sure at the time, but the opportunity presented itself pretty quickly!).
Several years ago, when I began shifting my eating habits, taste became an incredibly important part of the food choices. I want to enjoy every bite!
Here are the ingredients and recipe (basically assembling) for the healthy summer taco.
Ingredients
4 Romaine Lettuce Leaves, separated and washed
1 can of {organic} Black beans, drained and rinsed
1 large Cucumber diced
1 cup Pepper Jack cheese, shredded (Trader Joe’s sells this pre-packaged)
1/4 jar Mango Chutney (from Trader Joe’s)
Salt & Pepper
Here’s how to assemble:
1. Separate and wash the Romaine lettuce leaves.
2. Put Romaine Lettuce leaf on a plate and add the Pepper Jack cheese, then black beans, and cucumber.
3. Next drizzle the Mango Chutney over the top.
4. Add salt & pepper to taste.
Voila, a summer taco!
It’s a little tricky to have the “taco” not spill over, so if you have a helpful idea how to make that happen, please share below. I hope you enjoy the summer tacos as much as my family and I did recently. What tasty substitutes might you use? Please comment below.
Recipe disclaimer: I’m always experimenting. My recipes are NOT tested outside of my kitchen, only with my family and some brave friends! Wink, wink. I encourage you to do the same and maybe take my recipes as a starting point. Add different spices or veggies, or not. I’ve found that the key to eating healthier is to enjoy the process of shopping, preparing, cooking…then eating! It’s a joyful experience that can be shared with people you care about. Create memories in the kitchen!
