Mexican food is one of the things we don’t get very often here, partly because the only Mexican restaurant we like on the island requires driving up to North Shore, a big commitment for us if it’s just for a meal.  But it’s one of the cuisines we crave and go for first when we visit home in California.

Here’s my knock-off version of a soft taco made with ground turkey and layered with spices like cumin, paprika, onion, garlic, and chili powder.  It’s super easy – just throw everything into your saute pan and cook away.  You can just lay all the fixins out, such as the cabbage slaw, tomatoes, cilantro – and your peeps can assemble on their own!  I love it when Mexican food isn’t overladen with cheese and sour cream, so instead I lightly dressed the cabbage slaw and upped the veggie load (we always request more salsa when we eat Mexican food, so dice as many tomatoes as you want!).  Incorporating as many veggies as you can into your diet reaps the benefits, as all of them synergistically play a unique role in maintaining the powerhouse that is your body.

Need evidence?  For example, cabbage is a member of the cruciferous family of veggies (broccoli, kale, and cauliflower are its relatives).  Cabbage sulphoraphanes, functional food components that can help to demolish free radicals, build up your antioxidant defenses, and delay the onset of certain cancers and chronic disease.  In addition, the lycopene in tomatoes may also have a potential role in decreasing one’s risk of prostate cancer (that’s you, guys!).

And although choosing a corn tortilla is a better choice than flour (flour is generally higher in calories, lower in fiber), I like flour better.   On a happy note, I discovered that Mission tortillas makes a flour tortilla called “Carb Balance,” in which the fajita size (small) has 80 calories, 2 grams of fat, and 7 grams of fiber in one tortilla.  If you get the soft taco size (medium), you’ll also do good with only 110 calories and 11 grams of fiber per serving (REPEAT:  11 GRAMS!  Adults need about 25-30 grams of fiber daily).  Now, that’s a tortilla that won’t wreck your waistline!

Turkey Soft Tacos with Creamy Cabbage Slaw

Makes about 8 soft tacos (using fajita size tortillas)

1 Tbsp canola oil

1/2 cup yellow onion, diced finely

1 clove garlic, minced

1.25 lbs ground turkey

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp seasoning salt

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 Tbsp ketchup

1 big pinch sea salt

4 cups cabbage, sliced thinly

Juice of 1/2 lime

1/4 cup light sour cream

1 Tbsp fat-free mayonnaise

Black pepper

2-4 plum tomatoes, diced

A handful of roughly chopped cilantro

Lime wedges, optional

1 package Mission brand Carb-balance tortillas (fajita or soft taco size) or corn tortillas

1.  In a large saute pan over medium heat, heat the oil.  Add the onions and the garlic, stirring occasionally until lightly caramelized.

2.  Add the ground turkey, garlic and chili powders, seasoning salt, red pepper flakes, paprika, cumin, black pepper, ketchup, and a pinch of sea salt.  Break up the turkey into small pieces and saute all ingredients, making sure the seasonings are well-incorporated into the turkey.  Continue to saute until turkey is opaque and cooked through.  Transfer to a serving plate.

3.  To make the cabbage slaw: In a medium bowl, combine the cabbage, lime juice, light sour cream, fat-free mayo, and black pepper to taste.  Add in some cilantro too, if you wish.

4.  To serve, top off a soft taco with some ground turkey, cabbage slaw, tomatoes, and cilantro.  Squeeze some lime juice on top if desired.  Now, that wasn’t too hard, was it?

Nutrition Facts (estimated using 1 Carb Balance fajita size tortilla, 2.5 oz ground turkey, 1/2 cup cabbage slaw, and 1/4 cup tomatoes): 238 calories, 10.4 grams fat, 18 grams carbohydrates, 17 grams protein, 8.6 grams fiber