A New Spin On An Old Favorite - Taco Salad

To create this salad which received accolades from my daughter, I used:

1 lb Ground Turkey
1 can of Black Beans
1 can of Kidney Beans
1 can of Garbanzo Beans
1 can of Sweet Corn
1 Jar of Favorite Salsa
Salad or Lettuce Mix
Baby Spinach
Shredded Green Cabbage
Shredded Carrots
Ketchup
Vegenaise
Veggie Shreds Mozzarella
Fritos Corn Chips

I browned the Turkey, drained it, and added a 1/2 cup of salsa and 1/4 cup of ketchup.  I then added the beans and corn to the meat. (This makes several servings, I ended up freezing half to use again later.) I let everything simmer for about 20 minutes while I put together the lettuce, spinach, cabbage and carrots.

I put all the fresh veggies on a plate and toped them with the warm turkey mix.  I added some Veggie Shreds and crushed Fritos on top.

I mixed Vegenaise, ketchup, and salsa to taste for a creamy tangy salad dressing.

This salad has been added to our growing list of favorite meals.

What CAN you eat?

This is the question I am asked most often nowadays.  My daughter, mom, cousin and I all have allergies to eggs, dairy, most grains, and a couple dozen other things.  So.... I figured I'd just start blogging some recipes and suggestions.  I have read many blogs and they have given me inspiration for food ideas, however nothing quite fits our profile. It seems as though everything out there has to be tweaked to fit our needs. It's not easy to cook or bake without eggs, dairy, and standard flour.  And even when you end up with something resembling what you were attempting to make it doesn't always taste all that great. We're all going through a LOT of trial and error.

This is my attempt at documenting what works for us...maybe it will help someone else.  Plus I wanted to be able to recognize the companies/brands that are making foods we CAN eat.

Quinoa Pasta is a staple in our house.  I've tried several different types of alternative pastas, but Quinoa Ancient Harvest is our favorite. I can no longer use store bought sauce due to a garlic allergy.  I know...Italian food without garlic just isn't the same. However using fresh onion and basil does help considerably. Thank goodness I grew up with family members who made their own pasta sauces!  For a quick sauce I usually throw a can of stewed tomatoes in with a can of tomato paste. Then I add onion, basil, oregano, along with random other spices depending on my mood and sometimes some ground turkey or Italian sausage. (Gluten-Free of course.)  My daughter like to add a little "cheese" on hers, we use Veggie Shreds - Mozzarella Flavored, they actually have several flavor options but my daughter swears the Mozzarella is the best.

Quinoa Ancient Harvest - http://www.quinoa.net/
Veggie Shreds - http://www.galaxyfoods.com/Products/SoyCheese/Veggie/veggieShreds.html