Nobody will miss the meat in this colorful, zesty vegetarian taco salad. The rice and bean mixture can be made ahead and the salad quickly assembled at mealtime. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.

 Ingredients

•     2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
•     1 large onion, chopped
•     1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (see Tip) or frozen, thawed
•     4 large tomatoes
•     1 1/2 cups cooked long-grain brown rice (see Tip)
•     1 15-ounce can black, kidney or pinto beans, rinsed
•     1 tablespoon chili powder
•     1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
•     1/4 teaspoon salt
•     1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
•     1/3 cup prepared salsa
•     2 cups shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
•     1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese
•     2 1/2 cups coarsely crumbled tortilla chips
•     Lime wedges for garnish

 Preparation

• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and corn; cook, stirring, until the onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Coarsely chop 1 tomato. Add it to the pan along with rice, beans, chili powder, 1 teaspoon oregano and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato cooks down, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Coarsely chop the remaining 3 tomatoes. Combine with cilantro, salsa and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano in a medium bowl.
• Toss lettuce in a large bowl with the bean mixture, half the fresh salsa and 2/3 cup cheese. Serve sprinkled with tortilla chips and the remaining cheese, passing lime wedges and the remaining fresh salsa at the table.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 1, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days; reheat slightly before serving.
• Kitchen Tips: To remove corn kernels from the cob, stand an ear of corn on its stem end and slice the kernels off with a sharp, knife.
• To cook rice, bring 1 cup water and 1/2 cup long-grain brown rice to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer at the lowest bubble until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 40 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Nutrition

• Per serving: 395 calories; 17 g fat ( 5 g sat , 5 g mono ); 20 mg cholesterol; 52 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 14 g protein; 9 g fiber; 459 mg sodium; 774 mg potassium.
• Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A & Vitamin C (38% daily value), Calcium & Folate (23% dv), Potassium (22% dv), Magnesium (21% dv), Calcium (23% dv), Iron (15% dv)

Carbohydrate Servings: 3
Exchanges: 3 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 lean meat, 2 fat




Recipe for 6 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each

Active Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes
 
Source: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/vegetarian_taco_salad.html

This Recipe taked from Keep The Beat™ Recipes Collection.(Keep the Beat is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Try this family classic, made healthier with baked chicken and a yummy dipping sauce.

For chicken:

• ½ tsp reduced-sodium crab seasoning
• (or substitute ¼ tsp paprika
• and ¼ tsp garlic powder for a
• sodium-free alternative)
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp whole-wheat flour
• 12 oz boneless, skinless, chicken
• breast, cut into 12 strips
• 2 Tbsp fat-free (skim) milk
• 1 egg white (or substitute 2 Tbsp
• egg white substitute)
• 3 C cornflake cereal, crushed

For sauce:

• ¼ C ketchup
• ¼ C 100 percent orange juice
• ¼ C balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 2 tsp deli mustard
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

 Direction:

1. Preheat oven to 400 ºF.
2. Mix crab seasoning, pepper, and flour in a bowl.
3. Add chicken strips, and toss well to coat evenly.
4. Combine milk and egg white in a separate bowl, and mix
   well. Pour over seasoned chicken, and toss well.
5. Place crushed cornflakes in a separate bowl. Dip each
   chicken strip into the cornflakes, and coat well. Place strips
   on a nonstick baking sheet. (Discard any leftover cornflake
   mixture.)
6. Bake chicken strips for 10–12 minutes (to a minimum
   internal temperature of 165 ºF).
7. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by combining all ingredients
   and mixing well.
8. Serve three chicken strips with ¼ cup dipping sauce.

4 servings
Prep time:10 minutes, Cook time:12 minutes
Serving size: 3 chicken strips, ¼ C sauce

Each serving provides:
calories 248,total fat 2 g,saturated fat 1 g,cholesterol 47 mg,sodium 422 mg,total fiber 1 g
protein 20 g,carbohydrates 36 g,potassium 303 mg,vitamin A 4%vitamin C 16%,calcium 6%,iron 4%.
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Did oyu know eating too much salt can damage your health. A high salt diet will slowly raise your blood pressure which increases your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Adults should eat less than 5-6g of salt a day and children much less. Below the fact that what you'll get if you not control the salt consume;

Blood pressure
Blood pressure is the biggest cause of death in the world through the strokes and heart attacks it causes. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is considered to be a ‘silent killer’ because many people with high blood pressure have no symptoms and don’t realise they are at risk of serious health problems. Salt slowly puts up our blood pressure and eating too much is responsible for many thousands of strokes, heart attacks and heart failure deaths each year worldwide. People of South Asian and black African descent are particularly susceptible to high blood pressure
Eating less salt lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Heart attacks and heart failure
Raised blood pressure is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, stroke and heart attacks. Coronary heart disease is the commonest cause of death in the UK. Untreated high blood pressure can also lead to heart failure, which can make the pumping action of the heart less effective. People of South Asian descent are prone to coronary heart disease.
Preventing high blood pressure will reduce the risk of heart attacks and heart failure.

Stroke
High blood pressure is the single most important risk factor for stroke. Salt is therefore directly responsible for many of these strokes. There is also increasing evidence that salt may have a direct effect on strokes, independent of and in addition to the effect it has on blood pressure. People of black African descent are at a higher risk of stroke.

Osteoporosis
Salt intake is the major factor controlling the amount of calcium in the urine and the amount of calcium lost from bones. As calcium is vital for bone strength, high salt intake may lead to weakening of the bones and an increased risk of osteoporosis. If we do not achieve the maximum strength of our bones when we reach our mid to late twenties, our risk of developing osteoporosis later in life is increased. Low salt intake in childhood, adolescence and early adulthood is therefore important for bone health.
Osteoporosis leads to bone fractures and breakages.

Obesity
Obesity is an increasing problem globally. Whilst salt is not the cause of obesity it increases thirst and the amount of fluids consumed, particularly sweetened soft drinks. A reduction in salt intake would cause a major reduction in the number of sweetened soft drinks being consumed, both by adults and children. Studies in the UK have shown that a reduction in sweetened soft drink consumption is likely to reduce the number of children developing obesity.

Stomach cancer
Salt, particularly in high concentrations, damages the delicate lining of the stomach. This makes it more vulnerable to infection by Helicobacter Pylori, a type of bacteria that causes both stomach ulcers and stomach cancer.

Kidney stones & kidney disease
Reducing salt intake has been shown to reduce calcium excretion and reduce reoccurrences of kidney stones, as kidney stones have calcium as their basic constituent.
High blood pressure has been shown to increase the amount of protein in the urine which is a major risk factor for the decline of kidney function, and a high salt intake may increase how quickly kidney disease progresses. In addition, the water retention that occurs with a higher salt diet will increase blood pressure which also increases the risk of kidney disease. People of South Asian and black African descent are at particular risk of kidney disease.

Other effects
A reduction in salt intake may also be beneficial for keeping a number of other conditions under control, such as asthma and Ménière’s disease. Salt reduction is recommended for people with diabetes because keeping blood pressure in the healthy range helps to reduce your risk of the long term complications of diabetes. A high salt diet can also lead to water retention. Many people with water retention, including women with premenstrual water retention, find considerable improvement in their symptoms by reducing their salt intake.

Too much salt raises blood pressure, leading to heart disease and stroke.
Visit your doctor or nurse to get your blood pressure checked.
Normal blood pressure: 120/80mmHg

 

 Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon curry powder (more for experienced palates)
• 1/3 cup raisins1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup Coca-Cola®
• 3 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup coffee cream or undiluted evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• Celery tops
• Hot cooked rice

• Rinse chicken and cook in boiling salted water with a few celery tops. 
• Cover and simmer about 1 hour or until fork-tender. 
• Drain, saving strained broth. Remove chicken from bones and cut into 1/2-inch pieces to measure about 2 1/2 cups. 
• Melt butter in skillet. Add peeled and diced apple, thinly sliced onion and curry powder,
  and sauté for 5 minutes, blending well. 
• Stir in raisins, 1 cup of the reserved chicken broth and Coca-Cola. Mix flour with the cream, stirring until smooth. 
• Add this mixture with the salt and pepper to the onion-apple mixture. 
• Stir and cook over low heat until thick and creamy. Taste for seasonings. 
• Add chicken and turn into a covered container to chill overnight. 
• Reheat in top of double boiler over hot water and serve
  on hot cooked rice with a selection of condiments.
  Makes 6 servings. 

This spicy and exotic main dish is best when made the day before
to allow the rich flavors to ripen. Serve with mixed green salad and a fruit dessert.
Provide a sampling of the following condiments for sprinkling on top of each serving:
grated coconut, chopped peanuts, chopped raw onion, raisins, sweet pickle relish,
chutney, chow chow or lime wedges.