I’m so happy to share a delicious recipe that can take you through your next afternoon slump or football game. It's from Aviva Goldfarb’s new cookbook, “SOS! The Six O’Clock Scramble to the Rescue: Earth Friendly, Kid-Pleasing Meals for Busy Families” (St. Martin’s Press, 2010).”
Nacho Average Nachos
Prep + Cook Time: 30 minutes
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 lb. ground turkey, beef, or black beans
1 Tbsp. chili powder, or more to taste
1/4 tsp. garlic powder, or more to taste
1/4- 1/2 tsp. salt, to taste
6 – 8 cups tortilla chips
15 oz. canned black beans or vegetarian refried beans, drained and rinsed if using black beans
14 oz. petite diced tomatoes or chunky salsa, drained if using tomatoes
1/4 – 1/2 cup sliced hot peppers or olives (optional)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup guacamole, for serving, or use diced avocado (optional)
1 cup nonfat or low fat sour cream, for serving (optional)
1 cup salsa, for serving (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Brown the onions and meat, stirring occasionally, and season them with the chili powder, garlic powder and salt. When the meat is cooked and the onions are softened, 6 to 8 minutes, remove the pan from the heat.
Meanwhile, spread the chips in the bottom of a large flat baking dish with sides (a metal roasting pan is ideal.) Top the chips evenly with the meat mixture, then the beans, tomatoes or salsa, jalapeños or olives (optional) and cheese.
Bake the nachos for 8 to 10 minutes until everything is hot and the cheese is melted, but before the edges of the chips get browned. Serve it immediately, scooping the chips and toppings onto each plate, and topping it with guacamole or avocado, sour cream and extra salsa, if desired.
Scramble Flavor Booster: Double the chili and/or garlic powder and add the optional jalapenos.
Tip: If you like the cheese on the top of your nachos browned, stick the baking dish under the broiler for the last minute or two of cooking. Just watch it carefully to make sure it doesn’t get too well done.
Side Dish Suggestion: Serve it with 2 mangos, peeled and sliced. To slice a mango, stand it on its end and slice each of the halves off as close to the oblong pit as possible. Score the flesh into strips or squares, turn the skin inside out, and cut the flesh off of the peel.
Nutritional Information per serving (with ground turkey):
Calories 410, Total Fat 18g, Saturated Fat 6g, Cholesterol 50mg, Sodium 840mg, Total Carbohydrate 34g, Dietary Fiber 6g, Sugar 3g, Protein 28g
My tip: To save on sodium, you can rinse the canned beans and forego the salt shaker. The nachos will still taste great, I assure you!
To learn more about Aviva Goldfarb, owner and CEO of The Six O’Clock Scramble, go to www.thescramble.com.