Mexican Turkey Salad Bowl: The Bariatric Cookery Solo Dining Club Recipe 6

With longer days now arriving, and salad therefore becoming more appealing, I think we are long overdue for a salad idea that straddles the winter to spring divide. You know what I mean – a salad of course, but one that has a bit more ‘body’ and bite than just leaves alone – we’re not into full sunshine-mode yet. By that I mean one that has an edible container in which to pile the ingredients which can offer more nutrition, crunch and interest than the regular lettuce leaf ‘boat’ (although you could still serve this idea in a lettuce leaf if you have issues with carbs or want a lower calorie alternative).

In this recipe for one, perfect for solo dining, a Mexican-inspired mixture of cooked turkey or chicken is mixed with red onion, jalapenos, tomato, avocado and a little cheese, and then is served in a baked tortilla shell. I like to add a little soured cream to top, but yogurt also works just as well. Choose your tortilla according to what you like – seeded, wholemeal, low-carb or some other that you enjoy.

MEXICAN TURKEY SALAD BOWL FOR ONE

Ingredients

METRIC/US

1 tortilla (I used a 40 g/1½ oz Carbzone one)

low-fat cooking spray or mist

50 g/2 oz cooked skinless and boneless turkey or chicken, shredded

2 tsp sliced jalapenos

¼ small red onion, sliced

1 small tomato, chopped

small handful of crisp salad leaves

¼ small avocado, cut into chunks

1 tsp lime juice

2 tsp grated reduced-fat cheese

1 tbsp low-fat salad dressing

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp soured cream or yogurt to serve (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 220 C/425 F/gas 7.
To make a tortilla shell, soften the tortilla in the microwave for a few seconds, then spritz with low-fat cooking spray or mist. Gently pushed the spritzed side into a small ovenproof dish to line the sides. Line with foil and weigh down with baking beans or a slightly smaller ovenproof bowl to keep the tortilla securely in place. Cook in the oven for 8-12 minutes until crisp. Allow to cool slightly before removing to use.
To make the salad filling, mix the chicken or turkey with the jalapenos, red onion, tomato and salad leaves.
Toss the avocado in the lime juice and add to the salad mixture with the cheese, dressing and salt and pepper to taste, mixing well.
Pile into the prepared tortilla shell and serve topped with a little sourced cream or yogurt if liked.