"Meatless" Mexican Fiesta

For all of you who are skeptic of faux meat products, fear no more. They are great healthy substitutes for vegetarians and meat lovers alike! I am by no means a vegetarian, but I like to use these types of products for both their nutritional value and convenience. 

You can seriously slim down your next Mexican night by using vegetarian ground beef in this Enchilada Lasagna. Pair it with some Holy Healthy Guacamole and you’ve got yourself a fiesta!

Enchilada Casserole

4 servings 

14 oz Gimme Lean Ground Beef (found near the tofu, usually in the produce section)

¾ cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped green pepper

1 4.5-ounce can green chiles

1 10-ounce can enchilada sauce

4.5 small corn tortillas

1 cup fat free cheddar cheese

¼ cup sliced black olives

¾ cup salsa

Preheat oven to 375º

Bring a large high-sided skillet to medium heat. Spray with cooking spray and add “beef”. Using a flat tip spatula, break up into small chunks. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until completely crumbled. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Respray skillet with cooking spray and add onions and peppers. Sauté 5 minutes, until tender. Add cooked ground beef crumbles back to pan. Add green chiles and most of the enchilada sauce.

In a medium casserole dish or baking pan, add remaining 3-4 tablespoons of enchilada sauce. Layer one and a half tortillas, 1/3 of beef mixture, a few olives, and 1/3 cup of cheese. Repeat two more times. For the last layer, add salsa before olives and cheese. Bake in the oven, covered, for 30 minutes.

Note: You can substitute a package of Boca or Morningstar Ground Beef Crumbles if you cannot find the Gimme Lean Ground Beef. Just add them (still frozen) after cooking the onions and peppers. They will defrost in just a few minutes, then continue adding the chiles and enchilada sauce.

Nutrition Information (1/4th of casserole):

Calories: 280

Total Fat: 3.4g

Saturated Fat: 0.3g

Cholesterol: 5mg

Sodium: 1,419mg

Carbohydrates: 34.9g

Fiber: 5.3 g

Sugar: 7.7g

Protein: 26.5g

This recipe is "Guy Approved".

Some of us just can't have Mexican food without guacamole! To capture all the goodness of guacamole without feeling weighed down, try this trick: stretch the flavor and heart healthy fats of avocados with a mild and creamy mixture of Greek yogurt and fat free sour cream.  

Here is my go-to recipe for a delicious guacamole dip, sans guilt.

Holy Healthy Guacamole Dip

6 servings

Ingredients:

¼ cup fat free sour cream

¼ cup fat free Greek yogurt

½ cup chopped tomato

¼ cup chopped onion

½ teaspoon minced garlic

¼ teaspoon cumin

1/8 teapoon coriandor

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground pepper

¼ teaspoon hot sauce

2 tablespoons cilantro

2 Hass avocados, diced

juice of 1 lime

Method:

Combine all ingredients except avocados and lime juice in a medium bowl.

Slice avocado lengthwise and remove pit. Slice in a criss-cross pattern and scoop out flesh with large spoon. Add to bowl and pour lime juice directly over avocados to prevent browning. Stir to combine all ingredients, slightly mashing avocado to desired consistency.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let flavors combine.

Enjoy with cut up veggies (red bell peppers work great) or baked tortilla chips. I like Guiltless Gourmet Brand. You can have 18 chips for just 120 calories and 3g fat. 

Nutrition Information (1/6 of dip, about 1/4 - 1/3 cups):

Calories: 83

Total Fat: 5.6g

Saturated Fat: 0.6g

Cholesterol: 1.5mg

Sodium: 199.9mg

Carbohydrates: 6.7g

Fiber: 2.9g

Sugar: 2.3g

Protein: 2.8g