When I was invited to do a “chef challenge” on the TV show View by the Bay in San Francisco last Tuesday, I was every exited, but when I found out I had to make a Turkey Taco Salad, I was not that exited anymore and I thought to myself, why would they ever invite an Italian chef to make a Mexican dish? But a challenge is a challenge and like you, I do not pass up the opportunity. I accepted and started planning my Turkey Taco Salad. Of course I ended up loving it, and why not? It is fresh, healthy, tasty it has all the prerogatives of a wonderful meal! The moral of the story is that all I had to do was to be open minded and go for it. From now on, I will make it for my family and I hope you will too! So here we go: 

For turkey 1 garlic cloves, finely chopped, 2 tablespoon butter, 1 lb ground turkey, 1 (4-oz) can tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. For Salsa 2 large tomatoes, 1 garlic clove finely chopped, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh serrano chile, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro and 2 tablespoons water. For salad 1 firm-ripe avocado, 1 head iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced, 2 tomatoes chopped, 1/4 lb coarsely grated extra-sharp Cheddar (1 1/2 cups) and 1 (15- to 19-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed.  Garnish with tortilla chips (or for a healthier option strips of grilled tortillas.)

Cook turkey: in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat , melt the butter.  Add turkey and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up lumps, until meat is no longer pink, about 7-8 minutes, add garlic, cook stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Add salt, pepper and tomato sauce, to turkey and cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Prepare Salsa: Coarsely chop tomatoes, then purée with remaining salsa ingredients and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender until smooth. Assemble salad: Peel and pit avocado, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Spread lettuce over bottom of a shallow 4-quart dish. Spoon turkey mixture evenly over lettuce and continue making layers with tomatoes, cheese, beans and avocado. Drizzle salsa over salad.

Cook with your heart! Rima