Warm Taco Salad

I love this time of year when you're in the mood for a lighter supper. Spring, sunshine and salads seem to go together.

This is a salad I do up as a main course all the time and my kids love it. It's one of their favourite dinners. They vote it 5 out of 5 every time and, with each kid having different tastes, that says a lot.



I think the key to getting kudos from the kids is making the edible salad bowls. I swear, if I served chopped liver in one of these bowls, they'd eat it. I'll list what I use in our salads but you can change it up however you like.



Tracey's Warm Taco Salad

Large Tortilla Wraps (I like the spinach ones)
Chopped Head Lettuce
Diced Tomatoes
Sliced Kalamata Olives
Chopped Zucchini
Chick Peas
Grated Cheddar Cheese or Chunks of Blue Cheese
Dressing of Choice (optional; we prefer without)
1 Carton Vegetable Broth
Canned Lentils; drained and rinsed
Canned Black Beans; drained and rinsed

In saucepan on the stove, bring vegetable broth to a boil. Add three cans of whichever legumes you prefer. For instance, you could go with all Lentils, or all Black Beans. I usually do two cans of black beans and one can of lentils. Reduce heat to medium and keep it at a low boil for about 15 minutes.

To shape the tortilla wraps into dishes, flip over a small cereal bowl. Place wrap on top. Place second cereal bowl on top so that you've stacked the two together with the wrap sandwiched in between the bowls. Place in microwave for 2 minutes.

The wrap should form somewhat of a shape similar to the bowl itself. Remove the wrap from in between the bowls and place on a third cereal bowl as it cools. This will help retain the shape. If not much of a shape took form, then microwave for longer period.

As you do this with each wrap and set them to cool, be sure to stack them one on top of the other. You should end up with a stack of upside-down wrap-bowls. Set aside.

Place chopped lettuce in bottom of each tortilla bowl. Then mound the rest of the ingredients like little villages atop the lettuce. Be sure to place the cheese (blue or cheddar) in the middle of the bowl. At this point, drizzle a little salad dressing of your choice if you wish. I find this salad doesn't really need dressing, but it's up to you!

...or...

Drain the legumes from the broth and serve heaping spoonfuls atop each salad bowl. The heat from these babies will melt the cheese which makes for a really nice 'dressing'.