Alaskan Taco Salad

by Marcus Weiner

Ingredients:

1 lb ground Sitka blacktail deer, moose  or caribou

Taco seasoning

3/4 cup water

Taco Seasoning

2 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cayenne (optional if you don’t want it spicy)

1/2 tsp black pepper (reduce to decrease spiciness)

If you don’t want to make your own, or don’t have all the spices, there are many pre-mixed packages available.

Salad

One head of lettuce of your choice (I use 1/2 romaine and 1/2 iceberg)

1 cup black beans

1 cup grated cheese – cheddar or Monterey Jack

1/4 cup canned corn, drained

1/8 cup canned black beans, rinsed

Corn chips

Salsa

Sour cream

1) Sautée ground meat until brown. Whisk taco seasoning into water, add mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce and let simmer about 5 minutes until most of the water has evaporated.

2) Arrange 4 bowls and split the lettuce among them.

3) Add layer of corn chips and split black beans among the four servings.

4) Add 1/4 pound of taco meat to each salad.

5) Split shredded cheese among 4 bowls, garnish with sour cream and salsa.

The combination of taco seasoning, salsa and sour cream makes a delicious blend that mixes nicely with the beans and cheese, and the crunch of the lettuce and corn chips adds texture to the dish. You can make this even more interesting by making a tortilla bowl to serve it in. You can buy the form at Fred Meyer stores. Form the tortillas and bake them. Consider adding a variety of raw or cooked vegetables. Enjoy!