Tex-Mex Skillet

Ingredients

• ½ medium head lettuce
• 1 medium green bell pepper
• 1 large tomato
• 1 small jalapeño pepper
• ½ medium red onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 ounces low-fat cheddar cheese
• 1 (15½-ounce) can black beans, no salt added
• 1 pound lean ground beef, chicken, or turkey
• 1 (12-ounce) bag frozen corn
• ½ cup water
• ¾ teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• Pinch ground black pepper
• 8 (6-inch) whole wheat flour tortillas

Materials

• Box grater
• Can opener
• Colander
• Cutting board
• Large skillet with lid
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Sharp knife
• Small bowl

Instructions

1. Rinse lettuce, bell pepper, tomato, and jalapeño. Rinse and peel onion. Peel garlic.
2. Chop or shred lettuce into bitesize pieces. Mince garlic. Halve the jalapeño and bell peppers. Remove seeds with the tip of a knife. Dice peppers.
3. Over a small bowl, grate tomato and onion using the coarse side of a box grater. Collect all pulp and juices.
4. Grate cheddar cheese.
5. In a colander, drain and rinse beans.
6. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook meat, bell pepper, and garlic, until meat is lightly browned. Drain to remove fat.
7. Stir in frozen corn, beans, water, and spices. Bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until most liquid is gone.
8. While meat mixture is simmering, make a salsa. Add jalapeño and a pinch of salt to the grated tomato and onion. Stir and set aside.
9. Divide the meat mixture evenly among the 8 tortillas. Top each with grated cheese, salsa, and lettuce. Roll up and serve.

Chef’s Notes

• Use any type of cooked beans in place of the black beans.
• For a vegetarian option, use an extra can of drained and rinsed beans in place of the meat.
• To increase heat, leave a few seeds from the jalapeño in the salsa. Or, season with an extra pinch of cayenne pepper.
• Top with rinsed and chopped tomatoes, green onions, low-fat sour cream, or low-fat plain yogurt, if you like.