Ground Chicken and Veggie Tacos

You might be thinking, really? A taco recipe? I know, other than a recipe for homemade taco seasoning, I've never used any kind of recipe for tacos. I mean, people who can't cook can manage tacos. But I saw this in the Dec./Jan. issue of Taste of Home and it just sounding worth trying. Mainly because I prefer ground turkey in my Mexican food, and Sage prefers sliced chicken breast. I thought this would be a perfect compromise. I also loved how the ground meat mixture included veggies like shredded carrot, diced green peppers and fresh tomotoes.

This was quite tasty, pretty healthy, easy to make, and a nice change from your everyday tacos. The original title was Spicy Ground Chicken Tacos, but I didn't find them spicy at all. The were rather sweet, so next time, I'd probably cut back the brown sugar a little and maybe add in a little cayenne pepper. As I was making them, I kept thinking how this probably could be adapted to a vegetarian recipe by omiting the chicken, bulking up the veggies, and serving with black or pinto beans on the side. Usually I would've halved this recipe, as makes 8 servings, but I thought it would make perfect leftovers for the hubby and kid, while I'm having a girl's night out dinner.

slightly adapted from Taste of Home, Dec./Jan. issue

3 boneless skinless chicken breast (about 1 1/2 lbs.)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1/2 large green pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 large carrot

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp ground cumin

freshly ground black pepper

For assembly:

8 (7 in.) whole grain flour tortillas

3-4 cups chopped romaine lettuce

1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped

shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar

reduced fat sour cream

Add chicken breasts to processor and pulse until ground. (Or purchase 1 1/2 lbs. already-ground chicken breasts and skip this step.)

Heat oil in large skillet. Add ground chicken, onions, green pepper, and garlic. Cook and stir over medium heat until chicken is no longer pink. Drain off any excess liquid.

Add 2 of the diced tomatoes, carrot, ketchup, chili powder, vinegar, brown sugar, cumin and black pepper. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 10 minute, stirring occasionally.

If mixture is too saucy, simmer uncovered for a few minutes., until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat.

To assemble: Top tortilla with some of the romaine. Spoon 1/8 of the chicken mixture, and top with cheese, tomatoes and sour cream. Tuck one end in and roll up.