Salads are great to serve with just about any meal, or even as a meal in itself, like this Black Bean Taco Salad. While this recipe calls for most of the ingredients contained in your typical taco salad, it also includes black beans and avocado slices, which give it a fresh, new taste.
While the salad is delicious on its own, I think it goes great with these recipe for Cube Steaks in Horseradish-Mushroom Gravy.
BLACK BEAN TACO SALAD
1 pound ground beef
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 cups torn leaf lettuce
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed, and drained
1/2 cup black olives, sliced
1/2 cup Catalina salad dressing
4 cups nacho cheese tortilla chips
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 avocado, peeled, seed removed and sliced
Salt and pepper the ground beef and then place in a skillet and cook over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.
In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, tomato, beans, browned beef, and black olives. Drizzle with salad dressing and toss to coat ingredients.
Arrange nacho chips on a serving platter or large shallow dish and top with beef and salad mixture. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over all and garnish with avocado slices. Makes 4-6 servings.
CUBE STEAKS IN HORSERADISH-MUSHROOM GRAVY
4 cubed beef steaks or 4 premade commercial sirloin patties
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (3/4-ounce) package brown gravy mix
1 cup thinly sliced fresh carrots
1 teaspoon dried minced onions
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon red wine, optional
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish sauce
1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
Heat a heavy skillet over medium-heat until hot. Sprinkle steaks or patties with salt and pepper. Add steaks to hot skillet; cook 1 minute on each side. Place steaks in greased small baking dish.
Cook fresh carrots and minced onions in a small pan with water until carrots are fork-tender, drain. In a separate pan, add gravy mix with beef broth, red wine, (if used) and horseradish sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened and stir in mushrooms.
Sprinkle carrots and minced onions over steaks or patties in baking dish. Pour gravy and mushrooms over steaks and carrots.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or to desired doneness. Can be served over egg noodles or mashed potatoes. Makes 4 servings.
Note: If you prefer a stronger horseradish flavor, you may increase horseradish sauce to 2 1/2 tablespoons.
Brotherton offers website readers one stellar recipe a week in the “My Leader Yummy” feature. Looking for a recipe you can’t find? Email me at kbrotherton42@gmail.com and I’ll see if I have it.
