A healthy and filling lunch is served in 15 minutes with these avocado, pinto bean and chipotle cheddar soft tacos ~ by Deanna Segrave-Daly, RD
Disclosure: As part of the Cabot Fit Team, Cabot Creamery is covering my travel expenses during the 2014 Key Bank Vermont City Marathon & Relay. I was not compensated to write this post. My thoughts and opinions are my own – as a long time Cabot cheese fan, of course.
My new tagline for 2014: Will Run For Chocolate and Cheese.
You’ve probably seen every variation of this motto, “will run for bacon”, “runs for wine” etc. but this year, I actually figured out a way to directly involve my love of food with the thrill of a foot race.
Earlier this month, I ran the Hot Chocolate 15K in Philly which was a blast. Clear skies, cool temperatures and only 4,000 participants – which might sound like a lot but compared to the local 10 mile Broad Street Run which now has over 35,000 racers (a shame because I use to LOVE that race), this one was blissfully smaller.
Besides the light crowds, the ultimate perk was a cup of hot chocolate at the finish (it was in the mid-40s so it was most welcome) along your own personal bowl of chocolate fondue with banana, marshmallows and graham crackers to dunk.
Needless to say, I’m signing up for that one again. (Check out if it’s coming to a city near you – they do a 5K too!)
My other food race opportunity is coming up next month. As I’ve written about here, I’m honored to be a part of the 2014 Cabot Fit team – we’ll all be running the KeyBank Vermont City Marathon & Relay in May. To clarify, a marathon runner I am NOT. I’ll be running about 6 miles for the relay.
So, while I don’t think there will be grilled cheese sandwiches at the finish line (or maybe there will be?) I’ve being enjoying the team perks of Cabot cheese samples and other goodies for the past few months.
Which finally brings me to today’s recipe and my new favorite Cabot cheese: Chipotle Cheddar. I got a block of this baby last month and it was a lunchtime saver for me.
I was able to whip up a protein-packed, whole grain, nutrient-rich meal in less than 15 minutes with these tacos.
PrintAvocado, Bean & Chipotle Cheddar Tacos
- Yield: 6 tacos 1x
Ingredients
For beans:
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 (15 ounces) can low sodium pinto beans, drained and rinsed well
For toppings:
- 12 soft corn tortillas
- 4.5 ounces Cabot Chipotle Cheddar, Jalapeno Cheddar Light or Pepper Jack Light, shredded
- 1 avocado, pitted and sliced
For sauce:
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 avocado, pitted
For garnish:
- Lime wedges
- Fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Heat oil in a medium skillet. Saute garlic for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add beans and stir until heated, about 2 minutes. Remove from stove.
- To arrange each taco, place one corn tortilla on top of another tortilla. Spoon about 1/4 cup of beans and sprinkle 3/4 ounce of cheese over top. Heat in microwave for 45 seconds. Top with a few slices of avocado. Repeat process to make five more tacos.
- To make sauce, blend cilantro, yogurt and 1/2 avocado in a blender or food processor. Drizzle over top of each taco. Top with a drizzle of lime juice and some cilantro if deserved. Serve immediately.
Since then, I’ve also made these with Cabot’s Jalapeno Light and Pepper Jack Light – a great way to cut out some extra calories while keeping the protein and flavor intact. (And for more “topping” inspiration, check out these fun, healthy, cheesy, all under 400 calories quesadillas from Cooking Light.)
So, back to my Will Run For Food motto. Sure, I run to maintain my weight but also to feel comfortable about eating and enjoying more indulgent food from time to time. I’ve taken that “feeling guilty” mentality about eating certain types of food out of my lexicon years ago – it’s liberating. And I finally figured out that when I get bored with an exercise routine (like I did when I was only running), it’s time to switch things up. A few years ago, I cut back running to about 3 days a week and added boot camp class for 2 days and that’s work for me for now (would love to get a yoga class in but 5 days a week for planned exercise is enough IMHO.)
So, do you run/exercise for food, too? What’s your typical exercise week look like? Or tell me what’s your favorite “quick to make” lunch meal that re-energizes you?
Elizabeth @ Eating Local in the Lou
Wednesday 30th of April 2014
Im always looking for more quick and healthy lunch ideas- love this one! Good luck in your race!
Katie | Healthy Seasonal Recipes
Tuesday 29th of April 2014
Yes! This Deanne! I am so with you about removing the "feeling guilty" mentality out of the equation. It is liberating indeed! These tacos seem like the perfect lunch or dinner! i love the chipotle cheddar too. It is smoky and not too hot.
Deanna Segrave-Daly
Tuesday 29th of April 2014
Yes - I'm all about smoky and not too hot (I'm a bit wimpy when it comes to super spicy foods :)
Regan @ Cabot
Saturday 26th of April 2014
Love everything about this lunch... especially that it's meatless, mainly from the convenience and ease standpoint.
As you know, my routine is "evolving" right now :) But I can definitely attest to the fact that changing up the routine and trying new things is keeping if fresh and fun.