A few weeks ago, amidst one of the most brutally cold days of the winter, I found myself staring into my fridge around 5pm, desperately hoping that I didn’t have to head out for groceries.  I really do love grocery shopping and meal planning, but when I have a ton going on I hate the last minute obligation of it.

Thankfully, I had some of my clutch grocery items, and after a minute of working it around in my head I decided on Taco Salad.  It had been forever since I made this, and the first time without rice or any sort of cheese, so I wanted to make sure I had enough variety to keep me interested.

The key for me is mild seasoning — I don’t love a ton of seasoning, and never actually liked the packet mixes — so I sifted through the spice cabinet to find some chili powder from Savory Spice shop and got to work.

The basics: onion, zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, yellow and red bell peppers, and mushrooms all sautéed in coconut oil until tender, and then add in (local, grassfed) ground beef.

Enter my beloved Chili Powder and some fresh ground pink himalayan sea salt, and the meat portion was finished and ready to cool.

The completed product (once cooled) then topped chopped romaine, avocado, and cucumbers.  And I have to say, this is one of my absolute new (old) favorites, remade into a clean and 28 to life acceptable meal.

Even my most faithful sidekick and kitchen assistant loved it — despite what she may imply with her saucy little face.

These types of simple and basic recipes are so critical for me and my lifestyle in order to stay on plan, keep things clean, and also allow for the ‘everything in the fridge’ type meal while still being damn good.   It’s also incredible for leftovers and lunch planning — just make sure you package the meat and lettuce separately to  avoid any slimy/gross wet lettuce situations.

Here’s to hoping the coldest of the cold weather is past us, and we can all sail sweetly into a premature spring.   Or at least that’s what I believe when my glass is half full of wine.