This Paleo Mexican Salad takes me right back to my childhood. When I was growing up, taco salad and French dressing went hand-in-hand. This might seem like a weird combination, but it is utterly delicious. The subtle sweetness of the French dressing mixes with the savory taco meat for a fulfilling and flavorful paleo meal. In the traditional recipe, my mom also tossed in crushed up Doritos to add a nice crunch, but I just couldn’t find a way to make those paleo! Ha! Instead I added in a variety of fresh veggies to give this Paleo Mexican Salad a nice crispness.
So I have been traveling non-stop. I pretty much spend 4-5 days in Arizona before jetting off to another state. This past weekend I was in Denver visiting my boyfriend. I was nervous that it was supposed to snow the whole weekend, but it ended up just raining Saturday then Sunday was beyond perfect! I’m a huge baby when it comes to snow since I live in AZ. Friday, we went to a restaurant I’ve been dying to eat at for more than a year, Departure. I first discovered Departure when some of the paleo community in the Pacific Northwest started frequenting the restaurant headed by Gregory Gourdet. Last summer, he opened up a Denver location, and I have been wanting to go ever since. I started out the night with the Shinobi cocktail that was a delicious mixtures of whiskey, ginger beer and ginger syrup. For the food, we decided to order a variety of small plates, including the Departure Wings, Steamed Short Rib Bun, Harami-Beef Skirt Steak, Thai Sausage + Egg Fried Rice and finished the meal with the Coconut Sticky Rice. Everything was better than the next! I already want to go back and try more dishes!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup paleo ketchup
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup sweet onion, iced
- 1 tbls maple syrup
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 tbls taco seasoning
- 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup sliced black olives
- 1 tbls jalapeno, minced
- 1 avocado, diced
- 2-3 hearts of romaine, shredded
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown and break apart the ground beef. While it is cooking, sprinkle with taco seasoning.
- In a large bowl, mix the bell pepper, black olives, jalapeño and taco meat together with the lettuce. Drizzle with desired amount of dressing. Store remaining dressing in an air tight container in the fridge.
Enjoy!
x Vanessa
