In my continued quest for tackling the challenge of home-cooked meals for a healthier heart, I present to you a dish that ranks at the top of my list for its taste, ease, and cholesterol-lowering powers. Black Bean Tacos are a huge hit for the Gamechangers and worthy of sharing for more healthy hearts in the world. This recipe was adapted from The Runners World Vegetarian Cookbook by Heather Mayer Irvine, which I fully recommend following up on for even more meal tips and tricks. Here are the stats from the original recipe for those curious individuals keeping tabs on their intake:   409 calories, 60g carbohydrates, 12g fiber, 12g sugars, 11g protein, 16g total fat, 5g saturated fat, 488 mg sodium.

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 tomato, seeded and diced
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans (Reduced Sodium), rinsed and drained
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Juice of 1 fresh lime
• 1/2 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• Softshell tortillas
• A “dollup” of sour cream on each taco, (Careful, portion control!)

Directions:

Put on your aprons and turn up the music that gets you humming along! Start by prepping the veggies and dicing to your heart’s desire. I rinsed the black beans and added the bell pepper and tomatoes to my colander to wait in the wings for the big dance.

This cook is a wimp, so I chop onions with goggles to keep my watery eyes at bay. Add a little olive oil to your skillet and drop the sliced onions in like a champ! Maybe I should add swim goggles to my ingredients list? Cook the onions over medium heat until soft and translucent. Add your tomatoes, beans, chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Steam will quickly rise up when the veggies hit the pan and your liquid will vanish! So, go ahead and add the 1/4 cup of water here to smooth things out a little. Slice a lime and squeeze its delicious juices into the mixture. Stir for roughly 3-5 minutes until it passes the “taste test.”

Dinner’s ready! Scoop the filling into your tortillas. We like flour tortillas but I’ve also taken a liking to these Gluten-Free Blue Corn Taco Shells. The original recipe recommends corn tortillas but my local grocery was out of stock.

Top with sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, a dollup of sour cream, and go ahead and sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese. Next time, I’d like to try topping them off with toasted pumpkin seeds!

Start to finish, this dinner takes less than 30 minutes and it will fill you up with all the good nutrients that keep you happy and well. Three big MVP’s in this meal for cholesterol-lowering superpowers are the Legumes (Black Beans), Avocado, and the fresh Vegetables (Bell Pepper, Tomato, Cilantro)  that are rich in fiber and antioxidants. Taco Night!

-Ashley Jager