By Sofia turned five on Monday. Five years old. Half a decade of this small, serious, brilliant, stubborn human who walked into preschool without looking back and drew my grill on every birthday card and asked "why" about everything and made me a father in the way that nothing else could. Five years since I held a newborn in a hospital room and promised her the world. I haven't delivered the world yet. But I'm working on it.
We had a party. Not a big party — not yet, not until she's old enough to demand one — just family and a few friends from preschool. Twelve kids, eight parents, Roberto and Elena, and chaos. The theme was "tacos" because Sofia chose it and Sofia's taste is, frankly, impeccable. I made a kid-friendly taco bar: seasoned ground beef (mild), shredded chicken, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream. For the adults: carne asada and my chile-lime chicken. For Roberto: a separate plate with the low-carb tortillas and lean chicken. He ate without complaint. Progress.
The cake: Elena's tres leches, because tradition. Sofia's handprint went into the cake (tradition within a tradition — she's been smashing cake with her hands since her first birthday). This year she was more surgical about it — one deliberate palm print in the center, then she licked her hand and said, "It's good, Abuela." Elena beamed. Roberto photographed it.
Jessica and I gave her a soccer ball. Not because she asked for one — she asked for a puppy, which we are not getting, not yet, not while Diego is still destroying the house on his own — but because her preschool teacher mentioned that Sofia gravitates toward the athletic kids at recess and has natural coordination. Sofia took the soccer ball to the backyard and kicked it into the grill. Then she kicked it over the fence. Then she kicked it at Diego, who fell over. The coordination is there. The aim needs work.
At bedtime, Sofia said, "Daddy, five is big." I said, "It is big, mija." She said, "When I'm six, will I be bigger?" I said yes. She thought about this and said, "I want to stay five for a while." Me too, kid. Me too.
Diego, twenty months, celebrated his sister's birthday by eating frosting directly from the container when nobody was watching, then hiding behind the couch when Jessica found him. His face was covered in white frosting. His hands were covered in white frosting. He looked at Jessica and said, "No," which was both a lie and his best attempt at an alibi. The boy is a criminal mastermind.
Sofia chose tacos for her birthday theme, and honestly, I’d follow that kid’s lead anywhere. I had the carne asada and chile-lime chicken going for the adults, but what really anchored the whole spread — especially for the parents who wanted something festive but not a full gut-bomb at two in the afternoon — was this Skinny Taco Salad. Roberto ate two bowls. That’s all I’m going to say about that.
Skinny Taco Salad
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef (90/10)
- 1 packet (1 oz) low-sodium taco seasoning
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
- 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
- 1/4 cup sliced black olives
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt (in place of sour cream)
- 1/2 cup salsa (your favorite jarred or fresh)
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- Baked tortilla chips, crushed (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Brown the beef. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, breaking it apart with a spatula, until no pink remains, about 8—10 minutes. Drain any excess fat.
- Season. Add the taco seasoning and water to the skillet. Stir to combine and simmer over medium heat for 3—4 minutes until the liquid is mostly absorbed. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt and salsa until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add a squeeze of lime juice if desired.
- Build the salad base. In a large serving bowl or on a platter, spread the chopped romaine as the base layer.
- Layer the toppings. Top the romaine with black beans, corn, cherry tomatoes, red onion, olives, and the warm seasoned beef.
- Add cheese and dressing. Sprinkle the reduced-fat cheese over the top, then drizzle the Greek yogurt salsa dressing over everything. Serve remaining dressing on the side.
- Finish and serve. Top with crushed baked tortilla chips if using, and serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 28g | Fiber: 7g | Sodium: 520mg