By Mother's Day at fifty. Sixty-five cake orders across both bakeries. The number continues to grow because the community continues to grow because the bakery continues to grow because Rosa's recipes continue to spread. Camila sang "Mama at Fifty" at the family dinner — a full three-minute production with guitar, pre-recorded harmonies, and lyrics that made everyone at the table cry: "She's fifty now, she took the vow, to keep the bread and keep the plow, from Anapra's dust to El Paso's light, she baked her way through every night, and every morning, four AM, she rose like dough, and rose again." Rose like dough. She is thirteen and she compared her mother to rising dough, and the comparison is the most accurate thing anyone has ever said about me, because I have been rising since 1998, and the rising never stops, and the never-stopping is the yeast, and the yeast is the stubbornness, and the stubbornness is Rosa's.
I made enchiladas suizas — year eleven. The tradition approaching its second decade. The green tomatillo cream enchiladas that are now so deeply embedded in the Gutierrez Mother's Day that the children could make them from memory, which they might have to someday, because the tradition will outlast me, and the outlasting is the point.
Eleven years of enchiladas suizas means eleven years of planning, and any baker who has managed sixty-five cake orders in a single weekend knows that not every celebration fits inside a single dish. This Turkey Taco Salad has become our “encore” — the meal we make in the days after Mother’s Day when the family is still gathered, the leftover energy from Camila’s guitar performance is still humming through the house, and everyone wants something festive but lighter than a full enchilada spread. It is bright and layered and a little bit joyful, which is exactly what fifty feels like.
Turkey Taco Salad
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup salsa
- 2 cups tortilla chips, lightly crushed
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Brown the turkey. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey and cook, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain any excess fat.
- Season the meat. Add taco seasoning and water to the skillet. Stir to combine and simmer over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the turkey is evenly coated. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Build the salad base. Divide the chopped romaine evenly among four wide bowls or plates, creating a generous base layer for the toppings.
- Add the toppings. Layer each bowl with black beans, corn, cherry tomatoes, and red onion. Spoon the seasoned turkey over the top of each salad.
- Finish and garnish. Top each serving with shredded cheese, diced avocado, and a handful of crushed tortilla chips. Add a dollop of sour cream and a spoonful of salsa to each bowl.
- Serve immediately. Garnish with fresh cilantro and a lime wedge on the side. Squeeze lime over the top just before eating for brightness.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 520 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 24g | Carbs: 42g | Fiber: 9g | Sodium: 890mg