Let me start by saying I love Sesame Street. As a young child it was one of the few programs my Mom allowed me to watch and so it quickly became my favorite. And one of the highlights of the show was when they played that song about one of the things not being like the others and they showed 4 pictures, with one of them being blatantly different from the others...ya know the 3 pictures of a banana and one picture of an apple.

However, have you ever thought of just how true to life that song really is? As a child I had no problem or actually no thought about being different and then high school or maybe junior high hits and you are so aware of any differences from your peers that they become almost crippling. In my experience, in high school you are still aware of the differences, but you are willing to be slightly different to stand out whether it is for the purpose of dating or getting into the college of your dreams. In your 20's your differences increase, but you are still trying to "fit in" and it is common for your insecurities to haunt you. However, now in my late 30's I am starting to truly embrace my differences and celebrate them. Now instead of wanting to be one of the bananas I recognize that I am the apple and I am ok with it.

Yes believe it or not all of my soap box rants really do have a food tie in. So the other night I was making a Mexican Fiesta Casserole. Since I am on this high protein diet I am so sick of chicken that I could gag so I decided to make a healthy casserole with ground turkey. Yes, I know it is a sad day when you are celebrating eating ground turkey instead of chicken, but we have to celebrate the small successes, right? Anyway I saw this picture in Bobby Deen's cookbook for this casserole and it looked cheesy, yummy and comforting so I decided to make it it. This is the picture in the cookbook:



And well this is a picture of my finished product:



And yes I really did follow the recipe. Granted the casserole tastes really good, but one of these is just not like the other.

I loved that this recipe has a double dose of protein between the black beans and the ground turkey and between the taco seasoning and the salsa it has a nice kick to it. I also used Organic homemade tortillas from Whole Foods, which granted were a little more pricey, but they gave the recipe a really nice ground corn taste. All and all this casserole made me happy...and it wasn't just because it wasn't chicken, although that definitely helped.



To begin with, cook the turkey in oil, until browned. As a side note, turkey looks disgusting when it is  raw. Ack!! Next add the onions and zucchini and cook until tender. Stir in the taco seasoning, water and the corn and simmer until thickened. I also used taco seasoning from Whole Foods and it had great flavor and did not taste as processed as the typical taco seasoning you find in those paper packets. Finally add the black beans.


This casserole is made similar to a lasagna, in that the components are layered.

So begin with salsa on the bottom of the pan.


Next add 4 tortillas.


Half the turkey mixture and more salsa.


Then add a layer of cheese, more tortillas, the rest of the turkey and finish with salsa and cheese.

Here is the actual recipe:

2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 pound lean ground turkey
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 cup finely chopped zucchini
1 envelope (1 1/4 ounces) low-sodium taco seasoning
2/3 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups jarred salsa
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
1/4 cup sliced scallions (white and light green parts only)
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream (or use low-fat; optional), for serving

PREPARATION

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and cook until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the onions and zucchini and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the taco seasoning, 2/3 cup water, and the corn. Simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes, then stir in the black beans.

3. Spread 1/2 cup of the salsa in the bottom of the baking dish. Lay 4 tortillas over the salsa, and spoon half of the meat mixture on top. Cover with 3/4 cup of the salsa and 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Top with 4 more tortillas and the remaining 3/4 cup salsa. Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese over the top.

4. Bake the casserole until the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Slice and serve, topped with scallions and sour cream.