Directions

Preheat oven to 400° F. Coat a large baking sheet lightly with olive-oil spray. Place tortillas on baking sheet; spray top sides with olive-oil spray and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 2 minutes. Remove sheet from the oven. Fold tortillas in half and bake for 8 more minutes, until golden and slightly crisp but still flexible.

 

Meanwhile, coat a large, nonstick skillet with olive-oil spray. Set the pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add turkey, and sauté for 4 minutes, until browned, breaking up meat as it cooks. Add chili powder and cumin; mix well. Add tomato sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes, until liquid is reduced. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon turkey mixture into taco shells. Serve with lettuce, tomato, cheese, and sour cream as garnishes.

The Technique: Oven "Frying"

Crunchy tacos are an American favorite, but the deep-fried, high-fat taco shells add calories you don't need. Tacos are easy to revamp, and you don't have to give up the crunch you love. Coating corn tortillas lightly with olive-oil cooking spray before baking moistens them just enough so they brown without burning, allowing them to become slightly crisp.

Fill the lightened-up shells with seasoned ground turkey instead of ground beef and garnish with fresh lettuce and tomatoes, low-fat cheese, and sour cream to complete the meal. Add a spoonful of salsa or some hot sauce for even more taste.

5 Calorie Cutters:
* Bake corn tortillas coated with olive-oil cooking spray and use them instead of fried taco shells to cut 5 grams of fat per serving.

* Substitute ground turkey breast for ground beef to eliminate 146 calories and 15 grams of fat.

* Replace store-bought taco seasoning mix with a blend of chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and tomato sauce to save a few calories.

* Use a reduced-fat shredded cheese blend instead of the customary grated Cheddar to cut 44 calories and 5 grams of fat.

* Substitute nonfat sour cream for the full-fat version to slash 16 calories and 5 grams of fat.