Celebrate Cinco De Mayo With Mexican-Style Tacos

Authentic Mexican food is fresh, spicy and quite different from the heavy “Tex-Mex” food that Americans are used to. In this simple adaptation of traditional soft tacos, chicken, lemon, onions and corn tortillas blend into the memorable flavors of a Mexican seaside vacation, suitable for a stateside Cinco de Mayo celebration.

As delicious as they taste, Mexican-Style Soft Lemon Chicken Tacos are low in fat because the ingredients are naturally lean and a minimum of oil is added during preparation. Skinless, boneless chicken breasts are marinated in fresh lemon juice and cooked with onion, garlic, cilantro, tomatoes and spices. Then they’re topped with fresh salsa and wrapped up inside lightly toasted, soft corn tortillas.

Corn tortillas have 1 gram or less of fat, whereas flour tortillas usually contain 3 to 4 grams of fat. And unless you shop for brands made with shortening, many flour tortillas are made with lard.

Garnish these tacos with plenty of fat-free salsa and lettuce, but be wary of loading on the calories with high-fat condiments such as sour cream, cheese, avocado and olives.

Mexican-Style Soft Lemon Chicken Tacos

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 to 5 ounces each)

Juice of 1 fresh lemon (about 2 tablespoons)

1 onion, chopped (about 1-1/4 cup)

1 green onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed through a press

3 teaspoons olive oil, divided

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 Roma tomato, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

8 corn tortillas

1/2 cup salsa

1 cup shredded or chopped lettuce

At least 1 hour before cooking, marinate the chicken breasts in the lemon juice. The chicken can marinate for up to 12 hours. When ready to cook, finely dice the chicken into -inch pieces. (The chicken breasts can also be grilled whole and diced after cooking.)

Add 2 teaspoons of the olive oil to a large, nonstick skillet. Heat over medium-high heat. Add the onion, green onion and garlic and saute for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Stir in the chicken pieces and season with the cumin, salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for 6 to 7 minutes, or until the chicken is opaque and firm to the touch. Add the chopped tomato and cilantro and the lemon juice. Turn off heat and transfer to a oven-proof bowl or platter.

Using a pastry brush, brush both sides of all eight tortillas lightly with the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil. Set a skillet over medium-high heat and toast the tortillas individually on both sides until golden freckles form, about 1 minute per side.

Sprinkle a large sheet of aluminum foil lightly with water and transfer the tortillas to the foil. Wrap up the foil tightly and steam the tortillas in a 250-degree oven.

When ready to serve, place the chicken filling, salsa, lettuce and tortillas in the center of the table and let each person prepare their own tacos.

Yield: 8 tacos, or 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 343 calories, 33 grams protein, 34 grams carbohydrate, 8 grams fat (21 percent fat calories), 76 milligrams cholesterol, 644 milligrams sodium.

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