Kalyn's Beef and Black Bean Taco Salad

Ingredients

• 1 lb. low fat ground beef
• 1-2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 tsp. Spike Seasoning, optional but good
• 1 T chile powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. ground Chipotle chile peppers
• 2 cups water
• 3 cups romaine lettuce, torn, washed, and spun dry
• 3 T ranch dressing
• 3/4 cup meat/bean mixture, or more
• 1 cup diced tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
• Handful of black olives, cut in half
• 1/4 cup grated cheese, more or less to taste

Directions

1. Pour the black beans into a colander set in the sink, and run cold water over them until the foamy liquid is gone. Leave them there to drain while you start the beef.
2. Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy frying pan. Add the ground beef, crumbling it with your fingers as it goes into the pan, then cook it over medium high heat until it is nicely browned, using a metal turner to break it up as it cooks.
3. Once the beef has browned, stir in the drained beans, Spike Seasoning, chile powder, cumin, Chipotle chile powder, and water. Let the mixture simmer until almost all of the liquid has cooked away.
4. Set the beef and bean mixture aside until it is just slightly cooled before adding it to the salad. It can also be prepared in advance and frozen; after freezing, thaw it and warm it briefly in the microwave.
5. For the salad, place the lettuce in a large plastic bowl and toss it with as much dressing as you like.
6. Add the slightly warm beef and bean mixture, along with the diced tomatoes and olives, and toss everything gently.
7. Transfer the salad to a serving plate and finish it with the grated cheese.