DEL TACO: MACHO BACON AND EGG BURRITO

SAVE: 413 CALORIES, 40 G FAT, 12 G SAT. FAT

M y friend Paige recently moved from Los Angeles to North Carolina to go back to school, which seems to be a trend among my friends right now. What is it about so many people suddenly switching career paths in their early to mid-thirties?

Anyway, I was talking to Paige on the phone the other night, and she was telling me about her new life. She’s living alone; she doesn’t know anyone; her classmates are a good 15 years younger than she is; and she’s trying to get back into the swing of hitting the biology and chemistry books, which are prerequisites before she can even enter nursing school. If I were in her shoes, I’d be going insane. Yet she seemed very content . . . until food entered the conversation. Suddenly, she passionately blurted out, “I’m going nuts without Mexican food.” I laughed. I’ve been in LA so long, I’d forgotten that we have so many Mexican food options, unlike other areas of the country.

Though I certainly can’t help Paige with her class work, or age her fellow students any, I can provide her (and you) with this macho touch of “home.”

1 large burrito-size flour tortilla (12") (see Del Taco Macho Beef Burrito)

3 slices center-cut bacon

Olive oil spray

1 cup egg substitute

1 teaspoon taco seasoning

1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons Del Taco Secret Sauce

¾ ounce (¼ cup + 2 tablespoons) finely shredded low-fat Cheddar cheese

1 cup finely shredded iceberg lettuce

½ cup chopped fresh tomatoes

1 tablespoon salsa verde, drained

1 tablespoon mild red taco sauce

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Wrap the tortilla in aluminum foil (it should remain flat and be completely covered). Bake for about 12 minutes, or until heated.

Meanwhile, lay the bacon slices side by side in a small nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Cook, flipping occasionally, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until cooked but not crisp. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Cover with a lid to keep warm.

Lightly mist a small nonstick skillet with oil spray. Set over medium heat. Pour in the egg substitute. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the egg substitute starts to set. With a spatula, scrape across the skillet to separate into chunks. Cook until the egg substitute is no longer runny. Sprinkle on the taco seasoning. Stir to blend.

Unwrap the tortilla and place it on a dinner plate, allowing it to drape over the sides. Spread the sauce, leaving about 1" bare on both ends, in an even strip (about 4" wide) running across the center. Cover the sauce evenly with the egg-substitute mixture. Top with the bacon, cheese, lettuce, and tomato. Drizzle on the salsa and then the taco sauce. Fold both bare ends over the filling ingredients. Roll the tortilla tightly, finishing it seam-side down on the plate.

MAKES 1 SERVING

617 calories, 41 g protein, 60 g carbohydrates, 20 g fat, 8 g sat. fat, 4 g fiber

Original Del Taco Macho Bacon and Egg Burrito: 1,030 calories, 40 g protein, 82 g carbohydrates, 60 g fat, 20 g sat. fat, 6 g fiber