By Elena Voropay

Mexican food is nutritious, delicious, colourful and easy to prepare. Juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado, tender veal, aromatic cilantro, crispy lettuce, fresh sour cream, soft and warm tortillas all sprinkled with lime juice for a great appetizing lunch or dinner. Boost this dish with nutrient power by choosing lean meats, wholemeal or wholewheat tortillas, yoghurt instead of sour cream, and add green peppers, tomatoes, olives, low-fat cheese for additional flavour. You will adore this dish!

The iron in red meat, especially beef, carries a double bonus. About half the iron in beef is heme iron, a highly usable form found only in animal products. And the absorption of the nonheme iron in meat is enhanced by the fact that it's in meat. Eating meat also enhances the absorption of nonheme iron from plant foods. (That's also a good reason to use smaller portions of meat mixed with plant foods in your meals.)

The zinc in meat is absorbed better than the zinc in grains and legumes, as well. And despite the bad press red meat has sometimes received, recent research has shown that eating lean beef, veal, and pork is just as effective in lowering bad LDL cholesterol and raising good HDL cholesterol in your blood as is eating lean poultry and fish. Plus, close to half the fat in lean beef is monounsaturated, the kind that helps lower blood cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease when it replaces saturated fat in the diet. And much of the saturated fat that beef does contain is stearic acid, a form that doesn't appear to raise blood cholesterol the way other saturated fats do.

Ingredients

680 grams ground veal
2 green onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons green salsa
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix veal, onion, cilantro, salsa, cumin, salt and pepper gently. Shape into 4 compact sausage shapes.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until very hot. Cook sausages 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally for even browning, until cooked through. Serve wrapped in heated tortillas with additional salsa, sour cream, avocado or guacamole, mexican refried beans (they are usually fat-free), cilantro and green salad.