TINY Kitchen Kids: Taco Bowls
Hooray for TINY Kitchen KIDS!
I am just so excited to be able to share some of our favorite family-friendly meals that are perfect for junior chefs to practice their culinary skills on. Our first recipe is a simple, healthy and fun one that's sure to please everyone in your family. This one is also easily customizable to account for food allergies and preferences.
We recommend that our TINY Kitchen Kids always cook with a parent who can help watch for any sharp ends and hot items. Teaching kids about kitchen safety first makes learning about cooking a lot more fun! If you're looking for some kid-friendly safety tips, I've pulled together some for you here:
http://www.snackworks.com/articles/safety-rules-for-kids-kitchen
http://kidshealth.org/en/kids/safe-in-kitchen.html
Did you know they also make some awesome kid-friendly cooking tools? I'm collecting my favorites this week and will share with you soon!
In the meantime, enjoy this recipe with your family: cooking is all about having fun and sharing something together. We hope that the time spent with your littles making up this yummy meal is a highlight to your day, as we know it will be in theirs.
And - as always - please feel free to share your feedback! Was this too tough? Take too long? Just right? Share your experiences with us so we can perfect our future TINY Kitchen Kids recipes.
xo
Tessa
INGREDIENTS
3 cups shredded chicken
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups chunky salsa (we like low sodium and organic kinds)
1/2 cup cheese
4 cups lettuce
1 can of black beans, rinsed
1/4 cup guacamole or fresh avocado
3 tbs ranch dressing
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Serves 2 adults and 2 kids
DIRECTIONS
Pre-Cook:
Lay out all ingredients on table or counter top, and take 2 minutes to explain what each item is so our junior chefs can begin to learn about food, ingredients, and nutrition!*
Quinoa: this is an amazing little grain full of super-hero like power. It's loaded with iron, protein and fiber which makes us strong and keeps us full. It's also really fun to say: Keen-Wah
Avocado / Guac: this yummy treat is actually a fruit (!) because it contains a seed. Avocados contain more potassium than another favorite fruit: the banana. Why is potassium important? It helps our heart beat big and strong, and helps our muscles and bones!
Salsa: This yummy ingredient isn't just a dip for chips. Salsa contains one of the coolest fruits (also posing as a vegetable): tomatoes! Tomatoes help us get our daily vitamins, and are loaded with Vitamin C which helps us fight off colds
Black Beans: Similar to Quinoa, these adorable little beans are full of fiber and protein, which help us grow strong and stay full. They also help protect our heart and strengthen our bones
Lettuce: Lettuce is a green leafy vegetable that comes in many forms. A good thing to know is any green leafy vegetable probably contains a load of vitamins like A, K, and folate - which helps our bodies repair themselves and stay strong
Cheese: Do your little cooks know cheese is made from milk? This ingredient contains calcium for strong bones. Does your little one have a dairy sensitivity? Do you know aged cheeses like cheddar and swiss contain little to no lactose and may be easier on their tummies
Cook Time:
Now that we know what awesomeness we're working with, let's get to work!
First, let's wash our hands so we're keeping our delicious food clean and free from germs.
Next, with a parent's help, we're going to heat and season our chicken.
In a large non-stick skillet, add your chicken, 1 tbs of salsa, 1/2 tsp cumin, and your salt and pepper. Turn the burner to medium. Using a long handled spatula, carefully flip and turn the chicken to combine all of the ingredients while they heat.
Cook for 3-5 minutes, turning often, and then move to a back burner and keep on low heat.
Next, we're going to season our pre-cooked Quinoa. If quinoa is cold, place in a small pot with 1 tbs water on low and heat until warm again and water is absorbed. Once your quinoa is warm, add 1 tbs salsa and 1/2 tsp cumin. Stir to combine the ingredients and keep on low heat.
Now we need to heat our beans! Your black beans should already be rinsed. You can heat these one of two ways: by placing in a microwave safe dish and covering, and cooking for 2-3 minutes OR by placing them in a small sauce pan and heating about 5 minutes over low-medium heat on the stove.
Once our hot ingredients are all warmed up, we're ready to build our bowls!
First up - grab a handful of lettuce and place it into each bowl. Each person should get about 1 cups worth.
Next, using a large ladle or serving spoon, spoon one heaping spoonful of quinoa over our lettuce.
Now, we are going to do the same thing with our black beans!
Next up: chicken! Let's place one big spoonful of chicken on top of our already delicious taco bowl.
Now we get to add our toppings:
First, sprinkle a little cheese on top of each person's bowl
Now we get to add one regular spoonful of guacamole and salsa to the top of each meal
And last - but not least - let's drizzle a tiny bit of ranch dressing across each serving. We don't need too much here, as the guacamole, cheese and salsa already dress this bowl up really well!
Now, it's time to dig in! Enjoy your very first TINY Kitchen KIds meal. We are so proud of you for cooking something so healthy and nutritious for yourselves and your family!
Cheers!
*TINY Kitchen is not a registered dietician or formal nutrition resource. We base our nutrition information off of commonly known and understood food benefits and make no formal claims about health or health improvement.
