momstown Milton Junior Chef - Healthy Tacos using Pinto Beans!

We had a GREAT time this morning at our momstown Milton Junior Chef program!  We made delicious tacos, and everyone - moms and tots got to enjoy lunch together!

We started off by measuring out our spices into a bowl.  Our friends took turns with the measuring spoons, adding chili powder, cumin and salt.

Our ground beef was cooked in advance to save some time.  When cooking with kids, they don't tend to enjoy waiting for the cooking stage!  Thinking ahead and modifying your preparation of a recipe is always a good idea!  Today I was excited to have two great sous chefs offer assistance, so while the rest of us continued in preparing our ingredients, they got busy cooking our chopped onions at the stove!

While the onions and spices were being cooked, the kids spent some time dumping the canned pinto beans out and rinsing them.  They also took turns spooning out 1/2c of fresh salsa and one cup of tomato sauce into a measuring cup.  All of this was added to our pan, along with the cooked ground beef.

While the delicious smelling taco mix simmered on the stove, the Junior Chefs took some time to rip up some crisp romaine lettuce and shred some cheddar cheese for topping our tacos.

At last, time to assemble and eat our tacos. Our version is a healthier choice cutting out a great deal of sodium vs the packaged taco seasoning, and also adding healthy pinto beans.  It was great to sit down with our kids and enjoy lunch that we made together.

 

Here's the recipe:

1 lb lean ground beef (you could also use ground chicken or turkey)

1 small onion, chopped

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chili powder (we used mild chili powder)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
8oz canned tomato sauce
3/4c water
1/2c salsa
taco shells
toppings of your choice

Preparation

1. Cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink.  Drain well. Remove beef; wipe skillet with a paper towel.
2. Sauté onion in hot oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add chili powder, cumin, salt, and beef. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
3. Stir in beans, tomato sauce, 3/4 cup water, and salsa. 
4. Mash pinto beans in skillet with fork, leaving some beans whole. 
5. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 8 to 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced.
6. prepare toppings and enjoy your tacos!

I hope you enjoy this meal with your kids one day soon!  I'm looking forward to trying it next time without the meat, using double the beans. Cooking together is such a pleasure, and it always seems that kids are more interested in eating meals that they have had a hand in preparing.  We call it "the magic of Junior Chef" because we often have parents expressing surprise at what their child will eat while at the program that they won't eat at home!

momstown is proud to offer programs based on our 6 Program Pillars.  If you haven't been to a momstown Milton Junior Chef event, please check one out soon.  We hold this event monthly and it is always a great time for all.

To learn more about what momstown Milton is all about - Click Here

To register for a 6 week FREE trial membership - Click Here 

If you are a business that would like to sponsor our events or advertise with us please contact info.milton@momstown.ca

 

Submitted by Paula Porter, a momstown Milton member and

 mother of two amazing girls.

momstown Milton Jr Chefs Create Nut Free Back to School Granola Bars!

We had a great time playing in the kitchen this month at momstown Milton Junior Chef!  Our little culinary enthusiasts mixed, measured and poured as they created delicious and healthy granola bars! With our monthly momstown theme being birds this month, we also highlighted nutritious and delicious seeds in this recipe.

With the start of the school year quickly approaching, what better time to learn a new recipe that will be a healthier take on the packaged granola bar?  The recipe is nut free, quick and easy to prepare, and customisable to your kids' tastes.

This is the recipe we used: 

Ingredients

2 cups oats

1/2 cup sugar
 

1/2 tsp. salt
 

1/4 tsp. cinnamon or other spices as desired (cardamom, nutmeg, etc.)
 

*2 1/2 cups additions: dried fruits, seeds, nuts, flax meal, bran cereal, chocolate chips ... the combinations are endless!
 

1/3 cup peanut or other nut butter  (SUBSTITUTE 1/3c mashed banana or apple sauce)
 

6 Tbsp. olive oil ­ canola oil, other oils, and melted butter will work here as well
 

1/4 cup honey, maple syrup, or Agave syrup
 

1 egg white
 

1 Tbsp. water

Instructions:
 

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Depending on desired thickness, line a square (8x8 or 9x9) or rectangular (9x13) baking dish with parchment paper, then lightly grease the paper with non­stick cooking spray, oil, or butter.
 

2. Process 1/3 cup of the oats in a blender or food processor until finely ground.
 

3. If necessary, chop up dried fruit and nuts. Raisin­ size pieces are fine, but dried apricots should be chopped.
 

4. Stir together all dry ingredients (oats, ground oats, sugar, salt, cinnamon, fruits/nuts/seeds).
 

5. Whisk together wet ingredients ­ oil, honey, egg white, peanut butter/banana, and water.
 

6. Mix together the wet and dry ingredients, then spread in the pan. Press firmly into the corners and edges so the top is even.
 

7. Bake for around 30 minutes, until the top starts to brown. Thicker bars will likely take longer, so you'll need to watch them, depending on how much batter you've spread in what size pan. The edges will become deep golden and they may feel underdone in the center, but that's okay. They'll firm quite nicely as they cool.
 

8. Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack completely before removing from pan.

*(we used 3/4c choc chips, 1/4c each of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flax meal, shredded coconut, 1/2c raisins)

The original recipe had peanut butter, but we substituted that with mashed banana.  I have since substituted with apple sauce and it is a yummy alternative.  I tried about 5 different recipes and this one is my favorite.  It could also be made gluten free if you use gluten free oats (and ensure your add-ins are also GF).

We started with the dry ingredients.  The kids took turns measuring a whole lot of yummy things into our big mixing bowl.  Oats, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and all of the delicious fixings that we chose for our bars: chocolate chips, raisins, flax meal, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and shredded coconut.

 

We moved on to our wet ingredients and added them to a separate bowl: olive oil, mashed banana, honey, an egg white, and water.  Everyone took turns whisking.

The wet mixture was poured into our dry ingredients and mixed.

The granola bar recipe was then poured into a parchment lined 9X13 baking pan, pressed down firmly and evenly, and baked at 350 for 30 minutes.  The key to making the granola bars stick together is letting them cool completely in the pan.  

Everyone got to try a bar, and they were a hit.

Note: Recipe adapted from Honest Cooking http://honestcooking.com/homemade­chewy­granola­bars­recipe/

To learn more about what momstown Milton is all about - Click Here

To register for a 6 week FREE trial membership - Click Here 

 

If you are a business that would like to sponsor our events or advertise with us please contact info.milton@momstown.ca

Submitted by Paula Porter, a momstown Milton member and mother of two amazing girls.