For National Nutrition Week, we are sharing a delicious healthy taco recipe from our Tawny Frogmouth menu at Carlton North!

Our wonderful Kitchen Supervisor Sarah has kindly shared one of her recipes as part of National Nutrition Week (14-20 October) that families can easily make at home themselves.

These tacos are well received by the children at Carlton North, with some of the children saying “I love them because they are crunchy!”, “I love the meat, avocado and the crunchy taco” and “I don’t like avocado, I like the meat, the crunchy taco and carrot”.

Sarah believes that it’s important that children start to understand nutritious eating at a young age. “The educators talk with the children when they are eating and point out elements – such as certain vegetables and that they help you grow and be strong, and that eating is taking care of your body and giving you energy to play.”

Sarah’s ‘Tawny Frogmouth’ menu, which was named  changes each week, exposing children to many different types of delicious and nutritious meals from around the world. “Often, the children will ask what’s for lunch or afternoon tea and I will explain where the meal is from,” says Sarah. “For example, tagine is from Morocco, and I will ask them to try finding it on the world map!”

Chicken or tofu, Mexican bean & vegetable tacos

Ingredients:

  • Chicken Mince OR Tofu
  • Black Beans
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Carrot
  • Celery
  • Pumpkin
  • Tomato Paste
  • Fresh Coriander
  • Taco Seasoning or use your own spice mix – Cumin, Coriander, Paprika (my preference is Mingle No Nasties Brand – Smokey Chipotle)
  • Lime Juice

Toppings:

  • Corn
  • Lettice
  • Tomato
  • Avocado

Method:

A food processor is your best friend for this recipe! It is a wonderfully easy, tasty way to add lots of vegetables to one the children’s favorite meals.

  1. Start by cubing some pumpkin and steaming or boiling it – strain and set aside once soft.
  2. Next put the chicken mince or tofu and a little oil in a pot with and on the stove over a medium-high heat. 
  3. Blitz up the onion, carrot, celery, fresh coriander and add to the chicken or tofu.
  4. Blitz the pumpkin and a can of beans (I use black beans – but you could also use refried beans which are already mashed)
  5. Add the beans and pumpkin to the chicken or tofu and vegetable mix. 
  6. Stir in the seasoning, a tablespoon or 2 of tomato paste and about a cup of water, simmer on medium heat, stirring occasionally until all cooked through and water has evaporated.
  7. Turn off heat, add some lime juice and adjust seasoning. Let rest for 10-15 minutes
  8. Heat your taco shells (hard or soft is fine, Gowrie CN children LOVE the old school, hard corn El Paso shells)
  9. Top with whatever your heart desires – lettuce, tomato, corn, cheese, avocado, red onion, more fresh coriander – whatever!
  10. Enjoy!!!