Kid Friendly Mexican Dishes

[Raquel]

Chicken-Spinach Quesadillas

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Serves: 4

* 10-oz box frozen spinach, thawed
* 8 six-inch flour tortillas
* 1/2 cup prepared pesto sauce (in deli section of supermarket)
* 1 cup shredded reduced-fat monterey jack cheese
* 1 cup leftover diced cooked chicken

1. Squeeze excess liquid from the spinach. Place 4 tortillas on a work surface. Spread 2 tablespoons pesto on each tortilla, then top with 1/4 cup spinach.

2. Sprinkle each tortilla with 1/4 cup each cheese and chicken. Top with remaining tortillas and press firmly.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook each quesadilla until cheese melts and tortillas are golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Cut each into quarters before serving.

How kids can help: Measure ingredients; squeeze spinach; assemble quesadillas.
Per quesadilla: 484 calories, 26 g fat (7 g saturated), 770 mg sodium, 44 mg cholesterol.

[Raquel]

Mexican-Style Sloppy Joes

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 8 minutes
Serves: 6 servings

* 2 cans kidney beans
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1/2 lb ground beef
* 1 tsp chili powder
* 1/2 tsp ground cumin, optional
* 6 French rolls, cut in half lengthwise
* 1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce (preferably green leaf or romaine)
* 3/4 cup salsa
* 6 Tbs shredded low-fat cheddar cheese



Fill rolls with beef and bean mixture. Top with salsa, then with cheese; cover with top halves of rolls.

1. Drain beans, reserving 1/4 cup of liquid in a small bowl, and rinse.

2. In a medium skillet, brown garlic and beef over moderate heat for approximately 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in chili powder, beans, liquid, and cumin (if desired); simmer for 3 minutes.

3. Hollow out the roll halves and toast lightly. Divide the shredded lettuce and the beef and bean mixture evenly among the bottom halves of the rolls; top each with 2 tablespoons of salsa and 1 tablespoon of cheddar cheese. Cover with top halves of rolls and serve.

PER SERVING (1 sandwich): 339 calories, 9 g fat (3.3 g saturated), 907 mg sodium, 28 mg cholesterol. A good source of both fiber and iron.

[Raquel]

Rice-and-Bean Burritos

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

* Cooking spray
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 1 Tbs olive oil
* 1 cup canned black beans, drained, rinsed, and mashed slightly
* 1 cup cooked rice
* 2 tsp reduced-sodium taco seasoning
* 2 Tbs salsa
* 1 link cooked turkey sausage, diced, optional
* 4 ten-inch sun-dried-tomato wraps
* 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat monterey jack cheese
* Salsa, optional
* Sour cream, optional

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In a heavy skillet, cook the onion in olive oil for 3 minutes, or until soft.

3. Stir in beans, rice, seasoning, salsa, and sausage, if using; heat through.

4. Spread 3/4 cup bean-and-rice mixture in middle of each wrap; top with cheese. Fold wraps into burritos, and place seam side down in baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes, or until very hot. Remove from oven. Serve with salsa and sour cream, if you'd like.

How kids can help: Measure ingredients; sprinkle on cheese.
Per burrito: 306 calories, 8 g fat (2 g saturated), 665 mg sodium, 8 mg cholesterol.

[Raquel]

Breakfast Tortillas

Prep time: 45 Minutes
Cook:10 Minutes
Yield: 8 to 10 Servings

* 2 cups flour
* 1 tsp salt
* 1/4 tsp baking powder
* 1/4 cup shortening or vegetable oil
* 1/2 cup lukewarm water


1. Put flour, salt, and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Mix the shortening or oil into the flour mixture until it forms pea-size balls. Add the lukewarm water, a little at a time, until the dough is soft and pliable.
2. On a floured surface, knead the dough until smooth, for 1 to 2 minutes. Place in a bowl, cover with a clean dish towel, and let it "rest" for 30 minutes. Knead dough and form 8 to 10 balls. Roll them out as thin and round as possible.
3. Preheat an ungreased griddle or cast-iron frying pan. Cook tortillas on griddle one at a time, flipping when a bubble forms (less than a minute). Put cooked tortillas in a plastic bag until ready to serve, to keep them warm and soft. Serve with butter, or fill with eggs, cheese, or cooked chicken.

Kid-Friendly Recipe How kids can help: Sometimes Garcia will give her granddaughter a small cookie cutter to press out fun shapes. Ashley's favorite way to eat her tortilla is warm, and filled with scrambled eggs or cheese.

Per serving: 175 calories, 7.1 g fat (.5 g saturated), 292 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol.

[Raquel]

Mexican Rice and Beef

PREP: 10 minutes
COOK/STAND: 20 minutes
YIELD: 4 servings

1 lb lean ground beef
1 envelope low-sodium taco seasoning mix
11/2 cups water
1 cup chunky, thick salsa
1 cup frozen corn
11/2 cups uncooked instant rice
Black pepper
1 cup grated pepper jack cheese
11/2 cups washed, dried, and shredded lettuce
1 large tomato, chopped

1. In a large skillet, brown ground beef over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up the chunks. Drain off any fat. Add taco seasoning mix, water, salsa, and corn; cook, uncovered, stirring until mixture boils.

2. Stir in rice and pepper; cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 6 minutes.

3. Fluff rice-and-beef mixture with a fork. Sprinkle with cheese, cover, and let stand for 2 minutes, or until cheese melts. Uncover and serve with lettuce and tomato.

HOW KIDS CAN HELP: Wash and dry lettuce; measure ingredients; fluff rice mixture with fork; sprinkle with cheese.
PER SERVING (11/2 cups): 432 calories, 18 g fat (9 g saturated), 1,098 mg sodium, 95 mg cholesterol

[Raquel]

Corn, Ham, and Sweet Pepper Taco Salad

Prep time: about 15 minutes
Cook time: none
Yield: 6 servings

* 2 cups corn, fresh, frozen, or canned
* 1/2 sweet red pepper, cored and cut into small cubes
* 4 oz thinly sliced smoked ham, cut into small cubes
* 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley, optional
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 2 Tbs olive oil
* 1 Tbs fresh lemon (or lime) juice
* Tortilla chips
* Sour cream, optional


1. If using fresh corn, shuck 4 to 6 ears. Using a sharp knife, slice down the cob to cut off the kernels. (If using frozen corn, saute about 3 minutes in 1 teaspoon olive oil in a small skillet. If using canned, drain.)
2. Place corn kernels in a bowl. Toss with pepper, ham, parsley, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice.
3. Surround the salad with the tortilla chips, and place a dollop of sour cream in the center, if desired.

Kid-Friendly Recipe How kids can help: Toss all ingredients; place the tortilla chips around the salad.

Per Serving ( 3/4 cup): 291 calories, 15 g fat (2.6 g saturated), 477 mg sodium, 16 mg cholesterol. Delivers about half of the daily value of vitamin C; also a good source of fiber.