Ask Chef Nicole: Tortillas = Quick Kid Friendly Dinners

There is something about serving dinner in a tortilla that instantly turns an everyday meal into an event. Children everywhere enjoy wrapping up and assembling their own entree without an assist from Mom or Dad. It is empowering and fun, and these multi-tasking flour or corn shells have many healthy and delicious possibilities. Chef Nicole Straight of Time to Eat! has two great 15 minute recipes your kids will love; Moo Shu Pork and Baja Fish Tacos. I've sampled both. Your kids will love them...and you will too.

Watch Chef Nicole's step-by-step video for Moo Shu Pork

Moo Shu Pork Recipe

1 Tbs. vegetable oil 

1 Lb. ground turkey, beef or pork

1 Tsp. garlic paste or 1-2 frozen garlic cubes

1-2 Tbs. soy sauce 

1 Tbs. ketchup

1 C. shredded cabbage

½ C. shredded carrots

1 can of straw mushrooms

1/3 C. Hoisin Sauce

Flour tortillas

Bean sprouts

Cilantro (optional)

Heat a tablespoon of oil on high in a large non-stick pan.  Add a teaspoon of garlic paste.  Brown meat, and add a tablespoon of soy sauce and tablespoon of ketchup.  When meat is cooked through (about 6 minutes) add about 1 cup of cabbage, and ½ cup of shredded carrots.  Add ½ can of straw mushrooms.  Stir in 1/3 cup of hoisin sauce to mixture.  Taste, and add more hoisin as needed.  Serve in either flour tortillas or butter lettuce cups.  Top mixture with a handful of bean sprouts. 

Add a small amount of chili paste with garlic for heat!

Watch Chef Nicole's step-by-step video for Baja Fish Tacos 

Baja Fish Tacos Recipe

1 Tbs. unsalted  butter

 2 Tbs. vegetable oil

flour

Seasoning salt- such as Lawry’s

1 pound tilapia, or any thin white fish 

Corn tortillas

1 lime

mango salsa

1 onion halved and sliced

2 tomatoes quartered 

Cilantro (optional)

Heat oil and butter in a large non-stick pan on medium high heat.  While the pan is heating, cut fish into 2 inch long strips.  In a shallow plate, add seasoned flour mixture (3 parts flour to 1 part salt). You can make seasoned flour and store in a jar to use in the future.  Dredge fish pieces in flour mixture, and place fish in pan.  Heat tortillas until just soft (a toaster oven works well, or place right on top of your stove-top).  Cook fish for 2 minutes on each side, remove from pan, and squeeze lime juice and a pinch of salt on fish pieces.  When all fish has cooked, cook onion and tomato in pan for 1 minute, or until just barely softened.  Assemble tacos by placing fish, onion, tomatoes and salsa in tortillas. Serve with a green salad.

Check out Chef Nicole's current cooking class schedule here.

Comments

[stephen]

I love how there is cilantro in the pictures but it was left out of the recipes!!!

[Stephanie Webster]

We added it for garnish, but figured the kids would protest. We'll toss it in there as optional. Thanks!

[Robin Ferraro]

I just made the Moo Shu tonight and used ground chicken. It was a HUGE hit in my house. Both my 6 year old boys and my husband loved it. I am almost sorry I made it as my husband said we now no longer need to eat out at chinese restaurants....it was that good! Thanks so much for a great recipe.