Let's Make Tacos
It's time for you and your child to put on your aprons and chefs' hats.
Your child will measure and moosh, squish, shake, squeeze, and sprinkle taco ingredients. And you'll lend a hand with the slicing and dicing.
You'll also get the chance to
- Lead tactile exploration of the ingredients, touching, feeling, smelling, and tasting.
- Build vocabulary with the ingredients, tools, and active verbs.
- Encourage your child to take the lead.
- Take advantage of the hands-on lessons of cooking skills — incorporating special considerations for your child.
Follow the recipe below, or
Ingredients
Kitchen Tools You'll Need to Make the Yummy Tummy Goodness
Follow These Steps
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water — and rinse off all the soap. It would taste yucky!
Add these ingredients to a mixing bowl.
- Please ask an adult to cut out the top circle — the core — of the tomato. Cut the tomato into 1/4 inch square pieces. Put the tomatoes, and its juice, into the bowl.
- An adult should cut the three avocados in half by starting at the top and making a circle from end to end. Twist each in half. You can remove the pits, then scoop the avocado into the bowl, and moosh it.
- Pluck the cilantro leaves from the stems and throw away the stems. Tear it into little pieces. Then, watch as an adult minces (chops) the leaves until they are very fine. Add them to the bowl and give a good smell. Ahhhhh.
- After an adult cuts one lime in half, you can squeeze both halves into the bowl. Be careful the juice doesn't squirt in your eyes. And, if you have any cuts, the juice will sting.
- Squish the mixture in the bowl together with your hand.
- Shake or sprinkle the salt into the bowl.
- Sprinkle the pepper, or grind the black pepper corns over the mixture.
- Mix, then stir and stir and it becomes... guacamole.
- Taste it. Does it need more salt and pepper? Add more. How about more lime? Then, cut and squeeze the other lime over the guacamole.
On a Separate Plate
- Stretch (separate) the cheese into pencil-size strands.
- Rip (tear) the lettuce into 3 inch x 3 inch pieces.
Fill the Hard Taco Shells
- Put the ripped lettuce into the hard shells.
- Add the guacamole mixture on top. Leave 1/2 or 3/4 inch empty on the sides and on top.
- Add the same amount of cheese on all sides.
Take a bite! But, if you want to eat your tacos, keep them away from the dragons!
This Gentle Dragon Tacos recipe was created by Dan Houle, Master Chef at Cubana Café, Brooklyn, New York for Great Expectations
