Cooking up Change at Home: Kickin’ Taco

April 13, 2015 | Written By: Healthy Schools Campaign

Try out this winning dish at home.

Ever wish you could try the winning dishes from Cooking up Change? Well, here’s your chance. Each month, we’ll share a Cooking up Change recipe and cooking instructions so you can try the meal out at home and taste firsthand these delicious recipes and experience how these students are changing the future of school food.

Healthy Schools Campaign’s Cooking up Change contest challenges high school culinary students to create a healthy and delicious school meal that can be served in a school cafeteria. Cooking up Change is not only fun and educational, it also adds student voices to the national conversation about school food.

The 2015 Orange County Cooking up Change competition is coming up on April 23 with support from local host Kid Healthy. We wish all the teams luck and know they’ll create dishes just as delicious as this one. Read more about the 2014 winning team from Orange County.

Team: Santa Ana Valley High School

Kickin’ Taco (serves four)

Ingredients:

• 16 1-oz whole grain breaded fish sticks
• 8 6-inch corn tortillas
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 2 cups shredded green cabbage
• 1 carrot
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
• 4 tablespoons Buffalo hot sauce
• 2 teaspoons lime juice

Directions:

1. Bake fish sticks in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes or until they reach 165 degrees.
2. Meanwhile, warm tortillas one at a time in a heated skillet or on a grill until lightly charred. Set aside.
3. Thinly slice carrot and bell pepper. Toss with cabbage to make slaw.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the yogurt and Buffalo sauce. Pour over slaw and toss to coat.
5. Place two fish sticks in each tortilla. Top with slaw, lime juice and cilantro.

Zesta Fiesta (serves four)
Ingredients:

• 3 cups frozen corn
• 6 teaspoons oil
• 6 teaspoons diced red onion
• 1 ½ cups diced cucumber
• 1 ½ cups diced tomato
• 1 ½ cups canned, drained black beans
• 3 teaspoons minced cilantro
• 3 teaspoons cumin
• 3 teaspoons lime juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On baking sheet, toss corn with 3 teaspoons canola oil until coated. Spread corn evenly over sheet. Roast for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown.
2. Combine onion, cucumber and tomato in bowl. Add black beans.
3. Add cilantro, cumin and lime juice to bowl. Add roasted corn, toss together.
4. Refrigerate for 20 minutes until chilled.

Yummy Tummy Bananas (serves four)
Ingredients:

• 4 bananas
• 12 oz plain nonfat yogurt
• 3/4 cup oats and honey granola
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons honey

Directions:

1. Combine yogurt, honey, cinnamon and ginger in a bowl.
2. Peel bananas. Dip each banana into yogurt mixture then sprinkle with granola.
3. Place on baking sheet and freeze for 20 minutes.