Friday Recipe: Apple-Licious Taquitos from the Handstand Kids!

May 14, 2010 | Written By: Healthy Schools Campaign

Today we have a guest blog from Kim Stakal, a.k.a. The Green
Gourmet.
Kim is a food writer, culinary/nutrition instructor, and recipe
developer
living in Chicago. She received her culinary training at the Natural
Gourmet
Institute for Health & Culinary Arts in NYC and has been exploring
health
and good eats ever since. Check out her website at www.the-green-gourmet.com.

As a cooking instructor, I'm always thrilled to find
new ways to get kids excited about cooking in the kitchen: that's why I
was so happy to discover the Handstand Kids
Cookbooks!

The
Handstand Kids cookbooks are internationally-themed cookbooks that
introduce children to the culture, language, and cuisine of a new
country — by utilizing vegetarian-friendly recipes that highlight
fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. The recipes throughout each book
are leveled for difficulty from one to four. Don’t be discouraged if you
have toddlers who want to learn; the recipes have ways for kids as
young as three to get involved.

Kids will
have a blast learning about new foods from new countries, and learning
how to cook each step along the way. There are even new languages to
discover in each book: utensils and ingredients are translated into
their original language so that children can become more culturally
savvy as they cook. Each cookbook kit comes packaged with a cooking
accessory such as an oven mitt, a chef’s hat, or a set of chopsticks.
Total bonus for the little chef-in-training in your life!

Families and schools around
the nation are doing their part to help make our children’s foods
healthy and green; with shows like Jamie Oliver’s “Food Revolution”
going mainstream, it’s only natural that we are all starting to pay
attention. The Handstand Kids offer great ways for all of us — kids,
parents, teachers and friends — to be part of the movement in our own
kitchens.

Here is a recipe from the
Handstand Kids Mexican Cookbook. It’s a fruit-filled taquito made from
whole wheat tortillas. Simple, delicious, and with no sugar added, this
dessert will get the kids in your life excited about cooking (and
eating!) healthy foods together.

Apple-Licious Taquitos

 Ingredients:

• Whole wheat
  tortillas, 1 per child
• Apples, red or
  green, 1 per every 2 child
• Apple sauce (no sugar added), 1 jar
  per 8 children
• Cinnamon, 1 jar
• Vegetable or canola oil

Procedure:

1.   Preheat a
skillet on low.

2.   Core
and dice the apples using a corer then let the
children cut the slice with their plastic knives.

3.   Have each child spoon the applesauce into a medium mixing
bowl. Once diced, have each student put the apple pieces into the bowl.
Mix. Measure and add about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in
the bowl using the wooden spoon.

4.   Use a
pastry brush to lightly coat one side of the tortillas with veggie oil.

5.   Flip over
and place 1 heaping tablespoon of the apple mixture
in the center of each tortilla.

6.   Roll
the tortillas to make a flute shape, then place them on the skillet
(seam-side down).

7.   Cook for 5-10 minutes
or until the tortillas become crispy. Flip. Then remove them from the
heat and let cool.

  8.  Enjoy!