Grandparents are the best! Thank goodness for the days when I’m totally overwhelmed and they come to pick Kenya up and take him on an outing. It’s been quite a while since my dad hung out with a 3 1/2 year old, but he’s really stepped up to the plate and surprised me with his love and time playing with his grandson. There have been adventures going to see trains, the zoo and even to the golf course (I think I know who has more fun on that outing). What always accompanies these little jaunts is a meal or two. Quite often when Kenya comes home he’ll have in his hand a half eaten cheese sandwich on the most dreaded, whitest bread I’ve ever seen. There have been trips to the car wash where I’ve later found a pack of half-eaten chewing gum or a 16 ounce bag of sugar coated gum drops (I let out a little squeal of terror when I discovered those). When Kenya came home 2 weeks ago holding a pulled pork taco, I looked at my dad as if he had two heads. “Really dad, you got a 3 year old a pulled pork taco”? I figured there was no way that Kenya would ever want something like that, but my dad had reassured me that this was Kenya’s doing, he had ordered it on his own (oh yeah, blame the kid)! To my amazement though, Kenya sat down at our table and chowed the entire thing in no time flat. He even asked if we could go get another one!

This all leads me to my obsession with recreating the pulled pork from our local taco stand (which is amazing, by the way). What do they put in it to make it taste so good? I finally realized it isn’t the ingredients so much as it’s the WAY they cook their pork. Soft, tender, juicy, it must take hours to get that “fall off the bone” texture. I don’t know whether they use a crock pot, a slow cooker or just a cast iron pan in the oven, but I do know that I’ve now made this dish several times over the past two weeks (I use a slow cooker) and I can’t keep the leftovers around long enough to enjoy them for myself they disappear so fast. The best part is there is next to no work for me except to enjoy my family and the final results!

Thank you to all the grandparents in our lives that are not only nurturing and caring for our precious little ones, but hopefully turning them on to foods and adventures that we may not always have the time to ourselves.

Pulled Pork Tacos (Serves 6-8)

1 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tsp Chili Powder
1 Tsp Onion Powder
1 Tsp Paprika
1 Tsp Oregano
1 Tbsp Salt
1 3 1/2-4 Lb Pork Shoulder, rinsed and cleaned
1 16 oz Jar Mild Salsa (I used Pace Chunky Salsa)
1 Pkg. Tortillas, corn or flour tortillas

Condiments: Salsa, Big Kid Guacamole, cilantro, diced onion, shredded cheese, sour cream

1. Place the first 7 ingredients in a bowl and mix.
2. Place the pork shoulder in the crock pot (slow cooker) and rub all over with the seasoning mixture.
3. Pour the jar of salsa around the pork shoulder.
4. Cook on low heat for 8-12 hours.
5. Remove the pork to a plate and using 2 forks, shred the into bite size pieces (I like to remove the visible pieces of fat).
6. Pour a scoop or two of the juices into the pork and stir to combine (If you want to remove the excess fat from the juice you will use, pour it into a cup and refrigerate it until the fat solidifies and can be easily scooped out. Only the juices will remain).
7. Place the pork into the tortillas.
8. Serve with desired accompaniments.

We’ve been having a lot of fun doing impromptu polls on the weelicious Facebook page. The other day I asked the question “do your kids like avocados?” and overwhelming number people responded. Not only did most parents say that their kids like avocado, they said they love them! Avocados are heavenly — creamy, smooth and delicious — but did you know they’re actually a fruit (for years I thought they were a vegetable)?

A few years ago I did a recipe for Guacamol-wee, which was designed to be an introduction for babies to this tasty dip. This Big Kid Guacamole is the next step up — for a kid that really loves the stuff! Whether you’re making Black Bean Cakes, Nachos, Fish Tacos or any other Mexican-inspired weelicious recipe, this guacamole will add an extra dimension of flavor and nutrition and your kids will love it!

Big Kid Guacamole (Serves 4-6)

3 Avocados
2 Tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 Tbsp Red Onion, finely diced
2 Tbsp Cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1/2 a Lime
1/4 Tsp Salt

1. Cut the avocados in half and remove the pit.
2. Scoop the flesh out and using a wooden spoon or fork and mash the avocado. Allow a few small chunks to remain, you don’t want to puree it.
3. Fold in the remaining ingredients until completely incorporated.
4. Serve.

Recently, I was very excited to discover that one of the farmers at our local market started carrying grass-fed ground beef. My family is not a big meat-eating one, but whenever I can get my hands on grass-fed beef at a good price, I don’t hesitate to buy some. Among other things, grass-fed beef is significantly lower in saturated fat than conventional beef, as this 2006 article from Time Magazine states and I personally think it tastes superior.

Tacos are great idea to use ground beef in, but depending on your taste or diet, you can use any kind of ground meat. Gimme Lean is great for vegetarians or you can use ground chicken or turkey. The point is, no matter what you like, you can make Tacos–Your Way!

When I put out all the accompaniments for my boys to create their tacos, they were totally psyched. When kids (and dads) get to have an active hand in building their own tacos, I guarantee they’ll be way more excited about eating them too.

Tacos–Your Way! (Serves 4)

1 Tbsp Oil
1 Small Onion, chopped fine
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Lb Ground Beef (I used lean beef, but you could also use ground turkey, chicken or ground Gimme Lean)
1 Garlic Clove
1/2 Tsp Chili Powder
2 Tsp Cumin
Salt to taste
Corn Tortillas or Taco Shells
Desired Accompaniments: Guacamole, Salsa, Sour Cream, Cheddar Cheese, Lettuce and/or Tomato

1. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and cook the onions for 2 minutes.
2. Add the red bell pepper and cook for another 2 minutes.
3. Add the ground meat, garlic, cumin, chili powder and salt and cook for 5-6 minutes or until meat is cooked through.
4. Place meat mixture and desired accompaniments into taco shells or tortillas.
5. Serve.

Every Sunday at our local farmers’ market, Kenya gets a pupusa. He’s been eating them ever since he was able to say the word pupusa (which until recently came out as “‘pusa”)! I finally decided to figure out how to make
pupusas so we could all enjoy them at home for a fraction of the cost. Kids just love them, they’re inexpensive to make and they can be filled with anything from chicken to cheese to beans. I love to make up a batch and keep the leftover dough refrigerated so we can cook them up any time of day.

When I was a kid, one of my friend’s mom’s made nachos every time we came over after school. It wasn’t something I would get at home, so it was always a special treat that was really fun to eat. I loved pulling each chip from a pile that was covered in melted cheese, beans, guacamole and jalapeños. Even though nachos seem like an unhealthy food, made responsibly with baked chips (versus fried), good cheese and fresh veggies, it’s actually quite the opposite. You get protein from the beans and cheese, vegetables in the form of avocado, salsa and olives, and a carbohydrate from the chips. The best part is that you can tailor this recipe to your family’s liking by adding their favorite toppings. Whether you make these as an after-school treat, for a special dinner or even for a party, nachos are always a big winner!

Nachos (Serves 6)

1 Bag Tortilla Chips (I used 1/2 baked blue corn & half white corn)
2 Cups Cheese (I used a Mexican blend cheese which is a blend of Monterey jack, cheddar and queso blanco)
1 15oz Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
Accompaniments: Sour Cream, Guacamol-Wee, Salsa, Sliced Black Olives

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place 1/2 of chips in an oven safe dish or on a cookie sheet.
3. Cover with 1/2 of the cheese and beans.
4. Cover with the remaining chips, cheese and beans and bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted over chips.
5. Top with guacamol-wee, sour cream, salsa and or olives.
6. Serve.

Since we’re not going on a vacation this summer, we decided to do the ol’ “stay-cation” and just pretend we’re away. We’ve turned our house into the ultimate vacation paradise with all kinds of fun activities and, of course, a TON of cooking and barbecuing. We’re try to cook as often as possible to save money, but I try to be as creative as possible with the recipes lest my gang get bored!

We’re big time fajita eaters in this house. Whether you consider fajitas southwestern or Mexican fare is up to you, but the one thing I know is….they’re yummy. One of our favorite local restaurants serves their fajitas for $13 an order. Well, I can make these fajitas for a fraction of the price we would pay at a restaurant and still have a ball cooking them together as a family.

So, toss on your chef’s sombrero, play some mariachi music and watch how much your kids will love building their own skirt steak fajitas. They’re as fun to make as they are delicious to eat.

Skirt/Hanger Steak Fajitas (Makes 4 Servings)

2 Garlic Cloves
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Juice of 2 Lime
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce or Braggs
1/4 Cup Cilantro, packed
1/4 Cup Tequila (PARENTS, DON’T WORRY. ALL THE ALCOHOL BURNS OFF AND YOU’RE JUST LEFT WITH GREAT FLAVOR, but you can leave it out all together and they’re still yummy!)
1 Lb. Skirt/Hanger Steak (this marinade also works well with chicken and shrimp)
1 Onion, thinly sliced
1 Red Bell Pepper, thinly sliced
Oil as needed
Accompaniments: Tortillas, Sour Cream, Guacamole

1. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a blender, food processor or in a bowl using an immersion blender (you can also chop the ingredients by hand and stir to combine).
2. Place the skirt steak in a zipper bag with the marinade (you may need to cut it into several large slabs).
3. Marinate the meat for 4-24 hours in the refrigerator.
4. Add 1 tbsp of oil to a large saute pan over medium to high heat or you could also cook the meat on a grill or use a grill pan.
5. Place the drained meat in the saute pan or grill and cook for 2 minutes on each side.
6. Place on a cutting board and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.
7. Heat another tbsp of the oil in the saute pan over medium heat and cook the onions and peppers for 4-5 minutes.
8. Slice the meat.
9. Cover a tortilla with desired accompaniments, meat, onions and peppers.
10. Serve.

My husband didn’t start eating tacos until he was in college. He told me that the just the word “taco” used to make him ill when he was a kid because the only tacos he knew were the ones they served in his school’s lunchroom: a hard shell that tasted like cardboard, greasy Sloppy Joe mix, wilted lettuce, soggy tomatoes and cold cheese. When he finally had a real Mexican taco in college, he said he couldn’t believe how delicious the real thing was.

I don’t know why fish tacos remind me of summer time, but they do. Maybe it’s because they seem lighter than chicken or beef tacos. All I do know is that it makes me hungry just thinking about all the fresh flavors like ripe tomato, fresh onion and fragrant cilantro all on top of cumin seasoned fish.

This is a fantastic and extremely healthy recipe to serve to a crowd by the pool or at the beach because it’s easy to double or triple the ingredients to suit your needs and I find that people love building their own tacos. Especially kids. Kenya is the master of building a taco from the tortilla up. I guarantee if you let kids add their own accompaniments and even roll them up like a taquito, they will be a fun meal and activity all in one!

Fish Tacos (Serves 4)

1 Lb Fish (use a flaky white fish such as tilapia, halibut, or snapper)
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Juice of 1 Lime
1/4 Cup Cilantro, chopped
Accompaniments: Guacamol-Wee, Sour Cream, Salsa and/or Lettuce
4-8 Corn Tortillas (depending on how full you make them)

1. Sprinkle the salt and cumin onto the fish.
2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large size pan over medium/high heat.
3. Cook the fish for 2-4 minutes on each side until cooked through and flaky.
4. Place the fish on a plate, flake with a fork into chucks and squeeze with lime juice and cilantro. Toss to coat.
5. Place 1/4 portion of the fish in each tortilla and top with
accompaniments.
6. Serve.
* If you want to serve the tacos warm, place the tortillas in a
microwave between several pieces of moist paper towel for several
seconds or wrap in foil and place in a 350 oven for several minutes.

Every Sunday morning we all wake up super excited because that’s our farmer’s market day and without fail the first word out of Kenya’s mouth when he wakes up is “‘pusa”?! ‘Pusa is Kenyan for papusa and Kenya doesn’t just like pupusas, he loves them, and he especially loves the ones they sell at our local market.

Here in Los Angeles there are pupusa stands all over, but until I moved here I had no idea what they were. In El Salvador, where this dish hails from, vendors everywhere sell this delicious street food which looks like a thick tortilla. Hidden inside each one is a savory filling, usually made up of cheese, chicken, beans or a combination of the three and it is served with curtido (a vinegary coleslaw, generally too spicy for most kids), guacamole and/or crema (similar to sour cream).

I decided to make my own pupusas for lunch yesterday to see how I compared to Kenya’s favorite vendor at the market. When Kenya woke up from his nap and came to the kitchen he took one whiff and said “pusa”? There was actually shock in his voice (as if he thought they only came from the Salvadorian lady at the farmer’s market). You’ll be shocked too when you see how easy these are to make in no time flat and each one costs mere pennies compared to the $2 I spend on the ones at our market.

Pupusas (6 Pupusas)

2 Cups Masa Harina (corn flour)*
1 1/2 Cups Water
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/3 Cup Cheese, shredded (I used a mexican blend of cheeses)
Oil
*Serve with guacamole, sour cream, salsa or vinegary coleslaw

1. Combine the masa, water and salt in a bowl and stir to combine into a dough.
2. Divide the mixture into 6 balls and flatten each one into a 3 inch disk.
3. Place 1 tbsp of shredded cheese in the center of the disk and carefully fold in the edges to enclose the cheese.
4. Flatten the disk, covering the cheese and form into 1/4 disks (about 5-6 inches across).
5. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large saute pan. Add 2-3 pupusas at a time and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side for a total of 8-10 minutes.
6. Serve with any of the above accompaniments.

*Make sure to buy masa harina (sold at most groceries) which is different from cornmeal
**After step 4, place on sheet tray and freeze for 30 minutes or until frozen then transfer to a ziploc bag label and freeze up to 4 months. When ready, defrost in fridge for 24 hours and follow steps 5-6.

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Since Kenya started eating solids, whenever he sees an avocado he lets out a little squeal of joy. I can just say the word “avocado” and he will look up at me excited. Even when he’s got a cold or just feels under the weather, few foods sound or look appealing to him, but the avocado is his comfort food.

My husband could happily eat a huge bowl of guacamole breakfast, lunch and dinner and be satisfied. I figured that the apple wouldn’t fall to far from the tree and it didn’t. Both of my boys love this “guac” recipe.

This fruit, yes, avocado is actually a fruit, is an excellent source of unsaturated fatty acids and has a higher proportion of good fat than any other food except olives. Avocados contribute nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, including 4% of the recommended Daily Value (DV) for vitamin E, 4% vitamin C, 8% folate, 4% fiber, 2% iron, 4% potassium, with 81 micrograms of lutein and 19 micrograms of beta-carotene. All important nutritional building blocks for your baby. Also, did you know that avocados have 60% more potassium then bananas and they’re fiber content is higher than any other fruit? This recipe will be a total winner with your baby.

Baby Guacamole (4 Baby Servings)

1 Avocado
1/2 Tsp Lemon Juice
1/4 of a Tomato, seeded and chopped
1 Tsp Cilantro, chopped

1. Cut the avocado in half. Use a chefs knife to pull the pit out.
2. Scoop the flesh out and place all the ingredients in a food processor and puree.
3. Serve.

We used these to make this recipe:

Cuisinart DLC-2 Mini Prep Plus Food Processor