Family Meal Plan: Mexican Enchilada Cups + Kid-Made Black Beans + Sweet Pea Guacamole + Melon Agua Fresca

Mexican Enchilada Cups

Happy & Healthy Cooking,

Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills

• bake :

  to cook food with dry heat, as in an oven.

• blend :

  to stir together two or more ingredients until just combined; blending is a gentler process than mixing.

• chiffonade :

  to cut leafy herbs or vegetables, like basil or spinach, into tiny ribbons by stacking a few leaves, then rolling them into a tube shape and slicing them across the tube; also, the name of this type of cut.

• chop :

  to cut something into small, rough pieces using a blade.

• grate :

  to reduce food, like a carrot, to very small shreds or pieces of the same size by rubbing it on a tool with an outside surface that has holes with cutting edges (a grater).

• knife skills :

  Bear Claw (growl), Pinch, Plank, and Bridge (look out for trolls). 

• mash :

  to reduce food, like potatoes or bananas, to a soft, pulpy state by beating or pressure.

• peel :

  to remove the skin or rind from something using your hands or a metal tool.

• slice :

  to cut into thin pieces using a sawing motion with your knife.

• smash :

  to break up food into smaller pieces or squash food to flatten or soften it.

• squeeze :

  to firmly press or twist a food with fingers, hands, or a device to remove its liquid, like shredded potatoes, frozen and thawed spinach, or tofu.

• stir :

  to mix together two or more ingredients with a spoon or spatula, usually in a circle pattern, or figure eight, or in whatever direction you like!

• tear :

  to pull or rip apart a food, like basil leaves, into pieces instead of cutting with a knife; cutting breaks cell walls more, so herbs can discolor faster.

History of Enchiladas!

• What we know as an enchilada (EN-chee-LAH-duh) was first crafted by the Aztecs in Mexico sometime between 1300 and 1521 CE. Previously, the Maya people in Mesoamerica are thought to have used corn tortillas in a similar way.
• An enchilada typically consists of a corn tortilla wrapped around cooked shredded or ground meat, then covered with a chili-based sauce that sometimes includes tomato, tomatillo, or chocolate (mole sauce). Other possible fillings include beans, cheese, chili peppers, potatoes, tofu, or vegetables. Garnishes can be avocado, cheese, cilantro, lettuce, salsa, or sour cream.
• Besides the individual rolled version, there are alternative ways of making and serving enchiladas. These include enchilada cups and stacked enchilada pies. However you eat them, enchiladas are a Mexican food favorite!

Let's Learn About Mexico!

• Officially, Mexico's name is "The United Mexican States." It is one of several countries and territories in North America, including Canada and the United States of America.
• Spanish is Mexico's national language, and Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. Mexican people didn't always speak Spanish, though. For thousands of years, Native Americans lived there and built great cities. The people had advanced language, education, and calendar systems, and they had very clever ways of raising food. Mexico is also the country with the largest number of native American speakers in North America. 
• The capital of Mexico is Mexico City. Mexican legend says that Aztec leaders were told to build their great city of Tenochtitlan at the site where they saw an eagle sitting on a nopal cactus with a snake in its beak. That image is in the center of Mexico's flag. The Aztecs built their city on an island in the middle of a lake. The ruins of Tenochtitlan are at the center of Mexico City and still sit on top of a lake! As water is pumped out to serve the needs of the city's growing population, the city has been sinking at a rate of 6 to 8 inches per year.  
• Indigenous Mexican people included the Aztecs in the central interior of the country, the Mayans of the Yucatan peninsula, and the Zapotec of the south. Spanish explorers landed in Mexico in the early 1500s, and they ruled Mexico for over 300 years. During this time of colonization, Mexico's Mesoamerican civilizations mixed with European culture.
• Before the arrival of Spaniards, native Mexican food primarily consisted of corn, beans, peppers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, and herbs. Indigenous people occasionally hunted and added wild turkey, rabbit, deer, and quail to their largely vegetarian diets. Native royalty sipped chocolate drinks. Europeans introduced cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, chickens, sugarcane, and wheat to Mexico upon their arrival. 
• Mexican cuisine uses chili peppers to give it its distinct flavor. Jalapeños, poblanos, and serrano peppers are commonly used in Mexican dishes. Dishes that include mole, a sauce made of dark chocolate, chili peppers, cinnamon, and other spices, may be served on special occasions, such as Día de los Muertos. 

What is it like to be a kid in Mexico?

• Mexican children may live near the ocean or the gulf, in the desert, or in the mountains. 
• Kids often live with extended family, including grandparents. Their full names include their father's and their mother's.
• Most kids speak Spanish, but Mexico also recognizes 68 native languages. 
• They attend school from September through June. Large schools have two shifts—one group in the morning and one in the afternoon. Students are usually required to wear uniforms. 
• They may play soccer, baseball, and other sports. Jumping rope and other outdoor games are very popular. They might play a game similar to bingo called Lotería. It is played with picture cards and songs. 
• Corn tortillas are a staple for kids, along with beans and rice. Dishes that include mole, a sauce often made of dark chocolate, chili peppers, cinnamon, and other spices, may be served on special occasions. 
• A popular family holiday is Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a celebration to remember and honor a family's ancestors. Family members decorate the graves of their relatives who have passed on. Typical foods served for this holiday include empanadas, tamales, pan de muertos (a sweet bread in which a ring with a tiny plastic skeleton is hidden), and calaveras de azucar (sugar candy skulls).