AN ECO-FAMILY CELEBRATION: OCEAN, CRAFTS & FISH TACOS

A big part of Tastybaby is promoting “togetherness” & encouraging families to have a celebratory approach to food & meal-times.  With all we are trying to accomplish for the other babies of the world, we never want our own kids to get lost, so we came up with the idea of having Family Sundays together…

Once a week, we try to have dinner together as a “family” – Liane’s & Shannan’s together!  Shannan comes up with delicious, balanced meals that appeal to the grown-ups & the kids, while Liane tries to find a planet-friendly “angle” & activities to make the whole thing educational & productive.  

If the weather’s fine & the kitchen garden is abundant, we try to incorporate as many home-grown fruits & veggies into our meal as we can.  Allowing the kids to harvest the food for our dinner is just one way of making family Sundays even tastier!

During the week, we make time to do an arts & crafts project with our older kids that will become a part of our meal as table decorations.  This is a wonderful way to spend time together while being creative, learning something valuable & working as a team.

One of our favorite Family Sundays combines a beach/ocean theme with yummy Mexican-inspired fish tacos which are a huge hit with all members of our families.  Collecting the seashells, driftwood & other beach “treasures” with which the kids will decorate the table is a great way to teach them about respecting our oceans and sea-life.  While we hunt for adornments, we make sure to bring along a bag to collect any trash that may be on the beach – another ideal way to teach the children about their responsibility not to litter & to help clean up after those who do.
 

Here are a few of our favorite beach-themed table decor:

•    Ocean in a Bottle: kids can create their own bodies of water (ie: “Lake Louisa” or “the Sea of Ava”) by placing sand & small rocks in a bottle. They can add small plastic sea creatures, seaweed, shells or whatever they please.  After they add water & salt, an adult should super-glue the lids shut to avoid spills.

•    Sea Urchins: use play dough (you can even make your own using sand*) & tooth-picks to create a spiny sea urchin.  Talk to your kids about urchins and other unusual sea creatures which all contribute to making our oceans vibrant & healthy.
Sand dough recipe:
In a saucepan, combine 2 cups sand, 1 cup cornstarch & 1 cup water. Heat & stir constantly until thickened.  (Add food coloring if desired.) Remove from heat & cool. 

•    Placemats: cut construction paper into beach-themed shapes (ie: sand pails, starfish, etc.) & let the kids paint & glue shells and other decorations around the edges

•    Sandcastle Centerpiece: using the recipe below, let the kids create their own sandcastles, using molds, cups, cookie cutters & any of their beach treasures to get creative.  Each child can make his/her own, or they can work together to make one castle.  Use a cutting board or a sturdy piece of cardboard as a base so the castles can be moved to the center of the table once they’re dry.  The best thing about these castles?  They’re permanent & a wave probably won’t come wash them away!
Sandcastle recipe:
In a saucepan, combine 1/3 cup sand, 2 tablespoons sugar & 1 cup water.  Heat & stir constantly until thickened.  Mix in 6 cups sand & add enough water, little-by-little, until mixture is sticky & holds a shape.

•    Sea glass mosaic: kids can create a beautiful mosaic using an ordinary rock or any found object. They can plan out their patterns by sketching them with a pencil first, or wing it by just gluing on pieces of sea glass.

Fish Tacos,  Family Style

Our goal was to create a dinner for the entire family, regardless of the ages of family members or how sophisticated their taste buds might be.  First, you’ll find our “Classic” recipe which includes all the traditional Mexican spices & accompaniments.  Below, you’ll see our suggestions for ways to modify the meal to suit the palates of the younger children, toddlers & babies in your family.  The idea is to have FUN with it & to make meal-times a learning experience & a celebration for the entire family …

The Classic: Grilled Fish Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw, Tomato, Avocado & Pineapple Salsa

 
4 (8-ounce) tilapia fillets
2 tbs canola oil
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Citrus Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
8 6” corn tortillas
Red Cabbage Slaw (recipe follows)
Tomato, Avocado & Pineapple Salsa (recipe follows)
Spicy Crema (recipe follows)

Preheat grill.

Citrus vinaigrette:
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
1 large peeled shallot
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup canola oil

Combine all ingredients in a blender & blend for 1 minute.

Red cabbage slaw:
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 lime, juiced
1 tbs sugar
2 tbs canola oil
1/4 head red cabbage, finely shredded
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Tomato, Avocado & Pineapple Salsa:
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 ripe Haas avocados, peeled, pitted & diced
½ cup of fresh pineapple, diced
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1 serrano chile, finely diced
1-2 limes, juiced
2 tbs canola oil
3 tbs cilantro leaves, chopped
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Gently combine all ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Spicy Crema:
1 cup sour cream
1 lime, juiced
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Kosher salt

Assembling tacos: Brush fillets with oil & season with kosher salt & fresh ground pepper. Grill for 3-4 minutes per side.
Remove from grill & drizzle with some of the citrus vinaigrette. Let rest 5 minutes & then flake with a fork.
Fill each tortilla with some fish, top with Slaw, Salsa & drizzle with Spicy Crema.
Tasty tip: you may choose to heat up some black beans (we usually use canned) & if you’re a fan of guacamole, like we are, it makes a great additional topping for your tacos.
Serve with your favorite rice & hit the beach … or if you’re nowhere near the shore, just imagine the sound of crashing waves!

Variation: Fish Tacos for Children

Our philosophy is that children should be encouraged to try as many flavors as possible, but we realize that highly-spiced foods (like our Spice Crema) may be too intense for their developing palates.  For this reason, it’s probably best either to serve your younger guests their tacos “deconstructed” (ie: don’t assemble them – just give them a little of each component, so they can try them separately before committing to including them all in their tacos), or let them assemble their own tacos.  Kids are instinctively creative, so the license to make, say, a “Taco á la Cole,” might be a fun proposition, adding another element of imagination to their dinner experience.

Variation: Fish Tacos for Babies & Toddlers

Depending upon the age of your baby, certain elements of the Classic recipe are probably off-limits.  We suggest the “deconstructed taco” approach for them.  The following elements are great options for your tiny diners:
•    Rice (we suggest that you slightly over-cook this for young babies)
•    Fish (for children who are eating animal protein only; omit or limit salt & pepper)
•    Tomatoes & avocados (reserve some to serve plain – tomatoes only for children over of 10 months age – when making Salsa)
•    Black beans
•    Small pieces of soft tortillas

Tasty tip: Almost anything listed above can either be mashed with a fork or purèed for very young eaters.  Use your best judgment & always avoid giving babies anything that might pose a choking hazard (ie: beans).  Always consult your pediatrician with any concerns.

Tasty Beverage: for the adults in the family, there’s nothing better than the following riff on a classic Margarita we actually think our version is better!).  There’s good news for the kids & anyone who chooses not to consume alcohol, though – this drink can easily be modified to omit tequila.  And for the babies in the family, just serve our delicious Bangos (banana, mango & vanilla purée) as a tasty dessert!

Bango Margaritas

3 3.5 oz cups Tastybaby Bangos, defrosted
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup organic sugar
3 cups ice
4 oz tequila (optional)*
2 oz triple sec (optional) *
2 limes, juiced
Lime wedges for garnish
Mint Salt (recipe follows)

*If making “virgin” drinks (no alcohol), add ¾ cup of citrus juice

Put Bangos, water, sugar, ice & lime juice in a blender. Add tequila & triple sec if desired.  Blend until smooth. Taste & adjust with sugar or lime juice, depending on your preference. Rub the rim of a margarita glass with a lime wedge & dip into Mint Salt to coat the rim. Fill glasses & enjoy!

Tasty Tip: For “virgin” drinks, replace tequila & triple Sec with ½ cup fresh-squeezed orange juice & ¼ cup of pineapple juice

Mint Salt:
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1 cup gray salt or coarse sea salt

Clean & dry mint.  Chop roughly. With a mortar & pestle, crush equal parts fresh mint & salt.

Yield: about 1 cup
For more Tasty recipes & eco-art ideas, go to Tastybaby.com
For nutrition questions & information, go to Tastybaby.com & click on “Nutrition Guide”