Eat Your Greens

I've finally found a way to get Monkey to eat greens without complaint! I'm not promising this will work for you - but it's worth a shot. I first made these tacos without adding greens and they were a hit.  Another day I decided to make them again and I happened to have a huge amount of rainbow chard arrive in the CSA (Consumer Supported Agriculture) box (or "the food box" as Monkey likes to call it). So I decided to grab some of that, chop it really fine (I'm talking super fine - like I used to for spinach eggs back in the day). I threw it in and hoped for the best . . . the verdict? "These are even better mom!" The next time I tried kale and held my breath - success! So now I add even more of whatever hefty green I have on hand! So far it's worked every time (and he even knows they're in there now). He always brags about how he's getting so many nutrients as he scarfs his tacos (such a kiss ass). So now you can try it - but if you have a picky eater like mine and want to start small try it w/out the greens - then next time add a little and then if it's working for you - a lot!

I used to dice even smaller than this (when I was being sneaky)

Turkey, Chard and Potato Tacos

All of the following measurements are extremely arbitrary! So feel free to play around with the amounts.

1-2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion - chopped
1-2 garlic cloves diced
2-3 small potatoes (I've used yellow fingerling, baking, purple and new - they've all been good). Peeled and cut into one inch cubes.
1lb ground turkey (or a bit more)
taco seasoning of your choice
1 bunch of swiss chard, rainbow chard, kale or greens of your choice (you could try spinach but I like a heftier green) diced very small.
Small corn tortillas (18-20 or more)
toothpicks
Oil to crisp tacos (I use canola since it won't smoke like olive oil at higher temps)

1) In a skillet, saute the onion in the olive oil for a couple of minutes, add the garlic and then the potato. You want to cook until the potatoes are tender. Sometimes I add a little water and put the lid on to steam it a bit (this also reduces the chance of the potatoes sticking to the pan).

2) When the potatoes are almost tender - add in the chopped greens. Cook until tender and turn off heat.

3) Simultaneously, in a separate pan, brown your turkey. Drain fat if it's too fatty but you usually won't have to. Season with taco seasoning. I like to put on my seasoning, add about a 1/4 cup of water and let simmer. You can use a packet or make your own.

4) Once the turkey is browned - add the potato mixture and mash with a potato masher. You want it all to mush together. This helps keep the taco filling together and insures your greens are all incorporated.

5) The next bit is a bit of an assembly line. You'll want to have a pan for your tortillas, the taco mixture and a pan with oil (on medium or med/high) to crisp your tacos. Just a small layer of oil is good.

6) Warm your tortillas - you'll want to make sure they harden a bit so you can fill the tacos and keep them shut with a toothpick w/out it ripping through.

7) Fill each tortilla with about 2-3 tablespoons of filling, fold in half and secure with a toothpick.

8) Place filled tacos in the hot oil to crisp the bottom - then lay on a plate lined with paper towels. I let them brown for a couple of minutes. I usually put them in the oil, then go back and get the newly warmed set of three tortillas - fill them and remove the crisped tacos - repeat, repeat, repeat.

Serve with salsa, sour cream and avocado - or whatever else you'd like!