Make This the Summer of Multicultural Cuisine 

With summer just weeks away, many of us are looking forward to a break from our forays into homeschooling. While the summer won’t look the way we anticipated, there’s no denying the fact that most of us are eagerly looking forward to adopting a more relaxed pace.

Inviting the little ones into the kitchen and exploring the multicultural cuisines is a great way to embrace relaxed evenings with family while sneaking in a interactive language lesson or two.

Round up the measuring cups and spoons, grab an apron and a step stool, and join your kids on a culinary trip around the world.

Bienvenidos Mexico! This week, we’ll explore Mexican dishes. Be sure to check back next week for some yummy French recipes.

Easy Guacamole Dip

Sure to please the palates of everyone from your toddler to your partner; guacamole is easy to make, full of healthy ingredients, and simply delicious. Recipes don’t get simpler than this. Whip up a bowl, grab some chips, and declare it Family Movie Night.

• 1 large avocado
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 small bunch of French cilantro, chopped
• 1 purple onion, chopped
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 lime
• Salt and pepper

Start by slicing the avocado around the seed to separate the halves. Then, let your little ones go to town scooping out the flesh from the skin. Scoop into a mixing bowl and mash. Add the garlic, cilantro, onion, and tomato and stir. Squeeze a little lime juice on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with chips and eat!

Quesadillas 

A surefire way to get even the pickiest of eaters to devour protein and veggies, quesadillas are an easy Mexican staple to add to your weekly dinner recipe roundup.

• 1 8oz can of black beans, drained
• Grilled chicken breast, sliced
• 12 small mushrooms, sliced and grilled
• 4 ounces of shredded cheese (the variety of your choice)
• 1 dozen tortillas
• Guacamole (see previous recipe)
• Sour cream

On a flat tortilla; spoon chicken, beans, and mushrooms before covering with shredded cheese. Once the cheese is added, cover with a second tortilla. Heat a frying pan to medium heat and add a small amount of oil or butter. Cook each side for 1-2 minutes (long enough for the cheese to melt and the outside to become golden brown). Remove from the heat, open the quesadilla, add guacamole and sour cream, and serve.

We’d love to see what you come up with! Feel free to share pictures of your family enjoying these recipes on our Facebook page with the hashtag #multiculturaladventure.