Logan Williams knows a thing or two about tasty tacos, and his culinary abilities have earned him a prize pack through the Kid Food Nation national recipe contest.
His recipe will be included in volume five of the Kid Food Nation cookbook, which is set to be released this month.
He and 25 other winners across Canada, all ages 7 to 13, also took part in a virtual cooking lesson with celebrity chef Marysol Foucault on Oct. 30.
Williams, 11, calls his creation the ‘taco mashup.’
His favourite thing about cooking is “eating the result at the end,” he said.
The first recipe he ever tried was chocolate-chip cookies and they turned out fine, according to Williams. He credits his mom for giving him suggestions and providing different options.
Amid the Covid-19 lockdown in Arviat, he wanted to try something new and decided to put some of his favourite foods together. That’s when the taco mashup was hatched.
President’s Choice Children’s Charity, Corus Entertainment and BGC Canada (formerly Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada) hosted the recipe contest.
Nunavut News readers can try the recipe for themselves:
TACO MASHUP
PREP TIME: 25 MIN
COOK TIME: 15 MIN
SERVES: 6 TO 8
Special sauce
⅓ cup (75 mL) plain Greek yogurt
⅓ cup (75 mL) whipped dressing or mayonnaise
1 tsp (5 mL) garlic powder
½ tsp (2 mL) pepper
½ tsp (2 mL) seasoning salt
½ tsp (2 mL) salt-free seasoning blend, such as Mrs. Dash
Taco
2 lb (1 kg) ground beef or caribou
1 small onion, finely diced
2 tsp (10 mL) Montreal steak spice
2 tsp (10 mL) garlic powder
1 tsp (5 mL) chili powder
1 tsp (5 mL) salt-free seasoning blend, such as Mrs. Dash
½ tsp (2 mL) Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper
1 tbsp (15 mL) canola oil
1 pkg (8 oz/227 g) button mushrooms, sliced
1 large bell pepper, diced
12 small flour tortillas (approximately)
2 cups (500 mL) shredded lettuce
1 ½ cups (375 mL) shredded marble cheddar cheese
2 avocados, chopped
1 tomato, diced
½ cup (125 mL) each chopped cooked bacon and chopped pickles (optional)
* Special sauce: In a bowl, whisk together yogurt, whipped dressing or mayonnaise, garlic powder, pepper, salt, and seasoning blend until smooth. Set aside.
* Taco: In a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef and onion for about 8 minutes or until no longer pink. Drain any fat. Add steak spice, garlic powder, chili powder, seasoning blend, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper to beef mixture and cook for 2 minutes for flavours to blend.
* In another skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and cook mushrooms and pepper for about 5 minutes or until browned and tender. Spoon beef into tortilla, topping with mushroom mixture and drizzling with special sauce. Sprinkle with lettuce, cheese, avocado, tomato, bacon (if using), and pickles (if using). Fold and enjoy. Repeat with remaining ingredients.