COOK WITH KIDS: BEET-AND-CARROT SLAW WRAPS

BEET-AND-CARROT SLAW WRAPS

Rachel Morningstar, from Las Cruces, New Mexico, won our American Grown Recipe Challenge (and a signed copy of First Lady Michelle Obama's cookbook, American Grown) with this crunchy, colorful wrap. Rachel writes, "I work for a nonprofit called La Semilla Food Center in southern New Mexico. We work with youth and families in the region to build a healthy, self-reliant, sustainable, and fair food system. I created this recipe to use with students at our school garden at Sierra Middle School. We used beets and carrots the students grew in the garden and local apples, cheddar, and whole-wheat tortillas. After some practice, older youth can prepare this as an afterschool snack on their own."`

HANDS-ON TIME: 20 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 20 MINUTES

MAKES: 5 SERVINGS

KITCHEN GEAR: 

Citrus squeezer (if you have one)
Measuring spoons
Jar with tight-fitting lid
Sharp knife (adult needed)
Cutting board
Grater (adult needed)
Large bowl
5 toothpicks

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons

fresh orange juice (from about 1/2 orange)

1 tablespoon

olive oil

1 teaspoon

red wine vinegar

1⁄2 teaspoon

dijon mustard

1⁄4 teaspoon

salt

1⁄4 teaspoon

Pepper

5  

raw beets (about 2 1/2-3 cups grated), with greens still attached

2  

carrots

2  

apples, cored and sliced

5 slices

cheddar cheese

5  

8-inch whole-wheat tortillas

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To make the dressing: Put the orange juice, oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper in the jar, screw the lid on tightly, and shake well.
2. Cut the greens off the beets and pull the leaves from the stems (discard or compost the stems). Wash the leaves, then stack them and roll them. Slice the roll crosswise into thin (1/4 inch) ribbons.
3. Peel the beets and the carrots and shred them using the grater.
4. Put the beet leaves and the shredded beets and carrots in the bowl, and toss them with the dressing.
5. For each wrap, put 1/5 of the slaw, 1/5 of the sliced apples, and 1 slice of cheddar cheese inside a tortilla. Roll the tortilla from the bottom up, tucking in the sides as you go. Secure the wrap with a toothpick, if you like, and serve right away.

NOTES

Did you know? Beet greens (the leafy part of the beet plant) are often disgarded, but they're actually a delicious vegetable, and they add to the nutritional power of this recipe. 

"Cored" means with the stem and hard center part removed.