What you need:
- Head of lettuce (iceberg or romaine)
- 1 1/2 cups baked tortilla chips
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans
- 1/4-cup water
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup jarred salsa
- 1/2-cup grated cheddar cheese
What to do:
- Wash everyone's hands thoroughly. Put the tortilla chips in a plastic bag, seal the bag, and invite your child to pound them into pieces (but not crushed to the consistency of crumbs).
- Invite your child to wash the lettuce by rinsing under water, draining in a colander, and then drying with paper towels (or use a salad spinner). Wrap the lettuce leaves in paper towels, and refrigerate them while you prepare the rest of the meal.
- Get out a set of measuring spoons and show your child the various sizes. Ask which is biggest and which is the smallest. Let her measure a tablespoon of olive oil and add it to a large sauté pan.
- Add the ground turkey to the pan, turn on the heat, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally to break up the meat, until it is well browned (adult only).
- Open the can of beans, and let your child shake them into a colander to drain. Run cold water over the beans to rinse them and allow them to drain again.
- Show your child the lines on a liquid measuring cup. Use water first to introduce the various amounts of food that you can add. Let your child measure 1/4-cup of water. Stir into the turkey.
- Let your child fill a dry measuring cup with corn and add it to the turkey. Add the drained pinto beans to the pan with the turkey.
- Let your child measure the salsa in the liquid measuring cup and add this to the turkey. Let your child stir together everything in the sauté pan with a large wooden spoon.
- Bring the turkey mixture to a boil over medium heat, reduce the heat, and cook for 3 or 4 minutes or until bubbly (adult only).
- Remove the lettuce leaves from the refrigerator. You'll need about 1 cup for each serving. Refrigerate the rest for another use.
- Line 4 plates with lettuce. Top with the turkey mixture. Let your child sprinkle on the cheese and the crushed tortilla chips. Eat immediately.