Some days call for “fun food” – something they can tuck into without you preaching away about nutrition and calories. This fits the bill for a weekday supper or weekend lunch/supper. Tasty, colourful and convivial, tacos go down well with almost everyone. Extra sides to add to the taco meat filling can include chopped avocado, grated cheddar, chopped fresh tomatoes, guacamole, salsa, soured cream, shredded iceberg lettuce

I have used a mixture of low fat beef and pork mince here but veggies can go Quorn mince instead. I’ve snuck in organic kidney beans and beluga lentils for protein, yellow peppers for fibre and flavour & tomatoes for richness and vitamins. On the side for toppings you can do a variety of things: grated cheese, sour cream, salsa, chopped red onion, guacamole, chopped avocado, chopped deseeded tomatoes, fresh shredded iceberg lettuce. All good colour, flavour and vitamins!

Crowd Pleasing Protein Packed Tacos – Serves 6/8

1 onion chopped

Olive oil/Carotino oil

1 yellow/orange/red pepper, deseeded and chopped

2 fat cloves garlic, sliced/chopped

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 x tsp cumin powder

250g 5% beef mince

250g 5% pork mince

300ml hot beef stock

380g packet of organic red kidney beans

1 packet microwave beluga lentils (I used Merchant Gourmet)

12/18 corn taco shells

Toppings of your choice : eg. – chopped avocado, grated cheddar, chopped fresh tomatoes, guacamole, salsa, soured cream, shredded iceberg lettuce

Take a wide based pan and soften the onions and peppers in a tablespoon of olive oil.

Add the garlic and spices, stir in for a minute. Then gradually add the meat 250g at a time until it has all browned off and gone opaque. Pour over the stock and simmer for 40 minutes or so.

Add in the lentils and drained kidney beans and warm into the meat sauce.

Prepare the table with plates and the toppings while you warm the taco shells for 4 minutes in a warm oven.

Throw it all on the table, call the kids down and invite them to fill the taco shells to their hearts content. Don’t forget a pile of napkins – you’ll need them!

Happy Saturday x