As fans of TV and the Internet, the chefs of Bayard Taylor were fully familiar with the tradition of Taco Tuesdays.

By the time they had made their own tacos with a special recipe, they were ready to expand the experience.

“I would tell my friends they should make tacos on Tuesdays AND Wednesdays,” Aubrey Brown declared after our Wednesday class.

Students learn many things in cooking class, but one of the most important is how to make healthier versions of fast foods that they like.

The “special” taco recipe was healthier than they could get at restaurants like Taco Bell because it used lots of vegetables and was lower in fat and salt.

At the same time it was packed with protein and loaded with flavor.

“The foooooood was so goooooood,” Yeremy Munoz enthused, adding extra OO’s for emphasis.

And what made it goooooood?

The meat for starters. Our taco recipe used turkey instead of beef, which not only is lean and lower in fat but a “complete protein” containing all the amino acids a person’s body needs.

On top of the meat, the recipe included vegetables that provided both color and flavor. For color, there were dark green pepper, red tomatoes and light green avocado. For flavor there were chopped onions and — surprise! — fresh mushrooms.

Mushrooms are not usually included in tacos, but they provided new flavor and nutrients in this healthy version.

The taste surprised the young chefs.

“It was like nothing I expected,” Glorielys Gonzalez said. “The first bite was a little wonky, but when I added more stuff it tasted better.”

“I didn’t think I would like the mushrooms, but overall it tasted good,” added Liam Ortiz Espiritu. “I had two and a half tacos.”

“I could taste a little bit of everything, the mushrooms, the peppers and the tomatoes,” Aubrey said. “The mushrooms tasted different than I expected.”

Even students who had eaten mushrooms before were impressed.

“I like mushrooms normally but these mushrooms smelled and tasted exceptionally good,” Yeremy said. “It was delicious. You could make it for dinner, or a party or anything.”

Putting this recipe together was like a party for our fun-loving chefs.

They liked all the chopping and especially enjoyed lining up to fill the corn taco shells with the cooked ingredients. They liked the kick added by the chili powder and red pepper flakes and the extra flavor of melted Monterrey Jack cheese.

“It was the best meal we have made so far,” Glorielys said, and her classmates agreed.

Nathan Sanchez smiled ear to ear when asked, and Liam gave an emphatic “YES!” because “the tacos were really good.”

Yeremy topped everybody for imagination, however, when asked his opinion.

“The tacos, the mushrooms, the meat, the avocado, the cheese and everything just tasted so good together,” he said. “It was like I was in a lucid dream, you know, the dreams when you get to control everything.

“I got to control everything in my taste buds. I got to cut the onions, I got to stir everything, I got to fill the tacos and it was delicious,” he asserted. “The first meal was my favorite before this, but now this one is my favorite.”