Teaching kids to make healthier lifestyle choices for themselves and, by extension, their families; while focusing on the common denominator of food to bridge cultural, social and economic divides among young people.
I had a great time food shopping, and taking over the kitchen this week. The cleanup was my least favorite job, I made a big mess of the kitchen cooking. I will try to do better next time. I changed the thigh meat to breast. We already had chicken breast at home. I also added coconut ice cream to my fruit. It was really great. We always have fresh mangos with coconut ice cream on vacation in Maui. So I upgraded.
Sour Cream Lemon Pound Cake: Really great. I served it at my Grandma's Christmas Eve party it was a big hit
Chocolate Cookies:I usually do not like dark chocolate, but these cookies were great. I will make them again!
Braised Shrimp & Cream Endive, Winter Salad w/Walnut Mustard Dressing:I discovered a new vegetable: Belgian endives! I had never had them, but I liked them. I am not a big fan of Shrimp, but this dish was really savory and satisfying. The salad dressing was very easy to make and yummy. I made a second batch and used it as sandwich dressing for a family picnic lunch. It was liked by all. I really like the walnuts in the salad.
Braised Chicken w/Mushrooms Shallots & Balsamic vinegar with Mashed Potatoes w/ Parsnips 7 Carrots My mom has a new way of making chicken, she liked this dish. We have had several times since it is easy and cheap dinner for a family of five. This meal was liked by everyone at my house. That is not any easy thing! I really liked the mash potato with parsnip and carrots. It is a great twist of an old favorite
Baked Rigatoni, Green Salad w/Vinaigrette, Caramelized Pineapple w/ Ginger:Good dinner! I liked this fancy version of mac and cheese. My oldest gave me a compliment by having a second serving. For this recipe we were instructed to do on our own green salad with out a recipe. I made a raspberry vinaigrette and it was very yummy.
Salmon w/Horseradish Green Goddess Sauce I absolutely loved the green goddess sauce because it had a very fresh and earthy taste to it. There are a lot of interesting ingredients like chopped up chives. yummy!
Crepes Stuffed with Fresh Fruit, Maple Syrup, and Creme Anglaise I went to Crepeville in down town for my moms birthday and it was good. But this was above and beyond that. I loved the chopped fresh fruit in it. I was surprised how easy it was to make crepes. It looks impressive, but very easy! I filled the crepes with pitted orange, sweet lemon, grapefruit and mango. The combination of tangy flavors really played well against the maple syrup and creme Anglaise. I would make this again for special event like Parents' birthday dinner, asking for new ipod,.... Yummy.
Sweet Potato Fries: These are great- sweet and savory flavor. Who would of thought sweet potatoes and bread crumbs would be so yummy.
January '10 Technique: Sauces
“The thing I like most about cooking is creating meals to share with the family, but I don’t like when people don’t try my creations!”
“I would like to learn from Jr. Chef new skills, make new friends and have a lot of fun cooking.”
Braised Fish Steaks w/Olives & Lemons with Couscous: We used Mahi Mahi and Ahi for the fish Steaks. My dad was impressed with the dinner I made.
Carrot Sandwich Cookies: My dad loves carrot cake, so he loved these cookies. The cream cheese filing is great. It is like having cheesecake and carrot cake together. Life is good!
Sweet Lemon Brown Buttered Apples The apples are an excellent dessert for a cold night.
Roasted Asparagus w/ Hollandaise: Excellent side dish. I was impressed with the dish I found in the party dish cabinet. My mom loved my roasted asparagus and she gave me a "10" for plating.
Oven Fried Potatoes: The oven Fried potatoes were Easy and good. I will be making these again and again!
February'10 Technique: Grains
Quinoa w/Moroccan Squash Stew I love quinoa, it is an anciant Incus grain with lots of flavor and packed with nutrients. It comes in white, red and pruple. We got the red, becuase it was on special! I like to have this grain cold withTabboulah, but the warm stew was very pleasing. The quinoa has slightly nutty flavor and very delicate texture, making it very versatile.
Lemon Pudding The lemon pudding was very fun to make. I enjoyed baking the lemon puddings in individual dishes in a water bath- a good new technique!The pudding was an excellent end to a savory meal.
Bruschetta w/Sauteed Greens The sauteed greens offered a nice contrast to the flavors of Moroccan squash stew.
Mixed Grain & Wild Rice Cereal: This was an excellent dish, I had for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It has a lot of fiber and it tastes great warm and cold!
Smoked Chorizo and Cheese Empanadas
This dish is awesome. It was a llittle time consuming to prepare, so next time I think I will make the dough in advance. Empanadas are visually appealing as well as delicious. I served this dish on my hand made clay octopus tray. The table looked amazing. I will definetly make this meal again.I made dinner, served it and did the dishes. I am proud of myself for mastering this skill.
Black Eye Pea and Tomato Salsa
This is a filling and fresh side dish which complement the flavors of Empanadas very well.
Pina Colada Cups
The pina colada was creamy and sweet at the same time and everyone in my family had one.(i made the spotted eagle ray plater myself.)
Mint and Apple Granita
Simple, inexpensive and delicious! This dessert was a winning end toan excellent meal.
Spicy Orange Salad
This salad had wondereful flavors because it had two totally different flavors mixed together. Garlic and oranges. You have to try this great salad.
Shrimp and Vegetables in coriander ginger broth
The bean-thread noodles were delicious. They had a sinewy texture. I also loved the broth. It was nice and spicy.
