Confetti Rice Salad

In our last classroom cooking activity of 2011, students made Confetti Rice Salad inspired by ChopChop’s Confetti Orzo Salad. We substituted brown rice for the orzo in the ChopChop version, to add whole grains and make the salad work for students with gluten sensitivities. Everyone loved it! You can find the recipe on page 36 of the Fall issue of ChopChop, or here .  Ask your student/chef to help you make it at home to enjoy over the holidays!

Switch to Whole Grains

You may already be eating whole grains. When you munch popcorn in the theater, give Toasty-O’s to your toddler, enjoy a bowl of hot oatmeal, or eat whole grain toast, you’re probably focusing more on the delicious taste than on the fact that these foods are whole grains.

This month, students sampled a variety of whole grain products; 100% Whole Grain bread, whole grain crackers, popcorn and Toasted O’s. Kids identified whole grain foods they would like to eat in place of refined versions. You can help them make the switch to more flavorful, healthful whole grains by making sure that your kitchen is stocked with delicious whole grain foods.

What are some of your family’s favorite whole grain foods and recipes? Please share!

Zucchini Ribbons

In our first cooking activity of the year, students made “Zucchini Ribbons” from the Summer issue of ChopChop. They began by cutting the zucchini with a vegetable peeler to make beautiful green and white ribbons. An adult finished the recipe by lightly sautéing the ribbons in a bit of olive oil until just tender. The kids loved hearing the pan “sing” as the zucchini cooked. Students topped their ribbons with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and devoured them!

I hope you have a chance to make Zucchini Ribbons and other great ChopChop  recipes at home.

Ingredients

4 small zucchini, ends trimmed and cut in half to make two short columns

2 teaspoons olive oil

¼ cup water

Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Using a peeler or a small knife, cut the zucchini into ribbons.
2. Put the zucchini, oil and water in a large skillet and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir well and cook until the zucchini is tender, about 2 minutes.
3. Serve warm, or at room temperature, topped with Parmesan cheese.

Students on the Cutting Edge

In our first lesson of the year, students practiced using knives to slice, dice and mince an apple! We broke the process down into a few simple steps:

1. Focus!! Watch what you’re cutting at all time
2. Place food to be cut on a flat edge (cut it first to make a flat side if necessary)
3. Hold the food with curled fingers
4. Hold the knife with the other hand close to the blade
5. Saw back and forth with the knife (the knives we used had serrated blades)

Students did a fantastic job, and felt great about developing such a grown-up skill.  Catherine Newman has a great blog entry about her daughter, Birdy’s, first experiences with cutting. Take a look; Cooking with Birdy: Cutting Stuff Up

ChopChop Magazine

Food $ense begins the new school year with a new (and exciting!) format. Our lessons will center on recipes, topics and ideas featured in ChopChop magazine, a fun cooking magazine for families.  Each student in every Food$ense classroom will get their own issue of each edition of ChopChop to use in the classroom and bring home to share with their family.

Students will also make a recipe from each issue and we hope you continue to expand your child’s cooking repertoire by making other recipes at home.

To get a peek at some of the outstanding recipes, tips and features in the magazine, check it out on line… www.chopchopmag.org.

Banana Berry Smoothie

Our last Local Roots unit featured Berry Banana Smoothies (recipe below). Students used individual sized “bullet” style blenders to whip up their drinks. As I was shopping for ingredients, a checker shared that she had given her daughter one of them as a gift for her eighth birthday. She said that her daughter uses it regularly, and loves to make up her own recipes. What a great idea for a budding cook!

Smoothies are always a big hit with kids. When they make their own with fat free, plain yogurt and real fruit, you know they are enjoying a super cool, super healthy drink.

Berry Banana Smoothie

1 cup orange juice

2 cups plain nonfat yogurt

1 cup frozen berries

1 banana, broken into pieces

2 Tablespoons sugar

 Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend for about 10 seconds, or until smooth.

Minty Bulgur Wheat & Pear Salad

In upcoming weeks, students in several classrooms will be making a easy and delicious salad featuring bulgur, pears and mint. It would make a delightful addition to your holiday table. I’ll bet your young chef would love to lend a helping hand in the kitchen!

Minty Bulgar Wheat & Pear Salad

1 cup uncooked bulgur wheat

1 1/2 cups boiling water

¾ teaspoon dried mint

3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

2 cups diced pears

2 cups diced cucumber

 1. Combine boiling water, bulgur and dried mint in a large bowl.  Cover with a plate and let stand 1 hour or until water is absorbed. Drain off any excess water.

2. Combine lemon juice, lime juice, olive oil, sugar and salt.

 3. Add pear, cucumber and mint. Toss to combine.

 4. Chill 1 hour.

Option: Replace the dried mint with 1 cup finely chopped fresh mint, adding it in the last step, with the pears and cucumber.

 Yield: 8 servings

Peach Smoothie

Help your child build strong bones for a lifetime by encouraging them to get plenty of calcium rich foods and engage in lots of active play. In our last lesson of the year, fifth graders focused on bone builders – low fat dairy foods and physical activity.

Our sample for the week was Peach Smoothie. Try our recipe, or use your own. Either way, smoothies made with low fat milk or yogurt are a delicious way for kids (and adults) to get the calcium rich foods needed to build and maintain healthy bones.

For ideas on adding bone building calcium to your child’s diet, check this out: Small Changes Can Make a Big Difference.

Keen Peachy Smoothie

1 cup fat free milk

2 cups fat free vanilla yogurt

2 cups frozen peaches

2 ripe, frozen bananas

Combine ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until creamy and smooth.

Source: Milk Matters, National Institue of Health

Engaging Kids in the Kitchen

This week we talked about the importance of eating a variety of fruits and veggies every day. Students sampled Confetti Spaghetti, a pasta salad made with a colorful variety of veggies, and gave it a big thumbs up. Try it at home. 

Washington State University Thurston County Extension provided a copy of  “CHOP,CHOP” magazine for every student participating in Food $ense at Garfield. I hope you have a chance to sit down with your child and look it over together. It’s a new cooking magazine for kids and families that’s full of recipes and tips for kids who cook. Have fun in the kitchen, and enjoy great food at the same time!

This lesson was my last Food$ense lesson of the year.  Once again, it’s been a delight to work with students and staff at Garfield. Food$ense activities will continue throughout the year though – in the form of our “Local Roots” cooking activities. In our first activity, students will prepare a delicious salad made with bulgur, pears and mint. It would be a delightful addition to your holiday menues. Watch this space for the recipe!

Scrambled eggs with veggies

Fifth grades are talking about breakfast this week. We all have heard breakfast called “the most important meal of the day” – ask your 5th grader to explain why. Students discussed challenges to eating a good breakfast everyday… and came up with some great solutions!

 Our chefs cooked up a batch of scrambled eggs with veggies. Eggs are not only delicious and versatile, but they pack a big nutritional punch. Get today’s recipe here.

We also discussed the importance of thorough cooking and safe handling of eggs to avoid the possibility of food borne illness. Get detailed information about egg safety from the FDA.