Dressing Spring Greens

Think “Ranch” is the only dressing kids will eat? Think again!  April’s cooking cart featured two delicious, homemade dressings we served with fresh spring greens that the students loved. We made the Herb Garden Vinaigrette with cilantro, thyme and chives straight from the garden. The Strawberry Salad Dressing is so amazing you may be inspired to fill a pot with mint so you can have it on hand to make this yummy dressing whenever the urge hits. Enjoy!

Herb Garden Vinaigrette

¼ cup fresh herbs (finely chopped)

⅓ cup olive oil

4 tsp. apple cider vinegar

½ tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. minced garlic

Combine ingredients in a bowl and whisk or combine in a blender and blend for 5 seconds. Serves 6

 

Strawberry Salad Dressing

1 orange, juiced

1 lime, juiced

1 tsp. honey

6 strawberries

12 leaves of fresh mint

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

 Combine the ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until the strawberries are smooth (about 15 seconds) Serves 6

Smart Swaps – 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!

Fall Cooking Cart Projects

Hope you are enjoying the Fall issue of ChopChop magazine that your child has brought home. Students made the Confetti Orzo Salad and the Carrot Apple Soup in their classroom as part of the Madison Cooking Cart project.

We substituted brown rice for the orzo in the Confetti Orzo Salad, 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 . Be sure to try it at home.

Chef Rick Mullins made more substantial changes to the Carrot Apple Soup featured on page 19 of the Fall issue. His changes simplified the recipe, and made it much more appealing to the taste buds of young and old!

Carrot Apple Soup (adapted from ChopChop Magazine, Fall 2011)

Ingredients

2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced or grated

8 cups vegetable stock

1 tablespoon butter

2 apples

Cinnamon to taste

½ cup Greek or plain, low-fat yogurt

Directions

1. Bring the stock to a boil in a soup pot while you prepare the carrots.
2. Add the sliced or grated carrots to the boiling stock, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the carrots are tender, about 10 – 15 minutes.
3. Puree the soup using a stick blender, or by transferring it to a blender or food processor. Return soup to pot and keep warm.
4. Peel, core and chop the apples.
5. Melt the butter in a small frying pan and sauté apples until they are just tender.
6. Add cinnamon to taste and keep warm.
7. Serve soup in small bowls, and top with a dollop of yogurt and a spoonful of apples.

Yum!

Cutting It Up in Class

Students have been busy making all sorts of delicious dishes this year; Confetti Rice Salad, Carrot Apple Soup and Pumpkin pancakes! In our first non-cooking 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

Food$ense Returns to Madison

For over 7 years, Washington State University Extension has been providing nutrition education through its Food $ense Program to students at Madison Elementary. Last year, the program revolved around the wonderful fruits and vegetables grown in Madison’s Giving Garden.  This year, WSU Food $ense expands its partnership with Madison with the purchase of supplies for the school’s Cooking Cart program.  When the Cooking Cart comes into a classroom, students will a prepare recipe featuring foods grown in the school garden to create a recipe out of the current issue of ChopChop magazine. Food $ense lessons will also revolve around recipes, features and topics in the current issue of ChopChop. Sue Duffy is the WSU Food $ense coordinator. She will be visiting classrooms throughout the year for Food $ense lessons and some Cooking Cart lessons.

Berry Banana 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 Bulgur 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