Cooking Class: Part 2 of Get Your Greens Frittatas

28 February 2009 Filed In: breakfast, cooking class, egg, Fall, frittata, Gluten-free, lunchbox, Main Dish, Soy-free, Spring, Summer, Vegetarian, Winter





As we were finishing up on Wednesday with the frittatas, one of the moms commented that spinach is about the only green thing that her mini-chef would NOT eat.  She said it in a whisper.  As most parents of toddlers and young children can identify with when they are talking about certain foods their child won’t eat, they do not want to jinx anything in hope that, one day, their kid will one day eat those foods.  No more than a couple of minutes later, her kid was wolfing down this spinach frittata like no tomorrow and asking for seconds.

When sauteed, spinach is actually one of the mildest tasting greens and very palette-pleasing.  It pairs with lots of other veggies and meats with ease.  Check into your local farms to see whether spinach and other delicate greens are available in the cold months.  In New York, for instance, we are able buy fresh spinach and other tasty greens throughout Winter because of local grower Satur Farms.
You can liberally add in the other things that your family loves: chopped parsley, chopped herbs, dried herbs, cooked meat, and any other vegetables that you think might go well with the spinach.  You’ll have a really beautiful brunch dish or a simple supper for a week night when you do not have a lot of time to prep.

Spinach and Parmesan Frittata

*2 c. spinach, washed, spun dry and roughly chopped
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1 T. olive oil
*6-7 eggs, organic if possible
*1/2 c. parmesan cheese, grated
*salt and pepper to taste
*1-2 T. butter

Wash and spin the spinach leaves dry with your Yummy.  

Big Person: Roughly chop up the spinach.  You can either steam the spinach until just tender or blanch it (boil it in a bit of salted water for about one minute).  Then put it in a colander and let it drain for a few minutes.

In a 10 or 12-inch skillet, warm your olive oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for a few seconds.  Then, add the spinach and cook until the flavors meld, a minute or two.  Remove the spinach from the pan and set it aside to cool for a few minutes while you mix up the rest of the frittata.

Together: Have your mini-chef crack all the eggs into a large bowl.  Fish out the shells that might not taste that delicious in your frittata.  Once you’ve gotten out all of the crunchy bits, add the cheese, the salt and pepper, and the cooled spinach.  Your mini-chef will enjoy whisking this and whisking this and probably whisking this some more (in class, we whisked for several minutes).

Big Person: In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and use a basting brush or a rubber spatula to coat the bottom and the sides of the pan.  Pour in the frittata.  Cook for 10 minutes, or until set.  

Meanwhile, turn on your broiler to high.  When your frittata has set up on the stovetop, transfer it to the oven.  You can turn on your oven light so that your mini-chef can check the progress and watch the top of the frittata turn golden brown.

Take the frittata out of the oven (with your Yummy nowhere near the oven!).  Use a rubber spatula to loosen the frittata from the sides and bottom of the pan.  Enjoy!

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Cooking Class: Part 1 of Get Your Greens Frittatas

27 February 2009 Filed In: breakfast, broccoli, cooking class, egg, Fall, frittata, Gluten-free, lunchbox, Main Dish, Soy-free, Spring, Summer, Vegetarian, Winter



Since we had a Mummies’ Night Out on Wednesday and needed to make sure that our mini-chefs were fed up right before we headed out for the night, we made my favorite lazy meal, the frittata.  

Well, um, the kids weren’t lazy at all.  When they got their egg and a plastic cup to crack it into, they immediately dove in, cracked their eggs, and there was raw egg slinging going on all over the room.  Thank goodness for the tarp and that the eggs were from Knoll Krest, an awesome local farm that sells eggs and other delicious things at our green market here in Tribeca.  
After mopping up, we managed to turn out two beautiful frittatas.  The first one that we’ll share is made with broccoli and cheddar (the second one will be posted tomorrow just in time for Sunday brunch plans).  Simple, inexpensive, and you can load up with veggies.  Just make sure you lay your tarp down before starting. 

Broccoli and Cheddar Frittata

*7 eggs, free-range and organic if possible
*1/2-1 c. sharp cheddar cheese
*one clove garlic, minced
*1/2 t. salt
*1/2 t. black pepper
*1 c. broccoli florets
*1-2 T. butter
*salt and pepper, to taste

After letting your Yummy wash the broccoli florets, Big Person will steam the broccoli till bright green and just tender.  Set aside to cool for a few minutes while you work with the rest of the ingredients.

Together:  Into a large bowl, have your mini-chef crack all of the eggs.  Scoop out all of the extra ingredients (i.e. the eggshells).  Add the cheese, garlic, salt and pepper to the bowl and whisk well.  Add the broccoli florets next and stir well.

Big Person: In a 10 or 12-inch oven safe skillet (ideally this would be your well-seasoned cast iron skillet), melt the butter over medium heat.  Coat the entire bottom and sides of the pan with the butter.  Pour in the egg mixture and turn down the heat just slightly.  Cook for 10 minutes, or until the eggs are set.  

Meanwhile, turn your oven broiler on high.  When the frittata is set, transfer the pan to the oven and broil till the top is perfectly golden.  Pull the frittata out of the oven and let cool for at least 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

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Sweet Potato Tea Muffins

25 February 2009 Filed In: bread, Breads, Christmas, Desserts, Fall, muffins, Soy-free, Spring, sweet potato, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian, Winter


After sampling these delicious muffins at our friend Ben, Eli and Jamie’s place on Monday, we wanted to try making a sustainable version for ourselves.  Ben-at least sometimes-says that he wants to be a chef when he grows up, and we can see why.  He orchestrated muffins that were well-textured, vitamin-packed, and very delicious.

At Ben and Jamie’s suggestion, we traded out the all white flour in the original recipe for a healthier part wheat/ part white/part spelt blend.  For Mira’s and my sustainable version we used more sweet potatoes and some shredded apples.  All of the produce is from local farms and available here in the middle of winter, and even the spelt flour was a score from the local grainary, Wild Hive.
The batter we made was intended to be made into a tea bread, but when we got out the bread pans, there was a 3-year-old protestor who said no way we were making bread when we could make muffins.  Alora!, as the Italians would say.   
We brought these to cooking class yesterday for the kids to sample.  By the time we were halfway through our class, there were already people coming up to me asking if the recipe would be here on TYM today.  That is to say that these muffins are not too sweet but sweet enough, incredibly moist, filled with vitamin C, E, and D, folate, and beta carotene.  The proof is in the pudding; all twenty-four muffins were 
G-O-N-E by the end of class.   
Sweet Potato Tea Muffins

*1/2 c. all purpose flour
*1/2 c. spelt flour
*1 c. whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour
*1-2 T. flaxseed meal
*1/4 t. salt
*1/4. t. baking powder
*1 t. baking soda
*1/2 t. freshly grated nutmeg
*1 t. ground cinnamon
*3/4 c vegetable oil
*1/2 c. lightly packed brown sugar
*3/4 c. sugar
*3 eggs
*2 t. vanilla
*2 c. sweet potato, peeled and grated
*1 c. apple, scrubbed and grated
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Let your mini-chef paper or grease 24 muffin cups.

Measure the flours, flaxseed meal, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices into a large bowl.  Have your mini-chef give this a good whisk.

In another large bowl, beat together the oil and the sugars.  Let your Yummy crack the eggs into a separate little bowl, and then you can add them to your oil and sugar mixture one at a time-ok, so maybe it doesn’t always happen one at a time with mini-chefs, but you can at least set the intention and maybe one day it will happen. Stir in the sweet potato, the apple, and the vanilla.  Now is the time to practice scraping down the sides of the bowl.  Guide your mini-chef’s hand in this endeavor, showing them how to go all the way around the whole circle of the bowl.

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet.  Make sure that everything is incorporated but with restraint.  No overmixing.

Fill each muffin cup (we love to use an ice cream scoop).

Big Person: Bake the muffins 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.  Cool on a rack for a few minutes.  Enjoy!

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Ari’s Artisanal Pizza Pies

20 February 2009 Filed In: Birthday, bread, Fall, guest blogger, Main Dish, pizza, Soy-free, Spring, Summer, tomato, Vegetarian, Winter




Cousin-chef Ari has been at it again, cooking up a little of this and a little of that in his Chicago kitchen.  This time, he’s offered to share his recipe for honey-wheat pizza dough and even threw in a few pictures of his special technique.  Take it away, Ari, Elizabeth, and Adam:
Like most other two-year-olds, our Ari Simon can be a rather picky eater.  Lately, his faves are: fruit, fruit salad, muffins, and pizza.  A few other things rank further down the list.  Thankfully, pizza is actually a great canvas for a healthy and varied meal.  Even better, pizza is a lot of hands-on fun to make, especially with the little guys and gals.  And, making pizza employs one of those crucial skills which is so hard to impart: waiting.  Waiting for the dough to rise can take a really long time, like a snack plus a walk around the block PLUS a game of hide and seek.  Wow.  Don’t forget to check on the dough in between to see if it’s big enough yet.

Ari chose to make his pizza this time with the standard cheese and sauce, which is always delicious.  This dough is fairly sturdy, so feel free to add any toppings you like, from meats to vegetables to all kinds of cheeses.  A hit for the grownups here is a sauceless pizza” brush the dough with olive oil, top with thinly sliced tomatoes, kosher salt, fresh basil and parmesan.  You can even make a dessert pizza (basically a galette) by brushing the dough with melted butter, topping with thinly sliced apples, a few pats of butter and sugar and cinnamon.  The possibilities are endless.  I’m sure that the Yummies in your life will have some very interesting ideas!

Ari’s Honey-Wheat Pizza Dough

*4 1/2 t. active dry yeast  (2 packets)
*1 1/3 warm water (105-115 degrees)
*2 c. all purpose flour
*1 1/2- 1 3/4 c. whole wheat flour
*2 T. olive oil
*1 T. salt
*1 T. honey

Together: Put the water in a large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer.  Sprinkle the yeast on top.  Let stand for 5 minutes until most of the yeast is dissolved.  Encourage your Yummy to watch it bubble and smell the yeast working.

Add all the other ingredients.  Mix by hand or on low speed for about one minute to blend all of the ingredients.  Knead for about ten minutes by hand or with the dough hook on low to medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Add additional flour by the tablespoon if necessary.  (Note: if you don’t have and stand mixer or 10 minutes of patience, you could also use a food processor.  Blend the ingredients by hand, then add to the work bowl fitted with the dough hook.)

Have your Yummy coat a large bowl with a little bit of olive oil.  Transfer the dough to the bowl and turn to coat with the olive oil.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp, sturdy kitchen towel and place in a warm spot (75-80 F) to rise (in the winter, we’ll warm the oven then turn it off.) until at least doubled in volume, 1-1 1/2 hours.  Encourage your Yummy to note how big the dough is when you first put it in the bowl (“as big as ___________”)so he or she has a reference point as you check on the dough.

Go do something else fun for a while.

When the dough has risen, preheat your oven to 475 degrees F.  If you have a baking stone, put it in the oven first.

EXTRA FUN PART: Have your Yummy punch down the dough.

Divide the dough for the size pizzas you want to make.  Roll into balls and let rest for 10-15 minutes while you set out your toppings.

Roll and stretch out the dough on a piece of parchment paper, or dust the counter lightly with cornmeal.  Don’t worry about holes; you can easily patch them by pinching off a piece of dough from the edge.  Top your pizza as you see fit.

Big Person: Sprinkle a little cornmeal onto your baking stone or place your parchment paper directly onto the baking sheet.  Transfer the pizza to the hot oven.  Bake for about 12 minutes or until it is done to your liking.  Enjoy!

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Cooking Class: Meat and Veg (Roasting 101)

19 February 2009 Filed In: carrot, chicken, cooking class, Dairy-free, Fall, Gluten-free, herbs, Main Dish, parsnip, potato, Side Dish, Soy-free, Spring, Summer, Thanksgiving, Winter

Our Yummy Mummy classes got down to serious business a couple of weeks ago when we learned how to prepare meat and vegetables to be roasted.  The Yummies tucked garlic and sprigs of fragrant rosemary and shallots into the pan among the seasonal vegetables and a whole chicken breast.  We sprinkled in a dry rub that we’d  mixed up, and, with a final slosh of olive oil, we ended up with a tasty, hearty dish.
The mini-chefs could go home after this class and help out with a whole meal.  Whenever you are roasting, you can, as we did, use the vegetables that are available to you locally.  For us in New York City, that meant we had beautiful root vegetables to choose from: carrots, parsnips, potatoes.  Often at home we’ll add beets to that mixture.  For meat, we buy organic and check what is selling for a bargain during our trip to the market (or grocery) that day.  
The dry rub can be used with any kind of meat or vegetables, and please don’t be afraid to adjust it by adding, say, dried mint if you know that your family eats lamb often or by adding more dried rosemary if fresh rosemary is not available to you.  We mix this rub up in bulk at the beginning of the month and use it for seasoning, sometimes adding cumin or curry or a squeeze of lemon, depending on our mood.  
Big Apologies for no pictures of the cuties actually making the recipes in class.  Unfortunately, this was the class when I left my camera in the back of a cab-never to be returned.  Bah!

 Yummies’ Meat and Veg Dry Rub

*3 T. sweet paprika
*3 T. sea salt
*2 1/2 T. garlic powder
*1 T. black pepper
*2 t. ground white pepper
*1 T. onion powder
*1 T. dried thyme
*1 t. dried rosemary
*1 1/2 T. dried oregano

Mix everything together in a bowl, and store in an airtight container for up to two months.

Basic Roast Chicken and Veggies for Winter

*One chicken breast, skin on, bone in
*4 carrots, scrubbed and cut into  inch-long pieces
*4 parsnips, scrubbed and cut into inch-long pieces
*a few roasting potatoes (French fingerling, la ratte, etc.)
*4 medium cloves of garlic, skin still on
*3 medium shallots, peeled
*4 little springs of rosemary
*2-3 T. of Yummies Dry Rub
*a good slosh of olive oil

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Together: Your mini-chef can help prepare the vegetables by scrubbing them with a vegetable brush and setting them out on a clean kitchen towel to dry.  Big Person can do the actual cutting.  

Then, take out a big roasting pan (If you don’t have a big roasting pan, then aluminum foil or baking sheets with a lip can be used.), and scatter all of the carrots, parsnips, and potatoes into it.  Tuck the shallots, garlic cloves, and rosemary springs here and there amongst the veggies.  Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the dry rub over all of this, letting it rain over the veggies.  Give a good slosh of olive oil.  Mix this all up with your hands.

Big person: Season the chicken with the rest of the dry rub and place into the roasting pan.  (In places where salmonella is not an issue, you can, of course, let your mini-chef help with this preparation.).  Place the roasting pan into the oven and cook till the chicken is no longer at all pink, the juices run clear, and a meat thermometer reads 180 degrees F/ 82 degrees C.  During the cooking time, which is about and hour and a half, you might want to shake the pan a couple of times to roast the veggies evenly.  If you space out and don’t, though, no worries.  It will still come out tasting pretty delicious.

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