Cooking with Kids!

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One of my favorite bands from the early 90′s, Arrested Development, had a line in one of their songs that went “Give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day.  Teach him how to fish, and he’ll eat forever.” Point taken.

Now that school is out teach your kids to cook! Cuz cooking is survival, and they don’t teach it in school.

Best of all, when it comes to eating healthy, kids tend to eat what they had a hand in making.  They may not eat your broccoli, but they will eat the broccoli they prepared themselves.

Tips for cooking with kids:

• kids love noisy appliances – blenders, juicers, food processors, mix masters

• kids love action – salad spinners, dicing gadgets, mallets for pounding chicken breasts, stirring, kneading, forming

• kids love to play with – spirooli pasta makers, rolling pins, sushi mats

• kids love science experiments – rising dough, dissolving stuff, ice cream makers, blanching tomatoes and fruits to remove skin

• kids love to pick produce – take them to an organic farm or start a vegetable garden/raise your own chickens

• kids love instant gratification – keep recipes short (no more than 5 ingredients)

• kids love to teach other kids how to cook – get your kids inspired by checking out our first 2 Kids and a Cuttingboard Productions‘ orange juice video.

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Spaghetti Squash

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Spaghetti squash is one of those amazing miracles. It looks like any other squash when you cut it open, but after cooking and a few strokes with a fork, it transforms into spaghetti!

Ingredients

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup grated Reggiano cheese or Vegan Parmesan
• Any or all of the following fresh herbs: parsley, chervil, basil
• Sea salt and tons of freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

- Cut squash in half and scrape out the seeds.
– Fill a large pot with water (enough to cover squash), and bring to a boil.
– Place squash in the boiling water and boil until tender for 15-20 minutes.
- Reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water and put in a large pasta bowl before draining pot and removing the squash.
- Allow squash to cool enough to handle.  Then take a dinner fork and scrape out the spaghetti-like strands and put them in the bowl with the reserved cooking water.
- Toss squash with remaining ingredients and serve.

Note: spaghetti squash is very delicious cold.  Save some for lunch the next day.

Posted in entrees, pasta, veggies | 1 Comment

Carrot and Pumpkin Seed Salad

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Carrot Salad with Zucchini (see: Variations)

This salad is a great make-ahead or take-to-work salad.   Store in the refrigerator in a Tupperware and dish out as needed.  Keeps for 3 days in the refrigerator. Carrots are naturally sweet, so feel free to experiment with leaving the agave nectar or Xylitol out of the dressing.

For the Dressing

• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper or to taste
• 1 T raw agave nectar or Xylitol*

- Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a small mixing bowl.  Set aside.

For the Salad

• 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 T expeller-pressed grapeseed oil**
• Pinch of sea salt
• 8 medium carrots, grated
• 1 handful chives, chopped very fine with kitchen scissors

- Preheat oven to 350º.
- In a mixing bowl toss the pumpkin seeds with the grapeseed oil and sea salt.
- Spread pumpkin seeds out on a baking sheet and place in the oven for approximately 15 minutes.
- When seeds are nicely browned and smell delicious remove from the oven.
- Allow seeds to cool.
- Place carrots, chives and cooled pumpkin seeds in a salad bowl and toss with the dressing.

Variations

- Instead of just carrots, try a combination of grated carrots and grated raw zucchini (as shown in the photo).
- Use freshly chopped tarragon instead of, or in addition, to the chives.

* Xylitol (zy-leh-tahl): has 45% fewer calories than sugar/very low glycemic index.  Does not cause tooth decay (used in toothpaste & chewing gum). Use it one for one in recipes that call for sugar.

** Grapeseed oil is pressed from grape seeds. It can handle higher temperatures than olive oil without breaking down which makes it a great oil for broiling and grilling. Do not confuse grapeseed oil with rapeseed oil. Rapeseed oil (used widely in East Indian cooking) can also handle higher temperatures, but in the USA it is difficult to find it unless it is highly processed and then it is called, Canola oil.

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Coconut Carrot Curry Smoothie

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Coconut Carrot Curry Soup

This has got to be my favorite soup. It is one of the staples of my Squeaky Clean Detox program. On the day that this smoothie is featured…well, let’s just say if you were having a difficult detox, after one bite of this smoothie, you will feel that you’ve been saved.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
• 1 large avocado
• 1 large tomato
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 T chickpea miso
• 1 T raw, unsweetened, unsulfured shredded coconut or 1-2 T Young Thai coconut meat
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 1/2 cups coconut water
• Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Chopped cilantro or more cubed avocado for garnish (optional)

Directions

- Throw everything except the garnish and sea salt and pepper in a blender and liquify.
- Taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper accordingly.

To Serve
- Pour into individual bowls or tall glasses and garnish each bowl with chopped cilantro and/or avocado as garnish.

Posted in recipes, smoothies, soup | 2 Comments

Sweet Onion Flatbread

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This flatbread recipe can be either baked (Quick Version) or dehydrated (Raw Version). It is most delicious pulled straight from the oven or dehydrator and, while still warm, slathered with grass-fed raw butter, goat milk butter or mashed avocado. Whichever version you make, these flatbreads will keep for about a week (but they never last that long!) in a Tupperware in the refrigerator. (Makes 3 baked flatbreads (about 9″ X 12″), or about 3 or 4 dehydrator trays.

Ingredients
• 3/4 cup shelled sunflower seeds
• 1 cup whole flax seeds
• 3 medium size Vidalia onions or plain old purple or yellow onions, peeled
• 1/2 cup Coconut Secret coconut aminos (soy & gluten-free substitute for tamari or soy sauce)
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Seasonings: 1 or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary, dill, thyme or oregano (optional)
• Sea salt (optional)

Quick Version Directions

- Preheat oven to 250º
- Grind the sunflower seeds in a food processor until texture reminds of grated parmesan cheese.
- Grind the flax seeds in a coffee grinder.
- Cut the onions in half and then each half in quarters (any size that will fit through the feed tube of your food processor).
- Put the slicing disk in the food processor and slice all of the onions.
- Put all of the prepared ingredients (except for the sea salt) into a very large bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until well-combined.
- Grease 3 baking sheets and place a piece of parchment cut to fit onto each baking sheet.
- With a metal spatula spread about 2 cups of batter onto each parchment lined baking sheet. Flatten the flatbread until it is about 1/8″ thick. Be sure to push in the edges so the edges are nice and clean. Make sure there are no gaps showing through to the baking sheet.
- At this point if you want to sprinkle some sea salt (Murray River Sea Salt flakes are the best) into the top of the flatbread do so now, gently patting salt into batter.
- Bake in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes.


- Take the flatbread out of the oven and, holding underneath the parchment, gently flip the flatbread over and back onto the baking sheet.
- Very carefully peel the parchment off of the flatbread and place flatbread back in the oven for 45-60 minutes more (depending on thickness of your flatbread).- When time is up, take flatbread out of the oven and allow to rest for 5 or ten minutes.
- Remove flatbread from the baking sheet and place on a rack to cool.
- When cool use kitchen shears to cut into individual pieces or simply tear into organic shapes.

To Serve
- Flatbread can be toasted (watch very carefully!) or re-heated in the oven if desired.

Raw Version Directions

- Pre-heat oven or Excalibur dehydrator to 110º.
- Prepare batter as above.
- When batter is ready, prepare the baking sheets as above if using an oven, or if you are using a dehydrator, press batter onto Teflex-lined dehydrator trays.
- Dehydrate for 20-24 hours.*
- Remove flatbreads from the oven or dehydrator and holding onto the parchment or Teflex sheet gently flip the flatbread back onto the baking sheet or dehydrator tray, respectively.
- Return the flatbreads to the oven or dehydrator for another 8-12 hours.
- When done allow to cool on racks or on the dehydrator trays.
- Use kitchen shears to cut into individual pieces or simply tear into organic shapes.

* (If you are using an oven you’ll have to experiment with “baking” time for your oven. You’ll know if it’s ready to flip if it’s dry enough to flip without breaking apart and if the parchment paper peels off easily).

Posted in bread & muffins | 3 Comments

Basic Boiled Greens

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Boiling greens is the simplest way to cook greens, because you don’t have to wash the greens* before boiling if you don’t want to. You can quickly rinse the greens if you see some offensive dirt (bird droppings, for example), but other than that you can plunge the unwashed greens straight into boiling water which will save you a lot of time. All of the dirt and bugs will fall to the bottom of the pot (use a deep pot) by the time the greens are cooked.

Ingredients
• 1 bunch organic dark leafy greens (kale, bok choy, cabbage, chard)
• Water

Directions
- Clean greens by rinsing under cool water (optional: see above).

- Chop or rip up the leaves and stems into bite-sized pieces. (Kitchen scissors are great for chopping up greens)

- Fill a deep pot such, as a soup pot, 2/3 the way up with water. Bring water to boil and add greens. Cover and boil for 3-5 minutes until greens are bright green.

- Carefully remove the greens from the pot without stirring up the bottom of the pot.

To Serve
- Experiment with healthy oils and your condiment list or try Tahini Sauce for Greens

*. NOTE: Greens must be organic if you are not going to wash them!!!! You don’t want pesticide in your cooking liquid!).
AND if you plan on drinking or using the mineral-rich cooking water (called the “liquor”) after the greens are cooked you MUST wash the greens thoroughly before cooking!!!

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Tahini Sauce for Greens

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When we say this sauce is good for greens, we include your green thumb…i.e. it’s good on just about anything. Broccoli cooked by any method (try grilling) is especially good with this sauce. Try it on any noodle, zucchini noodles included.  To turn it into a dip for flatbreads and raw veggies use less water and add in the water until you reach a thickness of consistency that you like.

Ingredients
• 3 T tahini or other raw nut butter (sunflower, pumpkin seed, macadamia)
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 T Coconut Secret coconut amino acids (gluten & wheat-free substitute for tamari)
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon or ½ orange
• 1/3-1/2 cup water
• Dash cayenne (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon Z’atar spice (optional)

Directions
- Throw everything but the Z’atar spice (if using) and water in a blender or food processor. Blend until creamy.

- Add water gradually until reaches consistency you like.

- Stir in the Z’atar.

To Serve
- Toss 1 bunch steamed or boiled dark leafy greens with the sauce and serve.

Posted in dips, staple items | 3 Comments

Basic Steamed Greens

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Steaming greens is a really easy and quick cooking method.  After cooking, the water (called the “liquor”) that is used to steam the greens, becomes power-packed with minerals from the greens, so don’t waste it.  Drink it or use in soups or sauces.  The “liquor” is best used right away.

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch dark leafy greens (kale, bok choy, cabbage, chard)
  • Water

Directions

- Clean greens by rinsing under cool water.  Chop or rip up the leaves and stems into bite-sized pieces. (Kitchen scissors are great for chopping up greens)

- Put water in a pot with a metal steamer.  Bring to boil and add greens.  Cover and steam for 3-5 minutes until bright green.

To Serve

- Experiment with healthy oils and your condiment list or try Tahini Sauce for Greens

Posted in recipes, veggies | 2 Comments

Baked Kale Chips

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I know that many of my viewers don’t own a dehydrator, and therefore, you can’t make my “Delicately Sweet Kale Chips” or my “Raw Kale Chips.” Well, here’s a great recipe for kale chips that you can bake in the oven from the ever so useful and un-mundane (is that even a word) The Good Neighbor Cookbook, recipes created and written by a very talented friend of mine, Sara Quessenberry.

The Good Neighbor’s kale chip recipe is similar to my two raw kale chip recipes, but one bakes the kale chips instead of dehydrating them. If one is fearful of losing those precious enzymes and one has a really fancy oven, one can bake these kale chips at the lowest temperature the oven offers (usually 200º) and extend the baking time until one sees some crispy bits begin to form (about 10-20 minutes more).

Move over potato. There’s a new chip in town: all hail to the kale. Tossed with olive oil, the kale bakes up so crisp-thin, it shatters in your mouth. No need to dip with this chip; just sprinkle with a little flaky sea salt and serve in a big bowl for nibbling. They’re great for any book club gathering or for football playoffs this upcoming weekend: the perfect counter point to pigs in a blanket.

Kale Chips
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Serves 6 to 8

1 bunch kale, stems removed
6 tablespoons olive oil
flaky sea salt

Heat the oven to 300°F. Tear the kale into 2-inch pieces (8 to 10 cups total) and divide among two rimmed baking sheets.

Dividing evenly, toss the kale with the oil, making sure each leaf is lightly coated. Bake until the chips are crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve.

The chips will last for up to 3 days in a resealable plastic bag.

Posted in chips & crackers, recipes | 1 Comment

Wave Good-bye to your Microwave

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In my practice as a health counselor, I provide a service to my clients called, “The Kitchen Makeover.” During the “Kitchen Makeover” I look inside my clients’ refrigerators and cupboards and help them analyze their supplement “collections” and food selections, teach them to read food labels and encourage them to throw out those items that will not serve their health goals.  I also look at their cooking utensils, pots and pans and decide what they need and which tools need to be upgraded.  I look at the way their kitchen is laid out and help them organize their kitchen for maximum efficiency.  Streamlined Nutrition is all about efficiency…so why do I always ask my clients to seriously consider throwing out their microwave ovens? Aren’t microwave ovens a time-saving and therefore a streamlining appliance?

Microwaves save time. This is true, but microwaves throw out radiation. Radiation that you then ingest. Sounds like a recipe for cancer if you ask me and a lot of health experts. And, just like with highly processed food, microwaves, shake up and rearrange all the atoms in your food (even in your water) and damage the nutrients, epecially the fats. Fats that were once heart-healthy fats get broken up and begin to look a lot like trans-fats. If you are reading this blog, I probably don’t need to tell you about the dangers of trans-fats and why you should avoid them. They are against the law in New York and will be out-lawed in every state in the coming years.

If you work with Streamlined Nutrition we will teach you time-saving techniques in the kitchen so that you can cook from scratch in a matter of a few minutes. Your body will thank you and I bet your food will taste better too. Plus you’ll save money on pre-packaged microwaveable food.

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