Prepare the other fillings:
Open your package of tofu, and cut into thin slices. Since it is soft, a butter knife or plastic knife will work fine. Put the pieces of tofu on a plate and set aside until you are ready to fill your spring rolls.
Use a vegetable peeler to cut thin slices of carrot. Or grate the carrot with either a rotary cheese grater or box grater. Set the grated carrot aside.
Cut some basil or mint leaves into thin strips with clean scissors.
Assemble the spring rolls:
Pour some warm water into a large bowl or a glass baking dish with sides.
Dip a sheet of rice paper in warm water until it softens. Lay the softened rice paper wrapper on a clean surface, such as a plate or cutting board.
Onto the wrapper, put a few pieces of tofu, a large pinch each of bean sprouts and shredded carrots, basil or mint leaves, and a large pinch of bean thread noodles.
Gently wrap the rice paper, burrito-style. Fold one side toward the middle. Then fold up the bottom, then the other side, followed by the top. Be sure that it is wrapped tightly, enclosing the filling firmly. If the wrapper gets wrinkled or tears, you can simply wrap it in a second wrapper to neaten it up.
Place on a plate with the seam underneath.
If you prefer, slice each roll in half and serve with sweet chili dipping sauce.
Smashed Avocado on Toast
Serves 2
Avocado is an ideal growing food, complete with vitamins and oils to help with brain development. You can scoop it right out of the peel and eat it with a spoon, you can mash it into guacamole, or you can spread it on toast for a light and healthy summertime lunch.
2 slices whole grain sandwich bread
Olive oil
Salt or Parmesan cheese, to taste
1 avocado
½ lemon or lime
Toast bread until light brown and crispy. Carefully remove from the toaster and put it on a plate.
Pour 2–4 teaspoons of olive oil in a small bowl.
Using a pastry brush, brush the olive oil onto one side of each slice of bread.
Sprinkle the bread lightly with salt or Parmesan, your choice.
Cut open the avocado and remove the pit.
Scoop out the flesh with a spoon and put it on the toast. Using a butter knife, spread the avocado evenly on the toast.
Squeeze the lemon or lime over the avocado and sprinkle again with a teensy bit of salt or Parmesan.
KID ZONE
Fruit or Vegetable?
Are avocados fruits or vegetables? They are commonly served in salads with other veggies like lettuce and carrots. But they are really fruits!
See if your friends think these items are fruits or veggies: tomatoes, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, bell peppers, chili peppers, pumpkins, green beans, and eggplant.
Surprise! Every one of them is a fruit. Fruits don't need to be sweet — they just need to contain seeds!
Chinese Chicken Salad
Serves 4
Many farmer's markets have meat vendors who sell chicken raised humanely on local farms. If you cannot find a local source for your poultry, talk to the butcher in your neighborhood grocery store about which ones are raised free of hormones and antibiotics.
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 pound chicken breast, boneless and skinless
½ head green cabbage
¼ head red cabbage
1 large carrot
3 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, greens included (about ½ cup)
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges in water
1 can sliced water chestnuts (8 ounces)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
2 tablespoons sugar (or 1 tablespoon agave nectar)
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Measure soy sauce and sesame oil.
Stir them together.
Put the chicken in a baking dish (with sides). Using a pastry or basting brush, brush the soy sauce mixture onto the raw chicken.
Cook the chicken until the juices run clear (15–30 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken pieces).
Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to cool.
Cut into thin slices.
Slice the green and red cabbage into thin ribbons (slice into the whole head with a sharp knife).
Put the cabbage into a large bowl.
Grate the carrot with a rotary cheese grater or on the side of a box grater.
GOING GREEN
Meatless Monday
This salad can easily be made with tofu instead of chicken — the perfect adaptation if you would like to have a fresh and healthy meal for “Meatless Monday.” Farm animals require lots of food and water, and of course they produce loads of methane, which causes global warming, and poop, which can pollute local waterways and groundwater. By going vegetarian at least one day of the week, you can reduce the environmental impact of the meat industry. We fondly call that “voting with your fork.”
Add the shredded carrots to the bowl.
Using clean scissors, snip the scallions into small pieces (about ¼″).
Open the can of mandarin oranges and the can of sliced water chestnuts.
Drain the oranges and water chestnuts in a colander over the sink, rinse them in fresh water, and add them to the bowl.
Add the pieces of chicken to the bowl.
To make the dressing:
Measure salt, pepper, sugar, canola and sesame oils, and rice vinegar and put in a bowl.
Whisk together and pour dressing over the salad.
Mix the salad together with clean hands or salad tongs and top with toasted almonds, if desired.
Note: You can also use leftover chicken for this recipe. Simply toss bite-sized pieces of cooked chicken with the soy sauce and sesame oil for flavor.
There's Turkey in My Pocket
Serves 3–6*
Aside from sharing a delicious meal with family, one of the best parts of Thanksgiving is the leftovers! Transform your leftover turkey into this light and whimsical salad filled with color, flavor, and crunch. Best of all, it's served in a pocket!
*Serving size depends on the size and appetite
3 large lettuce leaves, romaine or butter
2 stalks celery
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup dried plums (prunes), pitted and diced
2 tablespoons chives, optional
2 cups turkey, diced
½ cup plain low-fat yogurt
Salt and pepper
3 whole wheat pita breads, halved
Wash lettuce leaves and dry with a clean towel.
Rinse celery.
Use a vegetable peeler to peel the tough outer layer of each stalk of celery. Cut the celery into small pieces (about ¼″). Put the pieces into a large bowl.
Measure the cranberries and add them to the bowl.
Use clean scissors to cut the dried plums into small pieces.
Snip the chives with clean scissors into tiny pieces (if using).
Add the cranberries, dried plums, and chives to the bowl. Dice the turkey into ¼–½″ cubes. Add them to the mixture in the bowl. Measure yogurt and add to the turkey mixture.
Using clean hands, a spoon, or a spatula, stir the salad ingredients together until coated in yogurt. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve, scoop some of the turkey mixture and put inside a pita pocket. Add some lettuce for extra color and crunch, and enjoy.
Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
R & B Chili
Serves 6
The midday meal helps fuel our children for the rest of their busy day. The rice and bean combination is a complete protein and takes a traditionally meaty chili in a different directi
on. Make it fun for your kids. Pack the chili in a thermos along with some delicious toppings and tortilla chips in reusable containers on the side.
½ cup dried black beans, or 1 cup canned
½ cup dried pinto beans, or 1 cup canned
1 red onion
2 carrots
1 stalk celery, organic if possible
1 red bell pepper, organic if possible
1 green bell pepper, organic if possible
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 cup brown rice, short grain
2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, organic if possible (If you like a little extra spiciness, use fire-roasted with green chiles)
2 cups water
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
Optional toppings: plain yogurt, sour cream, grated sharp Cheddar cheese, cilantro leaves
If you are using dried beans, soak them overnight, drain them, and then cook them until they are tender.
Dice the red onion.
Wash the carrots, celery, and bell peppers in cool water.
Dice the carrots and celery.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or covered pot over medium-high heat.
Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes or until they start to turn brown.
Add the carrots and celery and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
Dice the bell peppers.
Peel the paper skin from the garlic.
Mash the garlic with a garlic press or dice it finely with a sharp knife.
Add it to the pot and stir for about 30 seconds.
Add the bell peppers to the pot and stir.
Measure the brown rice.
Add the brown rice to the pot and stir to combine all of the ingredients.
If you are using canned beans, drain and rinse them over a colander in the sink.
Add the beans and 2 cups of water to the pot.
Open the cans of tomatoes. Pour the tomatoes, along with their juice, into the pot.
Measure and add the chili powder, cumin, and salt to the other ingredients.
Bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, cover and reduce to a simmer for an hour.
Remove the lid and simmer for an additional 20 minutes.
If desired, top with plain yogurt, sour cream, shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, and/or minced cilantro.
Croque Monsieur
Adapted with permission from my friend and fellow IACP member, Belinda Smith-Sullivan.
Serves 4
Leave it to the French to turn something as simple as a sandwich into a unique mouthwatering experience. The Croque Monsieur (pronounced croak missyer), which means “crisp mister,” is a classic in Parisian cafes and throughout France. The Croque — as it is referred to — is simply a ham and cheese sandwich fried in butter. So you are probably wondering what makes it so special. It's the frying in butter that transforms this sandwich into a golden brown delight oozing with warm melted cheese. Serve it with a fried egg on top and it becomes a Croque Madame. Add turkey or chicken and you have a Monte Cristo.
1 loaf round crusty French bread
4 slices Gruyère cheese
3 tablespoons butter, as needed
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, as needed
8 slices baked ham
Slice the bread if it is not already sliced.
Slice 4 generous slices of cheese.
Soften or melt the butter in the microwave or on the stove.
For each sandwich, spread Dijon mustard on one side of two slices of bread.
Add 2 slices of ham and 1 slice of cheese per sandwich.
Generously butter the outside of each sandwich on both sides.
Heat a large skillet or double-burner griddle, coated with cooking spray, on medium-high heat.
Add the sandwiches and cook for 3–4 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
GOING GREEN
Field of Dreams: Pasture-Raised Animals
The meat industry is a controversial one, and I'll admit that I spent more than twenty years of my life avoiding it on principle. Factory farms aren't kind to animals and they produce gobs of pollution. Those two reasons alone are more than enough to create vegetarians out of some people.
Pastured meat is another story. These animals roam in a natural environment and are able to eat grasses and other plants that their bodies are adapted to eat. If their grazing lands are rotated properly, these animals can also fertilize the ground and maintain a healthy ecosystem. Instead of the producer relying on fossil fuels to transport animal feed and waste, pasture-raised animals feed themselves and spread their own manure.
Another bonus: Research shows that the meat from pastured animals has more vitamins and is lower in fat and calories!
Wrap It Up: Toga Style
Serves many!*
Wraps are fun to eat. Not only can you change what's inside, but you can switch out the wrapper too. Tortillas come in a variety of different colors (such as green-colored with spinach, or red-colored with tomato) and can be made out of corn, flour, and a variety of other grains. Corn tortillas, while tasty, aren't the best choice for wrap recipes because they have a tendency to crumble when cold.
*Makes as many wraps as you have ingredients for!
Hummus (see the recipe in Chapter 7)
Whole wheat flour tortillas
Spinach leaves
Kalamata olives
Cucumber
Feta cheese
Spread a thin layer of hummus on a tortilla.
Wash and dry the spinach leaves.
Slice the kalamata olives and the cucumber.
Crumble the feta cheese.
Layer the spinach, olives, cucumber, and feta cheese onto the tortilla.
Fold up the side farthest from you.
Roll the tortilla from left to right and place it with the seam side down on your serving plate or in your reusable school lunch container.
GOING GREEN
Conserving Our Resources
To conserve energy, wash your produce in cold water. Instead of letting the water pour from the faucet as you rinse your veggies, simply fill your sink with a few inches of water and wash all of the produce for your meal at once.
Chewy Maple Granola Bars
Serves 8*
Can you name one thing that all store-bought granola bars have in common? If you said “packaging,” you are right! Each bar is wrapped in a nonrecyclable wrapper and then all of them are bundled together in a cardboard box. All of that packaging takes energy and resources to produce, and it usually all ends up in a landfill. Making your own snacks is one of the easiest ways to use your kitchen to help the planet. By baking granola bars at home, you eliminate the need for wrappers. Instead, you can pack these tasty treats in reusable containers and take them anywhere you go!
*The servings depend on how large you cut the bars!
½ cup butter, melted and cooled
¼ cup honey
¼ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 cups oats (not instant)
½ cup shredded coconut (either sweetened or unsweetened)
¾ cup dried cranberries or blueberries
1/3 cup raisins
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup flour
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2/3 cup pecan halves
½ cup chocolate chips, optional
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly while you prepare the other ingredients.
Measure honey, maple syrup, and vanilla into a bowl, and stir to combine.
Crack the egg over a small bowl. Fish out any stray shells.
Add the egg and butter to the syrup mixture.
Measure oats, coconut, dried berries, raisins, cinnamon, salt, flour, seeds, pecans, and chocolate chips (if usin
g), and pour into a large bowl.
Use clean hands to mix together.
Pour the syrup mixture over the oats mixture.
Use clean hands or two spoons to mix the ingredients together and be sure that the oats are coated in the maple syrup mixture.
Line a 9″ square baking pan with two sheets of parchment paper. Be sure you press the paper into the corners.
Spoon the coated oat mixture into the baking pan and press flat, filling the entire pan.
Bake on the lower rack of the oven for 20–25 minutes, until the top is set and starts to turn golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to come to room temperature.
Refrigerate for at least an hour before cutting into squares.
Store in an airtight container.
Salty Pretzel Pillows
Serves 8
Science happens everywhere we look … and even in some places we don't. The kitchen is an especially wonderful laboratory for this recipe. Not only do you get to observe yeast in action, but you also see chemistry at work when you bathe your pretzel pillows in a baking soda solution before putting them in the oven. Pay particular attention to the golden brown color on your nuggets, which would ordinarily take a much longer baking time to generate. It's not magic — it's kitchen science!
Pretzel dough:
1 package active dry yeast (2½ teaspoons)
2 tablespoons brown sugar, light or dark
1½ cups warm water, approximately 110°F
The Whole Family Cookbook Page 5
