Cooking Classes at the YMCA

 We are so excited to announce our newest cooking venture!  In the Kitchens will be holding classes at the Centennial Hills YMCA starting this March. The first session (March 6, 13, 20, 27) will begin on Monday March 6th from 5:00-6:30 pm.  Children will learn how to use kitchen appliances and tools safely and confidently.  Children will also learn about healthy eating and well balanced meals.  Come join us to find out what a great experience cooking can be!  Call the YMCA to register at 702-478-9622 during regular business hours.  If you have any additional questions, contact us at www.inthekitchensus@gmail.com  See our March menu below.

  

March Menu

All Things Green

Cooking with green foods doesn't always appeal to children,  despite how healthy and nutritious they are. Let us show you how to make asparagus, broccoli, basil, and green peppers tasty for those picky eaters in your family.

Asparagus Guacamole with Bacon Asparagus Pizza

Broccoli Lo Mein

Bow Tie Pasta with Pesto

Pepper Rings with Eggs

Cauliflower Couscous

The best thing about this cauliflower couscous is you can change the flavors to your liking.
I steamed the cauliflower in chicken broth and the flavor was divine.  It is the perfect addition to any meal.

Ingredients

• 1-2 heads cauliflower (one large head or two small), totaling about 3 lbs., or 2 lbs. cauliflower florets
• 1/2 cup water ( I used broth)

Optional Ingredients

• Salt and black pepper
• 1 1/2 tbsp butter or margarine
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Parmesan cheese, sauteed vegetables, dried fruits, spices or other add-ins

Directions:

Grate the cauliflower using a grater or a food processor.  Place the grated cauliflower into a medium sauce pan of boiling water or broth.  Cover with a lid and let steam for 5-7 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed.  Fluff with a fork.  Add any other flavors you wish at this time.

Cookie or Cookie Bar?

My vote is for the cookie bar!  My daughter came home from school on Friday wanting to make a dessert for my husband's work party. She searched the internet for awhile looking for the perfect dessert recipe with the limited ingredients we had in our refrigerator. It was the end of a busy week and time to go to the grocery!  She finally found a cookie bar recipe from +Food Network .  She began gathering the ingredients and measuring each one carefully.  She followed each direction - reading and rereading to be sure she made no mistakes.  I sat there watching feeling proud of what I had taught her and proud  of her for being independent and able  to create this all on her own.  I am excited to see what cooking adventures will follow for her in the kitchen!

Cookie Bar Recipe

Smoothie Saturday

Today in Las Vegas it is a cold, cloudy, and rainy day.  The perfect time for a smoothie-especially when my daughter has a sore throat.  Smoothies are a fast easy way to pack lots of vitamins and nutrients into every sip.  Not only are they very healthy, they even taste good too!  I have been known to sneak in a handful of kale or spinach too.  Whenever I add those leafy greens, I try to put in grapes or a drizzle of honey to help hide the flavor of veggies.  Grab your blender.  If you have ice, yogurt, bananas, orange juice, and fresh or frozen fruit you are ready to go!

Below is a video of how to make a basic fruit smoothie.

Rachel Ray's Kid Friendly Smoothies 

+Rachael Ray Show 

Knife Safety

picture by: theculinarycook.com

Knife safety is a major concern for anyone who is in the kitchen, especially children.
In the Kitchens has used a couple of strategies to help kids learn how to cut safely with a knife.

1. We have used a kid friendly plastic serrated knife. They are good for teaching very young kids or very beginning chefs. It mostly tears the food, which gets the job done. Food will not have clean cut lines though. Softer foods such as tomatoes will be difficult to cut.

2. We have also used a cut resistant glove. This gives a barrier of protection between the knife and your skin.  However, in our opinion it limits the dexterity needed when cutting.

 

3. We have also used a regular sharpened knife and provided hand over hand guidance to not only show our students how to cut, but also to protect their fingers.

 4.  Lastly, we always tell our students to cut a food, so that it has a flat surface. For example an onion.  Cut it in half and lay the onion on the flat side. Then begin to slice and dice!

Please let us know if you have any additional questions. Hope that this information is helpful to you and your beginning chef! #knifesafety #inthekitchens #kidscooking

The attached link provides great tips and pictures for keeping any cook safe in the kitchen.
http://www.eatyourbeets.com/kitchen-tips/7-tips-for-teaching-your-kids-how-to-use-a-knife/

Broccoli

 

 Broccoli is a dark green leafy vegetable that belongs to Brassica, a plant family that includes kale, cabbage,cauliflower and brussels sprouts. This vegetable was originated in Italy, where the name ‘broccoli’ is derivedfrom the Italian word broccolo, meaning ‘branch’ and was first cultivated in the 17th or 18th century.

Broccoli is one of the most popular vegetables all over the world that used in a variety of dishes and cuisines. This vegetables can be eaten raw or cooked, but the best ways are to steam or eat them raw as salad, because that preserves the nutrients in it.
Broccoli has long been regarded as one of the super foods that packed with tremendous health benefits. The nutritional value of broccoli can be considered as the powerhouse of iron, protein, calcium, chromium, carbohydrates, vitamin A and vitamin C.
Broccoli also contains important phytochemicals and antioxidants, which fight various illnesses and infections. The top three proven health benefits of broccoli are as given below:

1. Anti-cancer properties
   The American Cancer Society recommends eating more broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables because they contain phytochemicals – anti-cancer properties. Epidemiological studies suggest that a diet rich in broccoli can reduce the risk of certain types of cancer such as breast cancer, colon cancer and lung cancer.
2. Anti aging properties
   Broccoli also has anti aging properties which can reverse the effect of the aging process.
3. Aid digestion
   Broccoli is rich in fiber, which helps with digestion and works at dealing with or even preventing constipation. 

For more benefits visit:  http://www.ehealthzine.com/broccoli-health-benefits.html

Tonight's dinner:

 

Picture by: fastapasta.com

Homemade Chicken Fettuccine and Broccoli

 

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces refrigerated fettuccine pasta 
• 1 crown of broccoli florets
• 2 tablespoons butter
•  2-3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into chunks
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced 
• 1/2 of a  yellow onion
• 1 teaspoon of garlic salt
• 1/8 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fettuccine and broccoli florets and cook for 2 to 3 minutes; drain.
2. In a large skillet, brown chicken and mushrooms and onions in butter until chicken is cooked through. Season with garlic salt and pepper. Add whipping cream and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Add Parmesan cheese when at desired consistency.  Add noodles and broccoli to combine. Serves 4.

Family recipe

Perfectly Boiled Eggs

                                                                          

How to Make Perfect Soft-Boiled or Hard-Boiled Eggs

Ingredients:

• 6 large eggs 
• water

Equipment:

• Stockpot with a fitted lid 
• Large slotted spoon 
• Bowl, ice and water for ice bath 
• Timer

Instructions:
STEP 1: Carefully place uncooked eggs in a single layer in a stockpot. Add cold water until the eggs are submerged under about one inch of water.
 
STEP 2: Bring to a full boil, uncovered.  

STEP 3: Immediately turn off heat, remove from the burner and cover. 
 
STEP 4: Set timer for… 

• 3 minutes for very runny soft-boiled eggs with just-set whites 
• 4 minutes for runny soft-boiled eggs 
• 6 minutes for creamy, custard-y “medium”-boiled eggs 
• 8 minutes for firm (but still creamy) hard-boiled eggs 
• 10 minutes for firm hard-boiled eggs 
• 12 minutes for very firm hard-boiled eggs

Step 5:  I have found this method for peeling foolproof: submerge the hot cooked eggs into an ice bath, and gently crack them a bit on one of more of the sides. This allows the cold water to seep in between the hot egg and shell and separate them making peeling easy!

Here are some facts that In the Kitchens has found to be very helpful to kids and grown ups alike!

What are the health benefits of eggs?
In 2000 the American Heart Association revised their guidelines after decades of studies showed that high levels of cholesterol in food (like eggs) were not to blame for heart disease.

Some egg producers also enhance the omega-3 fat content of their egg yolks by supplementing their chicken feed with things like flaxseed, seaweed and other nutrient-dense foods. Omega-3s are an important anti-inflammatory fat that humans can’t produce on our own.
Whole eggs are high in protein and absolutely packed with vitamins. Highlights include choline, which may enhance memory and brain health, as well as nutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin, which may lower the risk of macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of age-related blindness.

Are eggshells useful for anything?
So many things!
One of the most common ways to use eggshells is to keep plants healthy. You can use nutrient-dense eggshells in your composting — they are doubly great outdoors since they act as a natural pesticide for slugs and snails that don’t like sharp shells (and deer, who don’t like the smell of eggs). Indoors, you can crush up egg shells into your potted plants or let the shells soak in a jar of water that you later use to water your plants. You can also start seedlings in them over the winter and plant them in their very compostable containers in the spring.
In addition to the plant-related uses, you can use eggshells as an abrasive pan scrubber, add them to a broth or stock for extra calcium and minerals (just remember to strain them out before consuming or cooking with it), and to sharpen blender blades by running the blender with eggshells and water in it.

See more on: Pillsbury.com