I'm super excited that Chanie from Busy in Brooklyn took up my offer to enhance my post about cooking with my kid. Chanie's blog is FULL of super recipes and creative ideas, all infused with a fresh and joyous take on being a homemaker.
She definitely IS busy in Brooklyn, crocheting her baby's pacifier clips and turning even her leftovers into a new awesome dish. In short, she is someone I'd love to emulate but probably never will. So at the least I'm privileged to feature her insights and recipes here. Thank you, Chanie! Be sure to visit her blog, and like her Facebook page where, among other things, she posts her Shabbos menus that will get you drooling (and most of all, busy in the kitchen!).
COOKING WITH YOUR KIDS (Part 2)
Reasons to Try...and Recipes to Try!
Cooking with your kids doesn't just start at the stove-top. I realized this one day when I asked my daughter to get me the mayonnaise from the fridge. "What's that?"she asked innocently. That's when I realized, I had never really shown her around the kitchen. I just took for granted that she knew what soy sauce was and where the spaghetti was stored. From then on, I implemented a new family routine. Every week, when our food order was delivered, my kids would empty the boxes and put everything away. I would teach them what each thing was called, and where it belonged in the pantry or fridge. In no time at all, this became their most cherished activity of the week. Not to mention, mine too.
Once they've mastered the ingredient list, it's time to show your kids around the kitchen supplies. Introduce them to different kitchen utensils such as sifters, whisk, and spatulas and explain to them how they are used (you can do this during the cooking process).
Cooking is also a great opportunity to teach your kids about kosher. And I'm not talking about the fish and scales kind of education. I show my children how I inspect fruits and vegetables for bugs, check eggs for blood spots and point out the different kosher symbols on food packaging. They are so curious and eager to learn and just soak it all in like a sponge!
When it comes to the actual cooking, I find that my kids are willing and able to do anything I ask. From collecting the ingredients, to mixing, pouring, assembling, and even cleaning up the mess afterwards.
Chopping and dicing aside, so many dishes can be prepared with your kids help. But mostly, they enjoy preparing the foods that they like to eat. That doesn't mean you have to take out your cake decorating kit and whip up butterfly cupcakes. All you need are some simple, easy recipes that you can enjoy preparing together.
Here are a few to get you started!
Fruit Skewers with Dipping Sauce & Crunch
Ingredients:
Fruit of choice, such as melon, berries, pineapple, grapes, bananasplain yogurt, cottage cheese or sour cream
Add-ins: good-quality preserves, honey, maple syrup, cinnamon
toppings: granola, graham crackers, cereal, chopped nuts
Instructions:
1. Cut up fruit into bite-size pieces.
2. Set fruit out in separate bowls.
3. Arrange fruit skewers by alternating different fruit on a toothpick or bamboo skewer.
4. Mix favorite add-ins into dipping sauce of your choice.
5. Dip fruit skewers into sauce and sprinkle with crunchy topping of choice.
Quesadillas
Ingredients:
2 tortilla wraps
ketchup
shredded mozzarella cheese
shredded cheddar cheese
add-ins of your choice (onions, peppers, olives, mushrooms etc)
marinara sauce, for dipping (optional)
Instructions:
1. Spread ketchup on each wrap.
2. Spray a pan with cooking spray and heat up.
3. Place wrap in the pan, ketchup side up.
4. Sprinkle with mozzarella and/or cheddar cheese.
6. Add veggie fillings of choice.
7. Top with 2nd tortilla, ketchup side down.
8. Press down on the quesadilla with a spatula.
9. When the cheese has started to melt and the bottom wrap has browned, carefully flip it over with spatula.
10. When the bottom has browned, remove from the pan and cut into triangles with a pizza wheel or knife.
Kitchen Sink Cookies
Ingredients:
Basic cookie dough (see recipe below)
Add-ins: nuts, pretzel pieces, chocolate lentils, chocolate chips, dried fruit, rice krispies, marshmallows
Instructions:
1. With a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.
2. Add egg and vanilla and mix.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour and baking soda.
4. Slowly add the flour to the creamed mixture and beat to combine.
5. With a spoon, mix in add-ins of choice.
6. Drop spoonfuls of batter onto ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and cool.
Basic Cookie Dough:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
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