Elementary Chef

I love these ideas! And if you’re cooking for kids (or generally picky eaters), these strategies will go a long way toward turning that all-white pasta and flour menu into something nutritious!

Sneaky Chef Strategies
With a few ingenious ingredients and simple substitutions, the Sneaky Chef can help parents in the never-ending quest for healthy foods that their children will devour happily. Below are some “sneaky” tips, along with a few examples of how to use The Sneaky Chef’s signature purees in family-friendly dishes:
— Always use a whole grain flour blend when making recipes that call for flour.
— Include the white puree of cauliflower and zucchini in macaroni and cheese.
— Sneak the purple puree of spinach and blueberries in brownie mixes.
— For grilled cheese sandwiches, spread an orange puree of sweet potatoes and carrots between the bread and cheese before frying.
— Cook rice in antioxidant-rich green tea instead of water to seal in extra nutrients while boiling.
— Wrap burritos and other kid-friendly items in “fast food-like” paper such as aluminum foil or clear wrap.

healthy eating, kids

Southerners joke about Yankees who come South and order “a grit.” I’m assuming y’all know that we serve these in bowls. Like oatmeal. Or cream of wheat. Some folks even serve shrimp with these.

Oh, come on, now. It’s not all that different than rissotto, right?

Southern Style Cheese Grits

6 cup water
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cup grits (regular not quick cook)
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs, well beaten
1 Lb Cheddar Cheese, grated (about 4 cups)
1-3 cloves garlic, minced
Cayenne pepper to taste

Bring water and salt to a rapid boil; gradually stir in grits with a fork. Cook until all water is absorbed. (25-30 minutes) Stir in butter bit by bit; carefully add eggs, cheese, garlic, and cayenne pepper. Put into a greased 2 1/2 qt. casserole; bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

grits, breakfast, recipes, cheese

So my friend, Sarah, is dancing as she sees this post… Yes, indeed. A knock-off recipe for Macaroni Grill’s Shrimp and Artichoke dip! Not exactly an “easy” recipe, but it’s detailed enough to get through.

Macaroni Grill’s Shrimp Artichoke Dip

2 cups half-and-half
1 tablespoon clam juice (look for this with tomato juice in most stores)
2 teaspoons dry white wine
3 tablespoons butter
1 shallot — finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour
4 cups rough chopped spinach
1 cup canned artichoke hearts — chopped
8 large shrimp — peeled, cleaned, chopped
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more to taste)
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese — optional

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine half-and-half, clam juice and white wine. In a separate saucepan, melt butter. Add shallots and saute until translucent. Add flour to butter mixture, stirring until flour is absorbed. Cook, stirring constantly, 2-3 minutes. Add heated half-and-half mixture all at once to the shallot mix, stirring constantly with a wire whip to remove any lumps. Add spinach, artichokes, shrimp, cayenne and black pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, so the mixture does not scorch. Remove mixture from heat, and stir in cheese, if desired. Pour dip into bowl and
serve hot.

macaroni grill, artichokes, shrimp, dip

This is my daughter’s favorite dessert, and it’s a Southern staple. Now that pecans are coming in season (we pick them up around our neighborhood), it’s time for some pies!

A special note from my daughter: She claims that you MUST measure the vanilla. The last pie she made, she “guessed” at the vanilla, and didn’t like the result.

Classic Pecan Pie

3 eggs slightly beaten
1 cup sugar
1 cup KARO light or dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/4 cups pecans
1 unbaked (9-inch) pie crust

Preheat oven to 350′F. In medium bowl with fork, beat eggs slightly. Add sugar, corn syrup, butter and vanilla; stir until well blended. Stir in pecans. Pour into pie crust. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Makes 8 servings.

pecan pie

Here’s an easy recipe that everyone will love!

Quesadillas

12 Flour tortillas
1/4 lb Butter
1 T Salt
1 c Monterey Jack; grated
1 c Mozzarella; grated
15 oz Sweet cherry peppers;-seeded & chopped

Spread the tortillas with the softened butter and salt on both sides.
Let the tortillas set for one hour. Spread with remaining butter and cover each tortilla with an equal amount of both cheeses and sweet cherry peppers.

Place the tortillas on an ungreased cookie sheet and broil for five to six minutes. The broiler should be four or five inches from the tortillas. Remove from the oven, cut into wedges, and serve at once.

quesadillas

This is where we have a little session of “true confessions.” My husband and I have been married for 6 years. We’ve been together for 10 years. We’re somewhat, well, shall we say, stubborn people. When we got together I had my microwave and he had his. It was important to him that his have a dial on it. (No, I’m not kidding.) I, on the other hand, needed my heat sensors. So…. We have two microwaves. His and hers. They are stacked on top of each other (mine is on top) in our kitchen.

Today, I read a press release that may finally move us toward a combined microwave. Amana has introduced a new microwave with convection capability. (Oooooh….. Aaaaaaaaaah……) And they’re even offering a free online cookbook! Check it out!

When the world’s first countertop microwave oven, the Amana(R) Radarange(R), debuted in 1967, it was initially viewed with skepticism but was hailed as a technological breakthrough. Now, in celebration of the microwave oven’s 40th anniversary Amana introduces the next generation of microwave cooking with a new convection microwave that offers added conveniences and practical features. Since the sixties, consumers have enjoyed saving time and energy in the kitchen. In fact, the microwave has saved Americans an estimated trillion minutes in cooking time since its introduction, allowing consumers to do other things they enjoy. Over time, the microwave gave Americans not only cooking flexibility, but an entirely new category of food items developed
solely for microwave use.

Today, the microwave oven has become a standard kitchen appliance in homes across the country. A microwave oven can be found in 90 million U.S. households and research shows that 95 percent of Americans own a microwave. Consumers even rated the popular appliance as one of the top five necessities they couldn’t live without.

Convection: For Even Cooking
Amana brand’s new microwave offers the added convenience of convection, which cooks foods evenly and quickly. Consumers can cook roast pork, meatloaf or casseroles without having to worry about hot, overly cooked spots or cold, undercooked sections. Convection also makes it easy to prepare delicious baked goods in the microwave, including cookies, brownies, muffins, biscuits, quick breads and even pies. It is like having a second oven at your finger tips.

Roomy Interior for Today’s Cooking Needs
Cavity size helps consumers decide which pan can easily fit into the microwave. The new Amana microwave features a large interior cooking cavity. The countertop convection oven features a 15-1/4″ x 10-7/8″ by 15-1/4 inch interior — large enough to accommodate a wide variety of foods.

21ST Century Styling for Today’s Kitchens
Amana brand’s new microwave oven is designed to fit seamlessly into today’s kitchen settings. The sleek and sophisticated new countertop model provides an added level of style to the original and blends flawlessly with other appliances. Colors include Black, Stainless Steel or White.

Plenty of Power at Your Fingertips
With the new microwave oven, Amana puts plenty of power at consumers’ fingertips. The countertop microwave convection offers 1500 watts of power — enough to cook a five-pound ham or beef roast, or a six-pound chicken or turkey.

Fast Food Redefined Online Cookbook
As part of the anniversary celebration, Amana will also introduce its first online microwave cookbook, “Fast Food Redefined: 40 Years Ago, Amana Invented a New Way to Cook.” The new Amana microwave cookbook, featuring 40 fast and easy recipes celebrating 40 years of microwave cooking, is available free to visitors of http://www.Amana.com/cookbook.

microwave, convection oven

Picking the perfect avocado is always a challenge. But when you do, they are oh-so-good. Here’s a fantastically simple grill recipe.

Chicken and Red Onion Kebabs with Spicy Hass Avocado from Mexico Mayo
3 to 4 large chicken breasts, cut into large cubes
3 large red onions, peeled
Salt and pepper
3 Hass avocados from Mexico, peeled and seeds removed
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Preheat grill.
Cut the onions into quarters, slide half of one quarter onto a wooden skewer. Next, slide on a cube of chicken. Repeat until the skewer is full. Season with salt and pepper, and place on preheated grill. Cover and let cook approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Flip skewers and leave on grill for 3 to 5 minutes until chicken is cooked.
For mayo, combine the remaining ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth.

chicken, avocado, kabobs

Pot roast is not a quick meal. But it’s an economical and hearty way to feed a family with minimal work on your part. While it takes a long time to cook a pot roast, it does not take a long time to prepare one! This recipe will work great in your slow cooker or crockpot, and assuming you have leftovers, it will turn into a great stew!

Crockpot Pot Roast

3-4 lb. chuck roast
1 can french onion soup
1 can golden mushroom soup (this is NOT cream of mushroom soup!)
2 T beef base (beef bullion cubes will work)
1.5 soup can water
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1 whole bay leaf
1 or 2 cubed golden potatoes
2 chopped carrots

Place roast in crockpot. Mix all other ingredients (except salt pepper) in large bowl. Pour over roast. Cover crockpot and cook for about 7 hours on low. Add potatoes and carrots about an hour before serving.

pot roast, crockpot, recipes

Maybe this is a strange place to comment on this, but the US Census Dept. released a press release about food stamps. Did you know that this week marks the anniversary of the creation of the food stamp? I think “stamping” out hunger is worth a nod. And it’s worth noting the stats:

This week in 1959, Congress officially recognized the need to help some Americans achieve minimum levels of nutrition, passing a bill which authorized food stamps for those with low incomes. Today, there are nearly 26 million Americans receiving food stamps. The average value of the coupons they receive each month is almost $93, and the total cost of the federal program is some $29 billion a year. Texas has the largest number of food stamp recipients, followed by California, New York, Florida and Illinois. It’s estimated that some 13.5 million households across the nation cannot count on a regular supply of food. You can find these and
more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau on the Web at http://www.census.gov.

food stamps

I love cheese. Just in general. I love it. Our friends at Cabot (whom I adore for making tasty low-fat cheese in addition to their full-fat offerings) have a slew of new recipes on their website. Cheese. Bread. Spread. Doesn’t get any better.

5-Point Spread (Makes about 1 1/2 cups)

8 ounces Cabot Sharp or Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese*, grated (about 3 cups)
4 ounces cream cheese
1/3 cup dark beer
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Large pinch cayenne pepper (ElementaryChef’s note: I used 1/8 teaspoon)
Thin-sliced rye or multi-grain bread or crackers

1. Combine first five ingredients in food processor or blender; process until smooth and creamy.
2. Serve with bread or crackers.

*Or flavored Cabot Cheddar, such as Pepper Jack or Horseradish

Cheese, spread, snacks, Cabot

This is one of my favorite desserts ever! It looks difficult, but really, it’s just a bunch of little baby steps. You can do this one!

Easy Mocha Brownie Torte

1 cup butter
4 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, broken into pieces
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans
Mocha Cream Filling (recipe follows)
Semi-Sweet Glaze (recipe follows)

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line bottom and sides of two 9-inch round pans with foil; grease foil. Melt butter and unsweetened
chocolate. Cool five minutes. In large bowl, beat eggs and vanilla until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Blend in chocolate mixture; fold in flour and pecans until blended. Spread half the mixture into each prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; using foil, remove from pans to wire racks. Peel off foil and cool completely.

Place one layer on serving plate; spread with Mocha Cream Filling.

Glaze second with Semi-Sweet Glaze. Cover, refrigerate until ready to serve.

To serve, gently place glazed layer on top of mocha filling layer.

Mocha Cream Filling:
Reserve 2 tbls. from 1 cup cold whipping cream for glaze. In small bowl, place remaining whipping cream, 3 tbls. powdered sugar and 2 tsp. powdered instant coffee, beat until stiff.

Semi-Sweet Glaze:
Melt 3 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate and reserved whipping cream together, just until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth when stirred.

torte, mocha, brownie, recipes

And of course, with a name like “as-seen-on-tv.info”, you KNOW they must be trustworthy! (Hey, at least they were smart enough not to run the name together…!)

Highly Touted One Touch Can Opener Found to Be Hazardous by As Seen on TV.Info, Inc.

You saw it demonstrated on TV. Business Week announced in the July 30, 2007 issue that they had awarded it a gold medal for design — “but we doubt that the judges opened a can with it,” said Norris Goff, founder of As Seen on TV.Info, Inc.

“When we tried it, everyone present immediately expressed alarm at the sharp edge of the can that was left exposed. The promotion for One Touch Can Opener makes a point that ordinary can openers leave the lid of the can with sharp edges — but the lid is of no further use and is disposed of at once. The promotion is silent about the sharp edge of the can, which must
be handled repeatedly as its contents are removed and it is subsequently washed for recycling.

“We recommend against it.”

“Our evaluations are available at http://www.As-Seen-On-TV.Info.”

It’s Labor Day weekend. Even though my preschooler is guaranteed to wake me no later than 6:30, I’m looking forward to what he calls a “stay at home day.” In the grand tradition of all other Labor Days, we’ll be cooking out, and I’ll be making this potato salad to take to the cook-out. I wanted something a little different, but still traditional. And this recipe fits that requirement!

Grilled Potato Salad

1 bag (24 oz) Baby White, Red or Dutch Yellow Potatoes
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 green onions, sliced crosswise 1/4-inch
1/3 cup rice vinegar

Preheat grill on medium.
Cover potatoes with cold water in medium pot; bring to simmer. Cook, uncovered, 10 min. Drain.
Transfer potatoes to a foil pan. Drizzle with oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover pan tightly with large piece of foil, sealing well. Place pan on grill; close lid. Cook, 15-20 min or until potatoes are tender. Use oven mitts to carefully remove foil cover; avoid steam. Cool potatoes slightly; cut in half. Toss with onions and vinegar in medium bowl.

potato salad, grill, recipes

For those of us (all of us!?!) who are just too darned busy to cook these days, I bring you… the crockpot. It is your friend. Nay, it may very well save you from a life of McDonald’s and Skillet Sensations. This recipe is a family favorite and is super easy to put together before work. And the house will smell oh-so-good when you come home!

CHICKEN IN WHITE WINE

1.5 - 2 lbs. chicken breast (boneless)
1/8 tsp tarragon
1/4lb butter
1 cup chicken broth
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic crushed
2 cups dry white wine
1lb. mushrooms sliced
salt and fresh ground black pepper

Melt the butter in large skillet and brown chicken, removing them to the crockpot as they brown.
Saute onion and garlic in the same skillet, then transfer into cooker. Add all other ingredients to cooker.
Cover, set at LOW, and cook 4-6 hrs. or until chicken is tender.

[/tags]chicken, crockpot [/tags]

In honor of the long weekend, I offer you… My Favorite EVER Drink. The Mojito.

2 oz. sweetened lime juice
4 mint leaves
1 sprig of mint
2 oz. Rum
2 oz. club soda

Place the mint leaves into a tall glass and pour the lime juice on top. Gently smash the mint into the lime juice with a muddler (a long wooden device, though you can also use the back of a fork or spoon if one isn’t available). Add ice (preferably crushed) then add the rum and stir, and top off with the club soda. Garnish with a mint sprig.

Mojito, rum, drink recipes