A little catching up to do here. The semester ended with our work sleeves rolled up. Our last three recipes were all on the menu for our end of the semester party in late January. It was slightly nerve wrecking piling all our party recipes at the end. A lesson to next semester. My students were great sports through it all though, it seems they have learned to handle parties. No more, “this is boring” after completing two rolls! I even heard a few, “this is really fun.”

Grape Leaves

The grape leaves were great fun to roll. “Leaves?! We’re going to be eating leaves?”

“Sure, you eat lettuce don’t you, that’s a leaf.”

“So this is going to taste like lettuce?”

“Not exactly.”

While most of my older students– third, fourth and fifth graders, really enjoyed these, my younger students weren’t so sure. I think this has to do with a shortened cooking time I decided on to fit this into our 1 hour class schedule. I steamed these for a quick 20 minutes and think an oven-braised approach in a little chicken stock-tomato combo would have been more successful. Ironically, when the K to 2nd graders made their own pomegranate-only grape leaves and ate them uncooked they thought they were right on target. On the other hand, these were a huge success with parents at our end of the semester party. Multiple families followed me to the kitchen to nab some leftovers post-soiree. (Recipes at bottom.)

Arepas

These were more of a success than I was ready for. Okay, I love arepas from the local Venezualan hole-in-the-wall. I love corn and cornmeal. I know kids love corn, but I wasn’t so sure about a cornmeal-like patty slathered in an addictive (according to me) avocado sauce. These were super easy to make. The best part– the kids loved them and they loved making them. While they were mixing they were begging for a taste- “Just a little longer!” I kept saying, “We’ll warm them up in the oven and they’ll be much better.” Still, I caught some pre-cooked dough getting into the mouths.

Once we finished how many times did I have to repeat what we made? “Wait, how do you say these, rapas?”

“A-re-pas.”

“A-rapas.”

Close enough. They all have a cookbook and can review and learn. (Recipes at bottom.)

Brownie Bites

I had two kids that didn’t like these. One didn’t like chocolate. (What?!) The other thought they were cold and he threw his out because he doesn’t like to eat cold things (”Unless it’s ice cream.” “Oh, of course.”). I combined a few recipes I found online then adapted them into something I was happy with. I cut the sugar content and added preserves for a fruity flavor. If they were in season, I would have added fresh fruit too. I had some dehydrated powdered cherries (it looks like pink powdered sugar and tastes like cherries) that we dusted on top the final for our party.

Needless to say, these were beyond a hit at the end of the semester party. I kept receiving phone calls in the kitchen, “Send more brownies up!” I think my kitchen helpers (my 4th and 5th graders) slipped a few more in their mouths then I was aware of– By the end of the night they were so drunk on sugar they got a little sloppy in their presentation going upstairs to the party.

Pomegranate Grape Leaves
Makes about 40 grape leaves

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
2 cups wild rice, rinsed (or 1/2 cup wild rice plus 1/2 cup brown rice)
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons dried mint
1 jar grape leaves, rinsed well and lightly dried
lemon wedges

Heat oil in a sauce pan on medium high heat. Add onions, sauté 3 minutes. Add garlic, salt, cinnamon, pepper and cardamom, sauté 2 minutes more. Add wild rice, mix to coat evenly. Add chicken stock, cover and cook until rice is almost fully cooked, slightly al dente. Stir in pomegranate molasses, pomegranate seeds and mint. Season with more salt to taste if necessary. Cool slightly, 10 minutes.
Spread grape leaves flat on a work surface, veins up. Place one tablespoon rice filling in the center, fold up bottom edges then sides, then roll up tight. Continue with remaining grape leaves and filling.
Bring 2-inches of water to a boil and set a steamer basket inside. Layer grape leaves (can be placed on top of each other). Cover and steam 20 minutes. Serve warm or chilled sprinkled with lemon juice.
NOTE: Replace half to all of the pomegranate seeds with pine nuts. Add ground lamb or beef for extra flavor. Serve as an appetizer or with pita, meze dips and carrot salad, above.

Arepas with Avocado Sauce & Black Beans
Makes about 40 1-inch arepas

Arepa:
1 cup whole milk
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup masarepa (pre-cooked corn flour, sometimes called Harina precocida or Masa al instante)
1 cup grated queso fresco
1/2 cup sweet corn kernels (if frozen, thawed)
grape seed or peanut oil for cooking

Avocado Sauce (Guasacaca):
1 avocado, rough chopped
1 cup fresh cilantro, rough chopped
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup fresh parsley, rough chopped
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 can black beans, washed and drained

Stir milk, butter, honey, salt and allspice in a small saucepot over medium heat until it simmers. Stir in the masarepa and queso fresco. Stir until very thick, about 5 minutes, remove from heat. Stir in corn kernels until evenly incorporated. Set aside to cool and thicken, about 10 minutes.

While cooling, make the avocado sauce. Blitz avocado, mayonnaise, cilantro, lime juice and salt in a blender until smooth.

Scoop up balls of the arepa batter, slightly smaller than a golf ball. Transfer to a tray, flattening into 1/4-inch disk. Continue with remaining batter, setting on a tray as you finish. Heat about 3 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear arepas in batches, careful not to crowd, until golden, 4 minutes, turn, then cook another 4 minutes. To serve: add a dollop of the avocado sauce then top with a few black beans. Serve warm or at room temperature.
NOTE: You can alternatively brush the arepas with butter or oil and bake about 15 minutes until golden.

Cherry Brownie Bites

5 ounces dark chocolate, broken into 1/2-ounce pieces
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for coating pan
3 eggs
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup seedless cherry preserves
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon for coating pan
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a 9″x 13″ x 1-1/2″-inch pan with butter. Flour the pan with 1 tablespoon flour, shake out excess.
Melt chocolate pieces and butter over a double boiler (place a heat-proof bowl over a small saucepot with boiling water). Stir periodically to prevent burning, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat when almost totally melted, stir to finish melting, set aside. With an electric mixer on high, whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla until thick, about 2 minutes. Add chocolate mixture, preserves and sour cream, mixing until fully incorporated. Sift in flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Mix until just combined.
Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake 30 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool at room temperature for 5 minutes then refrigerate 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.
NOTE: Use your favorite preserve here. Raspberry, blueberry, apricot, peach would all taste great!

(Sadly, I didn’t take photos this past week. If I remember I’ll bring home one of my students drawings to scan and post– when we have down time I have students draw dishes we made to put in the cookbook next to the recipes.)

The week before winter break I took it easy with my students. I perhaps should not seeing we have our end of the semester party coming up at the end of January. At the moment we have three items frozen for the party: empanadas, veggie wontons and this week entries meze dips. I’m being given vague answers on the numbers to expect (anywhere from 50 to 300 adults), how much is consumed (the food is always finished early) and what’s been done in the past (the truffles were a hit). On top of it, I’ve only catered my own parties with help yourself/buffet service and the last time I passed food was for Girl Scouts. For this event I have fifth graders passing food. All that combined I’m starting to get a little nervous.

The week before winter break we were supposed to make stuffed grape leaves. I realized our week was shortened and knew some students would be taking longer breaks and not be in class. I needed those grape leaves for the party and frankly, I need the motor skills of my older students (classes that would be canceled due to break). A quick rearrangement and I had meze dips ready for my students in the shortened week.

Meze dips are a perfect no hassle party food. Easy to make in large quantities and take hardly any time to prepare. (Seriously, I had so much time at the end of class I started asking everyone what they wanted to make next semester. Unfortunately, the ideas for the most part didn’t go past a traditional kid’s menu.) The dips for the most part also freeze well. This meant the students could kick out large quantities of dips in small numbers.

Another great thing about these meze is that the kids are familiar with the ingredients or at least final product. Hummus? Sure I eat that all the time. What?! Made out of beans, gross! Red peppers? Delicious. Tzatziki? I can’t say it, but cucumbers are my favorite food. Meaning? These dips are a great way to get kids eating good food they like. (Recipes below)

The first week back was also an easy time for my students. I was on vacation. That didn’t mean my students got a vacation though. I forwarded a no-cook Moroccan salad to school, bought all the ingredients and prepped work areas. We’ll see how that turned out when I return Monday.

Pita Wedges
1 packet pita
olive oil
za’atar*

*Za’atar is a wild thyme-based spice mixture available at Middle Eastern or specialty markets or in the International section of high end groceries. Each blend is slightly different based on the producer, but other spices include sesame seeds, sumac, salt and Aleppo pepper.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice pita into 8 wedges. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with za’atar. Use as a base for the following meze dips:

Tzatziki
4 Persian cucumbers (or 1 regular, seeded), diced
2 pints Greek-style yogurt
2 lemons, juiced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
5 sprigs fresh dill, washed and chopped
salt to taste
paprika, for garnish

Mix first six ingredients. Place a dollop on a pita wedge, sprinkle with paprika to serve.

Hummus
1 16 ounce can chickpeas, washed and drained
2 cloves garlic
1 lemon, juiced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
salt to taste
za’atar, for garnish

Place first 6 ingredients in a blender. Blitz until smooth, adding water, 2 tablespoons at a time as needed to process. Salt to taste. Place a dollop on a pita wedge, sprinkle with za’atar to serve.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip
2 cups roasted red peppers (if using jarred, drain and pat dry)
1 lemon, juiced
1 shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 clove garlic
1 cup tahini
salt to taste
capers, for garnish (or a single caper berry)

Place first six ingredients in a blender. Blitz until smooth. Salt to taste. Place a dollop on a pita wedge, sprinkle with capers to serve. Note: Replace tahini with yogurt, feta, almonds or walnuts for a totally new dip.

Moroccan Carrot Salad
1/2 pound carrots, washed, peeled and grated (about 4 large carrots)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix ingredients until combined. Season with more salt to taste if desired. Serve as a side dish or with pita wedges (above). Note: Try this salad stuffed in a pita with roasted chicken or one of the above dips.

Sweet Potato Latkes with Applesauce

Last week my students harnessed their Bubbes. Out came the graters, or as the kids call them, “the shredders,” pushed back their sleeves, tied on those aprons and got down to business. Potatoes are hard for little hands to shred, especially those larger sweet potatoes. They are heavy, they are awkwardly shaped and they’re dense. As you can see in the picture above, sometimes two sets of hands (a second to hold the shredder) was needed.

The students were great sports through it all.

“Latkes? What’s that.”

“They’re potato pancakes for Hannukah.”

“What do they taste like?”

“Sort of like french fries.”

And that’s all it took to set them into a shredding frenzy.

I broke each class into three groups, each making a different latke flavor so we could explore some spices. One made plain salt and pepper, another made cumin and the third made our “dessert” cinnamon latkes. A few eggs and then we crisped them up in olive oil and enjoyed them with applesauce. (recipe at bottom)

Lemon Stained Glass Cookies

This week my classes are celebrating their second week of holidays. As Hannukah is just about leaving us, we’re busy cutting cookies for Christmas. This week, we turned boring sugar cookies into zippy cinnamony-lemon treats. We took those zippy cookies and added another element, cutting out smaller shapes in the cookies, then filling those cut outs with crushed hard candies.

The kids loved how our opaque sugar powders (ground Jolly Ranchers) turned into smooth clear centers. When held up to the light these cookies are really dazzling. Of course, in class, our cookies were eaten so quickly we didn’t even bother to poke a hole at top to hang them.

A word to those working these cookies in your own kitchen: keep an eye on the flour and dough scraps! At the end of each day I am thrilled I’m not the one to mop up the floor (and sorry for the one that does). If it’s any consolation I do have to scrape off the bottom of my shoes. (recipe at bottom, photo tk)

****

Sweet Potato Latkes with Applesauce
Makes about 20 small latkes

2 pounds sweet potatoes
1 small Vidalia onion
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
Add one:
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Grate sweet potatoes and onion using the largest setting on a box grater. Spread potatoes and onions on a paper towel, cover with more paper towels and press to expel water. Transfer the potatoes and onions into a bowl. Add eggs and salt.  For regular flavored latkes, add ground pepper. For cumin flavored latkes, add cumin. For cinnamon “dessert” latkes, add the cinnamon. Alternatively, after adding the eggs and salt, divide the mixture between three bowls and add the seasoning to each for three different latke flavors.
Warm olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place a scoop of potato batter into the pan and flatten with a spatula. Fry until darkly golden, about 6 minutes, flip and fry another 5 to 6 minutes.Transfer to serving plate and serve with applesauce and sour cream.
*****

Lemon Stained Glass Cookies
Makes about 30 cookies

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 ounces clear hard candies, broken into small pieces (Recommended: Jolly Rancher)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Note: an easy method for breaking hard candies is to put them through the coffee grinder.
With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg, lemon extract and lemon zest. Beat to combine about 1 minute more. Sift in flours, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Mix until just combined.
Form the dough into a smooth ball and transfer to a well floured surface. Flatten dough into a sphere and sprinkle with flour. Roll out dough to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut desired shapes using large cookie cutters. Transfer cut dough to a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Use smaller cookie cutter shapes, removing shapes from the cookies, leaving approximately a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Gather scraps, form into a ball and re-roll dough for more cookies. Poke a hole at the top of the cookies (to create ornament cookies). Sprinkle a layer of hard candy in the small cookie cutter holes. Bake 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool about 10 minutes on cookie sheet before removing them with a thin spatula.

Holidays and colds have put me a little behind these days but the kids continue to cook. I’ll round up our wonton week here and follow it up later tonight with our holiday cooking from last week and this week.

The first thing one must realize when cooking with kids is that your final dish will probably look nothing like you envisioned. You know those perfectly wrapped wontons that were demonstrated about six times? Not going to happen. What does happen is something much better and something the kids can be proud of. I just provided one rule: Seal the edges. Wonton shapes that came out were fabulous– from cinched up purses to envelopes. Eventually some boys decided their wontons were looking like spaceships, which became an even easier rule: Astronauts cannot be exposed to space! Seal them in!

“Is this correct?”

“Can you see the astronauts?”

“No.”

“Then we’re set for take off.”

Our semester finishes at the end of January with a big party where all the clubs in the after school program show off what they’ve been doing with their time. Ceramics has an art display, dance shows off their dance and cooking provides the food for everyone with the 4th and 5th graders as servers. So far we’ve made butternut squash empanadas and the other week it was the wontons pictured above (our upcoming weeks are all party-centric). Most of the kids were really good sports saying how much fun it was to fill and shape these packets. (I told everyone they had to make at least 20 wontons.) Of course, some tuckered out, “planning for a party is hard work! Two more!” I told them. Some of the students even started setting up production lines: “I just made 10 at once!” My response: “Good job! See if you can now do 15 at once!”

The best part is that not only did the kids find these fun to form, they really enjoyed eating them. I had them grating ingredients by hand and while they were exclaiming how tiring it was, I caught many sneeking nibbles of shredded carrots and edamame. Once cooked, they were clamoring for more than their alloted two– “Sorry! We need to save the rest for the party!”

During the party, we’ll be frying these up and serving them with dipping sauce. In class, we boiled them, put a dash of miso in our water and had an Asian fusion dumpling soup that the kids dug.

Vegetable Wonton Soup
Makes about 60 wontons

Filling:
1 cup edamame beans, shelled
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon ginger
6 scallions, sliced
2 carrots, shredded
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/4 head of cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup tablespoons cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

Wonton wrappers

Blitz edamame, garlic, soy sauce, honey and ginger in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and fold in remaining filling ingredients. Place a wonton wrapper on a work surface. Use your finger to brush the edges with water. Add approximately 1/2 tablespoon to the center of the wonton, fold in half, corner to corner, forming a triangle and sealing edges. Pinch the triangle corners together. Place on a cookie sheet and repeat with remaining wontons. Freeze the wontons overnight on the cookie sheet then transfer to a freezer bag or cook them to eat immediately.

To cook: (Fried) Heat sesame oil over medium high heat. Add in a few wontons. Cook 2-3 minutes each side until lightly browned. Serve with dipping sauce. (Boiled) Bring water to a boil. Drop in a few wontons. Boil 5-6 minutes. Add hot water over 1 teaspoon of miso paste (optional) and a few pieces of seaweed, stir to combine. Add wontons and garnish with chopped scallions and cilantro.

These last few weeks have slipped through my fingers but I promise the kids are still cooking. Herewith is a round up of our recipes to bring everyone up to speed. Happy feasting!

Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Apple Grilled Cheese.

This is one of my favorite soups made many times before in slightly different forms. I wasn’t too thrilled with the one we made in class and I blame it on using vegetable stock over chicken stock. It was still delicious but didn’t have as deep a flavor I think chicken stock imparts. For this one we were exploring curry. Many of the kids knew they’d had it before but couldn’t necessarily place it. Finally on Thursday a student mentioned it smelled like Tikka Masala. Thank you scent memory!

The apple grilled cheese was of course a favorite. I used brioche bread and purchased a yellow cheddar and a Gruyere cheese, allowing the students to taste both cheeses and pick the one they wanted to use. Surprisingly most went for the Gruyere saying how much they preferred “white cheddar” over yellow. A few students weren’t too sure about apples on their grilled cheese– “trust me, this is a favorite combination for almost everyone.” (Especially if you throw in a glass a wine.) In the end, one of my students proclaimed these sandwiches were “definitely better than the grilled cheeses at school.” I replied that it’s probably because we’re using real cheese. Another said they had never tasted bread so delicious. (Which might be true because I had adults raiding my refrigerator all week and was provided a key to lock my fridge after that week.)

All recipes found at the bottom of entry.

Cranberry-Apple Crumble.

When the year started I thought it would be great to have my students make something for Thanksgiving they could all share with their families. I originally wanted to make apple pies and even had fall-shaped cookie cutters for decorating the top crust. In the end, I went with a graham-cracker crusted crumble. A little more rustic looking and a little easier time-wise since we only have one hour and if we were to make a pie I wanted homemade crust. Also, do you know how many supplies you need to make 70 pies!?

I bought apple peelers for this and the kids had a blast peeling all the apples with ease. Highly recommended. I also bought apple cutters that cut wedges. These were a little difficult for young ones to maneuver with apples sometimes flying from beneath them. In the future I might add the apple cutting attachment on the apple peeler, getting it all done in one shot.

Otherwise, they loved the crumbles. Most were shocked at how tart cranberries are raw, but how they pop into something so sweet and juicy once baked. The students got really creative here. Whereas I said, just add a bunch of handfuls of filling and fill the spaces with cranberries (in the interest of time), a lot of students took great care to layer the apples, dotting the pie symmetrically with cranberries. None could believe how high we had to stack the apples, some literally putting 4 slices of apples in their crust (making smiley faces) and saying they were done. “Keep going! We need a mountain,” I kept saying.

So the kids happily brought their crumbles home and I had a baked crumble for each class to enjoy and taste what their finished product may be. This past week some of the students even told me they were bringing their crumble on the plane to their Thanksgiving feasts outside the city! I love it.

Cranberry-Caesar Salad with Turkey.

Last week was a shortened week for the holiday but I wanted to keep it holiday themed. Since we did our crumbles the week before (every student had a crumble to take home), this week was our “Thanksgiving leftovers.” Caesar salad was always one of my favorite salads growing up (and still is). When I was young, no anchovies please, not realizing they were hidden inside the dressing. Now of course, extra anchovies, please! So I thought this would be a fun salad to explore.

I’ve made a grapefruit caesar before so I knew I wanted to replace the tart lemon with some tart cranberry sauce. Turkey was the obvious Thanksgiving leftover protein here and we made croutons with stale bread. Equally delicious, or perhaps more delicious, would have been frying up some stuffing patties as the croutons (next time).

At the beginning of class I had a few girls come up to me: “Oh, I’m really sick.”
“No you’re not or you wouldn’t have been in school today.”
“No, I have that H1N1, you just can’t tell.”
“Nice try.”
“No, I mean I’m allergic to salad.”
“No you’re not, I have a list of everything everyone is allergic to.”
“Okay, I don’t eat salad.”
“Rule #1 is we all eat everything.”
“Fine, but I’m not going to like it.”
“Great, that’s rule #2.”

In the end these same girls were in awe of the pink hue this dressing took on, “It looks like a strawberry smoothie!” And it did. The cranberry turned out to be a great addition and then, “Where did all those wormy fish go?”
“They’re in the dressing.”
“I can’t even taste them!”

Curried Butternut Squash Soup
8 servings

1 large butternut squash, reserve seeds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tart apple, plus (recommended: Granny Smith), peeled, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon curry
4 cups (1 quart) chicken or vegetable stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Special Equipment: Immersion Blender

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, deseed, reserving seeds. Place facedown on a baking sheet and bake 40 minutes. Rinse seeds and lay out on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and bake about 10 minutes, until golden and just beginning to pop.

Warm the olive oil in a saucepot on medium high heat. Saute onion and apple, 10 minutes. Add curry and stir to incorporate. Scoop squash flesh from the skin. Add flesh to saucepot. Add stock, bring to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes.

Puree the soup with an immersion blender (or carefully with a stand blender). Serve, sprinkled with seeds or chopped apple.

Apple Grilled Cheese
8 servings

16 slices thick cut potato bread, challah or brioche
Gruyere cheese (or cheddar), sliced
2 tart apples (recommended: Granny Smith), cored, sliced into 16 to 18 segments
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

NOTE: Other delicious additions include roasted garlic, caramelized onions, thick-cut bacon, and/ or sautéed mushroom

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lay 8 slices of bread on a baking sheet. Top the bread with a few thick slices of cheese. Layer with apples then top with another single slice of cheese. Top with the second slice of bread, brush with melted butter and bake, 15 minutes, flipping sandwiches and brushing with more butter halfway through baking.

Cranberry-Apple Crumble
1 9-inch crumble

Filling:
4-5 tart apples (recommended: Granny Smith, McIntosh, Cortland), peeled, cored and sliced into wedges
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup fresh cranberries
2 tablespoons flour
1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Crust:
1-1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Topping:
1/2 cup crushed graham crackers
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

Make Filling:  Toss filling ingredients until evenly combined, set aside, allowing flavors to mingle.
Make Crust: Mix crushed graham crackers, melted butter, lemon zest and nutmeg. Push into a 9-inch pie tin, coating into an even crust on bottom and sides, approximately 1/8-inch thick.
Make Topping: Mix filling ingredients with a fork until large crumbs form.
Assemble Pie: Add filling over crust. Sprinkle topping over apple filling. Bake or freeze.

A few hours before serving, preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Remove crumble from freezer, remove any coverings and bake on middle rack 15 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 degrees F, bake 30-35 minutes, until bubbly, fragrant and apples are tender. Cool on a rack at least 1 hour before serving.

(Optional) Reheat a slice in the microwave and top with a scoop of vanilla, caramel or cinnamon ice cream.

Cranberry-Caesar Salad with Turkey
12 servings

Croutons:
Stale bread
Olive oil
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
Dressing:
4 anchovies, patted dry
3 large cloves garlic (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
1 egg
3 tablespoons cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons tarragon or apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
fresh-ground black pepper

Make Croutons: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Assemble bread on a sheet pan. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bake 10-15 minutes, until golden.
Make Dressing: Place all ingredients in a blender and blitz until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Note: If you trust the source of your eggs and know they are fresh (bought direct from a farm or Greenmarket) you may eat them raw. If not, boil egg for 1 minute before using.
Assemble Salad: Toss dressing with leftover salad greens, about 1 cup of shredded turkey and croutons.

“This isn’t pasta– it’s pillows of heaven!”

I share the same sentiments, but a fifth grader beat me with getting the words out.

Gnocchi week has been the best success yet. Dare I say better than pumpkin muffins?

At the insistence of Kitchen Rule #1, “Try Everything” I was able to nudge skeptical students to try the gnocchi. No joke, not only did most everyone return for seconds, many kept coming back.

My original plan was to make a sage and spinach gnocchi from a recent Saveur. I liked it because it utilized semolina flour and I’m always looking to introduce my students to a new ingredient. My mind eventually wandered as I thought about amping up the fall flavors. I toyed with pumpkin gnocchi and sweet potato gnocchi. I decided against both since we’ve used them recently, or will in weeks to come.

I also wanted to move away from sage because we used it in our empanadas. I switched the herb to rosemary, something we have yet to explore.

In the end I went with beets. I knew the kids would get a kick out of the color– “Pink pasta! This isn’t like any pasta I’ve seen before!” I kept chopped spinach to add some color, along with the semolina flour. (At home, I would have used chopped beet greens instead of spinach, but going with frozen chopped was a little time saver.)

I really liked the semolina flour. It provided great texture and richness to the gnocchi. Both the beets and spinach were subtle flavor enhancers. Infusing the butter in rosemary before browning these pillows of heaven left a truly heavenly aroma in the kitchen and lingering on the pasta.

We browned these gnocchi on a skillet instead of boiling. It gave a great crispness to the pasta and you can’t beat butter infused with rosemary!

Beet and Spinach Gnocchi
8 servings

1 lb russet potatoes (recommended: small potatoes)
1/2 cup pureed beets (about 2 small beets; use pre-cooked or see method below)
1-1/4 cups semolina flour, plus more
4 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained (or: chop, sauté and drain your beet greens! The flavor is similar to spinach.)
2 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg, plus
freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 tablespoons butter
4 3-inch rosemary sprigs
Parmesan cheese

Special Equipment: Ricer or Food Mill

NOTE: In class, I cooked, peeled and cooled beets and potatoes early in the week. This made assembly of the gnocchi a super fast snap!

Preheat oven to 400F. Snip greens from beets (save for another use), wrap in foil and roast until soft, about 45 minutes. Remove skin under cold running water, set aside to cool. Boil whole potatoes, skin on, until soft, 25-30 minutes. Cool and peel potatoes by slipping the skin between two paper towels.

Pass beets and potatoes through a ricer into a medium bowl. Stir in drained spinach, flour, eggs, nutmeg, salt and a few turns of black pepper until well combined. (NOTE: Drain spinach by pressing the water out.) Batter should hold together when pressed but still be sticky.

Scoop a heaping spoonful of the dough onto a semolina-dusted work surface. Roll into a log, about 1/2-inch thick. Slice into 1/2-inch long pieces, transfer to a semolina-dusted parchment-lined baking sheet. Continue to re-flour (if necessary) scoop and roll dough until done.

Warm butter in a skillet. Add rosemary and sauté 2 minutes until fragrant. Add gnocchi to pan and a pinch of nutmeg, cooking until browned, about 4 minutes each side. Continue until all gnocchi is cooked, adding more butter if needed. Once complete, toss gnocchi together lightly in a serving bowl with any reserved rosemary or butter from pan. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to serve.

NOTE: Leave out the beets and try sweet potato or winter squash (like pumpkin) gnocchi. Or, add 2 tablespoons tomato paste (red gnocchi), pureed spinach for green, or other veggie for another color. Serve with sautéed mushroom or tomato sauce.

These muffins were a lot of fun to make and the students loved them. To make a more adult or general fall version, nix the frosting altogether, or do a maple syrup-powdered sugar glaze (keeping them more local too). The muffins are 100% whole wheat and the flavor is enriched by lovely fall spices and molasses in lieu of white sugar.

In class, we made mini muffins and everyone was able to decorate three– one to eat in class, two to bring home. We did coconut frosting because I wanted the texture to give the witches and goblins we would be creating a creepier face. Otherwise, I cut the sugar in the frosting by 1 cup with the addition of unsweetened coconut. I had a number of students proclaim they didn’t like coconut but at the end of the day they were eating the muffins with as much gusto as everyone else.

I broke our one hour class time similar to pizza day. Monday before class I made and baked a batch of muffins (so the muffins would be cool when we worked with them). In class we made a batch of batter, which I then refrigerated for the next day’s class. Students made the frosting and were provided decorations. Most of the students worked really fast on these so I was able to take my time going over the ingredients. The following class day I baked yesterday’s batter and had the muffins ready to go.

For decorations, I split the frosting into six batches and added a few drops of food coloring. This gave the students red, orange, green, blue, black and white bases to work with. Next they mostly had dried fruit for add ons: dates, bananas, raisins, cranberries, papaya and ginger. Also, pretzel sticks, marshmallows and a few sprinkles. I told my students to work for shape, rather than a candy pile on.

In all our excitement I forgot to take photos of some of my students truly amazing creations. We had marshmallow mummies, monsters with banana chip tongues, spiders with date arms, witches, devils, ghosts, goblins, cyclops, and beautiful abstract blobs of holiday color (perhaps a Kadinsky or two in our future). Which is why above, is a picture of my classroom blackboard, rather than some fabulous looking muffins.

One of my kindergarteners approached me after class and asked how I came up with our project for the day.
“It’s Halloween week.”
“I think you’re smart because I really like these.”
“Thanks, I’m glad you had so much fun.”
“Yeah, and also, do you know how to make pumpkin pie? Because you’re going to make a pumpkin pie for my Halloween party this weekend.”
No demands. I should have suggested that since he is now an expert at muffins, and enjoyed them so much, he should make them for all his friends.

Aprons were a train wreck at the end of the week so make sure to cover up, especially with the food coloring.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Coconut Frosting
Makes 24 mini muffins. Bake time= 15-18 minutes.

Muffins:
3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons crushed ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground flax (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Frosting:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Decoration:
Black, green, orange, red, blue food coloring, assorted dried fruit and candies, etc

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 24 mini muffin cups with liners. In a medium bowl add pumpkin, egg, molasses, butter, ginger and vanilla. Stir until well combined. Sift in whole wheat flour, baking powder, flax, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove and baking soda. Mix until just combined, being careful not to over mix ingredients.

Scoop batter into muffin liners. Bake 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. While baking, whisk together frosting ingredients. Divide frosting into small bowls. Dye one green, one orange, one black, etc. Set aside.

Remove muffins from oven. Let cool 10-15 minutes. Frost and decorate with assorted candies and dried fruit.

A few conversations with my students during butternut squash empanada week:

“Oh I don’t like this,” she says with one bite left on her plate.
“No? Because for someone who doesn’t like something you’re sure eating a lot.”
“No, no, no. I don’t like it.”

*****

“I don’t like pumpkin.”
“That’s great! Because we’re using butternut squash today.”
“I don’t know about this…”
[We finish making our empanadas.]
“This is actually good.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, but I still don’t like pumpkin.”
“Okay, so I guess you won’t want any pumpkin spice muffins next week?”
“Oh, no, those are good pumpkins.”

*****

“Are we making pumpkin soup? I love pumpkin soup!”
“No, we’re making empanadas.”
“I don’t know what that is. Does it have pumpkin?”
“It can, but we’re filling ours with butternut squash.”
“Butternut squash? Doesn’t that have a lot of butter in it? I’m also allergic to nuts.”

*****

“Why are we killing the brother?”
“What do you mean? We’re not killing anything.”
“You said butternut squash and pumpkin were brothers. And now we’re going to eat butternut squash.”
“I said they are related, like brothers, because they are winter squashes. They grew big and strong and delicious so we can eat them.”
“I’m not eating the brother.”

*****

“So what do you think?”
“This is actually excellent.”
“Yeah? What makes it so good?”
“Yeah, I mean, it’s like, a vegetable, so it should not be good. But, it’s like, good.”

*****

“Ummm, I really like this. Are we getting the recipe? Can I have the recipe. I need to make more of these.”
“Yes, we’ll get the recipes at the end of the year. We’ll have a whole book of recipes.”
“Okay, good. Because I like this. Can I have another?”

Butternut Squash Empanadas
Makes 24 6-inch empanadas

Empanada Dough:*
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat germ (or freshly ground flax seed)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup very warm tap water
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Filling:
1 butternut squash (or other winter squashes, acorn, buttercup or sweet pumpkin, for example)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons nutmeg
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon muscavado sugar (alternate: dark brown sugar)
1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, chopped

*Note: You can alternatively use thawed pastry dough from the store

Preheat oven to 350F. Slice squash in half length wise. Scoop out seeds (reserve, wash and toast with salt for a snack). Prick the squash with a fork, brush with the olive oil. Bake 30-45 minutes until squash is soft when pricked with a fork. Set aside to cool. Turn oven to 375F.

In a medium mixing bowl sift together flours and wheat germ. Work in the butter with your hands until batter is granular. In a small bowl, whisk ONE egg with salt, warm water, and vinegar, then add to the dough. Add egg mixture to the flour and knead together a few minutes until smooth. Divide the dough into 24 portions. Roll into balls, cover, and let rest at least 30 minutes on counter.

Scoop squash into a bowl, leaving behind the skin. Add nutmeg, salt, sugar and sage. Use a potato masher to mash the squash until it’s smooth/ even in texture. Taste, add more salt if needed. (You can alternatively put filling ingredients into a food processor, puree until smooth.)

Whisk the second egg in a small bowl and set in your work area.

Working with one dough ball at a time, roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into 6-7 inch rounds, about 1/8-inch thick. Wet the perimeter of the circle with the beaten egg, then scoop 2-3 heaping tablespoons of filling just below center of dough. Fold in half, expelling air, then crimp the edges with a fork. Transfer to a baking sheet. Continue until baking sheet is full. Brush the top of each empanada with some of the beaten egg (this will help brown the dough when baking). Bake 18-25 minutes, until golden.

NOTE: Want to decorate the tops of your empanadas? Take a few of your dough balls and roll out to 1/8-inch thickness. Use miniature cookie cutters to make shapes. After you’ve applied the egg to the empanadas, top with your dough shapes.

My computer was in the shop for the past two weeks so there were no updates on the kiddies cooking (I didn’t have my recipes or photos available). But I’m back with a jazzy new computer shell (including a super crisp screen I feel like I have new glasses) with the same old hard drive/interior.

Two weeks ago my classes made pizza. Went great, the kids loved it– who doesn’t love pizza?! I heard many, “this is the best pizza I’ve ever tasted.” It helps when you’re buying $6 balls of freshly made mozzarella (and of course, when you make it yourself). I was pleased that many more than I thought were adventurous enough to try our super gourmet fig-arugula-ricotta pie (pictured during assembly above). It was a challenge to get many of them to try fresh fig in the first place, but as I say, “Rule #1 in the kitchen: Try everything. Rule #2: You don’t have to like it.” (That is, of course, unless you’re allergic.)

We made two pies. A classic tomato-mozzarella-fresh basil and the fig-arugula-ricotta. In addition to those, my 4th/5th grade class made a third pie of fresh basil-roasted red pepper-roasted eggplant (no sauce). I found a 1-hour pizza dough recipe I adapted into a whole wheat recipe. It worked great. I made the first batch of dough Monday 1 hour before class. Class arrived and made a batch of dough. We then swapped their dough (which was set aside to rise) for the dough I made and finished pizza assembly. At the end of our hour class time the dough the class made went into the fridge for the next day’s class (brought out to 1 hour before class to come to room temperature). Some admin folk were in the class taking pictures and loved the swap out, “it’s like a cooking show!” My favorite point of class was here too, but it was the students reactions: after the students made their dough I would say, “okay, now we have to wait one hour for your dough to rise, so let’s mop the floors!” “WHAT?!” “Ha! Gotcha! We have some already ready from yesterday!”

1-Hour Whole Wheat Dough
adapted from epicurious.com
Makes 1 14-inch pizza

3/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

Add 3/4 cup warm water to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Stir in yeast and let sit 5 minutes. Brush another medium-sized bowl with olive oil, set aside. Into the bowl with yeast, sift in the flour, sugar and salt and pour in the olive oil. Knead the mixture in the bowl until smooth and sticky, about 1 minute. Transfer the dough to the olive oil coated bowl, turning so the oil covers all surfaces. Cover and let sit in a warm area until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch the dough down. (Here you can refrigerate the dough overnight.) Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll out the dough with a rolling pin from the center out.

Fig & Caramelized Onion Pizza
Makes 1 14-inch pizza

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 onion, sliced thin
1 teaspoon salt
2 sprigs fresh thyme, divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups arugula
8 fresh black figs, halved
1/2 large ball mozzarella, sliced
1/2 cup feta, crumbled (Recommended: Dodonis feta)
1 1-Hour Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (recipe above)

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a warm medium-sized skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions, salt and the leaves from 1 sprig thyme. Saute for 15 minutes until soft and just beginning to caramelize, stirring every once in a while. Add the balsamic vinegar and sauté another 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat.
Turn the oven to 400F. Roll out the dough and transfer to baking pan. Brush the dough with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and the leaves of the remaining thyme. Sprinkle the arugula over the dough, assemble the figs. Top with the caramelized onions, top with mozzarella and feta. Bake 15-20 minutes until dough and cheese is golden.
NOTE: Add procuitto to the pizza for an extra special pie.

Classic Cheese with Fresh Basil Pizza
Makes 1 14-inch pizza

1 8 ounce can tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh basil
1 large ball mozzarella, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1-Hour Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (recipe above)

Turn the oven to 400F. Roll out the dough and transfer to baking pan. Spread the tomato sauce over the dough, sprinkle with salt and arrange the basil over the sauce. Arrange the mozzarella over top, drizzle with olive oil. Bake 15-20 minutes until dough and cheese is golden.

Last week was Mushroom Summer Rolls.  I learned that the Vietnamese translation of these rolls (and spring rolls) is technically “mixed fresh vegetables,” or something similar– so summer roll/ spring roll is interchangeable. I like saying summer roll for un-fried/fresh rolls. Spring rolls for the ones you fry. We made summer rolls.

Mixed reviews on these from the students. I laid out all the vegetables for the kids to chose whatever filling they want and I’d say 20% made solely carrot rolls. They declared them delicious though (the fully carrot rolls), so that’s a start. Some made carrot-sugar snap pea rolls. Most adventurous and some mushroom-loving souls chowed down on creativity and filled them with everything on the platter. A few in my Friday class (K/1) started making square, triangular and “people stuffed” rolls. Best not to ask on those.

Everyone enjoyed the challenge of not only rolling these, but also figuring out the correct time to leave the rice paper under water to make it pliable. There was also the aspect of sharing– only 2 bowls of warm water and one rice paper at a time.

One of my K/1 boys told happily declared he doesn’t like vegetables. “Well, what do you like?” “Mashed potatoes, white rice and chicken.” Adventurous eater. “But you ate pizza last week.” “That’s because it was pizza.” “Hmm, touché.” His roll? Rice paper rolled with “invisible” vegetables. I wonder if he’ll eat our upcoming gnocchi.

Mushroom Summer Rolls
Makes approximately 8 rolls

Marinade:
4-6 ounces mushrooms, sautéed 10 minutes in 1 tablespoon sesame oil (Recommended: Enoki or Shiitake)
1 lime, juiced & zested
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon sirachi or other hot sauce (optional)*
Filling:
1 packet 10-12 inch rice paper wrap (Available at Specialty markets in their Asian foods section, or Asian markets)
1 bunch fresh mint (or Thai basil)
1 pint bean sprouts
1 red bell pepper, julienned (sliced thin)
1 carrot, julienned (sliced thin)
15 sugar snap peas, julienned (sliced thin)
3 scallions, sliced
1/2 English cucumber, julienned (sliced thin) (Alternatively, remove seeds and slice regular cucumber)

*Note: Ginger opens up the taste buds and has a heat of its own. Be careful adding any additional hot sauce– This gets spicy fast!

Combine ingredients for marinade, mix to combine and set aside for 1 hour, up to overnight. Fill a large mixing bowl with very warm tap water. Lay a damp paper towel in front of you as a work surface (in class we used damp paper plates). Fully submerge rice paper for 20 seconds in the water until slippery and pliable, the warmer the water the less time needed. Remove with both hands, keeping spread apart and lay out on towel. Working in just the center 3-4 inches of the rice paper circle, layer preferred ingredients, including mushrooms and a little marinade, horizontally.  Fold over the right side of the rice paper to just over center. Fold over the left side of the paper to just over center. Fold the bottom side over then push down slightly and roll to complete, keeping the ends tucked in. Continue until remaining ingredients are used.
NOTE: Use the leftover marinade as a dipping sauce!
NOTE: Other fun ingredients include shrimp, beef, lettuce, rice, radish, baby turnips, pickles, cabbage, cilantro. Add 2 tablespoons of peanut butter to marinade for a peanut dipping sauce!

Today is the close of my first week teaching. I promise every recipe I make with my students won’t have such cutesy names, but I thought it might be fun to start with one. It’s fitting though– as adults raid the leftovers I hear plenty of, “oooh, these are gooey.” (Referring to the granola.) These granola balls are not just for kids either. I made a test batch the weekend before I started and D ate them up.

This week’s exploration was cinnamon and orange zest. I had some initial “granola bars are supposed to have chocolate” and, “I don’t eat bananas.” Both were met with final approval, students clearing the plate and my, “so I guess granola doesn’t always need chocolate” and, “seems we like bananas afterall.” Teacher 2- Kids 0. (Or maybe that’s win-win, 2-2.) I even had a parent come in this week just “having to meet the teacher who uses bee pollen in a recipe.”

Only 3 injuries (okay, Friday isn’t over yet)– note to self: kindergarten might be too young for microplanes. They were all tough and not one tear was shed. (One was close until I pointed out how brave another was and how equally brave he was– fear of having a class of K-1st graders break out crying gripped me for a second.)

We’ll work on our plating in future weeks, but really who doesn’t love a healthy dose of cinnamon?!

Ooey Gooey Granola Balls
Makes about 24 2-tablespoon balls.

2 ripe bananas (aprox. 1/2 cup mashed)
1/2 cup raw honey
1 teaspoon orange zest (use an organic orange so there is no pesticide)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup ground flax seed (or sesame seed)
1/4 cup bee pollen*
1/4 cup unsweetened dried fruit (raisins, apple chunks, goji berries, apricots, etc)
2-1/2 cups raw oatmeal (recommended: Bob’s Red Mill 5 Grain Rolled Hot Cereal)
Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Use a potato masher to smush the bananas in a medium mixing bowl. Mash in honey, orange zest, cinnamon and ground flax until well combined. Add bee pollen, dried fruit and oatmeal. Stir until evenly combined. With wet hands, scoop and roll golfball size spoonfuls (2 tablespoons) between your hands forming balls. Arrange on cookie sheet. Refrigerate 30 minutes before serving. (While waiting, make fruit salad.)
NOTE: When I make this at home I cut the amount of banana and honey and replace it with peanut butter. Also, as long as your batter remains moist and gooey you can stir in more goodies—chopped nuts, toasted seeds, coconut flakes, chocolate chip. Add ingredients at 1/4 cup intervals. Be creative and have fun!

* Bee Pollen is a natural way to address and relieve seasonal pollen allergies. Look for NYS pollen, as the flowers are more likely to be what we encounter in the city. Bee pollen is also high in protein, amino acids, and vitamins like B-complex and folic acid. (It’s the bee’s energy and food source through the winter!) It is also thought to contain antibiotic properties, helping us fend off sickness (like seasonal flu).

Zesty Yogurt-Fruit Salad
4 servings

2 cups plain yogurt
1 apple, cut into bite-sized pieces (aprox 3/4 cup)
1 pear, cut into bite-sized pieces (aprox 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup seedless grapes, sliced in half
1 teaspoon orange zest (use an organic orange)
1 orange, juiced
1 teaspoon cinnamon plus some for dusting

Mix ingredients to combine.
NOTE: Use whatever fruit you like– whatever is in season!