Friday, April 5, 2013

I Teach a Cooking Class

I did something out of character this week. I started a cooking class in my ward. And I'm the teacher. (The crazy part). The great thing is, as much as I was worried about it, it actually went really well. Here's what we made today:

Recipe #1:
Quick No-Pastry Quiche
from French Kids Eat Everything



Great way to introduce new vegetables to kids, husbands, etc. Try zucchini, broccoli, carrots, anything you have on hand. Chop finely or grate: you don’t have to precook the veggies. Can easily double the recipe and make two!

Ingredients:
4 large eggs
3/4 cups milk or half milk and half cream
salt and pepper if desired
1/2 cup flour (white, whole wheat, or a mix of both)

Filling suggestions
quiche lorraine: 1 cup cubed or sliced ham and 1 cup grated cheese
quiche aux legumes: one small onion, finely diced, ½ cup thinly sliced greens (I used spinach or chard, but not kale which is too chewy), ½ cup chopped red pepper
quiche provencale: 1 cup ratatouille (this is a great way to use leftovers)

optional: dried herbs such as parsley or oregano

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl beat the eggs; add the milk and mix well. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Stirring constantly with a fork or whisk, add the flour a little at a time. Mix in the cheese, followed by the fillings you are using.

2. Pour the mixture into a greased 9 or 12 inch pie plate and bake for 30 mionutes or until it puffs and starts to brown on top. Cool 5 minutes before serving (the quiche will settle and you’ll be able to cut it more neatly).

TIp: Changing your quiche ingredients is also a great way to introduce new vegetables: the reassuringly familiar look of the dish may entice even the wariest of eaters.

Note: Take care not to overfill your pie plate, as the quiche will puff up as it bakes. I place mine on a baking sheet in the oven in case it spills. The quiche will deflate after you remove it from the oven: this is normal. Kids like watching this souffle effect.



Recipe #2
Cabbage Pizza
from themostlyvegetablekitchen.com

http://www.themostlyvegetablekitchen.com/2010/04/cabbage-pizza.html

2 cups shredded cabbage (about 1/4 of one head)
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon worcestshire sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
olive oil

Combine the cabbage, flour, shallot, and garlic in a large mixing bowl. Toss well to fully coat the cabbage in the flour. Add the eggs and the worcestshire and soy sauce and stir well.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a few tablespoons of olive oil. Scoop the cabbage mixture into the skillet and using a metal spatula spread the cabbage into an flat, round shape. Press down lightly with the spatula to get the cabbage as thin as possible. Cook about 5 or until the bottom is golden. To flip, slide it out of the skillet onto a plate. Place another plate on top and flip them both over. Add more oil if necessary before sliding the cabbage pizza back into the skillet. Press down a bit with the spatula to flatten the cabbage. Cook about 4 minutes more or until golden on the bottom.

Slice into wedges and enjoy.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Easter Weekend

Here is Z in her sailor dress. She loves these empty plastic eggs. She tried to eat a couple dry leaves...




Easter Dinner

Starter
Stuffed Tomatoes

Main Course 
Crockpot Rosemary Chicken (whole, pastured) 
with Mashed Potatoes & Chicken Gravy

Salad/Cheese Course 
Broccoli Salad

Dessert 
Carrot Cake 
with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

Three of my siblings (the ones attending BYU Provo) came for Easter dinner on Sunday. We read verses from the New Testament about the last week of Jesus Christ's life, lead by M. Our church meeting was meaningful for me. I felt Jesus' love for me while singing the closing hymn. During 3rd hour, the instructor showed this video:
I cried. Putting myself in the father's place, if Z died like this, it would be awful. It must have been  heart renching for our Father in Heaven. I thank God for sacrificing his Son for me. 

Monday, March 25, 2013

Introduction

You know, I'm one of those people who thinks they should blog, but have difficulty actually doing it. I had a blog once. Before the birth of my daughter, Z. And deleted it because I never posted anything. I post frequently on Facebook and realized that I probably should blog instead of driving my husband crazy with the frequency of my birth/food/parenting/other posts that constantly show up on his notifications. :)

Here it goes, again. Welcome to my [new] blog.



Today I'm posting about my lunch.

Side Note:
I read French Kids Eat Everything, and it has completely changed my views about eating, in the best way. Now, I cook from scratch using the best ingredients I can find. At our house, meals are served in courses. We're all working on eating slowly and savoring food. Our family avoids processed foods and seeks out new foods. I'm learning to like foods I used to hate. AND IT'S FUN!





Back to lunch...

Menu

Starter: Grilled Cheddar Cheese Sandwich on Harper's Homemade bread

Main: Leftover Pearl Onion [and Green Bean] Casserole 

Salad/Cheese: Strawberry Cranberry Turkey Feta Salad with Homemade French Vinaigrette

Dessert: Banana, One square of Lindt 85% cocoa chocolate


In case you are wondering, I don't always feel like serving in courses. Or cooking, for that matter. Today was one of those days. But I convinced myself that the dining experience would be worth the effort of planning, cooking, and dressing the table. And you know what? It was.


What's your favorite lunch to fix?