Joyful Updates Archives

WITS Labs Teach Novato School Children how to Dress Up Their Salads

Which one is your favorite? That’s what we’ve been asking Pleasant Valley elementary students taking our Wellness in the Schools Greens Labs this week–the balsamic vinaigrette, the honey mustard vinaigrette, or the sweet yogurt dip? Enthusiastic sticky hands shoot into the air. Everyone loves voting for their favorite.

If you are like me, you learned at a much older age how to make vinaigrette. My family, like so many others, always bought their salad dressings and we had an endless number of unused bottles filling up our refrigerator door. That’s not the case for children in Novato Unified School District, participating in our WITS West pilot. As early as kindergarten, they are learning just how easy it is to shake up some balsamic vinaigrette to dunk their local spinach from Star Route Farms into–the same spinach currently being served on their school salad bar.

Immediately after our first 100 children went through the labs on Monday, the site School Food Manager said they were stopping by to see if the salad dressings were on the salad bar. What’s exciting is that when we teach the concepts of how to make a dressing, let the children taste them on fresh romaine lettuce, and then put them on their salad bar, they begin engaging with eating salad at school and home in a whole new way. The labs open a window into healthy eating that’s fun, practical, and hands-on.

What I love most is that between labs, which currently happen during two seasons of the year, students go home and share their new healthy learnings with their parents, they cook the recipes they’ve learned, and they remain enthusiastic about cooking. When I ask students if they made the tomato sauce we learned in September, I’m always amazed at how many hands shoot up! Our pilot in Novato started in one elementary school almost two years ago, Lu Sutton Elementary, and has grown to four elementary schools and one middle school. We are excited to continuing expanding the program next year focused on making salad bar offerings even more robust and continuing to expand into elementary schools with WITS Labs.

If you want to cook more with your child, grandchild, or niece/nephew but are not sure how to really engage them in a way that will make eating healthy foods exciting, here are my five tips on how to help your children get excited to try healthy foods:

1) Encourage them to use all five senses—see, touch, taste, smell, and listen to your food. I love to have kids do taste comparisons: which is sweeter, which is tangy, which is meaty, which is your favorite?

2) Make it a game of tasting to see which flavors are in a dish—can you taste anything sweet, salty, sour, bitter, or umami (meaty)?

3) Use juicy chef words to describe what you’re experiencing—tangy, crunchy, gooey, fragrant, and my favorites are hybrid words they can make up: “Wow, that pesto is herbalicious!”

4) Let them help with the prep—from shaking salad dressing in a mason jar to tearing herbs with their hands and using a safe plastic lettuce knife to help cut that kale into ribbons!

5) Put the kids in charge of the “build a bar”—whether it’s build a rainbow salad or burrito, ask the kids to find what’s already in the pantry for each family member to choose their ingredients for the main dish—just make it a rule that at least 2 colors of the rainbow are present in those vegetable options!

More about Wellness in the Schools
Wellness in the Schools (WITS) is a national non-profit that inspires healthy eating and fitness for kids in public schools. Through public-private partnerships, we work with schools to provide healthy, scratch-cooked meals, active recess periods, and nutrition and fitness education. Trained culinary graduates partner with cafeteria staff to feed kids real food, and fitness coaches encourage schools to let kids play. Our partnership approach drives systemic, long-term change, shifting the entire culture of schools and ultimately fighting the childhood obesity epidemic. In partnership with local departments of education, our programs serve more than 50,000 children in over 100 schools nationwide.

WITS started in 2005, in a classroom at the Ella Baker School (NYC PS 225). In the past 10 years, we have cooked more than 11 million school meals alongside school food teams and led more than 54,000 hours of play. We are continuing to expand our national footprint, supporting schools across the country in their efforts to become healthier places for students to learn and grow.

Wellness in the Schools Balsamic Vinaigrette

2017-03-20 18:13:44

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Ingredients

¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
½ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a small bow, whisk together vinegar and mustard.
Add the oil a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly, until thickened and emulsified.
Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Get Creative with Healthy Back-to-School Lunches!

Aug 12 by Chef Hollie Greene 1 Comment

Please join me on September 10th at Cornerstone Sonoma and Sunset Magazine’s Outdoor Test Kitchen for a parent/child hands-on demo on how to make packing school lunches a breeze. Register here.

There is nothing wrong with PB&J. There, I’ve said it! I know that parents all share the same goals when it comes to sending their children to school with the best food they can to help their growing minds and bodies excel. The trick is in getting them to eat those healthy lunches.

When Lisa Yokota and Claudine Wong asked me back on their show, Bay Area People, KTVU Fox 2, to cover healthy back-to-school lunches and easy weeknight meals, I jumped at the opportunity. Not only do I love working with these two talented news journalists, but I also receive this request often from the families I work with. “How can I work variety into my child’s lunchbox but without feeling like a short order cook every morning—AND avoiding waste?”

Whether it’s those weeknight meals or back-to-school lunches, I always use my 3×3 method to quickly plan and execute healthy meals that children and their parents will love. It all starts with 1) what does your family enjoy eating, and 2) what’s already in your pantry. Then, I put together a very short list of fresh ingredients you’ll need from the grocery store and a game plan that ensures you’ll use the perishable items multiple ways during the week with zero waste.

When you are packing your child’s lunch this year, think about my 3×3 method—always pack a:

Fruit
Veggie
Protein

When choosing ingredients, keep in mind:

Color
Crunch
Taste: Salty + Sweet

I also love to throw in some “food hacks” from already made ingredients you can pick up at your local grocery store, such as my unique flavor twists made fast from store bought hummus (see recipes below):

Avocado Green Dream Hummus
Creamy Carrot Curry Hummus

The key to making it feel easy during the week is to prep ahead on Sunday for the following three days:

Cut carrots and cucumbers for next 3 days
Make flavored hummus and granola bark
Cut fruit for next 3 days

Here are a few ideas I’d love to share with you that will make this year’s school lunches more fun to pack with your children:

Hummus, cucumber, carrot wrap
- Take one piece of whole wheat bread and roll it out with a rolling pin until ¼ inch thick. Spread store bought hummus on the bread and top with shredded carrot, diced red bell pepper, and some torn basil leaves. Roll and cut into four small rounds.
Roasted chickpeas
Rainbow carrots cut into “sticks”
Strawberries/Mango
Granola bark (see recipe below)

Tuesday

Taco Tuesday wrap: chicken, cheese, and avocado hummus
- To make avocado hummus: take ½ cup of store bought hummus and blend it with ½ avocado, 1 garlic clove, a pinch of cilantro, and a pinch of cumin. Spread on whole-wheat wrap and top with shredded rotisserie chicken, and shredded cheddar cheese. We also love to add in some of our diced red bell pepper and extra cilantro before rolling up and slicing into two pieces.
Mango/Blueberries
Cucumber sticks
Roasted chickpeas

Wednesday

Chicken salad wrap-diced chicken, yogurt, honey, curry powder, dried cranberries
- Make curry yogurt sauce: 3 tablespoons yogurt, 1 teaspoon curry powder, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Take one piece of whole wheat bread and roll it out with a rolling pin until ¼ inch thick. Spread curry yogurt sauce on bread, top with shredded rotisserie chicken and some dried cranberries. Roll and cut into four small rounds.
Carrot curry hummus
- To make carrot curry hummus: take ½ cup store bought hummus and blend in 2 leftover roasted carrot sticks (from previous night’s dinner!), 1 teaspoon curry powder, 1 clove garlic, and a pinch of salt. Eat with carrot and radish dippers.
Rainbow carrot half moons + rainbow radish half moons
Blueberries

Thursday

Chicken gyro wrap: plain hummus, chicken, shaved carrots, garlicky yogurt sauce
- To make garlic yogurt sauce: mix 3 tablespoons yogurt, ½ teaspoon cumin, 1 garlic clove, ¼ lime, and a pinch of salt. Spread store bought hummus over whole-wheat tortilla wrap, top with shredded rotisserie chicken, garlic yogurt sauce, and grated carrots, and roll up and slice into two pieces.
Roasted chickpeas
Strawberries
Granola bark

Friday

Strawberry n Sun Butter “sushi roll”—new take on a PB&J!
- Take one piece of whole wheat bread and roll it out with a rolling pin until ¼ inch thick. Spread sun butter (or your favorite nut butter) on the bread. Line up sliced strawberries on the edge closest to you and roll the bread like sushi. Cut into small “sushi rounds.”
Rainbow carrot rounds
Carrot curry hummus
Granola Bark

Granola Bark Recipe

2016-08-11 16:53:55

Adapted from a Yum Chefs SF Recipe | Yields about 12 small granola bark pieces

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Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats
3 Tbsp. oat flour*
¼ cup sugar
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cinnamon
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup dark chocolate chips
2 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
3 Tbsp. melted butter
¼ cup honey
1 ½ tsp. water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Stir together the rolled oats, sugar, salt, cinnamon, dried fruits, chocolate and seeds. NOTE: if you don’t have some of the seeds or dried cranberries, you can substitute with the dried fruit, nuts, and seeds you have in your pantry. The total amount is 1-½ cups, so you can play with the ingredients to use up what you have on hand vs. buy new items. I use this recipe to “clean out my pantry!”
In a separate bowl, mix together the melted butter, honey, and water.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.
Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and press them in firmly. Bake for 15 minutes, or until they are brown around the edges.
Allow cooling and setting for about 15 minutes before cutting bark.

Notes

*Tip: to make oat flour, simply grind rolled oats in a food processor

JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Farminista’s Feast highlights the Joyful 12 School Project

May 10 by Chef Hollie Greene Leave a Comment

Whenever I see our project through a trusted friend’s eyes, it makes me feel honored and joyful. Karen Pavone is not just a friend and colleague. She’s a native to Novato, California, where we have launched the Joyful 12 School Project with Wellness in the Schools, and today, she shares her perspective about our school project over on her gorgeous blog, Farminista’sFeast. As Karen says, “pull up a chair and enjoy the journey,” as she explores the thriving “farm-to-table food culture in California’s North Bay” on her site. Thank you, Karen! We’re so grateful you’re a supporter and friend, helping us grow healthy kids in Novato Schools.

Karen Pavone is a writer, blogger, and photographer who lives in Novato, California, with her husband Matt, and their two children. To contact Karen about her blog, email [email protected].

Dreaming of Italy–Orange Basil Strawberries with Yogurt

Mar 31 by Chef Hollie Greene Leave a Comment

About this time every year, I start daydreaming. There’s something about springtime that makes me yearn for new ideas. How can I work peas, artichokes, spinach, and strawberries into my everyday meals in new and exciting ways! This generally means I also reminisce about flavors I’ve discovered through travel.

I can still smell the fragrance those macerated orange basil and mint strawberries gave off. We were traveling in Rome. It was the very end of spring, and we kept seeing strawberries on every menu. One of the things I most admire about Italians is that they are purists in their approach to cuisine. I adore the way they elevate everyday produce in the most simple ways.

Imagine an American restaurant featuring macerated strawberries–by themselves–on their dessert menu. I’m talking no whipped cream, no ice cream! Our Italian waiter insisted we try them. He couldn’t leave it up to us to make a bad choice. This light and refreshing dessert was in our future. Out came a small bowl of sliced strawberries swimming in a simple syrup decorated by curled orange peels speckled with bits of mint and hints of fresh basil. With our spoons, we tried to slowly savor every last bite.

I’ve never been able to replicate that exact experience, but I’ll promise you this interpretation is as close as you can come to a starlit night under Italian stars, sharing a meal with someone you love. I hope you’ll enjoy them as is, with yogurt, and whatever other way you find to be exciting and fresh this spring!

Dreaming of Italy--Orange Basil Strawberries with Yogurt

2016-03-30 19:55:31

Serves 4

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Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

5 min

Total Time

25 min

Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

5 min

Total Time

25 min

Ingredients

Strawberries (fresh), 16 oz container
Orange, 1
Basil (fresh), 1 small bunch
Mint, 1 small bunch
Sugar (organic turbinado), 1/2 cup
Water, 1/2 cup
Yogurt (plain full fat organic), 2 cups

Get Organized

Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
Cut off 2-3 big pieces of the orange peel by using a sharp pairing knife and running it closely along the orange’s skin. This will be used in the simple syrup.
With the remaining skin of the orange, zest it and place zest into a bowl. Juice the orange and add it to the bowl. Set aside.
Make the simple syrup by heating the water and sugar together at a simmer until the sugar melts. Add the orange peels to add flavor. Let cool before using.
Wash strawberries, remove green tops, and cut into any shape you like (slice, quarters, etc.).
Wash herbs and dry with a paper towel. To cut into thin ribbons, stack the leaves on top of each other, roll up like a cigar, and cut across the roll in thin strips.

To Cook

Combine cut strawberries, simple syrup, orange juice and herbs in a bowl. You can use immediately or let sit 30 minutes to an hour before serving.
We love to serve these over yogurt. They are also delicious over ice cream, with a rich chocolate dessert, or in your morning oatmeal!

JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Wellness in the Schools Bean Cooking Labs at Lu Sutton Elementary

Mar 9 by Chef Hollie Greene 1 Comment

Special thanks to our amazing partners that make these labs possible: Wellness in the Schools, Novato Unified School District’s Director of Food and Nutritional Services, Miguel Villarreal, Lu Sutton’s principal, Bonnie Barron, and the Lu Sutton PTA, led by Emy Everett. We look forward to expanding into all elementary schools in Novato, with your support. Beautiful photography by Nina Menconi.

Do you love beans? I know 365 Novato California elementary school students who NOW adore them. When adults ask me what we do in the Wellness in the Schools Cooking Labs, I have to pause and respond thoughtfully. There is just so much that happens that you really have to be there to experience it. But each time, I try to focus on the bigger role we’re hoping to play each and every time we teach a fifty minute nutrition and food literacy lab using this beautiful curriculum, so I generally explain that, “We help kids fall in love with cooking and eating healthy, local foods growing in season, and we make it fun to explore new foods without fear.”

Beans are no exception. From statements like, “I don’t eat beans” at the beginning of our recent WITS labs to asking for second helpings of WITS’ multi bean chili after only fifty minutes of food literacy education, well that’s gotta be love! It’s not just beans of course. These labs teach kids about kale and carrots, tomatoes and potatoes, apples and those locally grown foods that are also being served in the school cafeteria. Regardless of the starring produce of the lab, it’s the positive, hands-on learning experience that leads to 77% of students saying they loved the Ginger Kale Salad and 75% saying they now love eating veggie bean chili.

To create magic, it’s a build. I like to make sure parents know this because I never enter a cooking lab expecting for everything to be perfect. What I aspire for are small, incremental positive experiences for children with fresh foods. Some kids love to learn our “juicy chef words,” which in our chili lab included descriptive vocabulary like translucent, garnish, saute, and simmer. Other children get super excited by the tactile portions of our learning, like sorting various varieties of dried beans and discovering ones they’d never known existed or holding the bell peppers to see which one is heavier or lighter.

Most children relish the knife skills part of the cooking lab, where we practice knife safety with nylon cutting knives from Curious Chefs, using our bear claw to hold what we’re cutting or the tunnel, and learning new cuts–for kale it was “chiffonade” cut, which is to cut into thin ribbons–for the chili recipe it was slicing and then dicing our multicolored bell peppers.

The amazing thing about ensuring that all children of the elementary school get this food literacy education is that they learn together that healthy eating is the cool thing to do. It’s fun, not punitive! The school community becomes one team, where kitchen staff at school see more kids participating, parents are supported in their efforts back at home, and even kids become teachers to their parents or grandparents. One of our second grade students was chopping away at her bell pepper in our recent chili lab when she beamed this story to me that she was so proud to share, “Chef Hollie, I made the kale salad for my dad. At first, he would only take one spoonful, but then he ate the whole bowl! It’s the only way I can get him to eat his vegetables now!”

What I love best is when our students from one lab to the next build upon what they’ve learned. We focus on listening to the foods–just ask your child what they should hear when an onion is put into a hot pan (sizzle) or how to know when you can stop massaging the kale salad (hint: it no longer crunches).

We also engage the children to learn that exploring new foods is fun by focusing on using all of our senses to taste and describe the foods we’re experiencing. Lu Sutton kids don’t make a decision about a new food until they’ve looked at it, smelled it, touched it, tasted it, and yes, listened to it. They love when a bell pepper squirts them in the face when cutting, because they know that the vitamin C in that pepper is good for their skin (a.k.a Vitamin C facial!). After teaching these WITS labs to kids, I’m also confident that even in this small amount of time, we are teaching these precious children at all ages that they are worthy of beautiful, fresh foods. What more empowerment can you ask for? Now, that’s what I call love.

If you are a parent or teacher of Lu Sutton and you have not yet taken advantage of the free Joyful 12 memberships I provide with every school we work with, please be sure to go to www.joyful12.com/lusutton and take advantage of my online kitchen learning lab. I hope it will be a beautiful resource to you and your family after each lab to keep that enthusiasm about cooking thriving back at home! To learn more about our Joyful 12 School Project and how you can help us expand in our goal to grow healthy kids in all eight elementary schools in Novato, please visit our project page today.

Veggie Chili by Wellness in The Schools

2016-03-09 20:12:28

Serves 6

Chef Hollie’s cooking note: I make this chili recipe now almost weekly. My husband and I love to garnish with thinly sliced purple cabbage, sour cream, avocado, and a little cheese. We usually buy several colors of bell pepper, so that we can use some diced raw as garnish along with the cilantro suggested!

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

45 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

45 min

Ingredients

*30 oz canned beans (we used 1 can of pinto beans and 1 can of black beans in our Novato labs)
1 ½ Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
½ jalapeno, seeded, de-ribbed & minced (optional)
1 Tbsp ground chili powder
1 ½ tsp cumin
1 ½ tsp oregano
14.5 oz can tomatoes, in juice, chopped
1 ½ Tbsp tomato paste
1 cup water
1 tsp salt* (original recipe = ½ tsp)
Fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish--optional)

Directions

Rinse and drain beans and set aside.
In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat until warm.
Add onion, red pepper, garlic and jalapeno and cook, stirring, until onions are translucent. Stir in spices and cook 1 minute.
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, water, salt and drained and rinsed beans; reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until flavors are well combined.
Garnish with cilantro just before serving. (*Note: in California, we also love a rainbow of raw diced bell peppers on top as a garnish)

Notes

*modified from way written in the original recipe

By Wellness in the Schools

JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Wellness in the Schools and Joyfoodly in The Edible Schoolyard Project Network News!

Nov 13 by Chef Hollie Greene Leave a Comment

I’m so grateful to Hannah Piercey and Emilie Gioia, my friends and colleagues at the Edible Schoolyard Project, for highlighting our work on their incredible network.

Can you believe that kids will go crazy for kale? My good friend, Chef Annie Hanrahan, knows it’s true. On the Edible Schoolyard Project Network News today, Chef Annie shares her interview with me about the Wellness in the Schools (WITS) Kale Cooking Labs we piloted together at Lu Sutton Elementary this fall.

Want to find out how that kale magic happens in a WITS Cooking Lab? Read Annie’s full article and interview with me on the Edible Schoolyard Network News today. And if you’re curious about how we’ll expand the WITS Cooking Labs at Lu Sutton Elementary and in the Novato Unified School District, we’re so proud to announce that we’ve just received the Growing Leaders Fund grant from The Culinary Trust of the IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals), which will help us make this expansion happen. Once you start an organic vegetable movement with kids, it’s impossible to stop their joy and appetite for learning more–thank goodness!

My 5 Favorite Pantry Meals for the Busy Family

Sep 10 by Chef Hollie Greene 2 Comments

With the right pantry staples, you can make weeknight dinners a breeze. In my home, it’s not about fancy chef meals during a busy work week, but it’s about creating dishes that are packed with flavor and require very little time. These are my five favorite pantry meals and my chef tips for how to stock your pantry with the staples and fresh organic ingredients needed to make cooking easier.

MONDAY (go meatless!): Late Summer Eggplant and Tomato Pizza

Make Monday your meat free meal with a family favorite, pizza night. It’s late summer, and in our family we’re eating lots of Chinese and fairytale eggplant (hint: these varieties cook fast!) and tomatoes. The key with this pizza recipe is that with our ricotta base, you can really add any sauteed vegetable you love to the topping, more cheese and some fresh herbs. It literally takes 20 minutes to make!

Organic vegetables and fresh herbs: eggplant (fairytale or Chinese variety), tomatoes, basil
Pantry staples: frozen pizza crust, ricotta cheese, onions
Chef tip: saute the eggplant with onion and finish with a glug of balsamic vinegar
Variation: on another night, try cumin roasted sweet potato and some fresh arugula on top of your ricotta base and throw in some goat cheese on top!

To make our sweet-n-spicy eggplant and tomato pizza, see the recipe below, and for more inspiration on how to build a pantry pizza, don’t miss our recent post for loads of ideas.

TUESDAY: The Perfect 15 Minute Orange Curry Chicken and Spiced Roasted Veggies

If you talk to my husband, he’ll tell you that we always build our fastest meals around which veggies can we roast and which organic lean protein can we cook quickly! If you’re like me, I’ve eaten one too many sad dried chicken breasts to last me a lifetime. This method, inspired by Jacques Pepin, is sure fire and works every time. Watch my video to see just how easy moist chicken breasts can be!

Organic vegetables and fresh herbs: sweet potatoes, broccolini, thyme
Pantry staples: curry powder, cumin, aleppo pepper, olive oil, sriracha, mayo
Chef tip: roast the veggies on the same pan for faster clean-up and be sure to let your chicken rest for 5 minutes before you slice into it to maintain that moisture!
Variation: use the same method to cook the chicken but use lemon, rosemary, and garlic as your seasoning and throw in some canned artichokes while the chicken is cooking. This makes an amazing sauce and complete dish when served over quick cooking polenta.

To make this meal, check out our detailed recipe below.

WEDNESDAY: Roasted Fall Squash and Mozzarella Quesadillas

It’s hump day, and let’s face it, some weeks it’s all we can do to get through the day! But with my roasted fall squash quesadillas, you’ll be smiling in no time, and for the parents it may just be the excuse you need for a mid-week Margarita. Cheers!

Organic vegetables and fresh herbs: acorn squash, green onions, cilantro
Pantry staples: salsa, quesadilla wraps, mozzarella cheese
Chef tip: the minute you walk in the door, preheat the oven. It will take 5 minutes to cut open an acorn squash and scoop out the seeds. Get it roasting while you do other things. That will make the assembly so much faster when you’re ready to eat!
Variation: use pre-cut butternut squash and boil it for 10-12 minutes, drain, and smash. Add some canned organic black beans for a little extra protein in this veggie quesadilla!

To make our fall squash and mozzarella quesadilla and my amazing avocado sauce, check out our post.

THURSDAY: Best of Fall Potato and Leek Quiche

This quiche is the ultimate no-brainer. We use our favorite GF frozen pie crust from Whole Foods Market, and each season we change the veggies that go in but keep the egg, cheese, and spice ratios the same. Crack those eggs, crumble that cheese, and do a quick saute and you’re ready to pop this quiche in the oven and forget about having to make dinner for the next 45 minutes. It’s so easy, you could technically put your kiddos in charge of making it (with a little adult supervision of course)!

Organic vegetables and fresh herbs: leeks, potatoes, and spinach
Pantry staples: eggs, garlic salt, cheddar cheese, and frozen pie crust
Chef tip: if you don’t have leeks, use onions! This quiche is a great day two morning breakfast or lunch with a quick reheat in the microwave. We like to serve a simple green salad on the side.
Variation: substitute bok choy for the spinach and mix it up by adding half cheddar/half feta to the mix and a dash of worcestershire sauce to your veggie saute!

To make our Best of Fall Leek and Potato quiche recipe, check out our detailed recipe below.

FRIDAY: Baked Turkey Meatballs Over Penne with my 15-minute Tomato Sauce

My moist and meaty florentine turkey meatballs are beyond delicious. I created these little gems for a teen class I was teaching in New York years ago. Trust me, the teenaged boys liked them and so does everyone I serve them to! Over the weekend, my husband and I love to take leftovers and make them into day two pita burgers with all kinds of Greek fixings. Make this your Friday night family treat!

Organic vegetables and fresh herbs: spinach, parsley, thyme
Pantry staples: pureed boxed Italian tomatoes, onion, garlic, dried pasta, ketchup, bread crumbs, eggs
Chef tip: add a simple green salad with my homemade vinaigrette to the meal
Variation: instead of putting spinach and parsley in your turkey meatballs, go with a spicy Mediterranean vibe and add harissa paste and mint. Grill them like burgers, and serve them on pita bread with cucumbers and feta cheese!

To make my moist and meaty florentine baked turkey meatballs with my simple 15 minute tomato sauce and to see how we love to play with this recipe for a variation of a Greek themed pita burger meal, check out our posts on the joyful blog!

Sweet and Spicy Eggplant Tomato Pizza

2015-08-04 19:11:25

Serves 4

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

20 min

Total Time

35 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

20 min

Total Time

35 min

Ingredients

Eggplant, Chinese variety, 2 medium
Onion (yellow), 1
Ricotta cheese, 1 cup
Olive oil, 3 TBS (divided)
Salt, 1 1/4 tsp (divided)
Black pepper, ¼ tsp
Garlic powder, 1 tsp
Balsamic vinegar, 2 TBS
Tomatoes, 1-2
Hot chili flakes, 1/2 tsp
Pizza crust (We use Udi’s frozen gluten free crust), 2 crusts in 1 package
Basil (fresh), 1 small bunch
Goat cheese, plain, about ½ cup

Prep

Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach. Wash all fresh ingredients.
Preheat an oven to 500F. This will ensure a nice crispy crust on your pizza dough.
Cut off the tips of the eggplant. Then cut them into halves and then into a small dice. Note: for Chinese or Japanese varieties of eggplant, you do not need to peel them or salt them before cooking.
Dice the onion.
Season the ricotta with ¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper.

Cook

Sauté diced onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium-high heat for about three minutes.
Add the diced eggplant, plus 1 additional tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and the garlic powder. Continue sautéing on medium-high heat for another two minutes.
Add 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar to the mixture. Scrape up any brown bits that have formed on the bottom of the pan with your spoon as the eggplant absorbs the vinegar. This technique is called “deglazing” the pan. Cook another few minutes on low heat.
Spread ricotta onto the pizza crusts.
Top with crumbled goat cheese, then the sautéed eggplant and onion, and lastly slices of tomato and torn basil leaves on top. Sprinkle hot pepper flakes as desired.
Bake at 500F for 10 minutes. You can rotate the pizza midway through cooking. Enjoy served with more fresh basil on top.

Note on substitutions

we recommend you use the smaller Japanese or Chinese eggplant in this dish, as they do not require pre-salting and have a milder, sweeter taste.

How to add protein

this pizza is a perfect meal as is. The ricotta provides protein and it’s very filling. However, if you wanted to add some extra protein, ground turkey or ground pork sautéed with olive oil, salt and pepper, could be a nice extra along with the other toppings.

JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

The Perfect 15 Minute Orange Curry Chicken and Spiced Roasted Veggies

2015-08-04 19:14:16

Serves 4

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

30 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

30 min

Ingredients

Organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 4
Sweet potatoes, 2
Broccolini, 1 bunch (or 2-3 stalks/person)
Olive oil, as needed
Salt, as needed
Curry Powder, ½ tsp
Cumin, ½ tsp
Orange, 1
Fresh thyme, 1 bunch
Aleppo pepper, ½ tsp

Prep

Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach. Wash all fresh ingredients.
Preheat oven to 425F.
Take your chicken breasts out of the refrigerator and set aside while you get your other ingredients prepped.
On both sides: dry off raw chicken breasts with paper towels, sprinkle with a pinch of salt (about ¼ teaspoon each) and curry powder and drizzle a small amount of olive oil onto both sides of chicken.
Juice the orange.
Cut sweet potatoes into french fry slices (with the skin on). Lightly drizzle with olive oil, salt and cumin powder and place on the cookie sheet you’ll use to roast them.
If broccolini is bigger, you can cut each stalk in half. If it’s on the small and skinny side, just toss them with a good drizzle of olive oil in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and aleppo pepper and place on the cookie sheet you’ll use to roast them.

Cook

Put the vegetables into the oven to roast at 425F for 15 minutes. You may want to cook the broccolini just a little short of 15 minutes (around 12 minutes), but the french fries will need the full 15 minutes. While the vegetables are roasting, we’ll sear our chicken breasts.
Get out an aluminum sauté pan and turn your flame on medium high heat (no oil in pan).
Place the chicken breasts down (rounded side down) in hot pan. If you wiggle them a little when you put them in the pan, they will keep it from sticking. Do NOT touch it for 3 minutes.
Flip chicken over in pan; turn heat on low; add juice of the orange and place thyme branches on top of chicken; cover with lid and set timer for 12 minutes to cook on low.
When the 12-minute timer buzzes, take off the lid, remove chicken and let rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting or serving.
While the chicken is resting, don’t waste the delicious juices that have gathered in the pan into the orange juice. Turn the heat on high and let that sauce reduce down by about ½. Now you have the perfect pan sauce to drizzle on top of your chicken!
Serve your perfectly moist chicken with your delicious roasted vegetables. We love to make a sriracha mayonnaise dipping sauce for our sweet potato fries!

JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Best of Fall Leek and Potato Quiche

2015-09-08 20:36:21

Serves 4

Note on substitutions: If you don’t have cheddar, use swiss, jack, or gruyere cheese. If you don’t want to use a pie crust, you can also pour this into a pyrex dish and bake at the same rate and it will be delicious! This is a great dinner or breakfast. Next day, just reheat a piece in the microwave.

Save Recipe

Prep Time

25 min

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 25 min

Prep Time

25 min

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 25 min

Ingredients

pie crust (gluten free), 1
leeks, 2 medium
olive oil, 3 TBS (divided)
potato (Yukon Gold), 1 large
spinach, 2 cups
salt, 1 tsp
cheddar cheese (white, sharp), 7-8 oz
eggs, 6
garlic powder, 1/4 tsp
black pepper, 1/4 tsp

Prep

Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
Wash all produce. Be sure to clean leeks thoroughly to remove dirt. The best way to do this is to first cut and set aside the dark green tops, then cut from the root up through the length of the leek and under a stream of running water, peel back the layers with your fingers and let the water wash out the dirt.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Remove pie crust from freezer. Let come to room temperature.
Cut leeks into thin half moon slices.
Cut the potato into quarters, then slice into thin pieces.
Grate the cheddar cheese. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, crack and beat eggs. Stir in salt, pepper, garlic powder, and grated cheese.

Cook

In a preheated skillet, saute potatoes in 2 tablespoons olive oil for 7 minutes over medium high heat.
Add the leeks and spinach, plus 1 more tablespoon olive oil, and cook another 2-3 minutes, or until spinach has wilted and leeks have softened.
Let this mixture cool slightly.
In a bowl, mix the egg and cheese mixture with the cooked veggies.
Transfer to the pie crust.
Bake uncovered for 40 minutes at 350F.

JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Bay Area People Feature: Cooking with your Kids this Summer

Jul 16 by Chef Hollie Greene Leave a Comment

Timing is a funny thing. When it’s right, it’s just right. From out of the blue, my boring Saturday plans and scheduled “get stuff done” Monday workday changed with a call from one of my favorite culinary friends, Stacie Dong.

Simran and Stacie, the genius moms and culinary instructors behind A Little Yumminess, called me one Saturday afternoon and said, “Hey Hollie, are you free on Monday for a TV segment? We can’t make it and thought you’d be great. It’s all about cooking with kids over the summer.” After I checked my calendar, did a little happy dance, and then talked with Lisa Yokota at Fox 2 News (in that order), I was on my way. A 4-minute cooking segment to help parents know what to do with their kiddos over the summer when it comes to cooking? No problem.

Channeling my inner adventurer’s spirit, I chose a recipe that I’ve used many times with kids at school events and in classes–Vietnamese Summer Rolls. They are fun, colorful, and so easy to make. More importantly, they take kids on a trip around the world to Vietnam–where it’s also hot during summer–and where they’ve mastered the way to eat light and healthy (and full of delicious flavors).

Even if your child doesn’t get the chance to attend a cooking camp this summer, like the amazing “Around the World” program Stacie and Simran run here in San Francisco, you can have some fun in the kitchen together and feel great knowing you’re encouraging a cooking activity that’s safe (no heat!), affordable, and loaded with fruits, veggies, and tons of good stuff for your little ones. Thank you to Lisa Yokota and Claudine Wong for having me on their amazing program. I’m honored to be among so many Bay Area People doing beautiful work in our community!

Check out my Vietnamese Summer Roll recipe with step-by-step photos to take your kiddos on a culinary adventure this summer.

Chicken Tagine: Cooking Like a True Moroccan

Jul 13 by Chef Hollie Greene Leave a Comment

If you can make a pot roast, you can make chicken tagine. Believe me when I say that Moroccan cooking is as easy to learn and embrace as our own favorite one-pot family meals. At least, that’s what I learned from my cooking class with Chef Tarik Ait Yahya at Atelier De Cuisine, an organic farm and cooking school just outside of Marrakech, Morocco, this past June.

I’d admit it. At first I was skeptical of this prearranged cooking class. If you’re nodding your head with me now, then I know for sure you’ve done the cheesy holiday cooking class. As a chef, I’m always entertained, but generally, I find them dull and very hands-off. Not this time. We literally got our hands dirty.

photo provided by Atelier de Cuisine

But before I dive into the organic garden where we picked our produce, or the village walk, or fresh bread making or the various recipes we made, first let me paint the scene for you. Take a seat. Imagine you’re sitting down on a very colorful Berber carpet. Take your shoes off. First, there will be a tea lesson with our tea master, Hassan.

If you didn’t catch my post from last week, you’ll find that this was one of the six reasons I fell in love with Moroccan cuisine and culture. Not only did Hassan serve us one of the most elegant teas I tasted while visiting Morocco, but he also taught us the six essential steps to making delicious mint tea…

Add loose leaf green tea to a small tea pot. For 3-4 people, about 3 teaspoons.
Add hot (basically lightly simmering) water mid-way up the pot.
Put the pot back on the charcoal (or in our case the burner) for about 4 minutes or until it boils. Take it off the heat at this point.
Add your herbs (mint primarily but you can also use lemon verbena, lemon grass, absinthe, sage, or marjoram as well), plus sugar (about 3 cubes). The sugar keeps the mint from turning black and “burning.”
Do not use a spoon to mix! The Moroccan way it to pour a glass; then pour that glass back into the pot on top, which helps mix up the tea. Do this several times to get a good but gentle mix. Check on one of the last pours that you’re getting good bubbles when you pour the tea. Hassan says that means the sugar has melted.
Hold the pot close to the glass and then get higher and higher away until you’ve poured a frothy cup of tea (big foam!). And say, “bisaha” as you toast your friends, which means “good health” in arabic!

Atelier de Cuisine, Jardin Potager Bio, was started by Chef Tarik Harabida, a culinary veteran with 27 years in the industry. He had a dream of teaching visitors how delicious and healthy his cuisine was by bringing them to a self-sustaining organic vegetable garden where they could pick their ingredients, work as a team, and learn the fundamentals (with a modern twist or two) of cooking like a true Moroccan at home. What I love most about this organic teaching farm and cooking school is that it gives women of the village sustainable work–making local cheeses and breads served at the class, among other ways they support one another.

What made our class truly memorable was the way our teacher, Tarik Ait Yahya, made us feel confident that we could master his cuisine by breaking it down into 4 easy-to-remember spice combinations. That was all we needed to know for the day to master the recipes we’d be making. Wait for it. You will fall off your chair when you hear this. Chicken tagine with preserved lemons and green olive has only two dried spices in the recipe besides salt and pepper. Can you guess what they are?!!

No, it’s not cumin or paprika or cinnamon or sumac. Ginger and turmeric–even I can remember that combo–is all you need! Well, of course we also flavored our dish with diced onion, fresh lemon juice, garlic, cilantro, parsley, and a pinch of salt and pepper. And it works. How do I know it wasn’t just a crazy vacation memory? I tested the recipe this week in my home kitchen. To the best of my vacation memory it went like this…

First the chicken goes into the tagine. Don’t make the mistake I did back at home and ignore Tarik’s suggestion to use a mix of pieces. Go for dark meat cuts + the breast. Dark meat is where the flavor’s at ya’ll.

Then, you top it with your diced red onion, minced garlic, lemon juice, spices, and a few heaping pinches of cilantro and parsley.

And as I shared last week, make it look beautiful since Moroccans eat with their eyes first, by topping it with your preserved lemon slices, olives, and a little sprig of parsley.

In just 45 minutes, without fuss or stress, you’ve got a succulent and tender chicken tagine that’s oozing with flavors that make you feel like you’re on a Mediterranean island (and in our case in Morocco, with sweltering heat)! The dish is sublime as is, or you can serve a simple couscous on the side to sop up all of those succulent juices at the bottom of the tagine.

And of course, if we’re really cooking like true Moroccans, there will be plenty of beautiful vegetable sides to complement our meaty dish. But I’ve got to save some of this deliciousness for my post next week when I’ll be sharing Tarik’s favorite Moroccan summer salad of charred green peppers and juicy summer tomatoes.

Chef Tarik’s Preserved Lemon Chicken Tagine

2015-07-07 13:49:49

Serves 4

Adapted slightly (based on my memory) from the original recipe we learned from Chef Tarik Ait Yahya at Atelier de Cuisine outside Marrakech, Morocco

Save Recipe

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

45 min

Total Time

1 hr

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

45 min

Total Time

1 hr

Ingredients

Chicken (skinless), four pieces of white and dark meat
Red onion, 1
Ground ginger, 1 tsp.
Turmeric, 1 tsp.
Salt, approximately ¼ tsp.
Black pepper, ¼ tsp.
Lemon juice from 1 lemon
Garlic, 2 cloves
Olive oil, 3 TBS.
Cilantro, ¼ cup
Parsley, ¼ cup
Preserved lemon, 1
Green olives, ½ cup

Prep

Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
Wash all produce.
Dice onion and set aside.
Mince garlic and place into a small bowl with the juice of the lemon.
Rough chop cilantro and parsley, and measure out the spices, and salt and pepper into a bowl.
Rinse preserved lemon under water to remove excess salt. Then cut into quarters and remove pulp, keeping the peel only.
Drain olives from their juice.

Cook

Place chicken into tagine first (meat side up).
Top with red onions.
Pour lemon juice and minced garlic on top.
Sprinkle fresh herbs, olive oil and spices next over the top.
Lastly, top with the preserved lemons and olives. You can add a few extra sprigs of parsley on top.
Over medium low heat, cook for about 10 minutes. Remove cover and flip chicken pieces over to ensure they’re getting heat on all sides. Add about ¼ cup water and mix together.
Continue cooking over low heat for another 35 minutes. About mid-way through this cooking time, flip and baste chicken again with the accumulated juices in the tagine.
Enjoy served alongside your favorite preparation of couscous and moroccan salads. To the top of our couscous, we’ve added some caramelized onion and about ¼ cup of rehydrated yellow raisins I cooked in a pinch each of cinnamon, cayenne, sugar and water--for a little extra fun.

Cooking note

When we tested this dish back in my home kitchen, we made the mistake of only using two bone-in chicken breasts. Our tagine is quite small, and this fit perfectly. However, I’d always advise a mixture of dark and white meat to provide maximum flavor for this dish. Next time, I’ll be going for 4-6 chicken thighs vs. two chicken breasts. Dark meat has more flavor! In addition, really watch the amount of salt you put in your dish. Preserved lemons and olives are full of salt and flavor, without the need to add salt to this dish.

Cooking equipment

If you do not have a tagine, you can use a Dutch Oven. The conical shape of the tagine allows for moisture to circulate in a way that creates a deep flavor and holds the moisture in the meat. However, this is just a low and slow cooking method, which a dutch oven can handle well, as it holds a nice seal and conducts heat evenly.

By Chef Tarik

JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Six Ways I Fell in Love with Moroccan Cuisine And Culture

Jul 6 by Chef Hollie Greene 4 Comments

During May of this year, I spent two weeks traveling around Morocco with my husband, Jim. From Casablanca to Rabat, Fes, Erfoud, Skoura, Marrakech, and Essaouira, I fell in love with a culture that expresses its love for guests and family through food. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing some of these rich experiences through the blog–hope you’ll enjoy the journey with me!

Bring on the spice! That’s what I wrote on a vision board almost two years ago–next to a big picture of spices in a Moroccan market. That picture of vibrant turmeric, paprika, and Ras el Hanout had captured my spirit. My synapses were firing.

I knew a culinary journey to Northern Africa would happen. I just didn’t know when. I was being pulled toward this exotic continent I needed to explore.

I’m a traveler. It’s part of my identity. My first trip to a far away land was to China and Tibet when I was only sixteen years old. Since that first taste of immersing myself completely in another culture, I’ve craved these experiences–from living in France and Brazil–to learning to cook in Greece and Italy. The further away from my own culture, the better for me.

So when I researched and read every great travel book, blog, and cookbook I could get my hands on, especially Paula Wolfert’s The Food of Morocco, I felt somewhat prepared to land in Morocco with a semblance of my bearings.

One of the very first things I do before traveling is to write down all of the foods, spices, and regional dishes I must check off the list–no matter how bizarre or scary. It helps me feel grounded when I first scan a foreign menu or walk through a market in that country. But for this trip, I wasn’t prepared for how much I’d fall in love with the mannerisms, gentleness, and joy that awaited me in every Berber friend I met, every city we visited, and in every meal I encountered. These six discoveries are just a glimpse of my culinary adventures while traveling in Morocco.

#1 Moroccans eat with their eyes first

From the overflowing souks to the way mint tea is served, shopping, eating, and drinking in Morocco is a feast for the eyes.

Colors, textures, and the heavenly smells of food being prepared–made my senses feel alive as we winded through the busy medinas (oldest part of town) and the Mellahs (Jewish quarter of town).

Whenever you arrive in a hotel, someone’s home, or even when I needed those impromptu bio breaks in a merchant’s store, Moroccans will always offer you a warm glass of mint tea and often something even sweeter to munch on with it. Lifting the pot very high to pour the tea is not just for show but to create a wonderfully aerated glass of tea; almost like the head on a well poured beer, this is a sign the tea is made well.

#2 Food in Morocco is an expression of love and welcoming

To offer your guest waaaay more food than they could possibly eat is a sign of being welcomed and loved. It’s a feast in every sense. And don’t worry–cause I checked–nothing gets wasted!

At almost every meal, there was the option to start with Moroccan salads or a nice warm pureed vegetable soup. From cumin laced carrots, to savory charred eggplant spreads, to light and fresh roasted green pepper and tomato salads, these seven to eight small dishes were presented all at once and served with warm freshly baked bread. Just the sight of these gorgeous plates made us feel loved and cared for! Can you imagine if every American meal started with such a spread of veggies?

#3 You really do need the sugar in mint tea!

Westerners often ask if they can have their tea without sugar. What I learned from our tea master, Hassan, while cooking at Atelier de Cuisine outside of Marrakech is that a little bit of sugar is absolutely necessary. It keeps the fresh mint from turning black!

Hassan is what Chef Tarik Ait Yahya calls a tea master. He knows exactly the right amount to crack off of the large cylinder of sugar to go with the fresh mint and other herbs he’s picked, and Hassan is an expert in knowing when the tea is just right to pour. Starting low and holding the pot higher and higher in the air, his cups of this sweet nectar, the Moroccans call their “whiskey”, is light and refreshing and perfectly sweet–even on the hottest of North African days. If you want to learn how to make tea like Hassan, I’m a big fan of this beautiful tutorial by Honestly Yum.

#4 These 4 spice combos are all you need to know

On one of my favorite days in Morocco, we cooked at Atelier de Cuisine outside of Marrakech. In my post next week, I’m going to share more about that day and the amazing chicken tagine recipe we learned from Chef Tarik and his assistant Joseph. But here’s what I think you MUST know right now–and not wait another minute of your life to find out…

These four spice combos are all you need to know to start cooking like a true Moroccan:

Sweet: use with dishes like lamb tagine with prunes, or dishes where you’d add dried fruits: cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric
Lemon: this spice combo goes with chicken: ginger and turmeric.
Normal: use with vegetable dishes, like vegetable tagine or couscous with vegetables: ginger, turmeric, sweet paprika.
Normal with cumin added: use this spice combo in fish tagine or roasted eggplant salads!

#5 Spices in Morocco have a hypnotic effect on me

Um, the bottom line is that I really do have a spice problem! That is, I may have purchased too many spices on my trip and will be looking for ways to use them up over the coming months. My spice consultant in Marrakech, Bushra, which means “good news” in Arabic, wasn’t concerned though. She thought I did well!

Saffron grown in Morocco, Ras el Hanout, sweet paprika, long pepper, not to mention some spice combos that have romantic effects on the user–these were all so exciting to learn about–and yes, many did come home with me. Can you blame me?!

#6 Language is culture–learn a few new words to warm your host’s heart

What my husband and I loved most about our trip was that we made two very good friends, Mustafa, our country guide, and Younis, our driver. We spent hours upon hours together over those thirteen days in Morocco–much of which was spent laughing while we learned. French is a language that was given to Moroccans by the colonials, but they are Berbers and Arabs from dynasties before, and that is the language that is their culture. When Mustafa taught us each day to speak a few words in arabic or berber, so that we could thank new friends, tell them food was delicious, and wish them well, that was when we made lasting connections. You see, when it comes to learning about a new land, you must learn a little bit of their language. It warms the hearts of your new friends and helps you understand their beautiful culture.

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Six Ways I Fell in Love with Moroccan Cuisine And Culture

#1 Moroccans eat with their eyes first

#2 Food in Morocco is an expression of love and welcoming

#3 You really do need the sugar in mint tea!

#4 These 4 spice combos are all you need to know

#5 Spices in Morocco have a hypnotic effect on me

#6 Language is culture–learn a few new words to warm your host’s heart