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Back-to-School Family Dinners Segment on Fox2 KTVU

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With so many back-to-school demands, putting a healthy dinner on the table can feel out of reach. That’s why I was so excited to be asked back on the KTVU Fox2 News Show to share my strategies for making weeknight family dinners a breeze.

I first start with what our family likes to eat–dinners like veggie fried brown rice, grilled meat with two roasted vegetables, or fast fajitas. None of these meals requires a recipe, just throwing together what’s on hand with a very short list of grocery items to round out our ingredient list.

Hollie setting up on Fox2

The two easy dinners I’d love to share with you use my other strategy which is how can I have zero waste in my kitchen, which involves using the items I buy at the store in multiple meals (and back-to-school lunches!), and using a dinner technique that literally takes less than 30 minutes to put together.

Jim birthday shoutout

This past Saturday (also my husband Jim’s birthday), I shared two new favorites on a live segment with Claudine Wong, my favorite local newscaster, who is also a busy mom who knows how challenging cooking on top of a long day at work can be. The whole crew fell in love with our Mango Chicken Soba Noodles, which employs my “build a bowl” technique as well as our Breakfast for Dinner strategy, using cupcake muffin tins to build mini rainbow frittatas alongside carrot curry fries. Both meals are children and family friendly, filling, and healthy–plus you’ll have zero guilt when you use up all of those fresh ingredients you bought on Sunday when you reach the end of your week and find an empty refrigerator!

Claudine eating my soba noodle bowl

Mango Chicken Soba Noodle Bowls
Serves 4
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Ingredients
  1. Soba noodles, 7 oz, cooked, drained and rinsed
  2. Rotisserie Chicken, 1, shredded with hands
  3. Mango, 1, peeled and diced
  4. Red bell pepper, ½, diced
  5. Carrot, 1, shredded on a cheese grater
  6. Soy sauce, 2 tablespoons
  7. Rice wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon
  8. Sriracha, 3 teaspoons
  9. Sesame oil, 2 tablespoons
  10. Sunflower oil, 2 tablespoons
  11. Lime, 1 small
  12. Salt, ½ teaspoon
Optional garnish
  1. Sesame seeds
  2. Cilantro
Instructions
  1. Cook noodles separately, according to their package instructions (approximately 5-7 minutes in boiling water—do not salt water!). Get a colander ready so you can rinse the noodles right after they are done cooking in cool water. Note: soba noodles should not be al dente, but you also don’t want to overcook them so taste one before pulling the pot off the heat. Once they have been rinsed, you’re now going to dunk the cooked noodles in a big bowl of cold water and “wash them” of their starch. Use your hands and rub them in the water. Drain again in the colander. Now they are ready to be used.
  2. While noodles are cooking, make sauce with the last six ingredients (from soy sauce to lime juice) in a separate bowl.
  3. Toss sauce, cooked and rinsed noodles, vegetables, mango, and chicken together in a bowl. Enjoy with a sprinkle of sesame seeds on top and some chopped cilantro.
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/
Loaded with veggies frittata

Mini Rainbow Frittatas
Serves 4
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Ingredients
  1. Eggs, 6, cracked and beaten
  2. Carrot, 1, shredded
  3. Yellow bell pepper, 1, diced
  4. Basil, 2 tablespoons, chopped
  5. Cheddar cheese, 4 oz, grated
  6. Salt, ½ teaspoon
  7. Black pepper, ¼ teaspoon
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line cupcake holder with liners.
  2. In each cupcake liner, add a mixture of vegetables and basil, filling it two-thirds the way up.
  3. Top with cheese and divide egg mixture among them until it fills the cupcake liner.
  4. Bake for approximately 12 minutes. Touch the tops before removing to make sure they have cooked through and are not soft.
  5. Serve with "curry carrot fries." To make carrot fries, toss cut carrot sticks in a tablespoon of olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 tsp. curry powder, and roast at 400F for 15 minutes.
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

What to do with Thanksgiving Leftovers: Sweet-n-Savory Potstickers

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DSC_0591

Growing up, my dad always looked forward to his leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwich piled high and slathered with mayo and cranberry relish. There is no denying it remains to be a really delicious way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers, but this year I’m excited to try a new family tradition where everyone can get in on the fun–making potstickers with a whole host of holiday leftovers.

potstickerscollage

For years, I’ve heard beautiful memories from my husband and his children about their potsticker assembly cooking sessions. That’s what’s great about potstickers. They truly are a team sport! While your extended family is in town, especially the kiddos, making potstickers is a great way to bond over a cooking activity that you’ll remember for years to come.

DSC_0565 DSC_0580

And for those of us who hate to waste food, potstickers help you get creative so that even those leftover cranberries get put to good use in the form of a spicy dipping sauce! The really cool thing is that I’m sure your family will find their own creative combination this year as you mix ingredients. My husband, who truly is a pro at making these, was delightfully surprised by my leftover sweet potato version in a brown butter sauce. I’m counting on the fact that we’ll have a whole tray to freeze and enjoy on another weeknight when we’re hankering for some of those delicious creations we made together with family!

DSC_0590

Leftover Turkey Potstickers with a Spicy Cranberry Dipping Sauce
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Ingredients
  1. Leftover turkey, dark and white meat, approximately 2 cups
  2. Cremini mushrooms, 8 oz., pre-sliced
  3. Savory (or Napa) cabbage, 1 small
  4. Green onions, 1 small bunch
  5. Vegetable oil, 1-2 TBSP
  6. Soy sauce, ¼ cup
  7. Sesame oil, 2-3 TBSP
  8. Potsticker (Gyoza) wrappers, 1 package
Spicy Cranberry Dipping Sauce
  1. Leftover cranberry sauce, ½ cup
  2. Soy Sauce, 1 TBSP
  3. Rice wine vinegar, 1 TBSP
  4. Sriracha sauce (or chili sauce), ¼ tsp
  5. Red chili flakes, ¼ tsp
Prep
  1. Chop leftover turkey into small pieces.
  2. Chop cabbage, mushrooms, and green onion into small pieces (mince).
  3. Heat a skillet over medium high heat, add enough vegetable oil to coat the surface, followed by the mushrooms, cabbage, and green onion. Saute on medium high heat for 3-4 minutes.
  4. Once the vegetables start to wilt, add the soy sauce and sesame oil. Cook another 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat and mix vegetables with the cut up turkey.
  5. To make the cranberry dipping sauce, place all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and mix together. Set aside for cooked potstickers.
Assemble Potstickers
  1. Put tap water in a small bowl. You’ll use this to help seal the potstickers.
  2. Hold the round potsticker dough in your hand. First, dip your finger in the water and run it around the outer edge of the potsticker round.
  3. Next, using a spoon, put your filling in the center of the round. Be careful to not overstuff your potsticker!
  4. Fold the dough over the filling to form a half circle. Seal the edges with your hand.
  5. As a design technique, you can pinch a little skin and fold along the edge of the potsticker (starting at the center and working towards each of the edges).
  6. Make as many potstickers as you can until your filling runs out! I like to line them up on a cookie sheet. We press them down a little when we set them down, which will help the bottoms to brown when you fry them in the pan. Any potstickers we don’t cook that day, we freeze on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a freezer bag until ready to cook on another day.
Cook
  1. Preheat a non-stick pan over medium high heat. Add 1-2 teaspoons of vegetable oil.
  2. When the oil is warmed, place potstickers flat side down in the pan. Allow bottoms to brown for 3-4 minutes. Note: you'll have to cook potstickers in batches. Try not to overcrowd your pan.
  3. Once you’ve gotten a good browning on the bottoms of the potstickers, add ¼ cup water to the pan and cover to help them steam and finish cooking for another 2 minutes.
  4. Once the water has evaporated, you can add a little more sesame oil to the pan if you desire for flavor and to finish browning the potstickers in the pan.
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/
DSC_0598

Leftover Sweet Potato Casserole Potstickers
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Ingredients
  1. Leftover mashed sweet potatoes or sweet potato casserole
  2. Potsticker (Gyoza) wrappers, 1 package
  3. Vegetable oil, 2 tsp.
  4. Butter, 4 TBSP (cubed)
  5. Sage (fresh), 3 leaves, chopped
Prep
  1. Place leftover mashed sweet potatoes (or sweet potato casserole) into a bowl.
  2. Make the brown butter sage sauce and set aside: heat butter over medium high heat until milk solids start separating from butterfat. Swirl butter in pan. When you start to smell hazelnuts and brown bits start to form, add the chopped sage and remove from heat.
Assemble Potstickers
  1. Put tap water in a small bowl. You’ll use this to help seal the potstickers.
  2. Hold the round potsticker dough in your hand. First, dip your finger in the water and run it around the outer edge of the potsticker round.
  3. Next, using a spoon, put your filling in the center of the round. Be careful to not overstuff your potsticker!
  4. Fold the dough over the filling to form a half circle. Seal the edges with your hand.
  5. As a design technique, you can pinch a little skin and fold along the edge of the potsticker (starting at the center and working towards each of the edges).
  6. Make as many potstickers as you can until your filling runs out! I like to line them up on a cookie sheet. We press them down a little when we set them down, which will help the bottoms to brown when you fry them in the pan. Any potstickers we don’t cook that day, we freeze on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a freezer bag until ready to cook on another day.
Cook
  1. Preheat a non-stick pan over medium high heat. Add 1-2 teaspoons of vegetable oil.
  2. When the oil is warmed, place potstickers flat side down in the pan. Allow bottoms to brown for 3-4 minutes. Note: you'll have to cook potstickers in batches. Try not to overcrowd your pan.
  3. Once you’ve gotten a good browning on the bottoms of the potstickers, add ¼ cup water to the pan and cover to help them steam and finish cooking for another 2 minutes.
  4. Once the water has evaporated, add the brown butter sage sauce to the pan and coat sweet potato potstickers in the sauce.
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Pear Perfect Korean Chicken Kabobs

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#1 cover photo pear kabobs

My husband loves to grill. That’s why I gave him the job of coming up with a recipe for our friend’s birthday party “grill off.” That’s right. When there’s celebration that involves a healthy dose of competition + grilling, you know it’s going to be delicious! People rise to the occasion.

#2 pears for chicken pear kabob

With a theme of dishes from around Asia, Jim got to work on a flavorful marinade using all things he adores and a little help from his diligent internet search: ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, and garlic. And just like any great partnership, he asked me for my two cents. My suggestion was to throw in something unusual since this was a competition after all.

#3 side shot pear chix kabobs #4 overhead shot pear chix kabobs

Pears are the perfect addition to a blended marinade. From what we later read in articles like this one I love from The Kitchn, pear juice is often used by Korean cooks as a tenderizer and sweet flavor enhancer. Assuming that many of our “bros” at the party would go big time meat centric, we opted for chicken in the form of a beautiful yellow pepper, onion, and perfect pear chicken kabob. It was a HIT. We even won a little trophy, but don’t take my word for it. Fire up that grill before the snow comes and take a little Korean BBQ adventure with pears this fall.

#5 final shot pear chix kabobs

Pear Perfect Korean Chicken Kabobs
Serves 4
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Prep Time
45 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
1 hr
Prep Time
45 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
1 hr
Ingredients
  1. Pear, 1
  2. White onion, 1/2
  3. Garlic, 4 cloves
  4. Tamari (gluten free soy sauce), 2 tablespoons
  5. Brown sugar, 2 tablespoons
  6. Sesame oil, 1 tablespoon
  7. Ginger (fresh), approximately 2 teaspoons
  8. Skinless boneless chicken breasts, 3, medium sized cubes
  9. Red onion, 1, medium pieces
  10. Yellow Bell Pepper, 1, medium dice
  11. Wooden skewers, 10
Prep
  1. Place the chopped pear (skin on), white onion, garlic, tamari, brown sugar, sesame oil, and ginger in a blender and pulse until smooth to make the pear marinade.
  2. Marinate chicken for 30 minutes while preheating the grill. Soak wooden skewers in a bowl of water while chicken is marinating.
To make kabobs
  1. Alternate the marinated chicken cubes, thick slices of red onion, and medium diced yellow bell pepper.
  2. Grill for 10-12 minutes over medium high heat, rotating the skewers to sear all sides.
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Veggie Mac n Cheese–More Kale Please!

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10-5-15 #1 cover mac n cheese

Kale and Mac-n-cheese are a match made in heaven. Now, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it–especially since you’ll be feeling so much better about the heaping scoop you’ve put on your plate after you realize you’ve added a superfood to your favorite comfort meal.

10-5 mac n cheese ingredients

If you’ve never made mac-n-cheese from scratch, it’s such a fun recipe to make with kids. There are so many tasks they can help you with from:

  • Grating the cheeses to
  • Tearing kale from its stalks into little pieces to
  • Checking the pasta for “doneness”–is it “al dente?!” to
  • Helping stir the butter and flour into a roux (which will thicken the milk) and letting you know when it starts to smell like cookie dough so you can pour that milk in and stir, stir, stir!

10-5 #3 grid 1 of 4

10-5 #4 grid 2 of 4.08

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The most exciting part is when the cheese they grated gets mixed into the creamy bechamel sauce with the noodles and veggies, and it goes into its baking vessel. You get wafts of nutmeg smells as it slides out of the hot pasta pot and into the oven with its crunchy breadcrumb topping.

10-5 #7 going into oven 11.40.21

And as your kids dig their forks into this ooey gooey pasta masterpiece, you’ll relish knowing that the kale (and maybe a little broccoli) that you stuffed into this classic is pumping their brains with antioxidants, their muscles with calcium and vitamin k, and their bodies with fiber to keep them full and happy. Go ahead and crown yourself a kale hero. I surely will.

Don’t miss all of the fun that will be happening across the country on National Kale Day, October 7th, 2015. We will be serving students of Lu Sutton Elementary the Ginger Kale Salad by Wellness in the Schools that they learned the week before in our cooking labs. What kind of kale adventures do you have in store? Here’s to the kale hero in each of us!

Veggie Mac & Cheese - More Kale Please!
Serves 8
Note on additions: we love to add in some broccoli to our kale saute!
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 15 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 15 min
Ingredients
  1. elbow macaroni, 1 lb (can also use GF brand)
  2. salt, 1 tsp
  3. vegetable broth, 1 quart
  4. all purpose flour, 1/4 cup (can also use GF flour)
  5. kale, 1 bunch
  6. olive oil, 4 TBS
  7. butter, 4 TBS
  8. milk (2% or full), 3 cups
  9. nutmeg (ground), 1 tsp
  10. emmental (type of swiss cheese), 1/2 lb
  11. white cheddar cheese (not sharp), grated, 1/2 lb
  12. bread crumbs, 1 cup (can also use GF breadcrumbs)
Prep
  1. Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
  2. Preheat oven to 350F.
  3. Grate cheeses.
  4. Thinly slice the greens.
  5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. **Note, the pasta boxes always recommend you put way more water than is needed to cook these noodles. Just make sure you’ve put enough water to cover them completely! You don’t need a special pot.
Cook Noodles
  1. Add macaroni to boiling water and cook until al dente (a little chewy to the tooth). The pasta will keep cooking when we bake the mac n cheese in the oven!
  2. Remove ¼ cup of the water they cooked in before you drain the noodles. Place the cooking water into a bowl.
  3. Drain the noodles and then add them to the bowl where you put the ¼ cup cooking liquid. This should keep them from sticking together until you are ready to add them to the final mac and cheese.
  4. Sauté greens + add cooked noodles
  5. Use the same pot you cooked your noodles to sauté the greens in 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt for 2-3 minutes.
  6. Add ¼ cup vegetable broth and cook another 2-3 minutes. Cook until slightly crisp.
  7. Add your cooked noodles and about ¼ cup of the reserved pasta liquid to the pot with the cooked greens.
Make white sauce, called béchamel
  1. In a separate medium pot, melt 4 tablespoons butter on med/high heat and add ¼ cup flour, whisking until the mixture is like sand and a golden color.
  2. Add 3 cups of milk and 1 cup of vegetable broth.
  3. Stay on medium-high heat, continuously stirring with a whisk until thickened—approximately 10 minutes.
  4. Add nutmeg and 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.
  5. Turn off the heat; add your grated cheeses and stir until melted.
  6. Add your cooked vegetables and noodles to this pot and combine.
  7. Place in an ovenproof dish, top with breadcrumbs with a drizzle of olive oil and bake at 350 for 35 minutes.
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Ginger Kale Salad–A Recipe by Wellness in the Schools

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9-28 #1 cover photo of kale ingredients

When I was a young chef just out of culinary school, I volunteered and worked for Wellness in the Schools (WITS) in New York City. It’s where I learned a love for how to tie healthier school lunches with the importance of teaching kids how to engage with these new foods without fear and loads of joy. You may not believe it, but in just 50 minutes, a Kale Cooking Lab can change a kid’s relationship with food forever. I’ve seen it firsthand.

9-28 #3 Making applesauce in science class sidebyside

The discussion around school food can get complicated really fast. There is policy involved (Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act), the politics and influence of the big food industry, the USDA, and certainly there’s the skills and will challenge of going from a heat-and-serve food culture to actually preparing whole, locally grown foods from scratch for kids. Often as adults, when we do make changes in school food, we generously pat ourselves on the back but forget that we’ve only tackled half the battle. Now, we must educate kids on how to eat that new healthier food so it doesn’t end up in the trash.

9-28 #5 side by side kale ripped 2sidebyside

Yes, you can improve the food served in schools, but if you don’t teach children how to engage with these new foods with all of their senses and reduce the fear of trying new foods, there is a huge disconnect between what’s served and what’s eaten. I saw this first hand while working for Wellness in the Schools. Fast forward 10 years later, and WITS is bringing healthy food and fitness to 40,000 students across 75 public schools, cafeterias, classrooms, and recess yards. Clearly, there’s so much work to be done.

9-28 #9 cut kale 4 pic 4 of 4grid

What I have found I love doing best is not working in the cafeteria but in the classroom. No matter what happens on the school food front, I know that when I teach a child how to cook a simple recipe and engage with farm fresh, local vegetables and fruits with all of their senses, I’ve planted a seed that will grow with them for life. That’s why I’m SO excited about this new partnership with WITS and my partner in the Novato California Unified School District, Miguel Villarreal, our pilot school’s principal and PTA, and our presenting sponsor, Whole Foods Market. Next week, we’re piloting the WITS Labs through our Joyful 12 School Pilot at Lu Sutton Elementary–350 kids will learn how to make this delicious salad and then we’ll feature it on the salad bar the following week on October 7th, National Kale Day.

9-28 #10 peel ginger with spoon

I hope you’ll try this easy and delicious recipe with your kids in your home kitchens. I’m betting you’ll find some kale converts in your household after they get to help you grate the ginger, rip the kale from its stems, squeeze the fresh orange juice, and toss the beautiful strands of greens in their honey, orange and ginger soy dressing.

9-28 #11 kale before tossed with dressing 9-28 #12 pouring dressing over kale 9-28 #13 tossing the kale

Ginger Kale Salad - A recipe by Wellness in the Schools
Serves 6
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Ingredients
  1. 2 bunches lacinato (dinosaur) kale,
  2. washed, de-stemmed, and chopped thin
  3. 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  4. Juice from 1/2 orange
  5. 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  6. 1 Tbsp honey
  7. 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
  8. 1/4 cup olive oil
Prep
  1. Combine vinegar, juice, soy sauce, honey, and ginger in a large bowl and whisk.
  2. Add oil slowly while whisking so that a thick consistency is achieved.
  3. Combine dressing with kale, a bit at a time, and mix thoroughly until salad is completely coated
  4. with dressing. You may not need to use all of the dressing.
  5. Using your hands, massage the kale with the dressing until covered
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Can’t Eat Just One–Crisp Kale Chips

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SM 9-21 kale chips new final shot

I make it a game each week to come up with a whole host of delicious ways to use up my fresh fall greens–and yes, kale chips are at the top of that list.

9-21 remove rib soak

When it comes to making it easy to use up greens, for me, it’s all about making them too convenient to pass up when I start to refrigerator dive for my breakfast, lunch, or dinner ideas. Try this no waste tip when you come home with your next bundle of kale, collards, or other hearty greens:

  • Give them a good wash: tear off their leaves from the woody stalks and dunk them into a big bowl of water, so that any dirt or organic bugs that have hitched a ride home with them drop to the bottom of the bowl.
  • Scoop them up, dry them in a salad spinner or on a towel, and place them in a sealed container, so they are now ready to be used.
  • Save the stalks for your next soup or saute–they’re crunchy and loaded with nutrients but need a little extra cooking time.

9-21 shot of kale chips on tray

The next time you get a craving for a salty and crunchy snack, don’t forget that kale chips are only 10 minutes away, since you’ve already done the hard work of getting them ready to be cooked. Whether you have the curly variety or the flat one known as dinosaur kale, this green makes a delicious and fun chip that’s so good for you.

9-21 Joyful 12 school project cover image

And if you’ve been making kale chips for years and are looking for a little inspiration for other ways to relish kale, join us as we gear up for National Kale Day on October 7th, 2015. We’ll be joining the National Kale team as they share tips, recipes, and fun ideas for how to get the whole family loving kale and all greens. At JoyFoodly, we’ll also be launching the next phase of our Joyful 12 School Project, in partnership with the national program Wellness in the Schools, making their amazingly delicious and simple Ginger Kale Salad with all 350 children of Lu Sutton Elementary in Novato, California through Food Literacy Cooking Labs. Stay tuned and join us in this kale celebration!

9-21 Week three spinach smoothie with kids

Can't Eat Just One Crisp Kale Chips
Serves 4
Note on substitutions: we know that you can’t always find flat kale, also known as Dino or Lacinato Kale, so curly kale works great, too. See below for how we alter the recipe slightly depending on which type of kale you use.
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
20 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
20 min
Ingredients
  1. kale, 1 bunch
  2. olive oil, 2 - 4 TBS
  3. salt, 1/2 tsp
Prep
  1. Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
  2. Preheat oven to 300F.
Prep kale
  1. For flat kale, cut off the tougher bottom part of the stem and leave the upper stem and leaves in tact. This will make a nice big chip. Otherwise, you can pull the leaves off in big chunks on either side of the stem. Be sure to use bigger pieces, as the kale will shrink in the oven.
  2. **If you have curly kale, the stem is tougher, so we recommend you remove it with a knife and then tear the curly leaves apart into bigger pieces.
  3. Wash well in water. Use a salad spinner to dry and then lay them out on paper towels or a clean cloth to get them completely dry. *For curly kale you need to get between the creases!
Cook
  1. Rub kale pieces with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. This will keep them from burning in the oven and allow them to crisp up.
  2. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  3. Do not overlap; ensure they all have space in one layer on the cookie sheet.
  4. Bake for 5 minutes and check. You may want to move the cookie sheets around so edges on one part of the tray do not get too hot due to your oven. Cook for about 3 minutes longer or until they just start to turn brown on the edges but not burning! This can happen fast, so remove them and know they’ll keep cooking a little on the hot pan out of the oven. *Note, curly kale can take a little longer to cook so keep an eye on it.
  5. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and enjoy within the hour. Yum!
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

My 5 Favorite Pantry Meals for the Busy Family

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8-10 veggie pizza cover photo

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.

download JoyFoodly pantry essentials

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!

8-10 veggie pizza in body of post

  • 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!

8-10 Curry chicken and roasted veggies

  • 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.

SM 8-10 quesadilla in progress

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!

SM 8-10 Quesadilla plated

  • 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.

SM 8-10 quiche ingredients 2014-08-12 10.33.44

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)!

SM 8-10 quiche slices 2014-08-12 12.30.14

  • 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.

SM 8-10 turkey meatball option 1 2013-05-26 12.51.10

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!

Use for 8-10 Greek burger image IMG_2533

  • 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
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
  1. Eggplant, Chinese variety, 2 medium
  2. Onion (yellow), 1
  3. Ricotta cheese, 1 cup
  4. Olive oil, 3 TBS (divided)
  5. Salt, 1 1/4 tsp (divided)
  6. Black pepper, ¼ tsp
  7. Garlic powder, 1 tsp
  8. Balsamic vinegar, 2 TBS
  9. Tomatoes, 1-2
  10. Hot chili flakes, 1/2 tsp
  11. Pizza crust (We use Udi’s frozen gluten free crust), 2 crusts in 1 package
  12. Basil (fresh), 1 small bunch
  13. Goat cheese, plain, about ½ cup
Prep
  1. 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.
  2. Preheat an oven to 500F. This will ensure a nice crispy crust on your pizza dough.
  3. 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.
  4. Dice the onion.
  5. Season the ricotta with ¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper.
Cook
  1. Sauté diced onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium-high heat for about three minutes.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Spread ricotta onto the pizza crusts.
  5. 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.
  6. 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
  1. 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
  1. 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
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
  1. Organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 4
  2. Sweet potatoes, 2
  3. Broccolini, 1 bunch (or 2-3 stalks/person)
  4. Olive oil, as needed
  5. Salt, as needed
  6. Curry Powder, ½ tsp
  7. Cumin, ½ tsp
  8. Orange, 1
  9. Fresh thyme, 1 bunch
  10. Aleppo pepper, ½ tsp
Prep
  1. 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.
  2. Preheat oven to 425F.
  3. Take your chicken breasts out of the refrigerator and set aside while you get your other ingredients prepped.
  4. 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.
  5. Juice the orange.
  6. 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.
  7. 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
  1. 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.
  2. Get out an aluminum sauté pan and turn your flame on medium high heat (no oil in pan).
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. When the 12-minute timer buzzes, take off the lid, remove chicken and let rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting or serving.
  6. 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!
  7. 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
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.
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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
  1. pie crust (gluten free), 1
  2. leeks, 2 medium
  3. olive oil, 3 TBS (divided)
  4. potato (Yukon Gold), 1 large
  5. spinach, 2 cups
  6. salt, 1 tsp
  7. cheddar cheese (white, sharp), 7-8 oz
  8. eggs, 6
  9. garlic powder, 1/4 tsp
  10. black pepper, 1/4 tsp
Prep
  1. Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
  2. 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.
  3. Preheat oven to 350F.
  4. Remove pie crust from freezer. Let come to room temperature.
  5. Cut leeks into thin half moon slices.
  6. Cut the potato into quarters, then slice into thin pieces.
  7. Grate the cheddar cheese. Set aside.
  8. In a mixing bowl, crack and beat eggs. Stir in salt, pepper, garlic powder, and grated cheese.
Cook
  1. In a preheated skillet, saute potatoes in 2 tablespoons olive oil for 7 minutes over medium high heat.
  2. 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.
  3. Let this mixture cool slightly.
  4. In a bowl, mix the egg and cheese mixture with the cooked veggies.
  5. Transfer to the pie crust.
  6. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes at 350F.
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Build Your Thanksgiving Around Vegetables First!

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11-20 top photo option 2 The turkey is the easy part. Well, maybe you need to decide between how many pounds to buy and whether to go heritage bird or regular old wild turkey, but when it comes to pleasing everyone with the side dishes, this is never an easy feat. This Thanksgiving, I’d love to help you make those veggie sides the main event in your holiday planning–from the appetizers to the salads and mashed starches to the heavenly finish of a sweet dessert. And as you know at JoyFoodly, we’ll be cooking gluten free for the entire delicious meal!

Our Joyful Round-up: Veggie Loving Dishes for Thanksgiving

Let’s start with the appetizers:

An appetizer sure to please the kiddos and the adults alike is my Heavenly Baked Brussels Sprouts Dip, one of our new winter season Joyful 12 veggie loving recipes. Make this one ahead and reheat 15 minutes before your guests arrive!

11-20 Brussels sprouts dip photo

 Soups and Salads are a great way to kick off your holiday meal

It’s inevitable that even with the best planning, there will always be last minute fixes. Last Thanksgiving, we forgot to cook the mashed potatoes. So while we were hurrying to boil those spuds, our back-up plan of having a soup ready to dish out into little coffee mugs kept our guests satisfied until we were ready to begin our feast. My Sweet and Spicy Apple Pumpkin soup may just save your day as well!

11-20 sweet and spicy apple pumpkin soup

 Long gone are the days of canned beets! Help your family members young and old fall in love with our new age take on a fall favorite with this easy Sweet Beet and Arugula Salad with Candied Walnuts.

11-20 sweet beet salad

 Say goodbye to marshmallow topped veggie sides!

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a marshmallow hater! However, my updated version of this sweet potato casserole will let the vegetable be the star of this dish instead of being hidden under a mound of sugary pillows. As an added bonus, my Sweet Potato and Candied Pecan Mini Pumpkins are a great side project for your kids to help you assemble!

11-14 stuffed mini pumpkins option 2 no writing

Finish strong with my Southern dessert that’s beyond words delicious

I know that canned pumpkin pies are required on every holiday menu, but for me, nothing compares to my childhood favorite dessert, the Chocolate Pecan Pie. That’s just how I express my love and gratefulness, ya’ll. Here’s to you and your family being blessed by good health and an abundance of joy during this holiday season.

11-20 pecan pie option 2

 

Heavenly Baked Brussels Sprouts Dip
Serves 4
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
45 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
45 min
Ingredients
  1. brussels sprouts, 2 cups
  2. onion (yellow), ½
  3. olive oil, 2 TBS
  4. salt, 1 ½ tsp (divided)
  5. plain yogurt, ½ cup
  6. cream cheese, 4 oz
  7. mozzarella cheese, 2 cups grated
  8. black pepper, ¼ tsp
  9. fresh thyme, approximately 2 TBS
  10. gluten free round tortilla chips (optional), 1 bag
Prep
  1. Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
  2. Wash all produce.
  3. Preheat oven to 350F.
  4. Cut brussels sprouts in halves. Then, thinly slice into thin strips.
  5. Cut onion into small dice.
  6. Grate mozzarella cheese, if not already grated.
  7. Remove thyme leaves from the branches and rough chop. Set aside.
Cook
  1. In a preheated sauté pan, pan sear brussels sprouts and onions in two tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt on medium high heat for 5 minutes.
  2. In a separate bowl, put 1 cup of the grated cheese, cream cheese, yogurt, ½ teaspoon salt, black pepper, and chopped thyme. Set aside the remaining grated mozzarella cheese to use as a topping.
  3. Add the sauteed brussels sprouts and onions to the bowl with the cheese and stir until combined.
  4. Transfer to an ovenproof baking dish. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
  5. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes.
  6. To brown the cheese on top, turn on your broiler and let brown for 3-5 minutes.
  7. Enjoy with tortilla chips or your favorite crackers!
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Creamy Crab-n-Bacon Endive Boats

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11-6 crab boats 1

What a delectable delight to be asked by Whole Foods Market Northern California to share my most fond crab memories for their holiday newsletter. This recipe is inspired by a holiday love affair with crab–what better way to nourish and delight your loved ones at this time of year! Wishing you and your family a nutty sweet season filled with an abundance of crab.

Creamy, luscious, oh-so-exciting crab is in season! To be exact, since I live in the Bay Area, Dungeness crab season officially kicks off each year on the second Tuesday of November—barring crab conditions and price negotiations.

11-6 horizontal bowl of crab
Where I grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, we celebrate blue crabs, which are local to our barrier islands. As a kid, I would spend hours and hours patiently waiting for my crab trap to lure in enough blue crabs that I could proudly bring them to my mom to receive an abundance of praise. Being a kid, I always forgot this also meant a big cry after I realized she was going to cook them for her famous blue crab dip and the cocktail party that would follow.

Crab for me signifies a special tasty tradition that’s anchored around this time of year—holiday season. When you grow up next to the water, you have a respect for tides and seasons. You only eat oysters on the East Coast when you are in an “R” month (basically colder months), and you only eat crabs when they are in season. It’s just the way it’s done.

So as a chef, when I think of my favorite holiday preparation for crab, I no longer fall upon those Charleston traditions of rich and creamy She Crab Soup which require blue she crabs, I go for simple preparations that highlight where I live today—and take a California spin on honoring the Dungeness crab, which is WAY more exciting and plentiful compared to those blue crabs of my childhood.

I celebrate Dungeness crab by taking a playful approach with their sweet and slightly nutty flavor and combining it with a few savory and tangy components like fall apple and smoked bacon, a wee bit of mayonnaise and fresh herbs, and I tuck it inside tender endive boats that are irresistible to even the most discerning kid’s palette. I mean, who doesn’t love a small “boat” brimming with creamy crab?

11-6 verticle shot of crab boats

Here are three more of my crab centered easy holiday prep tips:

1) To save time:

  • Buy already picked crab from your local Whole Foods Market or local fisherman. These professionals can save you time, energy and truly make your holiday entertaining a breeze by answering all your questions and even picking your crab for you.
  • My chef tip to ensure no shells are in your picked crab meat:
    Spread the picked crab onto a baking tray, turn your oven to 400F, and once it’s come to temperature, pop that tray in the oven for just 1 minute. The heat will turn any remaining shells that were overlooked bright white and you’ll be able to spot them quickly to remove them. In fact, this is a wonderful task to give your kids!

11-6 lay crab out on a tray to look for shells

2) If you decide to cook whole crab yourself:

  • Don’t overcook it! A general rule of thumb is to cook Dungeness crabs between 12-20 minutes—depending on their size. Your timer starts after you’ve placed them into the boiling water and covered the pot. And you’ll know your crab is over or under cooked by the crab shell and meat. When crab’s undercooked, it’ll be tough to remove the shells. When it’s overcooked, the meat will feel dry.

3) Don’t leave any meat behind!

  • We all think we have the best way to pick crab, but I always love learning from others on their tips to make sure to leave no sweet crab meat behind. Fine Cooking is a source I always trust, and their quick tutorial is one I’d invest time in the next time you’re about to dive into cracking your crabs.

  11-6 action shot for crab dish

Creamy Crab-n-Bacon Endive Boats
Serves 6
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Prep Time
35 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
45 min
Prep Time
35 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
45 min
Ingredients
  1. dungeness crab, cooked and shelled, ½ lb
  2. apple smoked bacon, 2 slices
  3. mayonnaise, 6 TBS
  4. lemon, 1
  5. worchestershire sauce, 2 tsp
  6. fresh tarragon, approximately 2 TBS
  7. fresh chives, approximately 2 TBS
  8. salt, ¼ tsp
  9. jalapeno, 1 small
  10. green apple, ½
  11. endive, 3-4
Prep
  1. Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
  2. Wash all produce.
  3. Cook bacon until crispy. Let cool and then crumble with your fingers. Set aside.
  4. Pick through crab with your fingers, looking for any shells that may have been overlooked.
  5. Finely cut chives and tarragon. Save some chives to the side to garnish the endive boats.
  6. Cut jalapeno into small dice, avoiding the seeds. Note: the easiest way to cut a jalapeno is to cut around all four sides of the stem, avoiding the seeds.
  7. Make the dressing for the crab stuffing by combining mayonnaise, the juice and zest of the lemon, thinly cut chives and tarragon, worchestershire sauce, and salt.
  8. Cut half the apple into small dice and add to the dressing, to keep it from browning.
  9. Pull endive leaves apart. These will be your boats. One tip: cut a tiny little piece off the bottom of each lettuce cup to help it stay upright when you fill it!
Assemble
  1. Combine the crab with the dressing and mix well. Taste for seasoning. Check to see if you want more herbs or more salt.
  2. Stuff endive leaves with a heaping scoop of the crab stuffing. Garnish each endive boat with a sprinkle of crumbled bacon and chives.
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/
11-6 hollie prepping crab dish

The 52 New Foods Challenge

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10-26 top photo for text overlaywithtext With Sweet Potato and Crunchy Kool Kohlrabi Fritters

What if I told you that with only one hour a week you could make big changes in the way your family eats–AND you would have fun in the process?

With a family food approach like cooking recipes, “easy enough for a five-year-old to make,” I knew something great came across my desk the day I received an email from Jennifer Tyler Lee about her new book, The 52 New Foods Challenge.

52 New Foods Book shot 2sized

Like so many other parents, Jennifer was faced with a challenge of how to get her kids to eat healthy meals, and she took that challenge and made it a fun game, Crunch a Color®, that her kids not only embraced but mastered. Jennifer’s philosophy was that for change to stick, it had to be simple. And that’s exactly how The 52 New Foods Challenge came to be. In helping her own family take the positive changes they’d already begun to the next level, Jennifer created a yearlong challenge. Every week of the year, they’d take one hour a week to discover and cook together one new food–with every delicious brussel sprout, sweet potato, and persimmon they’d discover along the way.

When Jennifer asked me to be a part of her 52 New Foods blogger challenge and create a recipe that embraced her seven Core Principles, my taste for a fun food adventure was ignited! Through my Sweet Potato and Crunchy Kool Kohlrabi Fritters I’d love to share with you just a few of the principles I adore in her book and how you can embrace them, too, in your own kitchen.

10-26 ingredient shotsized

 

Gateway Foods

I adore and use this principle often in my own teachings–those favorite foods that create safety when trying to branch out and try something new!

What’s an example of a gateway food?

  • In my fritter, the gateway food is a potato, in this case sweet potatoes. Other times I’ll make fritters with carrots and beets. The carrots are the gateway food, and the yellow beets are the new food we’re exploring.

How do you use gateway foods in your own home?

  • Jennifer suggests you pick those six Gateway Foods that will become your “culinary keystones” when you plan your meals and cook those gateway foods along with the new food your family tries each week.

10-26 3 veggies grated shotsized

 

Principle #7: Let Kids Lead

You know it’s true–the changes that last are those that we initiate ourselves. Kids are no different!

What does letting Kids Lead look like?

  • It all starts with discovery. Jennifer shares a wonderful story in the book of how a basket of figs and a desire to make a fig bar recipe, but with no scale, led her son to use his own creativity to come up with a solution that was both playful and effective.
  • Encouraging kids to explore food with all their senses: smelling, touching, and tasting each ingredient in the recipe creates positive experiences for kids with fresh foods. It’s not just the final taste of the dish that matters!
  • Kids come up with wild and wonderful recipes when they are left to explore on their own. In the case of these fritters, I’d let them decide whether they want to add both the brussel sprouts and the kohlrabi to the sweet potato fritter or just one or the other. Maybe they’d rather choose another green option, like green onions instead of brussels sprouts!

10-26 hollie action shot grating brussel sprouts collage

 

Principle #2: Cook Together

As Mark Bittman recently said in a talk I attended, “maybe the most radical thing you can do to help a person improve their health through food is to teach them to cook.”

But how?!!

  • I love reading Jennifer’s pre and post accounts of how she approached cooking with her kids: the former way was tidy and barely involved them in the prep, just the assembly. But her 52 New Foods way was about getting them involved in every step–not worrying about messes or perfection–just good old fashioned learning.
  • Measuring out ingredients, cracking eggs, or even stirring counts when it comes to cooking with kids. In my experience, kids love to grate veggies, which is why I love making fritters.
  • As Jennifer wisely outlines in this chapter about cooking together, start and end with safety and set rules, just like you would if teaching your child the safe way to use scissors for the first time!

Cooking really is a team sport!

  • I love that Jennifer suggests finding time the whole family can cook together. When I taught kids in the New York Housing Authority for six weeks at a time, often what I’d find was that there were so many other things the kids learned besides the skill of cooking. They learned teamwork, respect, time management, math, science, and the joy of preparing a beautiful and tasty dish that was good for them. What could be a better family activity than that?!

10-26 the build shot collage

 

If you can’t already tell, I’m sold on The 52 New Foods Challenge. Jennifer wrote such a beautiful line in her intro that I’d love to share to hopefully inspire your family to take her challenge, purchase the book, and and begin to allow healthy habits to sink in and take root in your own family–one new food at a time.

The 52 New Foods Challenge planted the seeds of change at our family table. It has the power to seed change at your table, too.
-Jennifer Tyler Lee

 

Sweet Potato and Crunchy Kool Kohlrabi Fritters
Serves 4
Save Recipe
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
35 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
35 min
Ingredients
  1. sweet potato, 1
  2. kohlrabi, 1 (green or purple)
  3. brussels sprouts, 1 big handful (about 1 cup)
  4. eggs, 2
  5. all purpose gluten free flour, ½ cup
  6. salt, ½ tsp
  7. chinese five spice, ½ tsp
  8. coconut oil, 2-3 TBS (divided)
  9. sour cream with chives or organic unsweetened apple sauce (optional)
Prep
  1. Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
  2. Wash all ingredients.
  3. Preheat oven to 300F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  4. Peel kohlrabi and sweet potato.
  5. Grate all the veggies on the large holes of a cheese grater into a bowl. Then, put vegetables in a colander and press with your hands to drain out any excess moisture. The kohlrabi is naturally quite moist!
  6. Beat eggs in a bowl.
Cook
  1. Mix together the grated vegetables, eggs, chinese five spice, salt and flour in a bowl.
  2. Use a soup spoon to scoop out a fritter into your hand, smash it down to a flat circle and then transfer to the pan, using the spatula you used to mix the batter together.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a non-stick pan on medium high heat. You'll cook the fritters in batches (2-3 fritters at a time).
  4. Cook fritters in pan for 2-3 minutes on medium high heat and then flip. Cook another 2-3 minutes on the other side.
  5. Transfer finished batches to the lined cookie sheet, sprinkle a pinch of salt on the hot fritters and keep warm in the oven while you cook the rest of the batter in batches. Note: each time you're finished cooking a batch, turn the heat down while you're getting ready to scoop out the next batch so your pan won't smoke. Also add a little more oil to your pan before you cook the next batch and before you turn the heat back up to medium high. With each batch, the fritters will absorb some of the oil from cooking.
  6. Enjoy with a dollop of sour cream or applesauce and top with cut chives.
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/
10-26 cheesy hollie shotcollage