tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74068721196724050902024-02-21T07:58:39.235-08:00Teens Can Cook, Too!Madeline Daltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684073012810761433noreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406872119672405090.post-35771205206341418942014-09-29T23:20:00.000-07:002014-09-29T23:20:01.839-07:00Spicy Squash Season Penne <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey everyone! Fall is finally here, and this month, we've got lots of awesome fall recipes for you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay, before I start, I have some HUGE NEWS! I was recently nominated for Best Food Blog in the Best of Western Washington (via KING5 News) competition, and I'm currently ranked in first place holding 15.6% of the vote! This is a huge honor for me, and I really want to win. How awesome would it be to be just a teenager and win this regionally known contest? I'd love to win, but I need your help! Please vote at the following link, and share the link with everyone you know on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/tumblr/etc.! Voting goes all the way until October 24th, so while I may be in first now, that could change over the course of the next few weeks. Please vote here: <a href="http://best.king5.com/teens-can-cook-too/biz/688717">http://best.king5.com/teens-can-cook-too/biz/688717</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not like most other teenage girls my age, who anxiously await fall because of Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks. My biggest reasons for wanting fall to arrive are sweaters, hot tea and squash! Squash is so much more versatile than you think, and I really want to show you guys that, so you'll probably be seeing a lot of squash recipes this month. You better like squash, and if you don't, learn to like it. That's an order. You're missing out if you don't!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One fall favorite of mine has been a Winter Squash Curry Soup, which is a puree of squash with heavy cream and curry powder. It's not exactly the healthiest thing, but I love the curry element to the dish. Whenever I think of curry, I think of spicy foods because I always make my curries fairly hot. This inspired me to experiment with the idea of a spicy squash dish rather than a curry squash dish, leaving the unconventional element without ripping off a previous concept I've seen. If you don't like spicy things, don't worry! You can still easily make this dish by toning down the spice factor or omitting the hot spices completely. There's still a lot of flavor in the rest of the dish, especially in the amazingly creamy sauce. This honestly turned out better than I expected, so I suggest you give it a try! Serve it with roasted pork chops and applesauce, roasted chicken with thyme, or any other protein-packed entree. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Spicy Squash Season Penne</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serves 6 - 8 </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 (16 oz) bag whole-wheat penne</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 of a large butternut squash</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 tbsp coconut oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp dried thyme</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp dried oregano</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup unsweetened almond milk </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp nutritional yeast (optional) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp cayenne pepper</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 tsp chili powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12 large crimini mushrooms</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 of a large yellow onion, thinly sliced </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper, to taste </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preparation</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Take the half of the squash, which should have been cut from the squash by slicing it lengthwise down the center, and remove the seeds. Coat in 1 tbsp of coconut oil, using your hands to warm up the oil a bit and spread it evenly. Don't worry about clumps at all - since the oil is a solid at room temperature, it's bound to do this, but it will liquefy in the oven. Season with dried thyme, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Bake, face down, for 45 minutes to an hour, until fork tender. Do your homework while you wait! Remove from heat and let cool.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2) While the squash is cooling, you can bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add the pasta. Cook according to the directions on the package. Drain and put the noodles back into the pot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3) Once the squash is completely cool, scrape out all of the edible flesh into a bowl and place the contents in a Vita-Mix, food processor or blender. Add the almond milk, nutritional yeast, cayenne pepper, chili powder, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Blend on a medium speed and gradually increase to high until a super creamy consistency is reached. It should also be fairly thick, like the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. If you want it thinner, just add more almond milk. Adjust the seasonings and set the sauce aside.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4) Heat the remaining coconut oil in a large skillet at medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until just coated in oil. Then, let them sit for about 3-5 minutes, until they begin to get golden brown. Stir and let sit for another 3 minutes. Repeat this process until they look almost caramelized. Add the garlic, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Incorporate the ingredients in thoroughly and saute until the mushrooms are tender, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5) Combine the noodles, pasta sauce and mushroom mixture in the large pot. Stir thoroughly and serve. Enjoy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Be sure to follow me at all the social media sites below to keep track of upcoming recipes from me and the team members, and for Best of Western Washington updates! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YouTube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ</span></a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay healthy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Madeline </span></div>
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<br />Madeline Daltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684073012810761433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406872119672405090.post-46930703080691414042014-09-14T21:40:00.001-07:002014-09-29T23:19:12.521-07:003 Sauces, Infinite Possibilities <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey, everyone! I hope you've been having a few great first weeks of school. My first two weeks have actually been really great. Junior year isn't as scary as everyone says.... well, at least not yet. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cooking during the school year can be really hard - especially if you pack a lunch to school (which I highly encourage). One thing that is always a life saver in the mornings is frozen pesto. My dad or I will make pesto and then freeze it in an ice cube tray. In the morning, all you do is boil some whole-wheat pasta, defrost the pesto cube, stir them together and put them in a Thermos. Adding vegetables is always a good idea, too. I know, I know, what a typical thing for me to say, but it really does make it taste better. I've got to admit, though, pesto can be a little boring if I have it <i>every single day</i>. That's why I've created three amazing and very different sauces that you can freeze. The best part is that you can use them for so many things! Don't just feel limited to lunches here - use these during dinner and even breakfast, too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My favorite ways to use these sauces are, but are not limited to:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spread over meat/fish and grill/bake to perfection</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Toss in some whole-wheat pasta and add veggies, beans and/or meat of your choice</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Use as a condiment for some super snazzy sandwiches </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dip chopped vegetables in them </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spread on whole-wheat toast with avocado and freshly ground pepper </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Flavor any cooked whole grain (quinoa, brown rice, bulgur, etc.) with the sauce of your choosing and jazz it up with some colorful veggies </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add to any soup or stew</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Package them in jars and give them to friends as gifts</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whatever your heart desires!</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The absolute best part about these sauces is the fact that they all have the exact same preparation process. They take about ten minutes to make each. Make them all at once on a Sunday so you're all stocked up for the week, or try them out one at a time. Your choice! Enjoy!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From left to right: Classic Pesto, Roasted Red Pepper and Cilantro Pesto, and Sunshine Sauce </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>3 Sauces, Infinite Possibilities</u></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients for Classic Pesto (Makes about 2 cups) </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 (12 oz) package of fresh basil, leaves only </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 large garlic cloves, peeled </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup pine nuts </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup Parmesan cheese </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The juice of half of a large lemon </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper, to taste </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Extra-virgin olive oil </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients for Roasted Red Pepper and Cilantro Pesto (Makes about 1.5 cups)</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups fresh cilantro</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup pre-washed baby spinach</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 large garlic cloves, peeled</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup roughly chopped roasted red peppers</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup raw, unsalted almonds (it doesn't matter whether they're whole, slivered or sliced) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The juice of 1/2 of a large lime </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp cayenne pepper</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp smoked paprika </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper, to taste </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Extra-virgin olive oil </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients for Sunshine Sauce (Makes about 1 cup) </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup raw, unsalted cashews, soaked in a bowl of water for 30 minutes </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 large garlic cloves, peeled</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 large handful of fresh basil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The juice of 1/2 of a large lemon</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The juice of 1/2 of a large lime </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and lemon pepper/pepper, to taste </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Extra-virgin olive oil </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preparation for All Sauces</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Combine all the ingredients in a Vita-Mix or food processor. Remove the plastic plug from the lid. Start blending on a low speed. Gradually drizzle in a couple tablespoons of olive oil, increasing the speed as you go. Add more olive oil and/or water if you want the consistency to be smoother or thinner. Stop blending once you're happy with the consistency. Adjust the seasonings as needed. Transfer to an ice cube tray and freeze to save for later use. When you want to use it later, simply pop a cube of sauce out of the tray and defrost in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Enjoy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks for reading! Please share your recreations with me using #teenscancooktoo on Instagram! I love seeing what you guys create. Make sure you share this with all your friends at the social media sites below: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YouTube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ</span></a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay healthy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Madeline</span></div>
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Madeline Daltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684073012810761433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406872119672405090.post-67912061941190422402014-09-07T22:48:00.000-07:002014-09-07T22:48:02.305-07:00Chicken and White Bean Hummus Wraps <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey, everybody! Teens Can Cook, Too is FINALLY back! I'm so sorry that I took such a long break this summer. I was doing so much and it just got too overwhelming. I promise you that I'm back for the entire school year, and you'll also be hearing a lot from the team members as well. We'll be posting more videos and keeping more active on social media, so keep an eye out!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As usual, we'll be sticking with the monthly themes. This month is: Back to School! Unfortunately, school is starting, which means our eating patterns are shifting into a more structured routine. It also means there's less time to cook, making it difficult to stay healthy. I'm really trying to set a solid foundation and routine for health this fall that will hopefully carry into the remaining seasons. This theme will have everything you need as school starts again: quick lunch recipes, super quick breakfasts that you can make even when you're rushing out the door, dinners that can be prepared and eaten in a short amount of time, and so much more. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week, I have a quick lunch recipe. I just made this for dinner, and I can honestly say that these are the best wraps I've ever made. The best part is that you can use a rotisserie chicken from your favorite grocery store - just be sure that the chickens were raised humanely. You can also leave the chicken out to make it vegan. The recipe may also make a little extra hummus, so save it and pack it as a snack for school the next day! Enjoy!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9YmPmhaUMUcaBOYl_2gust3ewm24JWSyUYLGQ7QKritrm1oaUYI_qY37c_G646RxrCR5w1WBYdtneJRBSlzrnCsmGwmK2q0_BK552-ZBmRDtwGtfihHvXhsRtCh7KZb96WbT6mzuGNJs/s1600/Hummus+Wrap.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9YmPmhaUMUcaBOYl_2gust3ewm24JWSyUYLGQ7QKritrm1oaUYI_qY37c_G646RxrCR5w1WBYdtneJRBSlzrnCsmGwmK2q0_BK552-ZBmRDtwGtfihHvXhsRtCh7KZb96WbT6mzuGNJs/s1600/Hummus+Wrap.JPG" height="291" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Chicken and White Bean Hummus Wraps </u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Makes 4 whole wraps/8 half-wraps </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 organic 8-inch tortillas, preferably whole-wheat</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, preferably antibiotic free and fed a vegetarian diet</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 of a medium-sized cucumber, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 of a red bell pepper</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup orange cherry tomatoes, halved </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup julienned basil </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/8 tsp smoked paprika</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp cayenne pepper</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and lemon pepper/pepper, to taste </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For hummus:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 (15 oz) can white beans, rinsed and drained </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 large garlic cloves, peeled</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp fresh lemon juice </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A pinch of smoked paprika</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp cayenne pepper </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp dried oregano</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp dried thyme </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp dried parsley </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp dried basil </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and lemon pepper/pepper, to taste </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preparation </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Combine all the hummus ingredients, except the olive oil, in a Vita-Mix or food processor and begin blending on a low speed. As it blends, drizzle in the olive oil. Gradually increase the speed to high until you reach a very smooth consistency. If you want it to be thinner, add water. Adjust the seasonings and set aside.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Peel the half of the cucumber that you're using. Cut it in half lengthwise, and then thinly slice it. Cut the top off of the bell pepper and cut perpendicular to the membrane, leaving a hunk of seeds behind. Thinly slice half of the pepper. Set aside with other veggies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Combine the paprika, cayenne, lemon pepper/pepper and salt with the shredded chicken. Stack the tortillas on top of each other, placing paper towels in between each of them. Microwave for 15 seconds on high to heat them, making them more pliable. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. To assemble the wrap, spread 1/4 cup of the hummus onto the tortilla evenly with a knife or the back of a spoon. On one end of the tortilla (about 2 inches from the bottom), add the chicken, cucumber, pepper, tomatoes and basil. Make sure you have about 1.5 inches on either side to fold the edges of the tortilla in. Fold these edges in, and then fold the bottom over. Carefully roll it away from yourself, tucking the edges in as you go. Keep it as tight as possible. Once it's all rolled up, cut it at an angle down the middle. To save these for school lunches, wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Just pop as many halves as you'd like in your lunch with an ice pack. Enjoy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's all for this week! As much as we all don't like going back to school, I hope you have a great first few weeks back in the classroom. Remember to make healthy food choices! Please share your recreations with me using #teenscancooktoo on Instagram, and follow us at all the social media sites below: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YouTube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ</span></a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay healthy!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Madeline </span>Madeline Daltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684073012810761433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406872119672405090.post-3463514489817886272014-07-06T22:09:00.000-07:002014-07-06T22:09:08.008-07:00Warm Arugula Salad with Portobello Mushrooms and Pears<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey, everybody! I want to start out with an apology for not posting at all during the Vegetarian Challenge. I'm so lame. I really am. I am ACTUALLY back this time for good, though! I have a lot of really fun things planned for the rest of the summer, including a lot of new videos! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since I didn't update you at all on the vegetarian challenge, I guess I'll give a little summary on how I felt about the whole thing. The first day was hard because I ate at people's houses and such, so I had no control over what I could eat. I had barely any protein and a lot of carbs. The next two days were better because I had clean, healthy, protein-packed foods, but I got a stomach ache as I was readjusting back to a cleaner diet than I had over the weekend. Days 4 - 6 were great. I tried all these new recipes, got more and more protein each day, and felt really good! Aaaaand then, I started to tank. I just didn't feel motivated to keep up with cooking and cleaning and cooking and cleaning and cooking and cleaning and cooking and cleaning. That's a lot of cooking and cleaning. I was making food only for myself, and I really just wanted to make a family meal, but I didn't get around to it until towards the end of the challenge. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The main take-away for me was that being a vegetarian and monitoring myself so closely really did improve the balance in my diet. When I eat meat, I tend to just eat fruits and veggies and carbs (generally good carbs, like whole-wheat pasta) all day and then eat all my protein during dinnertime. I really should be eating protein throughout the day, and being a vegetarian really helped me do that. With the exception of protein powder, it's hard to get more than 25g of protein in one serving of a vegetarian meal, and the average woman needs 46g, so I had to really work at maintaining this throughout the day. I've totally lost that motivation and maintenance since the challenge ended, and I really need to get back on it. The vegan challenge, which starts on Thursday (yay!), is going to be especially hard for me because I've been eating a lot of cheese. A slice of pepper jack cheese was a go-to snack for me when I needed some protein in the middle of the day, and I can't do that on Thursday. I also ate <i>a lot </i>of ice cream (don't worry, guys - it was organic!) on the Fourth of July.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alright, enough of me blabbering about my experience as a vegetarian. Here is the recipe you've been waiting for! I made this on Thursday night, and OH MY GOD, WAS IT GOOD! I can honestly say that this is the best salad I've made all year. My mom said it was "restaurant quality." I should probably stop bragging... but seriously, you've got to try this. This is a sure way to impress adults when your parents have company for dinner. You could even make this for a date, and I promise you that this salad is a guarantee into your date's heart. It's also SUPER EASY! You could whip this out in 20 minutes, but it looks like it took you hours of preparation since the flavors are so complex. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zz_7Xpita9tZcrrpPE3QMTswFXJiGknIoxnx-H8EOJDKX3JUnLnt7UzcpojpGjY2nwUSI52RT2ypdbBL8ZZ-cQKxdRrNjo4L36IbRzt7d8B1LMCYB_0OuaaZsKLbH_JHTATKYOPe35U/s1600/Arugula+salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zz_7Xpita9tZcrrpPE3QMTswFXJiGknIoxnx-H8EOJDKX3JUnLnt7UzcpojpGjY2nwUSI52RT2ypdbBL8ZZ-cQKxdRrNjo4L36IbRzt7d8B1LMCYB_0OuaaZsKLbH_JHTATKYOPe35U/s1600/Arugula+salad.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Warm Arugula Salad with Portobello Mushrooms and Pears</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serves 4 </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 medium-sized portobello mushrooms</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1½ Bartlett pears</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ tsp dried thyme</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp balsamic vinegar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup freshly shaved Pecorino Romano cheese</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup toasted pine nuts</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 loosely packed cups pre-washed baby arugula</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper, to taste</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For dressing:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ of a Bartlett pear, cut into large chunks</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 tbsp balsamic vinegar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tbsp red wine vinegar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ tsp Italian seasoning</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp lemon pepper (optional - use regular pepper if you don't have any) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt, to taste</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a dry towel, gently rub any dirt off of the mushroom caps. Cut off the stems and remove the gills on the underside using a small spoon. Cut the mushroom into 3/4-inch pieces. Remove the core from the pears and cut into 3/4-inch pieces as well. Transfer mushrooms and pears to a bowl and coat with olive oil, balsamic, thyme, salt and pepper. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Place parchment paper/a silicon mat on a baking sheet. Transfer the mushrooms and pears to the baking sheet. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and the pears are soft. Give it a taste test to make sure it's done. Remove from heat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. While the mushrooms and pears are baking, combine all of the dressing ingredients in a Vita-Mix or blender. Blend on a low speed and gradually increase to medium. Blend until very smooth. If you find that it is too thick for your taste, add more water. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Combine the roasted mushrooms and pears, the dressing, and the remaining salad ingredients in a large bowl together. Toss thoroughly and serve immediately. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There you go! I hope you all enjoy this recipe! Out of everything I've ever posted, this is hands-down one of my favorite recipes, and you will really be missing out if you don't give this one a try. Please, please, <i>please </i>share your recreations with me using #teenscancooktoo on Instagram! Don't forget to follow us at all the social media handles below as we embark on our vegan challenge starting on Thursday! I will be out of town during part of it, so it'll be really interesting to navigate my way through being vegan when I don't have any natural markets or fancy kitchen appliances available. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YouTube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ</span></a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay healthy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Madeline </span></div>
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<br />Madeline Daltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684073012810761433noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406872119672405090.post-3619897566776217242014-06-17T00:11:00.000-07:002014-06-17T00:11:03.611-07:00Peanut-Coconut Rice Noodles with Edamame and Green Veggies<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey everybody! I'm a vegetarian now! Well... not forever; the two week vegetarian challenge started yesterday. Isaac, Isabel, Annika and I are participating, and the rest of the team members are going to share recipes with us here and there. For the next two weeks, you'll be seeing vegetarian recipes and updates from everyone participating in the challenge. We've all been filling out meal logs every day to track our protein intake, progress and feelings, and we'll be sharing a few of those meal logs with you so you have a sense for how we're doing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today's recipe is an Asian-inspired rice noodle dish. I have wanted rice noodles with peanut sauce for such a long time, but unfortunately, my mom is pretty sensitive to peanuts, so I didn't have the chance to make it until yesterday. This dish actually has a decent amount of protein per serving (I estimate about 13g, but that wasn't too carefully calculated). That's not as much as 4 oz of meat, but if you eat other sources of protein during the day, you can get the amount you need. 46g for women and 56g for men are the recommended amounts of protein that you need each day. If you added tofu to this, the amount of protein would drastically increase. Enjoy this recipe!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMewxT1fYovAYiL4xBHk90z3wv690WBSnPWouTet9kTYzqcgmzLFDQHPKaupZBTMqc3CN3obAsDPJRO0tj7kyapcQ4DJRIwRVG-goXcgM1cavdZpJ6VP7pLgrR59KnNcFvuCghDRQxQj0/s1600/Noodles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMewxT1fYovAYiL4xBHk90z3wv690WBSnPWouTet9kTYzqcgmzLFDQHPKaupZBTMqc3CN3obAsDPJRO0tj7kyapcQ4DJRIwRVG-goXcgM1cavdZpJ6VP7pLgrR59KnNcFvuCghDRQxQj0/s1600/Noodles.jpg" height="183" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Peanut-Coconut Rice Noodles with Edamame and Green Veggies</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serves 4 </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 (14 oz) pack of 5mm dry rice noodles </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 pack of frozen edamame beans (with shells) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tbsp sesame oil </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 or 4 green onions, finely chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The zest of 1 lime </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tbsp Braggs liquid aminos (substitute soy sauce, hot sauce, or any other favorite Asian condiments) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups snap peas</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 cups pre-washed baby spinach </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup roasted peanuts, finely chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 lime, cut into 4 wedges </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper, to taste </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For peanut sauce: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup all-natural creamy peanut butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 tsp low-sodium soy sauce </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp Braggs liquid aminos (optional) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp sesame oil </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp cayenne pepper </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup - 1 cup lowfat coconut milk (from a can - not a dairy milk substitute!) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Water </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preparation</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Put the noodles in a large bowl. Try to not to snap them in half if you can. Boil about 4 - 6 cups of water and pour the water over the noodles. Stir every 2 minutes or so to ensure that the noodles don't stick to each other. Soak for about 10 - 15 minutes, testing the noodles frequently until they are tender and cooked through. Be careful about the noodles - if they sit for too long, they'll get mushy. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. While the noodles are soaking, combine all the peanut sauce ingredients. Use a whisk to ensure a smooth texture. The consistency should be very thin - not quite watery, but still very thin. Add more coconut milk or water if you want it thinner. If the sauce seems thinner than what you prefer, go with it! It will thicken when you stir it into the veggies later, and once it thickens, its consistency is perfect. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the frozen edamame. Wait for reboil and boil for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Pop the edamame out of their shells by pushing down the bean. Discard the shells and set the beans aside. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Heat the sesame oil in a wok or 13-inch diameter non-stick pan. Any type of pan will do as long as its walls are fairly tall. Add the green onions, garlic, lime zest, and liquid aminos. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add the snap peas and edamame, sauteing for about 3 minutes. Add the peanut sauce, spinach, salt and pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes, until the spinach is slightly wilted. Note: you probably won't need much salt because the sauce has soy sauce in it. Give it a taste and determine whether you need any salt at all. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the noodles and stir until completely coated in sauce and veggies. Serve in individual bowls. Top each serving with peanuts and cilantro, along with a lime wedge on the side so each person can squirt lime juice on their noodles. Enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you enjoyed that recipe! Please share your recreations with me using #teenscancooktoo, and share all other vegetarian recipes that you love with me on Instagram and Twitter too! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I said before, the team has been updating each other with meal logs. I won't be sharing them all, but I'll be sharing the ones that are most interesting. Some will also be shared on Instagram and Facebook, so make sure you're staying up to date! This week, I'm sharing Isaac's meal log from day 1. Isaac has a really good idea of how to keep his meals balanced and healthy, and he has been most successful with getting enough protein. His dad has also experimented with lots of ways to eat (vegetarian, vegan, and more!), so he has a lot of knowledge about how a person makes a lifestyle change like this. Enjoy what he had to say!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Breakfast</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>:</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Cheerios/oats with chocolate hemp milk</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Lunch:</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Qdoba (Rice, beans, chips, salsa)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Dinner:</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Beans/Lentils with salad dressing, grilled zucchini and asparagus, quinoa</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Snacks:</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Apple, banana, orange juice, vegan protein powder after waking up and before bed</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Estimated Protein:</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 85g</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Did you get enough fruits and vegetables today? </b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> yep!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>What were some challenges you faced today?</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Trying to get enough protein in comparison to usual diet is difficult, I will need to take advantage of nuts, and maintain protein shake regiment.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Do you feel physically different? More tired, more energized, etc.?</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Nothing so far, a little hungry.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>What is something that has been going really well for you? </b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">support from my family, Dad in specific because he is vegetarian/vegan, I don’t really miss eating meat so far</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>How can you make tomorrow better?</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> We made a big batch of quinoa and beans/lentils tonight so I could use them as snacks for the rest of the week, which is good because they are high protein, and good substantial carbs.</span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-f38a8720-a8a7-a4c4-10d8-050c06423ec5"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Other Comments: </b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My dad says the first “changes” happen within the first 3 days with a new diet, mentally and physically, which I have noticed when he has dabbled with new diets can drastically affect someone's mood/energy etc… I'm interested to see how or if I develop similar symptoms, especially during finals week, yay, we will certainly see.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks for reading! Don't forget to follow us at all the social media sites below: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YouTube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ</span></a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay healthy!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Madeline, Isaac, Annika and Isabel</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>Madeline Daltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684073012810761433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406872119672405090.post-62991475957832049752014-06-10T15:49:00.001-07:002014-06-10T15:49:45.869-07:00Chipotle-Inspired Sofritas Bowl<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey, everyone! Happy summer! I know most people are in school and that it's technically still springtime, but I am done with school, so I guess I can say it's summer. I'm so excited to have all this time to cook and get the team together to share fun recipes with you guys.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone loves Chipotle, right? I mean, who doesn't? It's one of my favorite restaurants because it's tasty, fast, AND they are so careful about where their ingredients are coming from. I love that a place centered around bettering the food system has become so incredibly popular internationally. Unfortunately, I live 15 minutes away from the closest Chipotle. That means that I can't satisfy my Chipotle cravings 24/7. This recipe for Sofritas will teach you how to make a Chipotle-inspired vegetarian meal at home that will satisfy the whole family! This doesn't taste exactly like what you can order at Chipotle, but it's as close as I could get it with the resources I had. This recipe just includes the toppings I used, but you can always try making your own version of Chipotle's guacamole or salsa verde or whatever else you like in your order. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIY5lSKMVYdL0SFnQF49AmzOr9hI5tgh6PmkRwElUj3S7J0rr5Ns5pVgbBg0vTqsP7QEXgFVhbdbRqinSvWc_PIcjcr3RNzJjNrcD5e6ua6wTfzMe6nLkyCykScrTh87aHQKdm6Z0Insk/s1600/Chipotle.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIY5lSKMVYdL0SFnQF49AmzOr9hI5tgh6PmkRwElUj3S7J0rr5Ns5pVgbBg0vTqsP7QEXgFVhbdbRqinSvWc_PIcjcr3RNzJjNrcD5e6ua6wTfzMe6nLkyCykScrTh87aHQKdm6Z0Insk/s1600/Chipotle.jpeg" height="320" width="256" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Chipotle-Inspired Sofritas Bowl</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serves 4</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 (15 oz) cans black or pinto beans </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 romaine heart, loosely chopped </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup rBST-free shredded Mexican cheese blend </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cilantro-lime rice: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups white rice (use brown rice if that's what you usually order) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The juice of 2 limes </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper, to taste </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Corn salsa: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 small ears of corn, shucked and silk removed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup red onion, finely diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup tomato, finely diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The juice of 3/4 of a lime </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp cayenne pepper </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper, to taste </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sofritas: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 (10 oz) packages extra-firm tofu </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup chipotle in adobo sauce OR 1/4 cup chipotle salsa </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 small poblano peppers OR 1 large green bell pepper with 1 <span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">jalapeño</span> pepper </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp cumin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The zest of 1 lime </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper, to taste </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*I used the chipotle salsa, green bell pepper and <span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">jalapeño pepper in mine. Chipotle says in their description of Sofritas that they use poblano peppers, but I didn't have any. Try it both ways and decide which one you think tastes closer to the actual Chipotle version. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the rice and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Remove the tofu from the packages and set them on a slanted surface to drain. I like to set a cutting board on the counter and the sink so that the tofu can drain into the sink. Let drain completely. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Combine the chipotle in adobo/chipotle salsa, poblano peppers/green bell pepper and <span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">jalapeño pepper, cumin, lime zest, salt and pepper in a food processor. Pulse for about a minute, until very smooth and sauce-like. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Pat the tofu dry with a paper towel. Using your hands, crumble the tofu up into small crumbles. It should look somewhat like crumbled feta cheese. Transfer the sauce from the food processor to the bowl with the crumbled tofu and stir well. It should look like what is pictured below. Let marinate for about 10 - 15 minutes. This doesn't need to be exact - just prepare the corn salsa while it sits to kill some time. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKE2-fDElFnLJTcIa1EP0cJmbeRThd8wwq6gG8qgRI-3Xyi-5Co6I3RANVl_dp2704IYtHHzRcCFS5_YiKbQqOqiHa1aNy7C3cm6W3j2ytLqqlJQ01MDGRAG-aziaIohc_onNHK2OoQwY/s1600/Sofritas.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKE2-fDElFnLJTcIa1EP0cJmbeRThd8wwq6gG8qgRI-3Xyi-5Co6I3RANVl_dp2704IYtHHzRcCFS5_YiKbQqOqiHa1aNy7C3cm6W3j2ytLqqlJQ01MDGRAG-aziaIohc_onNHK2OoQwY/s1600/Sofritas.jpeg" height="200" width="155" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. While the sofritas are marinating, take your shucked corn and remove the stems. This will create a flat surface on the bottom for the corn to stand on. Using a sharp knife, carefully slice down the side of the corn, removing a strip of corn kernels. Turn the corn and remove another strip until all the kernels have been removed. Repeat this process with the other ears of corn. Put the kernels in a bowl and add the rest of the salsa ingredients. Mix well and adjust seasonings accordingly. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sofritas. Stirring fairly frequently, cook for about 5 - 7 minutes. While the sofritas are cooking, heat the beans in a saucepan on a different burner until heated through. Remove the sofritas and beans from heat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. When the rice is finished cooking, fluff it with a fork and add the remaining cilantro-lime rice ingredients. Stir well and adjust seasonings accordingly. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8. To assemble a bowl, add the ingredients in the following order: rice, beans, sofritas, corn salsa, cheese and lettuce. You can always add any other toppings that you like. This order is crucial because it's the same order that they go in at Chipotle! Serve and enjoy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you enjoy this recipe! Please give it a try so you can have a little taste of Chipotle in your own home, and share your recreations with me using #teenscancooktoo on Instagram. Hey, you could even share them with Chipotle on Instagram or Twitter! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, I want to talk to you about the Teens Can Cook, Too vegetarian challenge that is starting THIS SUNDAY! Isabel, Isaac, Annika and I will be going vegetarian from June 15th to 28th, and the other team members will be testing out our vegetarian recipes here and there. We want all of you to participate if you're up for it! The whole point is to get a taste of the challenges vegetarians face as well as experiencing the benefits of being a vegetarian. You must eat at least 1.5 cups of vegetables, 1 cup of fruit and get a decent amount of protein each day so you can assure that your body isn't deprived of the nutrients it needs. Those of us who are participating will be sharing meal logs and comments from each day here on the blog. If you want to participate, send me pictures on Twitter and Instagram using #teenscancooktoo of your vegetarian meals so we can see what you're up to. This will be a really fun way for the team to interact with the readers, but it will only work if you participate along with us! Keep up with us on all the social media sites below so you can interact: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YouTube: </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay healthy! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Madeline </span></div>
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<b><br /></b>Madeline Daltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684073012810761433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406872119672405090.post-23833736865001140932014-06-02T23:16:00.000-07:002014-06-02T23:16:07.608-07:00Tofu Parmesan<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey everybody! First, I'd like to apologize for neglecting this blog lately. This spring has been so busy, but now that school is almost over, I will have more than enough time to dedicate myself to this blog! The team and I have some very exciting themes and projects coming up this summer that you won't want to miss.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The theme this month is... Vegetarian Meals! Since there are so many vegetarians out there, I figured I would dedicate a whole month to giving you guys some great recipes. Of course, you don't have to be a vegetarian in order to enjoy these; I highly recommend that meat eaters give these recipes a try. Start having a Meatless Monday and try these recipes out! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why go vegetarian? I'm sure you've all heard the arguments against being a vegetarian, mainly the concern that you won't be getting enough protein. However, you can find protein in lots of other food sources! Tofu, beans, and even some whole grains (like quinoa) contain the protein that your body needs. Make sure you are eating a variety of foods so that your body gets all the vitamins and minerals it needs. Lots of fruits, veggies, protein, nuts, and seeds will make your body very happy. A lot of people go vegetarian and end up with problems, like anemia, because they aren't getting the nutrients they need. It's really easy to cut out meat and just eat carbohydrates, but that is not the way to go! The more colors and variety you have, the better.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you wanted to go vegetarian for awhile but never had the time? Have you ever wanted to try it out just to see what it's like? Then you are the person to join the Teens Can Cook, Too team on a vegetarian two-week challenge! From June 15th to June 28th, a few members of the Teens Can Cook, Too team will be going vegetarian and blogging about their experiences. We invite you to join us for those 14 days and interact with us via social networking so we can provide tips and inspiration. We've set a few guidelines so that we all try being a vegetarian in the healthiest way possible, and they are as follows:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- No meat (including fish) in any form</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Eat <i>at least </i>1.5 cups of vegetables and 1 cup of fruit each day </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Have at least one source of protein per day</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Keep track of all your meals and write a few comments about each day </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We will be posting our thoughts, comments and meals every Sunday with each recipe so that you guys can see how we've been enjoying the new change. I strongly suggest that all my readers participate. From people who eat meat in every meal to pescatarians that want to try giving up fish for two weeks, this challenge will be accessible and valuable! Plus, it's during the summer, so you don't have to worry about juggling a change in diet with schoolwork. If you're already a vegetarian, don't worry - there will be a challenge just like this next month, only we'll be going vegan! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Onto the recipe! So... tofu. Oh tofu. So many people <i>hate </i>tofu, and I honestly don't blame them. Most of the tofu I've had has been prepared terribly, but there are definitely ways to make it tasty! So far, my favorite methods of preparation are tofu in an Asian stir-fry and marinated tofu that has been grilled or pan-seared. I also love Chipotle's sofritas, which is a scrambled tofu option that they offer. It's my new favorite thing and I think it tastes exactly like ground turkey! Give these things a try as a starter. I've never had tofu outside of Asian or Mexican food, so I figured I would branch out with my recipe and go the Italian route. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay, I know what you're thinking. "This is GROSS! Parmesan tofu? Yuck!" But I promise you that it is better than it looks! The basis for the method of preparation comes from my mom's way of making homemade chicken strips. Hey, there's something you're probably familiar with! The preparation is easy and you will satisfy a family of four easily with this. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Mozzarella and basil not pictured - I didn't have any. Use these ingredients and I'm sure it will be tastier than mine! </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Tofu Parmesan</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serves 4 </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 (16 oz) package extra-firm tofu </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 free-range eggs </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp rBST-free milk </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About 1/2 cup of whole-wheat flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp garlic powder </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 medium-sized garlic cloves, peeled and minced </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup rBST-free shredded parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 tsp Italian seasoning</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/8 tsp lemon pepper </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 small zucchini </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 red bell peppers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup balsamic vinegar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Olive oil cooking spray</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup rBST-free shredded mozzarella cheese</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved vertically </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup julienned basil </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper, to taste </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Remove the tofu from the package. Set a cutting board on a slanted surface and place the tofu brick onto the cutting board. Let the tofu drain for at least 15 minutes, catching the drippings in a sink or trash can. Slice the brick into 1/2-inch slices vertically. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. While the tofu is draining, prepare the veggies. Slice the top off of the pepper, and turn it so that the hunk of seeds in the middle is facing the ceiling. Carefully cut perpendicular to each piece of white membrane, creating four sections. Throw out the hunk of seeds. Then, slice each pepper segment in half vertically. Repeat this step with the other peppers. For the zucchini, slice the top and bottom off. Cut into 3-inch sections and slice into 1/8-inch slices vertically. Put the zucchini, red bell pepper, balsamic, 2 tbsp of the extra-virgin olive oil, lemon pepper, 1/4 tsp of the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix well and let marinate while you complete steps 3 and 4. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Put the breadcrumbs, cheese, half of the minced garlic, remaining Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a food processor. Pulse until the crumbs and cheese become a very fine, crumbly mixture. Pour into a shallow bowl and set aside. Mix the flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in another shallow bowl, and beat the eggs and milk together in another shallow bowl.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Take a tofu slice and coat in the flour mixture. Coat generously in the egg mixture, and then completely cover in the breadcrumb mixture. Repeat this step with the remaining tofu slices.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Spray a griddle or large skillet with a bit of olive oil spray. Heat to medium-high heat (about 350 degrees Fahrenheit on a griddle). Add the tofu slices and marinated veggies. Try to fit as many of the veggies as you can, but if there are too many, prepare them in two batches. Cook the tofu and vegetables for about 3 minutes on each side. When you flip the tofu, sprinkle mozzarella over all the slices and let it melt as it finishes cooking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. While the tofu and veggies are cooking, put the cherry tomatoes, remaining garlic, remaining extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper in a small saucepan. Heat to medium heat and saute for about 5 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and heated through. Remove from heat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. To serve, place a bed of veggies in the center of the plate. Top with a few slices of cheesy tofu. Garnish the tofu with a spoonful of the cherry tomatoes, 2 tbsp of basil and extra parmesan cheese. Enjoy! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enjoy this recipe! This was a fun experiment for me, and I'd love it if you gave it a try. Please share your recreations with me using #teenscancooktoo on Instagram! Follow Teens Can Cook, Too at all the social media sites below: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YouTube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ</span></a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay healthy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Madeline </span></div>
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<br />Madeline Daltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684073012810761433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406872119672405090.post-37671514131323333442014-05-18T23:10:00.005-07:002014-05-18T23:10:56.750-07:00Gluten-Free Berry Crumble <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey everybody! Since springtime is upon us, I figured I would share a recipe using my favorite spring fruit: berries! While local (from Washington) berries aren't quite in season, lots of berries from California are in season, and I've been eating lots of them lately. I had been toying with the idea of making something with berries for awhile, but I couldn't decide what to make. Then, Colleen Ballinger, one of my favorite YouTubers, released a video teaching you how to make her favorite berry crumble. I decided that I could make a healthy version of this recipe to share with you guys, and it turned out super well! I hope you guys enjoy this easy recipe as much as I did! It's gluten-free and vegan, too! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Gluten-Free Berry Crumble</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serves 8 - 10 </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ cups fresh strawberries </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ cups fresh blueberries</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup fresh raspberries</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup fresh blackberries</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp agave nectar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ tsp cinnamon</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For crumble topping: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups almond flour </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups gluten-free rolled oats </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ tsp cinnamon </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp nutmeg</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup coconut oil, at room temperature</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ cup agave nectar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup coconut sugar</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*You can use any amount of berries as you like as long as it adds up to 4</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ cups total! You could use 4</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ cups of strawberries, switch the amounts for raspberries and blueberries, etc. Do whatever you like best!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**Frozen fruit will work too, but fresh fruit is preferable.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">***If you're allergic to nuts, you can substitute the type of flour you use. Just make sure it's about the same consistency as almond flour, which is ever so slightly coarser than all-purpose flour. A gluten-free flour mix would be great. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine the berries, agave nectar and cinnamon in a medium-large bowl. Set aside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Put the ingredients for the topping in a large standing mixer. Using the dough paddle, mix on a medium-low speed (2 or 4 worked well for me). Mix until the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated and make a crumbly topping. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Lay 2/3 of the crumble mixture on the bottom of a 8x13 pan. Distribute evenly across the bottom of the pan and press down into a firm base layer. Top with all of the fruit and lay in an even layer. Finally, sprinkle the remaining 1/3 of the crumble mixture on top of the berries. Keep this loose - it's just a crunchy topping! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. The topping should be barely golden brown, and the berries should have released some of their juices. Remove from the oven and let cool on the stove top for 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you enjoy this recipe! Please give it a try - it's so easy and it's perfect for this season! I made this crumble while making dinner and preparing both dishes only took me half an hour (not including baking time). You can always do homework while it's in the oven, too! Please give it a try and share your recreations with me using #teenscancooktoo on Instagram and Twitter. Don't forget to follow Teens Can Cook, Too on all the social media handles below: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YouTube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ</span></a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay healthy!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Madeline </span></div>
<b><br /></b>Madeline Daltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684073012810761433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406872119672405090.post-25523062963163203732014-05-13T16:54:00.002-07:002014-05-18T23:10:35.303-07:00Chocolate Banana Nice Cream<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey everybody! Spring is in full bloom, and it's been getting really hot around here in Seattle. I thought you'd all like a healthy, cool, sweet treat to brighten your spring days. This treat is vegan and can be made paleo depending on the ingredients you choose! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you ever had a Peanut Butter Moo'd or a Chocolate Moo'd at Jamba Juice? Or any sort of ice cream with chocolate, peanut butter and banana? Combine the ice cream with the Peanut Butter/Chocolate Moo'd and you get this, but without the saturated fat and refined sugars. This delicious vegan ice cream is so good that carnivores and vegans alike will love it. My 9-year-old brother, who is the pickiest kid I've ever met, loved it, so trust me on this one! This Chocolate Banana "Nice Cream" has only 7 ingredients, and you can choose whichever nut butter and non-dairy milk you want in order to personalize it. I personally like using peanut butter and almond milk, but if you're paleo and can't eat peanuts, you can always use almond butter. If you're allergic to nuts, you can use sunflower seed butter and coconut milk! Personalize it however you like. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Chocolate Banana Nice Cream</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serves 3 - 4</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 ripe bananas</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ cup nut/seed butter of choice (peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter, etc.) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ tsp vanilla extract </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tsp unsweetened cacao powder </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp honey or agave nectar </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 - 1/3 cup non-dairy milk of choice (almond milk, coconut milk, hemp milk, etc.) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups ice </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preparation</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Place parchment on a large plate. Peel the bananas and place them on the plate. Freeze for at least 2 hours, until the bananas are completely frozen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Add the frozen bananas, 1/4 cup of the non-dairy milk (to start), and the remaining ingredients in a blender or Vita-Mix. Cover and blend on a high speed. If you need more liquid, add a couple more tablespoons of milk at a time, but be very careful - adding too much will ruin the consistency. If it's too thin, you will need more ice. The consistency should be thick, like ice cream, but it's alright if it's slightly thinner. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Scoop into bowls and enjoy in the sun! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There you go! How easy is that? Putting this together took me a total of 10 minutes, and clean up was really easy too. This would be perfect to enjoy in the sun after school, to make when you have friends over, or to make just because you feel like it. Please give this amazing recipe a try. Take a photo of what you made and send it to me using #teenscancooktoo on Instagram. Make sure you're following Teens Can Cook, Too at all the social media handles below: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YouTube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ</span></a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay healthy!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Madeline </span>Madeline Daltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684073012810761433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406872119672405090.post-44448298373869060362014-05-05T23:16:00.000-07:002014-05-05T23:16:08.605-07:00Chunky Monkey Cookies<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hi, everyone! I'm so sorry that this post is so late - I've been really busy with school and AP tests, but I promise that I'm going to be updating on a regular basis from now on! The theme this month is... healthy desserts! People have been very responsive to my healthy dessert recipes, so I figured I would dedicate this whole month to them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First of all, healthy baking is really different from normal baking. There are a few things you'll need to stock up on if you want to bake healthy treats. Lots of my friends from school have wanted to make my recipes, but they didn't have any of the ingredients, so they couldn't. If you know what to stock up on, you can find a recipe online and make it five minutes later because you already have everything you need. Here are my suggestions for healthy baking essentials:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few gluten-free flours, such as coconut flour and almond flour</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few gluten-free flour blends that taste and act more like all-purpose flour. My favorite is Namaste brand. I don't use these in my desserts because they're really tricky to work with if you don't have a recipe, but if you stumble across any recipes that use these, you should have them on hand!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nuts! Hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, and everything else you can think of! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rolled oats (preferably gluten-free) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Non-dairy milks, such as almond milk, soy milk and coconut milk</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">COCONUT OIL! Coconut oil replaces butter and other fats in so many recipes. You basically can't make any of my dessert recipes if you don't have this. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nut butters, such as peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter, and more</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A variety of seeds, such as pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds and more</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If this list seems long and scary, don't worry! Just start accumulating these ingredients as you see them pop up in recipes. Remember, these aren't just for desserts. The flours can be used to bread chicken, make pasta and thicken sauces, too. Almost all these ingredients work in breakfast foods, too! You can throw oats and nuts into a fruit smoothie, into a big bowl of oatmeal, drink almond milk straight in the mornings, spread almond butter on your toast and more. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now onto the recipe! These cookies were inspired by one of my favorite flavors of Ben and Jerry's ice cream: Chunky Monkey. While I love this ice cream, I don't like the fact that it has huge chunks of walnuts in it. I'm just not really a walnut fan, if I'm being honest with you. I figured I should make a cookie out of these flavors so I can indulge without feeling guilty, but I replaced the walnuts with peanut butter and chopped peanuts. Who doesn't love peanut butter, right? These cookies are super easy; I was able to make them in 30 minutes including the cooking time for both batches. They're perfect for beginners because you literally stir ingredients together and stick them in the oven. No fancy techniques are required! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Chunky Monkey Cookies</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Makes 18 - 24 cookies</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 large ripe bananas</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ cup all-natural peanut butter (check the label to make sure there aren't any hydrogenated oils!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tbsp coconut oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5 tbsp honey</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 tsp vanilla extract </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2½ cups gluten-free rolled oats</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp salt </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup organic chocolate chips </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(optional) ½ cup roasted, unsalted peanuts, finely chopped </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preparation</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Put a silicon pad or parchment paper on two baking sheets. Set aside. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Mash the bananas in a large bowl with a potato masher or a fork. I find a potato masher to be much more effective. Mash until there aren't many lumps left. Microwave the coconut oil for 10 - 15 seconds, so that it is warm and soft, but not completely melted. Stir the peanut butter, coconut oil, honey and vanilla extract into the bananas until completely smooth. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Combine the oats, shredded coconut, baking powder and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Pour these dry ingredients into the large bowl for wet ingredients. Stir using a large spoon until completely incorporated. Stir in the chopped peanuts and chocolate chips. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Drop large spoonfuls of the batter onto the cookie sheet. Each cookie should contain approximately 2 - 3 tbsp of batter. You should fit 10 - 12 per sheet. Bake for 12 - 14 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies. The cookies should be golden brown and fairly firm. Remove from the oven and let cool for two minutes. Then, transfer the cookies on a cooling rack. Cool completely and enjoy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you like this recipe! I like it so much that I had 3 cookies tonight. Please give it a try so you too can have three cookies without feeling guilty. Share your recreations with me on Instagram using #teenscancooktoo! Make sure you're following me at all the social media sites below:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YouTube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ</span></a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay healthy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Madeline </span></div>
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Madeline Daltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684073012810761433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406872119672405090.post-71797526239318190202014-04-22T17:15:00.000-07:002014-04-22T17:15:44.856-07:00Make Your Own Breakfast Bowl<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey, everybody! First of all, I'd like to apologize for posting this so late - Easter weekend and school work have made my life crazy, and I just now had the opportunity to post something. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since I've been posting more complicated breakfast recipes this month, I thought I would post something simpler that you can make just about any morning before school. Those are the kinds of breakfasts that we need the most help with anyway, right? This is a fun, healthy take on oatmeal bowls that are so much better than those packets of gloopy instant oatmeal. Instead of just being limited to oatmeal, you can use any whole grain you can think of! I know, some of you might think it's weird to have a quinoa bowl in the morning, but trust me, it's delicious. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This recipe is going to be a little different; I'm going to give you a framework for how to personalize your own breakfast bowl, and then you can decide everything that goes in it! I've also given you two examples of combinations that I really like. Remember that the suggestions I give are not the only things you're limited to. If there's an ingredient you love that I didn't mention, you can certainly use it! Also, since I don't want to give you instructions on how to cook every single grain ever, here is a link that shows you how to cook basically every grain you could ever imagine cooking: <a href="http://wholegrainscouncil.org/recipes/cooking-whole-grains">http://wholegrainscouncil.org/recipes/cooking-whole-grains </a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Make Your Own Breakfast Bowl</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serves 1 </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup dry grain of choice </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 - 2 tbsp natural sweetener of choice (optional) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup fruit(s) of choice (optional)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup dried fruit(s) of choice (optional)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup nuts, seeds, etc. of choice (optional) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Options</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grain:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rolled oats</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quinoa</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Millet</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brown, red, black, or wild rice</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Amaranth </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bulgar wheat</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wheat berries</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spelt berries </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Farro</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sweetener: </span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maple syrup</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Coconut sugar</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Agave nectar</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Honey </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stevia</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fruits (you may combine as many as you like, but use 1/2 cup TOTAL):</span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apples</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pears</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mangoes</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nectarines</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Peaches</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Plums</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apricots</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bananas</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blueberries</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Strawberries</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Raspberries</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blackberries </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Papayas</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tangerines </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grapefruits </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kiwis</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dried fruits (</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">you may combine as many as you like, but use 1/4 cup TOTAL)</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">: </span></div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apricots</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cherries</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blueberries</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cranberries</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mangoes</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Goji berries</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nuts, seeds, etc. (</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">you may combine as many as you like, but use 1/4 cup TOTAL)</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">: </span></div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pecans</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Almonds</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Walnuts</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cashews</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Peanuts</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sunflower seeds</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pumpkin seeds</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chia seeds</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Flax seeds</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unsweetened shredded coconut </span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation</b></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Cook your grain of choice in the appropriate amount of water or non-dairy milk. Check the link above to find the cooking instructions. Spice with cinnamon if you so choose.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Stir in the rest of ingredients that you have chosen and enjoy! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And now, here are two of my favorite combinations. The directions above still apply, so I've just given you the list of ingredients I used. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKu9JicBl-XXEkl9dcY7iSOA9rRZcm4pfxwx2fkeeHC8f5MRAZIjz71Mp73prEpAt89GSnxg8vQ7-RnE-zS_-rNz1oCHueZBQoaUpDx3aT3iqJIq0oUOLS-Le545Pl_hnSLK_2sNIxT8/s1600/Quinoa.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKu9JicBl-XXEkl9dcY7iSOA9rRZcm4pfxwx2fkeeHC8f5MRAZIjz71Mp73prEpAt89GSnxg8vQ7-RnE-zS_-rNz1oCHueZBQoaUpDx3aT3iqJIq0oUOLS-Le545Pl_hnSLK_2sNIxT8/s1600/Quinoa.jpeg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Coconut Mango Quinoa Bowl</u></b></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup dry quinoa (cooked in coconut milk) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp honey </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup fresh mango, diced</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup dried Turkish apricots, roughly chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp chia seeds and 2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut <b>(that's 1/4 cup total)</b></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Banana Berry Oatmeal</u></b></span></div>
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<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup rolled oats (cooked in almond milk) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp maple syrup </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup fresh blueberries (you can use other berries too) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup dried cherries</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup almonds</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp cinnamon </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks for going through this recipe! I know that it looks really long and confusing because it's in so many sections, but it really isn't difficult. Just mix and match your favorite ingredients and voila! For those of you reading this on a mobile device, screenshot the lists for each category and screenshot the recipe. This way, you can have the recipe saved as some pictures and you can make this in the morning just by reading off of your phone! Taking screenshots of recipes has been really helpful for me and has inspired me to try so many of the recipes on Instagram and Twitter. I never used to try recipes that I saw because I didn't have the technology, but now that I do, I feel so much more connected to what others are making. Please keep up with Teens Can Cook, Too on all the social media handles below so you can screenshot my recipes and share them with friends!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: </span><a href="https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (@teenscancooktoo)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instagram: </span></span><a href="http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (@teenscancooktoo)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Facebook: </span></span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832</span></a><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YouTube: </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't forget to share your breakfast bowl recreations with me using #teenscancooktoo! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay healthy!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Madeline </span></div>
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<b><br /></b>Madeline Daltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684073012810761433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406872119672405090.post-81407199306744886962014-04-13T20:25:00.000-07:002014-04-13T20:25:49.238-07:00Sweet Potato Hash <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey everybody! I hope you've all had a wonderful spring break, or if your spring break is just starting, that you have a relaxing week off. I spent my break doing a fair amount of cooking, and I'm so excited to share my recipes with you guys during the rest of the month!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As you saw last week, this month is all about healthy breakfasts. The recipe I'm posting today isn't ideal for a quick breakfast before running off to school, but it's great for when you've got company over for brunch or if you want to have a nice breakfast with your family on the weekend. One classic brunch item is anything with potatoes: hash browns, potato hash, you name it! My hash that I'm sharing today is a Sweet Potato Hash. I chose sweet potatoes because they are high in vitamin A and beta-carotene, so you can feel good about start off your day with this dish! Plus, I didn't have any actual potatoes on hand... so I used these. It turned out to be a really good thing, though. Serve this alongside your favorite healthy protein. These could be protein pancakes, a protein shake, lean turkey sausage, scrambled tofu, etc. The list goes on! Enjoy!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xwC5azYuc6G_ukWMsDmDGjOhV0kQA4N0gy_kkEbXa_zsY9S1hY_30zbRFz_v5KqyWKshVJKX3vdtGlQYWsdQtaxy1-GB-6_x4M74VPy1SuPgoIV8_6hqzGc6dLTwQzMfn2JA9hL4iCg/s1600/Hash.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xwC5azYuc6G_ukWMsDmDGjOhV0kQA4N0gy_kkEbXa_zsY9S1hY_30zbRFz_v5KqyWKshVJKX3vdtGlQYWsdQtaxy1-GB-6_x4M74VPy1SuPgoIV8_6hqzGc6dLTwQzMfn2JA9hL4iCg/s1600/Hash.jpeg" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Sweet Potato Hash</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serves 4 - 6 </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ of a large yellow onion, diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 medium-sized garlic cloves, peeled and minced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 tsp Italian seasoning</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 large celery stalks, diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 red bell pepper, diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2½ loosely packed cups pre-washed baby spinach </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper, to taste </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preparation</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Put the sweet potato cubes in a large pot and fill with water. Bring to a boil and then let cook for about 3 minutes. The potatoes should be almost done cooking, but still not quite fork-tender. Remove from heat and drain into a colander.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir until the onions are coated in oil and then let sit for about 3 - 4 minutes, until the onions are somewhat translucent. It is crucial that you don't stir until this point; the onions will caramelize more rapidly if you don't stir them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Add the celery and red bell peppers. Saute for about 3 minutes, until somewhat soft. Add the sweet potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes, until the potatoes are soft all the way through and they are beginning to brown. Adjust the seasonings if needed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Add the spinach and parsley. Stir well and cook for 1 - 2 minutes, until spinach is just wilted. Serve. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you enjoy this recipe! Please share your recreations with me using #teenscancooktoo on Instagram and Twitter so I can see what you guys think! This could be a great recipe for an Easter brunch next weekend. Make sure you are following Teens Can Cook, Too on all the social media sites below so you can see what I'm up to: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YouTube: <span style="color: #274e13;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ">http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay healthy!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Madeline </span>Madeline Daltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684073012810761433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406872119672405090.post-76432982453998259622014-03-30T20:50:00.005-07:002014-03-30T20:50:49.723-07:00Black Bean Burgers and Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Avocado Aioli <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey everybody! The last transformed classic dish I have to finish off this month is one you're all really going to love. I have been entertaining the thought of transforming a burger, but I didn't really know what to do, so I figured I could make a black bean burger and really experiment with the flavor profiles. There's a restaurant in Madison Valley called Cafe Flora that makes the best sweet potato fries with cayenne aioli, and I knew I wanted to incorporate those kinds of flavors into my meal. And thus, this miraculous creation was born. My mom says that this was her favorite vegetarian burger that she has ever tasted. You could choose just to make the burger, or just the fries, but regardless, you have got to try this. I even made extra aioli the next day and put it on my toast (is that weird...?). Please remember to share your recreations with me on Instagram and Twitter using #teenscancooktoo! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtn1q7hfhGxzXXAu_DbWD7D8QS9DY1uRyTNCK39daW4s5mRVtqSpTXlnwxCm4WWq9f3wmor3fiTB0zGupcytLLuohJ-UuxCrXK3oT9YzO_Hv24QiYltEkYCBlXWsUUr2a68KbOJIEYvc/s1600/Fries+and+Burger.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtn1q7hfhGxzXXAu_DbWD7D8QS9DY1uRyTNCK39daW4s5mRVtqSpTXlnwxCm4WWq9f3wmor3fiTB0zGupcytLLuohJ-UuxCrXK3oT9YzO_Hv24QiYltEkYCBlXWsUUr2a68KbOJIEYvc/s1600/Fries+and+Burger.jpeg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The full meal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Avocado Aioli </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 ripe avocado</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The juice of 1 large lime </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 - 2 tbsp water (eyeball it as you go) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ tsp chili powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ tsp cayenne pepper (use less if you can't tolerate spice) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 tbsp fresh cilantro</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper, to taste</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Combine all the ingredients in a Vita-Mix or blender. Start on a low speed, and gradually increase to medium speed. If it doesn't blend well enough or you want it thinner, add a bit more water.The consistency should be slightly thinner than mayonnaise. Serve with Baked Sweet Potatoes and Black Bean Burgers. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Baked Sweet Potato Fries</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serves 4 </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 large sweet potatoes, peeled</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 - 4 tbsp corn starch </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ tsp cayenne pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ tsp garlic powder </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ tsp chili powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper, to taste</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the peeled potatoes into fries that are about </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½-inch wide and 4 - 5 inches long. If they are larger, the cooking time will be much longer and you will run into problems. Soak the cut potatoes in water for at least 2 - 3 hours. If you're short on time, try to let them soak for at least an hour. Drain the potatoes and pat them fairly dry, but leave enough residual moisture so that the corn starch will stick to them in the next step.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhay9sdttKn2NGyfaq20MRI2PPaUUc02ePT95fxCcwutJpkGpVaSE04QSZkHPB2yHYECMvdzoiciSYNS-PDIgbEqVZ9kk8kPAJQpG-s-H0u86dyjDFrDYkQFTFJIg4E2K6rVf-wJ-yVVn8/s1600/Sweet+Potato+Fries.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhay9sdttKn2NGyfaq20MRI2PPaUUc02ePT95fxCcwutJpkGpVaSE04QSZkHPB2yHYECMvdzoiciSYNS-PDIgbEqVZ9kk8kPAJQpG-s-H0u86dyjDFrDYkQFTFJIg4E2K6rVf-wJ-yVVn8/s1600/Sweet+Potato+Fries.jpeg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fries soaking</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Combine the corn starch, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and mix well. Dump the potatoes in the bag. Seal the bag tightly, leaving some air in the bag so that the fries have room to move around. Shake vigorously so that all the fries are covered in a light coating of corn starch. Transfer to a large bowl and coat with olive oil. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Lay the fries out on large baking sheets, making sure that they do not overlap and are not extremely close. You may need to split them onto two sheets and make two batches in order to ensure that they cook well. Bake for 15 minutes, flip them, and then let them bake for another 7 - 10 minutes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Use </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ of a recipe of Avocado Aioli (above) and spoon into 4 individual </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ramekins for each person. Serve with fries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Black Bean Burgers</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serves 4</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For burger:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp canned Hatch green chiles</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 tsp cumin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ tsp cayenne pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 tbsp fresh cilantro</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 of a red onion, roughly chopped </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp chipotle salsa (or your favorite salsa) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs* </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 egg white </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper, to taste </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remaining ingredients:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 extra-large leaves romaine lettuce, washed and dried</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tomato, thinly sliced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 of a red onion, thinly sliced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ cup of chipotle salsa (or your favorite salsa, but chipotle salsa lends itself very well to this recipe) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ of a recipe of Avocado Aioli </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">* I used gluten-free bread crumbs that are slightly denser than Panko crumbs, which I liked better. If you don't have any of these, don't worry - using Panko will work too! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. For burgers: Comb</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ine half of the beans, Hatch green chiles, cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic, cilantro, onion, salt and pepper in a food processor until smooth. Add the remaining beans and pulse for just a few seconds. By doing so, you will have slightly larger chunks of beans throughout, adding an interesting and meatier texture. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Add the corn, salsa, egg white and Panko bread crumbs. Mix until well combined. Form the mixture into four patties. If you can, try to refrigerate the patties for at least 30 minutes. This will help them stick together better. If not, don't worry. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6nZZPFQOydS3CoSRIRPhWTFpSfdybIomBkHku_KgtAoI3216zmmzixC5DoijB_Y6PPpMuBx7Pri-QUlEdF949uKkwPsRgItmhzFz4iegmdOIyCwqWaxJy_W-R8y52ZmJTUZLlpOXzCqw/s1600/Black+Bean+Burgers.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6nZZPFQOydS3CoSRIRPhWTFpSfdybIomBkHku_KgtAoI3216zmmzixC5DoijB_Y6PPpMuBx7Pri-QUlEdF949uKkwPsRgItmhzFz4iegmdOIyCwqWaxJy_W-R8y52ZmJTUZLlpOXzCqw/s1600/Black+Bean+Burgers.jpeg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burger mixture </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Using a large non-stick skillet or griddle, heat the 2 tbsp of olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook for about 2-4 minutes, until golden brown on the bottom. Flip them and cook them for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. To assemble the burgers, lay a black bean burger patty in the middle of a large lettuce leaf. Spread with a generous amount of aioli, and top with onion and tomato slices. Using a small spoon, scatter 2 tbsp of chipotle salsa over the patty and on the lettuce leaf. Repeat this process with the other burgers. Wrap up and enjoy with Baked Sweet Potato Fries!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you so much for reading all my transformed classic recipes this month! It means a lot to have people interested in what I do and how I want to change the world. Please share your recreations, tell a friend about Teens Can Cook, Too, and follow me on all the social media sites below: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YouTube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ</span></a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay healthy!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Madeline </span>Madeline Daltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684073012810761433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406872119672405090.post-38223765981538484022014-03-24T18:26:00.001-07:002014-03-24T18:26:44.777-07:00Healthy Vegetarian Enchiladas<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey, everyone! Sorry this post is late - I was super busy yesterday and just didn't have enough time to type up my recipe. I hope it was worth the wait!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone loves Mexican food. Seriously, I don't think it's humanly possible to dislike Mexican food. I make fractured tacos at my house at least once a week and I never get tired of them because I love Mexican food that much. However, one Mexican dish that I've never liked is enchiladas. It's a mouthful of carbs and gooey cheese and meat and ew. I know some people like that, but I am not a fan. I figured creating a healthier enchilada that I actually enjoy eating would be a good challenge, so I created this recipe! It's much lighter, but still has those classic Mexican flavors we all love. Instead of a tortilla, I used giant leaves of collard greens. If this sounds nasty to you, well, I don't blame you for your initial reaction. However, it's actually quite tasty! The entire time I was making this, I was so scared that I was wasting food and that it would be disgusting. But it wasn't. Even my family members, who believed it was going to be gross, loved it. I didn't use a whole-grain tortilla (like Ezekiel's) because they aren't as pliable as collard greens. Plus, it gives the dish an innovative spin. Try it out and share your recreations with me using #teenscancooktoo on Instagram and Twitter! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Healthy Vegetarian Enchiladas</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serves 4 (2 enchiladas per serving) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients and Materials</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8 extra-large leaves collard greens, washed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup rBST-free shredded Mexican cheese blend</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 avocados, diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 lime, cut into 8 wedges</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Toothpicks</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Filling: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ of a large yellow onion, diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 tsp cumin </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ tsp dried oregano</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ tsp cayenne pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tbsp canned Hatch green chiles, diced (if they did not come diced in the can already)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 (15 oz) can black beans</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1½ cups frozen corn, thawed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 red bell pepper, diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp fresh lime juice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper, to taste</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sauce: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 (6 oz) can tomato paste</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 - 1½ cups vegetable broth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp your favorite tomato salsa (I like chipotle garlic salsa) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ tsp cumin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ tsp dried oregano</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ chili powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tbsp canned Hatch green chiles, diced </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 small garlic clove, peeled and minced</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. To make the filling, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, cumin, oregano, cayenne, cilantro, Hatch chiles, salt and pepper. Stir thoroughly and let sit for about 3 - 5 minutes, until translucent and beginning to caramelize. It is important to leave the onions alone once all the spices have been evenly incorporated - stirring too frequently slows the browning process. Add the thawed corn, beans, bell peppers and lime juice. Incorporate the ingredients and saute for about 5 - 7 minutes, until the peppers are soft and the corn is heated through. Remove from heat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Cut the long ends of the stems off of the collard greens, but be sure to keep the stem that runs through the leaves in tact. Make sure the washed leaves are dry. To assemble each enchilada, turn the leaves so that the back side faces up (the side that isn't as shiny, and the side where the stem protrudes out). Fill the center of the leaf with about 3/4 cup of the filling (eyeball it - just make sure you use 1/8 of the filling) and tightly wrap the sides over the filling to create an enchilada. Don't worry about the ends. Secure the enchiladas shut with three toothpicks that run vertically along the enchilada. Repeat this step with all enchiladas.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. As soon as you are finished assembling the enchiladas, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet with tall walls (my skillet's walls are about 3 inches tall). Add as many enchiladas as will fit (I suggest 3 - 4) and cover the skillet with a lid. Let the enchiladas steam for about 3 - 5 minutes, until the collard greens are steamed and bright green. If the green loses its vibrancy or the bottoms of the enchiladas are burning, you will have cooked them for too long. To remove a cooked enchilada from the skillet, grab two large spoons and put one in each hand. Place the spoons at opposite ends of the enchilada (vertically). Scoop each spoon under the base of the enchilada as far as they will go, and carefully transfer the enchiladas to a 10x13 baking dish. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. To make the sauce, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan on medium heat. Add the garlic and Hatch chiles and saute for 30 seconds. Then, add the tomato paste and salsa. Add a few tablespoons of the vegetable broth and stir the tomato paste into it to thin it. Continue incorporating the tomato paste into the garlic, salsa and chiles, adding small amounts of broth as you go. Add as much broth as you need until the sauce is fairly thin, but not liquidy. Slightly thinner than spaghetti sauce is perfect. Then, add the remaining sauce ingredients and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately pour over the top of the enchiladas in the baking dish. Be sure to distribute the sauce evenly over all enchiladas. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Sprinkle the cheese atop the enchiladas and bake for 15 - 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and slightly golden brown. Do not overcook. Remove from heat and top with avocado and cilantro. Serve each plate with two lime wedges so everyone can squeeze lime juice on top. Remember to remove the toothpicks before eating, and enjoy! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you liked this recipe! Please remember to follow Teens Can Cook, Too on all the social media handles below: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YouTube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ</span></a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay healthy!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Madeline</span>Madeline Daltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684073012810761433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406872119672405090.post-83228684257564469602014-03-16T20:42:00.000-07:002014-03-16T20:43:05.280-07:00Chicken Shepherd's Pie<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You know what sounds really good on a rainy day? Chicken Pot Pie. You know what else sounds good? Shepherd's Pie. However, our inner health freaks tell us to steer clear from those dishes, which are notorious for high calories and fat quantities. Today's recipe is a combination between a Chicken Pot Pie and a Shepherd's Pie that is also really good for you! I call it a Chicken Shepherd's Pie, but you could also call it a Shepherd's Pot Pie or something like that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This dish is loaded with veggies, so you won't feel too guilty (even though its flavors are super rich and indulgent). The filling is essentially that of a Chicken Pot Pie, except I used mashed potatoes on the bottom and top to tie in the Shepherd's Pie part. And get this: the mashed potatoes aren't even completely made of potatoes! Made of steamed cauliflower and boiled potatoes that are put in the food processor, you get an extra creamy and nutritious layer on your Chicken Shepherd's Pie. I wouldn't suggest eating these mashed potatoes plain though; they're a little strange on their own, but once you add them to the dish, it adds to the creamy overall flavor and texture that I was looking for. My mom hated the plain potatoes (so did I) before I put them in the oven with the remaining ingredients, so she got a little scared of the final product (honestly, I did too!). But when she tried the finished dish, she LOVED it and went back for seconds. If you try this recipe, please share your recreation with me using #teenscancooktoo on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Chicken Shepherd's Pie</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serves 8</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mashed potatoes:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 head cauliflower, cut into florets</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, washed and cut into 1½ inch pieces (peeling is optional)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 quart chicken broth</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 garlic cloves, peeled</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper, to taste</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Water</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Filling:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch pieces </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup green beans, ends removed and cut into 1-inch pieces</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 celery stalks, diced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ cups frozen peas (do not thaw beforehand)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ of a large white onion, diced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 small leek</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A large handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp Italian seasoning</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ cup almond milk</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp flour (you can use gluten-free if necessary)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*You may also choose to add 1 small carrot, peeled and diced, in with the celery, asparagus and green beans. I didn't due to my carrot allergy, but I realize that carrots are a classic Chicken Pot Pie ingredient, so feel free to add them!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine the cauliflower florets and potatoes in a large pot. Fill with chicken broth. If the broth doesn't completely cover the contents of the pot, add water until completely covered. Bring to a boil and boil until the potatoes are soft (test using a fork) and the cauliflower is tender, which should take about 7 - 10 minutes after it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and ladle 1 cup of hot chicken broth out of the pot. Then, drain the contents of the pot. Rinse out the pot and be prepared to use it in a later step. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Add about half of the cauliflower and potatoes to a food processor along with half of the reserved broth. Take the plastic plug out of the lid and lightly rest a hand over the hole in the top. This way, the steam can escape, but you can prevent the contents of the food processor from flying out of the top and destroying your kitchen. Quickly process for a few seconds, and then add the remaining cauliflower, potatoes, and chicken broth. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper to finish them off. The "mashed potatoes" should be fairly smooth. If your mixture looks or tastes somewhat gluey or runny, that's okay! It will add to the overall texture of the dish. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Using the pot that you used for the potatoes, heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil on medium heat. Add the chicken and half of the garlic. Cook for about 3 - 5 minutes, until almost no pink is showing. Then, add the asparagus, green beans, and celery. Season with salt and pepper and saute for about 3 minutes. Add the frozen peas. Then, add a few cups of water until the contents of the pot are completely covered. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain the contents of the pot in a colander. Set aside.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. While the chicken and veggies are boiling, cut the leek in half lengthwise. Lay the flat part on the cutting board and slice very thinly. Put the slices in a colander and loosen the dirt from the leeks. Use some produce wash to aid in this process. Once all the bubbles from the produe wash are gone and all the dirt has been washed down the drain, pat the leeks dry and set aside. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large non-stick skillet on medium-high heat. Add the remaining garlic, the onion, the parsley and the leeks. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Saute until the onions are somewhat translucent and the leeks are softer, which should take around 3 - 5 minutes. Make a well in the middle of the pan and add the flour. Pour in the almond milk. Mix the almond milk and flour together to thicken it, and then slowly incorporate this mixture into the rest of the veggies. If you want it thinner, thicker or need more creaminess in general, you can add more almond milk and/or flour. Remove from heat. Combine this mixture with the chicken and veggies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. In a large casserole dish (make sure its walls are very tall), lay down half of the potatoes and smooth with a spatula. Add all of the filling, and then top with a final layer of the remaining potatoes. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the mashed potatoes are slightly golden brown on top. Serve. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This recipe is pretty lengthy, but it is so worth it! Make sure you give this innovated classic a try. Follow Teens Can Cook, Too on all the social media handles below:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YouTube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ</span></a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay healthy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Madeline</span></div>
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<br />Madeline Daltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684073012810761433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406872119672405090.post-86894243831903856802014-03-09T16:10:00.000-07:002014-03-16T20:42:09.611-07:00Healthy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Garden Tomato Soup<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey, everyone! To start off, I just wanted to let you all know that the Newcastle News recently published a news article about Teens Can Cook, Too. Please take a moment to check it out! I'm so honored to have an article about the blog in the news, and it would mean so much if you read it: <a href="http://www.newcastle-news.com/2014/03/05/teen-shares-love-of-cooking-and-healthy-eating-through-blog#more-11540">http://www.newcastle-news.com/2014/03/05/teen-shares-love-of-cooking-and-healthy-eating-through-blog#more-11540</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, I have two recipes for you that go together very well: Healthy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Garden Tomato Soup! Talk about a classic combination. Grilled cheese sandwiches are an American classic that gets a bad rap for its lack of nutritional content. I wanted to make a delicious sandwich that expanded on the classic flavors without taking anything away. Most sandwiches use two slices in order to get that gooey, cheesiness that everyone loves. I took away one of those slices and added slices of avocado so that you still get the gooey cheese, but with a much lower saturated fat content. The avocado makes up for the creaminess we lost, and it just tastes good. I had a grilled cheese sandwich at the Farmers' Market once with avocado on it, and it was incredible, so trust me on this one if you think this sounds weird! The tomato soup was a lot easier considering that most homemade tomato soups are pretty healthy. However, if you're the type that only knows how to heat up a can of Campbell's tomato soup, this will be a big change that I hope you love. My tomato soup doesn't taste like Campbell's because I used so many vegetables, but my family still loved it. Each recipe yields a different serving size, so you can cut one in half or double the other in order to suit your needs. You could also make the four full sandwiches and cut them into eight halves for eight people. Enjoy!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQT6j77ykrU65F669QCDemWcTQbOLAfJ3QT1CktUhHk1JPd_X4QQI3QvHGmI43_1m04Rf3WdKRgrXZTGNnAi2a182NH63gZKMSIIOdLhwLZvn_UigaC7HNCezOOAr9Syd8A7xCTTpOht8/s1600/Grilled+cheese.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQT6j77ykrU65F669QCDemWcTQbOLAfJ3QT1CktUhHk1JPd_X4QQI3QvHGmI43_1m04Rf3WdKRgrXZTGNnAi2a182NH63gZKMSIIOdLhwLZvn_UigaC7HNCezOOAr9Syd8A7xCTTpOht8/s1600/Grilled+cheese.jpeg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Healthy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Makes 4 full sandwiches</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8 slices all-natural, whole-grain bread (I recommend Dave's Killer Bread) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 slices rBST-free cheese of choice (cheddar, white cheddar, pepper jack, etc.) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 large avocado, cut into thin slices</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 medium-sized beefsteak tomatoes on-the-vine</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12 large basil leaves, washed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Extra-virgin olive oil cooking spray</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preparation</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Remove the stem from the tomatoes and cut out the place where it attached to the tomato. Think of that area of the tomato as the top, and the side touching the cutting board as the bottom. Using a serrated knife, cut the tomato in half from the top to the bottom. Turn each half on its flat side and slice thinly. Repeat with the other tomato.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Assemble a sandwich by putting a few tomato slices, a few avocado slices, and three basil leaves on the bottom slice of bread. Put the slice of cheese on the top slice of bread and place on the sandwich so the cheese touches the rest of the ingredients. Repeat this process with the other sandwiches.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Plug in your panini maker or George Forman grill. Once it is hot, spray a little bit of olive oil on both sides of the panini maker/George Forman grill. Place one sandwich on the grill and put the top down. Place a paper towel underneath the base of the grill to catch any drips. Grill for about three minutes, and check frequently to make sure it is grilled to your liking. Preferably, your sandwich should have golden-brown grill marks and the cheese should be melted. Remove from the grill using a spatula and transfer to a plate. Cut on a diagonal to make two triangles. Repeat this process with the remaining sandwiches. Serve with Garden Tomato Soup. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDsiHNBVlx5YB38SjqeyKfdHIEqbIqej_7xcTAd7PxUPU3Nt_VrcR24qHBkew8jiujXEpXyzz8uVtZs2lNmAcSQIyi8J4EGBC1ZjNk1L1eZ47MBZVrdzBj-HbJgo4qS5GY8XoGin6lC7g/s1600/Tomato+soup.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDsiHNBVlx5YB38SjqeyKfdHIEqbIqej_7xcTAd7PxUPU3Nt_VrcR24qHBkew8jiujXEpXyzz8uVtZs2lNmAcSQIyi8J4EGBC1ZjNk1L1eZ47MBZVrdzBj-HbJgo4qS5GY8XoGin6lC7g/s1600/Tomato+soup.jpeg" height="200" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Garden Tomato Soup</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serves 8 </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 of a medium-sized yellow onion, diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tsp fresh thyme (substitute 3/4 tsp dried if you don't have fresh on hand)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp Italian seasoning</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 small zucchini, diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 of a small red bell pepper, diced OR 1 small carrot, peeled and diced* </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 beefsteak tomatoes, diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes (preferably low sodium or unsalted)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup vegetable broth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup non-dairy milk (soy, almond, etc.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup basil leaves</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A handful of fresh parsley</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper, to taste</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*I highly recommend that you use carrots for a more classic tomato soup taste. I used bell peppers due to my carrot allergy, and the pepper taste was definitely prominent. I liked the way it tasted for sure, but using carrots will bring out the flavors of the tomatoes more. Choose whichever veggie you like best!</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preparation</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, thyme and Italian seasoning. Stir to coat with the oil and let sit for about three to five minutes, until the onions are somewhat translucent and are just beginning to caramelize. Add the fresh tomatoes, bell pepper/carrot, zucchini, salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high, mix well and saute for about five to seven minutes. Add the canned tomatoes and cook for another two minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Add the vegetable broth and almond milk. Stir well. Cover and let boil for about ten minutes. Remove from heat. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Using a ladle, transfer the contents of the pot to a Vita-Mix, blender or food processor. Add the fresh basil and parsley. Put the lid on the blender, but be sure to take the plastic plug out of the lid. This way, the steam can escape. Start off at a low speed and gradually increase the speed to medium-high. Keep a hand lightly resting over the hole in the lid to keep the soup from flying out of the blender and splattering all over your kitchen! Blend for about a minute until you reach the desired consistency. Some like it chunkier, and others like it very smooth and creamy. Once you're happy with the consistency of the soup, stop blending and ladle it into eight individual bowls. Serve with Healthy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There you go! I hope you enjoy these healthy twists on two classic American dishes. I normally hate tomato soup, but I absolutely love this one, so you know it's got to be good! The sandwiches are also amazing. My dad came home from a business trip the other night and had a hot Healthy Grilled Cheese Sandwich waiting for him, and he told me it was an outstanding sandwich. I don't normally get praise <i>that </i>high from my dad, so this is pretty legit! Please try these recipes out and share your recreations with me using #teenscancooktoo on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! Don't forget to follow Teens Can Cook, Too at all the social media sites below:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Facebook: <span style="color: #274e13;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YouTube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ</span></a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay healthy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Madeline </span></div>
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Madeline Daltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684073012810761433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406872119672405090.post-30764018926224292612014-03-03T19:22:00.002-08:002014-03-03T19:22:32.772-08:00Healthier Baked Potatoes<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey, everyone! Sorry this post was late - I had a super busy weekend and couldn't create my recipe until really late last night, but at least you guys still get a recipe this week. This month's theme is healthy twists on classic dishes, which was the most popular choice on the vote on Instagram. I think making healthy versions of classics is really important because it gets us to compare and contrast nutritional benefits. Plus, whenever you have a craving for an unhealthy comfort food, you can make the healthy version instead to satisfy your craving without sacrificing nutrition. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today's recipe is Healthier Baked Potatoes! I'll admit that I <i>love </i>a classic baked potato. Butter, cheese, and green onions are just so good inside a gigantic potato. Whenever we have traditional baked potatoes at my house (which happens a little too often...), I load mine up with a ton of cheese and butter. Seriously, it's bad. I have wanted to find a way to make a delicious, cheesy potato that is also nutritious, but I couldn't figure it out for the longest time. Some of my ideas included making a cashew cream sauce to replace the cheese, but honestly, that sounds disgusting. I went on Pinterest the other day and discovered baked potatoes filled with roasted veggies. That gave me a starting point to create a recipe off of, but of course, I didn't know what to do with the cheese. I just decided that a little cheese in moderation won't kill me, and I think it's absolutely necessary for a good baked potato. I also added a small amount of butter for some creaminess. If you're the type who likes sour cream in their potato (that's not me, but a lot of people love it), just use the same amount of sour cream instead of the butter. Enjoy this take off of a classic baked potato that you and your whole family will enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Healthier Baked Potatoes</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serves 4</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 medium-large russet potatoes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ of a small leek</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ cup small broccoli florets</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ cup small cauliflower florets</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to coat potatoes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ tsp dried oregano</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ tsp dried parsley</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tbsp rBST-free butter or sour cream</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup rBST-free medium cheddar cheese, freshly shredded</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 green onions, finely chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper, to taste</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Thoroughly wash the potatoes with produce wash and a scrub brush so the skins are free of any dirt. Remove any eyes (if necessary). Pierce the potatoes with a fork a couple times on each side. Rub the potatoes with a small amount of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place potatoes directly onto the top oven rack and roast for 45 minutes to an hour, turning halfway through the cooking process. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. While the potatoes are roasting, slice the leek <i>very thinly </i>and transfer the slices to a bowl. Fill the bowl with water and produce wash. Loosen up the leeks letting all the dirt in between the layers sink to the bottom of the bowl. Using your hands, remove the leeks from the bowl and set them into a colander. If you miss any slices, use a slotted spoon to remove them. Dump the dirty water down the drain and then rinse the leeks in the colander.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil on medium-high heat in a medium-sized skillet. Add the leeks, garlic, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper. Let cook for about three minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining olive oil, and then add the broccoli and cauliflower florets. Stir until just combined, and then immediately cover the skillet with a large lid. Let the veggies steam until the broccoli is a vibrant, dark green. If you aren't sure if it's done, taste-test it. The veggies should be tender, but not mushy. Remove from heat and transfer the cooked veggies to a large bowl.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Once the potatoes are slightly cool, cut a large plus sign (or X - however you want to think of it!) in the middle of the potato. Push up on the side of the potato to open it up (you may want to wear oven mitts for this part). Using a spoon, scoop out the insides of the potatoes and put them in the large bowl with the veggies. Get as much out as you can, but leave just enough stuck to the potato skins so that it stays intact. Add the butter/sour cream, cheese, green onions, and more salt and pepper. Stir until thoroughly combined and until the cheese has melted. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Fill each empty potato skin with a generous amount of filling. It should be practically overflowing! Pack the filling in tightly to use as much filling as possible per potato. Serve with your favorite main dish and salad. Enjoy! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's it! I hope you enjoy this recipe! It's a bit more time-consuming than my other recipes, but it's totally worth it. I think these would be perfect for a family night, a snow day, or when you've got company over. Please share your recreations of this recipe with me using #teenscancooktoo on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. I love it when you guys get involved! Make sure you keep up with Teens Can Cook, Too on all the social media handles below: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YouTube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ</span></a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay healthy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Madeline</span></div>
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<br />Madeline Daltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684073012810761433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406872119672405090.post-43239584685952104272014-02-23T18:09:00.002-08:002014-02-23T18:09:18.896-08:00Penne with Lemony Greens<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey, everyone! Today is the last post about getting your greens, so I want to make sure I give you a really good recipe and some really good tips about keeping greens in your diet. Today's recipe serves one to two, so it's perfect when you're home alone and you can only use what you have to make dinner. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keeping greens in your diet can be a big challenge. My parents struggle with it a lot for sure. It's not the fact that we dislike greens (we LOVE them!), but it's that we just don't know exactly how to use them. Green smoothies are always a great option, but what else can you do? Cooking with vegetables generally takes at least a little bit of effort, so using your greens can be daunting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what do you do? First of all, you need to actually have a variety of green veggies in your fridge. Kale, spinach and lettuce are the most common, and should probably always be in your fridge. Lettuce is great for salads, sandwiches, wraps, cold dishes, lettuce wraps, and more. Kale and spinach work for all of the previously listed items, plus I like them in a stir-fry, soup, pasta dish, pesto sauce, green smoothies, and more. Then, think about how you're going to use the veggies you have. Pick a different method every time; it inspires you to keep using your greens, keeps things interesting, and gives you some creativity. For example, I made Penne with Lemony Greens (recipe below) a few days ago, and then made a pesto with kale and mint the next day. My kale was useful for both of those dishes, and since it had a different use for each dish, I didn't get tired of it at all! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Look at what you have and how it can make a dish. Remember that you can do any combination of spices to mimic flavors from around the world. Try to keep your fridge and pantry stocked with some basic staples, like spices, whole-wheat pasta, whole grains, tomatoes, onions, garlic, lemons, nuts, cans of beans, and more. Combine those simple ingredients with some of your greens and your special spices to create an amazing dish! Honestly, some of my best dishes have been created on use-what-you-have days. You just add as you go. It's a very free style of cooking that may take some practice, but you'll get the hang of it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Want an example? Let's say you have a can of white beans, some kale, canned tomatoes, onions, garlic, spices, and other sorts of simple staples in your house. You have NO IDEA what to do with it. My suggestion would be to turn it into a soup! Saute the onions and garlic in a little olive oil. Add the tomatoes, the spices and the beans, then pour in some vegetable/chicken broth. Simmer it for awhile and then add the kale until it wilts. If you so desire, you could add pasta or rice to this too. It's super easy, and the only ingredient that isn't in your food supply every day was the kale. You could also turn this into a pasta sauce (take out the broth). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Onto the recipe. I came up with this recipe a few nights ago when I was told to fend for myself for dinner. My dad was eating leftovers that were about to go bad, and since they only served one, I had to get creative. We have a ton of green veggies sitting and rotting in our fridge (like kale, chard, broccolini, broccoli, spring mix and heads of lettuce), so I knew I had to make use of what I could salvage. The night before, my dad brought home some mint for me so I could make a Mediterranean dish. How was I going to use the mint and all my green veggies? I solved my problem with this recipe. This was made with things I just happened to have at home, but you may not happen to have them at your house, and that's okay. Every fridge is different. Remember that you can always substitute the ingredients. Use whatever leafy green veggie you like, and supplement any other veggie for the broccolini if you don't have any. Broccoli works too, as do green beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, carrots, or whatever else you like. You can use basil or parsley instead of mint, or omit the herbs completely. It's all up to you! That's the great thing about cooking. It's an expression of who you are and what you like. The recipe is just a framework for you to cook around, so be creative! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Penne with Lemony Greens </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serves 1 - 2 (I ate all of it, but it's a BIG serving!) </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 oz whole-wheat penne pasta </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 - 4 large leaves of kale </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup broccolini/broccoli florets</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 of a small yellow onion, thinly sliced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The juice of 1 extra-small lemon </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 tbsp crumbled feta cheese</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp chopped fresh mint </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper, to taste</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Optional) A couple tablespoons of pine nuts (for garnish) </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preparation</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Fill a large pot with salted water and bring it to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package (until al dente). Drain in a colander and briefly rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Add it back to the pot. Cover the pot and set it aside on the stove.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. While the water is boiling, wash the leaves of kale. Using a large knife, remove the thick areas of the stem. Chop the kale as finely or coarsely as you like. I prefer mine on the smaller side. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic. Stir well and let sit until they start to brown slightly. DO NOT TOUCH THEM: this is very important in making them semi-caramelized! Add the garbanzo beans, kale, broccolini/broccoli, salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and let steam for about three to five minutes, until the kale and broccolini/broccoli are a vibrant, dark green. Taste-test a veggie if you're unsure. Quickly add the lemon juice and stir well. Remove from heat. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Combine the sauteed veggies with the cooked pasta in the pot. Add the feta and mint and mix well. To serve, if desired, sprinkle with pine nuts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There you go! I hope you enjoy this recipe, and that you can make a variation of it when you're home alone with nothing to eat. You could also double/triple it and serve it to your family on a weeknight. It may seem like it takes awhile, but if you prep and saute the veggies while the pasta is cooking, you can get it done in 20 - 30 minutes. It only took me about 25 minutes to create this off the top of my head. If you try this out, please share it with me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using #teenscancooktoo. Make sure you're keeping track of Teens Can Cook, Too by following us on all the social media sites below: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YouTube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ</span></a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, on the Instagram page, I will be asking followers to vote for the theme next month. Please log in and vote for the theme. I want to make sure you guys are seeing what you want to see so I can help you on your journey to being healthier!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay healthy!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Madeline </span></div>
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<br />Madeline Daltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684073012810761433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406872119672405090.post-84881900165888748762014-02-17T16:02:00.002-08:002014-02-23T18:06:45.357-08:00Personalized Caesar Salad<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey everyone! Sorry this post is late - I was sick for the majority of the weekend, so I didn't have time to cook until last night and write this post until today. Nevertheless, I'm back with another way to make getting greens easier.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the most common ways to get greens is through salads, and one of the most popular salads is a Caesar salad. Caesar salads are not the best health-wise - the calories in the dressing are pretty high, and it's traditionally served with a light-green romaine lettuce. Don't get me wrong, romaine is healthy, but the kind you usually see in a Caesar salad is a light green, which has far fewer phytonutrients than a darker lettuce. I have redesigned the dressing to be much more nutritious and added much healthier veggies into the mix to give this classic a healthy boost. The more veggies you add, the more types of vitamins you'll get, which is why I recommend you turn this into a big family salad. Choose from any veggies you want and add them with some nutritious greens. The best part is that you can make this salad multiple nights in a row with a different combination of veggies while using up all of the dressing, so it's a different experience every night. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Personalized Caesar Salad</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serves 8 - 10 </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 cups leafy greens of your choice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Suggestions:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kale</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chard</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spinach</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spring mix</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Arugula</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Red leaf lettuce</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Watercress</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 cups diced veggies of your choice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Suggestions: </span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cucumbers</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cherry tomatoes (leave them whole or halve them)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Roma tomatoes</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Avocado</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bell peppers (any color) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Onions</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Carrots</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Radishes</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Celery</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Broccoli</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cauliflower</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For dressing:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 lb (1 average package) of silken tofu</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The juice of 1 large lemon</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 large garlic clove, peeled</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tsp high-quality Worcestershire sauce </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tbsp Dijon mustard </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp nutritional yeast (optional)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*You may use more than one leafy green veggie! Combine kale and chard for a super green salad, or lettuce and spring mix for something a little more classic. I used spring mix, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes in my salad, but I threw mine together in about five minutes, so I didn't have the time to add a bunch of other veggies. Do whatever you want and have the time for. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preparation</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a food processor, blender or Vita-Mix. Blend on a high speed for about one minute, or until the contents reach a smooth and thin consistency. If you want your dressing thinner, add a little bit of water. Adjust the seasonings and set aside. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Combine all of the greens and veggies you chose in a large serving bowl. Mix well. Pour the dressing over the top and serve immediately. If you so choose, you could add a wedge of lemon to each serving for each person to squeeze over their salad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you enjoy this recipe! I served it to a bunch of my friends the other day, and they approved, so you will too. They said it tasted exactly like caesar dressing, and they couldn't believe that I made it out of tofu! It's a much better choice than store-bought dressing. I HATE store-bought dressing. Hate it, hate it, HATE IT. I'll make my own dressing any day, and I'm so glad I have another homemade dressing recipe in my arsenal so I can avoid store-bought dressings. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please make sure you're keeping up with Teens Can Cook, Too on all of the social media sites below:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832</span></a></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YouTube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ</span></a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay healthy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Madeline </span></div>
Madeline Daltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684073012810761433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406872119672405090.post-29794295680906660422014-02-09T22:39:00.000-08:002014-02-09T22:39:05.210-08:00Edamame Super-green Salad<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey, everyone! This is Madeline again. Today I have an amazing recipe for you that is both super healthy and super delicious! As you've probably read already, the theme for this month's blog posts is getting your greens.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why is eating greens important? You all hear your parents tell you to eat your vegetables because they're healthy, but did you ever wonder why? The reason why we need veggies is because they're packed with phytonutrients. Those phytonutrients are the vitamins and minerals we need to function properly. Most of us are deprived of those vitamins and minerals, unfortunately, because we don't get enough vegetables. The darker the shade of any color of produce, the more phytonutrients it contains, so shop for the darkest veggies you can find in the stores. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There has been a system created to rank the nutritional value of many different foods. This system is called the ANDI scores, and it ranks foods on a scale of 0 - 1000 (1000 being the healthiest). Leafy greens have the highest scores by far, but you need to remember to eat all the colors you can get. Also, even if a nut or seed has a much lower score than kale, that doesn't mean it's unhealthy! You need a balance of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, good fats, protein, and grains every day. Take a look at this link to see what the ANDI scores of your favorite foods are: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/healthy-eating/andi-guide </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Onto the recipe! This has to be one of my favorite recipes that I've made in awhile. It only takes about half an hour to prepare, and it's super versatile. You can have it as a side dish, a main dish (recommended), take it in your lunchbox for school, serve it at a large dinner with friends, or bring it on a picnic. I use a wide variety of my favorite greens, from kale to cucumber, but you can always substitute the veggies with lower ANDI scores for veggies of a different color. Do whatever you like; food should be fun, so personalize it!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTpEgr2cOid0Fi-tL-mXM2eGMF4Y8D5_3Zm6cFcHb_-kVFDyW4S6orMqw8w7EkP2sV5QNj_lzFm-xIDvbKEB9sPJXkSxKcD28M09o8xEmAAQVxwCXlRxTU9Mmbv7w1kBBtZBCfXzM_P4/s1600/Edamame+Supergreen+Salad.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTpEgr2cOid0Fi-tL-mXM2eGMF4Y8D5_3Zm6cFcHb_-kVFDyW4S6orMqw8w7EkP2sV5QNj_lzFm-xIDvbKEB9sPJXkSxKcD28M09o8xEmAAQVxwCXlRxTU9Mmbv7w1kBBtZBCfXzM_P4/s1600/Edamame+Supergreen+Salad.jpeg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Edamame Super-green Salad</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serves 7 - 8</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 (12 oz) package frozen edamame (shelled) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 - 4 large leaves rainbow chard, chopped into bite-sized pieces</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 - 4 large leaves kale, chopped into bite-sized pieces</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 green bell pepper, diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 avocado, diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 green onions, finely chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 medium-sized English cucumber, peeled and diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup sesame oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tbsp Braggs liquid aminos* (optional)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pepper, to taste</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*If you don't have liquid aminos, then you can substitute with more soy sauce or fish sauce. Just be mindful of the sodium content! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the quinoa and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 15 - 17 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Combine the rainbow chard, kale, bell pepper, avocado, green onions and cucumber in a large serving bowl. Add the cooked quinoa and mix well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Rinse the saucepan used for the quinoa thoroughly. Fill it with a large quantity of salted water and bring the water to a boil. Add the frozen edamame and cook according to the directions on the package (mine said to wait for reboil and then cook for five minutes). Remove from heat and drain in a colander. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Add the edamame, sesame oil, soy sauce, liquid aminos, and pepper to the serving bowl and mix thoroughly. Adjust the seasonings if needed and serve. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you enjoyed this recipe! Please share this with all your friends and follow Teens Can Cook, Too at all the social media profiles listed below: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YouTube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ</span></a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One more thing: I have an Instagram contest going on! If you have an Instagram page related to food, nutrition, health, fitness, vegan or vegetarian lifestyles, or something along those lines, you are eligible to enter my contest! Find a recipe on here that is made with a green vegetable, recreate it, and share your recreation using #teenscancooktoo (tag me as well). Those who enter will be recognized on my account AND I will promote your page on this blog! I'd love to get you all more involved, so I thought this would be a fun way to do it. You have until the end of the month.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks, and stay healthy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Madeline</span>Madeline Daltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684073012810761433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406872119672405090.post-59733824890545609432014-02-02T12:18:00.002-08:002014-02-02T17:46:02.962-08:00Green Smoothie<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey everyone! This is Isaac, one of the team members. This month, the theme on the blog is getting your greens. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the most important aspects of any person’s diet is
vitamins, minerals, and fiber, all three of which come from daily consumption
of greens. I'll admit, I'm not always in the mood for a salad or stir-fried veggies. Sometimes I just want something that's less work, or simply something different. There are entire books written on sneaking vegetables into foods that don't taste like those vegetables. Most however require lots of prep work, and aren't always practical for a quick meal. That's where this recipe, which seamlessly integrates servings of vegetables into a delicious and timeless smoothie, comes into play:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Banana</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Cup Blueberries</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2-1 Cup Milk or yogurt (purposefully vague, I used coconut milk for an allergy, but it can be anything in this category)*</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 Avocado</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Half of 1 Small Lemon squeezed 3/4 of the way or to taste</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 Cups Kale (Compressed for measurement)**</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*Use less milk if the fruit is frozen for thickness (Ex: 0 frozen fruits: 1/2 cup milk, 1 Frozen fruit: 3/4 cup milk, 2 frozen: 1 cup milk)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**This was pretty much 3 hand-fulls torn off a large bunch of kale</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An easy mistake to make with green smoothies is making them too heavy with all of the greens, which also cuts some of the tartness that makes smoothies so good, and is why people avoid greens in smoothies. That's the reason for the lemon; it brings out the flavor of the blueberries which gets lost with the kale.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The reason for avocado is that it gives the smoothie a nice creaminess, and filling quality with some natural fats and protein, without adding a lot of water.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The reason behind kale is that its the highest nutritional value of any green, it is absolutely packed with vitamins, minerals, and great natural fibers. For experimenting, kale is also the strongest in flavor of all of the greens, which comes from all of those minerals/vitamins. Make sure there are big flavors in the smoothie that you put it in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you enjoy this recipe! Make sure you keep up with Teens Can Cook, Too on all the social media sites below:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YouTube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ</span></a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay healthy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Isaac </span></div>
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Madeline Daltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684073012810761433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406872119672405090.post-54082973319074031652014-01-26T17:27:00.002-08:002014-01-26T17:27:39.017-08:00Chocolate Cherry Brownies<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey everyone! This is the last school-lunch-related post of the month, and we're going to "celebrate" with a dessert recipe! I found a recipe for Sweet Potato Brownies on Instagram and drastically changed it to make these Chocolate Cherry Brownies. The recipe is entirely different now; it's sweeter, smoother, and has a fun flavor complex, and I love it! They're super sweet, and the sweetness comes from just bananas, agave nectar, and chocolate chips. The banana and the coconut oil give it the added moisture to give it a traditional, brownie-like consistency. I think they're delicious and I hope you do too! These are perfect to take in your lunch, and they're fairly easy to make. Throwing the batter together should only take around 20 minutes or less, and you can finish your homework while the brownies are in the oven. Note: these brownies are best the day after you make them. Try your best to wait until the next day to eat them, because the texture isn't quite right until they've taken awhile to set and cool completely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Chocolate Cherry Brownies</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Makes 16 brownies</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 large, ripe bananas (about 1 cup mashed)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 eggs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup melted coconut oil, plus extra for greasing the baking dish</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup coconut flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup fair-trade cocoa powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup agave nectar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp vanilla extract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp baking soda</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 oz (about half of a package) of semi-sweet chocolate chips</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2/3 cup dried cherries, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp finely shredded coconut, for garnish (optional)</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preparation</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Peel the bananas and mash them in a small bowl with a potato masher or a fork. Try to make sure you work out any chunks and lumps that you can. If needed, use an electric beater to beat the bananas on a low speed in order to work out the lumps.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Combine the eggs, coconut oil, coconut flour, cocoa powder, agave nectar, vanilla extract, and baking soda in a medium-large bowl. Beat on a low speed using your electric beater until completely mixed. Add the bananas and beat on a higher speed until fully incorporated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Fold in the chocolate chips and dried cherries. Grease an 8x8 baking dish with coconut oil and pour the batter into the dish. Bake for 25 - 35 minutes, or until you can insert a toothpick into the batter and it will come out clean. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Once it has cooled for at least 30 minutes, cut into 16 squares. Let it cool <i>completely </i>and serve the next day. Garnish with shredded coconut if you desire. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you enjoy this recipe! I know I do. ;) I ate three squares in a row after I got home from my shows yesterday. I basically was in Little Mermaid mode for 12 hours yesterday, so I think I deserved the treat! Please follow Teens Can Cook, Too on all the sites below:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a> (@teenscancooktoo)<br />Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YouTube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ</span></a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay healthy!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Madeline</span>Madeline Daltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684073012810761433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406872119672405090.post-42941827601224253862014-01-19T17:29:00.002-08:002014-01-19T17:29:40.497-08:00Black Bean and Corn Salad<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey, everybody! I said I wouldn't be here this week, but I have the day off of school tomorrow, so I figured I would have enough time to write a post this week. Today's recipe is a little old, but it's a good one. I don't have a picture of it, though.... Sorry about that. The recipe is Black Bean and Corn Salad. It's a perfect side dish and it has lots of protein and omega 3s, so it's perfect for a main dish as well. This month's theme is school lunches, and I think this recipe would be perfect to put in your lunch. Since you eat it cold and it takes about 10 minutes to prepare, you can make it easily the night before school and you don't have to do anything to it in the morning!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Black Bean and Corn Salad </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serves 3 as a main dish and 5 - 6 as a side dish</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 (15 oz) can of black beans, rinsed and drained</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 ear of organic corn (if it isn't organic, it is most likely genetically modified!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup cilantro, finely chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tomatoes, diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 avocados, diched</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ tsp cayenne pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The juice of 1 lime</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper, to taste</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preparation</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Shuck the corn and remove all the silk. Carefully cut off the stem so the bottom end of the corn is flat. Holding the corn upright, slice the corn off of the cob. The flat end will make the corn more stable as you slice. You may need help from a parent or an older sibling if you've never done this before. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Combine the corn with the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl or Tupperware container. Adjust the seasonings if needed. Serve with a side salad and other nutritious snacks. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There you go! How easy is that? Corn isn't exactly in season right now, but I'm sure you can find it somewhere. If you're looking for a recipe that is more Mediterranean-inspired, check out the recipe to Chickpea Salad Sandwiches that I posted in June: http://foodforteensbyteens.blogspot.com/2013/06/chickpea-salad-sandwiches.html They are equally easy to make and are really delicious! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't forget to check out the newest video about school lunch ideas! Please subscribe to my YouTube channel - it's pretty new, so I don't have many subscribers yet, and I would really appreciate your support. The video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDmubkNm7js And don't forget to make sure you're following me on all the websites below:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: </span><a href="https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (@teenscancooktoo)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instagram: </span></span><a href="http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (@teenscancooktoo)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Facebook: </span></span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YouTube: </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay healthy! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Madeline </span><br />
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<br />Madeline Daltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684073012810761433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406872119672405090.post-82189166232109224392014-01-12T19:38:00.001-08:002014-01-12T19:56:48.893-08:00School Lunches: Main Dish Ideas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey, everybody! Today, I have two main dish recipes that you can easily put in your school lunch. Hopefully last week's post and all of my Instagram updates have given you a good idea of what I typically eat at school, and I hope this post helps even more. There's also a video about school lunches that I posted. Click here to watch it: </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDmubkNm7js"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDmubkNm7js</span></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left: Make-Your-Own Yummy Bowl<br />
Right: Guacamole Chicken Salad</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Guacamole Chicken Salad</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serves 6 - 8 </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 split (2 whole) boneless, skinless chicken breasts</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper, to taste</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 avocados</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ of a large red onion, diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 roma tomatoes, diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 orange bell pepper, diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The juice of 1½ limes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">1 cup cilantro, finely chopped</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ tsp ground cumin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few dashes of hot sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3-4 cups pre-washed baby spinach</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preparation</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and the olive oil. Grill the chicken breasts, bake them, or prepare them in whichever manner you like best. I prefer grilling. Once they are fully cooked, let them cool and cut into bite-sized pieces.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Scoop the flesh out of the avocados and mash them using a potato masher. Add the lime juice, cumin, hot sauce, and more salt and pepper. Mash once more to achieve a creamy consistency. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Combine the rest of the ingredients (except the spinach) and mix well. Adjust the seasonings. Put a bed of spinach (</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ cup per person) at the bottom of your Tupperware container and spoon in the chicken salad. Enjoy! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Make-Your-Own Yummy Bowl</u></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serves 4 </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 cups (cooked) of your favorite whole grain (i.e. brown rice, amaranth, quinoa, bulgur, etc.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8 cups of your favorite assorted, chopped veggies (i.e. tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, cauliflower, avocado, cucumber, carrots, etc.) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 (15 oz) can your favorite bean (i.e. black beans, navy beans, white beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, etc.) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ cup your favorite (preferably homemade) sauce/salad dressing (i.e. salsa, balsamic vinaigrette, pesto sauce, marinara sauce, oil and vinegar, etc.) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Optional) </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ cup of your favorite cheese</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups pre-washed greens of choice (i.e. spinach, arugula, lettuce, etc.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Stir your sauce of choice into your grain of choice and fluff with a fork. Season your beans, if you so desire, with your favorite seasonings. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Combine the beans, dressed whole grains, and veggies together in a large bowl. Serve each serving on a bed of greens. Enjoy! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you enjoy these recipes and enjoyed the video! They're super simple. Please remember to share your recreations with me using #teenscancooktoo, and don't forget to follow me on all the social media handles below:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: </span><a href="https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (@teenscancooktoo)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instagram: </span></span><a href="http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (@teenscancooktoo)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Facebook: </span></span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YouTube: </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm going to be busy performing in <i>The Little Mermaid, Jr. </i>as Ursula for the next few weeks, so some of the team members will be posting instead of me. They are going to have some awesome recipes, so keep an eye out for those.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay healthy!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Madeline </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Madeline Daltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684073012810761433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406872119672405090.post-29394211964687179312014-01-05T17:12:00.003-08:002014-01-05T17:12:35.149-08:00Homemade Hummus + 2014 Changes<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey, everybody! Happy 2014! I hope you all had a great holiday season. Today is a super exciting day for Teens Can Cook, Too, because there's a new recipe, a new video, and a new format to the blog.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The new format isn't too different. From now on, every month is going to have a theme, and all the posts will be centered around that theme. This month's theme is <strong>school lunches</strong>. We're all heading back to school tomorrow, and I think we should all start off the new year with some healthy eating tools that we can use at school. I'm used to bringing my lunch to school because my elementary and middle school didn't have a cafeteria. My high school does, and it's a really great cafeteria with freshly made meals, but I still prefer to bring my lunch. Bringing a lunch is so routine for me, but for most others, it isn't. From what I've heard from my friends who attend public schools, public school lunches are awful. Most are just reheated in the kitchen, and they have no nutritional value. If you go to a school like this, hopefully I can help you learn how to make a nutritious lunch so you don't have to put up with those nasty meals!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A really important part of school lunches is your snack. You need to have enough nutrients in your body between classes to get you through the day, and a protein bar isn't going to cut it. Try steering away from granola bars, even if they're the high-quality kind. I'll admit that I'm guilty of eating granola bars at school, but I'm trying my best to cut back because they're so high in sugar. If you find yourself in desperate need of more food, go for the granola/protein bars that are lowest in sugar content. Do a little research and find the best ones for you! My preferred snacks are cut up fruits and veggies. These are so easy to add to your lunch. Cut up an assortment of your favorites the night before school and store them in the fridge. In the morning, pull them out and put them in your lunchbox! Veggies won't brown or get slimy overnight. For fruits, take whole fruits like apples, pears, peaches, and oranges. If you have braces and can't eat whole fruits, slice them up the morning before school. Bring an assortment of colors to get lots of different types of nutrients. You can also pack some homemade dips to spice things up. My favorite is hummus, and there's a recipe below!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Click here for the Homemade Hummus video tutorial: </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxVgABcaSu8&feature=youtu.be"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxVgABcaSu8&feature=youtu.be</span></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHYEZYdwX5tYMfCcf96LgQHrcXxEyHYS1EmF38rKg6iK2O4FDyKxJ9azDa3ySotPUwtGBdOQkwxqT8fIczTi_l8Q1gxiIli_GDYkfYWRs6V5a5Bw0iCDNlPDWrzEUGRFh5i7w9u_hVz8/s1600/Hummus+ingredients.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHYEZYdwX5tYMfCcf96LgQHrcXxEyHYS1EmF38rKg6iK2O4FDyKxJ9azDa3ySotPUwtGBdOQkwxqT8fIczTi_l8Q1gxiIli_GDYkfYWRs6V5a5Bw0iCDNlPDWrzEUGRFh5i7w9u_hVz8/s1600/Hummus+ingredients.jpg" height="205" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All you need are these simple ingredients!</td></tr>
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<strong><u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Homemade Hummus</span></u></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Makes about 4 cups</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 (15 oz) cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The juice of 1 lemon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 large garlic cloves, peeled</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp sesame oil </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ tsp cumin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for blending</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About 2 tsp water, for blending (if needed)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper, to taste</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your favorite veggies, for dipping (suggestions: sliced bell peppers, sliced cucumbers, jicama sticks, celery sticks, baby carrots, snap peas, cauliflower florets, cherry tomatoes, etc.) </span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preparation</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Combine the garbanzo beans, lemon juice, garlic, sesame oil, cumin, salt and pepper in the food processor. Take the plastic plug out of the lid and put the lid on the food processor. Pulse the ingredients. While pulsing, gradually add the olive oil in through the open space in the lid. The more oil you add, the smoother it will be. Add the water if you want it smoother. Turn off the food processor, scrape down the sides with a spatula, and blend again until a smooth and thick consistency is reached. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Spoon the hummus into individual serving-sized Tupperware containers. Pack in your lunchbox with your favorite veggies, garnish the hummus with a bit of parsley, and enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you enjoy this recipe! It's so simple, and such a great treat to have at school. Make it the night before school and put it in your lunch in the morning! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This whole week, I'll be posting pictures of my school lunches on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. I'm hoping that this will give you more insight into what I eat everyday at school and how to stay healthy! I'm still working on school lunches myself, so this will keep me in good shape too. Make sure you're following me on all the sites below so you can keep track of my meals this week: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: </span><a href="https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (@teenscancooktoo)</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instagram: </span></span><a href="http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (@teenscancooktoo)</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Facebook: </span></span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832</span></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YouTube: </span></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay healthy!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Madeline </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />Madeline Daltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12684073012810761433noreply@blogger.com0