Tips and Tricks for Quick Meals on Weeknights

Hey, everybody! I thought I'd post some helpful tips on how to cook something simple with the ingredients around your house. When you don't have the time to go to the store and pick up ingredients, it's nice to know how to throw together a good meal in a matter of minutes.

My first simple and easy suggestion helps you if you have lots of tomatoes, onions and canned beans. The 3 steps are as follows.

1. Bring ? cup(s) of water to a boil (I left a blank so you could insert the amount needed to feed you family. Remember that the ratio of rice to water is 1:2.) Add ? cup(s) of white rice. Reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. When rice is almost done cooking, heat a little bit I olive oil in a skillet (the size of the skillet depends on how many people you are feeding). Add the amoun of diced onions you need and sauté until slightly transparent. Add the right amount of tomatoes and canned beans (preferably
garbanzo or cannellini, but any kind will work) and sauté until tomatoes are soft.

3. Add cooked rice in the tomato, onion and bean mixture. Season with salt and pepper and stir thoroughly. Add Parmesan cheese (you should add a little at a time to make sure you achieve the right amount of cheese for your taste). Serve with fresh, chopped herbs (if you have any).

I made this recipe very general to give you freedom and make you think. The more recipes like this you see, the better you'll get at thinking on your feet in the kitchen.

Stay healthy!

Chipotle

Hey, everybody! I'm so sorry I haven't posted in a long time - you'd think that because I'm not in school, I have time, but I haven't been using it to post. I was browsing on YouTube and a video caught my eye. It was posted by Chipotle. Chipotle is a fast Mexican restaurant, but it does fast-food in a sustainable way. By this, I mean that all the food at Chipotle is all-natural. Some of their produce is organic, and most is locally grown. All of the meat is, at the minimum, raised with no antibiotics or artificial growth hormones. They prefer to feed their customers animals that also are raised without confinement and are fed the diet that nature wants them to consume, but depending on the location of the restaurant, the animals at the restaurant are different (i.e. the cows in all California stores may be grass fed, but the ones in Oregon aren't grass fed because Oregon doesn't have grass-fed cows available for Chipotle's use. Remember that this example is hypothetical). Chipotle is one of my favorite fast lunch stops, and I feel good about supporting their business. Here's the link to the video they posted on YouTube - it's entitled "Back to the Start," and it depicts exactly how the food system got out of whack. It's like a 3 minute, animated version of Food, Inc. http://www.youtube.com/user/chipotle?v=aMfSGt6rHos&feature=pyv&ad=9074663106&kw=free%20music%20videos

Stay healthy!

Mental Chew

Hey, everybody! I have super exciting news - I was featured in a post on the website Mental Chew! Check out my interview and seasonal recipe right here: http://www.mental-chew.com/2011/12/sharing-sunday-teens-can-cook-too.html

Not only did Val and I have a Q&A for her website, but we had one for mine as well. Here are some of the things we talked about.

Q: What is your favorite dish you've ever cooked? Why?

A: This is tricky. I think my Chicken Tikka Masala is my favorite because we had it at a friend's house for dinner and I went home the next day and tried to rework the recipe. When we finally got it, we were so excited and now it is one of our special treat meals.

Q: hat are some tricks you've found save money when buying organics?

A: I wrote a post about meal planning and cutting costs, not quality and the main ideas were to not skimp on meat, dairy and produce. Stay away from foods in boxes and cans. Shop sales and talk to your grocer about buying in bulk.

Q: Any tips on how to keep kids and adults alike enthused by eating healthy?

A: Plant a garden and eat from it! If you can't, participate in a CSA. Plan meals produce first. Watch cooking shows, read food blogs and leaf through friends' cookbooks. Make recipes your own and make sure everyone participates in the cooking of the meal.

Q: What motivated you to start a cooking blog?

A: When I found out I was pregnant with my son in 2006, my whole view on what I was eating completely shifted. It is a tremendous responsibility to think that every item that passes through your lips effects someone else directly. In addition, just before my pregnancy, I traveled to Costa Rica and to Peru where I gained a tremendous respect for the effect our food can have on our global environment.

 
So, I began to read and watch documentaries about where our food comes from and how it is being treated.

Thus began our journey to start our own garden. My husband was sucked into my vortex of research and seed purchasing and now he even claims to enjoy it. Love.

Along the way we have become a family of four. I am no longer a middle school math and science teacher. I am a mom. I am a mom who is striving to do the best for my kids and this blog is a record of my gardening journey with them. For them.

You can read more about this on her blog: http://mental-chew.com/

Thank you so much, Val! Follow her on Twitter (@MentalChew)! Remember to subscribe to my YouTube channel, follow this blog, follow me on Twitter and email me if you want to share anything with me! Thanks so much, and I couldn't have done this without you!

Superfood Soup

Hey, everybody! I am so sorry that it's been a month since my last post. Homework and rehearsals have taken over my life, and if I weren't sick at home, you probably wouldn't be reading this! I've stayed home from school for the past two days. I have a brutal cough, sore throat and a bit of a stuffy nose, but still have energy to cook and do other things.

My family got a large box of organic, mostly local produce in the mail from Full Circle Farms. A surprise array of vegetables and fruits show up at your door. My mom and I figured that the box would provide me perfect opportunities to think on my feet and create a recipe with whatever I'm given. The box contained red chard, which is a nutrient-dense superfood. I figured that by putting a ton of vegetables into a soup, I'd create the perfect immune system booster. I've attached my recipe and a picture.

Superfood Soup
Serves 6 - 8

This soup will definitely help you recover from any kind of common virus. The nutrient-dense chard and spinach, vitamin-C-packed bell pepper, lycopine in tomatoes, and comforting ginger all contribute to the name "superfood," and superfoods they are.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

A 1-inch long piece of ginger, peeled and minced

2 tsp orange zest

The juice of ½ of a lemon

1 large tomato, diced

3 celery stalks, diced (include the leaves if possible)

1 red bell pepper, diced

6 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 bunch of red chard, coarsely chopped (discard thick stems)

4 loosely packed cups of baby spinach

A couple handfuls of pine nuts, as a garnish

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

1.      Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and pepper. Sauté until onions turn translucent. Add garlic, ginger, orange zest, lemon juice, tomatoes, celery, bell pepper, and salt. Sauté for 3 – 5 minutes, or until bell pepper and celery have softened a bit. Add broth and season once more if needed. Cover and bring to a simmer.

2.      Once simmering, add chard. Cover again and cook for 9 minutes. Then, add spinach. Cook until barely wilted. Adjust seasonings if needed.

3.      Serve each bowl topped with pine nuts.

Thanks to everyone that is supporting me! Remember to follow my blog, follow me on Twitter, subscribe to me on YouTube, and email me if you have any suggestions, questions, or things you'd like to share with me that involve cuisine. Thanks!

Halloween and Thai Rice Bowl

Hey, everybody! Happy Belated Halloween! First, you're going to see some Halloween pictures and descriptions of the costumes in my school's 8th grade class. Plus, I've posted a picture of my new puppy! Then, you'll read my brand new recipe that is a great dinner and school lunch when packed in the Thermos!




Top (from left to right): Madison (Po the Teletubby), Mallika (an ocean), Sarah (Princess Belle), Tyler (nothing), Tay (something from Minecraft),  Isaac (my science teacher, Mr. M),
Middle: Elise (Snow White), Marco (Justin Bieber), Aidan (Arsenal player), Andrew (the one and only... MATH!)
Bottom: Ms. Long (an acorn), Caitlin (the devil), Colin (I'm not sure...), Elliott (nothing), Nicholas (I don't know), Ms. Yandell (some book character)



Comet, my 8-week-old Golden Retriever puppy

Now, my recipe for Thai Rice Bowl.

Thai Rice Bowl
Serves 9

Ingredients

2 cups dry short grain white rice

2 (15 oz) packages extra-firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

1½ lb. green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

2 red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch dice

Light unsweetened canned coconut milk

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated or minced

2 small dried red chilis, crushed

1 – 2 tsp green curry paste

9 green onions, finely chopped

For satay sauce:

¾ cup creamy peanut butter

2 – 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

2 tsp green curry paste

4 tsp brown sugar

Cayenne pepper, to taste

6 tbsp hot water

The juice of 1 lime  

Preparation

1.      Bring 3¾ + 2 tbsp of water to a boil. Add rice and 2 tbsp of coconut milk. Reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, or until all water has been absorbed by the rice.

2.     Meanwhile, heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add green beans and red peppers and sauté until green beans are about halfway cooked and still crunchy. Add tofu, garlic, crushed chilis and ginger. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well and sauté for another 2 minutes.  Make a well in the middle of the skillet. Drop in the red curry paste and pour in a couple of tablespoons of coconut milk. Leave the heat where it is and let the tofu mixture sit until a lot of the coconut milk has evaporated. Add more coconut milk if needed. Remove from heat.

3.      While tofu mixture is sitting on the stove, put peanut butter, soy sauce, curry paste, brown sugar and lime juice into a bowl. Combine it thoroughly. Switch from a spoon to a whisk, and slowly whisk in the hot water. Whisk until smooth.

4.      Once rice is done, mix together tofu mixture, rice and satay sauce. Top each individual serving with green onions. Serve.

 

Thanks for reading my blog! Remember to follow me on Twitter, subscribe to me on YouTube, and follow this blog as well! Don't forget to tell your family, friends, teachers and neighbors about what I do so that we can spread around the benefits of healthy eating!

Italian Salad with Asiago Cheese Crisps

Hey, everybody! I'm so excited to share my amazing new recipe with you all. I'm currently in a Halloween show where audience members are led through a park on Mercer Island and the actors scare them. It's very fun, but also time consuming. On Friday (which was opening night), I had the day off of school. I used my time to develop and make a delicious recipe for Italian Salad. It's the perfect fuel to power you before any activity, like sports, dance or a performance. Instead of eating plain pasta, Doritos and drinking Gatorade before you exercise, try making and eating this.

Italian Salad with Asiago Cheese Crisps
Serves 3 - 4

Ingredients
2 split (1 whole) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 large romaine heart, chopped
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 of a small red onion, thinly sliced
16 mini mozzarella balls
1 cup freshly grated asiago cheese
3/4 cup julienned basil
Balsamic vinegar

Preparation
1. Preheat grill to about 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat chicken with a little bit of olive oil (this amount will vary depending on the size of the chicken pieces) and season generously with salt and pepper. Grill for about 4 - 5 minutes on each side, or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Combine lettuce, tomatoes, onions and mozzarella balls in a bowl. Set aside.

3. Heat a medium-sized pan to medium heat. Sprinkle in the asiago cheese in an even layer. Cook for about 5 - 6 minutes, until the cheese layer is super crispy. Using a flat plastic spatula (one that you would use to flip a pancake or a burger), lift the edges away from the pan. Remove from heat. Drain excess fat from cheese off into the sink. Slide the cheese onto a paper towel (you may need a little extra help from your spatula to do so). Absorb all grease and let cool.

4. Toss about a 1/4 cup of olive oil and 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar into the salad. Mix well. Top each individual serving with basil. Break off pieces of cheese crisp and garnish the salad. Serve.

I have written the script for my new "The Importance Of" video! I'm very excited to post it. I'm not sure when I'll have time to film though... I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Some people don't know how to follow my blog. Sometimes, my list of followers doesn't show up and it appears as though I don't have any followers; in truth I have nineteen. If you want to follow my blog and you don't know how, here are some instructions:

1) Make sure you are logged into your Yahoo, Google or Twitter account before visiting my blog.
2) Come to my blog.
3) On the right-hand side, there is a section that is titled "My Followers." There should be a "Join This Site" button available. Click that button and you become a follower!

If this doesn't work, please email me at tweenchef123@gmail.com and I'll try to help you figure things out. Thanks!

Mac n' Cheese Video

Hey, everybody! Last night, I posted my new video for Mac n' Cheese! Mallika and I had a blast filming it. You can check it and my other YouTube videos out right here: http://youtube.com/user/tweenchef123

I created a Twitter account on Wednesday! My username is MDchef_123 and I'd really appreciate it if you could follow me. If you don't have a Twitter account, then tell a parent, friend, sibling, cousin, aunt, uncle, grandparent, dog, cat, monkey or elephant to follow me. Thanks for all the support!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Hey, everybody! Today is my 13th birthday! I created a Twitter account, and my username is MDchef_123. I'd really appreciate it if you could follow me. If you don't have a Twitter page, then tell a friend that does have one. Thanks for the support!