Leprechaun Shelter Salad... and Green Pea Dip

Photo by J. Balbi

Maybe they say they don't like greens. But when it comes to building a hiding place for a leprechaun... perhaps the little ones will change their mind.

While looking for ideas of something healthy to make with the kids at school I finally put the project together while browsing the aisles of my favorite grocery store. Lately I've been working a more with food presentation with older children, but thought that the idea of building a hut, a bed or even a boat made of vegetables would be enticing enough to make kindergartners and first graders enticed.  After building,  we were working with the notion that the best place to "hide" the secret leprechaun hideout would be their tummy, not the trash can.

I was lucky enough to have J. working with me at school that day, who was fortunate enough to have a mini figurine of a leprechaun in her bag, and a good eye for taking the photos which are in this post.

Photo by J. Balbi

A big bag of romaine hearts, some micro-greens to imitate little shamrocks, pea stick and lots of imagination made the whole experience a great activity. They all helped to blend the green dip, excited with the mouse from the hand blender. The green pea dip, inspired on this dip recipe by Darienne, was the foundation. For some children, it was a unique chance of eating salad, disguised as something they had built for the little man.

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Photo by J. Balbi

Leprechaun Shelter Salad with Green Dip

You can always play with the greens around the project, but it's good to have something to make the structure possible, like a big leaf for the shelter, and some cucumber sticks to be the support. 

For the salad

Romaine Heart Leafs as needed
Cucumber, cut in sticks in same length
Green pitted olives
Green pea baked snacks (such as Inner Peas by Trader Joe's
Baby Spinach
Curley Parsley

For the dip

1 bag frozen organic green peas
4 oz whipped cream cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons oregano
Kosher salt to taste

Cook peas as directed by package. Drain and blend with all other ingredients in a food processor or hand blender up to when it reaches a creamy texture. Serve on the side of salad or on the bottom of the late to serve as the foundation for the hut. 

Farro with Sweet Potato and Black Garlic

As the holiday break neared, Anna and I commiserated (with good humor) about how busy we were. "Eh, it's going to be a Trader Joe's week, right?"

I knew exactly what she was talking about. I had already planned for a Trader Joe's week to make the busy season a little easier. My menu plan was based on whatever good stuff TJ's had to make meal time as easy as possible.

Here's one of the dishes I made, perfect for the post-holiday detox. This grain salad makes up for the stale holiday cookies we're all still nibbling. Delicious warm or cold, it's on the sweet side — a nice bridge as I retrain my taste buds to be happy with less sugary fare. It's filling and full of good-for-you ingredients. The photograph doesn't do it justice. I'm not sure it's possible to take a good photo of farro.

Everything in it can be found at Trader Joe's: fast-cooking farro, sweet potato, pomegranate vinegar, and — my favorite! — black garlic.

If you're unfamiliar with it, black garlic is simply fermented garlic. It's savory-sweet, garlicky without the bite. TJ's just recently started carrying black garlic, but it isn't always easy to find. I didn't see it the last time I was there and was worried they had already dropped it. The manager admitted "it's been sort of a dog for us," but they do still stock it. You can find it in specialty stores and online (including Amazon).

If you can't find it, no problem. Just sub some regular garlic. And if you don't have a Trader Joe's near you, of course you can find these ingredients elsewhere.

Farro with Sweet Potatoes and Black Garlic

If you can't find black garlic, you can leave it out or substitute a clove or two of minced garlic, sautéed in a bit of oil. A bit of cooked sausage also would be a tasty replacement. Farro is one of my favorite grains, but if it's out of your comfort zone swap brown rice.

1 package Trader Joe's 10-Minute Farro (or 1 1/2 cups raw farro)
1 sweet potato, diced
1/2 head of black garlic, chopped
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
olive oil

Dressing:
4 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons pomegranate vinegar (or other fruity vinegar)
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Cook farro according to package directions (if you're using raw farro, cook it however you do that — I've only used TJ's!). Whisk dressing ingredients together in a bowl.

Warm a spoonful of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced sweet potato and cook until soft and slightly browned.

Combine farro, sweet potato, garlic, walnuts, and dressing in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If salad is too dry for your taste, add a splash of olive oil and stir.

Cucumber and Avocado Sushi Roll

 It was a midsummer dream: thanks to two Japanese arts, origami and sushi making, a whole afternoon taking care of four boys went fast paced and relatively peaceful. Maybe the secret was to keep their hands busy...

First they were all folding magazine pages to make paper boats. And after testing them on the water table, they were rolling roasted seaweed to make avocado and cucumber sushi.
The original idea was to prepare California rolls, but they were not enthusiastic about real crab. The result was simple and elegant: just rolls filled with cucumber and avocado, or just avocado.

After folding paper to make boats, it sounded as easy as it could be. Tiny hands are delicate enough to use the wood rolling mat and the wood paddle. To make the whole process fast and relaxing  I asked them to spread the rice on the roasted seaweed, as if they were painting a canvas. Then they chose what ingredients they would like to put inside the roll, and after I sealed the ends of the seaweed they helped me to roll. I put a parchment paper layer in between the mat and seaweed to make sure we wouldn't get sticky rice all over the place. It worked.

Simple Maki (Cucumber and Avocado Sushi Roll)

You could use one of Darienne's egg thin omelette inside, or just have a few ingredients available so to play with them as the children (or grownups) want. I used the Yamamotoyama brand of the roasted seaweed, easily found in grocery stores.

6 cups cal rose rice, cooked as directed or with this recipe for sushi rice
cucumber sticks
Haas avocado, sliced
soy sauce
wasabi (optional)

Most packages of roasted seaweed have instructions on how to roll a sushi roll. Stretch the cooked rice over the seaweed paper, draw a line with the fillings, moisten the seams with water using your fingertips, and roll it and slice. Once you do it right, you will do it right forever. Like folding paper or riding a bike. Enjoy!

Garbanzo, Zucchini, and Tomato Salad

The kids are savoring freedom from school and schedules, and I am too. I still have work, both professional and the unpaid domestic kind, and I'm a little envious of their lightened responsibilities. So I'm trying to lighten my own. This no-cook vegetarian salad is one way to make life easier for myself.

I often cook my own beans, but for the sake of simplicity I just open up a can of garbanzos for this one. If you're lucky enough to have a garden, you can probably harvest the zucchini, tomatoes, and herbs from your own back yard. I like the crunch of raw zucchini, which picks up just a little bite for marinating in the dressing for anywhere from an hour to a full day.

With just a few minutes of chopping and stirring early in the day, you're free to enjoy a lazy summer afternoon. Come evening, pull this out of the fridge, toss in some herbs, and serve with crusty bread.

Garbanzo, Zucchini, and Tomato Salad

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
zest from 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
2 small zucchini
1 15-oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups cooked beans)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 cloves garlic
chopped fresh herbs to taste, such as basil, thyme, mint, or lemon balm

In a medium bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and lemon zest and whisk to blend dressing.

Trim ends from zucchini and quarter lengthwise, then cut into 1/4-inch-thick quarter-moons. Add to bowl with dressing, along with drained beans and quartered cherry tomatoes. Peel garlic cloves and cut in half and add to bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir salad to distribute dressing and let sit at room temperature for at least an hour, or chill in refrigerator up to one day. Stir in fresh herbs just before serving.

Versatile egg crepes, or thin omelets

A small stash of these simple Japanese-style crepes in the fridge gives me a head start on the week. They're essentially thin, unfussy omelets with endless possibilities. My 9-year-old grabs rolled-up "egg pancakes" for a quick protein boost on busy school days. I use them to wrap salad or leftovers, instantly upgrading my lunch. They're an easy breakfast on hectic mornings. Shred them to top stir-fries or stir into rice. You can even use them to wrap sushi rolls, or cut out shapes with cookie cutters.

And just like flour-based crepes, you can go sweet or savory. Try maple syrup and perhaps a bit of mirin for sweet crepes, and enjoy plain or with a bit of fruit spread. For savory crepes, ease off on the sweet stuff and add soy sauce. They're a gluten-free, low-carb, and high-protein alternative to flour-based crepes and wraps.

My perfect lunch is pictured at the top: an egg crepe spread with pesto and stuffed with shredded carrots (stir-fried with ginger and garlic).

Use a very nonstick skillet for these, and be sure to oil the pan between crepes. I mangle at least one every time — I use that one as a shredded crepe. The cornstarch is optional, but it helps make a more durable crepe to use as a wrap.

Egg crepes

Scale this recipe up or down as you wish. This recipe should yield four or five crepes.

3 eggs
1 tablespoon sugar or maple syrup
pinch of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons of soy sauce or mirin (optional — soy sauce is good for a savory crepe, mirin for a sweeter one)
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch blended with 1 1/2 tablespoons water (optional — for a stronger crepe, suitable for wrapping)

In a bowl, stir together eggs, sugar, salt, and soy sauce or mirin, if using, with a fork. Don't use a whisk or egg beater — you don't want these to be frothy. Stir in cornstarch mixture, if using. Pour egg mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl.

Heat a small, nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. (You may need to experiment with the right temperature: Low heat works best with one of my skillets, and medium is better with the other.) Oil skillet well. Pour in just enough of the egg mixture to cover the bottom, swirling to cover bottom of pan. Cook until set, 1 to 2 to minutes, then use a spatula to loosen the sides and carefully flip over. Cook another 30 seconds or so, then remove. Continue to cook omelets, stacking them when done. Clean any burnt bits out of the pan between crepes and oil well.

Eat plain or fill and enjoy. Or roll up each crepe in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to five days. The crepes can also be frozen — defrost in the refrigerator.

Strawberry Buttermilk Bread with Rosemary

The local strawberries have recently taken a turn for the sweeter. We've been devouring huge piles of them as the warm weather settles in. I love them simply as they are, juicy and sweet and perfect.

But this week — hectic at home, and stressful across the country — I've been craving comfort food.

I turned the last of this week's strawberries into a not-too-sweet simple bread, almost savory with a sprinkling of rosemary. This buttermilk quick bread is lighter on the fat and sugar than your typical quick bread, and whole wheat flour makes it downright hearty. My kids, who are accustomed to sweeter quick breads, remain skeptical. But I think this one will grow on them.

This stores well for a few days or can be frozen for later. It's absolutely delicious with a bit of light cream cheese or marmalade on top. And while I call it "buttermilk" bread, I always make it with a cheater's version of buttermilk — usually low-fat milk thickened and soured with a bit of vinegar. Sometimes I blend milk with Greek yogurt instead. Both work beautifully.

Strawberry Buttermilk Bread with Rosemary

I coat the chopped strawberries with flour to keep them from clumping up the batter. It's an optional step, but helpful. Don't substitute frozen strawberries: You'll end up with gummy bread. This is adapted from a master recipe for buttermilk bread at The Kitchn.

1 cup plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, separated
1 cup white whole wheat flour (or substitute all-purpose flour)
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary
1 cup buttermilk (or stir 1 tablespoon white vinegar into 1 cup milk and let stand a few minutes)
1 large egg
1/4 cup olive oil, vegetable oil, or melted butter
1 1/2 cups strawberries, washed, dried, and diced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine all-purpose and white whole wheat flour, reserving extra 1/4 cup of flour for later. Stir in sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and rosemary. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, and oil. Gently fold wet ingredients into dry.

In a small bowl, gently stir strawberries into reserved 1/4 cup of flour. Spoon strawberries into a mesh strainer to sift out extra flour.

Carefully fold strawberries into batter, then pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. (If the loaf is getting too brown, tent it with foil.) Let bread cool before removing from pan.

Natural Colors for Easter

We made these last year and we are planning on making them again, trying even more colors!
It's part of my war against artificial colors in food. And yes, I know that  (hopefully) nobody will eat the egg shells, but it's another opportunity to back to basis and find natural colors from vegetables.

I was originally  inspired to make those with the help of this awesome post, by The Boulder Locavore. Then As we started experimenting, lots of teas and spices came out of the cupboard and were tried. Here are our favorites:

Naturally Colored Boiled Eggs

Because I plan on doing a big egg salad with those eggs I really chose my favorite brand, from Trader Joe's, eggs that are made by  free-range chickens.

Eggs
Water enough to cover them

2 tablespoons Paprika
2 cups spinach
1 tablespoon sage
1/4 red cabbage
2 medium  beets



Use your favorite recipe for boiling the eggs. I love Julia Child's one. It always works and I never have that grayish rind on the yolks. Let the eggs cool. Here's a guideline of our favorite dyes:

Orange _ Boil paprika in 2 cups of water, when cold enough to the touch add 2 tablespoons white vinegar. To achieve a deep color you can soak the egg overnight. We found that 20 minutes is a good timing for a smooth orange.

Blue _ Ours were not that deep blue. Cooked red cabbage for 40 minutes in two cups of water. It cooled down and I added 2 spoons of vinegar, which changed the color of water from blue to purple. Yet, the egg still came in a very soft shade of blue, soaked overnight, in the fridge.

Pink _ Beetroot works on the egg faster than cabbage. It may take from 1 hour to overnight to achieve the desired shade. Beets were simmered for about 30 minutes. The same was followed: one tablespoon of vinegar for each cup of the colored water.

Yellow - A very light shade of yellow can be achieved by dipping the egg in infused in 1 tablespoon dry sage. I didn't use the vinegar for this one and the color stayed. The other shade came from infused dill. I will test with saffron soon.

Purple/Lilac - The egg was left in grape juice for 2 hours. I will test it again soon. One of the boys could not wait and immersed the egg on the paprika color.

SpongeBob's House Mini Pineapple Muffin

First a confession: I've never watched an episode of that strange creature's show with its square pants, and my kids were never attracted to it.  I learned about its popularity while making this recipe with the kids at school at our weekly Cooking Club.

"Please, don't destroy Bob's house," said a very animated first-grader after seeing a whole pineapple being peeled and sliced, a novelty for some kids in real life, but very well known by its role in the show.

This is a very easygoing recipe that can be prepared with the kids and to be enjoyed by the whole family — including those who don't want to increase their cholesterol intake.

Kids — or venting grown ups — might have a blast "destroying" SpongeBob's home. That happens after the fresh and fragrant seasonal pineapples are cut into square shapes. The pieces are put in a sealed plastic bag. The bag, on a table, is then pounded by hand up until the pineapple squares are crushed. Like some kids said during the class: "Just make sure that Bob is not home before you start preparing this."

These muffins were a hit because of the moist texture and delicious taste, paired with a coconut milk smoothie mixed with pineapple juice, or a Coconut Frappé.

SpongeBob House Mini Muffin 

Fresh pineapples from Ecuador or Costa Rica that abound in the groceries stores are ideal for this, but if they're unavailable or hard to find you can always used canned ones in their own juice.

2 cups unbleached white whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup coconut
2-3 cups fresh pineapple, crushed manually or in a food processor
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup almond, soy, or coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
More dried coconut to sprinkle on top

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line mini-muffin pan (or regular muffin pan) with paper cups.

In a bowl whisk all liquid ingredients together and reserve.

In another bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. Add pineapple bits and coconut to the dry ingredients, mixing carefully with a wooden spoon to coat the bits with the flour mix. Add sugar to the mix.

Pour in the blended liquid ingredients and stir delicately until all ingredients are combined. Scoop the equivalent of 2/3 of a cup of batter into each muffin cup. Sprinkle tops with dried coconut. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until the tops look golden. Remove from muffin pan to cool.

Blood Orange Cupcakes

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Here's a cheers to hearts, sweetness ... and pink food. This is a little recipe that might trigger your love for something different than the artificial color Red 40: Blood orange juice with powdered sugar, covering a cupcake with lemon zest and dry raspberry powder.

This is my second experiment with natural colors to celebrate today: The first was the pasta with passion sauce, pretty but not easy to love if beets are not in your repertoire of loved foods.

But if you're still have time to prepare more than a treat for your Valentines, here are some suggestions from our collection f recipes, as romantic as a flower: rose ganache, rose meringue clouds,  lavender and chamomile truffles, all from Darienne's collection of delicacies.

Oh, and of course, Happy Valentine's!

Blood Orange and Raspberry Dust Cupcake 

Blood oranges are in season in California. It's possible to freeze the juice if your cake will be celebrating other dates other than Valentine's.

1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons blood orange juice
2 tablespoons dried raspberries, ground
2 large eggs
1/2 cup 2% milk
1 1/2 cups all purpose unbleached flour, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, sifted with the flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Glaze:
Juice from 2 blood oranges
Enough powdered sugar to make a thick glaze

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare muffin pan with cupcake liners.

In a bowl, mix sugar and canola oil until it's a creamy texture. Gradually mix in eggs, juice, milk, and zest. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.

Pour batter into baking cups, filling until two-thirds full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

To prepare glaze, stir powdered sugar into blood orange juice until thick. Spoon glaze over finished cupcakes. 

Pumpkin-Flavored Tortillas

Yes, I admit, I go pumpkin-crazy in autumn. What's not to like?! Pumpkin is a nutritional superstar equally at home in savory and sweet dishes. Here, I used a bit of canned pumpkin to flavor the homemade tortilla recipe I shared a few weeks back. You can use the same approach to flavor your tortillas with spinach, tomato, red pepper and more — homemade flavored wraps, made to order!

Pumpkin gives these tortillas a gorgeous, saffron color. I enjoyed mine as quesadillas stuffed with smoky salsa, grilled chicken, and Monterey Jack cheese. If you really want to earn your Super Mom merit badge, cut pumpkin shapes with a cookie cutter and use those to make quesadillas. You also could use them to make tostadas with black beans.

As I noted in the original post on making tortillas, my recipe makes no claim to authenticity. But it's relatively low-fat, uses a healthy amount of whole wheat flour, and comes together easily. It's a little bit of effort, but so worth it!

Pumpkin Tortillas

Pumpkin tortillas make terrific quesadillas! These are a little stiffer than my plain tortillas. You might want to add a little more olive oil, or rub a few drops on your hands when you knead the dough.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole-wheat flour (or substitute all-purpose)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
1/4 cup pumpkin purée
warm water

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt with your fingers or a fork. Drizzle the oil over the dry ingredients and blend well.

Measure pumpkin into a liquid measuring cup. Add warm water until the total volume is 3/4 cup. Purée with an immersion blender until the pumpkin is fully incorporated into the liquid.

Add the pumpkin and water mixture to the dry ingredients, a spoonful or two at a time, mix in, and repeat until the dough starts to come together in a shaggy ball. You might need a little more or a little less water.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes until it’s smooth and elastic. Divide into 8 to 10 pieces and roll into balls—about the size of ping-pong balls.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Roll a ball of dough out into a very thin circle, about 7 to 8 inches. If the dough is resisting, cover and let it rest for 10 to 20 minutes.

Put the rolled-out dough onto the heated skillet and cook for about 15 seconds; you should see some puffy spots and browning. Shake the skillet a little to slide the tortilla around if it gets too puffy. Flip every 15 to 20 seconds—it shouldn't take more than a minute or so.

Wrap cooked tortillas in a kitchen towel to keep them warm and soft, or store in a tortilla warmer while you cook the remaining tortillas. If you have leftovers, store them for up to a week in the refrigerator in a zip-top bag or airtight container, or in the freezer.

Variations: To make different flavors, substitute tomato paste, roasted red pepper, or spinach for the pumpkin. You may need more or less of those ingredients — experiment to suit your own taste. Just be sure to blend it thoroughly into the water so you have a total of 3/4 cup of liquid.

Strawberry Season Special: Strawberries and Double Cream Muffins

Since our last picnic with the kids I made this recipe about two times—they go fast from the table. It was a great surprise, once I found out that it's possible to substitute butter and oil for cream. While these muffins are not on the low-fat side, they taste like heaven.

This is the last strawberry celebration recipe of our seasonal series. If you're still hungry for more, there's Darienne's wonderful cream cheese with strawberries, and one healthy alternative to frosting, in this cupcake recipe. 

Strawberries and Cream Muffins

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup 2% milk (and about 1/4 more, if mix gets too dry)
1 egg
1 3/4 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup raw cane sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup chopped organic ripe strawberries

Preheat oven to 375 F. Mix flour, baking powder, and sugar in a bowl. Add chopped strawberries and stir to coat them with the dry ingredients. In another bowl, mix cream, egg, and 1/2 cup of  milk. Pour wet mix over dry mix, and mix with a wooden spoon. If the batter is still looking too dry, add about 1/4 cup more of milk.

Distribute batter among 12 muffin cups. Bake at 375 F for 25 minutes, or until muffins are golden on the top. Enjoy with a cup of milk and maybe... one more strawberry.