Kooking with Kids - Thailand

There are few cuisines throughout the world that have as diverse and colorful food culture as Thailand. Currently a country undergoing a period of civil unrest this diverse nation has been a mecca for travelers and food lovers alike. This is our second trip to south east Asia in the Kooking with Kids saga however the meals could not have been further apart.
Setting aside the bread, bun, baguette, pita or anything else baked, lettuce is the vessel of delivery in this meal which the kids thought was very unique and a bit crazy. The meal has a protein or tofu base which could be chicken, shrimp or any other meat you so choose to serve in your home. With some simple other ingredients that you can find or more importantly grow locally, this is a wonderful and more importantly entertaining meal for the whole family.
This was my daughters first experience using a real chefs knife. We cut the green onions together and I showed her proper technique when using such a kitchen utensil. Proper technique is something that should be taught early and reinforced over and over again. Another meal where the kids get to construct their own dinners as well as help with seasoning, measuring and in this case cutting.
Since we grow cilantro and green onions in our yard they came in handy. We did have to pick up mushrooms and water chestnuts from the local purveyor. I patched this recipe together from others to suite our tastes. It is an excellent and simple way to enjoy some of the flavors of Thailand.
2 chicken breasts, slice thinly or cut into small cubes1 small jar mushrooms, cut into small pieces1 small can water chestnuts, cut into small pieces2 small cloves of garlic, diced1 bunches of green onions, finely chopped1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped1/3 cup of Hoisin sauce (really use any amount you like-adjust it to your taste)2-3 TBLS. Soy saucecanola or vegetable oil
Cook the chicken in oil till almost done, then drop in the garlic for about a minute. Add the mushrooms and water chestnuts. Cook for another minute or so, or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Add the hoisin sauce and soy sauce, mix to coat, add green onions and cilantro. Cook for another minute or so. Serve wrapped in lettuce leaves.
What a delicious meal for the whole family. So wrap up and lets cook!

Kooking with Kids - Pizza Night!

Only a few months ago I recall watching the international pizza tossing championships in Italy. From throwing dough to awards for the best coal and gas fired pizzas. A good pizza is an amazing thing. A great pizza, is something to be cherished. I wouldn't even begin to fathom the number of slices consumed by the American public on an annual basis. It is my understanding and an eye popping 3 billion pizzas are sold in the US every year.
Ordering a pizza for delivery will run you in the $15 range. It's fast, probably good and you don't have the time to cook something anyway, right? I need to share something with everyone. Making your own pizza is easy, inexpensive and I'm going to tell you how to do it. The most expensive ingredients are going to be the cheese and your toppings. When you think about it, almost everything you need is already in the kitchen.
You are going to need:
Pizza stone or metal pizza tray will certainly make this task easier.
Flour 1 1/4 cups and another 1 1/4 cups. Then an extra 1/4 cup.
One packet active yeast. Cheap and in the baking isle at your grocer.
2 Tablespoons olive oil
One cup warm water
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Sugar
Tomato Sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese blend
What you want to do it to clear a space on the counter to work in. Have your kids put the first portion of flour into the bowl. Add the yeast, olive oil, sugar, salt and water and whisk for 3 minutes. You might have to help as it could get tiring. After the three minutes add the next portion of flour and with a wooded spoon blend it all together. Once you have incorporated the second portion of flour, dust the counter with some flour and dump the dough onto the counter. Mix in the additional 1/4 cup of flour and work that dough with your hands until it is smooth. (The kids love that part) Once smooth, work the dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl and cover with a dishtowel for 30 minutes. That will give you and the kids some time to clean.
After 30 minutes or so remove the pizza dough. Cut it in half and freeze one half for next week. Work the dough with a rolling pin or by hand into the pizza shape we all know and love. Have the kids spread tomato sauce all over the pizza then eventually distribute the cheese and toppings. Into a 450 degree oven it goes for about 10-12 minutes. Make sure the cheese begins to brown. I brush the crust with a little olive oil and dust with Parmesan cheese too.
The kids love getting their hands into the dough and using the rolling pin. This is a fun activity for lunch or dinner. Especially on a rainy day when you are stuck in the house.

So get out those rolling pins and lets cook!

Kooking with Kids - Mexico

I think it is fairly safe to say that one of Americas favorite foods is Mexican food. Whether quesadillas, burritos, enchiladas or the all powerful and ever famous taco.
Investigating the origin of the taco I found some interesting facts behind the history of this beloved food. The etymology of the term taco is from a Spanish word meaning "light snack". The taco's origins date back to pre-Hispanic times when the Aztecs using corn tortillas rolled or broken into pieces would scoop up and eat their food. Depending on the region, fillings would vary from pork and chicken to vegetables.
Bringing this present day Mexican dish into our kitchen is very easy and quite delicious. You can choose your filling and in this case we chose chicken. My daughter and I made our weekly trip to the Delray Green Market to pick up some fresh produce. Tomato's, lettuce, onions, corn, avocado and some jalapeños make for a good basket. The market is seasonal so you will have to check availabilities.
My daughter loves and I mean loves to shuck the corn. The kids are able to participate plenty with this dish. Whether it is shucking the corn, making the guacamole or constructing their own tacos this meal is full of activities. My daughter had so much fun making the guacamole by herself and it was absolutely delicious.
So go ahead and take your kids to the market, pick up some veggies and ground beef or chicken and cook yourself some tacos. Make next Tuesday a Taco Tuesday dinner night and get your kids into the kitchen.
So buena suerte and lets cook!

Kooking with Kids - Vietnam

There are few things in this world that satisfy the palette as much as a bowl of Pho. This Vietnamese comfort food is basically a noodle soup with its assorted condiments and protein of your choice. This dish is a wonderful taste of south east Asia that can easily be brought into your home and cooked with your kids.
One of the great aspects to this meal is the source of the ingredients. Our children see the supermarket all the time. Have you ever taken them into an Asian market? The sites, the smells and atmosphere is a different world. They will see ingredients that you wont find anywhere else. My daughter pulls a bag off the shelf and asked me "what's this daddy". When I looked down and saw it was a bag of dried jellyfish I saw that as a great opportunity to explain a little more of the food world to her. We were easily able to find our rice noodles, bean sprouts, pho stock, fresh Thai basil, and a lime. We left the jellyfish at the store.
You need to time your ingredients correct as they all need to come together in the end. Some people use beef and others use chicken or pork as the protein. Since we have had plenty of red meat lately my daughter seasoned with salt and pepper some cut up chicken breast and daddy sautéed them in a pan until browned. We set the chicken aside and began work on the soup. We cooked the noodles and began to construct our meals. You can actually put thin slices of raw beef into your soup and it will cook right in front of you.
First my daughter spooned the noodles into the bottom of the bowl. She then added about 6-8 pieces of chicken into the bowls. I added the soup and she placed the basil and bean sprouts in each bowl. With a little squeeze of lime juice, we were finished. I added a few peppers and some hot sauce to my pho because I like the heat. Dinner was served.
This was a great opportunity to bring the flavors of south east Asia into our kitchen with a warm, filling bowl of pho. There is plenty for the kids to do from the noodles and lime to meal construction and we had a blast. Get the kids off the computer and put them in the kitchen. This meal took us about 30-45 minutes to put together. The memory will last a lifetime.
So soup up and lets cook!

Kooking with Kids - India

One of the most populous countries on the Planet, India has a rich and flavorful food history. Apologies must be made in advance as I used ground beef in this dish and to many in India the cow is a sacred animal.
As is the case every week in our kitchen we spin the globe and where my daughters finger lands, that's where our culinary adventure takes us. Last week, that finger landed on India. The land of Ghandi and the Taj Mahal. Both of those cultural icons my daughter now relates to this amazing country. She can also find it on the globe, wow!
How do you choose a dish from a country that has one of the most diverse and rich food landscapes. Curry dishes, Tikka Masala are all Indian dishes we have hear of. I sought a dish that would not be too spicy to overpower the senses and one that needed to keep some unique and original flavors. It also had to be something that my daughter could help with in the kitchen. I found recipe for Keema. Keema is a minced meat dish dating back thousands of years. It is traditionally made with lamb however can be substituted with beef. The meat is placed on or in traditional bread called Naan.
This is a very traditional Punjab dish and can be made in almost any kitchen and with the help of the kids. The kids can help by portioning the seasoning of which we used garam masala for the first time, pouring the peas into the pan (under supervision) and grating some fresh ginger. All of these tasks are critical and the kids can help throughout the entire process,
This was a cultural dish that had some fun flavors for the kids. The Naan was delicious and is used similarly to pita. It is so important for kids to experience a world of different flavors and the cultures those flavors come from. Next week we travel to Panama and we will see what Central America has to offer. So until then spoons up and lets cook!