We had a great time doing an FK cooking demo at Blue Condos in Minneapolis, MN.  The residents enjoyed the FK production of:  Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Chicken with Tomato Salsa, Oven Roasted Winter Vegetables and Fruit Kabobs!  The residents were able to participate in some of the food prep and cooking, but they were also happy to watch Allison and I get our hands dirty…J

The night went with only a few kitchen blunders:  the sea salt shaker exploded into the winter vegetables (we added a few more potatoes to soak up the salt and added some extra vegetable broth), the food processor I brought wouldn’t work (even though it had just worked a week ago), the Blue kitchen wasn’t stocked with a vegetable peeler (Allison did great improvisation with a paring knife).  The beauty of cooking is that it doesn’t have to be perfect, sometimes you have to go with the flow and make the best of a situation.

Until next time,

*Mollie

Here is the recipe for the Roasted Red Pepper Hummus as promised to some of the residents @ Blue, enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic Hummus

1 can Garbanzo beans (+ liquid from can)

1 red bell pepper, roasted*

4 large garlic cloves, roasted**

¼ cup Tahini***

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup lemon juice (~1 small lemon juiced)

½ teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

Cayenne pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender; blend until smooth and creamy.  Add more salt/pepper to taste. 

Serve with crackers/baguette/pita bread or use it as a spread on sandwiches.

*Roasted Red Pepper

Cut red pepper into wide strips; remove seeds and trim edges.  Lay on cookie sheet coated with olive oil.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Let cool completely or place directly under cold water to help remove skins. (It is not necessary that you remove skins but they can sometimes give a bitter taste, I usually remove them).

**Roasted Garlic

Cut top of garlic cloves off (the rough part on top) but leave the skins on and place in pan with red bell pepper or you can cover in tin foil.  Coat with olive oil.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Let cool.  Once cool, you can pop out the cloves of garlic from their skins and put them into the blender.   Roasted garlic has a softer flavor than raw garlic, so you many want to use more that 4 cloves if you desire more of a garlic flavor. 

***Tahini is made from ground or hulled sesame seeds mixed with oil and ground into a paste, popular in Middle Eastern cuisine.  You can find in at most grocery or ethnic food stores or it is found in bulk at co-ops (that way you can just get what you need for the recipe).
 

Now that I'm committed to cooking 4 times week, I have to find ways to make this even easier.  I know  a lot of simple healthy recipes, but I’m challenging myself to see how simple can it be.  One of the ways I’ve found is by investing in some inexpensive but time saving tools. 

Some of the best tools I’ve found are:

• Foreman grill – It’s so easy to grill chicken, meat, fish or even asparagus or fresh pineapple.  It is fool proof and no messy stove or pans to clean.
• Garlic press-Just pop the garlic clove in the press and you have minced garlic -and the best part you don’t have smelly hands!
• Citrus press-This makes squeezing a lemon or lime so much simpler and you don’t waste any of the juice. 
• Rice cooker-ok one final one because I am a big fan of rice, I splurged on a rice cooker.  It may not be a necessity for you, but I love mine!

To get help on the basic equipment you need to stock your kitchen, check out the Getting Started section in the First Kitchen DVD.

Here's to Easy Cooking!

Okay, I admit, I too have made many resolutions that I didn’t keep beyond January 15. However, this year I’ve decided to focus on only one, which should be pretty easy thanks to a few of my friends... Betty Crocker, Mark Bittman and of course the First Kitchen team.

My New Year resolution this year is to make at least four dinners a week at home (not counting frozen meals). To do this I have picked up copies of two basic cookbooks: The Classic Betty Crocker Cookbook- my mom’s all-time standby, How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman, and of course our First Kitchen DVD and website. All of these are great resources for beginner cooks. They provide simple yet yummy recipes for Breakfast to Desserts.  Another great on-line resource for simple healthy recipes is from

Green Moutain- a Woman's retreat for healthy weight mangement:

http://http//www.fitwoman.com/recipes.htm 

Here's a hint: Spend an hour the weekend before planning out your meals for the week and buy all the groceries ahead of time. This will make it easier to stick to your plans.

Now, if you are brand new to the kitchen and are thinking  “Yes but I don’t even know how to use a recipe”, I suggest your first purchase should be the First Kitchen DVD (www.firstkitchencooks.com) because you will find a ton of step-by-step information on how to get started in your kitchen, food safety and healthy alternatives to your favorite recipes. You can also check out the First Kitchen website (www.firstkitchencooks.com) for additional information as well as post your questions and thoughts on the blog or emails us at info@firstkitchencooks.com.

We’d love to share your ideas for quick meals to make.

Happy New Year and get cooking!

 

Be honest- how many of us made a resolution to eat healthier or lose weight?  Probably the same one we made last year, right?  But we don't have to give up on it mid-January.  There is a way we can make this a year-long reasonable change.  We can start cooking at home. 

It doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming. There are many simple but quick recipe ideas for making healthier meals in our own kitchen. Making it yourself will take the mystery out of what you are eating and help to save some dollars too.  One tasty dish is our chicken-penne-pasta.
Another time saving idea- You're at the store and don't remember what ingredients to get.  Just grab your mobile phone and and look up the recipe and ingredients on the our web site. How slick is that?!

Your friends at First Kitchen Cooks wish all of you best wishes and happy, healthy 2010!

Enjoy the Season!
Allison, Mollie and Alta

Yesterday I watched the movie Julia and Julie.  It was a cute movie, but I don't know about you, but I'm not that interested in making cooking that complicated.  I think we all  want to make great tasting and healthy meals as well as impress our friends with our cooking skills without it being complicated, time consuming or  stressful.  With the holiday season upon us we have enough stresses, so we could use a little help de-stressing in the cooking department. 
If you're entertaining or bringing dessert to a holiday get together, here's a simple but impressive dessert - our Chocolate Dipped Strawberries featured on the DVD.  They never fail to get raves when we serve them.  And another nice thing they are do-ahead -always a benefit when entertaining.

                                                         

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

20 strawberries with stems

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup  white chocolate chips

1- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil (if needed)

Cover cookie sheet with wax paper.  Rinse strawberries, pat dry.  Return them to the refrigerator to chill.  When strawberries have chilled, melt the white and dark chocolate in 2 separate small pans or double boilers over very low heat, stirring constantly until melted. (If too thick, add a teaspoon of oil).

Holding on to the stem, dip the strawberry 3/4 of the way into the melted chocolate; set on cookie sheet.

For variety, after dipping the strawberry in one chocolate, drizzle a small amount of the other over the dipped strawberry. Return to the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Thanksgiving is coming up soon. I’m sure you’ll be going to Mom’s or Grandma’s for the traditional dinner.  Now that you’re a gown up, you too have to bring a dish to share. One thing about Thanksgiving, the menu is already decided for you -- except maybe that vegetable side dish.  So even if you aren’t an experienced chef, you can impress the family with this simple but healthy side dish. 

                                            

Holiday Green Beans

Makes 6 servings

4 cups fresh green beans (about 12 ounces)         

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ cup chopped fresh cranberries

1 ½ teaspoons sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoon chopped toasted pecans*

Steam green beans 5 to 7 minutes or microwave on high about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally; drain.  Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add cranberries, sugar and orange juice.  Cook, stirring gently, until cranberries are soft and liquid is syrupy. Stir in chopped nuts and toss mixture with green beans. Serve.

*To toast nuts, bake uncovered in an ungreased shallow pan at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Hint, hint:  While you’re with family, I’m sure there will be discussion about what to get for holiday gifts.  I great stocking stuffer idea for the novice cooks could be our First Kitchen DVD.

For some of you off to college for the first time, it is also a time of freedom from mom's rules- but how's it going?  

Are you finding you are not eating regular meals or maybe not making the healthiest choices for meals and or snacks?   Or are maybe drinking too many empty calories and not getting enough sleep?  All of this could add up to not feeling the healthiest or to some of the dreaded weight gain.  But by taking stock now it doesn’t have to.

For those of you that have your own kitchen, a little planning and making healthy lunches “to go” may be one of the easiest ways to make some changes.  (Oh and could save some money too!)

Tired of the same old sandwiches?  Try the turkey and cheese with lettuce on a wrap or pita instead. That can be tasty and won’t dry out. 

With a chill in the air, a thermos filled with soup and a side of whole grain crackers could be a nice change.

It is apple season, so a crisp, sweet apple for dessert or snack – maybe with a wedge of cheese can break the monotony of the same old. 

Did you sign up for the aerobic dance for your phys. ed. elective?  Remember moving your body is a way to maintain weight, feel good and/or reduce stress-something-you have plenty of when trying to keep up the hectic schedule.

Good luck with those midterms!

After a summer of outdoor activities, eating healthy fruits and vegetables of the season, not to mention free meals with the ‘rents- things are about to change.  

Does this sound familiar?

·      Late night studying  -and snacking

·      Late night studying- and sitting, sitting

·      Partying -and snacking and consuming caloric beverages

·      Grabbing quick and cheap meals in (or out) of the cafeteria

This can add on the pounds.  No wonder the term the freshman 15 has caught on.   But with a little planning, this does not have to happen.

Sure we can give you a list of what to avoid, but we’d rather talk about what you can do.

While studying and snacking, maybe try a yogurt and pretzels or an apple and string cheese as an alternative to the many trips for chips or candy bars from the vending machine. How about a party where you make our own pizza? A simple prepared crust with lots of healthy ingredients – It is not only good for you, but it takes the focus off of only eating and/or drinking. 

The cafeteria is a handy place eat, but know their sneaky philosophy – they put the dessert out first and when you are hungry they are tempting.  Dessert is ok, but let’s not make it the main item on your tray. 

These are just a couple of hints, but as recent graduates we know a few more trick that we can share with you on our First Kitchen DVD

Good luck!

If any of you took our advice and planted a few herb pots, you're now realizing that they are ready to harvest in great abundance.  The basil, thyme, parsley, mint- just to name a few.  I even got brave and planted an heirloom tomato seedling in  a pot on the deck and believe it or not it has tomatoes on it!   I can't wait to make a simple salad with those tomatoes and my fresh basil and maybe a typical caprese salad.  Or make this great tomato salsa to top some grilled chicken.

1 ½ cups red and yellow cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 tablespoons chopped sun dried tomatoes
2 teaspoons capers (optional)
½ teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil (or lemon flavored olive oil)
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
Salt
Pepper

Toss all ingredients in a skillet and heat slightly to bring out the flavors.  Serve over grilled chicken. Yumm!

                                                      

Okay, you didn't plant those herbs-  Well you're in luck.  Your local farmers market or stand is loaded with  seasonal produce right now- and the price is right.  Go out this weekend and explore and enjoy!