The Pantry Dish - Little Chef

Sopa con pollo

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:34:59 -0800

For a while now I have been contemplating on what my little chef should cook up next. We ARE afterall trying to make a comback from being away from our blog for such a long time anyway.

For sure a dessert was off the menu.

We're always making something sweet. She doesn't need anymore sweets.

She's much more into helping with every step now so, nothing so simple that she would only be stirring either.

Na.

This time around I figured why not let her make one of her favorite dishes! Makes sense right?!

So she did.

Ingredients we used.....

Three tbsp olive oil
One 8oz bag of pasta
One small can of tomato sauce
Five pieces of chicken breast tenderloins
Tomato bouillon (taste as you go cause we didn't measure)
Salt
Five cups of water

In a 3 quart size pot heat up the olive oil on medium heat and cook the chicken until it starts turning golden brown. You don't have to cook it all the way because it will finish cooking in the soup as it simmers.

Grab your salt shaker and shake the salt onto the chicken vigorously like this.

Remove the chicken from the pot when they start to brown a little and put them aside.

"Wooo that was hard"

Once you have taken the chicken out, leave the drippings and oil and pour in the bag of pasta.

Stir stir stir until it starts to turn golden brown and smells nice and toasted :)

Add the water, tomato sauce, and bouillon and stir gently to mix.

Just before it starts to boil, return all the chicken to the pot.

Cover, reduce heat to low and let it simmer until the pasta is almost done.
Turn off heat and let it rest about 10 more minutes.

Serve it up and enjoy on a cold night.

Oatmeal Cookies

Thu, 20 May 2010 01:37:02 -0800

These delicious cookies have been a hit in my home. Normally I would make one batch but a few weekends ago my brother and sister came over to spend the weekend with us while my mom celebrated her birthday in Vegas, so we made an extra batch. At the end of the weekend they took a little over a dozen back home with them. This was the first time my mom actually tried them and she loved them. To you this may mean nothing but let me tell you a little secret about my mom. She doesn't like anything sweet! Not even chocolate!! What's my point in bringing up my mother's opposition to desserts? Well, she loved these cookies! Not so much the chocolate part, but she was pretty impressed and delightfully satisfied when she had one of these oatmeal cookies with her coffee. Yay! 1 point for team Stephanie! Next time I'll have to make some without chocolate for her :)

It would be nice to take full credit for these soft dunk-a-licious cookies but truth be told, I owe this pleasure to Quaker Oats. The recipe is on the lid of the Oatmeal box.

This was the first time my little girl and her Tia made anything together. Not quite the experience I had expected but it made me realize something. We don't spend enough time together. Quality time is even less! As a matter of fact, as I write this post I can't help but feel like a bit of a failure as a big sister for never having thought to do this before. Maybe it's all just now coming together for me and making sense as to why it is important to involve children in cooking.

I get it!

OMG I'm having an epiphany right now.

I get it!! I wholeheartedly get it now! My understanding of this "inclusion" of kids in the kitchen has finally settled in with a clear understanding. It feels as though the final puzzle piece has been placed. There is more to it than learning about measurments, developing motor skills, expressing creativity, science and sensory exploration, the list goes on.

Have I been misising the point of it all this whole time?

Beautiful hands :)

It's about actual quality time with people, not just your own children, or the people you live with, but anyone you are close to and love. It's about taking your time, enjoying each others' company, doing something together that is meaningful and doesn't involve the T.V. or spending money (ok maybe a little money). It's about building realtionships and close connections and bringing families together. Homemade meals go beyond the meaning of a healthier approach (and sometimes not so healthy but we are human and have needs......better yet, food addictions....like pasta and chocolate).

What matters is at the end of the day, after all the cooking and cleaning,

the true hidden reward is so much more than just a tasty treat.

Dinner Rolls

Fri, 07 May 2010 00:48:56 -0800

Another successful recipe provided by my Tia Sandra: Dinner Rolls.

The first time I tried these dinner rolls was about a year ago. My Tia Sandra lives in Nevada so we don't have the pleasure of having these delicious dinner rolls whenever she makes them (which is quite often). When I did get to taste these dinner rolls for the first time however, I was at another one of my Tia's house who had just come back from visiting Tia Sandra and she offered me one. After the first bite I practically inhaled the whole roll in a matter of seconds. I finally got the courage to try and make them. How'd they turn out? Well......after the fourth attempt to duplicate the wonderful fluffiness and taste of these delicious rolls, we finished about 1/2 the batch in one day :)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup warm water
1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 whole egg
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup warm milk
1/3 cup melted shortening
1 tbsp salt
4 1/2 cups flour plus more for dusting hands and kneading surface

Combine the warm water (about 30 seconds in the microwave), sugar, and yeast and let it sit while you get the other ingredients ready.

In a large bowl whisk the egg and sugar together.

Add the milk, whisk to combine.

Go back to the yeast and sugar water. Observe the awsomeness of yeast and its ability to entertain a child and her rookie baker mom.

This turned out to be a pretty cool science experiment for Grace. She mixed the water, sugar, and yeast herself so to come back to it and find it in its reactive state was pretty cool to her......ok, the both of us :)

I'm not sure if it was supposed to get this foamy but it was interesting to see active yeast working it's magic.
What matters is that the dinner rolls turned out good and no one got sick. Slowly but surely this new adventure in bread making is coming together for us :)

Throw in some salt, whisk a bit.

Start adding the flour a little at a time. About halfway through, add the melted shortening and mix well, then add the remaining flour. Mix until it becomes workable for your hands then continue to knead until it forms a soft elastic dough texture. It will be a little sticky so just keep your hands floured if it gets too sticky.

With some love and delicate kneading you'll end up with this purty ball of dough.

Spray or coat another large bowl with oil then place the dough inside and cover it with a damp cloth or plastic wrap. Set your oven to 300 degrees and set the bowl on the warmest part of your stovetop for at least 2 hours. This will help the dough rise.

When it has doubled in size....I repeat DOUBLED IN SIZE (even it if takes more than 2 hours), punch it down and let it sit a few minutes while you get your baking dish or cookie sheet coated with oil.

Roll about 15 dough balls and place them into the baking dish if you want them big, or on a cookie sheet if you want them thinner and flatter. Make sure you give them some room to expand. Cover them with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let them double in size once more (on the warm stovetop).

This is 6 hours later. Cool ha! Leaving them for six hours wasn't my intention but I'm glad I did because it taught me another lesson. PATIENCE PAYS! We had stuff to do so I turned off the oven and six hours later came home and voila! Beautiful, fluffy, soft, herbatious (I mixed in rosemary in mine), yearning to be baked dinner rolls were starring at me. Took a good wiff and patted myself on the back.

But wait! Where not done yet! Eggwash please.

In a small bowl mix an egg with a little milk, spread over the rolls.

Stick 'em in the oven for baby and me. Sorry got carried away there. Bake them at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Serve them while they are steaming hot out of the oven for the ultimate indulging experience (please don't burn yourself with anticipation).

I'm just so glad they came out this good. My last attempt was horrible. Like hard-as-a-rock horrible. Ugh, I shudder the memory. Moving on.

These however.......oh my goodness.

with a little bit of butter..............

oh my goodness gracious,

thankyouthankyouthankyou Tia!

I think I'll make more tomorrow.

One of my favorite websites

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 00:05:46 -0800

About a month ago I ran across a website called What's Cooking Blog, created by Michelle Stern, and have been hooked since. In it you'll find all sorts of useful information such as recipes, ideas for kids' lunches, useful products, and blog posts that anyone who hangs out with kids will enjoy. Recently she started a segment called What's Cooking With Your Kids which features posts from other readers who are also passionate about cooking with kids. This week I have been given the honor to share one of my own personal favorite posts on What's Cooking With Your Kids. Thank You Michelle! Click here to skip on over to her site and check it out!

Homemade Pasta

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 01:42:34 -0800

If you've never tried to make homemade pasta you're missing out! Wait...let me rephrase that....you have to try homemade pasta! It is so much better than store bought. Yes it's a lot of work and you probably could just go out and buy buitoni, but it still isn't the same as homemade. Especially when you have a kiddo like mine at home who jumps at the opportunity to make something that is edible. Pressing the pasta kept her busy for a long time! Now if only I could just get her to sit and eat dinner! Argh. It's a laborious challenge we face every night for dinner. That's a whole other post I won't get into right now.

Keep a close eye on those fingers!! I'm sure she would have stopped and pulled her hands out of the rollers if her fingers made it in with the pasta, but I wasn't going to take any chances and leave her unattended with the pasta machine.

Always the curious little chef :)

A good chef always taste tests!

For the pasta:
2 cups of flour
3 eggs
1 tsp salt
1-2 tbsp finely chopped basil (optional)

In a large bowl combine the flour and salt then make a well in the center. Pour the eggs and basil (if you are using this ingredient) in the well. Mix them together with a fork then gradually mix in the flour to the egg mixture until well blended. You can add a little flour if it's sticky. When it forms a ball, spread some flour on your coutertop and vigorously knead the dough for about 10 minutes. Make a ball and wrap the dough in a damp kitchen towel and let it sit about 20 minutes. After it has rested, cut off small pieces at a time to begin pressing the dough with the widest setting, working your way to the smallest setting. Fold the dough in half (either way) if it starts to break up or gets caught on the sides. Make sure the dough that hasn't been pressed stays covered. Rest the pieces that have been pressed on another lightly floured surface until you are done. Take your time with it. The more you practice, the easier it gets, the better the reward!

For the dish:

2 slices of lunchmeat chopped
1 roma tomato
3/4 cup cooked spaghetti (Al Dente)
1/4 tsp chicken bouillon
(1/2 tsp was too much)

Drizzle a little olive oil in a saute pan (medium heat) and cook the ham.

Once the ham starts to caramelize add the tomato and cook them together for about 3-5 mintues then add the chicken bouillon. Continue to cook on medium heat another 3-5 minutes.

Add the cooked pasta and toss with the sauce. Let it cook a few more mintues just to let the pasta absorb all the flavors.

Serve and top with some shredded cheese.

Hope you and/or your little ones enjoy!

Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:39:28 -0800

Recently we inherited a LARGE bag of oranges that were hand-picked from a family members' tree. Though we made every attempt to finish them before they started to go bad, we just about had our fill halfway through the bunch when they started getting a bit too soft. So one morning we were having breakfast and my little minime over here, out of the blue, said "ont oyang pea" (translation: I want orange please). I sliced up an orange and gave her about three wedges since she was already finished with her breakfast. Before I knew it she was attempting to squeeze the juice out of them and into her cup. What a clever little chef I thought. So guess what we did......

We used up the rest of our oranges to make fresh Orange Juice!

This was her first time and she loved it!

The work of a little chef is a tough job!

We ended up with about 4 or 5 cups worth of juice :)

Her response......"mm, good, aun more peas".

I think she liked it :)

Chocolate Pudding & A Toddlers' Perspective

Sat, 20 Mar 2010 01:23:53 -0800

The other day I was scrambling through our pantry to find something that would satisfy my craving for a dessert, but couldn't find that "just right" fix.
A candy bar?
Nope.
A handful of chocolate morsels?
Nope.
A cookie?
Na.

And then I found it.

The classic of classics in an old-school dessert.

Instant Chocolate Pudding.

Ingredients for the simplist dessert ever invented:

2 cups of cold milk & A box of instant chocolate pudding.

This should be a chocolate lovers pantry staple.

Find the nearest kido around you and have him or her stir until they can't stir anymore. Hand them the camera and take over the stirring.

Wanna see this from a 2-year-olds' perspective?

Keep watching......

Pretty cool ha! She took this series of seven pictures on her own.

This goes to show us that we should never underestimate the creativity and uniqueness of a child, no matter how small they are or whatever challenges they face.

She must have noticed the pudding was done after that last picture because she put the camera down and said "I taste".

Perfect!

Now, I can't help but wonder.......
Is this a healthy snack if I add fresh strawberries to it? Or not?

Wishful thinking....I know.

Homemade Pizza

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 12:20:26 -0800

I don't know very many people who enjoy cooking with kids as much as I do. I come from a pretty strong background in Early Childhood Education so being able to bring these two elements into my kitchen with my daughter has been a priceless experience. This time around I got the chance to bring my niece and nephew into our little cooking rendezvous and we had a blast! It was their meal from start to finish. We went to the store and I let them pick out their own ingredients. We even used the child sized shopping carts that Mi Pueblo Supermarket has. I have to admit I was pretty surprised at what they put into their shopping cart. We got home, made the dough from scratch, let it rise, rolled it out, and they made their own pizzas as they pleased. They were in complete control of their pizzas which I must say turned out to be delicious.

Pizza Dough Recipe
originally from a Cooking Light Magazine
(instructions are different)

1 package active dry yeast
1 1/4 cup hot water (about 50 seconds in the microwave in a 2 cup bowl)
3 1/4 cup flour plus more for kneading surface
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

In a large bowl combine the flour and salt.

In a 2 cup size bowl or cup, warm water in the microwave for about 50 seconds then add the yeast.

Let the yeast sit for a minute then mix. Pour the yeast water into the flour and mix until it begins to form a dough ball. If it's sticky add a little more flour (a few pinches at a time).

Smell if you like, as most children do when curious about new things.

Knead until it is smooth and doesn't stick anymore.

In another large bowl (twice the size of your dough) spray all around inside, place your dough (which should be in a ball shape) inside, cover and place on a warm spot. I usually put my oven on 250 and rest the bowl on top of the stove for an hour or until it has doubled in size.

When it has doubled in size, punch it down and let it sit a minute.

Roll out the dough in any form or shape that your kids like. Let them get creative with this part as well as with applying their ingredients.

Better than Playdough!

Bring the toppings to the table and let them create their own pizza.

or better yet...pizzas :)

Don't they look so yummy?!

Homemade Corn Tortillas

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:43:43 -0800

One of Grace's favorite activities is to play with playdough, so naturally she loved helping me make these homemade corn tortillas. You can find the recipe on the Maseca Corn Flour bag if you decide to try this. I used the parchment paper because it was hard for her to handle the dough without breaking it, and I really wanted her to have an end result that she could actually eat.

This was the extent of her mixing therefore I had to intervene in order to save this helpless dough :)

Ahhh, much better!

Rolling the dough on parchment paper was a little tricky for her but when we tried to roll out the tortilla on the table, it kept sticking and coming up into pieces when she would try to lift it. I don't think making corn tortillas is like making flour tortillas either because if you add more flour to them they just dry up faster and begin to crumble, so the parchment paper worked in this case. Especially since it made her work extra hard on her hand-eye coordination skills :)
I would suggest taping the bottom paper down to the table though.

See, she got creative!

Cooked and filled with her favorite ingredient....CHEESE!

I lazily filled my tortilla with shredded lettuce, tomato, and cheese slices.

Sweet Banana Bread Mini Cupcakes

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:13:47 -0800

One of our favorite cakes in our family is banana bread. It's especially one of my favorites because of how easy it is and it's almost fool proof. Maybe Iv'e just made it so many times that it seems that way, but if my two-year-old can get her hands in it and still come out this good, it has to be easy. Lately she has been wanting to help out in the kitchen and is always ready with her stool. Makes it a little tough to do my job but she is so eager to help, how can I resist these teachable moments? It's just not in my nature. Of course I helped with the mixing, but in the end I had a pretty nice mess to clean after we were done :)
The hardest part was keeping her from eating the marshmallows and white chocolate morsels by the handfull.

Ingredients

     • 2 cups flour
     • 1 cup sugar
     • 1 tsp baking powder
     • 1/4 tsp baking soda
     • 3 ripe bananas
     • 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
     • 1/2 cup milk
     • 1 stick butter or margerine
     • 3 eggs
     • White chocolate morsels
     • Mini marshmallows

Directions

     • Preheat oven to 350°
     • Combine all dry ingredients in one bowl and mix them together.
     • Combine oil, egg, milk and butter in a seperate bowl.
     • In another smaller bowl mash bananas.
     • Pour oil, egg, milk and butter mixture into dry ingredients, whisk by hand until
            there are no lumps and it is smooth.
     • Pour mashed bananas into the batter, mix well.
     • Spoon batter halfway into mini muffin pan lined with mini muffin cups.
     • Drop two or three chocolate morsels and one marshmallow onto each cupcake,
            then top off with more batter.
     • Bake 25-35 minutes or until they are slightly golden on top and are spongy.
            If you are using regular sized muffin pans, increase baking time to about 40-50 minutes.
       • Makes about 30-36 mini cupcakes or 16-20 regular size cupcakes.
     • Top with your choice of whip cream or icing. To top with chocolate shavings just get a
            chocolate nugget (like a hershey bar piece) and grate it on a small grater over the
            cupcake after you have topped it with whip cream.