Black Bean-Mango Salad

On March 12, 2013 / catering, classes, Clean Eating, cooking classes, cooking projects, cooking with kids, Dairy Free, Family Dinner, family recipes, Gluten-Free, healthy eating, healthy living, healthy snacks, kid friendly, Make it healthy, non-GMO, Nutrition, Organic, quinoa, recipes, Seasonal Eating, toddlers, Vegan, Vegetarian Friendly / Leave a comment

Ingredients:

1 cup red quinoa, cooked and cooled slightly
1 bunch of organic baby spinach
1 can organic black beans, rinsed and drained
1 avocado, cubed
1 mango, cubed
1 small red onion, diced
handful of cherry tomatoes, quartered
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1-2 lemons or limes, juiced
about 2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt & fresh pepper

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together fresh lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt and fresh pepper. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine black beans, avocado, mango, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and cilantro. Season with sea salt and pepper. Add in half of the dressing. Toss to combine.

In a separate bowl add spinach and toss with the remaining dressing.

Plate spinach, top with quinoa and then top with black bean-mango salad.

ENJOY!

Apple “Bagels” with Maple-Walnut Butter

On January 21, 2013 / catering, classes, Clean Eating, cooking classes, cooking projects, cooking with kids, Family Dinner, family recipes, finger foods, Gluten-Free, healthy eating, healthy living, healthy snacks, kid friendly, kid-friendly events, kids parties, Make it healthy, non-GMO, Nutrition, Organic, party food, Raw Food, recipes, Seasonal Eating, sweet treats, toddlers, uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian Friendly / Leave a comment

Apple “Bagels” with Maple-Walnut Butter

Ingredients:

2 organic apples, cored and sliced into rings

2 1/2 cups of raw organic walnuts

2-3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

cinnamon, to taste

sea salt, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the walnuts with 2 tbsp of maple syrup on the baking sheet. Put in the oven for about 15 min or until lightly toasted.

While walnuts are toasting, wash two apples and core them. Cut apples into 1/4 inch rings. Set aside.

Remove walnuts from the oven, let cool. When cool add to food processor.

Process until smooth and creamy (resembling a peanut or almond butter). Scraping down the sides as needed.

Once smooth and creamy add vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt. Process to combine and taste. Adjust salt/maple syrup to taste if needed.

Spread Maple-Walnut Butter on top of apple rings (aka Apple Bagels), top with toasted toasted coconut, raisins and goji berries.

It is equally delicious spread it on toast, pancakes, with cucumbers, celery, etc. Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Hey, There’s Bread In My Salad! : Yummy Panzanella Salad

On January 17, 2013 / catering, classes, Clean Eating, cooking classes, cooking projects, cooking with kids, Family Dinner, family recipes, finger foods, healthy eating, healthy living, healthy snacks, kid friendly, Make it healthy, non-GMO, Nutrition, Organic, party food, recipes, Seasonal Eating, toddlers, uncategorized, Vegetarian Friendly / Leave a comment

This is a great way to use up veggies in your fridge. It makes for a great light lunch or a delicious side at dinner. The kids really loved this one, they all thought it was very funny to have bread in their salads!

Yummy Panzanella Salad

For the croutons:

4 cups cubed bread, cut in about 1/2 inch cubes

1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh or dried herbs like thyme, parsley, oregano

For the salad:

Cherry tomatoes, halved

Persian cucumbers, peeled (if not organic) and diced

Bell peppers (we used a combo of red, orange and yellow), diced

Fresh herbs like basil, thyme, parsley or oregano or combo of what you have on hand, roughly chopped

Veg it up: add in any additional veggies you have on hand – also great in this salad – fennel, asparagus, green beans, chickpeas, celery, spinach, etc.

Optional: Fresh boccocino (mini balls of fresh mozzarella), halved

For the dressing:

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 small shallot, peeled and finely diced (or ¼ cup fine diced red onion)

1 garlic clove, peeled and minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Place the bread cubes on a large, parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle bread cubes with the 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and herbs to taste. Lightly toss bread cubes to coat in the oil and seasoning. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until croutons are golden brown. Remove and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine vegetables, herbs, and the dressing. Stir to combine. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes or so for the flavors to combine.

Toss in the croutons.

Serve and enjoy!!!

Baked Polenta Fries

On June 29, 2012 / catering, Clean Eating, cooking classes, cooking projects, cooking with kids, family recipes, finger foods, Gluten-Free, healthy eating, healthy living, healthy snacks, kid friendly, Make it healthy, non-GMO, Nutrition, Organic, party food, recipes, Seasonal Eating, toddlers, uncategorized, Vegetarian Friendly / Leave a comment

My little one requests these delicious “fries” on the regular, they are crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside and a great alternative to traditional fries. Although we love a good sweet potato fry every now and again.

There are many variations to these so you can always switch up the recipe by using your favorite fresh or dried herbs, different cheeses like cheddar, parmesan, gruyere, feta, or a combination of cheeses. Try it with chicken stock, vegetable stock or even a nice mushroom stock would be delicious. You can add shredded veggies inside or even some cooked pieces of fish.

Ingredients:

1 cup polenta (corn grits) – we love the organic/gluten free one from Bob’s Red Mill

3 1/4 cups of chicken stock, vegetable stock or other stock or water

2 tablespoons + olive oil

Sea salt and fresh pepper

Optional ingredients:

fresh or dried herbs (oregano, parsley, basil, rosemary are all delicious with polenta)

spices like garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, paprika, etc.

cheese (shredded cheddar, parmesan, gruyere, feta, or a combination of cheeses)

fresh veggies (shredded zucchini, chopped spinach, sundried tomatoes, etc)

fish (cooked, flaked white fish, salmon or canned wild albacore tuna could make for a yummy, healthy fish stick of sorts. We love the no-salt added, wild albacore from Wild Planet, FYI – their cans are BPA-free and we LOVE that too!!!

Check out Monteray Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch guide for choosing the safest fish choices for you and you family. They also have a really great iPhone app that comes in very handy when you’re at the market.

Directions:

Lightly spray or brush an 8 inch square baking dish with olive oil. We recommend using the olive oil mister by Prepara.

In a sauce pan bring stock or water to a boil, slowly whisk in the polenta and reduce heat to medium low. Continue to stir constantly, it is best to use a long handled wooden spoon as polenta will bubble. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, until polenta is creamy and thick. Remove from heat and stir in any of your add-in’s like cheese, herbs, veggies, etc. Add olive oil or butter and season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer polenta into baking dish and spread out evenly. Let cool to room temperature before chilling in the refrigerator, chill for about 30 to 45 minutes. Once set, invert the baking dish onto a cutting board and cut the polenta into sticks or wedges.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with olive oil. Transfer the cut polenta to baking sheet ans bake until crispy and golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. Flip fries halfway through bake time.

Serve with organic ketchup, garlicky greek yogurt dip, etc.

Enjoy

xoxo

Cara

Very Berry Salsa with Cinnamon Pita

On June 7, 2012 / catering, Clean Eating, cooking classes, cooking projects, cooking with kids, Dairy Free, family recipes, finger foods, healthy eating, healthy living, healthy snacks, kid friendly, Make it healthy, non-GMO, Nutrition, Organic, party food, recipes, Seasonal Eating, sweet treats, toddlers, Vegan, Vegetarian Friendly / Leave a comment

VERY BERRY SALSA with Cinnamon Pita

Ingredients:

2 cups strawberries, hulls removed and quartered

1 cup blueberries

1 cup blackberries

1 cup raspberries

1 lime, juiced (can also substitute with fresh squeezed lemon or fresh squeezed orange juice)

Optional: Honey, coconut sugar, or other sugar alternative if needed

* more often than not you will not need any sweetener if you buy your berries fresh and in season. If you need to add, do so a little at a time. The sugar will bring out the natural juices in the berries, so you may only need just a sprinkling.

Handful of fresh mint leaves, finely cut into a chiffonade (mint ribbons)

A pinch of sea salt (or to taste)

Directions:

Be sure to wash and drain all berries.

Remove hull from the strawberries and cut into quarters.

Mix strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries into a large bowl.

Squeeze fresh lime (or lemon juice) into a separate bowl and remove any seeds. Add juice to berry mixture.

Wash and dry fresh mint leaves, stack one on top of the other into a neat pile, roll the mint leaves into a tube and gently cut into thin ribbons. Add to berry mixture.

Toss and taste. Add a pinch of sea salt (or to taste). And add sugar (or honey or sugar alternative), IF needed.

Refrigerate for a few hours to let flavors mingle or serve immediately.

CINNAMON PITA

Ingredients:

1 package whole grain, sprouted grain, or other pita

Ground cinnamon

Olive oil

Sea salt (to taste)

Directions:

Using a basting brush (or olive oil mister), lightly coat each pita with olive oil.

Cut into quarters.

Arrange pita on a lightly sprayed baking sheet.

Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and a pinch of sea salt.

Bake at 350 until lightly golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Remove and cool.

Serve along side VERY BERRY SALSA!

Enjoy!!!

Raspberry Scones

On May 21, 2012 / catering, Clean Eating, cooking classes, cooking projects, cooking with kids, family recipes, finger foods, Gluten-Free, healthy eating, healthy living, healthy snacks, kid friendly, Make it healthy, non-GMO, Nutrition, Organic, party food, quinoa, recipes, toddlers, Vegetarian Friendly / Leave a comment

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups flour

NOTE: we use a mixture of all purpose flour (1 ½ cups), oat flour (1/2 cup), and quinoa flour (1/2 cup)

¾ teaspoon sea salt

¼ cup coconut sugar

NOTE: plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling on top

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces (we LOVE the pasture butter from Organic Valley)

¾ cup buttermilk

1 large egg, yolk only

1 ½ cups fresh raspberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter and pulse until pea-size pieces form.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and the buttermilk.

Slowly add the milk and egg mixture into the processor, pulse until the dough just comes together. Do not over process as this makes the dough tough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work area and add raspberries on top. Knead the dough and fold in the raspberries. Work into a 1-inch thick square and cut into 2-inch pieces.

knead fresh berries into the dough

Place about 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle the tops with honey or sprinkle with sugar.

raspberry scones sprinkled with vanilla bean sugar about to go in the oven

Bake until golden brown, approximately 15-18 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through.

Let scones cool slightly, serve warm or at room temperature.

Strawberry-Raspberry Scones with Citrus Glaze

Substitute raspberries with any favorite fruit – other great options are fresh blueberries, peaches, strawberries.

You can also add white chocolate chips to the dough to make White Chocolate Raspberry Scones.

Or try adding lemon zest to the dough for Lemony Raspberry Scones.

Cooking with Freshmade NYC

2012

Fresh & Fruity Quinoa Salad

On March 20, 2012 / catering, cooking projects, cooking with kids, Dairy Free, family recipes, Gluten-Free, healthy eating, healthy living, kid friendly, Make it healthy, non-GMO, Nutrition, Organic, party food, quinoa, recipes, Seasonal Eating, toddlers, Vegan, Vegetarian Friendly / Leave a comment

1 cup cooked quinoa, cooked according to package directions and set aside to cool (TIP: be sure to rinse your quinoa before cooking, this removes the bitter coating called saponin)

1 small red apple (like Honeycrisp), diced

1 small green apple, diced

1/2 small red onion, finely diced

1/4 cup of dried organic cranberries (TIP: look for ones that are naturally dried, with no added sugar and are sulfur-free)

About 8 large basil leaves, cut into fine ribbons called “chiffonade” – check out this post from @VeganYumYum on how to chiffonade basil

In a large bowl, mix the cooled quinoa with the diced apples, red onion, cranberries and basil. Set aside and prepare the dressing.

For the dressing:

1 lemon, juiced

1/3 cup olive oil

pinch of sea salt & fresh pepper

dash of oregano, garlic powder and/or onion powder

Combine all ingredients in a jar and shake. Pour the dressing over the quinoa and let sit at room temperature for all the flavors to blend together.

Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Can be served as a main meal or a side dish and eaten warm or cold.

Variations:

This dish is super versatile, you can make it with whatever you have on had and you can have fun experimenting with many different flavors – try it with:

- different dried fruits like currants, raisins, or apricots

- other fresh herbs like mint, parsley, or tarragon

- add in chickpeas or other beans

- add in diced chicken

- try veggies like grated carrots, finely diced peppers, or diced cucumbers

- add the zest of lemon or lime for an extra kick

- switch out the lemon juice for fresh lime juice

- toss with a balsamic vinaigrette

The possibilities are endless!!!

Enjoy!!!

Cara

Red Quinoa & Veggie “Meat”balls

On February 23, 2012 / catering, Clean Eating, cooking projects, cooking with kids, Dairy Free, family recipes, finger foods, Gluten-Free, healthy eating, healthy living, healthy snacks, kid friendly, Make it healthy, non-GMO, Nutrition, Organic, party food, quinoa, Recipe of the month, recipes, Seasonal Eating, toddlers, Vegetarian Friendly / Leave a comment

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup cooked red quinoa, cooled

5-6 large mushrooms (we used a mixture of baby bella and button mushrooms), diced

About 1 teaspoon+ of coconut oil or olive oil

1 cup baby spinach, finely chopped

1/2 medium sized yellow onion, diced

1 large carrot, shredded on box grater

1/2 cup walnuts, finely processed (will resemble texture of breadcrumb) *** if your child is allergic to nuts a good substitute would be Panko breadcrumb or other type of breadcrumb (if using breadcrumb, reduce amount to 1/4 cup)

2 eggs (one for the quinoa mixture, one for egg wash)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Sea salt & pepper to taste

Cook quinoa according to package and set aside to cool.

In a pan, add about 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil (or olive oil) over medium heat. Add mushrooms and saute for about 3 minutes. Add onion and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Add chopped spinach and cook for about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add in shredded carrots and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cool.

In a large bowl, mix cooled quinoa and cooled veggie mixture. Add walnuts (or breadcrumbs), oregano, parsley and thyme. Add 1 egg. Combine all ingredients and shape into even-sized balls. Place on a foil lined baking sheet, lightly sprayed with olive oil.

Make an egg wash using the remaining egg and a drop or two of water. Using a basting brush, lightly coat each “meat”ball with the egg wash.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes or until they are lightly browned and slightly crispy.

Serve with tomato sauce – we love a great homemade sauce but homemade sauce isn’t always realistic during a busy week – a good store bought alternative is Brad’s Organic Tomato Sauces (we think the low sodium Garden Veggie one is pretty delicious!!!)

Why we love quinoa:

*** Relative of leafy greens, like spinach and swiss chard
*** gluten free
*** high in protein
*** very versatile – quinoa can take on a number of different flavors. It can be eaten hot or cold. It is great for breakfast (fruits, nuts, maple syrup) / lunch (veggies, herbs, olive oil) or dinner / sweet or savory / add to soups, stews, quinoa mac & cheese, fruity quinoa bowl, colorful veggie quinoa salad, etc.
*** make a batch in the beginning of week and have on hand for simple, quick meals – introduce it to kids add a little at a time by adding a tablespoon or two to pasta dish, rice, soups, yogurt, etc.
*** complete protein – fiber, iron, potassium, calcium
*** Rinse your quinoa before cooking it!!! It eliminates the bitter coating called Saponin

This recipe can also be made with golden quinoa.

Let us know what you think of this recipe!!!!

Happy & healthy eating!

xoxo
Cara

Amaranth Flake Crusted Chicken Bites with Cool Cucumber Yogurt Dip

On February 21, 2012 / catering, cooking projects, cooking with kids, family recipes, finger foods, healthy eating, healthy snacks, Make it healthy, Organic, party food, Recipe of the month, recipes, toddlers, uncategorized / Leave a comment

For the chicken bites:

1 package boneless skinless chicken tenders (look for organic, vegetarian-fed, hormone-free & antibiotic-free brands – we like Murray’s, Bell & Evans, etc.)

2 cups Amaranth Flake cereal, we used Arrowhead Mills brand which is wheat free and uses all organic, whole grain ingredients

2-3 eggs (whites only)

Sea Salt

Fresh Pepper

Sweet Paprika

Garlic Powder

Remove tendon from the chicken and cut into one inch pieces. Add chicken pieces to a bowl and season with salt, pepper, a dash of sweet paprika and garlic powder. Set aside.

Crush Amaranth Flakes into a fine crumb (you can use a food processor or simply put it into a large ziploc bag and crush with your hands – this is fun for the kids!)

Add egg whites to chicken and toss. Coat each piece of chicken with the cereal and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

If cooking with a child you can add chicken pieces directly to their ziploc bag and let them shake the cereal coating on.

Preheat oven to 350 and bake for about 10 minutes until lightly golden or until cooked through (the chicken will cook fast because it is in bite size pieces).

Serve along side ketchup, marinara sauce, yummy cucumber yogurt dip or maple mustard dip.

For the Cool Cucumber Yogurt Dip:

1/2 cup plain Greek Yogurt

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cucumber, shredded (on box grater)

1 lemon, juiced

Sea Salt & fresh pepper, to taste

In a bowl mix all ingredients. You can make this ahead of time so all ingredients have a chance to mingle. It is also great to use as a dip for veggies, a dressing on a salad, on a wrap with fresh veggies, over salmon, etc.

ENJOY!

- Cara -

catering

Black Bean-Mango Salad

Apple “Bagels” with Maple-Walnut Butter

Hey, There’s Bread In My Salad! : Yummy Panzanella Salad

Baked Polenta Fries

Very Berry Salsa with Cinnamon Pita

Enjoy!!!

Raspberry Scones

Fresh & Fruity Quinoa Salad

Red Quinoa & Veggie “Meat”balls

Amaranth Flake Crusted Chicken Bites with Cool Cucumber Yogurt Dip

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