Spinach Corn Cakes (Croc Cakes) with Tomato Peach Salsa

The other night the girls and I got to have a dinner to ourselves. I started asking the girls what they wanted and my oldest jumped up and said: Croc Cakes, or as I like to call them- Spinach Pancakes.

Luckily I have two girls that have no problem eating their greens or at least their spinach. But a while ago I thought we'd try to find some new ways of adding a little extra mixed with their favorite breakfast food, pancakes.

Oh- and just in case you're wondering where the girls got the name Croc Cakes, the first time we made these last summer, they were involved in our church VBS program named Crocodile Dock hence Crock Cakes.



Spinach Corn Cakes (Croc Cakes)

3/4 cup skim milk
1 egg
1 egg white
2 tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup corn meal
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp grd flax seeds or wheat germ
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

2 cups spinach, washed
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 cups corn, fresh or frozen- thawed

Mix above pancake batter and set aside.
Puree 2 cups of fresh spinach in food processor or blender with 1 cup sour cream. Process until smooth. Stir batter and spinach puree together and add corn. Carefully combine all ingredients. Heat griddle and pour 1/4 cup for each pancake.


Tomato Peach Salsa

1 medium tomato, diced- peeled if needed
1 peach, peeled and diced
1 tsp honey
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt

Toss all ingredients together and serve.

My Memories: and...Carrot Cucumber Relish

Loud clanking noises.
HOT steaming rising.
Sour smells.
Pretty, clear glasses.
Shiny new rings.
Soiled dish cloths.
The magical pop!
A musty smell.
A dark basement light only by small windows and a pull chain light bulb.
Odd looking things floating in liquid.
All made with love.

This is how I remember canning.

My grandmother, whom I admire, and miss very much, did it all. All of the descriptions above are what I remember from those experiences. I remember being terrified of the pressure cooker she used; the “ticker” on top ready to blow any minute always had my eye. Her jars always looked so pretty, even though they were very similar to the ones used now, just that she was holding them with her strong, smooth wrinkly hands. I could walk you through some of those late summer visits to her black and white kitchen with its red vinyl table and chairs. Of course the basement was where she kept the rewards from her hard work. It was a dark, low ceiling basement with a musky smell and a pull chain light.

Flash forward a few years and I have memories of possibly the same pressure cooker, same jars but different kitchen and younger hands. This time it is my mother using the skills her mom had taught and using the same recipes. The smell of vinegar has never changed. The taste of pickling salts hasn’t changed either. And best of all, the LOVE is still the same!

A couple of weeks ago, I got to share this experience with my mom. I brought over the multitude of cucumbers I had picked from my garden and we did an experimental batch of Carrot Cucumber Relish. We decided I might be better off if we didn’t mess with the pressure cooker the first time; so we used a hot bath method instead.



Carrot Cucumber Relish
Makes 2 ½ pints

2 ½ cups cucumber
1 ½ cups carrots, peeled
1 cup onions, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tsp. salt
Grind all vegetables in food processor or blender. Stir in salt and let stand for about 3 hours.

1 cup white vinegar
1 cup cane sugar
1 ½ tsp. mustard seed
1 ½ tsp. celery seed
Bring ingredients to a boil and add ground vegetables. Simmer for 20 minutes. Once cooked pour appropriate amounts into hot sterile jars and seal.

Kids Can Cook

This was a day on the job that I had been looking forward to. One where my skills in the kitchen got to mix with my day job as Health Promotional Specialist at the University of Kentucky Health and Wellness Program.

Our two dietitians, Karen and Helen, dietetic intern, Monica and I hosted a parent/child cooking class,"Kids Can Cook". We designed the class to give our participants the chance to introduce the basics of cooking to a child in their life.

Helen and Karen usually host a couple of cooking classes a year, but since this theme was focused around kids, they asked me to jump in and help. I took this as a compliment! They knew how I managed the energy and personalities of the girls at my daughter's cooking birthday party, so I guess they thought I might be able to give some insight to this group, too. This class was going to be as easy as pie since the kids were going to have an adult with them.





We are lucky to be able to use a large teaching kitchen on campus but did have to limit the class to 8 parent/child pairs. The class was so popular we even had a waiting list! We ended up with all girls ranging from ages 7-12 and assigned each pair with either one or two items to cook, depending on the age and previous experience. Here's what we had set up for the groups to cook.





Breakfast:
Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes
Breakfast Burritos (See recipe below)

Lunch:
Honey Mustard Yogurt Chicken Salad
Falafel with Tahini Sauce

Dinner:
Spaghetti and Marinara Sauce with Bison Meatballs
Sweet and Sour Tofu Stir- Fry (See recipe below)

Snacks:
Deviled Eggs
Zucchini Muffins
Phyllo Wrapped Asparagus
Sweet Potato Fries
Fruit Kabobs

Sounds like a lot, but it all worked flawlessly! The girls and parents were wonderful to work with. I think we pushed some of the participants outside their comfort zone when it came to the foods and prepping involved for some of the dishes. Walking around the kitchen, it was great to hear the girls show such excitement telling us how they had been looking forward to this class all week. They had some with experience baking, but most of them had never really done a lot of the prep work on their own. I was proud to see many of the parents step away and let the girls do the work on their own, well- almost minus the few sharp knives on the counters.

The evening ended with nothing but smiles and pride! No burns, cuts or failed food were found. The falafel did flop but the dad, daughter duo had it all under control. As the students all lined up to show off their work, my soul was happy! What an amazing night!!! Here are some more photos from the event.




Monica, the magnificent intern introducing her cutting terms and herbs for the students to smell and taste.




Our Chefs!



Look at the pride and feeling of accomplishment.




Ready to show off their hard work...and taste it too!






Here are some of the contributions I had to add to the class. Since we've all tried these out I guess it might be nice of me to share them with you all too.

Breakfast Burrito
Makes 4

1 tbsp canola oil
½ cup onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup red or green pepper, diced
1 cup fresh spinach, torn into small pieces
3 eggs, beaten
½ cup milk (you can use skim but half and half works nicely)
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp cumin
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese for a spicier taste
4 whole wheat tortillas
Favorite salsa or pico de gallo
Avocado (optional)

In large skillet heat oil and add onion. Cook until nice and soft. Toss peppers and garlic in with onion and let cook for about 3 minutes. Add spinach and let it wilt. In small bowl beat eggs, milk and spices together. Pour in skillet and mix with onion mixture. Let cook for about 5-7 minutes on medium heat trying not to stir or move the skillet. Take spoon and carefully scramble eggs. Add cheese to scrambled eggs and cover skillet to let the cheese melt. Once cheese is melted remove eggs from skillet

Spread tortilla on plate and add a large spoonful of egg mixture in center. Carefully fold and roll tortilla. Serve with salsa and avocado on top.


Sweet and Sour Stir Fry with Tofu
Serves 4

Sauce
1 can (8 ounces) pineapple chunks in juice (no sugar added), drained (juice reserved)
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp chili pepper flakes

Tofu and Veggies
1 block (about 14 Oz.) Extra-firm Tofu
1 tbsp vegetable oil
6 scallions, white and green parts separated, cut 1-inch lengths
2 bell peppers, seeds and cut into thin slices
1 cup sugar snap peas
1 cup broccoli, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and cut in matchstick pieces

In a small saucepan, heat together 1/3 cup pineapple juice, vinegar, soy sauce, tomato paste, cornstarch, pepper flakes and 1/4 cup water. Reduce heat to simmer.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Sautee tofu in oil. Let cook for 3-5 minutes on each side allowing the tofu to slightly brown. Remove from skillet and place on plate.

In hot skillet, add scallion whites and other vegetables; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add tofu and pineapple chunks. Whisk sauce; add to skillet. Bring to a simmer; cook until sauce is heated. Add diced scallion greens before serving.

Cilantro Pesto Pearled Couscous Salad

Is it really the middle of July? Is summer close to an end?
Did you grow up thinking that summer ended when you went back to school? I sure did, but years ago, after having my first full time job and getting married, I stopped thinking that way. Summer lasted as long as I wanted it to. Time never really mattered. And- that didn’t really even change after we had our girls. UGH-- But that stopped last summer when my oldest gal started school. Let me make sure you are aware that school starts in the middle of August for us around here. It's not fair!

There is something special about summer. Something makes it feel okay to let my girls goof around a little more than normal. To know that you can drop everything and pull on swimsuits and hit the pool. It’s that refreshing, laid back kind of feeling. What kind of feelings does summer bring for you? Do you have a feeling of sadness that starts to creep around this time of year?

The flip side to all of the dread of summer ending is that this is the prime time for gardens. I love walking outside every evening to check my garden and harvest the goods! From cucumbers to tomatoes, ripening watermelons to beets ready to pop out of the ground. These are the sites that make me thankful for this time of year! To show my gratitude and not vent anymore like I did above, here’s one way I discovered to enjoy it all. A perfect fresh salad for a hot summer day!


Cilantro Pesto Pearled Couscous Salad

Pesto
2 cups cilantro, washed and stems removed
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 tsp coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp cumin

In a food processor add cilantro and lime juice. Process for a couple of seconds and then add olive oil and seasonings. Continue to process until all ingredients are pureed.

Couscous
1 1/4 cups pearled couscous
1 3/4 cups water
1 tsp olive oil

Add water and oil to boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in couscous and let simmer for an additional 5 minutes uncovered. Cover pan and remove from heat. Fluff with fork and let stand for another 10 minutes. Once finished pour into large mixing bowl and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.

Salad
1 cup black beans, if using canned- make sure to rinse
1/2 cup red onion, minced
2 tsp jalapeno, minced
1 medium tomato, diced
1/2 cup smoked cheddar cheese, diced
3 cups spinach- serve the couscous mixture on top

Once couscous is cooled toss in pesto and gently blend together. Add cilantro pesto and carefully toss to spread the flavor around the dish. Toss in onion, tomato and cheese. Prepare plate with about a cup of spinach and add couscous salad on top.

Happy 1st Anniversary to My McDonald Meal!

In one year I could have:
• Learned how to play the guitar.
• Driven Route 66 and back.
• Picked up sewing.
• Finished my oldest daughter’s baby book. By the way, she’s 6 ½)
• Slept a solid 8-9 hours most nights.
• Still thought that spending THAT much money on a camera was crazy.

Not to say some of the above things wouldn’t have been fun to enjoy or that they aren’t true but, instead in the past year I have…

• Found a way to show others my joy and passion in cooking fun healthy meals for my family.
• Spent more “intentional” time in the planning part of cooking. i.e meaning I now write my creations down while making them.
• Learned why my husband likes to take pictures. I have had so much fun picking up tips from other food bloggers but best of all love having my husband teach me how to use “our” camera.
• Coerced my daughters in being taste testers to some odd smelling foods. They are such good troopers!
• Subjected my family to growling stomachs due to my last minute photo.
• Opened my kitchen shades more than before to let natural light in for just the right shot.
• Gained confidence in writing. I have even found that it comes much easier. I am able to transfer my thoughts into words a lot easier.
• Hired an “in-house” editor…a tall, hot, Scotsman- my wonderful husband!

Most of all, I have found a way I can make a small difference in such a big world. Having folks leave comments letting me know that they understand what I said and agree. To hear people say they had never thought of that before. Those are words that reaffirm my reason for staying up late at night cranking out the post. Not sure I have mentioned before but I do work a FT job and squeeze in exercise everyday while trying to juggle motherhood, wifehood and just life.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for your support. I hope to continue to bring in more fun foods that will lead to creating a healthy environment for you to enjoy! Peace and happiness, love Melissa.

Let's take a walk down memory lane...How may I help you?


P.S. Keep checking back as I'll be getting a makeover soon! Happy Anniversary to MMM!

Special Friends and Wild Blueberry Lavender Sorbet

Do you have a friend that really knows you? One that gets your quirks and craziness and still loves you? I have been granted this special bond with my dear friend Whitney. She's so much fun! She has always picked out the coolest birthday gifts. This year she outdid herself with these precious vintage Crate and Barrel sorbet cups and spoons. She knew I'd love coming up with treats to put inside and that they'd make some great pictures for my blog.

The colors are my favorite. When I unwrapped them, my girls had lots of fun picking out which ones they liked the best. I picked the lime green, my oldest picked the orange and my youngest the pink. They felt daddy needed the blue. I really liked all the colors with this yummy Wild Blueberry Lavender Sorbet served inside. The spoons scoop the sweetness into your mouth one ittie bitty bite at a time.



Wild Blueberry Lavender Sorbet
(No ice cream maker required)

1 cup water
1/2 cup cane sugar
1/4 tsp dried lavender (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
6 cups fresh blueberries (frozen will work but do not thaw)
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (about one large lemon)

In a saucepan, bring sugar, water and lavender to a boil. Add salt and reduce to low heat for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and pour sugar syrup to a metal bowl and let cool to room temperature. Discard lavender leaves.

In a blender, add sugar syrup, blueberries, and lemon juice and puree. Press mixture through strainer to remove seeds and skins. Cover and chill sorbet mixture in shallow freezer safe container. Let freeze for two hours, remove and take fork to mixture and scrape to slush like consistency. Continue to let freeze and then scrape for two or three more times until close to serving. You will know when it is ready--you will be able to scoop it out with an ice cream scoop and hold it's mold.

Note: Remember the power that blueberries have; they are the one of the highest antioxidant foods. July is National Blueberry month, so stock up on fresh blueberries now! Don't forget you can also freeze them to use later. Pop one in your mouth today!

Missing Kitchen Utensils and Peach Custard Pie

This past week our family joined my husband's family for a nice vacation getaway. We had originally planned on spending the week at a beach house on Gulf Shores, but for obvious reasons those plans changed. Instead, we found a halfway point for the Texans at Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. We weren't really sure what to expect, seeing that it was a lake versus the beach, but it did have it's own pool and a spacious 5 bedrooms and 4 full baths. Oh, and it was lake front. Well- so it turned out to be a great spot! The main problem we all had was the kitchen. It was advertised as fully furnished but would you believe the most important tool was was missing? A sharp knife! I say sharp because there were plenty of butter knifes and decent steak knives but nothing sharp enough to make a decent slice. And the kitchen was missing a nothing very important item--any decent cookware---even though there was a great new gas grill.

So needless to say we had a tough time with the food prep. Between the three families we had arranged to have 4 of the 5 main meals covered to reduce the times eaten out. Who wants to take a party of 11 with 4 kids under the age of 6 to a restaurant? Much easier to cook in instead. We had lots of great food. I had decided to fix a new recipe thanks to my latest addition of Eating Well magazine. Peach Custard Pie. Doesn't that sound wonderful?



Peach Custard Pie
Adapted from Eating Well

Pie Crust

A homemade pie crust would be delicious but since I was in a vacation rental house with too many missing utensils, I chose to use a premade whole wheat graham cracker crust instead. Think this gave it a lighter flavor too.

Filling

3/4 cup cane sugar
3/4 cup low-fat milk (I used 1%)
3/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt (6 ounces)
2 tbsp honey
2 eggs
2 tbsp white whole wheat flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp almond extract (Eating Well mentions that vanilla would work too and I would agree. Next time I'll use vanilla instead. I think I went a little heavy on almond)
Pinch of salt
2 cups sliced peaches, fresh
1/4 cup granola

Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine sugar, milk, yogurt, eggs, flour, cornstarch, almond or vanilla extract and salt in a medium bowl and whisk until all ingredients are combined.

Place peaches in the crust and pour the filling into pie pan. Peaches will float to the top- no worries! Place pie pan on baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle granola over the top. Reduce oven temperature to 350°. Return the pie to the oven and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes depending on your oven. Let cool for an hour and then serve. This pie is great either warm or cold!

Look What's in Our Front Yard!

Check out the cool sign we have in our yard! All thanks to the great non-profit Seedleaf.

I was introduced to the Seedleaf organization back in the spring when a co-worker mentioned that it seemed like something I'd like to support. Well- she was right. Though my husband and I haven't had a chance to get our hands dirty with them, we have had the chance to support them through purchasing a very cool sign! Proceeds from the sign go to help revitalize and beautify the East End of Lexington.

Seedleaf's goal is to "increase the amount, affordability, nutritional value, and sustainability of food available to people at risk of hunger in central Kentucky". It's amazing what they have done in town in such a short amount of time. If you are in the Bluegrass area, consider taking some time to help weed, harvest, or just come hang out with these great folks!

Farm Fresh and Kid Approved: Mediterranean Pesto Pasta with Roasted Vegetables

Fresh! That's what I was looking for when planning our meal for the other night. It had felt like forever since we had eaten at home. Anytime this happens we start to feel blah. I am NOT saying I don't like eating out every now and then or that I don't like eating at family or friends houses. I'm just saying that there is something about fixing a meal in your kitchen and eating at your table. With children it can add even more relief when they are back in their own environment. I know for my girls this makes it easier for them to focus on their food and not take 2 hours to eat a small meal. Anyone else agree? Anyone? Come on, feel free to comment in the section below. I need to know that I have some readers that have an opinion.

Okay, back to our meal--- some very kind friends of ours let us have their CSA basket while they were out of town this week. So along with the CSA goodies, left overs from my Farmer's Market run earlier and my own garden, we had plenty to chose from for our farm fresh dinner. I still had some eggplant and a very cool veggie I just learned about, kousa, to use. (I'll tell you more about the kousa later.) I also had plenty of basil freshly picked and thought a pesto would taste nice and fresh.

Mediterranean Pesto Pasta with Roasted Vegetables

Roasted Vegetables
2 medium kousa squash, diced (Zucchini would work fine too)
2 baby eggplant, diced
2 banana peppers, seeded and sliced
Fresh oregano and thyme
1 tsp coarse sea salt
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl add all vegetables. Toss olive oil and vinegar over ingredients and then add fresh herbs and salt. Spread evenly on a non-stick cookie sheet. Roast vegetables for about 30 minutes- toss half way through.

Pesto
1 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup arugula
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp pine nuts
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

In food processor add all dry ingredients. Turn processor on and gradually pour oil through slot and mix until smooth and thick. Paste like.



Sauce
26oz. container of chopped tomatoes (fresh tomatoes would be perfect)
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp chili pepper flakes
1 tsp coarse sea salt

Heat tomatoes and paste at medium high for about 5 minutes. Add pesto and stir. Continue to simmer for 20-30 minutes or until all flavors are combined.

Cook your choice of pasta according to directions. Make sure to use about 1/2-3/4 a pound of pasta for 4 people. We went less on the pasta and heavy and vegetables and sauce.


NOTE: I discovered kousa recently at the Lexington Farmer's Market. This is typically a popular Middle Eastern vegetable and a few of our farmers are starting to bring in it this year. Most recipes I found included stuffing the vegetable with tomatoes and lamb. Here is a and example recipe for Kousa Mihshi (they have a great sounding vegetarian version listed too) Eating Well. I thought it had a nicer flavor than zucchni and took on the flavor of the surrounding spices. Big perk...my girls ate it and liked it!!! Woohoo!