Panko Crusted Chicken Tenders

This is one that is a favorite with kids and adults alike. It is just reminiscent enough of nuggets to be devoured by the little ones and just enough sophistication to be enjoyed by their parents.

Prep couldn't be faster so save this for one of those - rushtosoccerpracticenowit's7pmandidonthavedinnerplanned - kinda nights!

Preheat Oven to 425. Serves 4
Ingredients:

• 1 LB of Chicken Tenders (or cut Boneless Chicken Breasts into large chunks)
• 1.5 cups of Whole Wheat Panko
  
• 1 cup of olive oil (or olive oil canola blend)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbl grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Place all the Panko and seasoning (and cheese if using) into a baking dish.

Pour the olive oil into a separate bowl.

Dredge the chicken tenders into the olive oil until fully coated and then into the panko mixture one at a time. Lay them out on a lightly greased cookie sheet and spray with a bit of oil spray on the tops. Bake for approx 15 minutes, then flip the tenders and bake for an additional 10-12 or until fully cooked thru and an instant read thermometer registers at 165.

Serve with plenty of honey mustard or ketchup for dipping.

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups avocado (about 2 medium avocados)
• 1 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
  
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• raspberries or some chocolate chips for garnish
  

Method

1. Add all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and whirl until it is creamy and fully blended. Scrape well down the sides to get all the cocoa powder in the pudding.
2. Chill for 30 minutes and then eat!

A neurotic mommy (and Whole Wheat Pop Tarts)

I know I have gone a little obsessive with what my kids eat. I try so hard to be the "cool" mom- you know, be easy breezy about them eating 4 slices of Dominos pizza at a party followed by some pink liquid (I think its supposed to be juice) and a tootsie roll pop. But the fact is, it kills me inside! Maybe it's the years of research that led me to start Wholesome Tummies. Or the articles I read daily on the increasing rates of obesity, diabetes and other illnesses related to eating processed foods. But I have become a bit of a food "nazi" in my house.

My kids, for the most part, are pretty good. They know the foods they can have and the foods they cannot. They have watched Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and think McDonalds is disgusting. But there are some things they still ask for occasionally even though they know I'll say "no".

Lucky Charms and Soda for instance. And Pop Tarts. Those nasty, sugar filled, overly processed dessert -like treats that get marketed as breakfast food. UGH.

I found a recipe online for homemade pop tarts and tried to improve them the best I could (but kept the 2 sticks of butter, hey I can't be TOTALLY good all the time!). I swapped all the white flour for whole wheat pastry flour. I eliminated the frosting and opted for a light dusting of powdered sugar instead. I thought they were delicious. Light, flaky, slightly sweet and buttery.

My littlest boy (2) LOVED it. My 3 year old, only ate the strawberry jelly parts. But my 8 year olds said they were delicious and devoured them. One of them, asked if he could have them for dessert tonight too. They aren't the easiest things to do in the morning when you have to rush the kids out to school, but on a Sunday if you have an extra hour, they would be just fine!




Whole Wheat Pop Tarts

Yield: 9 pop-tarts

Prep Time: 1 hour | Bake Time: 25 minutes

For the pastry crust:
2 cups Whole Wheat Pasty Flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks, or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk

For the strawberry filling:
¾ cup strawberry jam (or whatever flavor you’d like)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water

1 egg, lightly beaten (to brush on pastry)

Prepare the strawberry filling by whisking together the cornstarch and water, and then combine with the jam in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and let cool.

To make the crust, combine together the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until combined. Add the cubed butter slowly and pulse again until the dough resembled sand or moist crumbs. Whisk together the egg and milk and add to the dough. Mix together until everything is evenly moistened. Dump out onto a floured surface and knead briefly.

Divide the dough in half. (At this point you can wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days.) If you refrigerate the dough, let it come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before rolling out. Roll out one piece of dough to about 1/8-inch thick, in a 9½ by 12½ rectangle. Using a sharp knife, pastry wheel or bench scraper, trim the rectangle to 9×12 inches. Cut the sheet of dough into nine 3×4 rectangles. Using a spatula, transfer the rectangles to a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Brush the lightly beaten egg on each of the rectangles. Spoon 1-2 tbl of filling into the center of each rectangle, leaving a ½-inch of space around the edges.

Roll out and cut the second piece of dough in the exact same manner as you did the first. One at a time, place a second rectangle of dough on top of the nine assembled ones. Using your fingers, press around the seams of the dough to make sure they are sealed. Press the tines of a fork around the edges of the rectangles. Prick the tops of the rectangles in multiple spots to allow steam to escape. Brush the tops with MORE egg wash so the tops get a nice brown color when baked.

Refrigerate the pan with the pastries (you don’t need to cover them) for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool slightly before serving. Dust with powdered sugar.

Store pastries in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Try the GREEN Chips!

There are just some foods that are high on my "I wish I could be one of those people who loved these" list. You know, things like - Millet, Spriulina (what is that, exactly?), Soy Milk and Kale.

A few months back, I read an article in Bon Appetit Magazine that got me totally inspired to try Kale. I own a healthy foods business- I could do THIS! How bad could it be, I mean this writer made it seem like between Kale and dark chocolate, she'd pick Kale. So I tried it...her way. I sauteed it and did everything right..and it was terrible. Sour and bitter and inedible. I tried to get my kids to just try a few bites and they spit it out all over the table. And I, their mother, could hardly blame them.. so I decided I'd have to get my Vitamin K and A elsewhere.

So tonight, the first night of my diet (yes the same diet I have started about 15 times this year), I decided to make a super foods inspired meal. Wild cod, lightly dredged in whole wheat flour and sauteed in olive oil, lentils with parsley, lemon and caramelized onion and my old friend, kale.

But- instead of sauteing , I found a great recipe for roasting it. The high heat, when combined with kale and a bit of olive oil creates a crispy outside- much like a chip. Yes, I said chips...(tempted yet?)

I got some beautiful kale in my organic co-op delivery yesterday, so I was excited to have another go at this great super food. The recipe couldn't be more simple and the results- fantastic.

They were crunchy with a bit of saltiness and only a slight hint of bitterness. I had a hard time eating just one.

Well I am excited to say that I have welcomed Kale into my family and on permanent rotation, too. I hope you enjoy this as much as we all did. (Note my 2 year old munching down on it- now that is a proud mama moment when your 2 year old says "more more" and he is referring to kale!)

Tuscan Kale Chips

3 cups fresh kale, torn into bite sized pieces
1 tbl olive oil
1/2 tbl kosher salt.

Preheat the oven to 350
Line a baking sheet with parchment
Toss the take leaves with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Lay out flat on the baking sheet, and cook for 10-12 mins until crispy.

(see told you it was easy!)

French Omelet

I don't think there is any recipe that seems so simple and yet is so intimidating as the classic French Omelet. For years, what I thought what I was making, was an omelet. Until one day, I went to the Gourmet Institute (now sadly, defunct) in NYC and sat in a class on eggs. It was there I learned that the true French Omelet is in a class all on its own. I doesn't have the brown edges, or the dryness that I had become accustomed to in my omelets. It was creamy, delicate, moist and perfectly even colored.

Truth be told, I am not an egg lover. I have eaten them mostly because I thought they were some super food that would make me a healthier person. I don't know if that's true or just good marketing by egg farmers or what. You gotta say, for something so small, and pretty simple they pack a pretty good nutritional punch. One little egg only has 4g fat and 7g protein. Its pretty much carb free and a whole bunch of other vitamins that I'm sure do something good.

So back to the omelet. I finally "cracked" (I'm so funny!) the key to a good, creamy French omelet when I followed the following principles:
1) VERY Fresh eggs. I LOVE to use my farm fresh eggs from Rosas Farms but if I cannot get my hands on those babies, I use cage free, organic eggs. (The cage free part is purely for my guilty conscious)

2)Use only 3 eggs at a time. I dont care if you are feeding 34 people. Sorry. Use only 3 eggs at a time. If you try to use more, then you get so much thickness that it takes too long to cook and you get the dreaded "brown crust".

3) Don't over mix. Typically, when I would make scrambled eggs or an omelet I would scramble those suckers like it was an Olympic event. Take it easy, lightly break the yolks and get them nice and mixed but don't be all crazy about it.

4)Use real butter. Use good cheese (if you are using) and have them both at the ready when you start. If you have your omelet in the pan and then you have to go start looking for your cheese in the fridge under last week's leftovers, your omelet will burn and you will be sad. So practice the french art of "mise en place" (everything in its place) before you begin.

Ok- away we go

French Omelet

3 Fresh eggs (I use large)
1 tbl butter
2 tbl cheese or fresh herbs whatever strikes your fancy
Kosher salt and fresh pepper



Place a 10" nonstick skillet on the stove. Heat to med-high.
Crack eggs into a bowl, and gently mix.


When pan is thoroughly heated thru, add the butter. It should melt right away with a bit of a sizzle.



Right before you drop the eggs into the hot pan, sprinkle them with a bit of salt and pepper. If you add the salt too early, it makes the eggs watery.

Pour the eggs into the hot pan. Lower the heat to medium. Grab a rubber spatula, you know, this kind and gently swirl the eggs around. Use the handle of the pan to rotate the eggs around in the pan evenly. You are trying to make a nice, thin layer of eggs. keep lifting the edges with the spatula and give the pan several jerks swiftly over the heat.



You are trying to keep any one section of the eggs from staying in the heat for too long. Keep swirling the eggs around, coating all sides of the pan. Once the bottom layer has set (around 90 seconds) add the cheese or herbs if using down the middle of the omelet.



Swirl a bit more and gently fold one side over the other. If you are feeling daring, flip the omelet onto its other side for 15-20 seconds more and turn off the heat.



Slide the omelet gently, onto a plate, garnish with fresh chives or parsley.

Barefoot Bloggers- White Pizzas with Arugula

After seeing Julie and Julia a few nights ago, I realized my blog needed some motivation. I was too willy-nilly about my postings and had no real pressure to commit. For those who know me, what Julia Child was to Julie Powell is what Ina Garten is to me. I love Ina. I am sure that if we just met, we would be instant life long friends.

I would love to be one of those people she invites to sit around her kitchen in the Hamptons and we could talk for hours about the importance of butter in all recipes. "How bad could that be?"
Her cooking style most resembles my own. It's classic, it's comforting, it's accessible for most cooks and it seems like food you would really want to eat.

I found this blogging group, Barefoot Bloggers, who are all..well..Ina fans too! Each month, another blogger (that would be someone like me!) is selected to choose 2 recipes from Ina and then (get this) everyone else has to make them and post on their own blogs! Perfect- that solves my motivation problem AND I get to make Ina recipes!

So this month, the recipes were White Pizzas with Arugula and a Mango Daiquiri or something drink. I didn't make the drink. Not that I didnt plan to (mangoes sitting nicely on my counter as we speak..) but I just flat out got too busy and honestly, I can't exactly serve a rum drink to my kids so..I stuck with the pizzas for this month.

Arugula is probably in my top 5 favorite foods. I LOVE the peppery, crisp taste and it doesn't hurt that my next door neighbors grow some in their herb garden and are always forcing it upon me.
Let me start by saying- I LOVED this recipe. LOVED IT. My husband and I looked at each other with the "OMG where has this been my whole life face". The salty and creamy combination of the cheeses combined with the garlic and peppery lettuce was out of this world.

Some notes:
First, when Ina said NOT to add the salt to the yeast before the flour, she means it. I had one totally flat, failed ball of dough that wouldn't rise.

I usually do not like goat cheese..if that is the case for you, try it anyway. I did and actually really liked the taste on this pizza. Gave it great depth.

Final thoughts: It's a bit of work, no doubt. Anytime you work with dough and things like - three different cheeses and garlic steeped oil it's going to be a bit more advanced of a recipe but it's all worth it. This is now my go-to appetizer for parties.

White Pizzas with Arugula

For the dough:

• 1 1/4 cups warm (100 to 110) water
• 2 packages dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Good olive oil
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
• Kosher salt
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

For the topping:

• 3 cups grated Italian fontina cheese (8 ounces)
• 1 1/2 cups grated fresh mozzarella cheese (7 ounces)
• 11 ounces creamy goat cheese, such as montrachet, crumbled

For the vinaigrette:

• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces baby arugula
• 1 lemon, sliced

Directions

Mix the dough.

Combine the water, yeast, honey and 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. When the yeast is dissolved, add 3 cups of flour, then 2 teaspoons salt, and mix on medium-low speed. While mixing, add up to 1 more cup of flour, or just enough to make a soft dough. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth, sprinkling it with the flour as necessary to keep it from sticking to the bowl.

Knead by hand.

When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board and knead it by hand a dozen times. It should be smooth and elastic.

Let it rise.

Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it to cover it lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Make garlic oil.

Place 1/2 cup of olive oil, the garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook for 10 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn't burn. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. (Be sure your oven is clean!)

Portion the dough.

Dump the dough onto a board and divide it into 6 equal pieces. Place the doughs on sheet pans lined with parchment paper and cover them with a damp towel. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

Stretch the dough.

Press and stretch each ball into an 8-inch circle and place 2 circles on each sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (If you've chilled the dough, take it out of the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes ahead to let it come to room temperature.)

Top the dough.

Brush the pizzas with the garlic oil, and sprinkle each one liberally with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the pizzas evenly with fontina, mozzarella and goat cheese. Drizzle each pizza with 1 tablespoon more of the garlic oil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the crusts are crisp and the cheeses begin to brown.

Make the vinaigrette.

Meanwhile, whisk together 1/2 cup of olive oil, the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Add the greens.

When the pizzas are done, place the arugula in a large bowl and toss with just enough lemon vinaigrette to moisten. Place a large bunch of arugula on each pizza and a slice of lemon and serve immediately.

TIP Make sure the bowl is warm before you put the water and yeast in; the water must be warm for the yeast to develop.

TIP Salt inhibits the growth of yeast; add half the flour, then the salt, and then the rest of the flour.

TIP To make sure yeast is still "alive," or active, put it in water and allow it to sit for a few minutes. If it becomes creamy or foamy, it's active.

Recipe:

Whole Wheat Pita Breads

I know, I know..you are thinking "why on earth would you make pita when you can buy perfectly acceptable pitas in those bags at the grocery store". OK, true, you can. But then, when someone asks you "What did you do today?" you would not be able to answer: "I made pita from scratch, you?"
See? It has a nice ring to it, right?!

Don't you ever just want to do something so you can say you did? For some this sense of accomplishment might come from knitting a blanket, changing the oil in your car (although why would ANYONE want to do that..getting under your car, full of grease..but I digress..), bike thru Europe..you get the idea. My "1000 things to do before I die" list probably has 934 related to food.

I have such a long list of things I want to attempt in the kitchen. Like this or this or this one too. Oh ya, and the best meal I ever had in a restaurant in my life - this one (Ahh..one day!)

But until then, I'll stick with some amateur attempts - and those usually involve yeast. For me, there is just something magical and well..mystical about using yeast. It's totally out of my comfort zone, so many things can go wrong and must be handled with kid gloves. I have thrown out my share of bread starters because I was too lazy to add liquid at just the right temperature or because I just flat out didn't follow directions. I love the idea of homemade baked bread but its the "bread" part that intimidates me. Little, unassuming pita breads couldn't be that difficult. And turns out, they weren't..

Worth the effort- Oh yea. Warm, soft and just chewy enough. They don't even resemble store bought pitas. The best part was watching them puff up in the oven- a real crowd pleaser. Well, as long as your crowd is 6 years old (like mine was).

So- take a chance, try something new- make some pita breads.




From Cooking Light Mag:

Makes 8 servings (serving size: 1 pita)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water (100° to 110°)
• 10 ounce bread flour (about 2 1/4 cups)
• 4.75 ounces white whole-wheat flour (about 1 cup), divided
• 2 tablespoons 2% Greek-style yogurt (such as Fage)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• Olive oil cooking spray

1. Dissolve sugar and yeast in 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.

Add bread flour, 3 ounces (about 3/4 cup) whole-wheat flour, yogurt, oil, and salt to the yeast mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead dough until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of remaining whole-wheat flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.

2. Position the oven rack on the lowest shelf.

3. Preheat the oven to 500°.

4. Divide dough into 8 portions. Working with one portion at a time, gently roll each portion into a 5 1/2-inch circle. Place 4 dough circles on each of 2 baking sheets heavily coated with cooking spray. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, at 500° for 8 minutes or until puffed and browned. Cool on a wire rack.